Chapter 504: Chapter 504: God Valley Arc — The Family’s Future

Even though he had such thoughts in his heart, Orin ultimately still didn’t say them out loud. After all, there was still some time before now, and everything could still make it in time.

As the voyage went on, the pirate ships flying the Rocks Pirates’ flag finally arrived at Hachinosu Island. This was the pirates’ paradise, and also, in a practical sense, the base camp of the "Pirate King" Rocks.

"Look!!!"

"The captains are back!!!"

The villains slung arms over shoulders and all looked toward those returning pirate ships.

"I heard they went to settle accounts with the Roger Pirates. If it’s these captains, then the other side must have all been wiped out, right!!!"

The current Rocks Pirates could be called an "Evil All-Stars." Almost all the famous pirates on the seas had joined this crew, and the captains were the most terrifying few among them.

"Look, you guys, that man among the captains!!!"

At this moment, someone noticed that among Whitebeard and the others there was a young man with long black hair mixed in. That appearance—he seemed not the least bit moved upon seeing Hachinosu Island, his eyes calmly looking ahead. Faced with some unfriendly, even malicious gazes toward his youthful look, Orin merely cast a light glance back.

"He looked over? That newcomer..."

One of the long-time Rocks Pirates noticed Orin’s gaze. Then—

"Boom!!!"

A violent explosion detonated among the gang of villains, the shockwave even blasting straight toward the sea, plowing a deep pit hundreds of meters long and dozens of meters wide into the ground.

All the Rocks Pirates’ underlings who had harbored contempt now broke out in cold sweat.

"What’s going on!!!"

"A Devil Fruit user? But just with a single glance he—no matter how you put it, that’s way too exaggerated!!!"

"Just because of a single glance he gave such a warning? The Rocks Pirates have gotten another monster!!!"

Keek’s eyes shone. He naturally had no pity for this bunch of despicable guys; he was simply amazed by Orin’s imposing strength.

"So cool!! Captain Orin!!!"

Seeing the old man’s reaction, Orin thought the effect was pretty good. Little by little replacing Rocks’ influence in the other party’s heart wasn’t bad at all.

Thinking this, Orin headed toward the interior of Hachinosu Island, toward that skull. He stepped forward—there wasn’t much noise, yet it was as if it carried some mysterious magic. Pirates within several hundred meters clearly heard the footsteps, and then, for some unknown reason, a terrifying pressure suddenly appeared on their bodies. It was as if they were inside a dreadful gravity field. These villains who usually ran amok began to chatter their teeth, their bodies seeming unable to bear it as they suddenly sank downward. In just a few seconds, all of them, eyes filled with terror, were pressed to the ground, their heads sinking into the earth, as if they couldn’t bring themselves to look directly at that figure walking forward.

Where he passed, all beings bowed their heads.

With such terrifying means, Orin successfully won respect and a voice for himself within the Rocks Pirates.

Keek’s eyes were practically bursting with light. This was simply everything he expected of monsters and the strong—this was how cool it should be!!!

"Is it a Paramecia Press-Press Fruit?"

Nearby, Shiki’s expression stiffened a little, but then he turned and denied that possibility, because the Press-Press Fruit couldn’t move space. But no matter what, this kind of large-scale control and destructive ability was extremely unfavorable for his Float-Float Fruit.

Under the fearful, trembling gazes of the pirates, Orin and several captain-level figures walked toward the island’s center. Inside the base’s skull were still several men here, including John, Silver Axe, Ochoku, and so on. Sitting deepest inside was a domineering man with striped hair, guzzling alcohol.

"So this is the legendary newcomer?"

"I’ve never heard of him before~"

They examined Orin’s figure, but none of them acted rashly. After all, whether it was the intelligence sent back by Shiki and the others, or the display he’d just put on after landing, both showed that he was qualified to stand in the same position as them. This was a real monster.

"So you are... Orin?"

Rocks seemed to have only just noticed the figures who entered, and he smiled as he spoke.

"Yeah."

Today, Orin finally saw that great pirate who existed only in old Keek’s rare memories and in Captain Roger’s drunken talk—Rocks D. Xebec.

When the strong meet, the first thing to come, of course, is a very cliché—

"Crack crack crack crack crack—"

"Thud—"

"Thud—"

"Thud—"

How long had it been since Orin experienced this feeling—the feeling of his Conqueror’s Haki being suppressed. Even though he had gone all out, facing Rocks, whose talent was no less than his and who was already at his peak, Orin’s terrifying Conqueror’s Haki thunderstorm was, for once, suppressed.

Not crushed, but suppressed.

The still-young Orin, although his Conqueror’s Haki already had few rivals among the Yonko, still showed strain when facing a figure who could solo an Admiral and escape unscathed.

"Hahahahahahaha!!!"

Through the clash of Conqueror’s Haki, Rocks could of course see just how much ambition and mettle the young man before him had. That was a bearing no less than his own "King of the World"!!!

Even so, he wasn’t the least bit surprised, because that was precisely the magnanimity of a king of the world. He had never feared other strong people, because such a man had absolute confidence.

"What a splendid way to meet..."

A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Orin’s face, but overall he remained calm.

Orin’s mettle and his strength successfully earned Rocks’ recognition. A new captain was born!!!

And after getting acquainted, the pirates who followed the principle of strength above all began to hold a banquet to welcome Orin’s arrival. There were men and women among the pirates, including quite a few beauties, and they indulged themselves at the feast.

The protagonist of the banquet, however, came to the eye socket of the skull, where a man was drinking, his gaze cast toward the distance. Noticing Orin’s arrival, Rocks revealed a smile. He stared at Orin’s eyes, which from time to time burst with crimson light.

"Those eyes of yours..."

"Yeah, foreseeing the future..."

Orin sat beside him, holding a glass of orange juice, already knowing what Rocks was going to say.

"And what I can see is a very, very distant future."

Rocks froze for a moment, then smiled again. He had a hunch—this was a strong person’s intuition. The other party was a "strong one" on the same level as him, not simply a boss-and-crew relationship like with others.

"An extension of Observation Haki?"

"Yeah. Do you want to know your future?"

Orin’s gaze was calm, like a passerby in the world, his crimson eyes fixed on Rocks. Most strong people would say they didn’t need it, that they believed they could change the future, or at least they would ask whether their dreams had come true, whether their ambitions could be achieved. But the other party’s answer made his eyes flicker.

"Is that so? If you can do it, then help me take a look~"

"My family’s future."