Surrender tomorrow

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It was only then that Kalifa grabbed Roja's arm and said, "Roja, you should surrender tomorrow!"

"Surrender? Why?" Roja looked at Kalifa, puzzled by her unusual tone.

"Because… because…" Kalifa hesitated, her expression uncharacteristically shy. After glancing nervously at him, she finally said, "Because I don't want you to get hurt! Akainu is ruthless. He shows no mercy! Aside from the likes of 'Doberman'—I mean Vice Admiral Smoker—most who fight him are seriously injured, some to the point where they can't stand again for the rest of their lives!"

Roja chuckled softly. "I understand your concern, but surrendering isn't my style. Besides, Akainu isn't strong enough to defeat me."

Kalifa looked at Roja intently, clenching her hands tightly. "I care about you, so why won't you listen to me? Fine! I don't care anymore!" Her voice cracked slightly as she spun around and stormed away from the training ground.

Roja watched her retreating figure, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement.

"Why is she acting like this?" he muttered. He couldn't figure out why Kalifa's emotions were running so high—especially when she was the one who had challenged him not long ago.

Shrugging off the thought, Roja turned his gaze toward the top of Marineford's headquarters, where Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office was located. He was scheduled to report there soon to finalize his promotion to admiral.

For now, though, he was curious about what the next chapter of his career would feel like.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the base…

Kalifa had wandered to one of the more remote training grounds, where few people ventured. It was an ideal place to vent her frustrations.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Each punch she delivered to the wooden training dummy carried her pent-up anger. The dummies, made of reinforced materials to withstand even hammer blows, began to crack under her relentless assault.

As she drove her fist into the dummy once more, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Kalifa, Hina has something to ask you," came the calm, clipped tone of a pink-haired marine.

Kalifa turned to see Captain Hina approaching. Hina was known for her peculiar speech pattern and straightforward demeanor.

"What is it, Hina?" Kalifa asked warily.

"Hina is curious—what does Roja usually like?" Hina's words were as direct as ever.

Kalifa's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do you care about Roja? Shouldn't you be focused on Smoker?"

Hina raised an eyebrow. "Hina and Smoker are just friends. As for Roja, Hina has decided to pursue him."

"Pursue Roja?!" Kalifa's voice rose in disbelief.

"Do you even hear yourself? Roja barely knows you, and you're talking about pursuing him?!"

Hina nodded confidently. "Ever since Roja defeated Smoker, Hina has been observing him. His smile… every time Hina sees it, Hina feels happy. Isn't that what love is?"

Kalifa's frustration flared. Roja was always so cold toward her, yet here Hina was, boldly declaring her intentions. And the thought of another woman pursuing Roja made Kalifa's chest tighten uncomfortably.

Suddenly, it hit her—somewhere along the line, Roja had become important to her.

Taking a deep breath, Kalifa met Hina's determined gaze. "Hina, I'll make this clear: what you're feeling isn't love. And for the record, I like Roja too. You'll never beat me!"

Hina raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Then Hina suggests we compete fairly. Hina won't back down!" With that, she turned and strode away.

As Kalifa watched her leave, she resolved to stay ahead of Hina at all costs. Her earlier resentment forgotten, she smashed the training dummy into splinters and hurried off to find Roja.

Later, at Roja's quarters…

Kalifa stood outside Roja's door, trying to calm her nerves. After steadying her breath, she knocked lightly.

The door opened—but instead of Roja, it was a translucent projection of him, which quickly faded into the air.

"Lazy as ever with that Phantom-Phantom Fruit," Kalifa thought, shaking her head as she stepped inside.

Roja stood by the window, gazing outside. The light filtering into the room gave him an almost serene appearance.

Before Kalifa could speak, Roja broke the silence. "Sit wherever you like. I don't have much to offer for hospitality, though."

Kalifa shook her head quickly. "No, it's fine. I didn't come for that. I came to…"

Her words faltered as her face turned red. After a moment's hesitation, she blurted out, "I'm here to apologize! I was impulsive and willful earlier. I'm really sorry!"

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Also… please give it your all tomorrow. I'll be cheering for you! I believe you can defeat Akainu!"

Roja turned toward her, his expression softening as he saw how flustered she was. A faint smile curved his lips.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "I won't let you down. Akainu doesn't stand a chance against me."

Kalifa's heart skipped a beat as Roja gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. His warm touch and rare smile left her speechless.

"You finally smiled at me!" she exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. "You actually smiled at me!"

Before Roja could respond, Kalifa threw her arms around him, nestling into his chest.

"I don't care what happens anymore," she whispered. "You'll never be alone here in Marineford. I'll be by your side."

Roja's response was a quiet, "Thank you."

Kalifa didn't mind his reserved tone—she was overjoyed just knowing that she had carved a place in his heart.

The next day…

The air in Marineford was thick with anticipation. Roja's showdown with Akainu was about to begin.

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