Chapter 47: Uta Wants a Gift

In the dream world that night, Uta lay sprawled on the grass. "So tired. So many people came to see me today."

"Hey, Luffy! I made hundreds of friends in just one day!" She grinned, teasing, "And you're still stuck with just me!"

Luffy was off to the side practicing punches, sticking to his new approach: faster punches, cooler moves.

"Yes, yes, you're amazing, Uta." He rolled his eyes, humoring her.

He was now sporting his new black jacket—an outfit inspired by Kyo from King of Fighters. For Luffy, it was a small but meaningful homage to a childhood memory. As a kid, he'd only watched others play the game at the arcade, longing to try it himself. By the time he'd had the chance, the era of arcade games had already faded, but he never forgot the character who could make flames appear with just his hands. It had been way too cool.

Uta, meanwhile, had dressed herself in a pretty white dress within the dream world, ready to show off her best look.

"Luffy, all my new friends gave me gifts today, but you've never given me anything!" She looked over at him expectantly, legs swinging in a casual rhythm.

Luffy paused, realizing she was right—he hadn't given her a proper gift, even though she'd helped him so many times.

"Alright, hand me a paintbrush!" He crouched in front of her, extending his hand.

All the fancy gifts he couldn't give, so he'd give her something only he could make.

"You're going to paint something for me?" Uta's eyes lit up, and she immediately conjured up a paintbrush and a whole palette of colors.

After a moment's consideration, Luffy decided to paint a small design on her shoulder. He straddled her lap, taking her hand in his as he began to draw a heart.

Sitting this close to him, Uta held her breath, not wanting to disturb his focus.

Although Luffy could've finished it in seconds—he had hearts practically memorized by now—he took his time. Like picking a lock, it was all about setting the right pace. Rushing would make it feel cheap, so he dragged it out, taking a full twenty minutes to complete the small heart with a cute wing off to the side.

"This is my gift to you, Uta. Treasure it!" Wiping an imaginary bead of sweat, he sat back, satisfied with his work.

Uta thought the little heart was cute, but she didn't appreciate Luffy's "effort." Pushing him off her lap, she grumbled, "Luffy, you're being lazy! I know you can do better!"

"What? I thought it looked great!" Luffy protested.

"I remember the heart you drew on the beach with all those cool lines! It was so detailed!"

Frustrated, Uta insisted he redo it.

"…Fine, but that one was on my stomach," he muttered, realizing he couldn't brush her off so easily.

With a quick outfit change, Uta now wore a crop top, showing off her midriff. She lay down, urging him to get started.

Taking a deep breath, Luffy positioned himself over her, brush in hand. It was the dream world, after all, so why not? He focused on the warm canvas beneath his hand as he carefully recreated the intricate heart design, even passing a flame over it briefly to dry the ink and add extra flair.

Back in reality, Uta suddenly sat up in bed, a tingling sensation lingering on her stomach. Regret began to settle in as she recalled how badly she'd wanted a "real" gift. Now, the ticklish feeling of the brush, coupled with the strange warmth from the flames, was driving her crazy.

Glancing over, she noticed Luffy sleeping peacefully beside her. Then her eyes drifted to his blanket, noticing a small, rhythmic movement under it.

Curious, she hesitated before reaching her hand out. A strange thrill shot through her as she recalled something Shanks had once said: "There are things boys and girls shouldn't explore…"

"…But if I'm just looking, it's not like he'll know," she reasoned, justifying her innocent curiosity. After all, she'd only wanted a proper gift, and Luffy had taken the lazy route. A little "research" on her part wasn't much to ask in return.

…

"Finished!" Luffy proclaimed, rolling off her. "I'm going to train some more."

He stood, wiping his forehead, and headed toward the shoreline.

Having focused intensely on the design, he'd inadvertently activated a dark power within himself, a surge he now needed to release. So he set his sights on the ocean.

Standing at the water's edge, he started to throw punches. The sea's resistance would push back, helping him regain control of himself.

Meanwhile, Uta admired the intricate pattern he'd left on her stomach. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a mirror and marveled at the adorable design.

"This is amazing! Why didn't he just put this on a shirt?"

Curious, she created a shirt with the design and tried it on, grinning at the heart now displayed on her chest.

…

Luffy continued his training, feeling how the ocean's resistance added to his movements. The weight and flow of the water helped him find his rhythm, while the waves crashing around him kept him on his toes.

Even the flames he could summon persisted, though they burned through his energy quickly in the saltwater. In time, he found himself floating with the waves, letting his body adapt to the rhythm of the ocean.

"I think I just found my next training method," he mused, letting the waves crash over his back.

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