July 13, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
Giolla slammed her brush down on the canvas, destroying the half-finished painting because her own strength spiraled out of control. Even the easel supporting the canvas and a large rock behind it were destroyed.
She had been incredibly irritable the past few days, feeling her emotions were on edge, boiling over at least three or four times a day.
She carefully took a piece of paper from her clothes and unfolded it, being careful not to tear it. It was the letter Orion had sent her six months earlier, telling her he would return to her side in early August.
For the frustrated artist, each passing day felt like an eternity. Without Orion's company, she felt life was meaningless and everything was suffering.
She gazed fondly at the letter she had read so many times, and her emotions calmed a little. It wouldn't be long now! In the next few weeks, Orion would return from his trip, and they could return to their little world of two, that beautiful period she now treasured as her most precious memories.
As soon as she saw him again, she would take him in her arms and never let him stray from her. Even if she had to break his legs or cut off his hands, she wouldn't let him walk away again, leaving her alone!
"My love, it won't be long before you return, and then we'll be together forever!"
On the outskirts of Pacific Town, at the foot of the mountain, a beautiful woman was lovingly caressing a letter, her eyes filled with madness and possessiveness.
If the man she was thinking of could see her now, he would surely feel chills run through his body, and perhaps question his past actions that had triggered the woman's current state.
...............…
On a small island called Goruta, a little girl was running at full speed through the streets of the town where she had lived for more than two years.
She carried a small basket filled with fruit she had bought at the market.
She skillfully crossed the crowded streets of the town, her mind traveling back to memories of the town where she had once lived.
The small Pacific Town in her memory was a warm and beautiful place, where her best friend Orion was always with her. In contrast, the town where she lived now was much larger, prosperous, and safer, but she didn't feel much affection for it, since the figure who always appeared in her dreams was no longer there.
The girl's speed was quite fast for someone her age, and people on the street looked curiously at the small figure moving forward without stopping, dodging all kinds of obstacles and people in her path.
At her waist, she carried her wooden sword, which was kept in perfect condition. Now that it had been two years since she'd last seen Orion, she wondered if her swordsmanship was better than her best friend's.
She had joined a dojo in this town, and her swordsmanship had advanced by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, Orion would probably continue training on his own, and his progress probably wouldn't be as rapid. But it didn't matter; even if Orion wasn't a powerful man in the future, she would protect him from harm!
The precocious girl let her thoughts wander, and her cheeks turned red. She lost focus on her surroundings and couldn't help but bump headfirst into the back of a man, who looked at her reproachfully, but didn't say anything when he saw the little girl's puppy eyes.
Gion apologized to the man and kept running, eventually entering a long alley that was quite dirty. This was where families who had migrated from Pacific Town had settled, and while it wasn't the most glamorous place, at least they could stay together in this foreign land.
Gion ran into the small house where her family lived and met her mother, Mrs. Harewood.
"Gion, you're finally here. I thought you'd run off again to train with your sword. I know it's something you're passionate about, but you have to be careful when you're out. We're not in Pacific Town anymore, and there are many people who might want to hurt you if they find you alone."
Mrs. Harewood warned her daughter worriedly.
Gion had a habit of practicing for hours with her sword, which gave her a headache, especially now that it was winter and the days were shorter. She had spent many evenings nervously waiting for the arrival of her little girl, who simply had no sense of danger.
"I know, Mom. Don't worry, I just train in the dojo most of the time now."
Gion responded without giving it much thought and began to cook with the fruit she had brought. She had recently learned a recipe for a fruit tart, and now she was trying to make the result of her efforts edible.
Mrs. Harewood watched her daughter, who was happily cooking while singing a song, and couldn't help but sigh.
Of course, she knew why her daughter was in such a good mood lately.
A few months ago, she had received a letter from little Orion, telling her he would be visiting her during the second half of the year.
Now that it was mid-July, her little daughter went to the dock every day to check on Orion's arrival.
Thinking of the boy who had grown up under her gaze and whom she had considered a potential son-in-law, she couldn't help but sigh.
After the pirate attack that forced them to emigrate, they had never formally established the engagement between the two children.
She was truly in favor of the two childhood friends uniting in the future, but now her family's situation had changed drastically, and she didn't know if the children's relationship would ever be a success.
