"You think you can pretend to be Luffy?!" the swordswoman snapped, her anger boiling over.
With swift, precise strikes, she swung her sword at the bird.
"Ah!" Luffy sighed. She just wouldn't believe him, no matter what he said. He maneuvered the colorful bird out of harm's way, dodging as fast as its little body could manage.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Three attacks in rapid succession missed as the tiny bird fluttered out of reach.
"What?" The swordswoman was baffled. How could a mere bird dodge her attacks so effortlessly? It was beyond belief. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she began to feel like the bird was mocking her.
"Why, you—!" Her fury exploded, her aura flaring, sending a wave of pressure that even Luffy's controlled bird found hard to withstand.
"Ah!" Luffy sighed again, realizing the limits of the bird's strength. No matter how skilled he was at maneuvering it, there was only so much this little creature could handle.
With a loud snap, the bird was struck down, feathers scattered across the floor.
"Haha!" The swordswoman chuckled, pleased. "You dared to impersonate Luffy-sama? My Luffy would never be a bird!" she declared with a huff of satisfaction.
Luffy shook his head. He needed another plan, fast. If he didn't act, his precious barbecue spices would go to waste! And judging by the fire, the meat was almost done—any more delay, and it would be overcooked without the seasoning he wanted.
"Think, think…" Luffy muttered, frustration mounting. Suddenly, an idea struck him, bright as lightning.
"Ha!" he laughed aloud. "I really am a genius! Absolute brilliance!"
Feeling confident, Luffy quickly possessed several more birds, sending them to higher perches out of reach of the swordswoman's blade. This time, each bird called out in unison.
"Ladies! Why are you attacking me?"
The voices stopped everyone in their tracks. That tone, that attitude—it was unmistakably Luffy's voice. But coming from several birds at once? The girls couldn't believe their ears.
"I am Luffy-sama!" the birds chorused. "I'm your handsome Luffy!"
The swordswoman's expression twisted in confusion. "What… what's going on? How can these birds… sound just like Luffy-sama?"
The birds continued, speaking with Luffy's own endearing familiarity.
"Yes, it's me! Your heartthrob! Your baby! The one and only Luffy!" The words sounded so cheesy, but Luffy couldn't help it—that was genuinely how they all referred to each other after so much time together, a kind of bond deepened by shared adventures and affection.
"Don't kill me, alright?" the birds pleaded in unison. "I'm here for the spices! I sent these birds to help!"
The simplicity and sincerity of the words seemed to finally hit home. The women looked at each other, beginning to believe it was truly Luffy speaking through the birds.
But the swordswoman squinted suspiciously. "Ladies, don't fall for it so easily!" she warned. "Earlier, I ran into a similar creature. It spoke like a person, even tried to mimic someone close to me. These things are cunning!"
She glanced warily at the birds. "And we still don't know why they're stealing the spices. I'm telling you, it can't be anything good."
The swordswoman, deeply moved, raised her weapon high and declared, "We swear to protect Lord Luffy's spices with our lives!"
Her words ignited a fiery passion in everyone. In an instant, they lifted their weapons, ready to strike down any bird in sight.
"Ah," Luffy sighed, shaking his head. He didn't seem worried. In fact, he'd anticipated just this reaction. With a big, knowing smile, Luffy spoke up.
"Lori!" he called, addressing one of the girls. "You love your tight clothes, don't you? And there's that adorable little red mark on your thigh."
He turned to the next. "Amy! You're a fan of sundresses. Remember the little scratch you got on your shoulder a while back? That was from me."
Luffy's casual tone as he revealed these little details stunned them. One by one, the women froze, their faces going pale as though they'd seen a ghost.
"What…?" the archer's face flushed crimson, especially since Luffy had just let slip one of her little secrets, leaving her speechless.
Finally, Luffy looked at the swordswoman. "And as for you… your reach is impressive, you know."
It was a simple, clean statement—one that only the swordswoman could fully understand. Her face turned pink, followed by her button nose. She was shocked beyond belief.
"How… how could you know that?" She wanted to say more, but the words caught in her throat. Most of those things were private, things no one but Luffy could possibly know.
