After sixteen chapters, Luffy and Uta will meet once more! I don't own One Piece.
~Two years later...
"Uta, stop pacing around. You're going to make me anxious for no reason." Pitch growls.
"How many months has it been?" Uta asks.
"Three." Abell answers slightly annoyed. "And you ask us every day."
Sitting in the house's girls lounge, Uta, Abell, and Pitch. The three usually hang out and talk about future songs, but as of late the topic has been changed. Uta would gush about Luffy and her past since leaving Windmill Village. It came to the point where the two girls would be sick of it. Even teasing Uta about how much she admires Luffy doesn't cease her rants. Now that two years have passed since Uta has left Windmill Village, Uta has been waiting for some sort of news about Luffy. However, there was no news or information regarding new pirates and Uta is constantly jumpy and anxious in hoping for some sort of news.
"There isn't much news regarding the East Blue." Abell said. "Just be patient and this Luffy person will appear I guess."
"You guys don't sound very enthusiastic about this." Abell said quite upset.
"We're not." the two girls said.
For years, Uta could never get her friends to get into Uta's Luffy trend. Even before visiting Windmill Village, the two had knowledge about this boy who wants to make a New Genesis of his own. However, Uta's occasional ramble on Luffy became much too annoying for them and for years, they've lacked interest.
"However, there's something that's been going on recently." Abell said pointing to the room that has the recorded transponder snails. "There's these strange voice messages of people talking about this 'hero' that has been going around beating up people in the East."
"Not interested." Uta sighs. "Anyways, we're supposed to perform at Loguetown tomorrow right?"
Knock. Knock.
"Open up!"
The door slowly opens revealing Gordon.
"Uta, you might want to hear this." Gordon said, putting up a transponder snail. "Some interesting fan messages have been sent to you."
"Oh really?" Uta asks excitedly.
Uta and the others love the messages and recordings they get from their fans. In order to limit the amount of fan mail and such, the group decided to only get messages and letters sent from the East Blue. Uta sometimes asks her fans to give her treading comments and letters. For this month, the topic is something heroic. Uta did not expect piles of letters and video footage to be sent to her. These types of things come in small waves. Still, walks up to her room to do her ritual of connecting with her fans. The diva likes listening to her fans' voices in solitude and privately before sharing it with the others. She believes that if a fan is giving her a message, that person should deserve her full attention outside of any distractions. It's greedy of Uta to listen to her listeners comments in private, but no one questioned it as the Section Leaders would rather be doing something else. Once Uta closes the door behind her, she sets up a video transponder snail and goes through the videos that her fans have recorded to her. Uta closes the curtains and sits on the floor as the footage begins to play. The first came from some people who lived near a marine base.
"Hey, Red! You won't believe it!" the boy said. "There was this mean boy who's a son of a marine captain that was always being rude to us and some man with a straw hat went up to him and gave him a well deserved punch!"
"Our Marine Captain was a tyrant, but these two brave youngsters stood up to him." a man said enthusiastically. "I want to be brave like them."
Uta didn't show too much interest in the topic. Uta was never a fan of heroes. Too uptight. Uta then clicks the button on the top of the snail. This time, a series of videos coming from Orange Village. Should be more exciting, Uta has quite a bit of history there. The video begins with a small family of three.
"For months, maybe a year even, our town was overtaken by pirates." said the man, most likely the husband and father.
I know. Pirates aren't saints. Uta thought. But it still hurts to hear it.
"But then, the mayor found some people that beat those pirates!" the girl, most likely the daughter, said. "I saw them with my own eyes!"
Before the girl continues, it cuts out and switches to the next video. This time, to a woman.
"The Buggy Pirates. They were strong." the man said. "But three people: a thief, a swordsman, and a man who can stretch, saved our village."
Must be a power user. Uta thought.
"I wish I had the courage to thank them." said an old man. "They're our heroes! Especially the man with the straw hat."
Uta is happy for the town as being overrun by pirates must be tough. Uta has gone through that first hand all she can say is that if it wasn't for her training, her dream would've been shattered. The next set of videos take place at Syrup Village. The hometown of the sniper of the Red Pirates. The screen shows three boys.
"We wanna say we thank these people from the bottom of our hearts." said one of the boys. "There was this evil man in our village who wanted to hurt our friend, but our brave captain and some other people went out and beat him and his crew!"
