October 30, 1501, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion plummeted from the sky at full speed, struggling not to lose consciousness from his numerous wounds. After all, if he were to crash straight into the ground from such a height, it would be impossible to survive, even with the aid of his passive skills that enhanced his endurance.
Splash!
He finally hit the sea, swallowing a large amount of saltwater in the process. It wasn't the first time he had gone through such an experience, yet he could never get used to being randomly thrown out of a space-time tunnel.
At least he hadn't landed inside a volcano, like that time when Kuma had sent him flying with his Devil Fruit ability. The fact that this world was almost entirely covered in water meant that every time an accident like this happened, there was a high chance he would end up in the middle of the sea.
Even so, his physical condition this time was quite dire, and Orion needed to find an inhabited island urgently. Even with his medical knowledge, he wouldn't be able to treat the internal injuries he had sustained at the hands of that strange heterochromatic-eyed woman. He needed a doctor, and preferably a skilled surgeon.
With some difficulty, Orion surfaced and, with a thought, took a small sailboat out of his inventory. He leaped aboard and lay on the deck, breathing heavily yet feeling immense relief when he confirmed that his theory was correct—the system was working again!
Without hesitation, Orion purchased a Health Brownie from the system shop and treated his wounds as best he could. Even with one of his lungs collapsed, he could hold on thanks to his superior resilience granted by his Strong Body (Level 7) skill, while using the medicine he had crafted earlier and stored in the system's inventory.
Then he opened the system interface, which had been locked for an entire month during his special mission at Mary Geoise. A flood of notifications burst before his eyes like a waterfall, but Orion ignored them for now, focusing instead on determining his current location. The most important thing was to find a nearby island; there would be time later to review his rewards.
Expanding the map's view until he found a recognizable reference point, he finally confirmed that he had traveled quite far—he was now in the West Blue.
His current position wasn't too far from Ohara, though he was still in an unexplored area of his map. However, Orion was grateful that at least he hadn't ended up somewhere like the New World, where he would have surely died instantly given his condition.
In the West Blue, he had enough opportunities to recover safely, and afterward, he could visit Kuma at the Western Revolutionary Army base.
Once Orion verified his coordinates on the system map, he pulled out a paper map from his inventory to check for any nearby islands in the unexplored region. The map had been drafted by the Western Army, and although it was far from complete or as accurate as the ones he used to work with in his previous life, it was still better than nothing.
To his delight, Orion quickly discovered what seemed to be an inhabited island nearby. Without a moment's hesitation, he set his course toward it and began sailing at full speed. According to the Western Revolutionary Army's map, he could probably reach the island within a day or two—excellent news given his condition.
Once the sailboat was properly aligned on course, Orion finally turned his attention to the system notifications. The first one indicated the presence of a woman with compatibility above 90%, meeting the system's parameters to qualify as a Main Wife. Naturally, this referred to the future Kuja Empress, Boa Hancock—who, on top of that, was a Named Character (VIP).
The second notification was about the completion of the special mission he had just carried out.
*Ding*
*The special mission "The Empress's Fate" has been successfully completed. Rating: Excellent (9/10)
Completed objectives:
Rescue Boa Hancock from captivity (main objective).
Rescue Boa Sandersonia from captivity.
Rescue Boa Marigold from captivity.
Extra objectives completed:
Rescue Fisher Tiger.
Rescue other slaves (54).
You have successfully infiltrated enemy territory and saved the three Kuja sisters, preventing them from suffering a tragic humiliation that would have scarred them for life. Moreover, you have prematurely freed the Named Character Fisher Tiger and other slaves, slightly altering the timeline.*
*You have obtained 25,000 SP.*
*You have obtained the unique item "Empress's Ring."*
*You have obtained the special skill "Serpent Arsenal (Level 3)."*
*You have obtained the egg of the legendary beast "King Cobra."*
*Your skill "Strong Mind (Level 6)" has increased by one (1) level.*
*Your skill "Haki Talent (Level 3)" has increased by one (1) level.*
*Your passive skill "Steel Skin (Level 1)" has increased by one (1) level.*
*Your skill "Prism Eyes (Level 2)" has increased by one (1) level.*
*Your skill "Charm Halo (Level 6)" has increased by one (1) level.*
*Your skill "Titanic Semen (Level 4)" has increased by two (2) levels.*
Orion looked at the flood of notifications, reading them with great interest and excitement. Now that he had finally completed the special mission, the system revealed the mission's name and main objective. Just as he had suspected since the moment he encountered Boa Hancock, she was the core of the special mission, and the reason why the system had sent him into the heart of enemy territory.
