"What a variable."
In the Kronos Kingdom, Hades was astonished as he read the intelligence in his hands.
Garp's grandson, Luffy, was only five years old, yet he had already left Foosha Village. Garp had brought him to live at Marine Headquarters.
Barring any surprises, he would become a Marine rather than a pirate.
Of course, if he someday found himself unable to accept the Marines' ideals or the existence of the Celestial Dragons, just like his father, and ultimately left the Marines, that would be another matter.
Just like Roger's son Ace, Luffy's fate had veered far off course.
Ace had not been adopted by Garp and did not know his origins. He had a mother who loved him and had been raised under the Holy Light Empire's tutelage from childhood.
In the future, he would surely become a pillar of the Holy Light Empire's military might.
The same went for Luffy. Living in Marineford, he would hardly fall under Shanks's influence and set his heart on becoming the Pirate King at such a young age.
Without Luffy there, Shanks would not lose his arm either, creating a powerful closed loop.
Hades had intended to guide Luffy into eating the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika, then use Shanks to set him on the right path—the path of a pirate—and turn him into a pawn against the World Government.
Now, Hades's original plan had fallen apart.
Plans could never keep up with change.
Of course, Hades did not mind too much.
If the plan fell apart, so be it. It would not have much impact on the bigger picture.
With the World Government steadily weakening, it would not matter even if Nika never appeared.
As time passed, many of Hades's ideas continued to change. Now, for instance, he would not go