"Yeah! His name was Kuro!" the second boy added. "They were pirates! The bad kind!"
Uta chuckles when the boy emphasizes the 'bad' part. All pirates are technically bad, so it was a funny choice of words in Uta's opinion.
"Our brave captain and the guy with the Strawhat were the coolest!" the third boy said. "They may be our town's hero, but they will be great pirates!"
Pirates? Uta wonders. Maybe there was a fight for territories.
Then, the screen clicks to a pale, almost sickly looking, teenage girl. She looked pretty familiar to Uta, but couldn't quite figure out where. Probably back when she performed for the village.
"Your music would always put me at ease and the stories that my friend will tell me gives me the will to hold on. Both of you are both my heroes." the girl said as she bows her head towards the camera.
Uta smiles in silent responses.
"A few days ago, he saved my life. I didn't believe the dangers he warned me of and even if I didn't trust him, he didn't give up on me." the girl said. "He is truly my hero and I owe my life to him. I hope that man with the straw hat will take him on great adventures."
The video clicks and begins to roll to the next set of recordings. This time they were cooks from the famous ocean going restaurant, the Baratie. Uta and the group have eaten there before and she can say their food was top notch. The video clicks to show a man cooking on a stove.
"There was this man with a straw hat who came by, his name was...uh. Hey! Who was the guy's name again?"
"Anchor Boy!"
"That's right, anchor boy came by and defeated Don Krieg!"
"Yeah, he plowed through all of his tricks and weapons!"
"By stretching too."
Uta eyes widened. There is no way she wouldn't recognize that name.
"Let me repeat myself, Don Krieg! The 'Pirate Fleet Admiral' himself!" the cook said. "You see, Don Krieg was about to take over our ship and we tried to fight back, but couldn't. However, anchor boy stood up to the man. Fearless. Gutsy. Strong. He's the hero who saved this restaurant!"
"Got that right!"
"Though he took that pervert with him."
"A bit of drag that he's gone."
"Oh! I remember anchor boy's name! It was.."
"Hey! Get to work you fools!"
The video feed was suddenly cut off as it seems as Uta's fan was caught recording in a work environment.
...Krieg...
Uta taps her finger against the floor. About a year ago, Uta and the other girls fought against a couple of Krieg's ships when they were going to perform some shows near the South. They managed to sink two out of the five ships before the rest of the small fleet retreated. The pirates who managed to escape from the trio threatened that Krieg would take revenge on them, but they never did meet in the end. Their victory seemed overwhelming, but the opponent's military might was not to be overestimated. Nor were the weapons they possessed. In Uta's opinion, despite not meeting the pirate, she doesn't believe she can win unscathed against his dozens of weapons with her mic spear and close combat knowledge. Snapping her out of her trance, the video footage resumed and this time it showed a blue haired woman who's probably about the same age as Uta, if not older.
"Ahem, aha sorry. I'm a bit nervous. Never really recorded myself and frankly, I'm a little nervous." the woman said. "When you said to think of something heroic, I just had to speak up about this."
Uta smiles at the woman's honest opinion on being recorded.
"Our town was once terrorized by these pirates led by Arlong and we could barely do anything about it for years and years. My sister took it upon herself to join them so she can save our town and risked her life to earn enough money to pay him off. However, she failed to persuade them and all hope seemed to be lost. Our only hope was to risk our lives and overthrow them."
Uta listens silently.
"Just as we were prepared to face death, four brave individuals came and fought in our place. The man with the straw hat fought against Arlong and came out victorious, breaking the shackles of our village. I'll never forget what he and his friends have done for me, my sister, and our whole village."
Uta smiles as she likes happy endings.
"The man with the straw hat was amazing. He'll be a great pirate in the future!"
The video cuts out leaving Uta stumped. Several strong pirates with high bounties from the East Blue are being taken down one after another. Uta sees a pattern and just in case her theory is wrong she opens up the letters she received, as she goes through them, almost all of them mention a man or pirate with a straw hat.
"'The Star Clown' Buggy, 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg, and the pirate with the highest bounty in the East, 'Sawtooth' Arlong." Uta mutters. "They are all pirates who're able to strike fear in the East and somehow this man with a straw hat comes out and takes them out?"
