Pausing for a moment, the girl raised her gaze, then lowered it again and continued sadly, "I love ninjas, but I accidentally ate the Cannon-Cannon Devil Fruit."
While the girl spoke about herself, Bill was lost in thought. On one hand, this girl was very dangerous, but on the other, she seemed so pitiful that it felt like a cliché.
As she spoke quietly and uncertainly, Bill decided that he needed to see this world in its entirety. He needed the courage to become the person he knew he was inside. This world wouldn't be easy for him. In his past life, his role was to live a good life in his small hometown.
In this world, his role had to be different.
Distracting himself from the girl, Bill firmly said to Miss Angie for the first time, "My name is William D. Oaks. When I grow up, I will become a Marine."
After this declaration, Ricky complained that he would become a Marine first. Miss Angie, however, had a completely different expression on her face.
She knew they wouldn't be able to stop him.
There was still a month left until Bill's tenth birthday, and he was running around town with Fia and Rance.
Sasha was supposed to return any minute, and Ricky was doing everything he could to impress her. Bill wasn't sure of Ricky's success, but he encouraged him nonetheless.
About a week after the incident on the beach, Bill met Rance again in town. When he first saw the boy, Rance broke into tears and admitted that Bill was right. He confessed that they shouldn't have split up and, as an apology, gave Bill his Junior Sheriff badge.
Although Bill didn't want to accept it and even told Rance that he had decided to become a Marine, it didn't matter. Rance returned the badge, saying that Bill would ultimately earn it by joining the Marines and saving his life.
Shaking his head, Bill simply accepted the badge, and then he told Rance everything he knew about Fia, her situation, and the Marines and the world in general. Bill didn't want the boy to build dreams based on false illusions or ignorance. However, when Rance firmly confirmed his choice, Bill generously shared with him his training routines and knowledge about the world.
In this regard, Bill discovered that Rance was clever and eager to learn more. The boy not only accepted Bill's advice but also forgave Fia, although the former Junior Sheriff did make her apologize to the store owner, even though the man had been compensated when she joined the Marines.
Another significant event following Bill's declaration was his parents' reaction. His mother seemed to be okay with it, maybe even proud, while his father was initially very much against Bill joining the Marines.
"What are you even talking about? You have no idea about the sea," his father said, looking directly at Bill. "Do you think that just because you managed to take down some poor orphan, you can administer justice?" He shook his head and pointed a finger at his son: "You'll go out to sea and get caught in a whirlpool. Did you know there are whirlpools in the New World big enough to fit this base inside? There are! And that's what's going to happen to you. You'll be dragged right to the bottom."
While Bill's father continued to list the various ways the ocean or pirates could kill him, Bill listened in silence. He believed children should respect their parents, so he didn't respond unless directly questioned. Fortunately, his mother soon came to his defense.
It was the first time in Bill's life that he saw his parents argue, and the argument continued until his mother began to tire. After that, his father calmed down, declaring that if Bill joined the Marines, he shouldn't expect any special treatment and that he would keep him at sea in Blue's waters for his entire career.
Miss Angie remained silent during this time.
Reflecting on this, Bill also thought about Rance and Fia. They were impressive for kids, but he knew that in a world of monsters and superpowers, being "impressive" wasn't enough.
If Rance, Sasha, Fia, Ricky, and he himself planned to join the Marines when they turned sixteen, they needed to learn to use weapons or master some martial art.
With this thought, Bill stopped. Fia reached him first, followed by Rance.
"Huff huff"
Rance asked, "What's going on? Why did we stop?" as he looked at Bill.
Seeing both of them out of breath, Bill said, "Training is good, but we need to learn how to fight properly."
Before Rance could reply, Fia raised a finger, and a loop formed on it, from which a barrel suddenly appeared. She looked at Bill and said, huff "I think I know how to fight just fine, besides, I'm not going to be a fighter. I'm going to be a cook."
Shaking his head, Bill chose not to react. It seems that Devil Fruits became literal extensions of a person's body. In a normal situation, it was impossible for an accident to occur. In most cases, it was more likely that the Devil Fruit user would accidentally hit someone rather than accidentally use their ability.