One Piece: Global improvement system

August 30, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle

The large, gloomy ship slowly approached the shores of the island. It was quite battered, clearly damaged from a recent sea battle. Aboard it were numerous sailors deftly managing the sails and maneuvering to dock at the port.

However, there was something unusual about these sailors—they were all zombies!

This was the ship of the infamous pirate Gecko Moria, who had been defeated by Kaido in the Grand Line and returned to the West Blue with his tail between his legs to lick his wounds. His entire crew had been slaughtered, along with his spirit, which was left completely shattered.

It was ironic, really. Moria was now merely a shadow of the man he once was. The passion and ambition he had displayed just a year ago were gone.

He had returned to the West Blue because here, he was a big fish in a small pond, and no one could stand against him. However, his mentality had collapsed, and his power level had declined significantly.

Nowadays, he spent his time in a depressive haze, surrounded by a group of zombie slaves created from the bodies of his fallen subordinates, with no plans or goals in sight. He was merely wasting his life, too afraid to return to the Grand Line. His encounter with Kaido had humbled him—perhaps far too deeply.

The ship docked at the island's port, and Moria sluggishly got out of bed in his cabin. Then, he used his "Shadow Exchange" to switch places with his shadow, which he had previously sent ahead to find a tavern in the small town they had just arrived at.

Moria appeared like a ghost inside the tavern, scaring everyone present. They immediately felt a deep fear upon seeing his ominous appearance. Even though Moria's spirit was broken, his presence was still something ordinary people couldn't handle. In his current depressive state, he looked even darker than usual, with a perpetual expression that was a mixture of melancholy and anger, making him seem like something out of a nightmare.

He looked around in frustration, and upon seeing the frightened stares of those present, he grew irritated. His shadow exploded into hundreds of tiny bats that began attacking the patrons, forcing them to flee for their lives and leaving Moria alone in the place.

Finally, feeling the silence around him, Moria felt a bit better and took a bottle of liquor from behind the bar, downing it in one go. Now that he had reached a town after weeks at sea, all he wanted was to get drunk and forget everything that had happened in the Grand Line.

Inside the Pocket Dimension, Orion was watching the Named Character who had just arrived at the bar and had started drinking like a sponge. He had reached the island only an hour earlier and hadn't yet had time to check on Perona's situation.

Orion had been observing Moria from the moment he stepped on the island and was quite surprised to see the sorry state he was in. In his current condition, he wasn't worth recruiting, although Orion did find his abilities interesting. Apparently, this man could manipulate shadows, which was intriguing.

Robin, who was with him in the Pocket Dimension, watched Moria with curiosity and asked Orion if this was the person he had come to find. She knew Orion was a king and often recruited talented people whenever the opportunity arose. She had even read in his journal about the times he had recruited some of his most important subordinates, so she assumed Orion might be interested in this strange and gloomy man who was now drinking nonstop.

From Robin's perspective, Moria's dark aesthetic was kind of cool, and she found it refreshing. She even thought she might try out a similar style someday. If Orion had known what she was thinking as she watched the depressed Moria, he would have taken the time to explain the importance of maintaining good mental health.

"Damn Kaido! Thinks he's so great just because he wiped out my crew! They were weak! Weak!" Moria suddenly screamed, already slightly intoxicated.

"If only I had a stronger crew, I'd have been the one to emerge victorious! I need a new crew—stronger, unbeatable! Only then will I show the world my true power!"

His eyes spun wildly, and his gaze brimmed with madness. Clearly, his fragile mental state was on the verge of collapse, and Orion couldn't predict what kind of effect that collapse might have. From his point of view, Moria was at a crossroads in his life, and a slight shift could send him down entirely different paths.

Orion decided not to keep watching this deranged individual and left him alone in his misery. Perhaps when he had calmed down a bit, he could try to talk to him, but for now, nothing would come from trying.

"Robin, we'll spend the night on this island. Let's go find an inn," Orion said, glancing at the girl who was still admiring Moria's gothic style with sparkling eyes.

Upon hearing this, Robin showed a reluctant expression and replied in a slightly pouty tone,

"Can't we just stay inside the Pocket Dimension? We have everything we need to live comfortably in there. There's no reason to interact with the people in this town, right?"

"No. It's important that you don't isolate yourself completely, Robin. Remember, the Pocket Dimension is a powerful tool, but you can't use it to escape reality," Orion said firmly.

Over the past few weeks with Robin, Orion had noticed certain behavioral patterns. She was introverted and enjoyed spending time alone, and that was simply part of her personality. However, there was something else—something unnatural—about her tendency to avoid people entirely.

