October 30, 1501, Age of the Sea Circle
After the siren signaling the presence of intruders in the Gods' Domain began to wail, the entire place erupted into chaos. The Celestial Dragons were not used to such a situation—the number of times that siren had sounded in the last millennium could be counted on one hand.
Orion knew he had no time to waste, for the powerful entities inhabiting this place would no doubt surround and suppress him immediately. At this point, he didn't possess the strength to emerge unscathed from a confrontation against beings of that caliber, those who stood among the strongest in the world. Thus, he had only one goal in mind: to escape as soon as possible!
If he could reach Pangaea Castle quickly, he might receive Shanks's assistance, and his chances of a successful escape would rise exponentially. On the other hand, if he were delayed too long and confronted by the God Knights, there would likely be no way out—and he would face a fate worse than death.
It was the first time Orion had ever found himself in such a perilous and desperate situation, yet he couldn't complain, since it had been his own decision to accept the system's special mission without any prior information about it.
Without slowing his pace, Orion ran straight toward the outer limits of the Gods' Domain, coming face to face with the CP0 agents who had just appeared. Among them, he immediately recognized one wearing a familiar mask—the same agent he had encountered during his escape from Guanhao many years ago.
Although Orion knew he was still not on par with these elite agents, this was the perfect moment to see how much he had managed to close the gap in power between himself and CP0 after years of training.
One of the three agents blocking his path unsheathed his sword and, without hesitation, lunged at him with an incredibly powerful strike. Orion knew hesitation would be fatal; at once, he activated his Age Change ability, enlarging his body until he reached his adult form—where his physical abilities were at their peak. Then he drew his cutlass, Ace, and imbued it with Armament Haki.
The two attacks clashed with immense force, causing the ground beneath their feet to cave in visibly and crack open with spreading fissures.
Meanwhile, the other two agents did not remain idle. One of them used Soru, vanishing from sight and reappearing behind Orion to strike his back with a Shigan. Clearly, this agent was a close-combat specialist, and his mastery of the Six Powers was truly remarkable.
Orion reacted instantly, activating Space Door with his mind and opening a portal behind him, narrowly avoiding what would have been a fatal blow. The agent immediately shifted tactics, using Geppo to leap into the air and escape the range of Orion's Space Door, before launching a barrage of consecutive Tempest Kicks.
Orion pulled a handful of small stones from his pocket and threw them toward the incoming attacks, deactivating his Art Coating ability. The pebbles instantly returned to their original massive size, forming a great barrier that shielded him temporarily and spared him further complications.
Then, with a mere thought, Orion conjured a hand behind the swordsman's blind spot and activated his Electro ability. Streams of electricity began to gather at incredible speed, and the spectral hand lunged straight for the agent's neck, aiming to end his life in a single strike.
However, before the attack could connect, Orion felt a powerful suction force draining his energy, and the electricity vanished without a trace. His Observation Haki flared violently, warning him of imminent danger, and he canceled Un Fleur a split second before the conjured hand was impaled by the agent's sword.
Looking into the distance, Orion saw the third agent standing indifferently with his arms crossed, his entire body shrouded in a dark aura.
"A Devil Fruit user!" Orion thought, cursing his luck, though he didn't halt his movements.
"Thirty-Six Styles—Roaring Dragon Blade!"
Summoning his superhuman strength, Orion gained a brief advantage over the swordsman, sending him flying several meters back with a powerful strike. Then, using Soru, he dashed through the gap that had opened between them, doing his utmost to avoid being surrounded.
His goal right now wasn't a fight to the death—it was simply to avoid capture in this place. Activating his Prism Eyes, Orion focused his Observation Haki to locate the optimal escape route, and once he identified it, he charged forward like a maddened stallion.
"There's no escape," said the man Orion had encountered years ago in Guanhao—the one who fought using the Six Powers.
The man swiftly caught up to him, his mastery of Soru far superior and his overall speed overwhelming. He attacked again with a Shigan, aiming to finish Orion on the spot, but once more Orion retreated into his Pocket Dimension, narrowly evading death by a hair's breadth.
"Black Hole!" shouted the distant agent whose body was engulfed in dark energy.
Suddenly, the energy began to expand, consuming everything around it, and Orion felt a chill run down his neck. He knew that if he were touched by that energy, there would be no escape, so he immediately activated his "Canvas Realm" ability to protect himself, forming a small dome around him.
