April 19, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
It didn't take long for Orion to catch up with Poire, who was sailing very slowly on a small boat. She had no experience sailing alone, and it was almost a miracle that she hadn't suffered an accident after venturing out to sea rashly.
Fortunately, the sailing conditions were very good today; otherwise, Orion would probably have had to deliver terrible news to Galette.
Of course, Poire was a Named Character, which meant she appeared in the original story, and it was probably impossible for her to die here. At least without the intervention of Orion, who was an external factor in the story and could introduce changes to the original plot with his actions.
Kalifa, who had emerged from the Pocket Dimension and was sitting on the small boat reading her book with great interest, saw that they were approaching a boat and asked curiously:
"Orion, is that the boat of the person you're looking for?"
"That's right, her name is Charlotte Poire, and she's the daughter of the famous pirate Charlotte Linlin," Orion replied calmly.
Kalifa dropped her book onto the floor and immediately stood up, running to Orion's side and taking his arm.
"No, isn't it dangerous for you to approach her?" the girl said with concern.
She had grown up in the Medici family, which had one of the largest information networks in the world, so she had heard the name "Charlotte Linlin" before and knew that this was one of the most powerful women in the world. If Orion confronted her, he would be crushed like a bug without any effort.
"Don't worry, I have no conflict with her or her family," Orion said, placing a hand on Kalifa's head. Then he thought of Smoothie's look after he had humiliated her yesterday, and shaking his head, he added bitterly:
"At least I don't have a major conflict with her family."
Kalifa clearly noticed Orion's expression and squeezed his arm in concern.
"Don't worry, Kalifa. There won't be any problems with Charlotte Linlin. In the future, she might even be my mother-in-law!" Orion joked, trying to get the girl to relax.
But Kalifa only grew even more worried, warning him again and again not to get involved with the powerful pirate.
Orion spent a long time trying to calm her down, and when he finally succeeded, the small ship Poire was traveling on was close enough to see the pink-haired girl, who was looking at him alertly.
Orion took Kalifa in his arms and used Geppo to dash through the air and reach Poire's ship, while simultaneously storing his own ship into the system inventory.
He landed in front of the girl, who immediately assumed a fighting stance, drawing her sword.
Orion set Kalifa aside and approached Poire with his hands raised, showing that he had no intention of attacking her.
"Hello Poire, my name is Orion. Galette sent me to find you."
Poire heard his words and opened her mouth in surprise.
"Orion? Are you Galette's fiancé?" Poire asked curiously, remembering the description her twin had given when she told her story with Orion in South Blue, and seeing that the appearance of the boy in front of her matched her mental image of him.
"That's right, that's me. Nice to meet you!" Orion replied with a smile, not denying Poire's words.
Even though it was his childhood self who had made that promise to marry Galette, he didn't intend to betray that promise. Not only because it might alienate Galette and her family, but also because he simply didn't want to break a promise.
One thing he had decided was that he would keep the promises he made to people. It was a way not only to maintain credibility, but also not to betray his convictions. He was on the path to becoming someone powerful in the future, and he couldn't have any doubts in his mind. Every step he took in the future had to be done in a way that wouldn't make him regret his decisions.
That way, he could live his life to the fullest, just as other great figures of the world—such as his master, Roger— had done.
It was that conviction that nourished the seed of Conqueror's Haki he had obtained as a mission reward, and which was slowly growing with each passing day.
Hearing him confirm his identity as Galette's fiancé, Poire's attitude became much less cautious, although she wasn't entirely convinced and asked him to tell her the story in detail.
Orion sighed, thinking he should have asked Galette for some proof that she had sent him, and proceeded to recount what happened when he rescued her twin sister years ago.
Poire listened with great excitement, and her eyes lit up when Orion mentioned some additional information that Galette hadn't mentioned in her side of the story.
By the time Orion finished telling the anecdote, Poire was completely convinced of his identity, and any hostility she had harbored had completely disappeared.
On the system screen, her favorability rating was 60, which showed how deeply she cared for her sister Galette.
Poire approached Orion and gave a small bow.
"Thank you for saving Galette, I will be forever grateful!" Poire said solemnly.