"Well?" Luffy laughed, his voice carrying a playful note. "Do you believe me now? I am your Luffy. Why would you try to cut me down?"
At last, the group began to relax, their doubt fading. Lori, still curious, asked, "But… Lord Luffy! How did you become a little bird? How did you even manage this?"
The others nodded, their curiosity piqued.
"Oh, it's nothing really," Luffy said with a shrug. "Just a small trick. Hard to explain in a sentence or two… we'll talk more later. Nothing too complicated."
The women nodded, ready to help. Once the spices were prepared, they carefully loaded them onto the birds, tying some to their heads, others to their talons—positioning them based on each bird's size and shape.
"By the way!" the swordswoman added suddenly. "Lord Luffy! We can help carry these back. It'd be faster that way."
But Luffy waved her off, saying, "The birds are faster. Besides… have you all forgotten something?"
He raised an eyebrow at them.
"I left you all with some homework. How's it coming along?"
The women exchanged guilty looks, faces reddening slightly. They hadn't exactly… kept up.
Luffy sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "You all… just can't stay focused, can you? That training is important for your growth!"
The girls nodded quickly, eager to reassure him. "Yes, yes, we'll work on it!" they promised. "It's just… that assignment is a bit tricky. And some of the moves feel, well… awkward."
Luffy chuckled. "That's exactly the point! Those moves are key to your training." He grinned. "I call it the Squat Dance!"
The women nodded in understanding. Luffy's unique training method involved a dance of quick squats, a continuous cycle of dropping low and rising again—essentially, a series of deep squats.
They finally realized it was, indeed, a "Squat Dance" as he called it. No wonder it felt so intense!
The training was tough, and the swordswoman couldn't help but complain.
"Lord Luffy!" she called out, "My legs are so sore from this! It's exhausting. And I have the best stamina out of all of us—if I'm struggling, the others must be having an even harder time!"
Luffy chuckled. "Oh, it's nothing. Just keep practicing. It's really not that complicated. Besides…" He paused for effect, "Doing several dozen squats per minute is just passing the test. But doing over a hundred? Now that's excellent. Think you can manage it?"
The women exchanged looks of disbelief. The swordswoman finally replied, "Lord Luffy, to be honest… I'm the only one who can get to sixty squats a minute. The others… it's tough for them."
Luffy simply nodded. "Don't worry about it. You've only just started. Take your time and keep practicing—you'll all get there eventually. I have full confidence in you." He added with a smile, "Once you master it, training will be even more fun."
The women considered his words, then nodded in agreement. Luffy was always right. He'd never steer them wrong. They just had to trust his process.
The swordswoman responded with renewed determination. "Understood, Lord Luffy! I'll lead the others and make sure we all improve in your Squat Dance. We'll all pass, no matter what it takes."
Her words were filled with loyalty and love. Luffy nodded. "Good! I believe in all of you. Now, I have to get back—I've got a barbecue to finish."
As he took his leave, the birds, still carrying the spices, flew off with him. Luffy released his control, and the birds returned to their simple state, chirping freely.
In the forest clearing, Luffy sat down with his meal, savoring the taste of the perfectly grilled meat. "Mmm!" he said with satisfaction. "Not bad! This is even better than most of what I had in my past life."
The flavors of the meat and spices were beyond compare. The meat was from top-tier beasts like tigers and lions—packed with protein and nutrients, and the spices were gifts from the Empress, courtesy of his lovely friends. Though the seasonings were slightly different from what he was used to, they were every bit as rich, if not better.
Luffy laughed, living in the moment. Who wouldn't envy this kind of life? he thought, Who wouldn't be jealous?
"If it were me, and I saw someone else living like this," he mused with a grin, "I'd be jealous as hell!"
But those thoughts didn't matter—right now, he was living the dream, enjoying the best of everything.
He picked up the pace, devouring the food at incredible speed. He barely needed to chew, as his body seemed to digest it instantly. With each bite, his left arm, still recovering from the injury, healed a bit faster.
"Excellent! This is amazing!" Luffy marveled, feeling the nourishment course through him, speeding up his recovery and infusing him with strength. He laughed heartily, feeling on top of the world.
The feast of meat might take a while to finish, but Luffy had all the time he needed.
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T/N:
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