"Luffy, when you're learning something, you need to focus, or you won't even be able to read a newspaper!" Uta scolded, pulling at Luffy's cheeks.
"Ouch, ouch!" Luffy rubbed his face, missing his rubber immunity to pain.
"Uta, are you sleepy?" he asked, changing the subject.
Confused, she tilted her head. "Not really."
"Okay, but let me know if you get tired and want to nap!" Luffy said with a serious expression.
"Why?" Uta asked, genuinely puzzled.
"I want to practice my Conqueror's Haki!" Luffy declared, full of excitement. "Think about it—I have this awesome power, but I barely get to use it! I need practice if I'm ever going to control it."
After a moment, Uta understood. She realized that, on this ship, she was likely the only one still affected by Luffy's Haki. If she wanted to sleep, his Haki would actually help put her to sleep faster—a unique side effect that didn't impact the crew.
"Luffy, you're so sneaky!" Uta huffed, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.
"I can't help it! I really need to practice!" Luffy said, rolling around on the floor beside her.
With a sigh, Uta glanced down at him, thinking back to their encounter with the bandits. "So, you used your Conqueror's Haki back then, right?" Her voice softened as she pieced together memories of that incident. She vaguely remembered the confrontation, and then everything went dark—until she woke up safely in bed the next morning.
"Yup! Then Shanks came and took care of the rest," Luffy said, smiling proudly.
"Ah… I see," Uta murmured, feeling a pang of admiration. She'd always thought of herself as the older sister, but Luffy had protected her when it mattered most. Maybe that was why, for the first time, she found herself curious about Conqueror's Haki.
After a moment, she sighed. "Fine. If it helps you learn, I'll go to sleep."
Grinning, Luffy leaped to his feet, his Haki flaring to life the moment Uta was under the covers. A faint gust of wind swept across the ship.
"Did someone use Conqueror's Haki?" The Red-Haired Pirates scrambled in confusion, soon finding a very satisfied-looking Luffy.
"Luffy, didn't we agree not to use that until you could control it?" Shanks said, picking him up.
"Don't worry, Shanks! Uta was already getting ready for bed, so I figured it wouldn't hurt," Luffy said, proudly defending his plan.
"Hey, look at that! A bunch of fish got stunned by the Haki!" one of the pirates shouted, noticing a cluster of floating fish on the darkened sea surface.
"Let's get the nets!" The crew eagerly prepared to scoop up the stunned fish, excited by this unexpected Haki-powered fishing method.
---
The next morning, Uta woke up to find Luffy sitting by her bedside, waiting.
"Why are you here?" she muttered, blinking sleepily.
"Good morning, Uta! Are you ready to go back to sleep?" Luffy asked eagerly.
Uta's eyes narrowed. She remembered last night clearly now—being lulled to sleep by Luffy's Haki.
"Let me guess, you just want another excuse to practice!" She thumped him on the head with her fist. "Now get out! I need to change!"
---
As the crew gathered for breakfast, Uta turned to Beckman. "Beckman, can you teach me to use Haki?"
Beckman raised an eyebrow. "What's brought this on?" He knew Uta well—she was typically uninterested in combat skills.
"I just… want to be able to defend myself, that's all," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Beckman glanced between her and Luffy, suspecting the latter had something to do with her newfound interest. Nevertheless, he decided to give her an overview.
"Haki is a potential power everyone has. It's tied to things like spirit, determination, and the will to fight. But even though everyone has it, most people live their entire lives without ever using it."
He went on to explain the two main types: Observation Haki, which heightens the senses and lets you sense opponents beyond your field of vision, and Armament Haki, which acts like an invisible armor, enhancing both offense and defense.
Luffy listened intently, eager to learn everything about Haki. Beckman explained that mastering these abilities was often the result of years of physical training. Many great fighters had unknowingly tapped into Haki in their quests for strength, and over time, they refined it.
After breakfast, Luffy resumed his training routine—physical exercise followed by target practice in the shooting range. Uta, meanwhile, found herself frustrated. She tried to clear her mind and focus on her inner energy, but she came up with nothing.
"Luffy, do you think… I might be a little slow?" she asked, slumping in the doorway of the shooting range, listening to his gunshots echo.
"Why would you think that?" Luffy asked, pausing to give her a puzzled look.
"Because I can't win at games, I'm helpless in dangerous situations, and now I can't even sense Haki…" She buried her face in her arms, feeling disheartened.
Luffy scratched his head, puzzled by her concerns. In his mind, none of these things mattered. Losing a game didn't make someone slow, and as for Haki, most pirates in the first half of the Grand Line hadn't even heard of it. For her, the journey was
just beginning.
"Uta, you're not slow. It just takes time," Luffy said simply.