Starting as a Roger Pirates Apprentice-Chapter 9: Black Gun - Orin

Year 1493 of the Sea Circle Calendar. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Why is this guy named Oden wearing a diaper?"

The weather was clear, the scenery beautiful.

The Roger Pirates had just resupplied on a nearby island.

Orin returned from shopping with a newspaper. Shanks and Buggy were squeezed together reading it, and one piece of news caught Roger’s attention.

It was about the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, a new rising figure on the seas:

Samurai - Kozuki Oden.

"A samurai from Wano Country, huh? Looks pretty cool!"

"Ugly as hell."

Orin curled his lips, carrying a barrel of liquor taller than himself on his shoulder and placing it in front of Roger.

"Dressed like a pervert in an open loincloth. What, so he can piss and shit anywhere? If you ask me, black military uniforms are the coolest. Right, Bullet?"

That’s right. A month ago, Iron-headed Bullet had already joined the crew.

Orin had watched the entire battle where Bullet challenged Captain Roger. It couldn’t even be called a close match.

It was a one-sided beatdown.

As for the rumors that 15-year-old Bullet could rival peak Rayleigh?

Orin had one thing to say:

You say stuff like that, and you think I look like an idiot?

Forget Bullet. Even if it were 15-year-old Roger, 15-year-old Whitebeard, or 15-year-old Rocks, none of them could have stood against peak Rayleigh.

Do you think mastering all three Haki types, being a greatsword master, and wielding Conqueror’s Haki infusion is some joke?

Let’s just say Buggy really doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes. He could make it sound like Bullet and Rayleigh were equals just because they crossed hands.

Still, Orin didn’t dislike that about him.

After all, Orin had survived a direct kick from Vice-Captain Rayleigh covered in Armament Haki. He hoped Buggy would brag about him like that one day.

Like:

"Orin used to sail on the Roger Pirates with me. When he was nine, he went toe-to-toe with Vice-Captain Rayleigh..."

At this moment, though Bullet wasn’t yet on the level of the world’s top powerhouses, he was definitely a top-tier hand-to-hand fighter.

Not long after boarding the ship, he had sparred with Orin.

Even someone as monstrous as Bullet couldn’t help but be shocked by Orin’s combat skill—his top-tier Observation Haki, overwhelming strength, and his well-honed physical techniques.

At only ten years old, Orin could fight evenly with Bullet at fifteen. Though Bullet was confident he wouldn’t lose, he knew he couldn’t take Orin down easily either.

Bullet didn’t believe in friendship, but he respected strength.

So when Orin spoke to him, he didn’t ignore it. He just nodded.

As a soldier, he did think military uniforms were the coolest.

"A diaper? Hahaha!!"

Roger burst out laughing at Orin’s remark, the liquor in his bottle sloshing loudly.

Crocus, watching nearby, frowned and snatched the bottle from Roger’s hand.

"You can’t drink anymore! Your body won’t take it! You want to collapse before we even reach the end of the Grand Line, Roger?"

Roger’s expression froze. Then he groaned.

"Come on, Crocus, just a little sip."

Unfortunately, even as captain, he had no authority over the ship’s doctor. All he could do was watch helplessly as Crocus walked off with his beloved booze.

Roger looked gloomy, but then something unexpected happened.

Orin quietly slipped to his side, pulling a bottle out from his coat and sliding it into Roger’s hands.

The two exchanged a glance.

Roger: What a good kid, Orin!

Orin: Say no more, Captain.

"Is this really okay, Rayleigh? Roger’s condition..."

Of course, those sneaky movements didn’t escape the Observation Haki of the crew, but no one said anything.

"It’s fine. Roger isn’t the kind of man who’d go down that easily."

With booze back in hand, Roger was visibly more energetic.

He shouted:

"Everyone! We’re heading back to the New World!!!"

"OHHHH!!!"

...

...

"Big news, big news!!!"

"One of the rulers of the New World, the Roger Pirates, has appeared in the second half of the New World!"

"They’ve taken down multiple pirates with bounties over a billion Belly! The new Rocks?!!"

Ever since Roger was diagnosed with a terminal illness and resolved to reach the final island, the Roger Pirates had entered fast-forward mode.

In just two years, they had traveled back and forth across the seas, chasing after the Poneglyphs.

In a flash, two years passed.

Second half of the New World.

[Ed War] Sea Region.

"Orin, your bounty is out!"

On deck, a lively banquet was underway.

Buggy, still wearing his usual bandana, ran over excitedly, nearly tripping in the process.

Hearing the news, the entire crew paused for a second, then raised their glasses and shouted toward the long-haired boy among them:

"You’ve made it, Orin!!"

"Let’s celebrate Orin’s bounty! Another round of partying!!!"

"YEAH!!!"

The sea breeze rustled Orin’s long hair as he stood on the deck.

Holding a bottle of juice, he walked up to Buggy and scowled at the party maniacs.

"Getting a bounty on my head is something worth celebrating to you guys?"

"Don’t be such a downer, Orin."

Shanks, now fully converted to a banquet enthusiast himself, loved the atmosphere.

"Can’t be helped," Orin chuckled, then took the bounty poster from Buggy’s hands.

The largest photo on it came from a naval battle Orin had taken part in. He looked powerful and upright, his eyes glowing faintly red with an overwhelming aura.

He looked terrifyingly strong.

[Black Gun - Orin]

[Bounty: 139,600,000 Belly]

[Extremely dangerous. Dead or alive]

"Orin, is this real?! Over 130 million..."

Buggy, who’d always kept a low profile (slacking off), hadn’t even caught the Navy’s attention yet. He was shocked by Orin’s massive bounty.

Sure, part of it came from being on the Roger Pirates’ ship,

And sure, Orin did have a reputation for sniping people on the battlefield and drawing hatred. Even Garp had a curly-haired subordinate who specifically chased after Orin.

Still, that bounty spoke volumes.

It meant that even at only 12 years old, Orin was officially recognized by the World Government as a dangerous pirate.

Shanks agreed. Orin might be annoying sometimes, but he was definitely a worthy opponent.

The two of them were about to say more when Orin raised his hand to silence them.

His expression turned serious as he looked toward the sky.

The two were puzzled, but followed his gaze upward.

After a few seconds, Buggy noticed something wrong.

Were those black dots slowly emerging from the clouds...?

"So I couldn’t escape it after all," Orin muttered as he removed the black rifle from his back.

Black energy swirled around the weapon as his eyes lit up with terrifying red light.

"Ed War Naval Battle!!!"

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