Orion thought that the members of the Charlotte family he had encountered so far could be divided into two large groups: one that was kinder and more polite, including Poire, Effilée, and Broyé; and another that was made up of "less kind" people, including Smoothie and the rest of the siblings.
This split in personality style made him wonder what the environment they'd grown up in was like, and how they'd been raised to end up on opposite sides of the behavioral spectrum.
Orion accepted her words of gratitude and then told her why he'd come.
As soon as Poire heard that he wanted to take her back to her family, she immediately crossed her arms in a pose very similar to the one her sister Galette used to take, and said firmly,
"I'm not going back! I'm tired of being made fun of!"
"So where are you going? Are you going to abandon your mother's crew?" Orion asked, trying to make her see reason.
"Leave Mom's crew?! Are you crazy?! Of course I won't!" Poire said, terrified by the thought of abandoning her family completely.
"So what are you planning to do? Are you going to go back home from here? Your mother's base is on the other side of the Red Line, in the New World, right? How do you plan to get there?"
Right now, they were in the first half of the Grand Line, which was known as Paradise, and to reach Big Mom's territory, they would have to travel literally halfway around the world.
Poire clearly hadn't thought much about her actions, and when she heard Orion ask these questions, she didn't know how to answer, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey Orion, don't make her cry," Kalifa said with a certain reproach in her voice from the side.
Orion shrugged, indicating that he hadn't meant to; he had simply stated the obvious. However, Poire was in a rather sensitive emotional state and had been affected by his simple statement of facts.
"My siblings always bully me for my appearance. I just wanted to get away for a while, so they'd know the mistake they made in treating me badly when I was gone," Poire said, pouting and holding back her tears.
Orion felt a slight headache. This was clearly a classic situation where Poire was trying to make her siblings feel guilty for treating her badly, and it was something many children had thought at some point on Planet Earth, where he had lived his previous life.
It was like saying, "When I die, they'll know how much they appreciated me!" and slamming a door.
It wasn't unusual behavior for a girl Poire's age, although in this pirate world, things got a bit complicated. Especially for her, who belonged to a famous and powerful pirate family. She simply couldn't have certain privileges that a normal child enjoyed.
"What's wrong with your looks? I think you're a very adorable girl!" Orion said, winking at Kalifa, who immediately chimed in.
"It's true, you're not as pretty as me, but you're not that bad!" Kalifa said with a cheerful smile, unaware of the arrogance in her words.
Poire, whose mood had improved slightly after hearing Orion's words, plummeted again upon hearing Kalifa's.
"Who is this little brat?!" Poire said, about to draw her sword once more. She was easygoing, but it was largely due to her high favorability toward Orion. In contrast, she had a completely different attitude toward Kalifa.
Orion cursed inwardly, complaining that Kalifa's words had made the situation even worse, and with a flick of his mind, he opened his Pocket Dimension and tossed the little girl inside.
"She's just my apprentice, don't pay too much attention to her!"
Now that Kalifa had disappeared, Poire wasn't so angry anymore, and although she was curious about where she had gone, there was something else that was more important to her right now.
"Do you really think there's nothing wrong with my appearance? Don't you find my mouth monstrous?" the girl asked, afraid to hear Orion's answer, but without looking away. She opened her mouth, revealing her small teeth that were like a shark's, as if to say, "Look, horrible, isn't it?"
Orion had no problem lying if it would prevent him from hurting the girl further, but on this occasion, it wasn't necessary, as he truly didn't think there was anything wrong with Poire's appearance.
It was true that her mouth was larger than normal and her teeth were different, but her appearance wasn't grotesque, far from it.
As for the reason her siblings bullied her, perhaps it had more to do with establishing influence or hierarchy within the pirate family, and less with Poire's appearance itself. After all, several of the Charlottes he had encountered so far had strange features.
For example, Effilée had a longer-than-normal neck, but it wasn't unpleasant, just novel. Perhaps it was because Orion had a strange aesthetic sense, but he didn't truly find these people's peculiar features unpleasant.