Uta looks at the map of the East Blue which is pinned to her wall. She stands up and traces her finger down to each of the islands where the reports were made.
Hm, they connect. Uta notices. If they keep following this path, they'll make it to Loguetown.
Normally, Uta would be concerned, but she can take care of herself easily. She didn't want to change her schedule for performing at Loguetown, so she'll just keep this information in mind.
I better be prepared for tomorrow. Uta thought. For my performance and for battle.
Uta exits her room with that in mind. Once she leaves, the video feed flickers and turns on once more revealing nothing but white noise. Suddenly, a voice could be heard and the shape of a boy appeared.
"You won't believe this, Red!" the boy said happily. "A pirate came out of nowhere and saved men. He claims to be bad, but deep inside he's a kind hearted and amazing person!"
There was a small pause as the video cuts in and out.
"Monkey D. Luffy! He'll be the King of the Pirates!"
~The following day...
At Loguetown, Pitch, Abell, and several volunteers were building up the stage and setting up lights. In one of the building offices, Uta and Gordon were sitting on a couch and talking to one of the island officials in the meantime.
"It's such an honor to meet you, Red." the man said. "I'm a big fan."
"Thanks." Uta said with a smile. "Thank you for letting me perform here."
"The pleasures all mine." the man said. "Anyways, down to business, you have that spot reserved for about four hours and when times up, or if you're finished with your business, let me know and I can get some of my volunteers to help you pack up."
"Sounds good." Gordon said with a nod.
"However, you chose an unusual time to perform." the man continues. "You do know what day it is today, don't you?"
Uta looks at the man and smirks.
"It's the day he died, isn't it? After twenty two years." Uta said. "Today is the day that the Pirate King drew his last breath."
"You've done your homework." the man said. "I can't imagine why a singer is interested in pirates."
"A diva is allowed to have some hobbies too." Uta said standing up. "Anyways, we'll talk later."
Uta stands up and walks out of the building and stretches her arms up. For today, Uta has decided to set up a small gig. It's nothing too special, but setting up small performances is just what a diva should do. Uta has decided to wear casual clothes which consist of a red shirt, ripped jeans, and sandals. Her hair is tied into a fishtail braid allowing her hair to not stand out as much. She's also wearing a new casual red headset with the word 'red' bolded on each earpiece. Once Uta gets herself comfortable, she pulls a small transponder snail out of her pocket and turns it on.
Calick!
"Girls, just finished the final preparations on my end." Uta said through the snail. "How about you guys?"
"We're doing good." Abell answers from the other end. "But there's a problem."
"Problem?"
"People have said that the weather has changed abnormally." Abell said. "A storm or something. Maybe in the next hour."
Uta sighs as she hates unexpected events that affect her concerts. Uta looks up at the sky to see a couple of clouds circling overhead. She can't tell if it means something or not. She's not an expert at the subject so it's better to take Abell's warning seriously.
"Keep an eye on the weather." Uta instructed. "If it makes a turn for the worse during the following hour, you can stop setting up."
"Got it, but how about you? Where's Gordon?" Abell asks.
"I don't know." Uta responds
"What do you mean 'I don't know'?!" Abell angrily asks. "Where are you?"
"Sightseeing." Uta answers as she walks down the streets casually. "Just tell Gordon I'm going to walk around."
"Hey! Wa-"
Calick!
Uta didn't want to hear anymore talk about work for the time being. She wants some free time. Uta looks around and sees several sights. Uta decides to go shopping, but upon looking at one of the clothes stores, it seems someone is somehow buying all the clothes that the shop had to offer. She decided to skip out on that idea as she didn't want to get caught up in that scary situation.
"Thirsty."
Uta looks around, this time, to find a place decent enough to get a drink or even a snack. Uta decided to pass by some vendors. There were plenty of nice food stalls, but Uta wasn't too hungry. As she passed by, someone called out to her.
"You're that singer!"
Uta turns around to see a man with a candy stall behind him.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Here! Would you like some chocolate?"
"Um, I'm fine..."
"Here! I'll give you some!"
The man offers Uta a heart shaped box which Uta accepts reluctantly.
"Give it to someone you care about and tell them all about it!" the man said happily. "Off you go now!"
