Someone Proposed to Hina

Second floor.

Three people sat at a table by the side. One of them had silver-white hair and two swords strapped to his back.

He looked toward Hina, his eyes shining as he smiled. "I think spring has finally come for me. Grant, Burnham, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I've fallen in love. Don't worry, though—I'll invite you to our wedding."

"Zepa, you say that about every pretty woman you see. Give it a rest. She's Rear Admiral Hina, not someone you can afford to provoke. And this is Marine Headquarters, not a place where you can fool around just because Admiral Kuzan is here. Besides, there's a man sitting across from her," Burnham shot back mercilessly.

"No, love knows no rank or status. Even if my position is lower than hers, my heart belongs to her. Ah, my goddess!" Zepa said dreamily, clearly unaffected by Burnham's jab.

Grant and Burnham looked at Zepa's lovestruck expression and both shook their heads. This guy had an episode every time he saw a pretty woman.

"I'm going to propose to my goddess. I'm not talking to you two anymore." Zepa happily rose to his feet.

Tap! Tap!

Then he stepped through the air from the second floor, using Geppo to head straight for Hina.

The table before Wuli and Hina was covered with the food they had already chosen.

The deep-red beef was especially tempting, golden and tender, rich with juice and flavor, making Wuli's mouth water.

Just as he was about to start eating, movement suddenly came from behind him. Turning around, he saw a silver-haired Marine with twin swords on his back stepping through the air toward them.

He landed in a half-crouch before them, placing the back of his left hand on his left knee while extending his right hand toward Hina.

He looked quite gentlemanly, but when he opened his mouth, he nearly shocked Wuli senseless.

"Beautiful Officer Hina, please allow me to propose to you. Let us transcend the ranks of the Marines and marry, my love." Zepa declared with an intoxicated expression.

Hina was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses. This guy really had some nerve. Did he not see where he was? Were Marines these days all so unruly?

"Ahahaha." Wuli froze briefly, then burst out laughing. "A proposal? Looks like you have plenty of admirers."

Hina shot Wuli an almost imperceptibly coquettish glare, then looked at the brat before her and said flatly, "Kid, I don't have time to play house with you. And this is Marine Headquarters, so don't get too presumptuous. Leave now and stop disturbing my meal."

"No, how can you say that? My heart hurts so much I can't breathe. How can love be shackled by rank?" Zepa clutched his chest and put on a heartbroken act, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Many prospective Marines recruited through the World Military Draft were in the restaurant at the moment. They did not know Zepa, but that did not stop them from enjoying the show.

Seeing this scene, they felt as if they had discovered a new continent. So Marine Headquarters was not as rigid and disciplined as they had imagined. Something this amusing could actually happen here.

Some of them gradually went from being restrained to becoming somewhat unruly.

They began heckling, "Marry him! Marry him!"

Hearing so many people supporting him, Zepa laughed through his tears.

Hina's expression, however, began to darken, and Wuli frowned as well. There was a limit to jokes, and this had gone too far—especially at Marine Headquarters.

"Shut up. Eat your food properly. What are you shouting for?" Hina snapped.

The noisy restaurant immediately fell silent, as everyone felt the powerful aura radiating from Hina.

Only then did they suddenly realize that she was no ordinary person, and this was no ordinary place. This was Marine Headquarters.

On the second floor, Hypnotist Jango and Fullbody watched the scene. Their faces immediately darkened as anger burned in their chests.

Crack!

The two leaped onto the dining table, then used it as a foothold to jump down. The table shattered, and food scattered across the floor.

Grant and Burnham watched their dining table get stomped apart right in front of them, and Grant's mood worsened even further.

Jango and Fullbody stood in front of Hina. Fullbody looked at Zepa and said in a low voice, "Since Officer Hina has already told you to leave, stop lingering here. Don't disturb Officer Hina's meal."

"No. If she doesn't agree, I won't leave. I'll use my persistence to let her feel my most sincere love." Zepa shook his head.

Wuli stood up, but Hina pressed him back down. She lit a cigarette and said calmly, "We came here to celebrate you passing the assessment. Don't mind it."

At the same time, a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes as she looked at Zepa. Whose subordinate was this? Did he have no sense of discipline at all?

Had he grown accustomed to being lazy and unruly? This was far too disrespectful.

This was Marine Headquarters!

Fullbody put on his iron rings, then threw a punch at Zepa.

Bang!

It missed. Zepa had merely tilted his head slightly when the punch came.

"Are you trying to stop me?" Zepa asked Fullbody with some displeasure.

"Where did you come from? I've never seen you before. Since you've offended Officer Hina, I can't let you off easily."

Fullbody's fists whipped up gusts of wind, but Zepa easily evaded every strike. Instead, many of the restaurant's tables and chairs were destroyed.

"Are you even a man? If you've got guts, stop dodging!" Fullbody growled, throwing another punch at Zepa's face.

This time, Zepa did not dodge. His eyes narrowed slightly.

He extended one hand and effortlessly caught Fullbody's fist in his palm.

Disbelief appeared on Fullbody's face, but it was quickly replaced by a vicious expression.

Buzz~

Armament Haki coated his fist as he threw a punch, sending Zepa flying and smashing through more tables and chairs.

Hina held her forehead. Things had once again developed in an unexpected direction.