Two years flew by swiftly.
Ron was now 14 years old.
He had been in Marineford for three years, and the time was drawing near to finally conclude his internship as a Marine recruit and make a firm decision about his future.
One day, Lieutenant Hina, wearing her Justice coat over a tailored suit, her tall figure highlighted by her long, straight legs, came to Ron's room and knocked on the door.
When the door opened, Ron appeared before her. He was wearing a black T-shirt and white knee-length shorts, his lean and athletic frame, half-length black hair, and messy bangs giving him a clean, fresh look.
He had grown significantly in the last two and a half years and, although Hina was still taller at about six feet, he was now close to her height.
"Are they calling for me already?" Ron asked, glancing up at her.
With her signature pink hair flowing to her shoulders and sunglasses perched on her forehead, Hina crossed her arms and nodded.
Ron grabbed Raikiri, his sword leaning against the wall, holding its scabbard in his left hand as he stepped out of his room.
The two of them walked side by side outside the building. In the sunlight, Hina stole a glance at Ron's profile and asked, "Are you absolutely sure about your decision? No last-minute changes?"
"I'm sure," Ron replied calmly.
Hina's eyes revealed a trace of disappointment, but she quickly concealed it.
Noticing her expression, Ron smiled and said, "Even if I can't come back to Marineford, we'll still meet on the open sea. We can go on another adventure together then."
Outside Marineford's headquarters building…
Hina dropped him off and waited outside while Ron followed a Marine officer through the hallways. They passed by numerous Marine officers of various ranks, some of whom he recognized, though many were unfamiliar. Their gazes held various emotions as they watched him pass, but Ron maintained his composed demeanor.
In the Fleet Admiral's office…
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at his desk, flanked by Vice Admiral Garp, Admiral Candidate Aokiji (Kuzan), Vice Admiral Tsuru, and Admiral Candidate Akainu.
As Ron entered, all eyes turned to him, and the immense pressure from their presence bore down on him. Yet, he remained poised and unshaken.
Sengoku spoke up, looking at Ron standing calmly at the door, his sword Raikiri by his side. "Ron, your time as a specially recruited intern has concluded. Now, it's time for you to make your final decision."
Meanwhile, outside the building…
Vice Admiral Gion arrived, her Justice coat and sword Heartbreaker at her side. Her long, slender legs carried her gracefully to where Hina was standing against a wall, smoking and looking up at the sky.
"You missed the meeting, Gion," she greeted her with a smile.
"It seems he still hasn't changed his mind, has he?" Gion asked softly.
Hina exhaled a cloud of smoke and nodded.
"That's truly unfortunate," Gion said, glancing up toward the Fleet Admiral's office.
Over the past two and a half years, Ron had become like a younger brother to both her and Hina. They had grown close, often visiting him after returning from missions and watching him mature.
And now, he was leaving.
After making his choice in Sengoku's office, with a determined attitude, Ron left without a backward glance.
"Zephyr's incident affected his view of the Marines more than we thought," Vice Admiral Tsuru noted calmly.
Sengoku clenched his fists slightly on the table.
Garp sighed deeply, while Akainu scoffed in disdain.
"I've said it from the start: this intern program is a complete waste. If he had any sense of justice, he would have joined the Marines already instead of hesitating," Akainu sneered, adding, "If he ever turns pirate, I'll be the first to put him down."
"Enough, Akainu!" Sengoku snapped.
"He hasn't gained anything significant from the Marines, so whether he leaves or stays doesn't change much for us," Aokiji pointed out.
"Kuzan's right," Tsuru agreed. "When we agreed to this special internship, we considered the possibility that he might choose to leave. If he's decided to forgo his role as an intern, let's leave it at that. Only if he shows signs of becoming a pirate…"
"I'm the one who invited him into the Marines," Garp said in a low voice. "And it was my suggestion to create this intern program. If he ends up causing trouble on the seas… I'll take full responsibility for it."
Hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Akainu stood, adjusting his cap as he looked sideways at Garp. "Let's hope you're prepared to act, Garp, and not go easy on him."
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