This special mission reminded him somewhat of the Dungeon he had done in Wano, although back then his performance had not been great, since he had barely completed any of the objectives. To be fair, however, the objectives that time had been completely absurd—like the one that asked him to eliminate the legendary pirate Kaido.
This time, however, his score had been nearly perfect, as he had managed to rescue the three Kuja without any problems, ensuring their safety. Orion didn't quite know why he hadn't received a perfect score, but he understood that such a score implied there was still room for improvement, and he had probably missed some opportunity while in Mary Geoise.
In any case, Orion was fully satisfied with his results, since it was already a miracle that he had survived being surrounded by all the enemies who dwelled in the sacred land of the Celestial Dragons. Especially that woman who had appeared at the very end, the one with heterochromatic eyes, who had given Orion a dreadful sense of imminent danger.
After analyzing the mission's content, Orion began reviewing his rewards. To begin with, he had obtained a good amount of SP, which was always welcome.
Although he didn't use them as actively to improve his skills as he had in the past—back when his abilities were lower level and the cost was cheaper—it was always good to have SP in reserve, since they were useful at specific moments, such as teleporting to a distant location for a mission, enhancing a particular skill in a complex situation, or even reducing the cooldown time of certain system abilities and items.
As for the skill upgrades, there was nothing to complain about—it was always a joy for Orion to see his abilities jump up, improving his combat power and overall proficiency.
This time, "Strong Mind" and "Steel Skin," two of his passive skills, had both leveled up, strengthening his base stats. Additionally, his "Haki Talent" skill had improved, which Orion considered one of the most important, as it affected all three types of Haki and the speed at which he could develop and refine them.
The level increase of his Prism Eyes was also very positive, since that ability was one of his most versatile. He could use it not only in battle, but also in daily life, for a wide variety of applications—from simply improving his vision, to evaluating the hidden potential of people.
Moreover, Orion believed that if he ever managed to bring this ability to its maximum level, he would be able to perceive the very seams of reality itself, gaining an understanding similar to that of a deity. Of course, this was only a theory he had come up with in his spare time, but he truly believed the possibility wasn't zero, though the level required for that would be unimaginable for his current self.
In any case, the enhancement of his Prism Eyes would always bring major changes in how he saw the world, and that was certainly a very welcome improvement.
Finally, the last two skills that had leveled up… were somewhat problematic. "Charm Halo" made members of the opposite sex more prone to developing strong affection toward him, like an aura that attracted them. This wasn't inherently bad, but Orion feared that if the skill kept increasing, he might start attracting large numbers of women obsessed with him, the infamous "Yandere" type.
If that ever happened, Orion would have a new headache on his hands, because although he was quite liberal in his romantic adventures, he didn't sleep with every woman who crossed his path. Over the years, he had had countless opportunities to expand his harem—many women in his kingdom or those who simply fell for him during his travels had wanted to be with him.
Despite that, Orion currently had only four companions—Giolla, Christina, Olive, and Reira—which showed that he wasn't a complete libertine. After all, Orion's libido was far greater than that of a normal person thanks to the system's buffs, so his desire in that area was abnormal, unimaginable for an ordinary human.
If Orion didn't have the assistance of his passive skill "Strong Mind," he probably would have collapsed under the weight of his own desire in the future, once his natural body reached adolescence.
Looking at the skill "Charm Halo (Level 7)" on his skill screen, Orion let out a light sigh and kept it active. After all, it was a fairly useful ability…
As for the last skill that had leveled up—it was "Titanic Semen," and Orion had no idea why this skill kept increasing! This time, it had even gone up two levels, reaching level 6.
In this case, Orion didn't hesitate for a second—he immediately kept this passive skill deactivated, since he had absolutely no intention of becoming a father yet. It simply wasn't the right time, as his mind was focused on other matters.
After reviewing the skills that had leveled up, Orion focused on the three remaining rewards. The first was a special ability called "Serpent Arsenal (Level 3)."
After reading the description of the skill, Orion discovered with surprise that it allowed him to use the Kuja technique to manipulate serpents as weapons. This ability not only contained the knowledge of how to use a serpent as a weapon but also allowed him to form a mental bond with one.
In reality, this Kuja ability couldn't be learned through natural means, as it included a racial trait unique to the native women of Amazon Lily—the ability to communicate telepathically with their serpent companions.
It was precisely this natural trait of the Kuja that allowed them to fight alongside their serpents in such a peculiar and coordinated way.
Orion speculated that this was the reason why the system had categorized the skill as "Special" rather than a normal one. After all, all of his special skills shared the same characteristics of being unique and impossible for ordinary people to replicate, whether due to a racial component—as in this case—or because they were derived from Devil Fruits.
