Blushing with embarrassment, Kuina ultimately had no choice but to go along with Uta's antics.
"Is this... a real sword?" Kuina asked as she unsheathed the blade at her waist, feeling its weight. She could tell from her experience with Wado Ichimonji that this was a genuine weapon.
"Yes, don't worry! This is the mental world, so even if you get hurt, I can heal you!" Uta assured her.
As she spoke, Luffy, who had been clumsily handling his oversized greatsword, lost his grip. The massive blade swung down and struck his shoulder with its sharp double edges.
In an instant, it sliced through his shoulder, and his arm fell to the ground as blood sprayed everywhere, splattering dramatically onto the grass.
"Uta, Uta, my arm! My arm is gone!!!" Luffy yelled, staring at the spot where his arm had been. He was terrified and screamed for Uta's help. Quick, before the pain sets in! Heal me!
"Eeeek!!" Uta gasped, pale with horror as she stared at Luffy's bloody shoulder, momentarily frozen in shock. "Doctor! Dr. Honjo!" she called frantically.
"We're gonna die!" Kuina and Zoro were equally horrified, and in their panic, they dropped their swords, which immediately landed on their feet, causing them to bleed as well.
The three children quickly understood the true power—and danger—of wielding the high-level weapons of the Pirate King world.
"It hurts… so bad…" Luffy groaned, rolling on the ground from the pain of his lost arm.
"I'm healing, I'm healing…!" Uta finally snapped into action, summoning her musical powers to heal Luffy, as well as Kuina and Zoro.
A soft, green light shimmered over them as musical notes gathered around Luffy's shoulder, reattaching his arm and stopping the bleeding. Within moments, all three of them were healed.
"Luffy! Don't scare me like that!" Uta scolded him, pressing her hand to her chest as she caught her breath.
The bloodstains around them dissolved into musical notes and disappeared.
"This sword's balance is really strange," Luffy admitted, still shaken. He was grateful this was only a mental world.
Curious, Kuina approached the double-edged greatsword, which was half-buried in the ground. She gripped the hilt with both hands and tried to lift it, but couldn't budge it.
"It's… so heavy!" she said in surprise.
Luffy placed one hand on the hilt and, with a surge of strength, flexed his powerful muscles and pulled the sword free in one clean motion. The blade cut through the air, and even the touch of the blade's edge to the grass left sliced stalks in its wake.
"Incredible strength!" Kuina said, genuinely impressed.
"You're strong too, Kuina!" Luffy gave her a thumbs-up, praising her openly.
"I want to grow stronger. Please let me train alongside you both," Kuina said, bowing deeply to him.
"Me too! I'm in!" Despite the recent mishap with his foot, Zoro clung to his sword and spoke up eagerly.
"Then let's all work together," Luffy said with a grin, lifting the greatsword to rest it on his shoulder. A moment later, with a horrifying squish, a huge spray of blood shot out again.
"Luffy!!!" Uta shrieked. "You idiot! Enough with the double-edged sword!"
"That's it; I'm confiscating it!" she snapped, and with a wave of her hand, the sword disappeared into a swirl of musical notes.
"No, Uta, please!" Luffy wailed, clinging to her waist dramatically. "Please, don't take my toy away!"
…
Outside, Shimotsuki Koushirou watched the children training and smiled. The scene brought him satisfaction, especially seeing Kuina and Zoro practicing their swings with precise, coordinated movements.
He had a sense that last night's duel had inspired progress in both Kuina and Zoro. Even Luffy, though untrained in swordsmanship, was off to the side performing what seemed to be a rigorous physical workout—movements challenging enough to daunt even an adult.
Koushirou decided to observe Luffy for a while longer, curious to see the limits of his endurance and resolve. He'd soon decide how best to guide him and whether the boy was ready for more advanced lessons.
As spring sunlight poured over the dojo, Uta sat on the wooden steps, swinging her legs as she hummed a cheerful tune. Her voice captivated the few passersby who heard it, a rare treat for Shimotsuki Village.
One by one, the other dojo students arrived. They noticed Uta sitting quietly on the porch in her pretty dress, her skirt draped gracefully to her knees, leaving just a bit of her legs visible above her white socks. The sight stirred an innocent admiration in them.
As the other children gathered, Uta clasped her hands together, ending the dream world. She adjusted the flow of time in the dream, ensuring that although hours had passed in their minds, only minutes had gone by in reality.
As their minds returned to their physical bodies, Kuina and Zoro felt an intense fatigue wash over them. They stumbled slightly, their bodies sore and heavy, as if they had just endured hours of intense training.
"This… feels like I actually trained for hours," Kuina muttered, recognizing the strain. She knew her limits and realized that maintaining perfect form for such a prolonged period was exhausting. She looked at Uta with newfound respect.
"Enter the dojo and begin your lesson," Koushirou said warmly, guiding the children inside.
Uta noticed a tall figure standing quietly near the dojo entrance and thought about leaving. But Luffy grabbed her hand before she could take a step outside.
"Stay and attend the lesson with us," he said with a grin. "If anyone complains, let Shanks pay extra for it—he's a big-time pirate, after all!"
People were social creatures, after all, and Luffy didn't want Uta to be left outside, alone in the village. While she might not feel lonely, he didn't want her to be isolated.
He remembered a similar moment from his previous life. Back in elementary school, he had a childhood friend—a girl who would often call out to him to play. But, following the idea that "boys don't play with girls," he'd turned away from her calls, leaving her behind without looking back.
Now, as he recalled the image of that girl, her face and voice blurred by time, he felt a pang of regret for abandoning a friend. That had been a mistake he didn't want to repeat.
Holding onto Uta's hand, Luffy knew he wouldn't let a friend feel left behind again.
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