Orion looked Poire in the eye seriously and said without hesitation:
"I'm not lying. I don't think there's anything wrong with your mouth. In fact, I think it gives you a distinctive and adorable appearance. So don't worry too much about your siblings' words!"
A smile appeared on Poire's face, and she felt that Orion was being sincere. It was the first time anyone had ever sincerely complimented her appearance, and not even her beloved sister Galette had ever done so.
Galette had always simply said things like, "Don't pay attention to their words," but she had never affirmed her appearance with simple words like, "There's nothing wrong with your appearance." Unconsciously, Galette's words had also hurt her, because they indirectly confirmed everyone's impression of her, which she herself had accepted as true.
Poire stepped forward and took Orion's hands in hers.
"Okay, then if you like my mouth, you can- have my first kiss..." Poire said shyly.
Orion's eyes widened abruptly, and he thought,
"Fuck! No, no, no. I wasn't giving you a compliment like that!"
Orion simply felt it was unfair that Poire felt so bad about something she couldn't change like her appearance, especially when he didn't think there was anything wrong with her mouth.
His comments had been uttered purely out of kindness, and he didn't expect Poire to misinterpret his intentions and propose something like a kiss.
He immediately took a step back and, sweating profusely, said,
"No, I can't do that. My loyalty is to Galette!"
He didn't want to hurt her feelings by rejecting her and undo the progress they had made, so he immediately pulled out his ace in the hole: his fiancée, Galette! What kind of person would he be if he kissed his sister-in-law? It was the perfect excuse!
"Galette won't mind. She asked me if I wanted to be your wife too, and I told her I'd decide after seeing you. So there's no problem!" Poire said, taking a step forward, while Orion took another step back.
They finally reached the edge of the small boat, and when Orion felt that if he took one more step, he would fall into the sea, he stood straight and placed his hands on Poire's shoulders. Then, he looked into her eyes with complete seriousness and said:
"Truthfully, Poire, I can't kiss you because I have a curse on me. If I kiss someone before I'm 18, I'll die, so I simply can't do it."
Seeing the seriousness in Orion's eyes, and considering the strange things that happened in this world, Poire almost completely believed his words and didn't insist on going through with the kiss.
"Is that true, Orion? Do you really have such a curse upon you?"
Seeing Poire's pure eyes, he felt a little ashamed for deceiving her, but there was no choice. There were limits he would never cross, and romantic relationships with little girls were one of them!
He gritted his teeth and put on a resigned expression.
"That's right, Poire. It's a powerful curse, but luckily it will break down over time."
"Does Galette know about this?" the girl asked.
"No. I didn't think it was necessary to tell her and worry her," Orion replied succinctly, adding, "Please keep it a secret, Poire."
Poire nodded vigorously and swore on her mother, whom she loved most in the world, that she wouldn't tell anyone. Then she sighed in dismay and said,
"That's a shame. I really wanted to give you my first kiss."
Orion moved away a little, uneasy, and didn't say anything about it, just laughed somewhat awkwardly.
Suddenly, Poire's eyes lit up, as if she'd been injected with a stimulant. She raised her clenched fists and made a declaration.
"It doesn't matter, Orion! I'll wait until you turn 18, and then I'll give you my first kiss! And then we'll get married too! It's a promise!"
Orion didn't know how to respond for a moment, and Poire, seeing that he remained silent, suddenly deflated. She lowered her fists, and her eyes lost the energy she'd displayed a moment before. She looked at him with a touch of fear and said,
"Or... Don't you want me to be your wife?"
Orion's heart softened at Poire's fragile appearance, and he simply decided to play along.
After all, there was still at least a decade before their marriage could be finalized; in that time, many things could happen, and she could change her mind at any moment.
But even if she didn't change her mind, there would be no problem taking her as his wife in the future. After all, he was destined to follow the harem route, and the addition of Poire wouldn't overcomplicate things.
With this in mind, Orion placed a hand on Poire's head and said with a smile.
"Of course, no problem, Poire. It's a promise. I'll come find you and Galette in the future!"
Poire's face lit up again, and she hugged him tightly, suffocating him slightly in the process. Poire had strength far superior to that of a normal human—possibly even comparable to his own, which was enhanced by the passive ability granted by the system.
