Luffy's frustration boiled over as he listened to Sentomaru recount Issho's impressive accomplishnts. He already knew how powerful Issho was—the man was destined to beco 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 assignnt 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 soone 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 !"
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 soone!" Luffy's tone was equal parts commanding and pleading.
Sentomaru stood silently nearby, watching as Luffy launched into a heated argunt 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 !" the Fleet Admiral shouted before slamming the Den Den Mushi down, abruptly ending the call.
Undeterred, Luffy tried calling several more tis, but Sengoku refused to pick up.
"This is outrageous!" Luffy fud, pacing back and forth. "I just made a major contribution to the Marines, and this is how they treat ? 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 so 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 so?"
Luffy took a deep breath, his anger gradually subsiding. After a mont, he shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I didn't co to Punk Hazard to sample the cuisine. I ca here to et Dr. Vegapunk and gain so interesting things—and now that I've accomplished that, it's ti for 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 et again under better circumstances. Next ti, I'll treat you to a proper al—sothing really special."
Sentomaru seed a bit disappointed. "Are you leaving already? I was hoping to show you so of the doctor's latest technologies," he said. Still, he shook Luffy's outstretched hand firmly.
"Just rember," Sentomaru added with a grin, "I'm pretty picky when it cos to food, so don't disappoint next ti!"
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 ti 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.
anwhile, back in Vegapunk's laboratory, the eccentric scientist had finally completed his "lottery machine." Wiping the sweat from his brow, he proudly exclaid, "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 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 ca back right after seeing him off. By the way, Doctor, what is this machine? Is it your latest invention?"
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