On a bright, clear ocean, two pirate ships were fiercely exchanging cannon fire.
Maintaining a safe distance, they aimed their cannons at each other, sending massive black cannonballs shooting through the air with thunderous blasts. Waves of laughter from the pirates filled the air.
"Attack, attack!"
"The nerve of those low-level pirates, daring to take us on!" Yasopp peered through his spyglass, cheering on the gunners.
"Hope those fools last a bit longer—I wanna enjoy this!" one of the gunners gleefully adjusted the cannon.
"Careful not to let them hit us! Remember, we've got two kids on board." Shanks sipped his drink as he watched his crew having fun.
"When we get to the Grand Line, we should reinforce this ship. It's getting a bit old and won't handle many more impacts."
A cannonball hurtled toward their ship, but before it could land, Benn Beckman flicked a bullet, causing the cannonball to explode in mid-air.
The explosion sent a shockwave through the air, rocking the ship slightly.
On the opposing side, the local East Blue pirates were dumbstruck by the ease with which the Red-Haired Pirates handled the situation.
"No way! Who are these monsters?!"
"Retreat! We can't fight them!"
"These guys aren't human—they're demons!"
The local pirates tried to flee, attempting to escape the battle.
But Shanks' crew noticed their intent and, with a final cannon shot, hit the enemy ship squarely, blasting it to pieces.
"Treasure hunt, treasure hunt!" Yasopp and a few others hopped into a small boat, rowing toward the wreckage, eager to loot the local pirates.
This was how the Red-Haired Pirates supported themselves in the East Blue: black-market treasure from defeated pirates.
They wouldn't bother civilians, and for necessities like clothing and supplies, they used the money they collected from pirate loot.
Meanwhile, on the ship, Uta lounged against the wall, checking the clock. Luffy sat nearby, eyes closed, lifting a two-ton weight as part of his training.
In the dream world, Luffy lay on the grass, flipping through a physics book, while Uta scanned her music sheets. The two children quietly did their own things on the lush field.
"Luffy, why do boys like things like swords and guns so much?" Uta asked, her tone curious. She found it strange; weren't there gentler interests they could have?
"Probably because holding them makes you feel strong," Luffy answered after some thought. Almost every boy seemed drawn to weapons—swords, sticks, guns—with an almost instinctive fascination.
Thinking it over, that was the only reason he could think of: they make you feel powerful.
"Boys really like to be strong, don't they…" Uta looked at Luffy, pondering. "Why, though?"
"If you ask why…" Luffy plucked a blade of grass and twirled it between his fingers.
"Maybe… we all just want to survive. Living better, fighting to stay alive—that's something deep down in everyone's genes."
Uta looked puzzled.
Luffy raised the blade of grass. "Look, I just pulled it out of the ground…"
A small flame flickered at his fingertips, and the green blade of grass disintegrated into ash, scattering on the breeze.
"Living is about taking things to make your life better. Strength is what keeps others from taking away what you have. It's a cycle that never really ends, for every living thing."
"That sounds so sad…"
Uta's empathetic heart didn't fully understand but sensed a kind of sadness in it.
"Curiosity can be a curse, Uta," Luffy said, tapping her on the head. "Forget what I just said. It's the only way to avoid that curse."
Don't turn into some environmentalist in the pirate world, he thought to himself.
Then, imitating Shanks, he said, "It's something you'll understand when you're older, Uta."
"Don't copy Shanks!" Uta huffed, irritated.
"Luffy's a kid, too!"
"You little brat!"
Luffy only laughed, enjoying the way Uta's beautiful voice sounded, even when she was scolding him.
In the real world, Uta kept track of time, making sure Luffy's body had regular breaks, sitting him down to rest every half-hour during training. She would've loved to give him a massage herself, but she didn't have the strength to press on his well-built muscles effectively.
The adults' noisy cannon games didn't disturb the two children's peaceful time in the dream world. When Uta grew tired, they both exited the dreamscape, and Luffy, feeling a bit fatigued, went wandering around the ship with her.
The air on the Red Force carried a pleasant scent of gunpowder these days from the frequent encounters with other pirates. The crew had recently taken down another pirate group and were now singing cheerfully.
Shanks stood at the bow, gazing out at the sea. This Red Force was slightly different from the one Luffy remembered—its prow wasn't a dragon's head, but a flower basket. Sometimes, Uta liked to stand there, watching the ocean.
