"Captain Roger...held a truly magnificent funeral for himself."
The three walked along the street, and due to their obvious pirate attire, many townsfolk hurried to avoid them.
But the congestion in Loguetown had reached such an exaggerated level that even with people trying to step aside, it was inevitable that someone would be pushed into them.
"Ah!"
Orin, walking at the front, suddenly felt something bump against his leg.
He looked down and saw it was a child.
A white-haired brat.
Looks kind of familiar...
Orin narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.
As for the little brat who had bumped into Orin, he was now sitting on the ground, clutching his head, teary-eyed.
A bright red bump swelled on his forehead—it looked painful just seeing it.
He felt like he had just crashed into a wall made of solid steel rather than a human being!
"Hey, brat, what's your name?"
Orin slowly crouched down and looked at the clumsy little guy.
"Why would I tell you?! You're a pirate!"
Unexpectedly, the kid was a stubborn one too. Even with a lump on his head and facing someone towering over him, he still dared to talk back.
"He's just a kid, come on, let's go, Orin!" Buggy felt it was a waste of time talking to such an annoying child and urged them to move on.
"Alright~ alright~" Orin replied softly.
Then he chuckled and looked at the brat who was still glaring at him while baring his teeth. He reached out a hand...
And flicked the swollen bump on the kid's forehead.
"OWWWW!!! THAT HURTS!!!"
The kid immediately burst into tears from the pain and began rolling on the ground while holding his head.
Orin laughed even harder and continued walking with the other two.
"Well then, see you around, Smoker."
"You bastard... how do you know my name... Damn it, that hurts so bad!!!"
Seeing Orin's nasty prank and the lump on young Smoker's head, Shanks adjusted his straw hat slightly.
There was a strange gleam in his eyes. For just a moment, it felt like he was seeing his younger self reflected in that kid.
"Orin, after all these years, you really haven't changed..."
"It was just a harmless joke."
Orin grinned mischievously.
...
At the execution plaza in Loguetown,
People from all corners of the world had gathered. Whether they were famous rookie pirates from the New World, fledgling revolutionaries, or local residents drawn by the buzz,
Everyone was packed around a huge circle, all facing the massive high platform at the center of the square, awaiting a historic moment.
In a corner of the plaza—
"Brru brru brru..."
"Reporting in. As you anticipated, the presence of Black Gun has been confirmed in Loguetown. Accompanying him is..."
The man in a suit holding the Den Den Mushi suddenly paused, his expression freezing.
This made the voice on the other end suspicious.
"Accompanying him is who?"
The Den Den Mushi now displayed a very stern face, demanding an answer.
But the suited man no longer had the capacity to respond, because at that moment, he realized a towering shadow had fallen over the wall in front of him. Cold sweat broke out all over his body.
"Hey, were you just calling for me?"
As he turned around, a handsome face leaned down with a smile.
Though the expression was gentle, the man felt a chill throughout his body—it was as if the temperature around him had dropped to zero.
"Sorry about that, I guess my Observation Haki is a bit too sharp. If someone calls my name, I tend to sense it~"
With a casual kick, Orin struck the suited man in the gut just as he was reaching for his weapon. The man's eyes rolled back as he vomited bile and passed out.
Orin didn't bother with him. Instead, he picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi~ May I ask why you're investigating me?"
Looking at the Den Den Mushi's projected face—with a distinct scarred forehead and thick beard—Orin smirked playfully.
"...Elder Warcury-sama."
...
Red Line.
Holy Land—Mary Geoise.
Room of Authority.
In this chamber, symbolic of the World Government's highest power, five figures stood or sat.
All wore grave expressions as they stared at the Den Den Mushi on the table.
But suddenly, the Den Den Mushi's once-polite and nervous demeanor changed—
Its eyes flashed red, replaced with a mocking, devil-may-care grin.
"Black Gun Orin... how did you discover our identities?"
The first to question was Elder Warcury, struck with shock and suspicion.
"Well... maybe I saw the future and overheard your self-introduction or something."
Orin casually made something up.
When in doubt, just blame it on Observation Haki.
Hearing this, the Elders exchanged brief glances after a moment of hesitation.
"Observation Haki… Such a glimpse into the distant future... Very well, let's be direct then. Our time is valuable. The World Government has been tracking your movements in hopes of recruiting you as one of theSeven Warlords of the Sea. What are your thoughts?"
Seven Warlords?
Holding the Den Den Mushi, Orin blinked at the unexpected proposal.
He'd thought the World Government wanted to hunt him down, maybe even trap him.
He never imagined that he, half the reason for Marineford's destruction, would receive an invitation like this.
Orin couldn't help but find the idea amusing.
"Ho~ Is that really okay? I just invaded Marineford not long ago, and now I'm the Navy's arch-nemesis. If you bring me into the World Government's fold, wouldn't that make the Navy lose reputation..."
"The Navy's reputation means nothing."
Before Orin could finish, Elder Saturn cut him off. The Den Den Mushi morphed into the image of an old man wearing a flat cap.
His expression was stern.
"We've thoroughly investigated and analyzed you, Black Gun."
"Your abilities and potential pose a massive threat to the World Government. With a nearly uncatchable Devil Fruit power and monstrous Haki talent, we cannot allow such a danger to roam freely just for the Navy's dignity."
It couldn't be helped.
When they first heard about Orin and his feats, the Elders had indeed considered sending CP0 for an assassination or capture mission.
But after reviewing all the data and battle records...
They helplessly realized—it was practically impossible.
And as Orin continues to grow in strength and age, this impossibility only becomes more certain.
Even if he were just to use his Warp-Warp Fruit to repeatedly teleport and assault World Government nations or Marine branches, it would be enough to deal a heavy blow to their control.
So—
Though it pained them...
They had to pacify this monster they couldn't defeat.
Even if it meant turning a blind eye to past actions...
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