And it all began with the "Gum-Gum Fruit," which housed Joy Boy's consciousness.
A powerful Devil Fruit user's consciousness could linger after his death, or rather, influence the demon represented by his Devil Fruit.
It could even raise a Devil Fruit's upper limits, though such cases were rare.
Devil Fruits were products of belief, or manifestations of reality itself.
They were not immutable.
Hades did not want certain things to change, even though the situation at sea had already changed beyond recognition from what he remembered.
Roger's son, Ace, was now in the Holy Light Empire.
Would the future "Red Hair" Shanks still bring that fateful Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika to Windmill Village and meet Luffy?
The person "Red Hair" Shanks had originally intended to find was Ace. That was certain, since Ace was his captain's son, but a chance encounter had brought him together with Garp's grandson instead.
Then, through another twist of fate, Luffy had eaten that Devil Fruit.
Shanks would have avoided Garp's hometown at all costs. Now, there was no reason for him to visit the outskirts of a remote small kingdom in the East Blue.
Because Ace was not there.
Even if he went looking, he would head to the South Blue.
But Hades wanted Luffy to eat the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika.
That was the course of events he knew, and it would help him avoid unnecessary variables.
Likewise, Luffy's background alone made him immensely useful. One move involving him could set everything in motion, drawing in far too many factions.
The Revolutionary Army, Marine Vice Admiral Garp, a future Sea Emperor, and even the Roger Pirates.
What if he were the one facing execution in the future Summit War? What a spectacle that would be.
History needed correcting.
Ace was not important. What