September 27, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
While Orion was having a private conversation with Scarlett about the possibility of taking Rebecca back to his world, the others were waiting outside the room.
Scarlett had already informed her father and sister of the decision she had reached, so they were aware of the kind of discussion she was having with Orion at that moment.
Although Viola and King Riku would have preferred for Rebecca to remain there with them, they also agreed with Scarlett's idea that it was not good for a small child to grow up under the constant fear of dying at the hands of an enemy like Doflamingo.
Even so, despite having accepted Scarlett's proposal, that did not mean they were not sad at the thought of never seeing Rebecca again in the future, and because of that, the atmosphere in the corridor outside the room was somewhat gloomy at that moment.
The small toy soldier, who had been lost in his own thoughts without interacting with anyone, noticed that both Viola and King Riku were hanging their heads with melancholic expressions, and he could not contain his curiosity, asking about the situation.
Upon hearing the question from the small—and unknown—toy, Viola showed an even more complicated expression, and casting a sideways glance at little Rebecca, who was playing with Giolla and Mansherry in the distance, she briefly explained everything that was happening.
When Kyros heard that Orion would take Rebecca to a distant place and that he might never see her again, his first reaction was one of intense rejection. However, his emotions quickly settled, and he began to analyze the situation calmly and rationally.
In Dressrosa's current state, Rebecca would likely have to endure many years of misery and fear, and might even end up dying prematurely if she were discovered by Doflamingo. Once that thought crossed his mind, Kyros's feelings took a complete turn, reaching the same conclusion his wife Scarlett had arrived at: it would be best for Rebecca to be evacuated from this place.
However, Kyros did not stop there, because just as he did not want Rebecca to live her life under constant fear, he also did not want his beloved wife to do so. For that reason, Kyros made an important decision at that moment, and approaching King Riku, he said,
"Scarlett is no longer officially part of the royal family. She doesn't need to stay in Dressrosa to fight Doflamingo in the future…"
Both King Riku and Viola listened to the words of the small toy soldier with solemn expressions, and after several minutes of discussion, they reached a decision regarding the future of the mother and daughter.
…
When Orion emerged from the room once again after his private conversation with the toy soldier, everything had already been decided, and exchanging a glance with Viola and Riku Doldo, he nodded, indicating that he had accepted their proposal.
Orion had spoken with Kyros, who had asked him to take Scarlett and Rebecca back to his world, where they would be safe. At first, Orion had been somewhat reluctant, since he did not want to take Scarlett with him when she clearly intended to remain alongside the royal family to face the invaders until the very end.
However, Kyros's words were able to convince him, because they were the words of a worried husband and father. As Kyros had pointed out, if he only took Rebecca with him, the girl would indeed be safe from the pirates, but she would find herself alone in a strange world she had never known.
Obviously, that fate was far better than remaining in the middle of a war zone, but if it was possible to minimize her suffering as much as possible, Orion wanted to try. The toy soldier's argument was that Scarlett had already renounced her status as a princess to begin with, so now she could simply stay away from the kingdom's troubles altogether.
The problem was that Scarlett felt guilty about being the only one who would be "saved" while the rest of her family had to continue facing Doflamingo on their own. For that reason, she had never considered asking Orion to take her with him, and had only thought about the well-being of her young daughter.
However, for Viola, Riku Doldo, and Kyros, Scarlett's safety and happiness were just as important as Rebecca's. As the toy soldier had said, she had already renounced her status as a princess, so she bore no responsibility in the struggle to come.
Furthermore, unlike Viola, Scarlett possessed no combat abilities, so she would be of little help in a battle against the pirates. For all of those reasons, they had decided that Scarlett should accompany Rebecca to Orion's world, although they had not told her anything about it, knowing full well that she would certainly refuse if they proposed it directly.
Orion did not want to return to his old compulsion of kidnapping people, but on this occasion, he had no choice but to do so once again, and thus he agreed to the toy soldier's request. Even so, he had to clarify that for the moment he could only take one person with him, although he believed that he would probably be able to increase that number in the future.
