Bang!
Bear King first saw the flash, then heard the thunderous roar.
Why does he have a gun? This thought flashed in Bear King's mind, the notion clashing with Luffy's usual demeanor and catching him off guard.
A lead bullet, spinning through the air with a crimson trail, hurtled straight toward him. Normally, bullets waver and shift midair, often missing their mark. But not this time.
Luffy's shot drew a straight line toward Bear King's eye, the bullet flying at four hundred meters per second.
Thud—
The impact sent Bear King's head reeling back. Pain surged through him—how could a mere bullet hurt this much? Confusion clouded his thoughts as the pain intensified.
It was just a bullet. He'd been shot before, but as a user of the Steel Steel Fruit, bullets, slashes, even pain itself had been rendered ineffective. From the moment he ate that fruit, he had gained the power to defy harm, a symbol of ultimate strength.
That was how it was supposed to be…
But now, his eyeball was in pieces, shattered by the bullet's force. Blood poured from the wound.
This can't be—does he have some kind of special Navy gun?
Bear King's mouth opened, a pained groan escaping.
"Speed is power. When my sword strikes at four hundred meters per second, the battle's already decided," Luffy stated, rising to his feet. He held the pistol steadily, aiming directly at Bear King's open mouth, his target pre-calculated.
The first bullet, trailing red, struck Bear King in the throat with a heavy impact.
Bear King was a powerful opponent. Normally, Luffy's gunfire would rip straight through his enemies, leaving gaping holes, but Bear King endured the onslaught with his steel-like body.
A second shot followed, striking the same point in his throat, causing a network of cracks to spread.
A third shot hit the same spot, tearing through his windpipe, leaving a gaping hole.
The impact propelled Bear King backward, and another bullet slammed into his body, sending him tumbling, the bullet lodged deep in his muscle.
Smoke filled the air as the trail of fire faded. Luffy completed his rapid-fire iaijutsu, unloading every bullet into Bear King. He blew the smoke from the barrel, watching as the last wisps faded.
"You were a strong opponent, but it's over."
Luffy holstered the gun and approached the cliff to retrieve the King's Sword.
Bear King's body began to smolder, triggering a violent explosion to prevent him from getting up again.
Luffy leapt back onto the ship, cleaning the King's Sword and returning it to its sheath with a soft click as it once again rested.
"These pirates aren't dead; they're just knocked out by my Conqueror's Haki. There are too many lying around here," Luffy said to Bellemere.
"Luffy, are you alright?" she asked, concerned.
"Well... my body feels a bit sore. I took a direct hit from what felt like a solid steel pillar," Luffy replied, rubbing his chest.
"Get some rest. We adults can handle the cleanup." She gave him a reassuring smile.
Luffy nodded and looked at Uta.
She turned off the recording device, raising her hand as if to smack him but holding back. "Idiot Luffy!"
It sounded like a reprimand, but her tone was almost playfully scolding, a sound so charming it could make anyone want to hear more.
Luffy closed his eyes and slipped into a dream.
In his dream, Luffy was skipping around gleefully. "Skipping out on practice, haha. My body feels much lighter here."
Take care of my body, and I'll come back when you're all healed.
"Seriously, Luffy got hurt again!" Dream-Uta scolded, crossing her arms.
"You trained so hard, and I was just off by a little in my calculations. Adjusted my battle strategy, and he couldn't touch me," Luffy made a cocky gesture.
"Iron defense and Armament filtering made the impact bearable."
"That Devil Fruit power was something else... Uta, I want to go on the swings…"
"My powers would have made it easy—I could've dealt with him in a heartbeat!" Uta said.
Luffy, perched on a swing conjured from musical notes, chuckled. "Your power is amazing, but don't use it for things like that. Even Shanks never asked you to, and I won't either."
"And don't you dare get hurt again," she said, holding back tears. "Seeing a friend hurt is painful for me, too."
Luffy grinned. "I'll keep getting stronger, Uta. Sing for me, okay?" He rocked back and forth on the swing.
