At first, Luffy didn't feel much of anything. But when Uta noticed he wasn't giving in, she grew annoyed. She adjusted her position, placing both legs on Luffy's shoulders, her small feet now hovering right beside his eyes. Just with his peripheral vision, he could see the rounded toes and the faint blue veins tracing along her ankles.
Then something shifted within him—a surge of dark energy welled up, fueling him. His training pace quickened noticeably. Now, with his weaker left arm supporting all his weight, he could knock out a single-arm push-up in just five seconds.
Luffy's breathing grew heavier as his senses sharpened. He could feel Uta's weight so clearly that he didn't even need his eyes open to know her every movement. He could trace the outline of her spine, the delicate curve of her ribcage, even her slender arm bones in his mind.
He was suddenly flooded with memories of that dream where he'd drawn the dark power sigils on her stomach. He recalled her soft, snow-white skin under the brush, gently rising and falling with her breath, the ink settling into the contours, creating a vivid and intricate design.
Now he could hear his own heartbeat, each beat pumping a fresh surge of energy to his limbs. Any exhaustion he'd felt was long gone; his body was electrified, elevated. He was down to three seconds per push-up.
Uta's legs dangled lazily, her feet occasionally tapping Luffy's shoulders. She saw that not only was he not giving up, but his pace had quickened. Annoyed, she decided to stay perched on his back, refusing to budge.
Eventually, lulled by his rhythmic movements, she felt herself drifting off. Her head lolled to the side, resting against the bedframe, and she lightly draped her sheet music over her face like a blanket, slipping into a gentle sleep.
…
Luffy continued, the dark energy dispelling his fatigue. But this borrowed strength was finite, and eventually, a dull ache crept up his left arm.
Hearing Uta's steady breathing, Luffy guessed she had fallen asleep. Not wanting to drop her, he carefully attempted to switch arms. But he miscalculated the balance, and with a sudden thud, he collapsed. The sound jolted Uta awake, and she stared down at Luffy, lying exhausted on the floor, before bursting into laughter.
"Stupid Luffy!" she taunted, giggling.
"It's all your fault!" Luffy grumbled, blaming her for his fatigue.
He tried to get up, but his energy was spent; he could barely move.
"There are still four hours until the concert. Just rest for now," Uta suggested, yawning as she poked him lightly in the side.
Uta had to admit she was impressed; he'd kept going long enough for her to fall asleep.
"Wake me up before the concert," Luffy muttered, reaching out to grab her leg so she'd stop poking him, then drifted off to sleep.
Uta wiggled her leg, trying to shake his hand off. When that didn't work, she gave up and lay down beside him, indulging in a short nap herself.
Half an hour before the concert, the palace guards noticed Uta was still missing. They began searching for her, eventually waking her and Luffy.
"Miss Uta, the concert is about to begin. Are you ready?" a guard called, knocking on the door.
Inside, Uta let out a loud yell: "Luffy!"
She rubbed her eyes and stretched, only to realize that Luffy's grip on her leg had left a bright red mark just above her ankle, right where her sock wouldn't cover. It would be clearly visible during the performance.
Frustrated, Uta kicked at the drowsy Luffy to wake him up.
"What's the big deal?" Luffy mumbled, yawning as he held her wiggling foot, noticing the red imprint.
It seemed he had held onto her leg so tightly that it left a mark. Since it wouldn't fade before the concert, Luffy glanced around, then grabbed a piece of black cloth.
He gently wrapped it around her ankle, tying a neat bow over the red mark.
"A makeshift leg band," he said, satisfied.
"Not bad!" Uta admired herself, twirling around. Her white dress skirt stopped just above her thighs, leaving a clean expanse of skin visible. The simple band added a nice touch, filling the empty space.
She was so pleased that she considered putting one on her other leg for symmetry.
"One is enough," Luffy insisted. "Let's go, you don't want to keep everyone waiting."
Luffy quickly dampened a towel to wipe off the sweat and began to pull on his jacket, but Uta, eager to get going, threw her arms around his neck and jumped onto his back, locking her legs around his waist.
"Quickly! Jump out the window, or we'll be late!" she urged.
"Can't I at least get my jacket on?" he muttered, rolling his shoulders to shake off some of the lingering soreness.
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
With a yawn, Luffy leaped out the window. Uta clung to his neck, eyes wide, as the rush of air and the thrill of their rapid descent made her squeal with excitement.
Luffy instinctively tried to use his light-foot technique to slow their fall, but with Uta on his back, it didn't do much.
He took a deep breath, focused on the ground below, and picked his landing spot.
Bracing his legs, he poured all his energy into them.
Iron Block!
As his feet struck the ground, the impact created a crater with a web of cracks spreading out. The force rippled out, flattening the grass and flowers nearby.
He quickly rebounded, propelling them toward the concert venue.
Back in their empty room, the guard who'd knocked on the door earlier found only the fluttering curtains and the sound of wind from outside. Approaching the window, he looked down to see the fresh crater below.
"Is this… even real?" he mumbled, struggling to comprehend what he'd just seen.
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