After finishing reading the description of his new ability, the most logical next step was to examine the "King Cobra" egg he had received. Upon doing so, he discovered that a bond had already been formed with the creature that had yet to hatch.
Orion opened the Companion Beasts screen and saw that a new entry had appeared at the end of the list, labeled "King Cobra (Unhatched) – No Name," confirming his theory about the egg he had received as a reward.
*Egg of the Legendary Beast King Cobra:
Legend has it that the King Cobra can command all female serpents. Its mere presence makes other snakes bow before it.
This small egg contains that legendary extinct beast. To hatch it, it must be regularly nourished with Conqueror's Haki. Once its growth reaches a sufficient level, it will return to the world in all its splendor.*
Orion read the system's description of the tiny egg that fit in the palm of his hand and thought this was quite a good reward. So far, he had three companion beasts—Nibble, Tree of Knowledge, and Mist Emperor Penguin—and each one possessed very useful abilities.
Nibble could create tunnels through its spatial attributes, and once it was fully developed, it might even be possible to connect distant islands through underwater passages. The adorable emperor penguin could produce and control the Mysterious Mist, and even in its juvenile form, it was capable of generating enough mist to cover the entrance bay of Pacific Town.
The Tree of Knowledge could affect the nature around it, calm the spirits of those nearby, and enhance their focus. It was still in its infancy, so there would likely be more changes in the future.
Now, the King Cobra had joined his list of companion beasts, and its abilities were particularly useful in an area his other creatures couldn't cover: combat.
Until now, all his other beasts had very helpful powers, but none related directly to battle. This King Cobra, however, would be able to accompany him directly onto the battlefield, which would undoubtedly help him increase his strength.
Moreover, the versatility of this serpent—able to adopt various forms depending on the needs of different attacks—fit perfectly with Orion's fighting style, which prioritized adaptability.
If Orion had ever watched One Piece in his previous life, he would have found the system's description of his new companion beast quite funny, as "King Cobra" would inevitably have reminded him of a certain person. However, due to his ignorance, this fact completely escaped him—though a few years later, when he met the man in question, he wouldn't be able to help giving him a strange look, thinking that his name was the same as his serpent companion's.
"Let's see what happens if I feed it some Conqueror's Haki," Orion said curiously, and began to release his Haki as controlled as possible.
The moment the Conqueror's Haki left his body, it was almost immediately absorbed by the small egg, which became the center of a vortex of invisible energy. The whole process was nearly instantaneous, and Orion had to stop emitting his Haki, since the gluttonous creature was consuming it at a terrifying rate.
Had he continued even a few moments longer, the beast would have drained all his Conqueror's Haki—and given Orion's current state of health, that could have been quite dangerous for him.
Looking at the serpent egg in his hand, which was trembling slightly as if it were overflowing with joy, Orion sighed softly, thinking that it was best not to use his Conqueror's Haki carelessly around such a greedy creature.
Finally, Orion focused his attention on the last item he had received as a reward this time.
*Empress's Ring:
This is a ring specially designed for the Kuja Empress. If a Kuja with a compatibility higher than 90% and more than 90 favorability points wears it, she will obtain great benefits.
This item can only be bound to one person. Once it has been linked, it cannot be unbound. The effects obtained will depend on the chosen person and their natural abilities.
This object can be considered an advanced version of the Character Improvement Card, and its effect is continuous, meaning that it is possible to receive multiple enhancements at any time after the link has been established, without being limited to the initial improvements.*
Upon reading the functions of the "Empress's Ring," Orion's mouth opened in astonishment, thinking that this item was truly incredible!
For a brief moment, Orion even felt a flicker of frustration, wondering why the system didn't grant him such an item to improve his own abilities. However, those thoughts quickly faded, and he regained his composure almost immediately.
After all, he had the system itself—and there was no cheat more powerful than that in the entire world. Items like the Empress's Ring were clearly meant to ensure that his companions could maintain a certain level of ability and not fall too far behind his own ever-growing potential. In that sense, the system's intention in giving him this object was quite obvious.
At present, Orion knew of only one Kuja whose compatibility exceeded 90%, and that was Boa Hancock, the protagonist of the special mission that had granted him this reward. It was obvious that the system was paving the way for a deeper connection with the girl in the future.
In any case, that was something to consider later, because right now he needed to focus on not dying from his injuries. If he had managed to escape Mary Geoise alive only to die from lack of medical attention in the West Blue, Orion would be the embarrassment of all reincarnators!
Orion once again focused his gaze on the system map and saw that two new markers had appeared nearby, seemingly located on the island he was heading toward. Their names were Victoria Cindry and Hogback.
...
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