The pain… was excruciating.
Luffy admitted to himself that he had underestimated the extent of his body's suffering. It felt as if his muscles were repeatedly tearing, and he couldn't even lift a finger. His brain, though completely lucid, was forced to endure every ounce of agony.
He felt like a prisoner in his own body, unable to move any part except his neck. The cost of taking shortcuts had come due.
Tears streamed down his face as he saw, through blurry eyes, Uta's worried expression. She frantically dabbed tissues on his face, wiping away the sweat, tears, and even snot without a hint of disgust.
If he had been back in his previous life, this level of exertion would have led to muscle breakdown by now. His resolve was quickly shattered by the intense pain, and his heart pounded so wildly it felt like it was about to burst.
Desperately, he tried to circulate his Armament Haki through his body, hoping to ease the strain. He managed to protect his heart and extend the Haki to his other organs.
It helped lessen the pain slightly, but not by much.
He still didn't have enough Haki to alleviate it all.
After about an hour, Luffy managed to adapt a bit to the fiery sensation coursing through his body, barely restraining himself from crying out in pain.
Well, it was actually due to Dr. Hongo injecting him with a special solution that dulled his pain slightly.
"Just rest in bed for a few days!" Dr. Hongo said.
"Luffy, you're a man. You need to endure all this pain to protect those around you."
It was the closest thing to comfort that he received.
For the pirates, who had each gone through their share of hardship, Luffy's experience was only the beginning. Bearing pain was part of being a man at sea—something one had to face head-on.
One by one, the pirates left the room to resume their duties, leaving only Uta by his side. She had prepared a glass of water and a damp towel, her little head resting on the side of his bed. Though she was silent, Luffy could feel her concern; it was written all over her face.
"My brain's finally getting used to my body again," Luffy managed to whisper, gazing out the window at the stars and listening to the soft rush of ocean waves.
"Would you like some water? You've been sweating a lot," Uta asked.
Luffy nodded slightly, and she carefully helped him sit up, leaning him against her chest as she held the cup to his lips.
"You must be exhausted too, Uta. Why don't you go get some sleep?" Luffy noticed the drowsiness in her eyes.
"Hmph, I'm your big sister, remember? Taking care of you is my responsibility," she whispered softly.
"I'm… sorry. I think I went a little overboard using your body like that…"
Her voice was so quiet that Luffy wouldn't have heard it if she weren't speaking right next to his ear.
"Why are you apologizing, Uta?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"Because… I was the one controlling your body…" Uta replied.
When she had stopped using her ability and Luffy's consciousness returned to his body, she had seen him collapse to the ground, screaming in agony. At that moment, Uta's mind had gone blank; she could only stare, paralyzed, as Luffy's body convulsed. She had been unsure of what to do.
Uta hadn't been trained to handle emergencies, so it was Dr. Hongo who lifted Luffy onto the bed, undid his shirt, and injected him with the strange medication to help ease his pain.
No one had blamed Uta, but Luffy's screams had left her shaken. She was naturally empathetic, and as a musician, she had a heightened sensitivity to the suffering she'd inadvertently caused him.
In her reflection, she realized that his pain was due to her actions.
She had innocently followed Luffy's instructions, forgetting the most basic necessity of rest. She had turned his body into nothing more than a training machine.
For the first time, Uta had seen that self-assured, cool boy completely break down.
So Luffy isn't as strong as he seems, she thought. He's just a boy who can cry from pain.
"This has nothing to do with you," Luffy replied firmly.
"I was the one who came up with this plan. You were just following orders."
Luffy spoke with conviction. He still wanted her to help him train, and he couldn't let her be crushed by guilt.
Uta's powers were like "auto-training" in a game, and he had essentially created a fully automated workout routine. It even freed up his mind to do other things in Uta's dream world.
It was almost perfect.
Well, except for the backlash that had totally broken him.
"But…" Uta's voice was tinged with self-blame, frustrated at herself for overlooking something as simple as a rest period.
"There's no 'but.' Even if we did this all over again, I'd still ask for your help!" Luffy cut her off before she could protest further.
"More importantly, could you sing me a lullaby? I'm at that frustrating point where I want to sleep, but I can't."
"If you're tired, you can go ahead and rest. Just take me to the dream world tomorrow—that should help take my mind off the pain."
"This… is what a big sister should do."
"You're so annoying, Luffy, lying there and acting all wise," Uta huffed, cheeks puffed out. But she sang him a lullaby anyway, her soft voice blending with the sound of the waves and the stars outside, creating a warm and peaceful scene.
Soon enough, Uta's voice grew faint.
Instead of putting Luffy to sleep, the lullaby ended up lulling Uta herself to dreamland. Her head drooped, falling onto Luffy's stomach with a thud, causing a wave of soreness that made him grimace.
Despite his exhaustion, Luffy's mind refused to rest. It reminded him of his past life, where even though his body was tired, his brain would remain overly alert, pulling all-nighters over and over.
Eventually, he had developed a dependency on alcohol to fall asleep.
In those days, caffeine fueled his mornings, and alcohol dulled his nights. His body suffered for it.
As he gazed out at the scenery, dawn broke, casting a golden glow across the sea. After a night of quiet recovery, Luffy's body had finally adjusted, albeit slightly, to its exhausted state.
Slowly, painfully, he raised an arm.
I… am stronger!
Luffy knew it deep in his bones.
This was the reward for his hard work.
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