Luffy climbed through the window into the room, catching the attention of the king and ministers who knew him as one of the few children in Shanks' pirate crew. Rumor had it he liked drawing, though his talent was nowhere near Uta's.
"King Gordon, I'm here to learn how to draw! Just put the tuition on Shanks' tab." Luffy flashed a bright smile and gave a thumbs-up.
This time, he was determined to draw a perfect heart.
"Silly Luffy, with your drawing skills…" Uta chuckled, rubbing her sore backside, her mood visibly lifting.
"I'll give it my best! Don't underestimate the power of hard work! If I keep trying, I'll get there!" Luffy said, loosening up.
"Alright, let's teach them together," Gordon decided, noticing how happy Uta seemed with Luffy around.
The court artists, among the kingdom's top teachers, reluctantly agreed. Though they preferred instructing prodigies like Uta, one was chosen by lottery to teach Luffy the basics of drawing.
Luffy sat down on a small stool, holding his pencil steadily—his training had given him a firm hand. Meanwhile, faint music came from Uta's side of the room as she practiced.
In the spacious classroom, the two children had some of the kingdom's best artists and musicians as their teachers, each a master in their own right. As Luffy focused on his lesson, he quickly noticed that King Gordon was not only teaching music but was also guiding them through basic math concepts.
While simple math left Uta confused, it woke something in Luffy. It brought back memories of being a young kid facing school for the first time, and he found joy in the simple calculations.
To Gordon, he looked like a prodigy in mathematics, though it was unfortunate that Elegia wasn't known for math—he doubted he could teach Luffy much beyond the basics.
By evening, after a full day of studying, Uta staggered down the hall, her mind buzzing. "Why do we even have to learn math?" she whined, defeated.
"Uta, you're really bad with numbers!" Luffy teased, his laughter only fueling her frustration.
Especially after that surprise jump scare in the window earlier, Uta couldn't hold back. "Luffy, you look like you're having way too much fun!" she huffed, deciding it was time to show him who was boss.
She sang a quick tune, and Luffy immediately dropped into a deep sleep.
In the dream realm, Luffy found himself standing in a familiar-looking hallway, vaguely sensing something was amiss. The surroundings grew quiet.
"Luffy…" Uta's voice echoed, a mischievous smile spreading across her face in the dream.
"It's time for you to learn some respect for your big sister!"
In the real world, Uta grinned as she wrapped her arms around Luffy, trying to carry him back to his room. However, the sturdy boy was too heavy.
"I wish he'd just walk by himself," she muttered.
And, as if in response to her thought and her song, Luffy's sleeping body started moving on its own, following her while still fast asleep. His head drooped, and he stumbled forward like a sleepwalking zombie.
"Dream control even works like this?" Uta's eyes widened in amazement.
As long as her song continued, Luffy remained under her control, obediently following her into his room.
---
In the dream world, Luffy saw Uta standing nearby, her expression too innocent to be trusted. Realizing something was off, he frowned. "Wait… Uta, is this—?"
"Yes! This is my dream world!" Uta grinned, her voice filled with glee. "I'm in charge here!"
Two cuffs appeared in midair, snapping onto Luffy's wrists, followed by ropes that bound his arms and legs.
But Luffy easily broke free, grinning. "Those won't hold me!"
"Oh? How about these, then?"
Heavy chains materialized, binding his hands tightly.
"Call me 'Big Sister,' and I'll let you go!" Uta crowed, easily pinning him to the floor of the hallway.
She climbed onto his back, triumphant, as Luffy struggled beneath her. Try as he might, he couldn't break free.
Realizing his defeat, he gave in with a dramatic sigh. "Fine! I'm sorry, Uta. You win!"
Then, with a small pause, he added, "Big Sister Uta."
Uta's face lit up as Luffy, for the first time, called her "Big Sister." A strange, warm feeling spread through her, making her feel proud and happy in a way she hadn't expected.
"That's right! I'm Big Sister now!" She beamed, clenching her small fists in victory.
"Well… since you called me 'Big Sister,' I'll let you go." The chains vanished, and Uta got off him, a little bounce in her step as she giggled with satisfaction.
Luffy stretched, flexing his arms. He didn't feel any pain in the dream, which meant he could keep training. Since Uta was now his "big sister," he figured she'd watch over his real body.
He went into his dream room and found weights and other training gear, a projection of his real-life equipment. Uta's dream world was so close to reality that he felt like he could do real work here.
Then, he wondered, "If this dream is so close to reality, maybe the king's dungeon is here too, along with the Song Demon's forbidden sheet music…"
But he quickly dismissed the thought. All he needed to do was make sure Uta didn't sing that piece; the rest was up to the adults.
In the real world, Uta lay on the floor, rolling around playfully. She wouldn't do this in reality—her dress would get dirty—but here in the dream, anything was fair game.
The possibilities in the dream realm thrilled her. Suddenly, she realized she could sync the passage of time in the dream with reality.
If she could exist in both at once, she'd have twice the time!
"What should I do first? Write some music?" she wondered, getting inspired.
Meanwhile, behind her, Luffy's "corpse mode" body, head drooping, brushed his teeth with a vacant stare. The sight was both hilarious and slightly creepy.
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