Chapter 178 - 36

Nami's figure flashed through Luffy's mind."Then what should we do?" he asked subconsciously."I heard that saliva can stop bleeding.""Huh?"Before he could finish speaking, Uta bit down again. It wasn't really a bite; Luffy could clearly feel a sucking sensation.As Uta's throat moved slightly, saliva mixed with blood flowed into her mouth, and her eyes grew brighter.Luffy: "..."Is Uta some kind of vampire?! Luffy felt like he was being drained dry, and he couldn't even push her away. If it weren't for the fact that the left side seemed to be out of blood and Uta wanted to switch to the right, Luffy felt he would have been sucked into a dried corpse by tonight."Pop."Facing Luffy's gaze, Uta averted her eyes, flickering. "What? Is there a problem? Look, the bleeding has stopped."She wiped away the saliva, her rosy lips seemingly stained with something, becoming even more alluring.The bleeding has stopped, but do you have no idea how it was stopped?Luffy was someone who held grudges; if you bite me, I must bite back, especially since it was Uta.Wouldn't being unilaterally bled dry mean he lost?But just as he was about to move his mouth, a familiar voice rang out from below."Luffy?"Luffy stiffened, his back feeling cold. In fact, he didn't know why his back felt cold; perhaps the sea breeze tonight was just refreshing?Uta's hand, reaching to pull his clothes and expose his neck, stopped.She knew what he wanted to do just by looking at him. This petty guy definitely wanted to bite back. There were no other thoughts, just pure retaliation, or rather, a desire to win.At worst, she'd just get bitten back.Uta felt she would still be the one profiting, after all, the taste was truly delicious... but that voice broke the atmosphere.Looking down, she saw a girl with short orange hair looking up at them, her expression indescribably strange."Nami?"This name instantly surfaced in Uta's mind."Nami! This is... Uta..."Luffy's voice grew quieter and quieter.The night sea breeze was indeed a bit chilly, but what was this cold that made his teeth chatter?Nervous.Luffy was very nervous now; the introduction of the two people was only six words, perfectly presenting a transition from high-pitched to low-mumbled.He looked at Uta, then glanced at Nami.It was as if there was only the other person in their line of sight, silently staring at each other."Gulp."Luffy's throat moved.Chapter 43: A Childhood Friend Descends from the Sky, Buffs Fully StackedI want to run away, but I can't escape.Is there anyone who can save me?"Hey, what's going on? Why so loud all of a sudden?" On the other side, Zoro, who heard the noise, walked over while rubbing his head."Zoro!"Luffy shouted, thank goodness.Then, Zoro simultaneously received the death glares of two women wearing demon masks.Zoro: "..."No, who did I offend?Luffy escaped from that bone-chilling atmosphere, his gaze toward Zoro full of gratitude; that state of vitality and all things competing for growth was still fresh in his mind.If this continued, who knew if Uta and Nami would have a pirate duel.Even though it was the first time they had met, why were they like enemies? The only explanation Luffycould think of was that Uta hated pirates to an irreversible degree.But this thought was quickly shattered.Uta pulled closer to Zoro and the others with a single introduction."Childhood friend?" Zoro glanced at Nami.Sanji and Usopp also came over upon hearing the noise.However, Sanji, who was moving too fast, was habitually punched away by Luffy."Luffy, you actually have a friend like this! Why didn't you introduce Miss Uta to me right away!" Sanji, with a wound on his face, clearly having just been punched away, looked indignant.There's already Miss Nami, and now there's another childhood friend?So envious."Wait, I think I've heard this name somewhere?" Usopp thought hard, his finger pressed against his forehead.His companions' thoughts were all over the place, and Luffy had no time to answer them one by one.The time, place, and character elements were all complete.[Warning, the (Second Phase) time has arrived... countdown three minutes.]If he didn't execute it, he'd be shooting blanks again. At such a time, in such a scene, in front of his companions, even Luffy couldn't resist."Let's have a banquet!"It was hard to reach the second phase; maybe tonight he could see the so-called Klabautermannand Nika.Luffy's eyes were bright and spirited, temporarily casting all distracting thoughts to the back of his mind."Oh, let's have a banquet!" Usopp was the first to respond."To welcome the beautiful Miss Uta, I must naturally give it my all! Miss Nami, please wait a moment, the best delicacies will be ready soon!"Sanji immediately perked up, instantly entering work mode, rushing to the kitchen like a whirlwind to start preparing the grilled ingredients and seasonings.Zoro yawned, hugged his sword, and walked to the side of the ship to sit down; for him, as long as there was alcohol, it was fine.Pirates