Chapter 32"Is that what he told you?""What?""Nothing, let's just say that's how it is. Here, take your hat back."Luffy felt quite puzzled.Uta looked like she was full of worries, and when she talked about Shanks, she was no longer the smiling, proud person he remembered.The distance caused by their long separation faded away unnoticed, and within a few words, they regained the feeling they used to have.Especially after hearing Luffy describe the specific details of the treatment, including how he helped take off her clothes and wiped her body with an ice towel... Uta didn't say a word, then stripped off her clothes and changed behind Luffy, comforting herself that, given Luffy's dense and carefree personality, he would forget all about it in a couple of days!She let down her tied-up hair, her red and white bangs swaying gently. Over her short white shirt, she put on a red and white jacket, then leaned in close to Luffy."You're actually reading it? Why the sudden interest in music? Do you want to sing with me?"Uta radiated a youthful aura, the flush on her face hadn't faded yet, and she carried a sickly, delicate air that easily stirred one's protective instincts.A faint, refreshing scent wafted towards him.Luffy took a sniff."Hey, doing that in front of a lady is very rude." Utagrabbed Luffy's face and pulled it towards her."How is even breathing wrong?""Do you like it when a beautiful girl smells like sweat?" Uta said crossly."...But it smells quite nice.""...Are you really Luffy?" Uta looked shocked. Is this really something Luffy could say?Covering her wildly beating heart, she wondered why such a compliment made her mouth feel as sweet as if she'd ingested honey. Damn it, that mere Luffy! Uta pulled at his face in a fit of embarrassed anger, because a Rubber Human's face really had a nice texture and felt comfortable to touch."Why are you just like Nami?" Luffy couldn't help but retort."Nami?"A chill ran down Luffy's back. In truth, he didn't know why he felt that way; it was probably because there were too many ice packs in the room, keeping the temperature low."Sounds like a girl's name. Are you close with her? The sea is full of con artists. Someone like you needs to be careful about getting swindled until you've lost even your underwear. Don't trust women too much..." Uta's words tumbled out uncontrollably.She felt inexplicably annoyed. She only had Luffyas a friend, but Luffy had other friends besides her.However... she should be the only one Luffy would share this Straw Hat with.She felt secretly pleased."Nami is my Navigator."Luffy said, unable to help himself, his eyes still glued to the book."If we're talking about deception, haven't you deceived me enough?"Luffy pouted, thinking about how many dirty tricks Uta used in all their childhood competitions, and how he had naively believed her—not just once, but two, three, four times."In the end, someone promised they'd be back next time, but then left without even leaving a letter, causing me to..."Uta didn't really want to talk about that.After all, Luffy was Luffy, and Shanks and the others were different. Hearing what Luffy said next, her initially gloomy mood lifted, and she asked with sudden interest,"What's wrong? You didn't cry because you didn't see me, did you?""Heh." Luffy rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I just felt like I was at a disadvantage because I never beat you once."He simply wasn't reconciled to it.But Luffy's self-regulation was quite good; he consoled himself by thinking that next time he met Uta, he would just pin her down hard.It was like when Uta learned some amateur martial arts as a kid and took advantage of him before he learned how to use the Gum-Gum Fruit to pin her down.He really wanted to turn the tables and be the boss.However, taking a moment, he looked back at Uta, sized her up, and couldn't help but say:"Also, what's up with your body right now? Why do you look so weak?""As if you're so strong." Uta retorted stubbornly, then reached out to touch Luffy's arm.Wow, such solid hardness.You couldn't tell by looking; Luffy didn't appear to be the type with a muscular build.Then again, Uta thought about the Marines and pirates outside—could they have all been dealt with by Luffy? Those people weren't the type you could reason with and get to sit down for a polite conversation."Just assume I've been slacking on my training."More than that, Uta was curious about what exactly had happened to Luffy.This wasn't the Luffy she remembered.Leaning over, she realized Luffy seemed to have grown taller than her.Chapter 38: I Was Here FirstUta was very curious about what had happened to Luffy.Who was that Navigator named Nami?Not to mention the medical knowledge he spoke of so eloquently—which Uta assumed was just Luffy's attempt to get her attention—when she casually asked two simple theoretical questions from that book, Luffy answered them without a second thought.It suddenly made Uta feel like she was still dreaming.Could it be that she was projecting her most perfect image of Luffy into her own dream?Thinking of this, Uta suddenly bit down on Luffy's arm."Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!"Uta's little fangs were sharp. Luffy sucked in a cold breath. "What are you doing?""I just wanted to see if I was dreaming.""...Then why didn't you bite yourself?" Luffy's mouth twitched slightly."I'm afraid of pain." Uta looked away, embarrassed."You bite me back." Luffy, holding a grudge, set his sights on Uta's arm.Uta: "...""If you do that, I'm going to scream 'pervert'." Utastared at Luffy with a look like she was looking at trash, her arms crossed over her chest."Then you're a pervert too."Luffy sneered coldly."When did you become so sharp-tongued? Could it be that someone trained you? Was it that woman named Nami?What exactly did she pour into your brain? Give me back that idiot Luffy!"Uta wasn't dissatisfied with the current Luffy; on the contrary, she was a bit proud that he had become excellent.But for some reason, she felt very annoyed, as if her childhood toy had been snatched by someone else, and the toy had even turned into something the other person liked.No, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.I was here first!Luffy still didn't understand why a woman's mood was like a storm—coming and going quickly—even though she had been calm just a moment ago.But with his face being pinched and his arm bitten, leaving a tooth mark, Luffy hardened his expression, coiled himself up, and bit back.[Warning, warning...]So noisy. Just wait, can't you tell who's boss?The initiative is in my hands; I'll do whatever I want!After muttering a few retorts internally, Luffylooked ahead with a smug expression.Uta was pinned to the bed by him, her hands behind her back, thoroughly subdued, with Luffysitting on top of her.It wasn't that revenge wouldn't come, just that the time hadn't arrived; the boomerang from childhood had finally hit the bullseye.Roles reversed, I'll show you what cruelty is!"Luffy, you guy..."Uta gritted her teeth but couldn't move."Hehehe, it's time you tasted this feeling too.""...Let me go.""I'll give you five seconds to surrender.""Impossible!""Then I'll do to you what you used to do to me when we were kids.""You..."Tap, tap, tap."Ahem, Uta, are you feeling any better?" Gordon's voice came from outside.There was a knock at the door, and Uta suddenly remembered that her teacher was still on the ship. Her face turned bright red, and she hurriedly tried to surrender.If they were alone, it would be fine; she could endure a spanking, just like when Luffy used to be caught by her like this as a kid, crying until tears threatened to burst out, yet gritting his teeth and refusing to let go.She and Luffy were both the stubborn type.Surrender?Impossible.But things were different now."I..." *Slap*.Uta's world went quiet, her hands instinctively covering her mouth to keep from letting out a sound."I surrender, you bastard!"The tables had turned, and Uta finally experienced that feeling.Gordon entered the room and saw Uta glaring at Luffy with the look of a young girl, her face flushed red. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion, feeling a complex sense of having his cabbage patch raided by a pig.But he was also a bit relieved.Previously on the island, Uta had been completely devoted to music, and during her breaks, she spent most of her time daydreaming; he rarely saw her have such rich facial expressions.Childhood sweethearts—it really was a wonderful relationship."Um... Mr. Luffy, regarding your companions." Gordon brought over a transponder snail and said:"They want to confirm your situation.""Hello, Nami?" Luffy picked up the transponder snail, and Nami's roar came from the other end immediately."You guy, you should have contacted me sooner!" Nami shouted, exasperated, clearly worried."Sorry, sorry, there were other things. By the way, aren't we stopped now? Why aren't you coming up?""That's a ship flying the World Government flag." Nami said, looking at the huge ship not far away."Your friend must be related to the World Government, right? If it's discovered that we're in contact with a pirate ship, there will be trouble, so it's better if we just follow behind and keep our distance."Nami knew her Captain had no awareness of such things, so she explained it carefully."I see. I wanted to introduce you all to Uta." Luffyglanced at Uta, who was practically pressing her body against him, and tried to push her away but couldn't."We just talked, and the route until Loguetown is about the same...""I'll be back before Loguetown."He hung up the phone.Luffy checked the proficiency of the song. Progressing alone by reading books was too slow, and he didn't know how long this so-called special reward time would last.If they parted ways at Loguetown, what would he do if the ghost plan went crazy again and made him go find Uta?It should be very difficult to meet again after entering the Grand Line.