Luffy hadn't sat on a swing in ages. It reminded him of simpler times, and it would've been even better to share it with a cute girl.
A cute girl...
He looked at Dream-Uta, now a graceful young lady with long, flowing black hair cascading down her back, wearing a dark T-shirt.
He wanted to hold her... he wanted to hold a cute girl. The thought was addicting.
Was darkness beginning to creep into his mind?
"I'm craving a hug from a cute girl…" he muttered.
The first time a guy wants to hold a girl, there's always this mental block, the line separating innocence from experience. The first time, you find all sorts of reasons and excuses to cross that line.
With Nami, Beli had been their bridge. It turned the interaction into a transaction, making everything feel justified, even if it was just an illusion.
But with Uta, isolation became the bridge—a world only for the two of them, where no one else could see or know.
And so, he spoke his thoughts to her, as casually as asking for a swing or a new song.
Uta, as always in this dream, fulfilled any wish he voiced, be it a sword or a battle. She was the kind of friend who would always help.
Uta gave a soft hum, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Beating around the bush to ask your big sister for a hug, hmm? Silly boy."
"But how are you going to hug me while on the swing?" Luffy asked.
"I'll do the holding. I'll sit right here in front."
She floated over to sit in front of him, and Luffy wrapped his arms around her.
Uta's scent was like sweet, creamy vanilla. It made him want to nibble on her, just a bit.
"Too tight! It hurts!" she squeaked, her cheeks turning rosy.
"I was afraid you'd fall."
"Silly, that's impossible. I control this place!"
As she leaned back against his chest, the two of them swung together, Uta humming a soft, cheerful tune.
"I thought you'd create a cute girl for me to hug," Luffy mused, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"What are you even thinking? That'd ruin the whole feeling."
"You're bad, Luffy. Aren't I a cute girl?" Uta pouted, half-heartedly trying to smack him.
---
Back in reality…
Uta helped Luffy to his room, where he could rest, while Bellemere tied up the unconscious pirates.
"Pirates... all gone!" Some of the islanders peeked out from behind the cliffs, shocked at the scene along the shoreline.
Then they noticed the Navy flag.
"Was this the Navy's doing? But it was just one ship!"
They gasped in disbelief.
"Are you villagers? Come help me. There are a lot of pirates here who've been knocked out. We need to tie them up," Bellemere called to the villagers.
Seeing a woman among the Navy soldiers and the terrifying pirates defeated on the ground, the islanders believed her words and approached to lend a hand.
"Incredible… one person defeated so many pirates?"
The mayor and his wife, a gentle scholarly couple, looked on in amazement.
"Yes, but he's injured. Can someone call a doctor? It's mostly blunt force trauma," Bellemere told them.
"Of course…" they agreed.
With the villagers' help, Bellemere called the Navy base to report the situation.
She also had Vice-Admiral Pudding Pudding's direct line.
"The Card Pirates… completely… wiped out?!" Vice-Admiral Pudding Pudding's voice burst with disbelief.
"Yes, that's right. Just send a ship to pick up the pirates." Bellemere explained the Card Pirates' lineup.
Two Devil Fruit users!
Thousands of pirates!
"Such power… he's truly a hero for the Navy!" exclaimed the Vice-Admiral. "I'll report this to headquarters. He deserves recognition!"
---
"Ten years old, defeating two Devil Fruit users and an entire pirate crew—such strength merits the title of genius," Sengoku said, arms crossed, as he looked at Garp.
"Hahaha, has he really done so much? That's my grandson!" Garp laughed heartily.
"So, can CP9's so-called once-in-eight-centuries prodigy match Luffy?"
"He only managed to kill five hundred pirates."
"We're different divisions, so who knows? But under your 'responsible' training, Luffy has also become an eight-centuries prodigy for the Navy," Sengoku replied.
"Luffy will make a fine Navy officer," Garp chuckled.
"He'd better, or we'd suffer a great loss!"
"Should we make his accomplishments public, Garp? We need a hero to lift everyone's spirits. The Navy can't stay mired in sorrow forever."
Sengoku looked gravely at his friend.
