One Piece: Global improvement system

August 28, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle

Swish!

Orion's punch sliced through the air at high speed, crashing directly into Moria's face. This time, the pirate couldn't block with his shadows like he had before, due to the presence of Kairoseki in Orion's gloves.

His head was violently thrown backward, making his already long neck appear even longer and more fragile. Orion, on the other hand, didn't let up in his assault. Using Soru, he reappeared behind Moria and launched another punch that landed squarely on the back of his neck, making his vision blur for a second, on the verge of blacking out.

Orion didn't usually fight with his fists, preferring to use his cutlass Ace in battle, but even so, he had the skill 'Hand-to-Hand Combat(Level 1)', which allowed him to fight comfortably using his superhuman physical strength. Perhaps fighting an enemy with a powerful Devil Fruit like Moria's was a bit difficult using only his fists, but that's where the Kairoseki gloves came in to balance the fight.

"You bastard!" Moria yelled, regaining his balance by manipulating his shadows to surround him in a circular pattern. His mental state was far from ideal, so he was fighting Orion without using his full power. Even so, he was still a fearsome pirate who had once fought Kaido head-on. Even if he had lost that battle miserably, the fact that he had the qualifications to challenge one of the strongest men in the world said a lot about his power level.

If he had been in full control of his faculties, Orion wouldn't have stood a chance against him. But in Moria's current state, the situation was much more favorable than usual!

Orion used Geppo to rise above Moria's head, then descended at full speed, aiming to crush his skull with a single blow. His hand-to-hand combat style wasn't very sophisticated. He simply aimed to cause the most damage possible with straightforward movements—a style quite different from his swordplay, which included all sorts of precise and complex techniques.

"Enough!" Moria shouted, launching his own fist to collide directly with Orion's descending strike.

However, the result wasn't what he expected. Orion's fist was like solid rock, and along with the restraining power of the Kairoseki, it nearly shattered the bones in Moria's hand instantly.

Moria quickly backed away, refusing to let Orion get close again. Despite his unstable mind, he wasn't stupid. He knew he couldn't win a direct contest of strength. His advantage lay in the versatility of the Kage Kage no Mi. Orion had the advantage of Kairoseki and tremendous strength, but if he couldn't get close, he wouldn't be able to do anything!

On the horizon, a large number of zombies appeared, sprinting at full speed, summoned by their master to join the fight. These soldiers weren't particularly strong, but they could serve as a distraction. That would be enough.

Orion didn't stay still and launched another attack at Moria, but his enemy refused to let him get close, running at high speed, assisted by his shadows and keeping a prudent distance. Every time Orion let his guard down, Moria would launch swift projectiles made of sharp shadows, forcing Orion to stop and avoid injury.

Moria's fighting style was extremely annoying, especially because he moved erratically. Orion couldn't predict his next move, even with Observation Haki.

However, the tide shifted unexpectedly in Orion's favor when the intoxicated Moria suddenly stopped fleeing and charged at him head-on, as if he had forgotten how badly Orion's fists had made him suffer just moments ago.

Orion didn't waste the opportunity and launched a combo of punches that landed squarely on Moria. One hit him in the stomach, bending him forward and exposing him to the next strike; two more punches smashed into Moria's face, sending blood and teeth flying. Finally, Orion planted his hands on the ground and used several Tempest Kicks to propel himself, spinning at high speed and generating extreme heat in his Kairoseki gloves—heat so intense it became truly terrifying.

Orion could endure such temperatures thanks to system buffs that enhanced his physical capabilities, but Moria wasn't so lucky. If Orion's fist landed, the consequences would be severe.

Using Soru, Orion reappeared in front of the defenseless Moria and drove his glowing fist into his skull with such force that it slammed him into the ground, burying him several centimeters deep. Moria's eyes went white, and he was left motionless, completely unconscious.

Orion looked down at Moria, utterly beaten beneath his feet, and nodded in satisfaction at a fight finished efficiently. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm and looked toward Robin, who was inside the Canvas Realm.

However, before he could relax, something happened that immediately alarmed Orion: the zombies in the distance began collapsing, while shadows burst from their bodies and flew toward Moria at high speed!

Orion's instincts screamed danger. He quickly drew his cutlass and attacked the unconscious Moria, but his blade was completely stopped by a thick mantle of shadows that wrapped around the pirate like a dark cocoon.