According to what Orion had been able to understand about the Time Dungeon and how it functioned, the Golden Tickets that allowed him to take someone from this timeline back to his own world were obtained every time he caused a major change in this place's timeline, as had happened, for example, with Diamante's death and Scarlett's rescue.
If his final plan succeeded, Orion hoped to earn enough merit to obtain one or more Golden Tickets, which would also allow him to bring Scarlett along with him.
Before emerging from the room after accepting the toy soldier's request, Orion looked at him intently and asked about his identity, to which Kyros simply replied,
"You may not believe it, but I am Scarlett's husband and Rebecca's father."
Orion showed no surprise at all, since he had already deduced as much, but what he really wanted to know was who Kyros had been when he was still human. However, when Orion asked him about that, Kyros merely shook his head and said bitterly that it did not matter now.
Right now, he was just a toy, and perhaps that was for the best. If Scarlett were to learn his identity, things might become unnecessarily complicated. The only thing on Kyros's mind at that moment was that his wife and daughter could leave this place safely. As for his identity, it was something that did not concern him in the slightest right now, and that was why he had not revealed anything about himself to Viola or King Riku.
…
Looking at the system screen, Orion saw that only four hours remained until the Time Dungeon ended, meaning it was time to put the final plan into motion. The degree of success of this plan would determine the future of Dressrosa in this world, so Orion was feeling a bit nervous.
"So you'll come to help with Doflamingo?" Orion said, speaking through the communicator connected to the Den Den Mushi.
"…Yes, but I can't assure you that we'll be able to liberate the country. Our forces are currently focused elsewhere," Dragon's voice sounded through the small snail.
Orion had contacted Dragon to ask for the help of the Revolutionary Army, and although he had not managed to obtain a definitive promise from the revolutionary leader, at the very least he had put Dressrosa on his radar.
Dragon had been reluctant to communicate with a stranger like Orion, although he had ultimately decided to listen only because this mysterious man knew many secrets that would be impossible for anyone who was not a high-ranking officer of the Revolutionary Army to know.
Once Orion convinced him to listen, it was not difficult to capture Dragon's attention, as he hated events like what was currently happening in Dressrosa with every fiber of his being. Although the revolutionary had not given him a definitive promise in the end, he had said that he would send a unit to investigate Dressrosa, and for now, that was more than enough.
Orion had planned a great revolution to remove Doflamingo from power in Dressrosa and return the throne to King Riku, but that plan would not be carried out by him, since he did not have enough time to do so. For the moment, the Riku royal family would have to wait quietly in the Tontatta kingdom, and with the help of the Revolutionary Army, they might be able to defeat Doflamingo.
Even so, before the time of this Time Dungeon ran out, Orion wanted to attempt one last attack on Doflamingo, and even if he could not finish off the Warlord, he would do everything possible to weaken his forces and his influence.
"Don't worry, I only ask that you don't turn your back on this kingdom. The people of this place deserve a chance," Orion said solemnly.
Dragon remained silent for a few moments, and finally uttered a monosyllable, indicating that he agreed with Orion's words. It seemed that no matter which timeline it was, Dragon remained the same as always.
"It would be good if you could come in person at some point. If you meet Princess Viola, everything will become much clearer," Orion added with a smile.
Viola possessed the memories of Orion and the other timeline in which he was part of the Revolutionary Army, so if Dragon came personally, she could show him everything directly through the powers of her Giro Giro no Mi.
"We'll see," Dragon said curtly, having no intention of going into unknown territory by following the instructions of a stranger, or at least not without first investigating the possibility of an ambush.
"Hahaha, there's no need to be so cautious! Well, it doesn't matter, there's no trap waiting for you here, so sooner or later you'll see Viola. I know you well enough to know that your curiosity won't let you stay away," Orion said with a smile.
Clang.
