"Then... let's set sail!!!"
At the dining table, the not-yet-formed pirate crew of Orin was holding a small meeting while eating.
Orin slammed the table and declared.
"You haven't taken a single break since we set sail, have you..."
Mihawk cut his steak helplessly, speared it with his fork, and brought it to his mouth.
"Did you even prepare anything?"
The one with the cross mark on her forehead was Crocodile. She still found the situation absurd.
"What more prep do we need? Just go straight in and hit them."
At that moment, the cross mark on Orin's forehead was no fewer than Crocodile's. He looked annoyed as he spoke.
...
Two hours earlier—
Aboard the Oro Jackson, slowly departing from Alabasta, Orin's crew was in the middle of strategic discussion. Crocodile, the brains of the group, had roughly assessed the territory and military force currently under Orin's control and jotted down some suggested plans for upcoming operations.
While she scribbled furiously,
Orin was reading the free newspaper.
It used to be "stolen" for free—now that the company belonged to them, there was even less reason to pay.
Even the seagulls had to salute Orin before flying away. Newspapers were always delivered first thing.
"Hey, boss! It's about time you made a proper plan for yourself, right? The scale of the underground world is far beyond what you can imagine!!"
Crocodile bit down on a cigar, looking dead serious as she stared at the notorious slacker and asked,
"You can handle that stuff. I trust you completely."
Orin waved it off casually. He had brought Crocodile aboard for her smarts and resourcefulness—and maybe just a tiny bit for her looks.
With someone else worrying about it, he could be the hands-off type.
"Speaking of which... Morgans is buffing me again without my permission...
'Black Emperor'? Gotta admit, sounds kinda cool..."
Hearing Orin still harping about nicknames, Crocodile got angrier.
"Orin! You bastard!!!"
Before she could explode, a Den Den Mushi rang, cutting off the tension in the room.
Mihawk, still holding his knife and fork, Crocodile, gripping her strategic plan in frustration, and Orin, who was reading the newspaper—all turned toward the Den Den Mushi on the table.
"Beru~ Beru~ Beru~"
It had just been used to call Morgans and hadn't even been put away yet, and now it rang again.
"Why is she calling me?"
A flash of red light passed through the room. Orin raised an eyebrow at this real-time VIP early-access broadcast and answered the call.
Immediately, the Den Den Mushi morphed to show fiery red lips, thick lashes, and a red cape draped behind it.
With a smile and a hint of arrogance, a woman's voice came through:
"Mamamama ~ Orin!"
...
New World.
Whole Cake Island.
Seated upon an enormous throne, a colossal female figure loomed under heavy shadow. Drool dripped to the ground, sizzling as it corroded the floor.
Her terrifying gaze stared into the Den Den Mushi in her hand.
"Yeah... the last time we met, it was with Captain Roger... Charlotte Linlin."
"Mamamama"
Looking at the Den Den Mushi, with that calm smile and those crimson-glowing eyes, Big Mom let out her signature strange laugh.
"Glad you still remember me, Orin! That little brat from Roger's crew with freakish Observation Haki and brute strength… now you've become a world-shaking figure yourself."
"Ho... you're not here just to catch up, are you? Last I checked, we only ever fought."
Orin looked at the overly familiar Big Mom across the line and couldn't help feeling a bit odd.
He had planned to visit Totto Land personally soon for matters related to the underground world—
But he hadn't taken any action yet. Why had she contacted him first...?
Could it be the underworld bosses had reached out to her already, hoping she'd step in?
The three of them stared curiously at the Den Den Mushi. This woman, potentially one of the next great overlords of the New World, what exactly did she want?
"Mamamama Maybe there was some bad blood between us because of Roger, but it was really just a clash over a Poneglyph. Truthfully, there's no deep grudge between us, right?"
Big Mom spoke in a fairly gentle tone as she brought up the events that happened when Orin was still an intern.
And she wasn't lying.
Back then, Orin had only ever interacted with Big Mom once—and she had still been young and beautiful.
The Roger Pirates had been scouring the New World for the Road Poneglyphs.
Big Mom had held one of the key stones, making her a necessary target. The crew had essentially played her—secretly took an etching of the stone, then fled the scene.
That was when Charlotte Linlin first took real notice of the terrifying brat named Orin—
Barely in his teens, yet able to fight Katakuri to a stalemate.
Even more horrifying was Orin's Observation Haki, which surpassed Katakuri's and gave him a greater, clearer glimpse into the future—
For the first time, Katakuri felt the same despair he usually instilled in others.
That iconic moment—
"The future I see stretches far beyond yours." (Orin defeats Katakuri Ultimate Move Illustration)
With brute strength and superior foresight, Katakuri's only advantage was completely nullified.
...
At that time, Orin hadn't even eaten his Devil Fruit. He fought while retreating, and it ended in an embarrassing loss.
"There really wasn't much of a grudge... but now, there is."
Orin downed his orange juice in one go and spoke flatly.
Back then, he had genuinely liked the youthful version of Linlin—almost a half-giant in stature, powerful, beautiful.
She had strength and charm. Honestly, she was like a female version of grown-up Orin.
But that didn't mean Orin would compromise his goals or ideals for a childhood crush—
Especially when he now knew how... indescribable Big Mom had become with age.
"You must've heard by now. All those underworld lackeys hiding under your skirt—I'm aiming to take over the entire underground world. That alone puts us in direct conflict!"
"Mamamama... Is that all?"
"...???"
That nonchalant response left Orin momentarily dumbfounded.
To a territory-obsessed warlord like Big Mom, wasn't this massive slice of power and influence a big deal?
Something felt off.
Then Big Mom dropped the bomb that completely broke Orin's guard—
"If you're willing to give me a child, Orin... I'll offer the entire underground world's shares as your dowry!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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