Luffy had always maintained good sleeping habits—at least in this world devoid of electronics, his routine was very healthy. His main motivation was his dissatisfaction with Luffy's original height.
In his previous life, he had been much taller, and here in the world of One Piece, height often exceeded three meters in many cases. He at least hoped to grow to 1.8 meters tall.
So, he quickly fell asleep, knowing well that good sleep was essential for growth.
Yawning, Uta continued singing the lullaby. Seeing how peacefully Luffy slept, she too began to feel drowsy.
"Luffy's like a little kid… I should carry him back to his room…"
Uta tried to lift Luffy by placing her hands under his neck and knees, intending to carry him back to his own room.
But she quickly realized she wasn't strong enough, and after a few attempts, she gave up.
"Well, I'll just let him sleep here. Tomorrow morning, I'll tell him to get off the ship…"
She muttered to herself, removing Luffy's shoes and covering him with a blanket.
And so, the two kids lay on the same bed, sleeping soundly.
The sound of the waves gently rocked the large wooden sailboat, as if lulling the ship itself to sleep.
In the middle of the night, the pirates, having loaded up supplies, returned to the ship.
By morning, they'd set sail, leaving the island behind and heading toward their next destination.
Shanks, their captain, had a particular fondness for East Blue, so they often returned to this peaceful region to enjoy a bit of tranquility. However, once the battle for the throne of the sea began, they knew these quiet visits would become rare.
"Did Uta come back?" Shanks asked one of the crew members guarding the ship.
"Yes, she came back early. I think she's asleep by now. It's adorable, seeing the little spat between her and that kid Luffy…"
A pirate chuckled in response.
Shanks nodded slightly. "Kids should play with other kids. We'll set sail tomorrow morning and head to Elegia."
"Uta is nine now, and she's so passionate about music. Let's find her a music teacher there."
…
Luffy awoke with a start.
The room he was in wasn't his house in Windmill Village.
He could feel a gentle swaying, accompanied by the scent of incense in the air.
An open wardrobe revealed an array of beautiful clothes, and a table nearby held diamond necklaces and other accessories.
This was a girl's room.
The softness of the blanket told him exactly where he was.
Turning, Luffy saw the still-sleeping Uta beside him. Her two-toned red and white hair was spread across the pillow, her delicate white neck drawing his gaze.
Girls were soft and nice-smelling—she made a surprisingly comfortable pillow.
Even if he wasn't particularly interested in her musical talents, he had to admit she was perfect as a cuddle buddy.
He was already on the ship, so now he just had to hide until they set sail!
His plan started to take shape.
The question was, where to hide?
In the world of pirates, Observation and Armament Haki were considered active abilities. In the comfort of East Blue, few people on Shanks's crew would keep these skills activated for random checks of the ship.
And even in canon, it was evident that Observation Haki was unpredictable. Young Luffy had snuck aboard Shanks's ship once, though he eventually got caught. Sabo managed to infiltrate the Pangaea Castle without being detected until he revealed himself.
It was definitely feasible to hide and stay unnoticed.
Luffy carefully slid his hand from under Uta and prepared to hide under the bed.
"Hmm…"
Just as he was withdrawing his hand, he noticed Uta stirring. Like him, she was an early riser, full of energy, and sensitive to movement around her.
She was about to wake up.
Option 1: Wait for Uta to wake up and negotiate with her to cover for him.
Option 2: Trust no one, sneak out, and hide until they set sail.
Luffy cautiously lifted the blanket, intending to slip out and hide under the bed.
But before he could move, Uta, still half-asleep, stretched out a soft, pale hand, rubbing her eyes. Then, she snuggled back under the blanket and rolled onto Luffy.
She's waking up!
Luffy froze.
Still groggy, Uta slowly opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with a sleepy-looking boy.
"Luffy… you're awake."
"Mm-hmm..."
"...?"
As her mind cleared, she remembered that Luffy had fallen asleep in her room the night before.
"Oh, right, remember to get off the ship, Luffy. Shanks's ship usually sets sail around nine."
Uta yawned, seemingly unconcerned.
Luffy calculated that by his internal clock, it was still a couple of hours before nine.
He needed to find a way to pass the time. Sleeping was the easiest way to do that.
So, he slid back under the blanket, curling up next to Uta.
"It's cold outside. I'll just sleep a bit longer."
"Yeah, the temperature is cooler out at sea..." Uta mumbled.
The two of them drifted back into a light sleep for a while but eventually couldn't stay in bed any longer.
Stretching, Uta got out of bed. "Luffy, you usually get up early. Why are you still lying here?"
She pulled up the corner of the blanket, exposing Luffy to the cool morning air.
"Maybe it's just that your bed is extra comfy. Let me sleep a little longer!"
Luffy rolled around, fully embracing his young age as an excuse.
"You're already seven! It's embarrassing to be this lazy!"
Uta scolded, pouting.
"Fine, I'll be honest. I want to stow away on Shanks's ship and travel for a bit before heading back to Windmill Village."
Luffy decided to tell her the truth, hoping she'd help cover for him.
"No way! We're pirates, Luffy. Shanks would never let you stay on the ship. It's too dangerous! And what about your family..."
"My grandpa already agreed!" Luffy raised a thumb, signaling all was fine.
Garp frequently disappeared without notice and had mentioned going back to Marine Headquarters. In Luffy's eyes, this was practically permission to stow away on Shanks's ship for a bit.
"But Shanks hasn't agreed…"
"That's why I'll wait until we're already at sea. By then, Shanks won't have a choice," Luffy reasoned.
"Isn't that too risky…?"
"What, are you saying you don't think Shanks could even protect a kid like me?" Luffy challenged.
"My grandpa left me to grow up in a region overrun with bandits! Looks like he's stronger than Shanks after all."
"That's nonsense! Shanks is definitely the strongest! Fine, you can stay in my room and hide!" Uta said, clearly offended by the implic
ation that Garp might be stronger than her idolized Shanks.
In her mind, Shanks was unbeatable, and there was no way she would let Luffy insult him.