Half a month passed.
"Your Highness, I never expected you to become this straightforward."
Bruce knocked before entering the office. The moment he saw Saint Roselith Seraphina's healthy complexion, he knew she had fully recovered from her injuries and was back to peak condition.
"Bruce."
Seeing the teasing smile on his face, Saint Roselith Seraphina immediately put on the dignified expression of a superior officer and called his name in a warning tone.
"Sigh… another mountain of paperwork…"
A moment later, her commanding demeanor collapsed as she slumped over her desk, staring at the enormous stack of official documents with visible despair.
There were reports from Alabasta, requests for troop reinforcements, correspondence from Marine Headquarters, directives from the World Government, budget approvals, logistics, and countless administrative matters.
It was enough to make even a Vice Admiral question life.
Bruce silently glanced at the towering pile of paperwork before making a wise decision.
Without saying another word, he quietly turned around and slipped out of the office before she could remember that she had an exceptionally capable subordinate.
If he stayed any longer, those documents would undoubtedly become his responsibility.
Watching Bruce flee at an unbelievable speed, Saint Roselith Seraphina blinked in confusion.
"…"
"Wait…"
"Why didn't I think of that?"
"I should've handed all these documents over to Bruce."
Unfortunately, realization had come too late.
Bruce had already escaped, and dragging him back now was impossible.
Besides…
These documents were ultimately her responsibility as the commanding officer.
That day, Saint Roselith Seraphina remained buried in paperwork until deep into the night.
Finally, she stretched lazily, satisfied as she looked over the desk.
Most of the mountain of documents had disappeared.
At that moment, a Den Den Mushi rested quietly on the corner of her desk.
She suddenly lost all motivation to review another report.
Paperwork was far more exhausting than battling Whitebeard.
Picking up the Den Den Mushi, she dialed a familiar number.
"Vice Admiral?"
Fran answered almost immediately.
Apparently, he hadn't gone to sleep yet either.
"Fran, how is the East Blue reconstruction progressing?"
"Do you still need additional funding?"
"I'll be returning to the East Blue soon."
"Is there anything you need me to bring back?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina asked while suppressing a yawn.
Her greatest concern remained the development of the East Blue.
"Please don't worry, Vice Admiral."
"Everything is proceeding smoothly."
"There has only been one small complication."
"However… it's rather complicated."
"I think it's better to explain everything after you return."
Fran thought for a moment before answering.
Construction projects were advancing steadily.
With the graduates from the training camp stationed throughout the East Blue, pirate activity had dropped dramatically.
The only remaining issue…
Concerned Saint Roselith Seraphina personally.
Since she already sounded exhausted, he decided not to burden her with it over the Den Den Mushi.
It wasn't urgent.
"I understand."
"Then let's leave it until I return."
"…It's been such a long time since I've gone back."
"I wonder if Luna and MooMoo still remember me."
She smiled softly before ending the call.
The following morning.
Riva had already arrived outside Saint Roselith Seraphina's quarters before sunrise.
He stood silently outside without knocking.
Everyone in the branch knew that unless there was an emergency, the Vice Admiral preferred waking up naturally.
Click.
The door opened from the inside.
"Vice Admiral…"
"I wish to resign from the Bai Ze Branch."
The moment the door opened, Riva bowed deeply and voiced the decision he had struggled with for days.
After learning everything that had happened during the battle against the Whitebeard Pirates, guilt had consumed him.
For disobeying orders, Marine Headquarters had demoted him by two ranks.
Had Vice Admiral Garp not spoken on his behalf, he might have been expelled from the Marines altogether.
Although Riva never knocked, Saint Roselith Seraphina's Observation Haki had already informed her someone had been waiting outside for quite some time.
Despite staying up late handling official business, she had gotten up earlier than usual.
"Riva?"
Still slightly sleepy, she looked at him in confusion.
She couldn't understand why he wanted to leave her command.
"Vice Admiral…"
"I've always wanted to ask you something."