As nice as it is to receive free food, Uta was downright insulted that the man has basically used her for promotion purposes. Still, it doesn't hurt to save it for later or just toss it aside. Eventually, Uta finds herself at a bar, a rundown one at that. Uta sighs happily and enters through the old doors. The place is dimly lit and looks as if it hasn't been cleaned in ages. Uta looks around to see a rather old bartender cleaning some cups. Uta sits down and gets comfortable.
Been a while since I last sat in a bar. Uta thought. "Um, sir?"
The man looks at Uta with a surprised look.
"We don't get many customers here, let alone young ladies." the bartender said surprised. "I'm sure you can find some other bars nearby."
"I like seclusion." Uta said. "This one has an atmosphere too."
"If it's seclusion you want, you came to the right place." the man said with a depressing chuckle. "Although, I should warn you young lady, this is a bar for pirates."
"Don't worry, I'm strong." Uta said confidently as puts some bills on the counter. "I would like some wine. Cheap will be fine."
"As you wish." the man said, smiling. "Hot blooded youths like you are hard to come by."
Uta smiles at the man's compliment. She looks around and sees various wanted posters hung up on the wall. Some were crossed out and others aged over time. There were also bullet holes and stab marks covering the walls and ceiling. There was even a piece of the wall that was burnt off. This really is a bar made for pirates.
"Wow, this place is cool!"
Uta and the elder turn to see another young man,probably just as old as Uta, walk in. Wearing a dirty red button shirt, ripped denim shorts, and ruined straw sandals, it looks as if he picked his outfit off from the street. The teen's hair is black and messy, he has a stitched scar underneath his left eye, and a goofy smile that looked awfully familiar to Uta. What's most striking that Uta took immediate interest in, is his straw hat.
Could he be that man? Uta wonders. The pirate that my fans were talking about.
"A lot of young ones are coming today." the bartender comments. "Are you here for a drink too?"
"Hm? I came by because of the sign." the teen said. "It said 'Gold Roger' on it."
"Are you a fan of pirates?" the bartender asks as he pours Uta's drink. "Not many civilians would come to a bar named after one of the most notorious pirates."
"Yeah, I'm a fan of pirates." the man said. "Are you a pirate?"
"No, but I'm a fan too." the elder answers. "How about you young lady?"
A pirate and an old bartender won't know who I am. Uta thought.
"Fan might be overkill, but I respect pirates to a certain extent." Uta answers honestly. "Of course, that only applies to the greatest of pirates."
"Like Roger?" the man asks.
Uta looks at the man in the face and to her surprise, he looks surprisingly similar to Luffy. Uta had to blink a couple of times just to make sure she's not hallucinating. Yup, despite the dimly lit bar, Uta can tell that the man's facial features are similar to Luffy's. Still, Uta can tell through haki that this guy is strong, too tough to be Luffy.
"Roger is one of the few pirates that I acknowledge greatly." Uta continues. "There isn't any other person who has conquered the Grand Line and I for one, can respect the resolve that man has."
"Wow! You agree too?" asks the man as he sits on the seat next to the singer. "Are you a pirate?"
"Singer." Uta corrects. "I'm a singer."
"Now why would a singer be so interested in pirates?" the bartender asks.
"Can I not?" Uta asks back.
"Of course you can." the man answers. "I know some stories about the man himself. Do you two want to listen?"
"Yeah!" the both answer in union.
The old man offers the teen next to Uta a glass of milk since the guys said he doesn't drink, most likely because he's underage, and begin to tell tales of how Gold Roger traveled across the East Blue. Fighting famous pirates, dodging the navy's clutches, finding undiscovered islands, and making a one of a kind crew. Uta and the man could only listen in awe. It's been too long since Uta heard stories of great pirates and their adventures. The feeling of adrenaline coming forth from the stories sends shivers down her skin.
I wish my music can have that much of an impact just as similar to the adventures this pirate had! Uta thought smiling. This could be good inspiration.
"The two of you both realize what today is, right?" the old bartender asks. "The day that infamous man died."
"Really?" the man with the straw hat asks. "Wow. I didn't know that."
"You know, it's been a long time since people like him came by." the old man said with a heavy sigh. "Maybe about ten years back, a navy base was made here and all incoming pirates were arrested or too afraid to cross this town."