having banquets was the norm; the format was singing, eating, and drinking.Luffy had always highly praised this activity of drinking heavily and, most importantly, eating meat heartily; he could set up the scene in three to five minutes.He was now full of thoughts about the banquet and singing, instantly casting certain things to the back of his mind.With the loss of Luffy as a barrier, Uta and Nami's gazes inevitably collided again.Only this time, their gazes did not clash fiercely in the air for too long.Uta smiled radiantly, taking the lead in shifting away that aggressive gaze.That smile bloomed under the Moonlight, carrying a kind of near-demonic allure and composure, as if it lit up the entire night."Miss Nami, thank you for taking care of Luffy as he sailed on the sea these days."What's with this tone that sounds like a family member speaking?Nami bit her lower lip, and she squeezed out a decent-looking smile on her face."Not at all, taking care of the Captain is the Navigator's duty. I will also take good care of Luffyin the future."Uta's eyes narrowed slightly. What is this woman saying? Is taking care of the Captain the Navigator's duty? Nonsense!To think she actually claimed she would take good care of him in the future.Does she not have me in her eyes?How long have you and Luffy known each other, all things considered?"That's true, taking care of an idiot does require patience and a long time. Come to think of it, Luffyand I have known each other for many years; I didn't expect to meet again here in the East Blue." Uta said.Bonds are like wine; the longer they last, the sweeter and more delicious they become. Do you understand the value of a childhood friend?Nami felt the flames in her heart shoot up, especially that phrase "known each other for many years," which seemed to mock her status as a latecomer.Uta definitely said these things on purpose!Her hands unconsciously clenched into small fists.The familiarity with Luffy in Uta's words made her extremely uncomfortable."Encounters are always full of surprises, Miss Uta. What's important is the present and the future, isn't it?"Nami retorted tit-for-tat, "I think Miss Uta must have her own adventures; you really should seize the time to catch up with Luffy properly."Otherwise, there won't be any time!Are you coming aboard? If you have the ability, come up!Uta, having her vital point grabbed, stared at Namiwhile gritting her teeth.The offensive and defensive positions have shifted.Both sides exchanged moves, in a flash of lightning, with sharp tongues like swords, and the outcome was hard to determine....The banquet began soon after.When she heard that Luffy would be singing with Uta later, Nami's thoughts were immediately thrown into chaos.Singing?!This was completely out of her area of expertise!She was good at navigation, stealing, beating people up, accounting...But singing?She felt her ordinary humming was okay.But upon hearing Uta's humming, she realized in an instant that they were completely not on the same level.Usopp remembered Uta's identity at this moment; she seemed to be a big star who had recently exploded in popularity, and many people all over the world loved the songs she sang.Uta also smiled and admitted it.Watching Luffy and Uta with their heads bowed in heated discussion, as if they had entered a world only they could understand, an unprecedented sense of powerlessness gripped Nami.Nami secretly clenched her free hand, her teeth unconsciously biting the straw of the drink in her hand.Her gaze locked tightly onto Luffy, her cheeks slightly puffed out due to stifled frustration and unwillingness to accept defeat.Why would she naturally hold hostility toward Uta? Wars between women don't start for no reason.Were she and Luffy really just in a Captain and Navigator relationship? So many things had happened; Nami didn't even know how many times she had been seen through by Luffy, and there was even the trace he left on her lower lip...Was that heartless rubber bastard, and that shining diva, really just a simple childhood friend relationship?Even if they were childhood friends, Nami didn't believe Luffy and Uta played games like biting lips when they were little.Nami's mind was in turmoil.Why didn't she have this feeling before?Most likely because there was no sense of crisis; the only woman Luffy could come into contact with was her, sitting securely on the fishing platform, not panicking no matter who came.Now it was different.Suddenly, a childhood friend dropped from the sky, and her relationship with Luffy was so intimate.In fact, from the afternoon when Luffy flew resolutely toward that ship flying the World Government flag, saying there was his friend there, Nami had felt a bit uneasy.It was as if something extremely cherished was about to be forcibly snatched away by a suddenly appearing powerful rival.One can only say that the thing called a woman's sixth sense truly exists.Chapter 44: Is It Knowledge Being Learned Late at Night?