Shanks unsheathed his legendary saber, Gryphon, coating it with Haki before bringing it close to his jaw. With Uta constantly nagging him about his scruffy appearance, he figured it was time to shave. With a delicate flick of his supreme-grade blade, the stubble fell away smoothly.
Nearby, Doctor Hongo held onto Luffy's arm, observing the boy's strange, divided state. Luffy was still in the midst of dream training, yet Hongo's keen eye followed his every movement.
"His limbs are working efficiently, even though his mind remains asleep. Although his spirit is doing other things in Uta's world, when he reconnects to his body, all the fatigue and strain will hit him at once."
"There will be a price to pay," he said gravely.
"Still, it's amazing how powerful Uta's ability is. Imagine how envious fitness enthusiasts would be if they could let their minds wander while their bodies train!" one of the crew fighters exclaimed.
"Hahaha, right? For a training fanatic, this is a dream come true!"
"And it's not like the side effects are that bad. You can just let your body rest after training and bring the mind back later," the seasoned pirates joked, admiring the possibilities of Uta's powers.
Uta puffed her cheeks slightly, feeling a mix of pride and annoyance. It seemed that for these adults, her power was more about enhancing their training than simply enjoying music or seeking happiness.
"They really only appreciate my ability when it helps them in practical ways. Luffy was right… adults have their own definition of happiness that's hard to satisfy," she thought to herself, feeling a pang of doubt. "Can my singing really bring joy to everyone?"
Remembering Shanks' words about her music's power to bring happiness, Uta reassured herself, thinking, "Maybe my powers aren't strong enough yet to meet their definition of happiness."
Still, she couldn't help but wonder: What does happiness mean to grown-ups?
"Lunch is ready," said the round chef, Lucky Roo, holding a plate. With a hopeful expression, he approached Uta. "I just thought of a genius weight-loss plan, Uta. Can you help me out?"
"Haha! Lucky Roo, weren't you saying that drumsticks were your special weight-loss secret?" The pirates roared with laughter, poking fun at the chef.
Luffy, still sound asleep, sat at the table, quietly eating with chopsticks.
"He's like a well-trained pet," Uta chuckled, offering Luffy a chicken drumstick. Though his eyes remained closed, he sniffed the air, leaned forward, and bit into the drumstick with uncanny accuracy, even nibbling Uta's fingertips in the process. She let out a small squeal and pulled her hand back quickly.
Hongo still looked worried about Luffy's condition.
"Uta, as soon as you feel your power weakening, release your control over him. I'll need to massage his muscles. It might help alleviate some of the strain he's accumulated," he advised.
The human body has its limits, and fatigue is a natural mechanism that warns the brain of these boundaries. But with Luffy's mind separated from his body, Uta had unknowingly dismantled that warning system.
As a result, Luffy was unaware of his body's exhaustion and had become something of a mindless training machine. He could do a thousand push-ups and still maintain perfect form on the thousand-and-first—something no ordinary human could achieve.
Luffy's body, precise, rapid, and unrelenting, had turned into a vessel of boundless endurance under Uta's control.
Fortunately, this world didn't suffer from conditions like muscle breakdown. Despite the shortcut he'd taken, Luffy would still reap the rewards of his hard work.
Uta nodded obediently to the ship doctor, transmitting his concerns to Luffy in their shared dream realm.
Inside the dream, Luffy lay lazily on a grassy hill, sketching on a pad and feeling the breeze as he contentedly doodled.
"I'm going to be king one day," he said to Uta with a grin. "A little pain is something a king has to endure."
Then he showed her his drawing—a red-and-white-haired girl playing a violin in a field of flowers.
"When you're close to your limit, give my body a couple of hours to rest," he added.
He might have been putting on a brave face, but a part of him already dreaded the moment he'd reconnect with his body. Hang in there, body of mine. We're doing this for a brighter future!
Uta held the drawing he'd made for her, twirling happily in circles, feeling a surge of joy.
…
"AHHHH!"
A loud scream echoed across Shanks' ship.
Uta had finally reached her limit and released control, bringing Luffy's awareness back into his body.
Instantly, the full weight of exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave. His mind, previously blissfully unaware of his body's struggles, was now flooded with every ounce of pain and fatigue he had accumulated.
His brain, now fully awake, absorbed every strain, every ache, every ounce of soreness his body had endured.
Luffy's mental and physical states crashed together: his brain, having rested, had no intention of shutting down, leaving his spirit crushed under the weight of his body's suffering.
Luffy burst into tears, completely contradicting the bravado he'd shown in the dream.
It turned out, grand speeches were easy to make when you couldn't feel the pain.
Every limb felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and even the slightest attempt to move sent bolts of agony through his body. His entire body had gone on strike, leaving only his brain to endure the torment.
Uta, holding a tissue, looked worriedly at Luffy as she wiped his tears and runny nose, surprised to see him in such a pitiful state.
"Such a silly kid. Your body's beyond its limits. Even if I massage you, it'll only ease a fraction of the pain," Doctor Hongo remarked, slightly exasperated.
The pirates laughed heartily, some even joking about capturing this moment of Luffy's humiliation for posterity.
"It'll be great to have a picture of the future King of the Pirates at his weakest," one of t
hem teased.
"It hurts… it hurts so much!" Luffy sobbed, his tear ducts fully open.
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