One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

Luffy's frustration boiled over as he listened to Sentomaru recount Issho's impressive accomplishments. He already knew how powerful Issho was—the man was destined to become an admiral in the future. Handling pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions, or even billions, was well within Issho's capabilities.

That's precisely why Luffy wanted Issho by his side. With his imminent assignment to Wano Country as base commander, he couldn't afford to lose such a reliable ally.

Wano Country, once Kaido's stronghold, remained a volatile region. Luffy couldn't shake the thought of Kaido one day getting drunk, reminiscing about his lost territory, and transforming into a dragon to wreak havoc.

Without Garp, two admirals, or someone like Issho, how could he possibly fend off Kaido? Losing Issho now felt like a cruel betrayal.

" What's so special about being a candidate admiral?!" Luffy growled. "Gion is also a candidate admiral, and I still managed to... well, get her to cooperate with me!"

Luffy's imagination ran wild as he concocted a dream team in his head. "If I can get Issho back, with him, Gion, Hancock, and myself, we'd make an unstoppable force! Even if Kaido shows up, he'd leave with his tail between his legs!"

Determined to take action, Luffy abruptly returned the newspaper to Sentomaru and pulled out his Den Den Mushi.

"Hey, Grandpa Sengoku! I need to ask for someone!" Luffy's tone was equal parts commanding and pleading.

Sentomaru stood silently nearby, watching as Luffy launched into a heated argument with Fleet Admiral Sengoku. It wasn't long before Sengoku, clearly exasperated by Luffy's relentless demands, started throwing out excuses.

Finally, Sengoku lost his patience entirely. "Luffy, you brat! Stop bothering me!" the Fleet Admiral shouted before slamming the Den Den Mushi down, abruptly ending the call.

Undeterred, Luffy tried calling several more times, but Sengoku refused to pick up.

"This is outrageous!" Luffy fumed, pacing back and forth. "I just made a major contribution to the Marines, and this is how they treat me? The Fleet Admiral steals my subordinates, and I'm left high and dry! Where's the justice?!"

Sentomaru, though not fully understanding the dynamic between Luffy and Issho, decided to step in with some words of comfort. "Well... I'm sure the Fleet Admiral has his reasons for doing this," he said awkwardly. "By the way, have you eaten yet? The food here at the research institute is pretty good. How about I take you to try some?"

Luffy took a deep breath, his anger gradually subsiding. After a moment, he shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I didn't come to Punk Hazard to sample the cuisine. I came here to meet Dr. Vegapunk and gain some interesting things—and now that I've accomplished that, it's time for me to leave. Wano Country is still unstable, and I need to get there as soon as possible."

As he spoke, Luffy glanced around. Nearly all the items he'd collected, including the massive Gundam model, had been carefully packed and shipped to his ship.

Extending his hand toward Sentomaru, Luffy smiled. "This was a bit rushed, but I hope we can meet again under better circumstances. Next time, I'll treat you to a proper meal—something really special."

Sentomaru seemed a bit disappointed. "Are you leaving already? I was hoping to show you some of the doctor's latest technologies," he said. Still, he shook Luffy's outstretched hand firmly.

"Just remember," Sentomaru added with a grin, "I'm pretty picky when it comes to food, so don't disappoint me next time!"

The two shared a laugh, shaking hands with mutual respect.

"Well, I'm off," Luffy said, stepping back. "Please let Uncle Borsalino know I didn't have time to say goodbye."

"Will do," Sentomaru replied, watching as Luffy made his way to The Stormbreaker.

Luffy boarded the ship with his newfound treasures, and before long, the massive vessel disappeared into the clouds, heading for its next destination.

Meanwhile, back in Vegapunk's laboratory, the eccentric scientist had finally completed his "lottery machine." Wiping the sweat from his brow, he proudly exclaimed, "Phew! It's done! Now, let's see if this thing works."

Vegapunk inserted the notes he had written earlier—one saying "take it back" and the other saying "leave it"—into the machine's tray. He activated the device, then quickly donned a pair of high-tech eye masks and noise-canceling headphones to block out all sensory input.

Unbeknownst to him, Sentomaru had returned to the lab after seeing Luffy off. The sight of Vegapunk standing silently with headphones on piqued his curiosity.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Sentomaru asked, lowering his voice as he approached.

Vegapunk, his senses completely blocked, didn't hear the question. He silently counted to thirty in his head before removing the blindfold and headphones.

By then, the machine had stopped. In the tray at the bottom lay a single crumpled piece of paper. Vegapunk eagerly picked it up and unfolded it.

"Take it back," he read aloud, sighing heavily. "Well, that settles it. I just hope that kid won't hate me for breaking my promise."

As Vegapunk turned to leave, he nearly collided with Sentomaru, who was standing right behind him with a curious expression.

"Sentomaru!" Vegapunk yelped, startled. "Why are you here?! Weren't you supposed to be with that kid?!"

"Luffy's already gone," Sentomaru replied calmly. "I came back right after seeing him off. By the way, Doctor, what is this machine? Is it your latest invention?"

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