Orion's Observation Haki flared, and he leapt backward just in time to dodge the shadow spears that suddenly erupted from the ground. With solemnity, he watched as the numerous shadows began to form a vortex over Moria, entering his mouth and being absorbed.

Moria's body trembled. Once. Twice.

Finally, his eyes opened again, and he rose with a bloodcurdling scream that terrified the villagers, who—even from far away—could still hear the bone-chilling cry of the Shadow Man.

"Kishishishishi! You think you can beat me, you insect?!" said Moria, his voice much deeper than before.

His body had grown slightly, and Orion's instincts were screaming just how dangerous the situation had become.

Orion didn't know what kind of trick Moria had used or whether he could sustain it for long periods. But right now, his best option was to run.

Yet Orion didn't move from where he stood and didn't even consider fleeing. Even if he was at a disadvantage, he hadn't used all the tricks up his sleeve. He had long wanted to test his secret weapon—and maybe this was the moment to do it.

Moria suddenly vanished without a trace. Orion barely had time to raise his arms and shield his head before a powerful blow crashed into him at lightning speed. Moria's strength had increased enormously—even when his fist struck the Kairoseki gloves, it retained much of its force, sending Orion flying.

Moria had stopped using his shadows as versatile tools and instead absorbed them to enhance his body, making him nearly fifty times stronger than an ordinary person—far beyond Orion's current level.

Despite Orion's sharp senses, Moria now appeared and disappeared around him without leaving a trace. Even using his Observation Haki, he had trouble tracking him. A punch to the stomach, another to the back. Before Orion could react, two more smashed into his face.

Moria was now dishing out the same brutal treatment Orion had given him earlier—perhaps to vent his frustration or simply mock him.

Orion reached out and caught Moria's arm just as another punch was about to land. With a quick movement, he tried to lock Moria's limb and restrain his explosive power, but the monstrous strength of the pirate overpowered him. Moria lifted Orion effortlessly and pummeled him repeatedly.

Laughing gleefully, Moria smashed Orion into the ground, burying him, recreating the earlier scene—but with reversed roles.

"Kishishishishi! What happened? Where's all that arrogance now?!" he cackled with delight. But before he could celebrate for long, a shift occurred on the battlefield.

Orion, bloodied and beaten, slowly got up. His eyes were glowing crimson, startling Moria, who had never seen anything like it. A heavy, invisible aura of pressure surrounded the boy, making Moria instinctively take a step back.

At the same time, a message appeared on Orion's system screen:

*Berserk Mode request received. Awaiting confirmation. Yes/No*

This was the secret weapon Orion had been keeping for a long time. Even during his fight with Vasco Shot, he had nearly used it—until Lucky Roux's timely arrival had prevented it.

This was a power unlocked in the system several updates ago, and the reason Orion had never used it was because the system had warned of severe negative consequences. Although, thankfully, they weren't permanent.

Orion didn't know what kind of consequences the system meant and had decided not to use the ability unless absolutely necessary. But now, he had changed his mind. He could escape using Space Gate if he really wanted to, and Moria likely wouldn't be able to stop him. But Orion didn't want to run. Right now, he wanted to test his limits. If Moria could power up using a secret technique, then so could he!

Orion mentally selected "Yes," and a countdown timer of ten minutes appeared on the system screen, along with the message: Berserk Mode Activated.

He felt his body flood with a mysterious energy, similar to the sensation of Conqueror's Haki. Suddenly, his body felt light, and everything around him was clear and transparent, as if he could comprehend the universe's secrets.

His eyes, now a deep crimson, activated his Prism Eyes ability—not in a limited fashion like before, but as naturally as breathing. Looking around, Orion saw colorful lights in the distance.

Then he focused on Moria, trembling before him, and saw spectral lines of light in the air—predicting the pirate's upcoming attacks. He could see Moria's emotions, his thoughts, and the deepest corners of his soul.

The sensation was surreal. Orion felt as if he had transcended his current existence and reached a higher plane.

Though he only had ten minutes, his mind was working at such speed that barely a few seconds had passed since this overwhelming transformation.

Orion took a step forward and instantly vanished, reappearing in front of Moria. He punched him in the stomach with such force that the pirate coughed up at least a dozen shadows he had consumed.

Moria covered his mouth with both hands, and his body shrank slightly. Another punch landed. Then another. And another. They fell like a torrential downpour.

The battle had followed a repeating pattern, with both men switching roles. Now, it was Moria's turn to be completely overwhelmed by Orion's blows, unable to defend himself.

