"He's called Luffy. He was only just sent here."
The only bar on the island had been completely booked out by the pirates.
Makino, the bar owner and part-time server, seemed to know Shanks well. She spoke casually as she introduced the newest "resident" of Foosha Village.
"Hey, Luffy," one of the pirates asked, already acting like they were old friends after downing a mug of beer. He slung an arm around Luffy's shoulders, grinning. "What kind of man do you want to be when you grow up?"
This kid had actually tried to challenge their captain. He was interesting.
"I want to be the freest and happiest man in the world," Luffy said, reciting the line he'd decided to use.
"Then why not become a pirate?" the pirates coaxed him, voices bright with mischief. "Pirates are the freest people alive. You can do whatever you want, sail the whole world, go on adventures everywhere…"
"No," Luffy refused immediately. "My grandpa would beat me."
"Hahahaha! Figures. Still just a kid."
The pirates laughed it off.
Luffy bristled. "My grandpa is really strong, okay? I think all of you together still wouldn't be enough for him!"
"What nonsense are you saying?" a clear voice cut in. "Shanks is the strongest."
Uta walked over holding a glass of juice, looking very pleased with herself.
"Oh yeah?" Luffy turned his head toward Shanks, who was chatting with Makino. "Shanks, can you really beat my grandpa? If you can, then maybe becoming a pirate isn't totally impossible…"
As he spoke, Luffy casually snatched Uta's juice and gulped it down in one go.
"Hey! That's my juice!"
Uta froze in shock, staring at him like he'd committed a mortal sin.
"And Shanks can definitely send your grandpa flying!"
"Really?" Luffy said flatly. "I don't believe you."
That single calm sentence lit a fuse.
Uta grabbed his shirt collar, yanking him closer until her face was inches from his, eyes blazing.
"My grandpa is Monkey D. Garp, the Hero of the Marines!"
The noisy bar went dead silent.
Even Shanks paused mid-sip with his glass of red wine, looking at Luffy with visible surprise.
"…Wait," Uta blinked, confused by the sudden atmosphere. "Is Garp really that strong?"
"Well…" The pirates who'd been swaggering a moment ago suddenly got awkward. "Yeah. He's… kind of strong."
"Benn Beckman, you're finished!" someone burst out laughing again. "You tried to lure Garp's grandson into becoming a pirate! Hahahahaha!"
"What? No! That absolutely wasn't me!" Benn Beckman went pale.
"But when you think about it…" another voice teased, "it's actually kind of funny."
The tavern erupted in a new round of laughter.
Shanks stepped in and gently pried Uta's hands off Luffy's collar, then lightly thumped the backs of both their heads with a broad palm.
"He's a Marine," Shanks said, calm and amused. "Pirates running from Marines is only natural."
Then he looked between them.
"You two are the same age. Get along. Luffy, take Uta and show her around Foosha Village. We'll be staying here for a while."
"Ooh. Then when I get back, can you teach me swordsmanship?" Luffy pointed at the sword on Shanks's waist. "Grandpa only uses his fists. It's not cool at all."
"You little brat! You're bargaining with pirates?" Uta puffed up, clearly offended on Shanks's behalf.
This filthy village kid was way too cocky. And he was demanding payment for taking her out.
His clothes were dirty, he looked like a total bumpkin…
"Sure, sure," Shanks answered casually, like it didn't matter. He patted Luffy's head again. "Take care of Uta."
"I promise!"
"Shanks! I'm two years older than him. I should be the one taking care of him!" Uta huffed.
Luffy grabbed her wrist anyway and took off running, dragging her outside at full speed.
If only this weren't the movie timeline…
Once they were out of the bar, Luffy finally slowed down, still holding Uta's hand.
If this weren't the movie timeline, he could've just stayed in Foosha Village, trained quietly, and lived his life.
But if it was the movie timeline…
Then this year, Uta would end up releasing the Tot Musica, destroying an entire country, an island, countless lives.
Should he stop Shanks from taking her to Elegia?
Should he stop Uta from ever leaving Foosha Village?
Should he sneak onto the Red Force himself and stop her from singing that forbidden score in Elegia?
Luffy's expression turned serious as he thought it through.
"You're hurting me!" Uta snapped, grabbing his hand and signaling for him to loosen his grip. As the "princess" of the Red Hair Pirates, she'd never been treated this roughly in her life.
"Uta," Luffy said with a grin, "since I promised Shanks I'd take care of you, you should call me big brother."
"No way." Uta glared at him. "I'm older than you. You should call me big sister."
"But I'm stronger than you," Luffy said as if it were obvious. "And my grandpa is stronger than Shanks."
"So you're the weak one. That means I get to make you call me big brother."
"That's not true! Shanks is the strongest! He just doesn't fight your grandpa because he's a pirate!" Uta shot back, cheeks puffed out.
She had noticed how the pirates reacted earlier. She could tell Luffy's grandpa was terrifying.
But she wasn't going to admit it.
Shanks was the strongest. That was that.
"And I'm stronger than you!" she insisted, confidence flaring.
A nine-year-old girl losing to a seven-year-old boy?
Impossible.
"Really?" Luffy said again, calm as ever. "I don't believe you."
There it was again.
That infuriating tone.
That careless face like nothing in the world mattered.
This guy…
Uta's anger kept rising and rising.
Meanwhile, Luffy had already stopped walking. They'd moved a little farther from town.
From their brief interaction, Luffy was already sure of one thing.
Uta didn't have more strength than him.
So he grabbed her by both arms, put in a little force, and pushed her down onto the soft grass.
"Hey!"
Uta had no idea what he was about to do. She fell hard, her backside stinging.
Then she watched, stunned, as Luffy casually sat right on her waist.
"Based on the evidence so far," Luffy said smugly, "I'm stronger, Miss Uta."
"My dress!" Uta shrieked.
That was what she cared about most. The beautiful dress Shanks had bought her.
She walked carefully every day, terrified of getting dust on it.
And this brat had just thrown her onto the ground.
Unforgivable.
Uta gritted her teeth, ready to give him a proper lesson, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn't push him off.
Finally, she went limp, glaring up at him in defeat.
Boys are the worst.
Village boys are even worse.
"Rude! Jerk! I'm going to tell Shanks you bullied me!"
Her eyes welled with tears.
"Just like a kid," Luffy teased, pulling a face. "About to cry and run to an adult."
Uta's embarrassment turned into pure rage.
"You're the kid! A childish little kid!" she snapped. "I'm the singer of the Red Hair Pirates. I don't have to fight. We'll compete in something else!"
"Sure," Luffy said brightly. "Let's see who can pee the farthest."
He stood up from her like it was the most normal suggestion in the world, stared out over the grass, then pulled down his pants and started peeing.