Orion bid farewell to the revolutionary leader and ended the call after confirming that reinforcements were on the way. Although it would not be a simple process, the Revolutionary Army would be the best possible ally for Dressrosa's resistance.
"Well then, it's time to begin the attack!" Orion said as he stood up and turned to look at the large group of Tontattas who were ready to begin Operation COCK—Counter-Offensive: Crew Killing—
This name had been devised by the toy soldier and the Tontattas, and although Orion could not help but show a strange expression every time he pronounced it, he was already getting used to its use.
Just as its extravagant name suggested, this was an attack aimed more at the Warlord's crew than at Doflamingo himself. At present, Orion simply did not have the power to eliminate Doflamingo, but he could at least try to reduce his forces as much as possible, making the future conflict easier for the Dressrosa resistance and the Revolutionary Army.
"COCK! COCK! COCK!"
The Tontattas burst into motion at incredible speed, shouting the name of the mission with enthusiasm as they headed for the surface through several underground tunnels that connected their kingdom to different points across the vast island of Dressrosa.
Giolla and the toy soldier departed together with the Tontattas, leaving only King Riku behind. As for Scarlett and Rebecca, they were inside Orion's Pocket Dimension. He had convinced the beautiful princess to accompany her daughter until the very last moment, unaware that she was effectively being "kidnapped" by Orion.
While the Tontattas advanced at full speed toward the kingdom's capital to act as a distraction, Orion lifted Viola into his arms like a princess and used Soru to travel at incredible speed toward Flower Hill.
By the time Orion arrived at the meadow planted with beautiful flowers, two hours had already passed, and the Tontattas had created massive chaos in the capital city. Numerous disturbances were erupting in different areas of the gigantic city, and Doflamingo's crew had spread throughout the area to deal with the problem.
Even so, with the Tontattas' ability to move swiftly without being discovered, it was difficult for the Warlord's low-ranking soldiers to catch them, and only the executives had any real chance of doing so.
Orion gently set Viola down from his arms, and the beautiful princess blushed as she nervously adjusted her hair. Despite being a woman from the nation of passion, she had no experience in love, since after her older sister renounced her claim to the throne for the sake of love, it fell upon her to carry on the royal lineage, meaning she could not love freely.
"Viola, can you observe the situation in the capital? How is the plan progressing?" Orion suddenly asked, interrupting the princess's risqué thoughts.
Viola immediately entered "serious mode" and activated her Devil Fruit ability, observing everything that was happening in the capital.
"The Tontattas have successfully created chaos and are out of danger. Giolla and the toy soldier have reached Sugar's location and are waiting for the right moment to attack," Viola reported solemnly.
"Perfect, everything is going according to plan."
Orion nodded and, focusing his mental energy, activated one of his abilities: summoning.
"I need your help. Come to me, Oharu."
The ground began to tremble slightly the moment Orion activated his skill, and an instant later, the sky seemed to split in two as a gigantic tree appeared in the meadow where there had previously been only flowers. The majestic branches of the great tree stretched toward the sky in an imposing manner, as if trying to grasp the distant sun.
Viola stared at the appearance of the great tree in amazement, even though Orion had already told her about it. Seeing the process by which Orion summoned the majestic tree with her own eyes was very different from merely hearing about it.
Orion approached the Tree of Knowledge with a smile, one of his companion "beasts" registered in the system. He and Robin had decided to name this great tree "Oharu" in honor of the beloved archaeologist's homeland, and also as a way to wish for a better future—Oharu meant "spring flower."
The Tree of Knowledge, Oharu, had been developing silently in the fertile land of Pacific Kingdom, growing at an astonishing rate. At present, although she had not yet reached the same size as her predecessor in Ohara, she was about half as large, making her thoroughly imposing.
Oharu stood at roughly 150 meters (500 feet) tall, so the moment she suddenly appeared atop Flower Hill, she drew the attention of all the inhabitants of the kingdom, which of course included Doflamingo, who immediately showed an expression of fury upon seeing that someone was once again interfering in his domain.
