One Piece: Global improvement system

August 15, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle

Orion reviewed the map of this part of the West Blue that he had bought during his time working as a waiter, and compared it to the partial information displayed on the system map. Since the system map only showed places he had already explored, he had no choice but to rely on this physical map to gather the most accurate information and navigate more effectively.

More than twelve hours had passed since he found Robin, and they were now sailing toward a location Orion wanted to visit while in the West Blue. The reason he hadn't used his Space Gate immediately to return to Pacific Kingdom was because he didn't want to waste the opportunity of already being in the West Blue to explore and recruit people.

If he simply returned to his kingdom, he might miss out on opportunities in this corner of the world. Traveling from the South Blue to the West Blue wasn't easy, and without Kuma's help, he wouldn't be able to return once he left. That's why Orion had decided to stay in the West Blue for a while, to explore the area and see what benefits he could gain.

And the first stop on his journey was the West Blue branch base of the Medici family. He had obtained information about it from Dragon, and now that he was here, he wanted to take a look and see if he could find any clues about the whereabouts of Alpha, Kalifa's younger sister.

Orion had promised Kalifa that he would search for Alpha to keep her from becoming another puppet of the Medici family, and bring her back to Pacific Kingdom so she could live with her older sister. He hadn't forgotten that promise, and now that he had some free time, it was only logical to start dealing with the matter.

Moreover, Orion also wanted to head to the location of the only Named Character the system had identified while he flew toward Ohara. It was always worthwhile to investigate newly discovered Named Characters and see if they could be recruited to his faction.

Orion closed the system map and looked at the dark night surrounding him. Sailing at night was always a bit unsettling, but fortunately, his Observation Haki helped him avoid constantly worrying about what might be hidden beneath the veil of darkness.

Suddenly, Orion heard a faint growl, and when he turned toward the sound, he saw Robin curled up in the corner, holding her stomach with both hands.

Immediately, Orion felt like slapping himself for forgetting something so basic.

Robin had been traveling alone for months, fleeing like a fugitive from the World Government. Her physical condition was not very good, something clearly visible at a glance. Her complexion was a bit pale, and her cheeks looked slightly sunken. It was obvious she hadn't been eating well, and perhaps hadn't had a proper meal since the day she left Ohara.

What Orion didn't know was that even during her time in Ohara as a child, she hadn't enjoyed good meals either, since her aunt refused to feed her the same food the rest of the family ate. It was usually her uncle who, feeling guilty, would secretly give her a bit of extra food.

Orion immediately decided that the most important thing now was to cook something delicious!

He approached the large sack of books that was still on the ship and returned it to his inventory, then walked up to Robin, and before she could react, picked her up in his arms. Then, Orion opened a door in the air and entered his Pocket Dimension, storing the small boat in his inventory at the same time.

Once inside the Pocket Dimension, Orion gently set Robin down, and the girl finally reacted by quickly pulling away from him. However, this time she didn't go too far, as suddenly appearing in such an unfamiliar place made her feel insecure, and she didn't want to run around recklessly for fear something bad might happen.

Orion noticed her nervousness and calmly explained the situation.

"This is my Pocket Dimension. It's a sphere separated from the real world, which I can enter and exit whenever I want."

Orion opened another door in the air and stepped out of the Pocket Dimension, appearing once more in the real world. He used Geppo to walk through the air for a bit, while Robin watched curiously from within the small dimension, peering through the red membrane that separated the two spatial planes.

After flying around for a short while, waving at Robin from above, Orion returned to the Pocket Dimension and closed the door behind him.

"As you can see, there's no problem entering and exiting this place at any time, so you don't need to worry too much," said Orion with a smile.

Robin's lips twitched slightly, as if she were about to ask something, but she pressed them together and remained silent. Even so, from the stiff, almost constipated look she wore, Orion could tell she was brimming with questions, but couldn't satisfy her curiosity without actively interacting with her captor.

"We'll stay here for the night, and in the morning we'll resume our journey," said Orion, walking over to a corner where he had set up a small kitchen.

Robin heard his words, and her muscles tensed immediately. Being trapped here with Orion was just as bad as being on the boat, maybe even worse. At least on the ship, she would've had the chance to throw herself into the sea to end her own life if she ever found herself in a truly desperate situation — but in this place, that option had been completely erased.