Uta and the man listened silently.
"I don't see people with that ambition anymore. No pirate or person alike would dare venture into the Grand Line." the man said with a sigh. "For years, none had the ambition that Roger had."
Uta could sense the man's depression. Truly, a world with people without ambition would be boring. Uta can wouldn't be able to stand a world like that.
"He was cool, huh?"
Uta and the old man stare at the boy with the straw hat.
"Gold Roger. That's why I went out to sea to go to the Grand Line and find the One Piece."
The two stare at the boy in both awe and shock.
"I'm going to be the Pirate King."
The man stares at Luffy in cold sweat and shock.
BAM!
The turn to see Uta slam the table furiously. She turns her head slowly and glares at the man next to her.
"You? Pirate King?" Uta asks angrily. "I will only let one person be the Pirate King and that's not you!"
"Huh?!" the man responds back. "I'll be King of the Pirates!"
Both teens stand up from their seats and glare at each other.
"You're just some kid who doesn't know what he's saying." Uta spat. "Way out of league."
"I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen!" the man argues back. "If you want to stop me so badly, then you would have to beat me!"
Uta looks at the boy and chuckles.
"I bet even I can beat you." Uta said with a confident smirk. "With one arm even."
"Oh yeah?!" the man asks as he raises his arm. "I don't need either of my arms to beat you!"
"Cocky brat! Wanna try me?" Uta challenges as she rolls her sleeve back
"Who're you calling a 'brat' brat?"
The two then both prepare to confront each other.
"ENOUGH!"
The two stop their argument to see the old man glaring at them.
"Don't fight in my bar." the old man said. "Settle this in a competition or something."
"FINE!" the two yell in agreement.
"What do you take most pride in?" Uta asks the man.
"My strength!" the man said proudly.
"How about an arm wrestle?" Uta suggests. "Should be simple enough."
"What do I get if I win?" the man asks.
"My respect." Uta offers. "And I guess those chocolates since I don't really want them."
The man stares and nods.
"For the chocolate."
"You're not interested in my respect?!" Uta yells angrily.
"Eh, not from you!" the man said as he sticks his tongue at her. "Bleah!"
Uta was about to grind her teeth in anger, but calmed down and she sat on a nearby chair and rested her elbow on the table. Her opponent looks rather confident which infuriates her even more. The young man does the same and puts his elbow on the table. The owner of the bar walks over and sits on the stools nearby to get a better look.
"A fair fight between you both." the man said. "May the strong prevail."
The two clasps each other's hands and glare at each other angrily.
There's no way this fool can beat me in strength. Uta thought confidently. I could beat Abell and Pitch who both have superhuman prowess.
"Go!"
The table the teens were using rattle and quake as the two try to overpower the other. Neither side was giving in and both were at a stalemate.
"Heh, looks like you're all talk." Uta said as she slowly began to pull the man's arm down. "You can't beat me and you don't have what it takes to become Pirate King!"
"Shut...UP!"
All of the sudden, Uta could feel herself getting overpowered slowly as her opponent flexes her arm.
"What the..."
All of the sudden, the man gains a sudden surge of strength and Uta's arm begins to lower. Uta's hand begins to hurt slowly from the man's grip strength as well.
So strong! Uta grunts as she desperately tries to get her place back. Where is his strength coming from?
Uta looks at the man to see him smirking at Uta.
Crick...Crack...Snap...
The two were putting so much pressure against the table that the top began to crack from the pressure. Both then grab the side of the table to give themselves support. After a few seconds, their fingers crack the edge of the table. The man gulps in anticipation as he watches these two powerful individuals attempt to overpower the other. The veins on Uta's head bulge out as she puts more fruitless effort into the competition, but her arm is still unable to recover lost ground.
How is he this strong? Uta wonders as she begins to sweat. Haki won't help me in this situation. I can't lose to this nobody!
"You! You're just some newbie pirate!" Uta screams angrily as she slowly manages to push the man's arm back just a little. "Who the hell are you?!"
"My name..."
..Crick...
"..Is.."
...Creak..
"Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will be the King of the Pirates!"
Uta eyes widen with shock and stares at the man closely.
Luffy?
A wave of shock overcomes Uta as she stares at the man closely. Her past memories of Luffy and her vision of the man in front of her collide.
