One Piece: Marine Luffy, Garp regrets it

"No wonder Fleet Admiral Sengoku gets a headache whenever Grandpa appears," Luffy thought, massaging his temples. "It's because of the old man's impossible personality."

He took a deep breath, silently making a mental note to completely ignore his grandfather's request for a computer. The last time Garp had been given advanced technology, he'd mistaken a transponder snail recording device for a stress ball and crushed it with his bare hands.

"Forget headaches—dealing with him probably shaves years off my lifespan from sheer frustration," Luffy muttered to himself.

With the video conference concluded, Luffy departed the communications room alongside Vice Admiral Gion and Viola. The trio made their way through the corridors of the G-66 Branch headquarters toward Luffy's office, where they found several officers already gathered, clearly summoned by Viola's advance warning.

Despite the gravity of the situation—with two Emperors mobilizing against them—the assembled officers appeared remarkably composed. Their collective confidence spoke to the significant changes Luffy had implemented in his command over the past months.

As Luffy entered, Yamato immediately sprang to her feet. The daughter of Kaido himself, now allied with the Marines, hefted her massive kanabo with unconcealed enthusiasm.

"Luffy!" she exclaimed, eyes burning with determination. "Let me go after him! I'll smash that bastard Kaido's head in myself!"

The former self-proclaimed "Kozuki Oden" had found new purpose serving alongside Luffy in the Marines, though her wild temperament remained unchanged. Her intimate knowledge of Kaido's fighting style made her an invaluable asset, but her personal vendetta against her father sometimes clouded her tactical judgment.

Luffy fixed her with a stern look, reaching out to firmly tap her on the shoulder with enough force to make her pause.

"Why are you always rushing headlong into things?" he admonished. "At least hear the battle plan before volunteering for a suicide mission."

Having been chastised, Yamato visibly reined in her eagerness, though her eyes still gleamed with fighting spirit. The kanabo—similar to her father's weapon of choice—remained clutched tightly in her hand.

Luffy decided not to delve into the complicated father-daughter dynamics at play; they had more pressing concerns. He turned to address his girls.

"Our original defense plan remains in effect," Luffy declared authoritatively. "Maintain heightened patrol schedules and remain vigilant for possible diversionary attacks on our secondary installations."

He moved to the large map of Wano displayed on the wall, pointing to specific locations as he continued. "The 1,500 elite Marines we've assembled will immediately deploy to Onigashima to reinforce our position there. Hina, Kalifa, and Alpha—take command of that contingent."

The named officers nodded in acknowledgment of their assignments.

"Flower Capital security falls to you, Kujaku and Ain," Luffy continued, marking the city on the map. "Ensure civilian evacuation protocols are ready to implement if necessary."

He turned to address two additional officers. "Nami and Olivia—proceed immediately to Egghead Island. Coordinate with Robin, Sentomaru, and Dr. Vegapunk. We may need their technical support before this is over. Maintain constant communication via encrypted Den Den Mushi."

Nami nodde.

"Finally," Luffy concluded, "Hancock, Gion, and myself will intercept Kaido directly. We must take the offensive and prevent him from getting anywhere near Wano Country's main islands!"

The assembled officers dispersed to their assignments with military efficiency, a far cry from the chaotic but effective teamwork they had once displayed as pirates. Under Luffy's leadership, they had evolved into a formidable fighting force that seamlessly blended pirate adaptability with Marine discipline.

Meanwhile, Kaido remained blissfully unaware that his approach had been detected from such an extraordinary distance.

Soaring 7,000 meters above the White Sea, he had been exercising considerable caution. When he reached approximately 500 kilometers from Wano's borders, he transformed from his dragon form back to his humanoid appearance to reduce the risk of detection.

Clutching a Den Den Mushi in his massive hand, Kaido entered a cloud-house he had created using his Flame Clouds ability—a portable command center suspended in the upper atmosphere.

After verifying that his black Den Den Mushi—a specialized model that blocked signals and prevented eavesdropping—was functioning properly, he initiated contact with the key orchestrator of the dual Emperors' alliance on the front battlefield.

"King," he rumbled into the receiver, "what's the current situation? Have you engaged Akainu yet?"

The Den Den Mushi buzzed briefly before King's measured response came through.

"Boss Kaido," his right-hand man reported, "everything is proceeding according to plan. We've successfully drawn Akainu's attention, but he hasn't launched an immediate attack. He appears to be waiting for reinforcements."

A satisfied smile spread across Kaido's scarred face. "Excellent. Maintain your current position and keep your distance from him. Alert me immediately when Kizaru arrives on the scene."

Kaido's excitement grew as he contemplated the carefully orchestrated strategy unfolding. Once Admiral Kizaru joined the Marine confrontation, Big Mom would reveal herself, drawing the full attention of the Marine leadership.

This would create the perfect opportunity for Kaido to strike Wano directly—or better yet, intercept and eliminate the young Vice Admiral who had humiliated him months earlier.

"When I appear behind the Marine lines," Kaido thought to himself, "Akainu and Kizaru will inevitably rush back to defend Wano. But by then, Big Mom will have fulfilled her part of our agreement."

With her "Iron Balloon" defensive abilities making her practically invulnerable to conventional attacks, Linlin could easily hold back Akainu, Kizaru, and even Garp if he appeared—at least for the half-day Kaido estimated he would need.

He felt absolute confidence in his ability to deal with the "little Marine brat" this time. The prospect of eliminating such a significant threat improved his mood considerably, prompting him to make an impulsive promise to King.

"Listen, King," he declared, "once I kill that upstart, I'll secure the design schematics for those 'computer' devices they're manufacturing. I'll give you the entire Company as your wedding gift!"

King's response was characteristically restrained, but Kaido could sense his first mate's appreciation for the gesture. Despite his reluctance regarding the arranged marriage, King had always understood sacrifice for the greater good of their crew.

After exchanging a few more words of encouragement, Kaido terminated the connection.

Having stowed the Den Den Mushi safely away, he surveyed the vast expanse of white clouds surrounding his floating sanctuary. Feeling no immediate urgency, Kaido settled comfortably into the main seat of his cloud-house.

He retrieved his treasured gourd of sake and helped himself to the food he had prepared in advance. Eating and drinking contentedly, he focused on maintaining his optimal condition for the coming battle.

More than half an hour passed in this manner. During this time, Kaido contacted King twice more to receive situation updates. Upon learning that Kizaru had indeed appeared near the battlefield, Kaido prepared to launch his surprise attack on Wano the moment the two sides officially engaged in combat.

What he hadn't anticipated, however, was that while he sat eating and drinking, patiently awaiting his moment to strike, his intended target had already located him.

Sizzle... BOOM!

A sudden thunderclap outside the cloud-house caused Kaido to pause mid-bite, barbecued meat hovering inches from his mouth. His eyes narrowed with suspicion as he glanced toward the small window.

"Thunder?" he muttered, his instincts immediately on alert. "This feels... ominous. Reminiscent of that little devil's ability."

After voicing this concern, Kaido tried to dismiss the coincidence. He returned his attention to his meal, raising the skewer of meat to continue eating.