Luffy and Uta sat side by side on the bed, with Luffy staring intently at Uta's rabbit-eared hairstyle, lost in thought.
"Why are we sitting on the bed?" he wondered, before finally realizing that he'd deliberately asked to be in the dream realm.
"So, this is the dream world?" Luffy mused, observing his surroundings. "It's such a strange feeling, almost like reality."
To test it, he jumped up and down, feeling the weight of his body as it moved. He punched a wall, shattering it, and watched the debris scatter as if he were truly in the physical world.
Uta swung her legs back and forth, watching Luffy in amusement. "This is a dream world, but everything feels so real. Usually, dreams are supposed to be boundless and illogical, but here, everything seems solid."
"That's because I'm the one in control of this world," Uta said with a proud grin.
"How long can we stay here?" Luffy asked, fascinated.
"The sense of time here lasts about twenty minutes, though it doesn't match the flow of time outside," Uta explained. "We could spend twenty minutes here, but in the real world, it might just be an instant. Or, I could adjust it to match real-time—but that would take more energy, and I've got class later."
"This is…so cool!" Luffy exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "It's like a pirate version of Tsukuyomi!"
Luffy thought about what could be causing this phenomenon, but he dismissed his curiosity. After all, he didn't have these powers—best to just go with the flow.
"Alright, time for some training!"
Luffy jumped onto the window ledge and leaped down, his body floating gracefully like a feather to the ground.
"This place really does match reality!" he marveled as he felt the power of his Paper Art technique, his body light as air.
"What's the point of training here? Your body is still back in the real world, sleeping," Uta remarked, floating down beside him, perplexed.
"It's more about understanding than anything else—kind of like mental training," Luffy responded.
He began practicing the balance between light and heavy movements, switching between Iron Body and Paper Art, hardening his limbs one moment and lightening them the next.
Uta, observing him, rested her chin on her hands. "I don't get it," she muttered, crouching by the grass. She pulled out her music book and instrument, plucking a few strings to create a gentle background melody for his training.
Back in reality, Uta yawned, scooted closer to Luffy, and fell asleep beside him, her breathing slow and steady.
---
Luffy opened his eyes, his body aching. Looking at the sleeping Uta, he took a moment to let his memories from the dream world flood back to him.
"It worked!" he thought, noticing how his understanding of Iron Body and Paper Art had advanced.
He glanced at Uta and the clock nearby. "I'll let her sleep a bit longer," he decided. After all, she'd used her powers for him, so he'd let her rest before her lesson.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off again.
---
Later, Uta woke with a start, her eyes darting to the clock. "Oh no, I'm going to be late for class!"
With a guilty glance at Luffy, who was still fast asleep, she muttered, "Luffy, I'm never using my powers on you at noon again!" With a quick nudge to turn him over, she sighed in relief and hurriedly fixed her clothes before racing off to the palace.
"Sorry, King Gordon! I overslept!" she stammered, her voice tinged with guilt.
Gordon merely chuckled. "It's alright, Uta. Young girls need their rest—it's good for growing strong and healthy." He was patient with Uta, especially given her talent, her cuteness, and the fact that her father was a pirate.
He held high hopes that Uta, with her magical voice, would become the greatest musician and bring fame to Elegia.
---
As soon as Uta was gone, Luffy awoke, stretching leisurely. He looked out the window, then leaped down from it.
Catching the breeze, he used his weight-shifting technique to glide through the air.
"It worked! My dream training worked!"
"I'm flying!" he laughed, spinning in the air. Like an eagle, he soared over the landscape, swooping down and pulling up again, his joy boundless.
Though he wasn't truly flying, he used his weight adjustment to mimic the movements, much like a condor riding air currents.
After a few minutes, Luffy's arms grew tired. "I'd better find Uta now and learn something quieter, like drawing."
He wandered through the castle and soon spotted Uta through a window. Surrounded by seven or eight instructors, she sat at a piano, with various expensive instruments scattered nearby.
Standing beside her was King Gordon himself, an imposing figure whose presence was even more surreal up close.
Luffy adjusted his path and floated down to the window, noticing that Uta was stifling a yawn.
"Learning so many instruments must be exhausting," he murmured, watching her.
After a few minutes, Uta got up to open a window, taking in the fresh air with a deep, satisfied breath. She looked out over the gardens and forest, her gaze resting on some of the pirates lounging around the palace grounds, laughing and chatting.
"Such a carefree life…" Uta mused, a smile tugging at her lips.
"U—TA!" Luffy suddenly shouted, popping up beside her.
Startled, Uta jumped back, landing hard on the floor, tears welling in her eyes from the shock and pain.
"LU—FFY!" she growled, clenching her teeth.
"I came to study with you!" Luffy grinned, looking all too pleased with himself for his little prank.
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!