Garp understood that raising a girl wasn't quite the same as raising a boy. He decided to enlist Makino's help to look after Uta, considering how dearly Shanks cherished the girl. Garp knew he couldn't just let things slide with Uta like he might with Luffy—keeping her simply "alive" wasn't going to cut it.
Living in Foosha Village initially didn't bother Uta; the villagers were kind, and everyone adored her. But with Shanks and the pirates gone, Uta's cheerful spirit began to wane after about two weeks. She often spent her days staring out at the sea.
Luffy tried to cheer her up, making silly jokes or playing games where he would sometimes let her win. But her happiness seemed only to last through the day; at night, a shadow of sadness seemed to settle over her.
By the third month, the sight of the Red Force still hadn't returned to the horizon. Uta sat alone on the beach, staring out at the endless blue, tears spilling down her cheeks. She hugged her shoulders tightly, looking at Luffy with a look of betrayal.
"Shanks… he abandoned me!" she sobbed.
"No, he wouldn't," Luffy said, sitting beside her in Shanks' straw hat and his red jacket. "He promised he'd be back—he must be in the middle of some dangerous, difficult trial. Something even he couldn't walk away from."
He took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Guess we're both left behind now.
"…Really?" she asked, sniffling.
"Yeah. Who knows? Maybe we'll see him in the newspapers one day, making big waves."
"Promise me, Luffy," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, it's a promise."
From afar, Garp watched with a sigh. Losing someone after you've had them is far more painful. Luffy, who never knew his father, probably wouldn't understand that pain. Shanks sure spoiled her, Garp thought, She doesn't even know what pirates truly are.
With an idea forming, Garp thought, Maybe if I take them to the mountains to meet Ace, it'll distract them from all this.
"Luffy, Uta, how about I introduce you to an older brother?" Garp said cheerfully.
"??" Luffy and Uta both looked at him, confused.
The next thing Luffy knew, he was being lifted by the back of his collar. Garp was a bit more gentle with Uta, letting her ride on his shoulders as they headed for Mt. Colubo.
…
Inside Mt. Colubo's bandit hideout, Dadan, the big, cigar-smoking mountain bandit, eyed Garp warily as he entered, holding a boy and carrying a girl on his shoulders.
"This is my grandson, Luffy," Garp declared, holding Luffy up. "Say hello, Luffy. Not all bandits are bad people."
"Hey there!" Luffy crossed his arms, greeting the bandits as they stared at him.
"Hey! Stop dumping kids on us like it's nothing! We're mountain bandits, not a daycare!" Dadan yelled, glaring at Garp. "You think we're here to babysit?"
"Hm?" Garp looked at her, his hair already white with age.
"I-I mean… we'll take good care of him," Dadan stammered as the bandits lined up, bowing respectfully to Garp.
Uta, meanwhile, was curious about the hideout. She glanced around, noting the shabby wooden cabin in the forest, looking more like a shack than a home. Clothes were haphazardly hung on either side of the house, giving the whole place a chaotic, unkempt feel.
"And this is the daughter of a pirate," Garp said, introducing her.
"I'm Uta, the musician of the Red-Haired Pirates!" she said proudly, still perched on Garp's shoulder. But just as she was speaking, she noticed a boy standing on the grass nearby. He was dirty and scowling as he stared at Luffy, then spat at him.
"Luffy, look out!" Uta called out.
With a flicker of flame at his fingertip, Luffy deflected the spit with a tiny flash of red-orange fire. The small spark landed in the grass near Ace, flaring up momentarily and startling him.
"Well, that's not a great way to meet someone," Luffy said, extinguishing the flame with a casual breath. The fire in front of Ace died down, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke.
"Ate a Devil Fruit, did you, Luffy?" Garp asked, grabbing his grandson and examining him closely.
"Nope," Luffy replied, slipping out of Garp's grasp and landing on the ground.
Ace, meanwhile, stared in disbelief at the smoldering grass. That kind of power… without a Devil Fruit?
"You looking for a fight?" Luffy asked, taking a step toward Ace.
"Tch." Ace grabbed a metal pipe beside him, glaring defiantly. "Bring it on!"
"Enough, you two!" Garp's voice thundered as he set Uta down, standing between the boys. "Luffy, this is Ace, your older brother by three years. You two should get along."
"No way. He's horrible!" Uta snapped, her gaze hostile as she looked at Ace.
Luffy understood that he was intruding on Ace's territory, which naturally led to some resentment. It was similar to how animals would respond to someone entering their space. Although he could empathize with Ace's reaction, he knew they weren't going to get along easily.
How did the original Luffy handle this guy? Luffy wondered, recalling how the original story had him sent here despite disliking the bandits. Was it because there was no other choice? Did he eventually win over Ace with pure kindness?
I'm not sure I can pull that off.
"Ace, you're back," Dadan said, looking over at Ace, then back at Luffy, who seemed to have some strange ability with fire. Life's only getting tougher…
The pirate girl, Uta, at least looked cute, which provided Dadan with a little comfort.
Though Luffy wasn't sure he could befriend Ace with love, he knew there were other, more direct methods.
Without another word, he raised his foot and kicked Ace, sending him flying.
"I'm not the type to hold back."
"Brat!" Garp barked, bringing his fist down on Luffy's head.
"Didn't I tell you two to get along?"
Luffy's cool demeanor vanished as he clutched his head. "You old geezer! He spat at me
first!"
Uta ran to Luffy's side, cheering him up. "Exactly! Luffy didn't do anything wrong!"
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