Duramos Island,
A small seaside town,
The once peaceful atmosphere was long gone. Every house had its doors and windows tightly shut.
On the road outside town,
The kingdom's regular army slowly approached, led by a few nobles.
While they would instantly collapse before any New World pirate—just the sight of a Jolly Roger could make them flee for miles—
When it came to unarmed civilians, they all turned into war gods, armed with blades and spears.
Refuse to pay taxes?
They'll slash your rebellious soul to bits!
In his younger years, old Keek had confidence he could charge in and out of this group of grunts seven times over, but now he was just an old man,
Too old to even use Haki anymore.
"Hey! Old man!! Surrender now! Because of a geezer like you, the kingdom lost so much money..."
The leading old noble squinted his eyes, greed flashing in his gaze.
"Count-sama, His Majesty the King has ordered us to resolve this matter quickly. The Elders of the World Government will be arriving soon."
Another noble stepped forward, leaning in to whisper in the old noble's ear.
"I know."
The old noble adjusted his collar.
"Then, full assault!!!"
Fwoosh
Just as the words left his mouth, a puff of dust rose ahead of the formation, causing the old noble to frown.
"What's going on?!"
No one answered.
In their field of vision, a thin, hunched figure slowly appeared, dragging the body of a soldier he had taken down in an instant,
Wobbling into view,
It was old Keek.
"Where did this fossil come from?! You can't even eat without breaking your teeth, yet you're trying to act tough? You must have a death wish!"
The old noble stared at the frail figure like he was already a corpse.
"You're this old, and you're still fantasizing?!"
He immediately gave the order. All the soldiers raised their weapons and charged at the aged figure.
Just an old pirate. The king's being way too cautious.
He recalled the king's warnings before departure and almost laughed.
"The World Government's investigation has discovered some oddities about this town. We may need to gather more intel"...
Absurd.
As long as they seized this town, they'd have enough money to officially join the World Government. Only then could their rule last!
The old noble gazed greedily at the modestly bustling town, already calculating how many Belly he could embezzle.
...
Meanwhile,
The well-built soldiers charged at old Keek, pressuring him from all sides.
Behind him, a group of able-bodied townsfolk who had organized a resistance were shaking at the knees,
How could they win with firewood knives and rusty blades?
"Damn it!! These petty tyrants..."
Old Keek clenched his teeth, staring at the so-called "elite soldiers" encircling him.
This kind of scum wouldn't even last against weak pirates at sea.
"If Orin were here, there's no way you maggots would be this arrogant!"
"You babbling nonsense now, old man? Then let me just—"
Thud
Thud
Thud
...
Before he could finish his threat, the once fierce soldiers ahead began collapsing in waves.
The old noble's voice froze in his throat. His expression turned stiff.
"Nani..."
With that final whisper, the old noble leading the troops also dropped to the ground.
The bizarre scene made old Keek, who had been prepared for a last stand, freeze in place.
Still, with his seasoned experience,
He quickly realized what had happened, his face flushing red as he anxiously scanned the surroundings.
"Hey! Brat!! Was that you?!"
Old Keek looked around, but couldn't see the figure he'd been yearning for day and night.
Unbeknownst to him,
The brat in his heart was still several kilometers away, out at sea.
"Turns out, perfect timing beats an early arrival..."
Orin observed everything happening on the island and let out a sigh of relief.
Luckily, Amazon Lily wasn't near the South Blue. Otherwise, the old man and the neighbors would've been doomed.
"Your control over Conqueror's Haki... is getting more and more precise, Orin."
Watching as the lightning-like aura took out a batch of enemies from kilometers away, Mihawk offered genuine praise.
But Orin didn't care. A few black lines fell down his face.
"Precise, my ass..."
...
When no one could find him, it was the seaside residents who informed old Keek that a red ship had appeared on the coast.
Red ship???
After a brief thought, old Keek ran toward the shore.
Sure enough, the pointed bow and the mermaid emblem...
"Hey!!! Old man!!!"
From the bow of the ship,
Orin saw the hopping figure on the shore and waved in greeting.
In the blink of an eye, the Oro Jackson teleported to the dock.
"It really is Orin!!!"
"Haven't seen him in years, almost didn't recognize him!"
"Hey Jesse, is that really the same Orin? He's gotta be over three meters tall now..."
The townspeople erupted with cheers and joy at Orin's arrival.
...
Only old Keek, who had been bouncing moments ago, suddenly quieted down.
He simply stared at that spirited figure.
That aura... it's so familiar...
Not because of appearance, but that pure, overwhelming strength—
Just like the man he once followed.
The towering figure, over three meters tall, suddenly appeared beside old Keek.
To be honest, it felt surreal.
But when he looked at the face that still bore traces of the brat he raised...
"What? Old man, don't recognize me?"
"You little brat..."
Seeing Orin crouch down to meet his gaze, old Keek remembered all the things he had planned to say:
"Why did you run off with Roger, huh?! That bastard's my sworn enemy!!!"
"Hahahaha, you've grown, huh? Beat up the Marines and became a sea emperor!!"
"You never once came back to see me, you ungrateful brat!!!"
...
But in the end, when he finally saw Orin smiling in front of him, the brat he raised with his own hands,
Tears welled uncontrollably in his eyes.
All he managed to say was:
"Looks like you've been wearing clothes properly and eating well... That's really good."