She eyed Orion with suspicion, who didn't pay her much attention and simply began cooking. He took out fresh ingredients from his inventory and started preparing some of his specialties, hoping to please Robin and perhaps earn a bit of her trust. He had upgraded his 'Cooking' skill to Level 3 and could prepare truly delicious meals. Though not a world-class chef, his abilities far exceeded those of an average person, and soon a delicious aroma filled the entire place, making Robin's stomach growl even louder.

At that moment, she realized that perhaps Orion had brought her here and started cooking simply because he had heard her stomach growling moments before. Thinking about that, a strange feeling stirred inside her, and for a moment, she hoped that maybe Orion truly didn't have bad intentions. But she quickly forced herself to reject such foolish thoughts and continued to remain on guard, unwilling to lower her defenses.

Still, she allowed her eyes to wander and observe the surroundings. Inside the Pocket Dimension, there were many things, as Orion also used it as a secondary inventory due to the limited space in his system inventory.

Besides the cooking area, there was another zone filled with stacked treasure chests, a huge bed that looked extremely comfortable, and even a library packed with books!

In the distance, Robin noticed a desk with what appeared to be a book in the middle of being written, which greatly surprised her. It was clearly a book being written by this mysterious man, and she felt intense curiosity about its contents, though she didn't dare wander around the Pocket Dimension to investigate further.

Orion didn't take long to finish the first dish and immediately placed it on the table, calling Robin over to eat.

The girl didn't want to risk eating what Orion had prepared, but the aroma was so tantalizing that her stomach growled again, this time with pain from hunger.

Anyone who had experienced hunger would understand the desperation when the body cries out for nutrients. That's why Robin had no choice but to set aside her suspicions and sit at the table to eat the dish Orion had prepared, while he continued cooking the rest of the meal.

The first dish was a simple appetizer made with fresh vegetables and cured meats, lightly cooked to enhance their flavor and properly seasoned. As soon as Robin brought the food to her mouth, she couldn't help but savor the delightful sensations her taste buds were sending to her brain, and she immediately began eating at a rapid pace.

Her hand moved so fast it almost created afterimages, and within just a few minutes, the plate was completely clean. However, before she could feel disappointed, a new plate appeared before her—this time with some roasted meat and potatoes.

This time, she didn't hesitate at all and began eating with fascination, completely forgetting to stay alert for possible danger. If Orion had truly intended to harm her with these meals, she would already be suffering the consequences.

Robin finished the second plate, and a third one appeared! This time it was a fish stew, which she devoured as if there were no tomorrow.

Finally, Orion even made flambeed pancakes for dessert, capping off the most abundant meal little Robin had ever eaten in her life. Not even when the scholars celebrated her birthday had she eaten so well.

Once her stomach was full, sleep began to take over, and her eyelids grew heavy. Completely relaxed, Robin fell asleep at the table, peacefully.

Looking at the small girl's body—still covered in grime from hiding in a pile of trash earlier that day—Orion felt a deep pity for her, but also relief. Now that he was by her side, Robin would never have to endure such things again.

Even if she didn't trust him yet, it wouldn't be long before she opened her heart once more. And this time, no one would take advantage of that opening to hurt her. She could live a full life, and Orion would make sure that happened.

Orion approached Robin and lifted her into his arms. Then he walked over to the large bed and gently laid her down, trying not to wake her. He covered her with a blanket and looked at her tired face, which had regained a bit of color after a good meal.

He turned around and walked over to the desk with his writing materials. Then he picked up a quill and wrote a note, which he placed beside the pillow where Robin could easily see it upon waking.

Once he finished these small tasks, Orion opened a door in the air and returned to the real world. He took the small boat out of his inventory again and continued sailing through the night. Taking advantage of his solitude, he drew his sword and began to train, making up for the session he had skipped the previous day.

......

August 16, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle

Robin opened her eyes after sleeping for nearly 36 straight hours. Even though she still didn't trust Orion and had sworn not to let her guard down around him, after eating such a massive meal, her body had entered an emergency recovery mode—even if she hadn't consciously chosen to do so.

Over the past few months, she had suffered terribly. Entire days without food, just a few hours of sleep if any, cold nights spent outdoors, constantly on the move to escape her pursuers. That's why, after eating the food Orion had prepared and filling her stomach, her body had unconsciously relaxed, and she'd fallen into a long and much-needed sleep.

Now, as she woke up, she felt fresh and well-rested. It had been a long time since she felt this good, which instantly put her in a better mood. However, as her mind cleared and she saw her surroundings, her body tensed up once again.

Robin realized she was still inside the Pocket Dimension, and the memories of what had happened played back in her mind like a movie. She immediately pulled back the covers and was relieved to see that her clothes were intact. Then she carefully inspected her body for any strange marks, but thankfully, everything seemed completely normal.