The dark energy completely engulfed him, but it couldn't pierce through the spatial properties of his Canvas Realm, which was itself a separate space from the real world. The two abilities seemed to react against each other, emitting bright flashes and producing a strange sound that was difficult for Orion to describe but deeply irritating to his senses.
The other two agents halted their attacks, confident that the Yami Yami no Mi ability of their comrade was infallible—once someone was captured by that darkness, there was no way to escape.
However, the Devil Fruit user frowned behind his mask, though his companions couldn't see it. He could feel that something was off. Instead of consuming the fugitive with his darkness, he had encountered a strange barrier that prevented his powers from advancing.
"Don't let your guard down. It's not over yet," said the user of the Yami Yami no Mi.
The two agents were slightly surprised by their comrade's warning, but they immediately focused their senses, expanding their Observation Haki just in time to detect a fluctuation in the distance. There, almost at the very edge of the Domain of the Gods, Orion emerged after traveling the maximum distance possible inside his Pocket Dimension.
He had taken advantage of the moment when his enemies slightly lowered their guard to escape through his Space Door, which still functioned properly inside his Canvas Realm despite being completely surrounded by the devouring darkness.
The two agents reacted at once, launching simultaneous attacks at Orion. One unleashed Tempest Kicks imbued with Armament Haki, which made them far stronger than the base technique, while the other sent out a slashing strike from a distance, also coated in Armament Haki.
Orion, desperately running toward the outskirts of the Domain of the Gods, felt the attacks closing in on him and opened a Space Door to escape again—but before he could do so, the darkness from the Yami Yami no Mi destabilized his ability, causing the door to fail to form, erasing his chance to retreat into his personal dimension.
Just as Orion had used his own spatial powers to counter the Black Hole attack, the agent had now applied the same principles to nullify Orion's spatial abilities.
With no other choice, Orion had to decide quickly. Analyzing both attacks with his Prism Eyes, he concluded that the sword strike was the more dangerous one and countered it with his own technique.
"Kamusari!"
Bam!!
Bam!!
A massive explosion erupted as the two attacks collided, and though Orion barely managed to repel it, it was impossible for him to defend against the other strike. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and activate "Tekkai" (Iron Body), further reinforced by his passive ability "Steel Skin."
Orion took the hit head-on and felt his organs shudder as if they were tearing apart from the impact. Even so, he didn't stop moving, knowing that hesitation meant capture. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he pushed Soru to its limits, finally breaking past the boundaries of the Domain of the Gods and reaching the main grounds of Mary Geoise, the area visible to the world, where the great Pangaea Castle stood.
This was the most important place in the world, where most decisions that shaped the fate of millions were made—but at this moment, Orion had no time to dwell on such thoughts. His entire focus was on avoiding capture.
Once he entered this zone, the situation shifted again. A large number of Marines were stationed in the area, along with Cipher Pol agents—not from CP0, but from other divisions.
Orion clearly remembered the route he had memorized countless times over the past few days. He sprinted toward the rear section of the grand Pangaea Castle at full speed, hoping to find the reinforcements he had requested.
Still, he tried once more to activate his Space Gate, testing whether the restrictions had vanished now that he was outside the Domain of the Gods—but unfortunately, the result was the same.
It was evident that his long-distance spatial transport abilities were blocked throughout all of Mary Geoise. If he wanted to use his Space Gate, he would have to escape this sacred land of the Celestial Dragons.
However, that was impossible in his current condition. Not only was he badly injured and surrounded by Marines and Cipher Pol agents blocking his path, but the three CP0 agents were about to reach him again!
They clearly hadn't left the Domain of the Gods right away—perhaps due to specific protocols—but only a few minutes later, they had reappeared to continue the chase, making the situation increasingly dire.
If there was one good thing about all this, it was that, at least for now, the God Knights weren't chasing him—and it would be best if things stayed that way.
At last, Orion reached the designated spot where reinforcements were supposed to be waiting. Unfortunately, there was no one there. It seemed that Shanks hadn't been able to keep his promise… or perhaps he had chosen not to.
With a trace of bitterness, Orion took in the desperate situation around him and made a swift decision: even without reinforcements, he wouldn't just stand there and wait for death—not before fulfilling the goals he had set for himself.