A shadow scythe appeared behind Orion, aiming to decapitate him, but he didn't flinch. Using Tekkai, he hardened his muscles so much that the blade shattered on impact without harming him.

Orion glanced at the timer: two minutes had passed. It was time to end it.

Under Moria's horrified gaze, Orion unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, brutally breaking the pirate's bones. If Orion had ever watched One Piece in his past life, he would've recognized this finishing move: it was the protagonist's classic Gatling!

Blood gushed from Moria's mouth and nose. He lost the will to fight and began begging for mercy, but Orion ignored him, continuing the assault like a merciless machine.

Finally, just before Moria could die from the beating, his body vanished, and a shadow identical to him appeared in his place.

Orion's fist pierced the shadow, which disintegrated instantly.

He immediately understood what had happened, but when he used Observation Haki to locate the real Moria, he found no trace of him nearby.

Sighing, Orion looked at the timer—five minutes remained. Unsure if the consequences would worsen the longer he used the ability, he chose to end it.

The moment he deactivated Berserk Mode, the sensation of standing on a higher plane vanished, and he returned to his normal state, feeling the drastic drop in perception and power. Berserk Mode was undeniably a massive boost, but Orion suspected that even in this state, he wouldn't be able to fight someone like Garp. He was still far from the world's pinnacle of power. Still, having tasted that strength changed how he saw his current level, and made him more determined to grow.

*Ding*

A bell rang in his mind, and new notifications appeared on the system screen.

*You've changed the future of Named Character Perona(3). You've received 1000 SP*

*You used 'Berserk Mode' for 312 seconds. It will now be locked for 624 days*

*The negative effects of 'Berserk Mode' are now active. System and special abilities locked indefinitely*

*Your spirit has suffered collateral damage. Initiating repair*

Orion felt a searing pain in his head, followed by darkness and the loss of consciousness.

Yet Orion remained standing, and if anyone had been watching closely, they would've noticed he never actually lost consciousness—but the expression on his face shifted subtly. Especially his eyes, which had once held deep maturity, now looked pristine, like those of a child.

His body reverted to its normal state, having lost the use of the 'Age Change' ability. Meanwhile in the distance, the Canvas Realm also vanished, revealing Robin, who had been watching the fight with concern.

Seeing Orion in his natural form, she ran to check on him. She knew from his diary that Orion used a special ability to maintain his adult form. Still, this was the first time she had seen his true self, as he always tried to appear adult in front of her to seem more trustworthy and soothe her traumatized mind.

Robin hugged Orion from behind and turned him around to inspect him. Visibly, he seemed fine, with no fatal wounds and just some ugly bruises. Though he had taken beatings and been impaled twice by shadow attacks, the damage wasn't lethal.

"Orion, are you okay?" Robin asked curiously.

"…Yes… but I'm really tired," Orion replied with difficulty.

His muscles felt like they were about to tear apart, and the pain was intense! Still, he clenched his teeth and tried not to show weakness. He was in charge now, and he had to make sure Robin didn't notice anything strange or become overly worried.

Even though his adult mind had been silenced by Berserk Mode's rebound effect, his child mind was mature enough to handle this delicate situation.

It had been a long time since Orion lost the memories of his past life and reverted to his childish mind, so even he was having a bit of trouble adjusting.

Robin eyed him with curiosity and suspicion, making little Orion sweat nervously. Still, he remained silent, trying to maintain his usual solemn expression—a mere imitation of his adult self's natural demeanor.

"Hey, Orion…" Robin began, then paused, deciding not to continue.

"Never mind. Shouldn't we get out of here for now?" she asked.

"…I-I can't move," Orion said, still trying not to show any emotion.

"Can't you open a door to the Pocket Dimension? I can carry you inside if you can't walk," Robin offered.

"I can't use my special abilities," Orion said, his lips pursed.

Robin put a hand to her chin, thoughtful, her eyes analyzing every detail of his expression. After a moment, she said,

"Then it's my turn to help you, right? Let's leave this place. It's dangerous to stay here in your condition."

Robin embraced Orion and gently laid him on the ground, then created four feet on his back using her Hana Hana no Mi powers. The feet began walking toward the outskirts of the town, carrying the immobilized Orion, while Robin walked beside him, watching for potential ambushes.

The two eight-year-old children left the town without encountering any resistance—and vanished without a trace.

....

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