"What do you mean you're going to Mariejois?" Nami demanded, her voice rising with concern. She hurried toward the entrance where Luffy was preparing to depart. "Wasn't that scheduled for tomorrow?"

Luffy shrugged nonchalantly as he adjusted the collar of his Marine coat. "Plans change. I received a message from Sengoku while I was out—the Five Elders have requested my presence earlier than anticipated."

"Will you be going alone?" Hina inquired, her normally stoic expression betraying a hint of concern.

Luffy nodded. "For this particular occasion, yes. It's customary for admiral candidates to appear before the Five Elders unaccompanied. Shows strength of character, or so they claim."

He paused, noticing their growing unease, and his expression softened. "Come now, why the long faces? This is a formality—a necessary step toward my promotion. I'll be back before you know it."

"You'd better be," Nami warned, crossing her arms. "We had plans for tomorrow."

"And those plans remain unchanged," Luffy assured her, reaching out to gently tap her nose. "I'll complete this business quickly and return. The Five Elders may control much of the world, but they don't control my schedule—not entirely, anyway."

His confident demeanor seemed to alleviate some of their concerns, though not all.

"Should we prepare anything for your journey?" Ain asked practically.

Luffy considered for a moment. "Actually, yes. Kalifa, could you prepare a small briefcase with the relevant documents we discussed last week? The ones regarding our organizational structure and expansion proposals."

Kalifa nodded sharply. "I'll have them ready in five minutes."

As she hurried off to gather the materials, Luffy addressed the others again. "While I'm away, continue with your assignments as planned. This is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our position within the Marines."

He lowered his voice slightly, his expression growing more serious. "Remember—we're building something important here. Every talented individual you recruit, every connection you strengthen, brings us one step closer to our ultimate goal."

The women nodded in understanding, their earlier lethargy replaced by newfound purpose.

Kujaku approached with a small package wrapped in cloth. "I prepared this earlier—some provisions for your journey. I know how you get when you're hungry."

Luffy accepted the package with genuine appreciation. "Always thinking ahead—thank you."

Kalifa returned promptly with a sleek, black briefcase. "All the documents are organized as requested, with additional copies should they be required."

"Perfect," Luffy nodded, taking the case. "I knew I could count on you."

With his preparations complete, Luffy moved toward the door once more, but hesitated, turning back to address them one final time.

"One more thing—while I'm gone, continue your training regimens without exception. I expect progress reports when I return."

Despite the authoritative tone, his eyes twinkled with good humor. "And perhaps try to improve your gaming strategies as well. That performance earlier was embarrassing."

This elicited a mixture of indignant protests and reluctant laughter from the group.

As Luffy finally stepped outside, Gion—now properly dressed in her Vice Admiral uniform—called after him.

"Give my regards to the old men! Tell them if they need someone to replace you when you inevitably say something inappropriate, I'm available!"

Luffy's laughter echoed back as he departed. "I'll be sure to mention it!"

The women watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from view, the weight of his unexpected journey settling over them.

"Well," Nami said finally, breaking the silence, "you heard the man. We have work to do."

Ain nodded in agreement. "Let's divide into our assigned groups and begin immediately. The sooner we accomplish our tasks, the better prepared we'll be for his return."

As they dispersed to their respective duties, Yamato lingered momentarily, her gaze still fixed on the empty doorway.

"Mariejois," she murmured thoughtfully. "I wonder what those Five Elders really want with him..."

"Nothing good, most likely," Olivia replied quietly, appearing beside her. "But if anyone can handle them, it's Luffy."

Yamato's expression brightened slightly. "You're right about that. Come on—I have ten thousand Thunder Baguas to practice."