She was still just as dirty as the day before, with the stench of garbage clinging to her skin—which grossed her out a bit—but it also reassured her that Orion hadn't done anything to her while she slept.

It wasn't that she was paranoid—it was just that she had been in this kind of situation before… and with a woman, no less!

That woman had been a pervert and had tried to take advantage of her while she slept. Fortunately, Robin had woken up just in time to stop her before it was too late. That was the first time she had used the powers of the Hana Hana no Mi to seriously hurt someone, driven by desperation, and it had ended with the depraved woman losing her sight.

Robin sat up and immediately noticed a note on the pillow. This wasn't the same note Orion had left initially, as he hadn't expected her to sleep for so long. The previous day, he had come to check on her, and after confirming there were no health issues, he let her sleep, replacing the note with a new one that included a few updates.

Robin read the note:

"Good morning, Robin! I hope you slept well. I know you must be really tired, so I didn't try to wake you up. There are clean clothes you can use in the box on the table. You can also take a shower if you want—there's a portable one behind the shelves. I left breakfast for you on the table as well. If you want to leave the Pocket Dimension, just shout loudly, and I'll probably hear you immediately. Oh, by the way, that little furball is named Nibble."

Robin lowered the note and looked at the bed, where she saw something she hadn't noticed before. On one side of the large bed, there was a small animal sleeping soundly!

"This is Nibble?" Robin asked curiously.

The little creature's ears twitched at the sound of its name, and it immediately woke up, looking around with interest to see who had called it. Upon spotting Robin, it cautiously approached and stretched out its tongue in a friendly gesture, like a playful puppy.

However, the moment its tongue touched Robin's hand, it showed an offended expression, as if she had betrayed its trust. It immediately curled up into a ball of fur and refused to continue interacting with her.

Robin instantly understood the reason—her body reeked of trash!

A bit frustrated for having ruined her chance to bond with the adorable creature, Robin walked over to the table, where a plate of food covered by a napkin awaited, along with a box filled with a variety of clothing.

She looked through the clothes, noticing several pieces in different sizes. She picked a green dress that seemed to fit and walked with it toward the area behind the shelves—where Orion stored various miscellaneous items. Behind them, there was indeed a small shower.

Without much hesitation, Robin took a quick shower, washing away the grime and odor that clung to her. It had been a long time since her last bath, and she felt completely refreshed once she emerged, the scent of shampoo lingering in her now-clean hair. Bit by bit, her condition was improving, far from the sorry state Orion had found her in just days ago.

Robin walked back to the table to eat her breakfast, but on the way, she couldn't help but once again glance at the desk with the writing materials and the half-written book. She looked toward the red membrane that marked the edge of the Pocket Dimension, through which she could see a distorted image of Orion practicing with his sword on the boat's deck. Then, curiosity piqued, she approached the desk and peeked at the contents of the book.

She read the ending but didn't quite understand what it was referring to, as it talked about things she'd never read or heard about before. She quickly closed the book and reopened it to the first page, beginning to read with great interest.

It was a book Orion was writing about Greek mythology. He had written several of these books because the children at public school enjoyed these stories, and he had found them useful for explaining certain concepts in a more entertaining way.

In doing so, Orion not only improved the education of the children in his kingdom, but also earned SP from the system in the process. Plus, he genuinely enjoyed writing these classic Greek tales, so it was a win on all fronts.

Robin read the entire book, reaching the final page, which was still half-written, and thought it was a real shame that it wasn't complete—the content was so fascinating!

Looking at the handwriting, it was obvious that it was the same as on the note Orion had left on her pillow, so she immediately knew the book had been written by him.

For a moment, she felt the urge to leave the little dimension and ask him directly about the continuation of the story, but in the end, she held back. She didn't know whether the contents of the book were a secret, and she still didn't trust Orion enough to interact with him so casually.

She checked the desk drawer and found other books, apparently also written by Orion. Her eyes lit up, and she began reading one after another with great enthusiasm. Finally, she reached the last book left to read, but upon opening it, she immediately noticed that this one was different from the others.

It seemed to be… a diary?

Robin looked once more toward the outside of the Pocket Dimension and saw that Orion was still training as if there were no tomorrow. Then, focusing her eyes on the diary in her hands, she began to read its contents.

"Some pirates attacked the village today. I was training with Gion when I saw the great column of smoke rising into the sky (...)"

....

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