"Luffy, are we there yet?"
Uta was panting as she struggled to keep up with Luffy. She was, after all, just a little girl and couldn't match the stamina of someone like Luffy, who had been training consciously since he was young. In no time, she was out of breath.
"We're almost there."
Luffy walked with a spring in his step. His body's natural abilities far exceeded his expectations. Now that he'd awakened Conqueror's Haki at seven, it wouldn't be long before he could unlock Observation and Armament Haki.
I'll be even stronger than before!
Luffy thought about his future journey.
Uta wiped the sweat from her cheeks as Luffy finally slowed down. She watched him push open a heavy door, leading them into the dark interior of the windmill structure.
"Luffy, are you sure this is the 'awesome place' you wanted to show me?"
Uta looked around with distaste. The floor and stairways were covered in dust, and cobwebs hung in the air.
This place is disgusting. It's filthy.
"Hurry up!"
Luffy walked ahead confidently.
It's just a nine-year-old artistic girl, huh? Piece of cake!
Uta stood by a window in the windmill, looking out at the distant view. From there, she could see the entire island.
The Red-Haired Pirates' ship was docked by the shore, and the sun was setting slowly. This was the view Luffy had brought her to see—a sunset over the ocean.
For him, it was an ordinary spot. But for a music-loving songstress like Uta, it was pure romance.
It was a sight that stirred the soul, a masterpiece of nature that begged to be praised in song and verse.
"It's beautiful~" Uta was completely captivated by the view of the sunset, the ocean glowing golden in the fading light. She spun around in place, closing her purple eyes, savoring the beauty.
"This is my stage. From here, I'll change the world!"
Uta murmured her dream to change the world.
"I have a dream: to travel the world with Shanks, to write songs and bring happiness to the world with the best music and performances. I want to create a New Era!"
"What do you want to do, Luffy?"
"I want to protect the second dimension." Luffy flashed a grin, saying something that Uta didn't understand at all.
"What's the second dimension?"
"It's the world—I want to protect a beautiful world."
"Huh?"
Uta tilted her head, looking at the boy.
"Basically, I'll start by becoming a king."
He said this simply.
"I don't have a choice—I am Luffy, after all!"
Luffy stared at the sunset.
Uta originally planned to tease the little seven-year-old, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say a word.
This guy seems to have some strange charm.
When did this feeling start…? Hmm, maybe it was after I woke up from passing out?
Luffy stretched out his hand toward the setting sun, clenching it tightly as if he were capturing the sun.
Can I also capture a Pokémon, draw a Zanpakuto, harness chakra, and fuse with a Digimon to become a Super Saiyan?
Yes, I can.
After all, I'm the protagonist of a shonen manga—I'm King Luffy!
The sun's last rays bathed him in golden light, and Luffy relished the glow.
"Not mad at me anymore? Let's head back for dinner."
Luffy turned and began descending the stairs.
"Hmmph, I'll forgive you this time."
Uta followed him down the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the night.
As they walked through the dark forest, Uta felt a bit uneasy. "What are you looking at?"
She asked, her cheeks flushing slightly, though it was hidden by the night.
"I've been meaning to ask—is that thing on your ears really for listening to music?" Luffy tilted his head, looking curiously at the accessory on her ears.
"Huh? Headphones? No, it's just a headband."
Uta noticed Luffy's puzzled look and took it off to show him.
"Ohhh…"
"What are you two kids doing out here in the forest so late?"
Two adults, each carrying a blade, approached them from the back of the mountain, blocking their path.
These weren't pirates like the ones on Shanks' crew; they were bandits, the kind of ruffians who roamed the mountains and occasionally showed up in Windmill Village to buy liquor.
Uta frowned, her gaze darting toward the bandits and then back to the brightly lit village behind them.
She considered how far she'd need to run to call for help from Shanks and the others.
"This is none of your business, you small fry. Get lost."
Luffy crossed his arms and taunted the two bandits.
"Hey, Luffy, they're adults!" Uta tugged at his sleeve, eyeing the bandits' weapons warily.
Taunting adults wasn't the smartest thing for kids to do.
"You little brat! How dare you talk to us like that?"
The two bandits weren't notable figures, and they spitefully rolled up their sleeves, ready to teach Luffy a lesson.
Luffy's body tensed, his heartbeat quickening as adrenaline flooded his system, preparing him for battle.
Excitement… and that hidden wind within him…
Just as the bandit's fist was about to strike Luffy's face, a gust of wind erupted from him, blowing outward in all directions.
Conqueror's Haki swept over them, and both adults, as well as Uta, flipped their eyes back and fell unconscious.
Luffy reached out, catching Uta to keep her from hitting her head. The bandits, however, weren't so lucky; they collapsed onto the ground.
With this second time activating his Haki, Luffy felt he was beginning to understand its rhythm. His gaze turned to the two bandits lying on the ground.
He picked up the rusty blade one of them had dropped.
Dragging the blade across the grass, he stood over the helpless bandits.
"Hey, kid!"
Shanks had appeared at a distance, likely drawn by the burst of Conqueror's Haki.
Such an unrestrained release of power was like a beacon in the dark—a weak yet glaring signal.
"Do you know what you're about to do?"
Shanks' usual smile and gentle demeanor were gone as he stared intently at the boy dragging the blade.
Benn Beckman, dressed in a white shirt, stood behind Shanks, along with a few other pirates Luffy didn't know by name.
"I'm doing the right thing."
With a swing of his weapon, Luffy sliced through the bandit's skin, causing blood to spray forth.
Luffy knew that the world would be rid of two small-time villains.
At Beckman's signal, two pirates came over to collect the weapon and the bodies. Their journey would likely end somewhere in t
he vast ocean depths, or perhaps in the belly of the Sea King.
"Tch. Kids from even the weakest seas can't be underestimated," Shanks muttered to himself.