To be honest,
Orin was feeling a bit of a headache right now.
Sitting on a luxury cruise ship, Orin wore only a pair of big shorts, bare-chested with a pair of trendy sunglasses on, enjoying the cool refreshment of an iced juice.
This was a cruise ship he had seized—it wasn't bad at all.
And really, was there any shame in that? Being a pirate, wasn't hijacking ships perfectly normal?
But the anger coming from the Den Den Mushi in his hand left him somewhat helpless.
"Relax, relax, I'm really not mad at all."
Honestly, at Orin's level, he could already live as he pleased. Letting the Hancock sisters go, for example—that was something he had expected, and it truly didn't affect his mood in the slightest.
On the contrary, he no longer got angry at rumors or gossip. It was a bit like when Shanks had a bottle smashed over his head, though not exactly the same.
One could say his level was simply too high. No rumor was capable of making him lose his cool like some hot-headed youngster.
But clearly, his subordinates—his loyal retainers—didn't agree.
Like Crocodile, for instance, on the other side of the Den Den Mushi.
Her eyes looked like they were spitting fire, her furious expression on the transponder's screen nearly pushing Orin's face out of the frame.
"Are you kidding me?! Do you even understand what your position represents right now? Get it through your head already!!!"
At first, when Crocodile picked up Orin's call, she was happy. But when she heard that Orin had run into Tiger, and was planning to make him one of his workers, her face changed instantly!
"Tiger is the one who made the Black Emperor's name a subject of doubt! We must use the harshest methods possible to let the world know the Black Emperor is still alive!!!"
"…"
Orin smacked his lips.
But he wasn't dead in the first place…
Still, after this exchange, Orin more or less understood what his people were trying to say.
They had enjoyed prestige for so many years, and suddenly their reputation had been trampled. They needed to get it back.
The problem was, Orin truly wasn't angry. Destroying Fishman Island seemed unnecessary. Besides, he had promised Tiger long ago to let him work for him in the future.
Thinking it over,
Orin still couldn't come up with a decision that would satisfy both him and his followers. In the end, he simply spread his hands.
"Alright, alright, do whatever you want~"
This wasn't him being soft-hearted, just a different way of looking at things. After all, to put it differently, Tiger's actions had his tacit approval.
If he hadn't allowed it, back when he first met Tiger, he would have warned him not to touch his slaves.
And letting his subordinates save reputation, while making sure Tiger would never appear in the world again…
All in all, Orin figured that punishment was enough.
Hearing Orin's "permission," Crocodile was overjoyed. She immediately prepared to use the Den Den Mushi to unleash thunderous measures against Fishman Island, venting her fury and reminding the world once more—
That the Black Emperor was still the ruler of these seas!!!
Orin, unconcerned, propped his head on one hand and gazed at the ocean, watching Crocodile fuss around on the other end of the line with a touch of helpless amusement.
He was just about to ask,
"Hey, Crocodile, why didn't Hawk Eyes pick up the call just now…"
But before he could finish, he heard muffled noises from the other end, as if Crocodile was speaking with someone else.
Soon after, Crocodile's face twisted into an odd expression.
"The Black Emperor's forces have already taken Fishman Island…"
Faint, unclear voices came through the Den Den Mushi, but the words weren't clear.
What the…
Puzzled, Orin's eyes suddenly flashed red as he activated his "early screening."
And what he saw left him with a face full of question marks.
Both he and Crocodile felt both angry and amused at the news they had just received, their expressions equally strange.
Crocodile felt furious.
Orin found it funny.
…
At that very moment, on the far-off deck, a fishman covered in bandages slowly regained a sliver of consciousness.
I…
Where… where am I?
As his eyes fluttered open, a wave of weakness washed over him. Pain coursed through every inch of his body, leaving him powerless. All he could make out were a few words in the distance—
"Black Emperor… has taken Fishman Island…"
Just that one sentence was like a sledgehammer to Tiger's skull, his pupils trembling violently.
He wanted to beg for mercy, but half-dead as he was, he couldn't. All he could do was shed endless tears of regret.
Why…
Why did I hesitate back then?!!
He wanted to curse his own past self. Because of his moment of soft-heartedness, Fishman Island had now suffered such a catastrophe!
If heaven gave him another chance, he would rather die than ever defy Orin's will again.
Even if it meant recapturing those freed slaves—for Fishman Island meant far more to Tiger than a group of strangers ever could.
But…
His mind sank into a hazy fog, and he no longer had the chance to regret.
…
Meanwhile,
An earth-shattering piece of news spread like wildfire across the seas, making countless pupils tremble!
"After two years, that terrifying man has returned!!!"
"The true Emperor who rules the seas, the calamity of Fishman Island?!!"
"The majesty of a King—what does it mean to be the Black Emperor?"
News seagulls flew across the world, scattering papers filled with this shocking story.
On the very front cover, in the most prominent position, a towering figure stood tall, countless followers arrayed behind him.
Anyone who had sailed the seas, anyone with any experience—upon receiving the paper, their pupils shook violently, their jaws dropping in speechless shock.
Staring again and again at that cold, stern face, even if they wanted to deceive themselves, deny the truth… it was unmistakably him.
The long-haired, handsome—
Orin.
"Wasn't the whole sea saying the Black Emperor had already died?!!!"
"So it was just rumors after all! How could a man like him die silently?!!!"
"Hmph, Fishman Island was ruined because of Tiger. After all, he committed that unforgivable crime—freeing Orin-sama's slaves…"
Those who hated Orin gnashed their teeth. Ambitious schemers scrambled for intel. Admirers rejoiced in celebration.
In short, this sudden event—Orin appearing with his men at Fishman Island—set the entire ocean ablaze.
Even the Elders in Mary Geoise took notice.
In that ancient, solemn chamber of power, five old men exchanged reports and intelligence, confirming the details again and again.
At last, Saint Marcus Mars eased his furrowed brows.
"Based on behavior patterns at the scene, and intelligence from CP agents, we can make a preliminary judgment…"
Finally, tossing the newspaper onto the table like a man letting out a breath, he said—
"The Orin that appeared on Fishman Island…"
"Is an imposter!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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