Luffy.
That smiling face. That carefree attitude. That confidence. That straw hat which she has forgotten about.
Am I blind?
Luffy smiles at Uta which snaps her from her thoughts.
"I've got you now!" Luffy yells happily.
"Huh?"
SNAP!
Luffy tightens his grip and the muscles in his arm bulges. He then summoned his remaining strength to swing his arm down and thus slamming Uta's arm into the table.
"Argh!"
The impact from Luffy slamming his hand into the side of the table successfully smashes it causing a loud noise. Uta's body is flipped over due to the momentum and she feels as if she's free falling. Uta's body hit the wooden floor causing dust and debris to bounce off the ground. The old man looks on in shock as he witnesses this sight. Uta looks up at the ceiling in shock.
"Amazing." the man mutters as he watches Luffy stand up. "Both of them are so strong."
The impact of her body hitting the ground stuns Uta and she slowly tries to push her body up.
I lost. Uta thought as she attempted to catch her breath. For the first time in years, I lost. But, I don't feel upset about it.
Luffy breathes heavily and grips his arm in pain.
"Wow, you sure are strong!" Luffy said as he rubs his arm. "I thought I would lose right there! Shihihihi!"
Uta slowly manages to sit up to see her childhood friend stand tall. She could hardly believe how strong he had become.
When I return, I'll test you to see if you become any stronger!
Uta huffs as she remembers the promise she gave Luffy the last time she laid eyes on him. If she would want to lose to anyone, it would have to be by his hands.
"Hah! I win!" Luffy gloats. "Do you believe me now?"
Uta looks at Luffy and smiles warmly.
"I think, if it's you, you just might be able to pull it off. Becoming the Pirate King I mean." Uta said. "Luffy."
Luffy laughs triumphantly. Uta then musters the strength to raise her arms and curl her fingers.
"I lose."
Luffy stops laughing and stares at Uta in bewilderment.
"You beat me, so I guess I'll have to admit it." Uta said walking to Luffy. "I feel like meeting you was fate. I hope we can see each other again."
Luffy's surprised face changes and he smiles happily.
"You're strong!" Luffy compliments "Forget meeting me again. Why don't you join my crew? I could use a musician."
Uta was shocked an eyes widened. Luffy has just invited her to be part of his crew. Her mind began to scramble to process what's happening. Sailing the seas with Luffy would be a dream for Uta. However, Uta knows to focus on what she wants despite the temptation.
"I'm sorry, since I'm becoming the greatest diva there is, I'll have to turn your opportunity down." Uta sadly said.
"You should give up." Luffy said bluntly.
"Eh?" Uta yells in shock.
"Whoa, young man!" the owner said. "Don't be so rude just because you've won."
"You won't become the greatest because she will be the one to do it." Luffy said sternly.
Uta lost herself at Luffy's declaration.
"And who is this girl you speak of?" Uta hesitantly asks.
"Her name is Uta and she'll be the greatest singer there is!" Luffy yells angrily. "There's no way a weak singer like you can beat her!"
Luffy's voice resonates through her head as she stares at him stunned. Uta could only gasp for words and her legs almost gave way. She can feel her eyes water from the realization.
He remembers...he didn't forget...about me...
Uta regains her composure and smiles.
"I guess I'll just have to become stronger." Uta said happily. "This 'Uta' you speak of will lose to me."
"Not in a hundred years!" Luffy argues pointing to Uta. "She's too strong!"
If only he knew. Uta thought to herself. I guess my disguise can work against fools.
"If someone like you says that, I guess I'll have to watch my back." Uta said. "But that doesn't mean I won't give up."
Uta turns to see Luffy's wanted poster stuck to the wall. She was shocked at her friend's bounty.
A bounty of thirty million? That's higher than any bounty in the east!
The diva smiles and faces the pirate. She can feel her spirit burn and her adrenaline rise.
"'Straw Hat' Luffy! My name is Red!" Uta said loudly. "I'm the one who'll make a New Genesis!"
"Eh?! You can't copy my friend's dream!" Luffy argues. "Me and her are going to make one!"
"Too bad." Uta said with a smirk. He really doesn't know it's me. Definitely didn't get any smarter.
"Hahaha!"
