Just as Luffy and his crew were getting ready to make a big move and head for Alabasta to send Crocodile flying,
and just as Crocodile was waiting for Straw Hat Luffy to arrive so he could wipe out Princess Vivi along with those ignorant kids—the man caught between both sides, Orin, was at this moment holding a newspaper and heading in the opposite direction.
The content printed on it was precisely the latest discovery from the News Seagulls: information on the whereabouts of Blackbeard Teach.
"Seriously… I told you that when the time came, I would give you the Dark-Dark Fruit. And you still couldn't wait?"
Staring at the intelligence photo of the arrogantly laughing fat black man, Orin narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had already grasped the situation for the most part.
It was nothing more than this: he had left the sea for too long and passed the fruit to Jinbe, telling him to hand it over to Ace.
He simply wanted to see—after Orin himself had already promised Teach—if Teach would remain patient when the Dark-Dark Fruit ended up within the Whitebeard Pirates.
At first Teach surely could.
But after Orin never returned, and the agreed time was approaching, Teach finally chose to get it himself.
Even if it meant stealing half the fruit, getting discovered, and injuring members of the Whitebeard Pirates, he was willing.
"Well… I'm not exactly angry. Life's been pretty boring. Playing around with Teach might be fun."
For now, Orin indeed had almost nothing he particularly wanted to do.
Even if he went to the places where key events happened, following everything the whole time was boring. It was better to appear when the timing was ideal.
If the great final boss kept showing up all the time, his aura would get worn out.
So… why not make an alt?
Orin touched his chin, thinking through the possibility.
Creating an alt didn't mean going off to find someone and have a kid. It meant…occasionally playing as a Super Rookie.
With his Seimei Kikan ability, appearance was something he could change at will.
Especially since Orin mastered both spatial power and advanced Observation Haki—his control over his body was absolute.
So if he wanted a new identity, he couldn't use the original one.
No Black Gun, no black blade. Whether it was his signature Black Gun or the famed blade Ace, too many knowledgeable people on the sea would recognize them immediately.
He could use his fists, but Orin still preferred to have a weapon.
After thinking it over, he finally figured out what new weapon to use, especially since his Observation Haki had copied so many strong fighters' combat skills.
...
"Big News!!! Super Rookie Hades, bounty 400,000,000 Belly!!!"
In this new era, countless Super Rookies emerged across the seas. Whether pirates or Marines, few were shocked by newcomers anymore.
But Hades was different. Wielding two axes, possessing overwhelming strength, and radiating a mysterious aura, he immediately drew widespread attention.
He was a man roughly two meters tall, with long hair tied back like a spiky hedgehog, sunglasses over his face.
That's right.
This style—Orin had completely copied it based on Gaban.
After all, among the templates he was familiar with—long black hair and overall cool looks—only Gaban fit.
Back when he was on Roger's ship, he and Gaban were in total agreement: only long hair can bring out a man's handsomeness!!!
Thus, Orin used Gaban's younger appearance and went to sea under the name "Hades."
At Orin's suggestion, the World Economic Journal had no choice but to reserve front-page space for the big boss's alternate identity—a disguised form of buying popularity.
Rumors said that the young man named Hades had already clashed with several members of the Shichibukai and successfully escaped each time.
And strangely, none of those Shichibukai had publicly denied it.
In the first half of the Grand Line, his strength ranked at the very top.
The Marines, after hearing this, dispatched multiple fleets to track him down, but each attempt ended in failure as Hades rampaged and escaped.
Even Sengoku was eventually enraged enough to send Borsalino—the Admiral with the highest mobility—to capture Hades. But still, he failed.
The bounty skyrocketed to 400 million Belly, an almost unheard-of rise in Paradise.
Still, Hades' fame only went that far. After all, the Shichibukai varied wildly in strength. Escaping from them only meant he was decent.
Not enough for the truly great figures to care.
The World Government's attention was on the New World, where not only did the Yonko cause trouble, but Orin, the ultimate threat, was secretly conducting research.
As for the tens of millions and hundreds of millions of pirates in the New World—no one but the Marines bothered to look.
...
Paradise.
Della Island, an obscure place full of chaos and mixed crowds.
Because it wasn't part of the World Government, its people were aggressive, all kinds of shady figures gathered here, and even the Marines disliked interfering.
It was the perfect place to hide.
A toothless black fat man hid here, laughing wildly while drinking.
Nicknamed Blackbeard, real name Marshall D. Teach, formerly a crew member of the Whitebeard Pirates—he had injured comrades and stolen a Devil Fruit before fleeing.
Beside him sat two men: one pale gentleman wearing a top hat, and a tall thin man with a sniper rifle on his back—his newest subordinates.
They had been laying low these days. Not to the point of total secrecy, but still extremely cautious.
"Captain, if it's only the Whitebeard Pirates… as long as Whitebeard himself doesn't come, we don't need to be this nervous, right~?"
Laffitte lifted a cup of coffee and took a gentle sip.
His elegance made it impossible to see the brutal monster within.
Sitting here, he couldn't help asking his newly acknowledged captain, Teach, in confusion.
One of the reasons he joined this crew was the overwhelming Devil Fruit power and physical strength Teach displayed.
He wanted to invest in this man's dream.
But if Teach was scared stiff by the mere Second Division Commander… Laffitte would have to reconsider.
Van Augur didn't speak. He held his rifle in silence, but the flicker in his eyes showed he too waited for Teach's answer.
Faced with his subordinates' questions—no, their faint suspicion—Teach paused his eating, swallowed, then roared:
"Zehahahahaha… you two!!! Do you really think I'm being so cautious because of Fire Fist Ace?!!!"