In addition to the distance between them, Gion had been spotted by naval personnel while she was training with her sword, and they had offered her the chance to join the headquarters when she reached adolescence.
Right now, the distance between the childhood friends wasn't too far, and they could see each other if they took a shorter trip. But if Gion were recruited by the marine headquarters, she would have to go to the Grand Line, and the distance between them would be enormous.
The only way their relationship could work was for Orion to follow Gion to the Grand Line, or for Gion to give up the possibility of joining the marines and achieving a high status in this world.
She obviously wanted the best for her daughter, but she didn't know which path would make her happiest.
Seeing little Gion, with flour on her cheeks, cooking with a big smile, waiting for Orion's arrival, Mrs. Harewood could only sigh again, and let things take their natural course.
...............…
Today the sky was overcast in this part of the South Blue. Orion and Rouge had been sailing for five days now, and had traveled about a quarter of the way to Pacific Town.
After Roger left Baterilla, Orion explained his ability to Rouge, and even transformed into an adult for the first time in front of her to prove that his powers were real. After all, the "Frozen Time" ability was very difficult to perceive with the naked eye, and although Orion could activate it without informing Rouge, he didn't want her to worry unnecessarily when she saw that the baby in her belly wasn't growing as the months passed.
When Rouge learned of Orion's abilities, her mouth formed an O shape, demonstrating her state of great surprise. She wasn't so much surprised by the ability itself, as she had seen Devil Fruit users before, but rather incredibly shocked because Orion could clearly swim without any problems!
Orion didn't elaborate too much on the nature of his powers, and she didn't ask about it. Everyone had secrets, and they felt a great closeness and trust for each other after living together for half a year.
Rouge trusted that Orion wouldn't do anything to hurt her, so she didn't mind digging into the little boy's secrets too much. After her initial surprise, she accepted the situation without any problems.
She had already spoken with Roger about her baby's possible future, and she knew that once the marine finished off Roger, they would likely try to find his relatives and eliminate them; it was a cruel practice that could be expected from the World Government's henchmen.
So when Orion proposed using his ability to pause the growth of her baby and thus avoid raising suspicions from the Marine, Rouge agreed immediately and without hesitation.
Orion spent 3,650 SP, leaving his reserves at 938, and activated the ability on little Ace, who was just a fetus in his mother's womb. For a year, the baby's growth would be paused, causing no health problems for either him or the mother. After that year, when the ability wore off, Rouge's pregnancy would resume as normal.
Due to the stated objectives of the mission to save Rouge, Orion thought that once he used his ability on the fetus, the mission would be complete, but this wasn't the case. No notification came, and only a countdown timer appeared on the system screen, indicating the remaining time of the ability.
He surmised that he would probably have to wait for Rouge to give birth safely for the mission to be considered completed by the system.
Doing a little math, there were still about 19 months left before the baby was due, so he could forget about collecting the rewards for that mission for the time being.
After using his ability on her, Orion invited her to come with him to Pacific Town. There, he could protect her and her baby. Being a small, remote town, they would probably be safer than in a larger city like Baterilla.
Orion had promised his master that he would take care of his wife and child, and he intended to do just that.
Rouge analyzed the situation and weighed her options, finally coming to the conclusion that Orion's proposal was a good one. Orion was Roger's apprentice, and she had seen how quickly his power progressed. If she went with him, she would be much safer than if she stayed alone in Baterilla. Plus, if she went with Orion, she wouldn't have to be alone during her pregnancy. If something bad happened, she would have someone to lean on, and that reassured her a little.
She wasn't incredibly powerful like Roger, and she couldn't face the Marine or other similar threats head on. While her tenacity and willpower were incredible, not all situations could be resolved with willpower alone.
Finally, she decided to accept Orion's offer and go with him to live in Pacific Town.
The day after Roger's departure, the two boarded a small boat that belonged to her and began the journey across the sea.
For the first few days, the weather was quite good, and they were able to move forward at high speed without major inconveniences. Now, however, the weather was beginning to deteriorate, so Orion planned to stop on a nearby inhabited island. Rouge was pregnant, and he didn't want to take any risks sailing during a storm. His Navigation skill level wasn't that high, so it was best to avoid sailing when the weather wasn't favorable whenever possible.
