The morning was calm. Luffy, awakened by his internal clock, breathed in the misty morning air, the scent of breakfast wafting from afar.
"You're up early, Luffy," Koushirou remarked, surprised to see him awake so soon as he prepared breakfast.
"The dojo also doubles as a school for the village children. Classes officially start a bit later at eight o'clock," he explained. "If you're hungry, feel free to eat first."
Luffy nodded and began to eat. His appetite surprised Koushirou; he ate far more than any child his age, even out-eating Zoro, who trained diligently every day. No wonder Luffy had such strength—it was fueled by his hearty diet.
After breakfast, Luffy wandered around the dojo, familiarizing himself with his new surroundings. Soon after, there was a light knocking at the door, and when he opened it, he found Uta grinning at him.
As always, Uta was an early riser, too.
"Let's go for a run!" she said brightly.
Running was a morning ritual for Uta, and it was how she and Luffy first met back in Foosha Village.
"Alright, you take over," Luffy smiled, letting Uta take control of his body.
With Uta in charge, Luffy logged into the virtual world once again. The two began their morning run around Shimotsuki Village, while in the virtual realm, Luffy practiced with a sword, experimenting with swings and movements.
The sword felt different from raw physical strength—it extended his own force, creating a certain dissonance. Luffy sensed that wielding a sword lacked the directness of his usual punches and kicks; it was a force extended beyond his flesh and bone.
Maybe that's why I struggled against Kuina, he thought, analyzing their previous match. Though he was stronger, he hadn't mastered the art of channelling that strength through a weapon. He'd relied on speed and power to overwhelm her, but his blade had ultimately broken while hers remained intact. Clearly, there was value in studying swordsmanship.
Luffy held up his sword, experimenting with stances. "Uta, isn't this stance cool?"
He raised the sword in what he thought was a dramatic pose.
"It's not cool… at all." Uta tilted her head, unimpressed. With a flick of her power, she changed Luffy's dojo uniform into a black shirt adorned with a flaming black sun on the back, along with leather-like pants.
"Now you look awesome, Luffy! Black suits you perfectly," she declared.
"Right? I think I look amazing in black, too!" Luffy beamed.
Now he looked a bit like a character from "Strong World," wearing a stylish suit as if ready to fight Golden Lion Shiki.
"Red and white would look good too!" Uta added, shifting his outfit once more with musical notes floating around him. With every change, she grew more enthusiastic, experimenting with different color schemes and styles.
"Alright, alright, we still need to keep track of time. I have sword lessons soon!" Luffy reminded her with a laugh.
Setting the sword aside, Luffy took out some paper and began to sketch an idea. This time, he was serious—it was a sword design, inspired by the Marine-issue blade he had seen. He slowly refined the concept into a weapon he imagined for himself.
"Uta, can you make this real?" Luffy held up his sketch for her to see.
With a wave of her power, the paper transformed into a physical replica of his sketch. The sword was a massive, heavy double-edged weapon, about one meter in length, with a guard around 2.3 centimeters wide and a blade width of about 5.5 centimeters. The hilt and guard were gilded in gold.
"Luffy, isn't this sword way too big?" Uta asked, eyeing the oversized weapon critically.
The design was far bulkier than a typical katana like Kuina's Wado Ichimonji.
Luffy swung the sword experimentally. Since it was a simulated item, its weight fluctuated until Uta fixed it at two tons. Now it felt like more of a "pillar" than a sword.
"It's not the kind of weapon most would use, but it'll be my sword—my King's Sword!" Luffy declared triumphantly.
"I'm going to ask Kozaburo to forge it for me," he said with a smirk.
"But I thought he was retired?" Uta replied, tilting her head.
"You never know until you try!" Luffy said, grinning mischievously. "As long as we try, even if it doesn't work out, we can just blame the world."
"Hmm…" Uta hummed, smiling as she looked at Luffy's sword design, clearly pleased.
"Luffy, design me some pretty outfits, too!" she requested.
"I'm not sure I know much about girls' clothes…" Luffy admitted.
But in his mind, he thought of the countless designs he'd come across. He could definitely pull inspiration from anime, games, and online searches for outfits that looked cute and fun.
"Come on, give it your best!" Uta insisted, hands on her hips.
"Alright, give me some of your past outfits for reference," he requested.
Blushing slightly, Uta shyly handed over some of her past designs, and Luffy got to work, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources. He sketched outfits ranging from anime styles to elegant, Disney-like princess dresses, and even some edgier, modern designs. If he wasn't sure about a detail, he simply improvised.
With Uta's power, any mistakes could be quickly corrected, as she used her musical ability to erase and redraw lines as easily as a digital program.
"Luffy… you're a design genius!" Uta praised as she materialized one of the outfits. She twirled in a dress similar to a Disney princess gown, lifting the skirt in delight.
Each time she spun, her outfit changed—going from Gothic to sailor outfit to a chic school uniform.
Occasionally, a flash of her delicate midriff or slender waist, adorned with glowing dark markings, would catch Luffy's eye, making the ominous dark energy within him stir.
Wait… isn't this exactly like those viral online transformation videos? The virtual reality aspect made it feel surreal, and he realized it was better not to watch too closely.
Gripping his King's Sword, Luffy turned away, reciting a mental mantra. "No distractions… a clear mind… focus on the sword…"
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