The two teens look at the bartender who's laughing loudly.
"I feel honored to be meeting two special individuals." the bartender said smiling. "I can just tell by looking at you two, that the future seems unbelievably bright."
Uta and Luffy respond to the old man's compliment by smiling.
"Oh, before I forget! Your reward!" Uta said suddenly.
"Hm."
"I promised you the candy I have if you won." Uta said as she picked up the box of chocolates. "Here."
Luffy is surprised as he almost completely forgot about that part of the deal. Since Luffy didn't grab the box at first, Uta has become embarrassed beyond belief. She didn't think much of it, but now it just looks weird. Something cliché that is only seen from a romance novel. Uta could feel her cheeks turn red and her vision blurred.
"Are you ok?" Luffy asks as he notices Uta's blush. "Are you feeling sick?"
"I'm fine." Uta said in a shaky voice. " Take the candy!"
"You better hurry up before she passes out." the man said. "She has a bad case of infatuation."
"It's not like that!" Uta stutters. "Just take the damn chocolates!"
Uta shoves the box of chocolates into Luffy's arms and as she does so, Luffy takes at her wrists. His eyes widen with realization and looks at the singer once more.
"Are you..."
"Nope. Not what you think." Uta quickly interrupts. "You won these! I'm not giving it to you."
Luffy looks down and smiles.
"Thanks!" Luffy said smiling.
Uta sighs, but smiles back at Luffy.
"I got to go now." Uta said. "I don't want my friends to worry about me too much."
Uta begins to walk out head out.
"Wait."
Uta turns to see the old man pulling out a bottle of alcohol.
"Before we go, how about a toast?" the man asks. "To a new generation?"
"I don't drink." Luffy said.
"A simple glass of milk will do." the man said as he put the bottle back and instead took out a carton of milk. "Here, take one. Both of you."
Uta and Luffy take the glasses and raise them.
"To the future of your young blood." the man said. "And to this new genesis you two speak of!"
"A new genesis!" the two repeat as they and the man clink their drinks.
The three down their drink and slam their glasses against the table once finished.
"Also, take this." the man said as take a wine bottle off of his cabinet. "For giving me hope for what is to come."
"I can't take this." Uta said, waving her hands.
"Please take a drink from an old man." the bartender said. "I don't get many customers anyways."
Uta nods and takes the bottle of wine.
"Uh, can I ask a question?" Luffy asks.
"Yeah?"
"Where did you get that bracelet from?" Luffy asks, pointing to Uta's wrist where the cosmos bracelet is.
Uta looks at the bracelet in question and smiles.
For a dummy, he's sharp. Uta thought. But he can't figure it out.
"I got it from a special person." Uta answers, smiling at Luffy. "Now, if you excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."
Once Uta is outside, she looks up to see dark clouds rolling in. Abell's prediction is spot on as the sky is brewing something up. Despite the weather, Uta walks out smiling warmly knowing she has spent time with the one whom she wanted to meet for years.
It's fine if he doesn't notice me now. Uta thought. After all, we have yet to reach the pinnacle of our dream. Someday, I'll reveal myself to you.
Uta stops for a moment and hides behind a building. She then begins to shed tears. Not of sorrow, but tears of happiness fall down her cheeks. Her smile couldn't strain her face anymore than it has already.
I'm so happy you remember me, Luffy!
There we have it! Apparently, ten years is enough for the two to not recognize each other at other at first glance. Luffy has some hints thrown at him, but couldn't quite catch on unfortunately. Also, we now know that Luffy is currently physically stronger than Uta by quite the margin. There's also several references in this chapter that relates to the previous chapters with Luffy and Uta, the bar where this takes place is based off an anime episode and of course I had to make Uta hands chocolate to Luffy somehow. It's hard for me to believe that this fanfic is now twenty five parts long which is now how old I officially am since this chapter is released on my birthday! (Yeah, I'm old. Get over it.) By now, the Film Red hype has died down, but I still hope you will all join me in enjoying this story because I have no interest in stopping here. Remember, if you want to join the Luuta discord, the link is in the previous chapter.
I hope you'll let me know how I'm doing so far and I hope to see you in the next chapter. Bye!
P.S. All this birthday and fic connection is all just one big coincidence. I'm not that much of a genius.