The sun was setting.
The sun, hanging high in the sky, slowly sank into the horizon, as if melting into the endless sea, casting a magnificent crimson glow across the water.
After the meeting, Orion went alone to the rooftop of the headquarters building. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed out at the vast sea, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
Six years ago, when he had opened his eyes and found himself transported into the world of One Piece, he had been instantly filled with excitement, ready to roll up his sleeves and make his mark.
Of course, there had also been fear of this unfamiliar world, as he wasn't sure if he would gain a powerful "golden finger" like the protagonists in the many transmigration novels he had read before.
As time passed, the golden finger he had hoped for never appeared. But he didn't let this disappointment get to him.
Instead, he decisively abandoned his fantasies and faced reality, doubling down on his training while doing his best to build good relationships with the soldiers and officers around him.
Gradually, he realized that even without the system, he could still carve out a place for himself in this world.
Thus, the man who had initially only wanted to survive as long as possible in this world began to lay out his plans. As his strength continued to grow and more people gathered around him, his ambitions also began to expand.
However, according to his plans and strategies, he wouldn't risk everything at this moment. With his current strength and connections, he could at most survive the upcoming trial. Seizing the position of Fleet Admiral and taking control of the entire Navy was almost impossible.
What he didn't expect was that the system actually appeared, and even before he had fully secured his position as the Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, it rewarded him in advance, instantly elevating all his abilities to their highest level.
When his abilities were first enhanced, Orion clearly felt his strength had reached an unprecedented height. Yet, even though the techniques of the Three Haki types, swordsmanship, and the Navy Six Powers, as well as the combat experience granted by the system powerful functions, felt as if they were innate to him, he couldn't truly grasp how strong his abilities had become at their peak.
It was only through his battle with Garp and his feat of sending six members of the God Knights flying that he gained a clear and direct understanding of his current strength—he had reached the pinnacle.
Especially with Conqueror Haki. Previously, his understanding of Conqueror Haki was limited to what he knew before his transmigration. But after the system elevated it to its highest level, he truly realized the weight of the phrase "Conqueror's Haki reigns supreme above all else."
Of course, all of this was in the past. What lay before Orion now was his meeting with Im the next day, as well as some plans for the future.
Although Im had made compromises, he wasn't naive enough to believe that Im had truly conceded.
Im had been controlling the World Government from behind the scenes for so many years—how could they compromise just because of a coup? The reason they wanted to talk was merely to temporarily stabilize him.
Of course, he also needed some time to regroup.
Launching an all-out war against the World Government, a colossal entity that had stood at the top of the Red Line for 800 years, was not a rational choice.
A moment of impulsive fervor could easily shift the initiative he currently held into passivity. Of course, if he only wanted to be a pirate emperor in this world, he wouldn't have needed to stage a coup.
He could have simply taken the officers and soldiers loyal to him and left the headquarters to establish his own faction. There was no need for such elaborate measures.
As a great transmigrator, with the power to slay dragons and the system at his disposal, it would be a colossal joke to descend into piracy and become a mere outlaw.
"Lord Orion?" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind. Turning around, he saw Gion, clad in a Vice Admiral coat and carrying the famous sword Konpira, striding briskly toward him with an air of heroic grace.
Orion tilted his head slightly and asked. "Is everything arranged?"
"Yes" Gion handed a document to Orion and continued.
"Apart from Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, the three Admirals also wish to go to Mari Geoise. Additionally, I noticed that Admiral Kuzan and Sakazuki seem somewhat dispirited. I'm worried about them... You know, Orion, over the years, the two of them have had numerous arguments due to their differing ideologies, and on several occasions, they nearly came to blows."
"Don't worry." Orion waved his hand and smiled.
"It's only natural for them to feel dispirited at this moment. The existence of Im has shaken the justice they've each been upholding! Especially Sakazuki. Deep down, he's long been dissatisfied with the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders, but due to his position and the justice he upholds, he chose to endure. Now, with the sudden emergence of a shadow ruler of the World Government anyone who truly holds justice in their heart would feel demoralized."
"The same goes for Kuzan. Ever since the Ohara incident, he's been questioning the Marine sense of justice. Now, with the knowledge of Im existence, his confusion has naturally been amplified!"
"However, after this trip to Mari Geoise, I believe neither Sakazuki nor Kuzan will remain lost."
Gion eyes lit up, and she tentatively asked.
"So that's why you revealed Im existence in front of them when you repelled the members of the God Knights? It wasn't just about confronting Im and the World Government, but also to force Admirals Kuzan and Sakazuki to make their final choice?"
Orion nodded. "Not just them, but Sengoku and Garp as well! For these old-timers and powerful individuals, mere force and conventional tactics aren't enough to make them fully side with us. Only by letting them see the situation clearly and understand the truth, combined with everything we've been doing as groundwork, will they abandon all illusions and face reality!"
Hearing this, Gion tilted her head slightly and glanced at Orion.
Orion was still the same Orion, but at this moment he felt somewhat unfamiliar to her.
After all, Orion current age was about the same as Hina, yet his wisdom and depth of thought were far beyond ordinary people. His ability to manipulate hearts and minds was masterful, no less than that of Sengoku, who was known as the 'Resourceful General,' and perhaps even surpassed him.
The sea breeze sweeping in from the ocean rustled the coats of Orion and Gion, creating a soft sound in the wind. Orion glanced at the contents of the document and handed it back to Gion, then looked into the distance, squinting slightly as he murmured.
"The wind is rising."
....
A new day arrived and the sun rose as usual.
As newspapers printed by various news agencies were delivered across the world by news coo, the major powers of the Grand Line and the Four Seas were shocked by the contents of the papers.
....
The New World, territory of the Red-Haired Pirates.
The members of the Red-Haired Pirates, dressed in various styles, were sprawled out on the ground, either lying or face down, their thunderous snores startling the birds in the surrounding woods into silence.
Shanks, the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates who had recently become one of the Four Emperors of the New World, had drunk himself into a stupor during a grand feast with his crew. He had fallen asleep clutching a bottle of wine and woke up naturally.
As soon as he opened his eyes, Shanks saw a figure sitting across from him—it was Benn Beckman, the vice-captain of the Red-Haired Pirates. Beckman didn't even glance at Shanks as he woke up.
Instead, he held a newspaper delivered by a News Coo, his expression more serious than ever.
"Good morning, Beckman~" Rubbing his slightly swollen eyes, Shanks got up, dragging the wine bottle with him, and walked over to Beckman with a grin.
"Up so early? Didn't have enough fun last night?"
Beckman didn't respond. Instead, he handed the newspaper to Shanks.
"Huh?" As soon as Shanks' eyes landed on the headline, his pupils constricted sharply. He snatched the newspaper and read aloud in disbelief.
"Coup at Marine Headquarters? Vice Admiral Orion seizes the position of Fleet Admiral!"
After a brief moment of shock, Shanks looked up at Beckman. "When… when did this happen?"
"While we were having the feast last night!" Beckman lit a cigarette, his expression grave.
"Before you woke up, I contacted our intelligence agents stationed on Sabaody Archipelago. Not only Marine Headquarters, but most Marine bases across the Grand Line and the Four Seas have undergone a thorough purge simultaneously with lightning speed. All the officers who have become base commanders at this time are trusted confidants of this Vice Admiral."
Pausing for a moment, Beckman looked up at Shanks.
"To take full control of the Marines in just one day—what an astonishing feat. I have a feeling that the balance between Mari Geoise and the World Government's affiliated nations, as well as the balance between the Marines and the Four Emperors of the New World, will be completely disrupted by this Vice Admiral."
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