"Today really is a great day~"
Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1509.
After spending quite some time handling most of the affairs from his tenure as [Emperor], Orin was finally free.
During that period, the tyrannical image of the [Black Emperor] gradually faded in the world's eyes, replaced instead by the legendary pirate known as [Black Gun]—a symbol of power and myth.
Part of that was thanks to Orin deliberately directing Morgans to shift the focus of his news coverage. After shedding the heavy burden called "fame," Orin felt that his spirit was on the verge of breaking through its limits and that delighted him immensely.
"Yo~ Orin, you heading out to sea?"
On the beaches of the Sabaody Archipelago,
Mihawk, Crocodile, and the others had long since left, busy with their own ambitions and ventures.
That left Orin alone, spending his days idly drifting through the red-light district.
But today, he had come to the shore. Judging by his look, he seemed ready to head out to sea again.
Before his departure, a half-grey-haired Rayleigh appeared beside him—apparently having seen through Orin's intentions.
"Yeah… just a spontaneous trip, you could say."
Orin hadn't told anyone where he was going, or when he'd be back. It was entirely on a whim.
"Speaking of which, Rayleigh-san, I gave you that pure gold, didn't I? Why haven't you used it yet?"
Orin hadn't used his own yet—he was still young, not yet at his peak.
But Rayleigh wasn't so young anymore. In a few years, he could easily be called an old man. Why wasn't he using it now?
"No need for that..."
Rayleigh casually sat down on a rock, tipping back a bottle of sake with a relaxed grin.
"For men of the sea, it's never about the length of life. As long as we've savored the joy of the journey, that's enough. I believe Roger and the others thought the same way..."
"Hahahahahahaha! You're really something, Rayleigh-sensei."
Hearing those words, Orin felt he hadn't yet reached such a mindset himself—but that didn't stop him from deeply admiring it.
After all, Captain Roger was a man who laughed in the face of death!
Rayleigh chuckled faintly, then noticed Orin seemed to be carrying nothing at all.
"What, not bringing anything with you?"
Ever since Orin had stopped sailing long-distance with Mihawk and the others, the Oro Jackson had been left idle for quite a while.
Orin nodded. He wore only sandals and a pair of shorts, his upper body bare. His blades, firearms, and basic supplies were all stored inside his personal spatial storage—
It wasn't huge, but enough for what he needed.
His gloves and the Black Gun could be taken out whenever necessary.
As Orin stretched lazily and even began doing warm-ups, Rayleigh—who had been drinking comfortably—suddenly froze, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Hey! Orin, don't tell me… you're planning to swim?"
"Yeah. Why, is that a problem?"
Orin nodded casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"But… aren't you a Devil Fruit user?"
As someone who loved swimming—an expert, even—Rayleigh knew the sea like the back of his hand.
But a Devil Fruit user? Swimming? That was unheard of. They were supposed to either take ships… or fly.
"Ah, that's nothing to worry about."
Orin grinned, waved dismissively, and dove headfirst into the sea—vanishing beneath the surface without a splash.
"You bastard..."
Rayleigh blinked. Through his Observation Haki, he sensed that Orin hadn't weakened at all. Instead, he had plunged powerfully into the deep.
Seconds passed. Then, far off in the distance, Orin resurfaced—only to continue swimming forward energetically.
"Keeping the seawater separated from your body at a microscopic distance, huh… what an interesting ability."
Watching the enormous waves rising in Orin's wake, Rayleigh couldn't help but smile.
Ah, youth really is wonderful~
...
"Law! I'll definitely bring back the Op-Op Fruit!!!"
North Blue — Minion Island.
Various factions were stationed all over the island. Dozens of luxurious ships—far too grand for a place like this—were docked along the shore.
Seeing this, Rosinante tightened his cloak, his expression grim.
"No way… so many people are after the Op-Op Fruit?"
Many underworld leaders wanted to be free of Orin's control. Despite Orin's promise that the underground world would no longer be restricted beyond their regular tribute payments, who among the bosses wanted their coordinates permanently exposed?
They weren't short on money or manpower. What they wanted was the Op-Op Fruit.
And Corazon… was ready to risk everything to save Law's life.
Huff… huff…
Through the snowstorm, Corazon clutched the Op-Op Fruit tightly in both hands, running joyfully.
His face was streaked with both tears and laughter.
"Wonderful! Law! Wait for me!!!"
Cradling the shivering Law in his arms, Corazon gave a goofy peace sign, then snapped his fingers—creating a perfect sphere of silence.
He then pressed the fruit to Law's mouth—perhaps a bit too forcefully—until it went down.
When Law flipped Corazon over, tears poured down his face as he realized the truth.
Despite the smile still frozen on his lips, Corazon's body was riddled with bullet holes. It was a miracle he'd even made it this far alive.
At the same time—
A Marine warship was stationed on the northern coast of Minion Island.
The Marines had received intel that the Op-Op Fruit was here. The World Government wanted to recover it, and countless shadowy groups had already sent their men. Naturally, the Marines couldn't stay out of it.
"...Where the hell did I swim to?"
"Guess I can't just rely on general direction. I need a Log Pose after all."
Orin had assumed that swimming in a straight line long enough would eventually get him to his destination.
But with each slight deviation, his path had drifted further and further off course and now, he'd ended up… here.
"Hey, Marines, where am I?"
Without a single drop of seawater on him, Orin suddenly spawned right on the deck of the warship.
"Y-you're…?!?"
"Orin-sama!!!"
His sudden appearance sent a shock through everyone aboard—especially one of the officers in charge, Vergo.
The mushroom-haired man stared in surprise, unsure why Orin-sama was here, but he quickly straightened up and saluted.
Standing bare-chested in the icy winds, Orin thought for a moment, then changed into a long, comfortable black coat.
"Well, well… to think I'd run into you here, Vergo."
Walking across the deck, Orin approached the railing and gazed out over the frozen landscape.
Then, glancing at Vergo beside him, he asked calmly,
"Doflamingo should be here too, right?"