Orion looked at Rouge, who was standing, staring at the horizon with one hand on her stomach. She was deep in thought. Over the past few days, she had been in a similar state countless times. She was probably thinking about her beloved Roger, or perhaps she was thinking about the future of her little baby and the difficulties of growing up without a father.
"Rouge, there's an island less than an hour away. We'll stop there for now, and continue sailing when the weather improves," Orion said, breaking the silence that reigned in the air.
Rouge's eyes refocused upon hearing Orion's words. She turned her head and nodded with a smile.
"Okay, Orion, I'll leave the sailing to you! You're truly very skilled for your age; I'm sure you'll be famous all over the world in the future!"
Rouge tried to sound normal, but Orion immediately noticed that her mood wasn't the best. Which was perfectly normal. Her husband had gone to his certain death, and she would never see him again.
During the days they had been sailing, he could notice a change in Rouge's personality. It wasn't that she was faking it, but simply that her personality when she was with Roger was different. Perhaps she would never again show the same smile, or the same attitudes he had witnessed daily when the three of them lived in the small cabin on the outskirts of Baterilla. A woman in love only shows her most beautiful side in front of her loved one, and now that Roger was gone, a part of Rouge was also gone forever.
In Orion's eyes, Rouge was now much more "reserved." She had a strange calmness, and seemed to observe the world with indifference. Only when she stroked her belly did her expression return to what it had been six months earlier.
He could only hope that time would improve the situation, and that Rouge could live a full and happy life in the future. For his part, he would do everything possible to make that happen.
Orion sighed and didn't continue the conversation with Rouge, who was once again unfocused, lost in some thought.
He looked at the map of the system and calculated the distance to the island. Due to the bad weather, visibility wasn't very good, but the island wasn't too far away. They could reach it without any problems and take shelter from the approaching storm.
Seeing the two markers indicating the presence of Named Characters on the island they were headed to, Orion began to plan his future actions.
Actually, this wasn't the fastest way to get to Pacific Town. He'd decided to take a short detour to pass by this island, where two Named Characters lived.
He'd noticed their presence a long time ago, when he was training with Roger on Baterilla, but he'd never had the chance to come and explore the situation.
Now that he was on his way home, he wanted to take the opportunity to make contact with these two and see if he could establish a connection with them.
After all, the more he interacted with Named Characters, the more likely he was to gain SP and increase his power.
He'd have to see what these two people's personalities were like, though; if nothing was too strange about them, he wouldn't mind striking up a friendly relationship with them.
One thing that eased his apprehension was the apparent youth of these two Named Characters, suggesting they likely weren't overly dangerous. Had he encountered a VIP in their fifties, extreme caution would have been necessary, perhaps even prompting him to retreat if the risk seemed too high. But the two individuals residing on this island were not much older than himself, so it likely wouldn't be an issue.
He looked at the two labels on the map, "Doll(14)" and "Hannyabal(11)," and wondered what kind of people they were.
Finally, after about half an hour, he reached a small harbor and moored the boat.
Rouge spoke to a person who seemed to be in charge of collecting the mooring fees, which luckily weren't expensive.
Once their small boat was secured at the dock, Rouge and Orion grabbed their luggage and went straight to find an inn where they could stay.
In the center of the mid-sized town, there was a large inn, but it was very expensive, and Orion had no money. Until now, his adventures had been mostly in uninhabited places, and he had never needed money to stay anywhere. At most, he simply slept under the open sky, although now that he was accompanied by the pregnant Rouge, that clearly wasn't possible.
For the first time, he realized his absolute poverty!
After all, he was still a six-year-old boy, living under his parents' roof. He had never needed money for anything.
Silently, he added another item to his to-do list: find a way to make money and fill his pockets as soon as possible!
No matter what world he was in, money would always be necessary to start any project. Orion had big ambitions, and he would need a large amount of money to fund his future endeavors.
Rouge saw the frustration of the little boy, whose pockets were completely empty, and laughed happily at his funny expression.
"Come on, Orion, I'm tired of all that sailing. Let's stay at that inn and regain our energy! Don't worry, I'll pay!" Rouge said, taking a wad of money out of her pocket and walking straight to the inn door.
Orion hurried and followed her, not opposing Rouge's decision. Once she was settled in the inn, he would go explore the town in search of the two Named Characters!