Dragon didn't dare stay a moment longer.
Not even daring to glance at Garp, he hastily left with Koala in tow.
Considering Dragon's unique status, Gion quickly followed.
Koala who's walking beside Dragon, was clearly shaken by the terrifying aura Orion had unleashed earlier.
Subconsciously, she reached out and grasped the hem of Dragon's green coat.
Dragon didn't notice her gesture.
His only thought was to leave Marine Headquarters as quickly as possible—otherwise, if his father Garp caught up, being beaten would be the least of his worries.
Exposure of his identity would be far worse.
However, Gion who had followed them out of the Fleet Admiral's office, noticed Koala's reaction.
"Scared?"
Gion moved beside Koala and glanced at the girl with a gentle smile.
"Don't be afraid. Fleet Admiral Orion is actually very kind. The reason he got angry earlier was that the photo in the frame is extremely important to him."
Hearing this, Dragon, his face hidden under his hood, instinctively pricked up his ears.
Compared to Koala, he was far more curious about why Orion had suddenly seemed like a different person.
Had the photo been damaged, he had no doubt Orion would have lost control on the spot.
Koala, not overthinking it, simply asked with innocent curiosity, "I noticed that photo earlier. The people in it looked like... Marine recruits? Were they Fleet Admiral Orion's comrades? They must all be high-ranking officers in Marine Headquarters now, right?"
Gion didn't hide the truth, replying softly, "They all sacrificed their lives for him."
"Huh?" Koala's eyes widened in shock. "So... the only one left from that photo is Fleet Admiral Orion?"
Gion nodded lightly before tentatively suggesting to Dragon, "Dragon, would you like to visit the infirmary first? Being struck by Garp's Iron Fist means the swelling won't fade anytime soon. And given your... special bond, the bruising might last even longer."
Unexpectedly, Gion suddenly shifted the topic to Dragon himself, directly mentioning the bump on his head.
Dragon's facial muscles twitched slightly.
He was already wearing a hood—couldn't she just pretend not to see it?
At the very least, they had once been colleagues, and now he was the leader of the Revolutionary Army.
Couldn't she show him some respect?
As Garp's eldest son, Dragon knew better than anyone how terrifying his father's iron fist—especially the Fist of Love—could be!
No matter how strong you were, even if you were family, it was useless.
One punch would always leave a bump.
After a brief silence, Dragon simply nodded and said, "Thank you!"
It wasn't that he couldn't endure the pain, but rather that he wanted to take this opportunity to observe what other changes had occurred within the Marines under Orion's leadership.
Considering Dragon's identity, Gion didn't take him directly to the Marine infirmary but instead led him to the residential area for families, specifically to the medical building established for the relatives of Marine Headquarters officers and soldiers.
"What's that?"
Suddenly, Dragon, who was walking beside Gion, stopped and looked at the playground not far ahead, where cheerful laughter continuously echoed.
From the two large buildings beside the playground, faint recitations could be heard in the distance.
Gion glanced up and explained, "That's the Marine Academy, established not long ago under Marshal Orion's orders. Children of officers or soldiers stationed at Marine Headquarters, as long as they're six years old or older, can enroll. All expenses are covered by Marine finances!"
Dragon's heart stirred.
"Has such an academy only been established at Headquarters?"
Gion shook her head. "No, all branches in the Grand Line and the four seas have them."
"All branches?"
Even the usually composed Dragon couldn't help but lose his composure at this moment.
"Yes, all of them."
Gion smiled and nodded. "Not just the academies—major branches will gradually begin constructing nursing homes. For all officers and soldiers who die in the line of duty, if their elderly family members have no one to care for them, Marine Headquarters will arrange for specialists to bring them to the nursing homes."
Hearing this, Dragon shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Was this also Marshal Orion's idea?"
Before Gion could answer, Dragon suddenly sighed.
"Now I finally understand why Marshal Orion is so obsessed with money, even targeting the Celestial Dragons' coffers. Whether it's the salaries and allowances of Marine soldiers or the academies and nursing homes, they all require enormous funds to sustain."
At this point, Dragon turned to look at the Headquarters building.
As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he knew exactly how terrifying the power behind Orion's actions truly was.
From the elderly to the children, everyone would be cared for by the Marines.
Every Marine would be free of worries.
Combined with the numbered inheritance system, in just a few years, the entire world would bow before this terrifying force consolidated under Orion's leadership.
*****
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
In the Chamber of Flowers, Imu who had no shortage of time, sat quietly in the study, staring unblinkingly at the mysterious box placed before her.
Though Orion had already said the box couldn't be opened, Imu refused to give up.
Whenever she had free time, she would take the box out to study it.
During this period, Imu had tried summoning objects imbued with energy from the magic book to see if the box could absorb them.
Of course, Imu wasn't necessarily determined to open the box—she were simply looking for something to pass the time.
"Imu-sama!"
At that moment, Gunko pushed open the door and entered the study, standing respectfully by Imu's side.
Without shifting her gaze from the box, Imu asked in a calm tone, "Has the worldwide conscription ended?"
"It has!"
Gunko nodded slightly before continuing, "We've received the latest report that the notorious pirate Golden Lion Shiki, who disappeared over a decade ago, has reappeared in the New World and met with Edward Newgate."
"There's no need to inform me of such matters," Imu waved her hand dismissively. "Pirate affairs are Orion's responsibility. If they're still making waves, it means Orion has reasons to let them live for now."
Before the words fully left her lips, Imu's crimson-red pupils suddenly contracted.
In the next moment, a terrifying strand of energy emerged from the box, instantly coalescing into the form of a Devil Fruit energy entity.
"This is—"
"The Fish-Fish Fruit!"
As the words rang out, Imu decisively reached out to grab the newly formed energy-based Devil Fruit.
Before Imu could touch it, the energy-formed Devil Fruit flashed and vanished completely, leaving not even a trace of its presence.
Simultaneously, the box suddenly erupted with terrifying energy.
One after another, the contained Devil Fruit energies took shape mid-air before disappearing without a trace.
The sudden turn of events left even Imu momentarily flustered.
"This is bad—it's a new cycle!" she said urgently.
"Quick, notify Orion!"