"Is weakness truly the greatest sin?"
Riva's voice trembled.
Hearing such a serious question immediately drove away the last traces of Saint Roselith Seraphina's drowsiness.
"What makes you think that?"
"Because without strength…"
"…we can't accomplish anything."
"You possess overwhelming power."
"You can uphold justice."
"But I…"
"I wasn't even qualified to stand beside you on the battlefield."
His voice became increasingly bitter.
He still remembered Colonel Corvis's sacrifice.
He remembered being unable to save him.
He remembered watching Saint Roselith Seraphina confront Whitebeard alone while he could do absolutely nothing.
He had been powerless then.
He remained powerless now.
"In your opinion…"
"What truly separates the strong from the weak?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina immediately realized that Riva had fallen into a dangerous state of mind.
If no one corrected his thinking now, he would become obsessed with strength itself.
"…Physical strength?"
"Power?"
Riva answered uncertainly.
"Those things certainly matter."
She nodded.
"But they aren't everything."
"What truly separates people…"
"…is the determination to protect what they treasure."
"I've watched you train every single day."
"I know better than anyone how hard you've worked."
"That perseverance…"
"…is already part of your strength."
"The only thing you're lacking now…"
"…is time."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I also admire the fact that you willingly admitted your mistake to Headquarters."
"It takes courage to accept responsibility."
"But you don't need to leave this unit."
"I understand exactly why you disobeyed my orders."
"I truly do."
"But what I want…"
"…is for every one of you to survive."
"I want all of you to live long enough to mature."
"To become Marines capable of protecting countless innocent people."
"Only then…"
"…can you truly repay this world."
"That is our responsibility."
"That is the justice we chose."
Her calm voice gradually dispelled the darkness clouding Riva's heart.
"Vice Admiral…"
"I want to become stronger."
"Vice Admiral Garp has already accepted me into his special training program."
"I'll definitely become stronger."
"I'll become worthy of standing beside you."
"When that day comes…"
"Please allow me to return."
"I'll keep getting stronger."
"I must become stronger."
At last, Riva understood.
Saint Roselith Seraphina had never considered them burdens.
She had protected them because she believed they still had the potential to grow.
She had entrusted herself with danger so that they could inherit the future.
She was protecting not only their lives
but also the justice they believed in.
"You'll always be welcome."
Saint Roselith Seraphina smiled faintly.
Not long after Riva departed, Bruce arrived.
He had quietly observed the entire conversation from a distance.
"Your Highness."
"I never realized you were so good at encouraging people."
Bruce spoke honestly.
"Is Riva really leaving just like that?"
He genuinely believed the young Marine possessed tremendous potential.
"He has his own path to walk."
"Although he disobeyed my orders…"
"I don't blame him."
Saint Roselith Seraphina shook her head.
There were simply too many factors involved.
If blame had to be placed somewhere…
Then perhaps the true problem wasn't Riva.
It was the Marine system itself.
Compared to the military organization she envisioned, the current Marines lacked discipline.
Even she, a Vice Admiral, could often act according to her own judgment.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku frequently had no choice but to tolerate it.
If even the highest-ranking officers enjoyed such freedom, how could absolute obedience ever be expected throughout the ranks?
Yet this flaw also served a purpose.
Because the Marines ultimately answered to the World Government.
If Marine discipline ever became absolute, then the World Government would possess an unstoppable military machine capable of carrying out any order without question.
The current system, imperfect as it was, still allowed righteous Marines to reject immoral commands according to their own sense of justice.
Many officers had done exactly that throughout history.
And in most cases…
Their punishments had been relatively light.
The longer Saint Roselith Seraphina served within the Marines, the more contradictions she discovered.
Although the Marines were recognized as the world's greatest military force…
In many ways, they still functioned more like an enormous organization of powerful individuals than a truly disciplined army.
That contradiction remained one of the greatest weaknesses within the institution she had sworn to protect.
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