In the original story, Luffy loudly declared his desire to board Shanks's pirate ship and become a pirate. But the current Luffy hadn't said such things. His wish to board the ship now was merely to express his desire to see the outside world.
It was a request to go on a journey, more like tourism.
Even so, after pondering for a few seconds, Shanks still refused Luffy's request.
"We're pirates, Luffy. Boarding a pirate ship isn't something to be taken lightly."
"Exactly! We are pirates!" Uta chimed in with a grin.
"Could it be that Luffy can't bear to see us go and wants to stay by our side?" Uta covered her mouth, giggling beside Shanks.
If this weren't the world where "Shanks is Uta's dad," I'd be happy to stay in Windmill Village.
Luffy thought to himself.
At this moment, Uta didn't have any Devil Fruit abilities; she hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit yet.
After all, she had saved him from the water not long ago, and he vaguely remembered in the original story that Uta complained to Shanks about Luffy jumping off a cliff with her to compete.
If Uta were a Devil Fruit user now, she'd be a landlubber.
Most likely, Uta would eat a Devil Fruit in Elegia, the Music Kingdom, and awaken the Demon King's song, thereby destroying Elegia.
Instead of trying to stop Uta in the future, it would be better to nip the disaster in the bud.
Besides, Windmill Village was indeed quite boring; he was tired of staying there.
It would be better to sneak onto Shanks's ship and go out for a bit.
Shanks wasn't yet an Emperor of the Sea, but his strength was reliable. He had returned to Windmill Village more than once or twice.
So staying by Shanks's side was a very safe travel plan.
Unfortunately, Shanks still refused Luffy's request to join his crew.
Looks like he'll have to sneak onto the ship.
Luffy pondered when he should secretly board the ship. Uta felt a bit reluctant to leave.
She never expected to find someone as interesting and fun as Luffy on this remote, desolate island with nothing to offer. Moreover, he was the first peer she had known for a longer period. She felt a mix of emotions as she sipped her juice and watched the boy beside Shanks.
"Uta, why don't you sing for us? We haven't heard you sing in a long time!"
Some pirates noticed Uta's reluctance and egged her on to sing.
Luffy looked over at Uta. He hadn't heard her sing yet. The only singing competition they had ended with him deliberately singing off-key to make her lose.
She had been so put off by his terrible singing that she quit the competition.
"Since you all want to hear..."
Seeing Luffy looking her way, Uta's cheeks turned rosy, and she became a bit bashful.
Is Uta's singing really that good?
Luffy was skeptical. After all, when he watched the movie where Shanks is Uta's dad, he was immune to the music, feeling it wasn't as good as "Binks' Sake."
"Alright, I'll oblige you all," Uta said shyly as she stood up. Soon, she shook off her embarrassment.
She genuinely loved music.
Having seen the world, she wouldn't shy away from expressing herself due to a bit of stage fright.
After all, she was the princess and the beloved of the Red-Haired Pirates.
Seeing Uta ready to sing, the pirates sprang into action. They moved the chairs in the tavern aside, lifted Luffy onto a table, and placed two tables together in the center of the room.
The pirates' actions were chaotic yet orderly, their hurried footsteps matching a certain rhythm.
Uta closed her eyes, naturally extending her hands to both sides. Two pirates, one plump and one lean, held her hands and lifted her into the air.
In a floating posture, Uta was brought onto the tables. Beckman placed a white sheet of paper in the center, and Uta stepped onto it.
These pirates are really top-notch at indulging Uta...
Luffy was impressed by the pirates' theatrics.
"At this moment, flowers bloom, and applause thunders..."
Standing on the table, Uta imagined that her stage wasn't a cramped countryside tavern but a grand music hall in a bustling city.
Spotlights shone upon her, and the audience roared with excitement...
Following Uta's cue, the pirates began to applaud. They eagerly awaited her performance, making Luffy question his life choices. No wonder she's a musical prodigy—the fanfare was real.
Uta constructed her imaginary stage in her mind before opening her eyes. She scanned the audience and finally locked eyes with her peer.
"Although we've only known each other for a week... I'm glad to have met you. This song symbolizes our friendship. Next time we meet, you must become stronger..."
With that, Uta began to sing.
As for how the song was, Luffy wasn't sure. Uta's voice was indeed pleasant; a girl's voice could hardly be unpleasant.
As he listened, Luffy began to feel sleepy. After all, it was an a cappella performance. Even with a sweet voice, it was just so-so. Music often relies on accompaniment; with a good backing track, even songs with nonsensical lyrics can be enjoyable.
Hmm... Luffy suddenly thought that if Uta performed a song full of energetic insults, he might actually perk up.
Uta was completely immersed in her singing and didn't notice that Luffy was using her performance as a lullaby.
