Luffy hated making long-term plans; to him, they were too unrealistic. At most, he'd plan for the day ahead. Plans couldn't keep up with changes, so there wasn't much point in thinking too far ahead.
The "new world" Uta spoke of was nothing more than a dream, one that wouldn't be set in motion. For Luffy, it didn't hold much value to dwell on it.
It was like a kid constantly fantasizing about getting into the best universities, only to end up accomplishing nothing in the end.
Luffy mentally went over the conditions for Uta's "new world":
First, to upload the consciousness of everyone in the world into Uta's dream realm, she'd need an astronomical amount of energy and popularity.
Second, Shanks would never allow her to do such a thing.
Third, triggering Infinite Tsukuyomi—the Eternal Uta World—would require the life sacrifice of an ability user, ensuring that anyone pulled into the dream would remain there forever.
He looked at the eager, expectant gleam in Uta's eyes. It was clear she wanted her friends to support her noble, perfect plan.
Yes…why should he waste his energy trying to talk her out of it?
In the original timeline, Uta triggered the "New World" because of her loneliness.
After the tragic fall of Elegia, Uta was left behind by Shanks, isolated and unloved. In time, she became an idol and was hailed as a savior by her fans. But upon discovering her role in the destruction of Elegia, her psyche shattered. Eventually, she consumed the Sleepless Mushroom, leading to her mental collapse and the activation of her "New World."
But now…he was here, wasn't he? Wasn't he here to stop the fall of Elegia in the first place?
As long as Elegia was spared, Shanks would never abandon Uta. With her father by her side, there'd be no reason for Uta to ever trigger her "New World."
All the pieces fell into place.
Shanks, it's your daughter's problem—you can handle it!
And so, Luffy spoke.
He reached over, gently pinching Uta's soft, rounded cheek, savoring the touch of her youthful skin. "Right, right, right. Uta, you're an absolute genius!"
Better just to humor her.
Luffy felt satisfied, having dealt with Uta without any trouble.
Hearing Luffy's agreement, Uta beamed with joy, believing she'd persuaded him.
Yes! I, Uta, have found the way to bring happiness to the entire world!
She flashed a radiant smile, "Luffy, let's work together to create this new world!"
Uta extended her hand, forming a fist.
Luffy met her fist with his own, grinning as he felt her soft knuckles. He could almost picture Shanks' exasperated face.
"All you need to do now is rest up and be ready for tonight's performance!" Luffy encouraged her.
Uta nodded enthusiastically, feeling a renewed closeness to Luffy, now seeing him as her ally, a fellow dreamer.
Brimming with excitement, she threw her arms around him. "Luffy, can you carry me up? I don't want to climb the stairs today!"
The girl's soft frame pressed against Luffy. Wearing his jacket, Luffy felt nothing out of the ordinary. "Then hold on tight, I'm about to jump!"
Uta clutched Luffy's clothes tightly.
Moments later, she felt a gust of wind as the ground below grew smaller.
Luffy landed on the palace wall, then made a couple more jumps, reaching the window of their room in no time.
Once inside, Uta sat on the bed, lifting her legs to remove her shoes and white socks, revealing her fair, delicate toes. She spread and curled them slightly, her bare feet resting on the bed.
With a loud plop, she collapsed onto her bed, preparing to use her ability to pull them into the dream realm.
"Let's skip the dream world today," Luffy interrupted.
Seeing her confused expression, he explained, "Save your energy for the concert tonight. I'll just train here in the real world."
Uta nodded, realizing it made sense, and sat back up.
Still, it felt strange not to use her ability. Luffy removed his jacket and, after a moment's thought, took off his shirt too, revealing his lean, muscular frame.
Today, he'd do a simple warm-up, leaving his best energy for the concert.
With that in mind, he began to do push-ups beside the bed, balancing only on the knuckles of his thumb and forefinger on one hand while the other rested behind his back.
This one-armed push-up was challenging; it took Luffy about ten seconds to complete a single, clean motion.
Bored without their usual dream training, Uta took out her music sheet to review it. Before long, however, her attention drifted back to Luffy's rhythmic movements.
Seeing him train reminded her of his attempt to sneak her food earlier!
The minor annoyance she'd almost forgotten returned to her mind.
Watching Luffy's bent knuckles, glistening with sweat, she thought of a way to get back at him.
Her toes tapped in rhythm, like fingers playing a piano in the air.
Suddenly, she pressed her foot down onto his back with a triumphant look, as if she expected him to collapse right there.
Luffy's movements faltered for a split second. He glanced over at Uta, noting the smug expression on her face.
"Heh, this is payback for trying to steal my food!" she declared, hands on her hips, showing no sign of backing down.
Luffy ignored her and continued his push-ups, focused on keeping his rhythm. He could feel his muscles strain as he adapted to the uneven weight.
"If you beg for mercy, maybe I'll let you go!" Uta teased, mimicking a cat pawing motion.
Her bunny-like pigtails stood up high, her grin widening.
Luffy kept his focus, breathing steadily. He knew better than to lose momentum in the middle of training—it would ruin his efforts.
Seeing he wasn't budging, Uta huffed, then fully climbed onto his back, only to slip off due to the sweat, landing in a heap on the bed.
Luffy glanced at her, amused. She'd hit her head against the wall in her tumble.
"Lu—ffy!" Uta sat up, pinning her frustration squarely on him.
This time, she grabbed a light silk pillowcase, placed it over Luffy's back, and sat firmly on top.
Luffy felt the weight settle onto his back, the pressure of her light frame becoming a noticeable challenge.
And rather than slowing down, his movements seemed to speed up slightly.
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