Stretching out his hand, he opened a door in the air, allowing the slaves who had been watching the battle from inside his Pocket Dimension to step out in astonishment.
"It's time for Plan C! Whether you escape or not is up to you now! Take your destiny into your own hands!" Orion shouted with a commanding voice, making all the slaves react immediately and start running in every direction.
This was Plan C—the one Orion had asked Hancock to relay to the other slaves. If reinforcements didn't arrive, they would have to rely on luck. Maybe some of them could flee amid the chaos, though most would likely be captured again.
Either way, this was the closest point to the elevators that Orion had managed to reach, and he intended to cover the retreat of as many slaves as he could, giving them at least a fighting chance to escape.
The freed slaves scattered in all directions, armed with pistols and swords that Orion had supplied from his Pocket Dimension's storage. The chaos in the area multiplied instantly as the Marines began clashing with them.
Orion stepped forward and, making sure not to harm the fleeing slaves, unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, knocking out a large number of Marines nearby. Then he let out a tired sigh and said,
"Hancock, take this opportunity to escape. I'll hold off the Marines as long as I can."
His words were directed at the three Kuja sisters, who, unlike the other slaves, hadn't run for their freedom. They stood beside Orion, determined to stay with him until the very end. Their pride as warriors wouldn't allow them to abandon their benefactor to die—they simply couldn't accept that.
"No! We'll stay and fight by your side until the end!" Hancock shouted, her aura as a future empress beginning to emerge faintly around her.
Swish!
A sword strike imbued with Armament Haki came down suddenly toward Boa Marigold, but before it could reach the girl's body, Orion extended his arm and placed himself in the path of the attack.
Bam!
Another violent explosion erupted, and blood sprayed through the air like rain. Orion, holding the little girl with one arm while stopping the Cipher Pol agent's attack with the other, smiled gently and said,
"I know you want to help, but staying here will only make things worse."
He wasn't trying to be harsh—just stating an undeniable truth. If they stayed, the girls' level of strength would make them easy targets for enemy attacks, and Orion would struggle to protect them while defending himself. Right now, they were his greatest weakness in battle.
Hancock bit her lip until it bled, but after seeing Orion's completely shattered arm, she finally decided not to insist on her original plan. She was a girl who could adapt quickly to any situation, no matter how desperate it was.
Right now, she couldn't be a burden to Orion, and she couldn't allow her younger sisters to be captured again. That was her duty as the eldest.
"I'll be waiting for you in Amazon Lily. If you don't come for me, I'll hate you forever!" Hancock cried, eyes red, before grabbing her sisters by the arms and running at full speed without looking back.
Orion sighed in relief, glad the girls hadn't insisted on staying, and immediately focused his senses on the enemies surrounding him.
"I won't leave," came another voice from the side—and through the swirling dust, the imposing silhouette of Fisher Tiger appeared.
"If I have to die here, so be it. But I won't live in the disgrace of fleeing while someone else dies for me," the fish-man declared solemnly.
"Hehehe, I suppose I can accept your help, then. If we make it out alive, I'll buy you a glass of rum," Orion said, unsheathing his sword once again to face the incoming foes.
Fisher Tiger didn't reply, merely nodding, though he probably didn't believe they could truly escape from such a hopeless situation.
"Black Hole!" shouted the CP0 agent, once again hurling his darkness toward Orion, who clenched his teeth and prepared for another round of battle.
However, just then, a shadow shot through the dust-filled air at incredible speed.
"Higanbana!"
The voice thundered with authority, and the figure that had just arrived collided with the attack from the Yami Yami no Mi, cutting through the darkness with no effort at all.
Orion turned toward the newcomer, a man standing in front of him with a sword in hand, radiating an overwhelming aura. The moment Orion saw his dark blond hair, glasses, and the scar on his face, he immediately recognized who this person was.
"Rayleigh?..." Orion murmured in disbelief, never expecting to encounter his master Roger's right-hand man here of all places.
"Hey, you must be Orion. Shanks told me about you. I came to lend a hand," Rayleigh said with a relaxed smile that reminded Orion a bit of Shanks—though, in this man's case, he felt no irritation at all, only deep admiration.
"Still, you sure caused quite a stir this time, kid," the former pirate added, glancing around at the sea of enemies surrounding them.
