Ron, unaware of Hina's thoughts, encountered another familiar face on his way back to his lodging. It was Dalmatian, a Vice Admiral. Dalmatian noticed him as well, giving him only a passing glance before continuing with the Marines following behind him.
Ron turned to look at that tall, slender figure and thought, No doubt about it. His swordsmanship has reached the "Sword Master" level that Director Koushirou mentioned.
With both Armament Haki and Observation Haki under his belt…
"I'm no match for him at all," Ron mused as he continued on his way.
In the days that followed, Hina was busy on her assignments, while Smoker, once he recovered, immediately submitted a transfer request. Ron, for his part, either trained his sensory abilities by walking barefoot along walls or wandered through the Marineford headquarters and the Marine School of Justice. As long as he stayed clear of restricted areas, no one stopped him.
The officers and soldiers were generally friendly, although some ignored him entirely—a reaction he hardly cared about. Discovering a wealth of training equipment and the occasional sight of Marine cadets practicing the Six Powers, Ron began spending more and more time at the Marine School of Justice.
Before long, a month had passed.
At the Marineford Headquarters.
"Is leaving him like this really enough?" Kizaru sat at his desk, fidgeting with his fingers.
"What are you talking about?" Sengoku, absorbed in paperwork, didn't look up.
"The kid that Garp brought back," he replied lazily.
"You mean Ron? Hasn't he settled in quite well at Marineford lately?"
"Yes, but letting him stay here like this… is that really enough for him to understand the Marines' sense of justice?" Kizaru murmured. "If the goal is for him to join us, shouldn't we offer him more than just an intern's role?"
Sengoku glanced up. "What are you suggesting?"
Kizaru stood up, hands in his pockets, peering at Sengoku with a slight smile behind his sunglasses. "I just think he should get a closer look at the evils of pirates."
After the conversation with Sengoku, Kizaru exited the office, stopping briefly.
"Will that be enough, Zephyr?" he asked.
Arms folded and leaning against the wall, Zephyr nodded, murmuring, "Thank you."
"Why didn't you just tell Sengoku yourself?" Kizaru asked, side-glancing at Zephyr.
"He knows my hatred toward pirates runs deep. If I pushed the matter, he'd weigh his decision more heavily," Zephyr replied in a grave tone.
"It's rare to see you so invested. This intern must mean something to you." Kizaru eyed him. "So, what's so special about this Ron? Or is there something that happened we don't know about?"
"Borsalino," Zephyr interrupted, turning his back. "Whether he joins or not doesn't matter to me, but if he ever starts leaning toward the pirates…"
He turned his head, casting a sharp look at Kizaru.
"Then I hope you'll end him without hesitation!"
Kizaru gave his signature smile, a playful glint in his eye. "Zephyr…you're as fearsome as ever."
Following Kizaru's suggestion, Sengoku called Vice Admiral Tsuru, along with the recently returned Akainu Sakazuki and the idle Garp, for a discussion.
"Put Ron on Zephyr's ship?" Garp asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, that's Kizaru's idea. I called you all here to discuss if it's feasible," Sengoku explained.
"This is pointless. You dragged me here for this trivial matter?" Akainu scoffed, clearly uninterested.
"Letting him witness the evils of pirates firsthand…" Tsuru considered the idea. "Kizaru's suggestion does make sense."
"If he can see the darker side of piracy early on, it might expedite his commitment to the Marines," she continued. "It would also allow Zephyr to start training him, accelerating his growth into a reliable asset for us."
Sengoku nodded, looking at Garp. "What do you think?"
"I have no objections. But have you asked him if he's even willing to board Zephyr's ship?" Garp replied, folding his arms. "You all agreed he wouldn't be forced into anything."
"Hmm… Fine, Garp, you go ask him."
"Always me, huh!"
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