"Move with style, strike with speed!" Luffy thought, deciding that this would be his new training direction.
Fighting against regular palace guards was too easy, and the Red-Haired Pirates were far too strong. So he figured, why not spar with himself?
Luffy studied his mirrored self, watching for flaws in his form. He adjusted his posture, feeling the satisfying clicks and shifts in his bones as he perfected his movements. Repeating this over and over, he committed the new motions to muscle memory.
Once he felt confident in a smooth, stylish attack sequence, it was time to put it to the test.
He and his mirror image clashed, using fists, feet, and shoulders in a chaotic, skillful brawl. In one fiery moment, a flash of red flame briefly illuminated Luffy's hand as he struck his mirrored self.
"Still too slow on that fire activation," Luffy muttered, realizing he wasn't quite there yet.
"Whoa…what was that?" Uta, watching from the sidelines, looked on in amazement.
Luffy grinned, eager to show off. "Check this out!" He took a step forward, his body leaning as he swung a punch. Flames burst to life on his hand, only to dissipate as quickly as they came.
"Flame Fist!" he declared. "It's my newest move."
Uta's eyes sparkled with excitement. Watching him train inspired her to push harder too. Driven by his progress, she continued refining her dance routines, each move a step toward her own aspirations.
After admiring Uta's graceful movements, Luffy returned his attention to his mirror image. They both assumed fighting stances, mirroring each other's focus and intensity.
They lifted their right legs simultaneously, clashing in midair.
Bam!
The impact froze them in place for a moment, sending a shockwave that flattened the surrounding grass as if cut by an invisible blade. Uta felt the ground tremble slightly, noting the spider-web cracks forming around the two Luffys as they collided.
The match started as a warm-up, but it had quickly turned serious, both aiming to defeat the other. They pulled back after each clash, switching legs, each kick more intense than the last.
The synchronization was uncanny.
In this close fight, Luffy could sense the unique power a Devil Fruit offered. The flames burst to life on his hands, the heat spreading with each hit.
Soon, the entire garden was engulfed in flames as the fight intensified, and the once-lush area was reduced to a smoldering battlefield. Every punch and kick sent waves of flame and force cascading out, both Luffys absorbed in the thrill of the fight.
Realizing the dream world was turning into a blazing battlefield, Uta stamped her foot and changed the scene. Now, they were on a soft, sandy beach. She even swapped her outfit to a swimsuit, matching the new setting.
Despite the sudden shift to a beach scene, Luffy's focus remained on perfecting his flaming moves. He tried tossing a ball of fire toward his mirrored self, looking for ways to make the move more controlled and efficient.
Experimenting, he sent a trail of flames downward. "I'll call this one 'Sandfire,'" he mused, watching the sand ignite in a line toward his mirror image, who stepped right into the trap and triggered an explosion.
"This is getting some serious fighting-game vibes," Luffy thought, laughing as he saw the blast impact.
With every move, he became aware of subtle differences between him and the mirror image. Although the mirror image could mimic the fire, it couldn't handle the intensity of his true Armament Haki. The mirror Luffy even showed burns where his own skin remained unscathed.
With one final fiery swipe, Luffy's clawed fingers tore through the mirror image's chest, leaving scorched marks.
"This is the end!" he declared, unleashing a final explosion of Haki-infused fire.
The blazing mirror image was launched skyward before crashing back to the ground, disintegrating into ash. The sandy battlefield settled, leaving behind only the scorching heat of victory.
"Still not quite there with 'Sandfire,'" Luffy thought, watching the remnants of the flames dissipate into the air.
He grabbed a handful of sand, watching it scatter as he tossed it upward. He threw it again, feeling the difference in trajectory depending on how he moved. Tossing it from different angles, he felt inspiration for refining his fire move.
"Uta, you're in a swimsuit?" Luffy suddenly noticed Uta's outfit, grabbing a snack from her bag and taking a casual bite.
"The dream time's shorter now because of your fire show," Uta grumbled, eyeing Luffy's torn clothes and the slight bleeding from his wounds.
"Don't you feel any pain?" she asked, curious, as she touched a wound on his arm.
"Ah—" he winced as the pain hit him.
"Only just noticing it now, huh, dummy?" Uta's soft fingers glowed green, her touch healing his wounds with a gentle warmth.
"It's just the dream world, so there's no need to heal them," Luffy replied, unbothered.
"Hmph, I'm just testing my power," Uta retorted.
...
Back in the waking world, Luffy felt rejuvenated, as if his body had fully recharged from the night's rest. He watched Uta cheerfully head off for her afternoon classes, while he went to the garden to practice the moves he'd developed in the dream.
He kept it subdued this time, careful not to ignite anything nearby. The flames danced lightly from his fingertips, flickering into the air as he perfected his fiery techniques, watching them disperse softly before disappearing.
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