The pirates felt a tinge of regret over the old man's words. After all, here was a swordsmith capable of crafting one of the Great Grade Twenty-One swords. But since they were under Shanks' command, they didn't push any further, though they couldn't hide their excitement.
This only confirmed to Shimotsuki Kozaburo that Shanks was indeed worthy of being a crew member of the Pirate King. His name would surely resound across the seas someday.
The meal continued with laughter and drinks, filling the hall with a warm atmosphere. As everyone started to settle down, Uta took center stage once more.
She raised her arm high, her voice brimming with confidence. "Hello, everyone! I'm Uta, the singer aboard Shanks' ship, and my dream is to bring happiness to everyone with my voice. So, here's a song just for you all—'Binks' Sake!'"
After her last performance, Uta had grown comfortable in the spotlight, her cheerful smile enchanting everyone. "Binks' Sake" was the perfect choice to kick off a pirate celebration, a song well-known and loved across the seas.
"So the little lady is a musician? I knew she had a beautiful voice," Kozaburo said with a surprised smile as he watched her.
Uta gave a little giggle, then launched into her song. The gentle yet powerful notes filled the room, captivating everyone, including Kuina. She couldn't help but think about how music truly brought joy.
With few entertainment options in Shimotsuki Village, Uta's music quickly took over, making the villagers even more open to the visiting pirates, who clapped and cheered enthusiastically.
After a few more songs from Uta's repertoire, even ones the villagers didn't know, her warm voice won them over, filling the night with cheerful laughter.
…
"So, I'll leave this kid in your care," said a rather tipsy Shanks, giving Luffy's shoulder a hard slap as he spoke to Koushirou, the master of the dojo. Luffy winced from the sting—Shanks had clearly not held back.
To properly learn, Luffy would stay overnight at the dojo and train alongside the other students. "Bye, Luffy! I'll come by to play tomorrow morning!" Uta waved from Shanks' side, ready to return to the ship.
"See you tomorrow, Uta," Luffy replied with a grin.
"Zoro, show Luffy to an empty bed," Koushirou instructed.
"Yes, sir." Sitting rigidly beside Kuina, Zoro immediately sprang to his feet, head down, leading Luffy to the sleeping quarters.
So this was Zoro in his younger days, Luffy thought, studying the shorter boy. Right now, Zoro's head barely reached Luffy's chin.
"Hey, I'm Luffy. Guess we're fellow students now," Luffy said with a friendly grin, placing a hand on Zoro's shoulder.
"I'm Roronoa Zoro. You may be strong, but I'm going to defeat you one day. Only I will become the world's greatest swordsman!" Zoro declared resolutely.
"Oh, yeah? Well, good luck with that. I'm not interested in being the best swordsman, so the title's all yours." Luffy shrugged, unfazed.
"What? Then why are you learning swordsmanship?" Zoro couldn't believe this powerful kid didn't aspire to be the best swordsman.
"Do you have to aim to be the world's best to learn swordsmanship? I'm just learning to get stronger. I'm going to be a king, and swordsmanship is just another step on that path," Luffy replied casually.
"A king? What's that supposed to mean?" Zoro asked, intrigued now that he knew Luffy's goal wasn't swordsmanship.
"Well… who knows? I'll figure it out later. Don't ask me about the future," Luffy replied with a shrug.
"Oh…" Zoro nodded. "Hey, how'd you get so strong? You beat Kuina so easily!"
"Do you train hard and eat well? Which one are you missing?" Luffy asked, his tone serious.
"Neither! I'm always working hard and pushing myself. I'll beat Kuina one day, and then I'll come for you!" Zoro responded confidently.
"Then you're missing both," Luffy teased.
"Not true! Are you even listening to me?" Zoro huffed.
"Is there any milk around here? I need a glass before bed," Luffy said, holding up a finger.
"Yeah, but what are you, a baby? Drinking milk before bed?" Zoro sneered.
"That's why you're missing out. You clearly don't understand that milk is one of the greatest things in the world. It strengthens your bones and makes you even tougher," Luffy replied, wagging his finger.
"Isn't it just for fixing teeth?" Zoro asked, bewildered. "Only babies and people with missing teeth drink it."
"Well, yeah, it can help with that too."
Zoro led Luffy to the sleeping quarters and handed him a glass of chilled milk, watching as Luffy drank it down in one go.
"Ahh, that's good, though I prefer it at room temperature." Luffy stretched his arms. "So, I can pick any empty bed? This one's yours, right?"
"Yeah, make yourself at home."
Luffy set down his pistol and katana, and Zoro's eyes fixated on the sword. He couldn't resist asking, "Is that… real?"
"This?" Luffy tossed the katana to Zoro, who scrambled to catch it.
"Careful not to cut yourself," Luffy warned before starting his bedtime workout. Normally, Uta would handle everything in the dream world, so he could relax into sleep. Without her, he realized he missed her routine.
Have I become addicted to having someone else manage my body? he wondered as he went through his exercise.
"Who do you think I am? I'm a swordsman!" Zoro retorted, carefully drawing the katana. His eyes widened at the cold, sharp blade with its Marine insignia on the hilt.
It's real! With a thrilled expression, Zoro gripped the sword.
"It's so heavy. Is this the weight of a real sword? It's nothing like a bamboo one!"
Zoro's eyes sparkled as he watched Luffy contort his body into various strange and difficult poses.
"What… what are you doing?"
"Bedtime exercises," Luffy replied.
"Seriously? You have a whole routine before bed?"
"That's why I'm strong," Luffy said nonchalantly.
Zoro, clutching the sword, watched as Luffy balanced his entire body weight on two knuckles.
"Is that… how you get stronger?"
Skeptical, Zoro set the sword aside and attempted to mimic Luffy's movements. But he quickly discovered it was impossible to do those exercises using just his knuckles. Besides, holding a sword doesn't require hand strength like this, he thought.
"Oh no, I forgot to bringa change of clothes!" Luffy realized suddenly.
"Don't worry. We have extra swordsman uniforms here."
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