Ever since she had discovered the Pocket Dimension and lowered her guard around Orion, she had deeply enjoyed the sense of safety it provided. There, she could remain isolated from the world, confident that no one could get close enough to hurt her. Only Orion could enter the Pocket Dimension, and since he bore no ill will toward her, it was simply the perfect refuge!

However, Orion didn't believe this was a good thing. He couldn't allow Robin to shut herself off completely from the world and hide within the Pocket Dimension, avoiding everyone else. That wasn't healthy for her, nor was it sustainable in the long term. Right now, he was with her, so there was no immediate problem. But what would happen in the future when he wasn't around? Would Robin find herself unable to interact with the outside world after spending so much time in seclusion?

It wasn't advisable for her to develop that kind of escapist behavior, as it could lead to serious psychological issues down the road. He wasn't a mental health expert, but he could at least recognize something that basic.

That's why, during their journey, he hadn't forced Robin to interact with the outside world and had let her retreat into the Pocket Dimension whenever they stopped in a city. But his idea was to gradually reduce her reliance on the alternate dimension, slowly encouraging her to engage with people more often.

Rather than allowing the Pocket Dimension to become a negative influence, Orion wanted to use it as a positive tool—to gradually reintroduce Robin to the outside world and slowly heal her wounded heart, restoring her trust in others step by step.

That's why, this time, he needed to be firm and not let her retreat into her shell again. She had to at least make the effort to face her fears and look others in the eye, with the strength Orion knew she was capable of.

Robin saw that Orion's gaze was resolute and knew he wouldn't accept a no for answer. She had no choice but to nod in agreement, though she wore an offended expression, as if Orion had betrayed her. Of course, Orion wasn't swayed by her little expressions—he knew when to stand firm and wouldn't let Robin get away with acting spoiled.

He took her hand and walked away from the bar, approaching the farthest wall of the Pocket Dimension, intending to emerge as far as possible from the place where the depressed pirate still sat. However, the moment he turned his back on Moria, his senses flared in alarm. His Observation Haki surged, and Orion quickly scooped Robin into his arms and leapt out of the way just in time to avoid a shadow spear that grazed his arm, leaving a shallow wound from which blood began to flow.

Had he been a moment slower, or lacked Observation Haki, the shadow spear would've pierced his chest without resistance, killing him on the spot.

Orion looked with surprise and gravity at the mass of shadow, which shifted from a spear into the shape of a massive bat, and couldn't help but turn toward the depressed pirate Gecko Moria—who had stopped drowning himself in alcohol and was now staring directly in their direction, as if he could see across dimensions.

This was the first time Orion had encountered someone capable of intruding into his personal domain—the Pocket Dimension—and he hadn't thought anyone could do so without him at least opening a small rift connecting the two spatial planes.

Seeing the massive shadow bat reminded Orion just how vast the world of One Piece was, a place where all sorts of people with strange powers existed. Sooner or later, someone would come along who could even interfere with his Pocket Dimension—and perhaps it was a good thing that it had happened now rather than many years down the line after he had grown complacent.

Moria's current state was disastrous, so Orion didn't feel he was an unbeatable enemy, which was definitely a positive factor.

Orion set Robin down and positioned himself in front of her, ready to shield her from a potential attack by the mass of shadow. The bat lunged at them and its body turned into a cluster of sharp spears aimed to impale them without giving them any chance to escape.

"Tempest Kick!"

Orion unleashed a powerful kick that sent a shockwave colliding directly with the shadow spears, shattering them on impact. Then, he opened a door in the air and exited the Pocket Dimension, emerging inside the tavern—right in front of Moria's intoxicated eyes, which were now filled with curiosity.

"Who are you, insect?! Why were you spying on me from your little hideout? You thought I wouldn't notice? Everyone underestimates me! They LAUGH AT ME!" Moria grabbed his head with both hands, seemingly in the midst of a psychotic break.

Orion didn't waste a single second. He unsheathed his cutlass and unleashed his most powerful attack.

"Kamusari!"

Of course, his strike wasn't imbued with Conqueror's Haki like his mentor Roger's had been. Although Orion had awakened that legendary form of Haki, he still couldn't control it at will, not even enough to release its most basic form to stun enemies.

Still, Orion's attack was tremendously powerful due to his monstrous strength. The blade sped forward and slashed Moria without any resistance—or so it seemed, since Moria's torso showed no signs of damage after taking the blow.

He had armored his body with a shield of shadows that had deflected the powerful attack. Perhaps if Orion had been able to coat his blade in Armament Haki, the result would have been different, but as things stood, he was at a disadvantage against Moria's strange abilities.

