One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

As Luffy stepped into the warehouse, he felt as though he had been transported into a futuristic sci-fi world. Rows upon rows of strange and fantastical inventions lined the walls, each one sparking a sense of wonder.

But one item stood out above all others.

"Fuck, that's a Gundam!!"

His voice echoed through the cavernous space as he spotted the massive steel mecha towering over everything else. Its familiar blue and white color scheme struck a deep chord within him, triggering memories from his previous life. Luffy's mouth hung open in shock as he blurted out something in his hometown dialect.

"What do you mean by a Gundam? What dialect are you speaking? I've never heard of it before," Sentomaru asked, looking utterly confused.

Luffy quickly swallowed his excitement, shaking his head to dismiss the question. "It's nothing—just an old saying."

Still unable to contain himself, Luffy pointed toward the mecha and exclaimed, "Hey, Sentomaru, what's the deal with that giant robot? Is it also one of Vegapunk's failed projects?"

Sentomaru hesitated, scratching his chin as he thought about how to explain. "This... well, it can't really be called a failure."

Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement. "What?! Does that mean it works? Can it be piloted?!"

The thought of piloting a Gundam made Luffy's heart race. Which man doesn't dream of piloting a giant robot at least once in their life? He could already picture himself flying it around, showing off its grandeur.

Unfortunately, his dream was about to be crushed.

"No," Sentomaru said, shaking his head. "This big guy is just a model—a toy, really. The doctor originally planned to build a prototype based on this model, but for some reason, the project was canceled. So, this thing was sent here as an oversized decoration. It can't be driven—it's just for show."

Hearing this, Luffy felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. "Well, that's a letdown," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

But his dismay didn't last long. The more he looked at the Gundam, the more he realized it was a collector's dream. In his previous life, he could only afford small, cheap figurines. Now, he had the chance to own a life-sized masterpiece.

"I want it! I want to take it!" Luffy declared, his determination reigniting.

Sentomaru raised an eyebrow, surprised by Luffy's enthusiasm. "Seriously? It's just a big toy—it doesn't even move. Why do you want it so badly?"

"Why?" Luffy grinned. "Because it's cool! Just look at it—it's awesome! How could I pass up the chance to have something like this?"

Sentomaru shrugged, deciding not to argue. "Alright then. I'll have the Marines move it out later. There's plenty of space on your ship for this guy."

"Thanks, but let's wait until I've finished looking around. I'll have everything I want taken out together," Luffy said, turning his attention to the rest of the warehouse.

Sentomaru nodded and handed Luffy a thick inventory list before stepping outside to give him some space. The list was packed with thousands of entries, each describing one of Vegapunk's inventions.

Luffy flipped through the pages, muttering to himself as he read.

"What the hell? A solar-powered flashlight that only works in the sun? Is Vegapunk serious?"

"The camouflage cloak… now this is interesting. It can change colors to match its surroundings like a chameleon, but it only lasts for five minutes. Still, it's pretty cool. Why would Vegapunk toss something like this aside?"

He continued scanning the list, chuckling at some of the bizarre entries.

"Fighting gloves that let you punch three times your normal strength, but they explode easily and are almost impossible to remove. Sounds like a one-time-use item, but it's still kind of neat."

"A laser pen for engraving, flying boots that let you levitate for a few seconds, and… wait, what's this? A helmet that suffocates the wearer by removing all the air around their head? Who thought that was a good idea?"

Luffy couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. Despite the mix of useful and ridiculous items, he found himself thoroughly entertained.

"These things are just sitting here collecting dust. Why not give them to me instead?" Luffy grinned, already imagining what he could do with the collection. "Oh, and there's still the Azure Dragon Fruit replica. That's the real prize—I need to find it!"

With his priorities set, Luffy began exploring the warehouse more thoroughly. The items were neatly organized, with each section dedicated to a specific category. Dangerous weapons and experimental devices were stored in separate, secured compartments.

As he walked through the aisles, Luffy's eyes scanned for anything resembling a Devil Fruit. Eventually, he reached the innermost compartment and spotted a glass cabinet containing the treasure he sought.

"There it is!" Luffy's heart raced as he approached the cabinet. Inside was the Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon. Its vibrant color shimmered under the lights, making it look even more enticing.

Luffy quickly checked the compartment number against the list, confirming its identity.

"Artificial Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Beast Model: Azure Dragon. Created using Kaido's bloodline factor by Dr. Vegapunk. Took 20 years of research and countless resources to produce."

The list continued with a detailed description:

"Despite its similarities to Kaido's original fruit in abilities and user enhancements, the artificial version has an unknown critical flaw. For this reason, it was deemed a failure and sealed away."

Luffy stared at the fruit, a smirk spreading across his face. Even as a "failed product," its value was undeniable. The government clearly hadn't realized that this fruit was almost identical to Kaido's authentic one, except for its coloration.

"If they think it's useless, all the better for me," Luffy muttered, already imagining the possibilities.

==============================================

Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this FANFIC or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.

==============================================