Children can do very little, and even less can be done by the weak.
Don't focus on grand ambitions or powerful enemies; those are unrealistic notions. Instead, settle down and focus on what can be accomplished in the present.
Luffy reduced his solo training time and directed his energy towards studying alongside Uta. Her rapid progress had astonished the palace instructors. Even someone like Luffy, who was a complete novice to music, could perceive Uta's improvement, meaning the incident with the Demon King's score was looming ever closer.
Luffy had to stay close to Uta to prevent her from pressing the nuclear button at the critical moment.
This was the purpose of his visit to Eregia!
Uta's instructors were in a panic. Her level of skill was advancing at an astonishing rate. In just a month, she had mastered all the basic dance moves, leaving the instructors with little left to teach her beyond the creative aspects of music.
In other words, they could only advise her on what to consider when composing songs. Uta was now ready to graduate.
Apart from her daily lessons with the instructors, Uta was also spending every night in the dream world with Luffy, honing her skills. With such dedication, coupled with her exceptional talent for music, it was no wonder she was achieving results.
The instructors realized they had less and less to teach her.
King Gordon watched as Uta performed a dance routine flawlessly, even modifying steps on the fly. He felt immense pride.
"Uta can now officially graduate," he reported to Shanks.
"Really? That was fast." Shanks had only been on the island for two or three months, and Uta was already ready to graduate.
His face showed a mix of pride and reluctance.
Bringing Uta to learn her beloved music was the best gift he could give as her father… perhaps the last gift he would give.
"I understand. I'll inform the pirates to prepare for departure."
Shanks pulled out a Den Den Mushi, knowing the crew was already bored with the island; they were starting to rust from inactivity.
"Wait a moment," King Gordon called out to Shanks.
"Let us prepare a farewell gift for Uta—a gift fit for a musician," he said.
Shanks, surprisingly gentle for a pirate, listened attentively. Gordon had never met such an unusual pirate. Shanks would pay for things and dote on his daughter.
There are hierarchies among pirates too, Gordon mused, and out of respect for music and Shanks' affable nature, he made a decision.
"I want to host a music festival, to let the entire nation know of Uta's talent," Gordon proposed to the red-haired pirate.
"She is destined to sing on the world stage, and before that, let Eregia be the first to be captivated by her voice."
"She'll be the lead singer, and my royal orchestra will provide the accompaniment."
"Just one week is enough to prepare."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Your Majesty," the young man said, tipping his straw hat and smiling.
"It will be our honor here in Eregia."
---
In the Dream:
"The time is set for a week from now," Uta informed Luffy, who was perched on the windowsill.
She was jotting down ideas for music in a small notebook.
"In just a week, Uta will be on stage in front of the entire nation!" Luffy remarked, glancing down at the ground.
"Time really flies."
"Have you prepared your graduation project, Luffy?" Uta inquired.
With Uta's graduation announcement, Luffy was also nearing his own.
He was merely a supporting character in this grand performance. The instructors planned to let him draw something simple to pass as his project.
However, Luffy's art had caused quite a stir; he only drew hearts and added strange embellishments like wings around them.
They were nice, but they didn't really demonstrate his skill.
The teachers wanted him to draw something more, but he had resolutely declined.
"A drawing that isn't a heart is meaningless," he stated confidently.
"It's all for my beloved girls, Uta; a form of art you'll never understand."
The setting remained a sandy beach as Luffy grabbed a stick and began sketching a beautiful heart in the sand. After finishing, he let his imagination run wild, adding little wings and intricate patterns around it.
Uta squinted her eyes at him, visibly reacting to his words.
"I'm a beautiful girl too!" Uta protested, hands on her hips, glaring at Luffy.
She had no doubt about her cuteness and beauty—a fact backed by the incessant praise from the pirates.
"Is Luffy hiding other beautiful girls from me?" Uta laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand, feeling a mix of pity and teasing for Luffy.
Poor Luffy, with only some animal friends; she remembered the black gorilla from Windmill Village.
That was his playmate.
"It's just that I don't have any right now," Luffy defended.
"Poor little thing, how cute," Uta teased.
"Just admit it, only I, Uta, can be your one and only beautiful girl friend," she said, puffing out her chest proudly.
"Wait a minute, if that's the case, then I'm your only friend too!" Luffy shot back.
"…" Uta stared at Luffy in shock.
Her face flushed a bright red. "Shut up!"
"You're such a dummy, Luffy!"
Musical notes exploded in the air, forming quirky soldiers.
One held a shield while another wielded a spear, charging at Luffy under Uta's command.
Luffy simply flipped over, leaping high into the air as the spear pierced through the heart he had drawn in the sand. He wasn't going to hold back and threw a punch, engulfing the soldiers in flames.
"Ready to fight? I won't hold back!"
Seeing Luffy leap high, Uta felt a complicated mix of emotions shift into battle spirit. "Hmph, little brother can't defeat big sister!"
Chains formed from musical notes wrapped around Luffy.
Two more music warriors appeared, and Luffy summoned flames once again. "I've grown I'm taller than you now!"
Rich physical training had seen Luffy grow to about 1.6 meters, nearly matching Uta's height.
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