Orion used Soru to appear beside Moria in an instant and attacked with a Shigan, aiming to pierce his shadow-reinforced defenses. However, when his finger touched Moria's body, the shadows exploded, turning into small needles that shot toward Orion at high speed.

He quickly activated Tekkai, and along with the buff from his passive skill "Steel Skin," he managed to avoid sustaining a serious injury.

Gecko Moria, fully intoxicated and somewhat unhinged, immediately began unleashing one attack after another, trying to crush Orion with his powerful and versatile shadows. However, Orion remained calm, making no mistakes and dodging or deflecting every attack without taking any damage.

Seeing that his attacks were having no effect, Moria felt deeply humiliated. In his mind, Orion was mocking him—just like that hateful Kaido had done a year earlier. But it was understandable that Kaido had beaten him—he was one of the strongest pirates in the world. But this man? This nobody? He couldn't let someone like that toy with him and laugh in his face!

Moria's eyes darted toward Robin, who had moved away from the battlefield under Orion's instructions and was now at a safe distance. The reason Orion hadn't left her inside the Pocket Dimension was because he didn't yet understand how Moria's powers worked—he seemed able to penetrate the alternate space for some strange reason.

Orion feared that if he left her alone in the Pocket Dimension and Moria decided to attack her, she'd be in even greater danger. That's why he had brought her with him into the natural spatial plane.

"You think this is funny?! I'll wipe that smile off your face! How about watching that little girl get impaled by my shadows!" Moria roared hysterically and vanished, reappearing behind Robin. He had used Shadow Exchange again!

Robin saw Moria materialize behind her, his hand coated in shadow forming a gauntlet of sharp points clearly capable of piercing her frail body. Frightened, she shut her eyes and braced for the worst—but in her heart, she prayed that the figure who had appeared countless times in her dreams these past days would come and save her.

The pain never came—but she felt something warm and sticky on her cheek. When she opened her eyes, still trembling, she saw with surprise, joy, and worry that Orion had appeared in front of her to block Moria's attack!

However, he hadn't been able to defend himself as perfectly as before, and Moria's strike had caused a deep wound on his shoulder.

The sensation on her cheek had been Orion's blood, which had splashed after he took the powerful blow from the crazed Moria.

Robin's initial relief vanished, and her chest was filled with overwhelming guilt. She was the reason Orion had gotten hurt—and that made her feel horrible.

Suddenly, Orion moved at great speed, striking Moria with a heavy blow that sent him flying into a nearby house, completely demolishing it. Then, with Robin still watching in shock, Orion turned around—still bleeding profusely—and examined her to see if she had been harmed in the earlier attack.

Seeing that she was completely unscathed, Orion let out a relieved smile and said gently,

"Sorry for scaring you like that, Robin. I slipped up for a moment. Don't worry, I won't let this guy hurt you."

Robin felt her eyes warm up, and she pressed her lips together to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. She wanted to respond, but the lump in her throat wouldn't let her speak.

Orion placed a hand on Robin's head and gently stroked her straight, silky hair with a smile.

"Now I'm going to take care of this guy. In the meantime, I want you to wait here patiently, alright?" he said in a kind tone.

Robin nodded firmly, signaling her agreement. Orion extended his index finger and whispered,

"Canvas Realm."

The space around Robin distorted, and she vanished completely from the battlefield. Then Orion turned to face Moria, who had just gotten back on his feet—and his expression changed entirely. All the kindness from a second ago vanished without a trace, and his fierce gaze locked onto Gecko Moria.

An invisible wave burst violently from Orion's body and struck Moria directly, causing him to take two steps back, a look of shock on his face.

"Conqueror's Haki?! How is that possible?" Moria muttered, unable to process what was happening.

Orion took a step forward and began walking toward Moria.

"I didn't plan on fighting you seriously, but now I've changed my mind. You crossed a line you shouldn't have crossed."

Orion wasn't lying. Even after Moria had discovered his presence and forced a confrontation, Orion had only intended to gauge his power and then leave with Robin without escalating to a deathmatch with this strange man.

But everything had changed the moment Moria attacked Robin, who had been completely defenseless. If Orion had been even a little slower, the young girl might've met a tragic end—and that was something Orion could not forgive.

He had discovered the source of his Conqueror's Haki in his desire to protect his people—and Robin was definitely someone he had vowed to protect. The fact that Moria had tried to hurt her right in front of him was like touching his reverse scale.

Orion tightened the grip on his Kairoseki gloves, which he had just equipped, and used Soru, appearing in front of the still-confused Moria. A much bloodier battle was about to begin.

....

Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my patreon.

P@treon/CrotoWN

Your support helps me keep writing and sharing more chapters!