Smack!
Suddenly, Luffy was awakened by a newspaper hitting him. He saw Uta standing angrily in front of him, hands on her hips, clutching a newspaper.
"Luffy, you're such an idiot!"
Uta threw the newspaper at his face and stormed out of the tavern in a huff.
Uh-oh, I fell asleep listening to her song!
Luffy scratched his head as the other pirates gave him sympathetic looks.
Guess I need to apologize...
He thought.
After all, if he wanted to stow away on Shanks's ship, he'd need Uta's help to cover for him.
"Uta!"
With that in mind, Luffy hurried after her.
Hearing Luffy chasing her, Uta ran even faster.
She dashed toward the seaside under the moonlight, climbed the stairs onto the ship, ran to her room, and locked the door.
Luffy was faster and reacted quickly, following her onto Shanks's pirate ship.
"Uta, please open the door!"
Deliberately arriving a bit late, Luffy found himself blocked outside her door.
"Luffy, you're such a jerk! How could you fall asleep during my song? Don't you know I wrote that song especially for you!"
Uta shouted angrily through the door, berating him.
"That was my highest compliment to your singing!"
Luffy's brain went into overdrive, trying hard to justify his actions.
"Huh? That's clearly disrespectful!"
"Who falls asleep at a concert!"
Uta shouted in frustration.
"Uta, please open the door and let me explain!"
The sound of waves crashing echoed around them. Luffy yawned; this was usually the time he went to bed.
He had a good habit of exhausting his energy during the day and going to sleep when the moon rose, all to ensure he grew taller.
So he was quite sleepy now, especially after listening to a lullaby.
With the sound of the door unlocking, Uta decided to give him a chance to explain. She opened the door slightly, standing in the gap, her lips pouting and her purple eyes staring at him:
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"The highest praise for music is when it can lull someone to sleep. Listen, isn't the sound of the waves soothing? Isn't it the best music to fall asleep to?"
"Your performance didn't have any heavy metal accompaniment; it was entirely a cappella. That's why I fell asleep listening to your voice. If possible, I'd love to fall asleep to your singing every night..."
Luffy concocted a bunch of excuses, growing more enthusiastic as he spoke:
"Please believe me; I absolutely didn't think your singing was bad... Uta, from your song, I realized you're a girl who could be like a mother to me!"
Luffy said earnestly, "Only a mother's song can make someone let down all their defenses and sleep peacefully!"
"Eh?"
Uta felt that the more Luffy spoke, the more outrageous it became. When she heard him say she could be like his mother, she couldn't hold back any longer.
This kind of compliment was just too bizarre. Uta couldn't tell whether he was praising her or making fun of her.
Blushing, Uta opened the door wider, waving her arms as she playfully hit him with her small fists. "Luffy, stop saying weird things! Talking about being a mother is just too much..."
"I'm telling the truth!"
Luffy said seriously:
"I grew up with my grandpa. I only read in the newspaper that mothers can sing songs that help children fall asleep quickly. I think your voice is just like that, Uta."
This was partly true.
Luffy indeed hadn't met his parents; it was Garp who raised him. Garp hadn't even told him his father's name.
It was only thanks to his reincarnated knowledge that he knew his father was involved with the Revolutionary Army.
By now, his father might have defected from the Marines and become a forbidden name.
"Is that so? That's called a lullaby, you dummy!"
It was the first time Uta heard about Luffy's background. Feeling they had something in common—she too grew up without knowing her parents, raised by Shanks who had found her in a treasure chest—she felt a pang of sympathy.
In the world of pirates, treasure chests often contained children.
Their similar backgrounds made Uta sympathetic toward Luffy. "Since you put it that way, I'll forgive you!"
Luffy's eyes gleamed. He looked at the moonlight outside, and taking advantage of Uta's softened mood, he stepped into her room and looked at her earnestly.
"Please, Uta, I want to fall asleep listening to a lullaby, just this once!"
Luffy clasped his hands together, bowing his head as he pleaded.
"This is my one and only request!"
"…"
"A lullaby... I've never sung one before..."
Uta glanced around nervously, her face flushing as she clutched her white dress. She never expected Luffy to ask her to sing a lullaby.
Meanwhile, Luffy had already laid down on the bed. Sleepiness, accompanied by the sound of the waves, washed over him in waves.
"I'll give it a try, just this once..."
Uta's words grew faint as Luffy vaguely heard her humming something.
---
Author's Note: Since I didn't notice the conversation between the Pirat
e King and Luffy, Uta currently doesn't have her Devil Fruit abilities. This is my oversight, but it's not a big issue. She'll gain her powers later, perhaps in an alternate storyline... After all, it can't be changed now.