A tragedy had struck the Navy, shaking the entire force to its core. The news was spreading fast: Admiral Zephyr's training ship had been ambushed by pirates. Zephyr's beloved students—all except Ain and Binz—had been brutally killed, and Zephyr himself had lost his right arm. The enemy had walked away unscathed.
In such dark times, a story of heroism could offer a glimmer of hope, a rallying point for the Navy.
Garp sat in silence before he nodded.
---
Three days later, the East Blue was buzzing with the news of Luffy's victory. The Navy's official channels had released the story, portraying Luffy's exploits as nothing short of legendary.
The headlines read: "The Grandson of the Hero Garp, Monkey D. Luffy, Single-Handedly Defeats the Card Pirates!"
Reports praised Luffy as a once-in-a-lifetime genius, a young warrior whose strength and courage matched the spirit of his grandfather. In one of the more striking photos—a captured still from Uta's recording—Luffy stood at the ship's prow, gripping the hilt of his sword, the Card Pirates collapsed in the distance.
Across East Blue, Luffy's newfound fame spread like wildfire. The title "Hero" was now attached to his name.
However, in the shadowy recesses of certain powerful circles, the attention was elsewhere. For them, the real story was the news of Zephyr's injury—a symbol of the Navy's growing vulnerabilities.
Some of these individuals looked upon Luffy's rise with mockery.
"Using one story to cover up another… So Garp's grandson becomes just another pawn in the Navy's political game?"
Voices filled with cynical laughter echoed in private gatherings.
"The Navy's really on its last legs, isn't it? Zephyr is no longer what he used to be, and the Navy is… decaying."
"If we were to kill Garp's grandson, imagine the chaos. Wouldn't it make for a great tragedy, just like Zephyr?"
They laughed, imagining the headlines if Luffy were to be eliminated.
---
"Why is this even in the papers? They've exposed everything!" Luffy groaned, lying in bed, his body wrapped in bandages.
The article featured a high-definition photo of him gripping his sword on the ship's prow, taken from Uta's footage. Across the sea, the defeated pirates lay scattered in the background.
He had to admit it looked cool, but the fame was overwhelming.
"This is great!" Bellemere said, smiling at him.
"Hero? I don't want to be a hero. I just want to be free, to be a king," Luffy muttered, tossing the newspaper aside.
Nami, Nojiko, and Uta scrambled to pick it up, eager to read the praise-filled article about him.
The Navy's writers had pulled out all the stops, labeling him as an "eight-centuries genius," "heir of justice," and a "new hero on the seas."
While the world echoed with tales of his heroism, Luffy's mind was elsewhere. Zephyr's fate weighed on him. He knew that his own story was being used to overshadow the devastating news of Zephyr's loss.
"Hero, Luffy's a hero!" Nojiko laughed, holding up the paper.
"So cool!" Nami's eyes sparkled.
The Navy's influence seemed to be working its magic on them, Luffy realized.
With a slight smile, he rose and said, "I'm feeling a bit better now. Let's head onto the island and explore Clockwork Island."
The people of Clockwork Island welcomed Luffy with open arms.
"We were on the verge of giving up, ready to surrender," the mayor explained, grateful. "We never imagined the Navy would send someone to save us."
"We couldn't stand against such terrifying pirates on our own. The island's mechanisms were no match for them. We can't thank you enough," the mayor's wife added.
"If you really want to thank me, then help modify my ship with your technology," Luffy said, smiling.
"Of course, we'd be honored!" the mayor promised.
They rode an elevator to the top of the island, high above the ocean, the girls cheering at the breathtaking view.
Clockwork Island's elevator was impressive, a marvel of gears and springs that lifted them hundreds of meters up to the man-made island.
"I want to see the Diamond Clock!" Uta said excitedly.
"Absolutely!" one of the islanders replied, eager to grant t
heir heroes' wishes.
Soon, they stood before a massive gear mechanism—the heart of Clockwork Island, the intricate structure that kept everything running.
"Amazing…" Luffy murmured, marveling at the technological wonder. "I want to learn how all of this works."
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