"So it really is you, Uta."
Luffy looked at Uta, whose hair, styled like a ponytail, hung down, and opened his arms. "It's me, it's me!"
"Who are you... Could it be? Luffy?!"
Uta's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. The red hair on her right and the light pink hair on her left stood up excitedly.
She immediately rushed forward and hugged Luffy.
Uta was Shanks's adopted daughter, Luffy's childhood playmate, a genuine childhood friend.
Childhood friends were like enemies from a past life; that was the kind of relationship Luffy and Uta had.
When the Red Hair Pirates stayed in the village, because Luffy and Uta were similar in age, they quickly became close friends.
They explored the village together, laughed and argued, and participated in all sorts of silly challenges.
The result was that Luffy lost more often than he won.
Uta was also the first one to call him an idiot. Now, with a brain that actually worked, Luffy snapped out of the joy of their reunion, eager to show her his new, improved self.
No one stays an idiot forever!
"What are you doing here?" Uta asked, pleasantly surprised.
"Because I just set out to sea..."
Luffy grinned, wanting to show off a bit. It was only natural; when you haven't seen a friend for many years, you always want to show them how you're doing now.
He still really wanted to win against Uta at least once.
"Set out to sea... as a pirate?" The expression on Uta's face changed.
"...What's wrong?"
"I hate pirates." Uta fell silent for a moment, staring at Luffy.
After her hit song "New Genesis" went viral, she had interacted with many fans. Their lives had been messed up by those despicable pirates. Maybe that was just one reason.
The most important thing was that Uta felt abandoned by the Red Hair Pirates, whom she had once considered family.
"But I don't hate you, Luffy." Uta suddenly smiled and reached out to tug on Luffy's straw hat.
"'Don't hate' means 'like'?"
"Heh..." Uta gave Luffy a look.
Luffy pouted and said, "I don't care if you like me or not. Just compete with me a few more times later."
Could that 'like' stuff fill your stomach?
Luffy's competitive drive towards Uta was still stronger.
"Cough... I'll have to... wait until I recover..." Uta seemed to feel a sense of security and leaned dizzily against Luffy's chest.
"...Are you sick?"
Luffy brushed aside Uta's bangs and pressed his forehead against hers. Yikes, so hot.
Uta looked dazed and confused and seemed to have fainted.
Luffy picked her up.
Their somewhat oblivious behavior made the pirates and Marines in the distance grit their teeth.
"What the hell is this? Is that guy a pirate too?"
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! What's Uta's relationship with that person?"
On these seas, as long as there was profit to be had, alliances could form. Identity was the cheapest thing.
Pirates and Marines could cooperate as long as they reached a mutually beneficial agreement.
Just like Neptune and the Arlong Pirates.
The world wasn't just black and white; there was a vast expanse of gray.
"George, as we agreed, I take Uta. Everything else on the ship is yours," said the Marine wearing a Lieutenant Commander's cloak.
"Jehahaha! Don't worry, Lieutenant Commander Andō. I'm a major pirate with a bounty of fifty million Berries. Don't you trust my credibility?"
Lieutenant Commander Andō was an avid fan of Uta.
So fanatical that he wanted to possess that voice for himself. Otherwise, he would never have chosen to cooperate with pirates.
"Is a pirate's high bounty linked to their credibility?" Luffy raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't want my credibility linked to yours."
This statement made Gordon and the others pause and take this straw-hat-wearing kid seriously.
"Devil Muscles Blade" George.
A major pirate from the first half of the Grand Line with a bounty of fifty million Berries.
And here in the East Blue, there was also a wanted criminal with a fifty million Berry bounty?
What a joke.
"You take Uta and go. I'll hold them off," Gordon could only pin his hopes on Luffy, lowering his voice and repeating what he had told Uta, since Uta was now unconscious.
"Go? Why?"
"These pirates and Marines..."
"Gomu Gomu no... Giant Whip!"
Luffy, holding Uta, leaped into the air, his giantized foot sweeping across, covered in a deep, jet-black coating.
"What?!"
"Damn it, a Devil Fruit user!"
The deck was instantly cleared. Both pirates and Marines were sent flying as if hit by a high-speed Sea Train.
They screamed, spitting blood and teeth, tracing parabolas through the air before plopping into the sea one after another like dumplings.
"Gomu Gomu no... Giant Whip Double Strike!"
Following the same method, the nearby Marine warship and pirate ship, which had been firing cannons, were destroyed by two kicks.
With that series of actions, the previously threatening pirates and Marines were all dealt with.
"So... so strong..." Gordon was stunned.
A major pirate from the Grand Line with a fifty million bounty, and a Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Commander... were they really dealt with just like that?
"Hey, old man, stop standing there dumbfounded. Get me a room," Luffy said urgently.
The body temperature of Uta in his arms was frighteningly high, and her breathing had become irregular.
"Ah! Yes! Please follow me!"
Gordon snapped back to reality, immediately turned, and led the way, hurriedly guiding Luffy through the messy deck into the ship's interior.
The luxurious cabin corridors still showed the ship's former elegance, but now the air was tinged with the faint smell of gunpowder and blood.
Gordon pushed open a door decorated with musical notes. "This is Uta's room."
The room was spacious and comfortable, warmly decorated with many musical instruments and sheet music.
Luffy carefully placed Uta on the large, soft bed in the center and tucked her in.
Uta's body had always been relatively weak. A few days ago, she started coughing after being exposed to the sea wind. The ship's doctor had instructed her to rest properly.
Who would have thought she'd be burning up so badly now? And the ship's doctor was dead.
What a coincidence.
"Old man, please go get the ship doctor's medical kit. And bring lots of ice packs," Luffy said quickly.
"Are you a doctor?" Gordon asked, surprised.
"...You could say that."
Luffy muttered, as if convincing himself, or giving a reluctant answer, his face showing an expression somewhere between awkwardness and bravado.
He never expected that the superficial knowledge forced into him just a few days ago by that damned [Pirate King Training Plan]—cramming medical books, drawing anatomical diagrams—would actually come in useful so soon.
Even though he thought the plan was utterly a mess at the time.
Now, at least, those descriptions of common disease symptoms and basic treatments were exceptionally clear in his mind.
"High fever, confused consciousness... this isn't good..."
Luffy didn't hesitate much and directly started removing Uta's clothes.
The first sentence in the medical book was: In a doctor's eyes, there is no distinction between men and women.
Luffy might not be a doctor, but that didn't mean he couldn't use those words to comfort himself a little.
***
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