"Who is this?"
Before the enormous round table, only twenty seats had been prepared. Yet to everyone's surprise, twenty-one people had arrived.
"Queen Lily of Alabasta, would you please introduce him to everyone?"
At the round table, a blond man spoke. His sharp gaze locked onto Orin's face, carrying a clear sense of wariness and hostility.
As the head of the Donquixote royal family, a lineage that had prospered by exploiting the Tontatta Tribe, there were few among them who weren't villains. Naturally, they viewed any suddenly emerging powerhouse like Orin with suspicion.
"Everyone, this is Orin-sama. He has come voluntarily to form an alliance with the twenty kings present…"
Facing the twenty rulers of this era, Orin showed no sign of nervousness. He merely smiled and nodded politely.
He had nothing much to say. After all, the monarchs of the world's most powerful nations—no matter how composed they appeared—were all proud men.
So Orin decided to make things a little more direct.
"Buzz——!!!"
Standing in the luxurious conference hall, Orin's faint smile deepened. But in the next instant—
His black formal attire rippled though there was no wind. His long hair and the weapons on his back trembled in unison.
A terrifying storm of Conqueror's Haki Infusion erupted from his body, bursting outward like a thunderclap and tearing through the entire hall.
The entire place shook violently, and every person present gasped in shock.
Especially the Donquixote patriarch, whose hostile face instantly turned pale with terror. Veins bulged across his forehead as fear gripped him.
"This… this Conqueror's Haki…"
The entire building trembled as if it were about to collapse, the ground cracking beneath their feet. This was no ordinary kingly will—it was one that surpassed kings, shattering heaven and earth.
Among the seated figures, a tall, thin man wearing a crown stared fixedly at Orin. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
On his body, demonic features flickered briefly into existence before fading again—an instinctive reaction to the immense pressure radiating from Orin.
"Orin… huh…"
...
Elsewhere—
Year 1518 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
"What?! Old man actually fought Orin-san before?!"
"Cough, cough, cough!!!"
The wine went down the wrong way, and Ace burst into a coughing fit, his eyes wide with disbelief as he turned to look at Marco and the others.
Then, glancing toward Whitebeard and the other crewmates, Ace could tell from their expressions—it was true.
"Orin-san… he's really that strong?!"
Ace's face froze in shock, beads of cold sweat forming at his temples.
Ever since he was a kid, Ace had known that Orin-san was probably some incredible pirate. After all, he'd once sailed with Ace's own biological father—the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
Even now, on the open sea, one of Orin's former subordinates, Jinbe, could already fight Ace to a draw—and that alone had astonished him.
As for Yamato, who'd once told him that Orin-san had defeated one of the Yonko, Kaido—Ace had thought that was impressive, but he couldn't truly grasp how impressive, since he himself had never faced Kaido and didn't understand that kind of despairing power gap.
But Whitebeard—Whitebeard's strength, Ace knew well.
Since joining the crew, no matter what he tried, Ace had never once stood a chance against Whitebeard. Even when the old man was asleep, there wasn't a single opening to exploit.
He had seen the sheer, world-shattering might of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, capable of splitting the seas and crumbling islands.
And yet, that man—the one whose strength seemed boundless, unreachable—had actually fought Orin-san in a duel?!
"Is that true?"
Eyes shining with curiosity, Ace grabbed Marco excitedly.
"How did it end? Who won?"
"Uh…"
At that question, Marco's face darkened a little. Around them, several Whitebeard Pirates wore looks of lingering indignation.
"Well… technically, it was a draw…"
Even now, Marco could still picture the scene vividly—
Tremor-Tremor Fruit vs. Warp-Warp Fruit.
Two devastating abilities, both wielded by Conqueror's Haki masters at the highest level.
The entire island had been torn apart and sent flying into the sky. Calling it world-ending destruction would have been an understatement.
As for the final result—on the surface, Whitebeard had taken more visible damage. But the Whitebeard Pirates would never admit defeat.
"But the rest of the world said Orin was stronger! And it's all because that damn Morgans is Orin's subordinate!!!"
"Hahahahaha!!! So that's what happened?!"
Ace burst out laughing. That sounded exactly like the Orin-san he remembered—doing things in such an outrageous, shameless way.
To him, this old story was fascinating. While the other pirates ranted indignantly, Whitebeard himself sat in silence, quietly downing his sake, his face unreadable.
After a long pause, he finally slammed the gourd onto the table with a heavy thud, his expression filled with a complicated emotion.
Noticing the change, the crew stopped talking and turned to look at the man they respected most.
Whitebeard's tone grew solemn.
"You fools…"
"Orin—that guy—isn't like Kaido, Linlin… or even that brat Shanks."
"Pops?"
As the years had gone by, Whitebeard had become more reflective. He glanced down at the nurse beside him and the IV tubes in his arm.
"In this world, there are some beings who simply transcend reason. Even monsters like Roger and me… pale in comparison when standing before them. And in this era, Orin is one of those monsters."
"Pops…"
The crew watched him with wide eyes, stunned. The man who had always stood as their shield, their unshakable protector—the one they believed to be invincible—
To hear him say such words today… was unbelievable.
Whitebeard looked back at his sons with a soft smile, his gaze full of affection. Finally, his lips curled into a laugh.
"Ku la la la la… But don't worry! This old man isn't going down that easily. Not even Orin can touch my beloved family!!!"
"Pops!!!"
Once again, the ship filled with warmth—a family scene of laughter, tears, and love.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere, others were watching Orin's story unfold.
"Ginny! Bonney!!!"
"Kuma!!"
"Papa!!!"
The three embraced tightly, faces beaming with happiness.
Dr. Vegapunk stood to the side, wiping away tears, moved by the heartwarming sight.
"What a loving family!"
Kuma lifted the slender Jinny and the lively, adorable Bonney into his arms, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank goodness… you're both finally cured!!!"