After a few moments, Poire's excitement subsided, and she finally released him from her powerful embrace.
Seeing that the girl was in a good mood, Orion struck while the iron was still hot.
"Poire, you have to return to your family. I've come to take you back."
The girl's smile froze for a moment, then she pouted and said,
"But they bully me! I can't just go back!"
"If they bully you, you just have to defend yourself!" Orion said decisively.
One of the things he hated most was bullying, because his best friend in his past life had taken his own life due to the bullying he'd suffered during his teenage years at school. Orion had always felt guilty for not noticing his mental state before the tragedy occurred, and he despised people who bullied others for being weaker or introverted.
However, he knew he couldn't solve Poire's problems. He would be gone soon, and she would continue to live with her family. She was the one who had to take charge of the situation. Only she could do something about it if she wanted to remain with her pirate family in the future.
Poire bowed her head in resignation and said, "But they're much stronger than me."
Orion understood that the root of the problem wasn't Poire's lack of response, but also her lack of power to stand up to her older siblings.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to him, and with a flick of his mind, the system screen appeared before his eyes, displaying an item he hadn't used in some time:
*Random Talent Card (Rechargeable): This card allows you, or anyone you designate, to gain a random talent/skill. The skills gained can be influenced by the person's innate talent. Not all people are the same, and the chances of receiving certain skills vary. This card can be recharged using system points. Otherwise, it will recharge naturally over time.
Its use is limited to one time per person, with the exception of the Host, who can use it without limitations.*
This card took quite a while to charge naturally, and he had only used it once since obtaining it.
On that occasion, the random skill he had obtained had been "Squirrel Cheeks," which was a completely useless skill!
It was for this reason that he had decided that the next time the card was charged, he would try using it on someone else to see the result.
However, with all the things that had been happening lately, he hadn't had a chance to use it until now.
Listening to Poire complaining about her lack of power, Orion decided it would be a good opportunity to use this card and see if she could gain a useful ability, one that would at least help her gain more confidence when facing her older siblings.
"Poire, I know a secret technique that can make you more powerful. Do you want me to use it on you?" Orion said seriously.
Poire opened her big mouth in surprise, looking quite adorable, and immediately nodded her head in great anticipation.
Orion wasted no time and used the card on Poire.
*Ding*
*Named Character Charlotte Poire (7) has obtained the skill "Fishman Karate (Level 3)"
The card reappeared in its "charging" state, and Poire successfully obtained a new skill.
Seeing the excellent skill Poire had obtained, Orion couldn't help but feel extremely envious. Why had he only gotten squirrel cheeks?!
Once again, he realized that the world wasn't a fair place.
However, those complaints didn't stop him from feeling great joy for Poire, who stood with her eyes closed, her body slowly trembling.
It was a long time before the girl opened her eyes, and without wasting a second, she began to perform a series of powerful attacks that stirred the waters around her.
Orion didn't know exactly what Poire's power level had been before, but it had certainly increased considerably after gaining this new ability.
Poire finished executing the new combat moves that had suddenly appeared in her mind and launched herself at Orion with a big smile, intending to hug him, but this time Orion was prepared, and he wouldn't be caught off guard again.
He immediately opened a door in the air and escaped into another dimension, reappearing at the maximum distance his ability currently allowed.
Poire puffed out her cheeks angrily when she saw that Orion had dodged her embrace, but she didn't try to approach again. She simply looked at him fondly from a distance and shouted
"Thank you for your help, Orion!"
Orion smiled back at the girl and walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you ready to go back, Poire?" he asked.
"Of course! I may not be strong enough to face them yet, but at least I'll give them a surprise!" Poire said happily.
Orion nodded and took control of the small boat the girl was traveling on. It was time for her to return to her family and end this charade.
He looked at the horizon and opened the system map to set a course, when a new notification appeared on the screen.
*Ding*
*You have positively influenced the Named Character "Charlotte Poire" and have received 1,000 SP*
His mood lifted a little further upon seeing the large amount of SP he had suddenly gained, and whistling a lively song, he sailed with Poire back to the Charlottes' ship.
Poire's favorability had quietly risen to 80.