Closing his eyes, Orion placed his hand against Oharu's trunk and communicated with the tree mentally. Now that Oharu was older, her ability to communicate had greatly improved, allowing her to communicate not only with Orion, but also with other people in the kingdom.
All of Orion's companion beasts possessed special abilities, and Oharu stood out primarily for two particularly useful ones: the ability to enhance the thinking of those around her (a passive buff), and the ability to transmit thoughts between two or more people.
In this way, someone could, for example, transmit their ideas about a certain technique to someone else, using Oharu as a connecting point. This had allowed several people to make rapid progress in their studies of subjects they had not previously mastered very well, greatly accelerating the development of Pacific Kingdom.
Even so, at present, transmitting thoughts through this method was a complicated process that consumed a great deal of Oharu's energy, making it impossible to do on a massive scale. Orion conjectured that in the future, when the tree reached full maturity, she might become far more effective in these abilities, which would undoubtedly trigger an academic explosion within his kingdom.
Even so, Oharu did not possess particularly useful capabilities for direct combat, although she was able to carry out mental attacks on people within her range of influence. This was the first time she would be able to shine alongside Orion, and it was all thanks to the use of the new ability that allowed Orion to summon her to his side.
"This is what I need you to do," Orion said, transmitting his thoughts to the tree, which began to glow very faintly as she moved her branches, as if she were expressing emotions.
"Orion! Doflamingo is heading this way at full speed!" Viola suddenly exclaimed, clearly agitated at the sight of the violent pirate moving so quickly toward Flower Hill.
"Don't worry, everything is going according to plan," Orion replied with a calm smile as he placed a hand on the beautiful princess's shoulder. Then, looking her straight in the eyes with a deep gaze, he added, "Now it all depends on you, Viola. It's time to begin our counterattack!"
Viola nodded, and as she walked over to the tree, she placed both hands on her trunk. Then she activated the powers of her Giro Giro no Mi and transmitted the memories of everything that had happened over the past few days to Oharu, as if they were a small capsule of information.
Within it were Doflamingo's attack, his deception of the kingdom's inhabitants, the manipulation of King Riku, and the rest of the information she had at her disposal regarding the current situation.
The gigantic tree of knowledge absorbed Viola's capsule of memories, and for the first time felt satisfied with communication from a human who was not her master, Orion. Normally, Oharu had to access people's minds manually, processing the data through synapses on her own until she was able to form a capsule of knowledge similar to the one Viola had sent her.
With Viola, however, such a process was unnecessary. All the work had already been done by the beautiful princess's Devil Fruit, so Oharu did not need to expend any energy on it. Instead, she could devote all of her power to the task Orion had assigned her.
The roots of the gigantic tree of knowledge began to glow intensely, siphoning energy from the fertile soil of Flower Hill and causing all the surrounding plant life to wither rapidly as the ground itself dried up.
There was no other option. The task Orion had entrusted to her was so monumental that it was impossible to carry it out without using an enormous amount of energy. Orion knew this, and had already discussed it with King Riku and the others. It was a small sacrifice to make in order to have a chance to get rid of Doflamingo in the future.
All the energy absorbed by Oharu gathered within her trunk and began to rise until it reached her branches. Then, with a powerful motion, the branches shook and expelled an innumerable quantity of orbs of light, which flooded the sky of the kingdom of Dressrosa like a beautiful snowfall, drifting slowly down over every corner of the gigantic island.
Orion gazed at the beautiful scenery and the clouded sky filled with glowing orbs, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. The first step of the plan was underway. Now, all that remained was the final confrontation.
On the horizon, Doflamingo was closing in at full speed, using his strings to swing through the clouds, and the rage etched into his expression told Orion that everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
A small penguin suddenly emerged from behind Orion's leg, and opening its mouth as wide as it could, spat out a massive amount of Mysterious Fog, which completely enveloped Flower Hill. It was time for the third and final round in the conflict between Orion and the warlord Doflamingo.