"There's definitely more pirate activity here than back near Foosha Village." Yasopp remarked, cradling a rifle.
"Well, this isn't anywhere near the Navy admiral's route home."
Luffy let his mind drift. What a life—always filled with laughter.
Seeing that Luffy had stopped walking, Uta placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him forward. Her fingers came away damp with sweat.
"Ew, Luffy! You're all gross—go take a bath already!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Luffy grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bath.
The sound of water splashing filled the small room as he leaned against the wooden wall, letting the water cascade over him.
It'd been a while since he'd used his Conqueror's Haki. Gaining superpowers had lost that fresh, exciting feeling—it was just daily training now.
Boredom crept into his mind, and he thought about learning something new.
After his shower, he stepped out in clean clothes, his sweat-soaked training outfit in hand. Uta was leaning against the bathroom door, waiting for him.
"Next time, just take off your shirt before training," he suggested.
"Don't be ridiculous! Shanks said that as a girl, I shouldn't be seeing boys without their shirts on." Uta's cheeks were flushed, and her gaze darted away, though she seemed more embarrassed than genuinely annoyed.
Luffy paused, feeling puzzled. "Uh… I'm only seven, you know? What's the big deal? Besides, most of the grown-ups on this ship are shirtless half the time."
"Doesn't matter! Shanks said so, and that's that!" Uta declared, as if that was the end of the conversation.
With the clothes situation resolved, Uta looked up at Luffy with an excited expression. "So, Luffy, what should we do next? I'm a little bored."
"Hmm…" Luffy thought, stretching his arms as he considered. "I don't really feel like training, drawing, playing chess, or anything like that."
Uta tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "How about we go see Doctor Hongo? he's really good with that massage stuff! I want to learn it too, but he says I don't have enough strength. Maybe he could teach you instead?"
Her eyes sparkled as she added, "Then, whenever we're sore, you can give us massages!"
"Sure, why not? I bet it'll come in handy." Luffy nodded, intrigued by the idea.
The two of them headed up to the second floor, where Dr. Hongo usually spent his time in the ship's medical room. Unlike the boisterous atmosphere in the main deck, this room was quiet and well-organized, filled with books on medicine and neatly labeled shelves of supplies.
Dr. Hongo looked up as they entered, setting aside the book he had been reading. "What brings you two here?"
"I wanna learn that massage technique you used on me the other day!" Luffy said, his eyes alight with enthusiasm. "It was amazing—I think it'll be a great skill to have!"
Dr. Hongo chuckled, shaking his head as if he'd expected Luffy's request. "It's more complicated than you might think, Luffy. Massaging isn't just about pressing on muscles—it's about understanding how the body works and knowing which areas to focus on."
"Please, teach me!" Luffy said earnestly. "I'll learn everything I need to!"
Uta joined in, raising her hand. "Me too! I want to learn some first-aid skills—like bandaging, in case of emergencies!"
Dr. Hongo's lips curled into a warm smile as he looked at the two determined faces in front of him. "Alright then. But if you're serious, you'll need to understand the basics first." he took a thick book off the shelf, handing it to Luffy. "This is a book on human anatomy. You'll need to know this before you can properly learn massage techniques."
Luffy's eyes widened as he took the book. It was heavy, dense, and filled with technical diagrams. Internally, he groaned at the thought of studying it, but his pride wouldn't let him back down now.
"And Uta," Dr. Hongo continued, handing her a book on basic medical skills. "This will cover bandaging, disinfecting, and other basic first-aid techniques. Start with this."
Uta accepted it, looking both eager and slightly daunted.
"Thank you, Doctor Hongo!" they said in unison.
The doctor gave them a reassuring nod. "Take it one step at a time. Medicine and healing require patience and understanding. If you're committed, I think you'll both do great."
As they left, Luffy opened the anatomy book, muttering, "This is a lot more than I expected…"
Uta giggled, nudging him playfully. "Guess you have to study hard if you want to be a master masseur."
Luffy sighed but felt a spark of excitement. This was something new, something different. Who knew—maybe learning about the human body would make him even stronger.
With determined smiles, the two friends found a quiet spot on the ship and dove into their respective books, setting off on yet another adventure in learning.
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