"Hehehe, well, it's like my master used to say: if you're going to do something, do it big!" Orion replied, feeling somewhat more at ease now that reinforcements had finally arrived.
Even though Shanks had told him he'd send help, Orion had never expected this—a living legend showing up to aid him!
"Ha! You've got guts, kid. I can see why Shanks thinks so highly of you," Rayleigh said with a grin, resting his sword on his shoulder as he casually stopped a Tempest Kick from a CP0 agent with his bare hand, as if it were nothing.
"In any case, this situation is too much even for me. You'd better get out of here while we hold them off," Rayleigh continued.
Orion nodded firmly, not even thinking of arguing with the legendary pirate who had come to his rescue. He immediately began searching for the three Kuja sisters with his Observation Haki. If Rayleigh had arrived just a few moments earlier, they wouldn't have needed to separate—and now he couldn't help but worry about the girls once again.
Rayleigh smiled knowingly, almost as if he could read Orion's thoughts.
"Don't worry about those three little ones. Someone's already taking care of them," he said.
At that exact moment, an elegant figure descended from the sky.
"Ray, Gloriosa already evacuated the girls," Shakky said lazily, as if weariness was etched into her very bones, taking a drag from the cigarette in her mouth.
"Good. Then let's buy them some time before we pull out," Rayleigh replied, turning to look back at Orion.
"Next time you come to Sabaody, come visit me," the legendary pirate said finally—and without waiting for a response, he vanished from sight, reappearing amid the enemies and launching a devastating attack.
"Be careful. There are still some high-ranking Marines ahead," Shakky added with a playful wink before following her husband into the fray.
Orion glanced at Fisher Tiger, who stood nearby looking confused, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Come on, we have to use this chance to escape!"
The two began running at full speed, cutting down Marines and Cipher Pol agents who kept appearing to block their path. After a fierce struggle, they finally reached the area with the elevators—their ticket out of this cursed holy land of the Celestial Dragons.
However, before they could step into one of the elevators, Orion's Observation Haki flared violently. He moved at once, pushing Fisher Tiger out of the way just in time to save him from a lethal strike.
Tiger, who fell to the ground after being shoved aside, looked up—and his pupils shrank when he saw that Orion had been impaled by a strange arrow that seemed to be alive.
"Tiger… go… now," Orion said with difficulty, one of his lungs having collapsed from the enemy's attack.
Fisher Tiger locked eyes with him, and in that instant, it was as though they understood each other completely. Finally, the fish-man clenched his fists and dashed toward the elevators, trusting that Orion would survive. Those weren't the eyes of a man who had given up on life.
Meanwhile, Orion hung suspended in the air, impaled by the strange arrow, staring at the newcomer—a woman with a mask covering her mouth and heterochromatic eyes.
"I don't know what you are, but it might be dangerous to let you live," the woman said in a deep, resonant voice that didn't match her youthful appearance, as if it wasn't her true voice at all.
For some reason, the sight of her made Orion think of the red-eyed entity that had haunted him so many times, and his emotions stirred uneasily.
"Die," the woman said in that eerie voice, as several arrows sprouted from her body, shooting toward Orion with lethal precision, intent on skewering him completely.
At the last possible moment, Orion dispelled his adult transformation, reverting his body to that of a child—and narrowly avoided being pierced again. Using the last of his strength, he activated Soru and hurled himself from the top of the Red Line into the void below.
The woman remained silent, staring down into the vast abyss. It was impossible for anyone to survive such a fall; Orion's actions were practically suicide. Even so, a pair of bat-like wings unfurled from her back, and she began descending in the direction he had fallen.
Orion plunged through open air for several minutes until he suddenly felt as though he had passed through a barrier. Without hesitation, he activated his Space Gate ability, opening a large portal beneath him and vanishing into it completely.
The woman, flying rapidly behind him, saw him disappear into the portal and fired her arrows at it, shattering the Space Gate without a second thought.
Orion, who had been falling through the space-time tunnel back toward Pacific Kingdom, suddenly felt the tunnel start to vibrate and then collapse at alarming speed. He could do nothing but curse out loud.
"Fuck! Not this fucking shit again!" Orion shouted, exasperated, as his body was expelled from the tunnel into normal space—hoping that this time, he wouldn't end up in some bizarre place.