Is this clickbait?! Nope! This chapter will focus on humor and Luuta fluff content! After more than thirty chapters later, you guys can finally get some proper romantic stuff between Luffy and Uta then this fic will finally earn it's 'Luuta' tag. Maybe. This is Luffy after all. Look forward to see what sort of scenario Uta, Luffy and friends will go through! I don't own One Piece.
With the exception of Luffy's interruption, the concert went off without a hitch. Now Uta is sitting behind a table to do signatures and handshakes. As Uta thanked her fans one by one, the girls were getting to know Luffy and his friends. Abell and Pitch took immediate interest and tried their best to get along with the pirate as they won't get another opportunity like this.
"You guys were so cool back there!" compliments the talking racoon. "And Red's singing was amazing."
"Yohohoho! I couldn't agree more." the skeleton adds. "As a musician myself, I can tell how much blood sweat and tears you put into your songs. Truly something to behold."
"Can I shake Red's hand?" the girl asks. "Let's wait in line!"
"Ok then, let's head to the back of the line." the fishman said. "You coming Straw Hat?"
"Um, give me a minute." Luffy said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
The group of five went off to the back of the line leaving Luffy with Abell and Pitch.
"It seems like you have something on your mind, Straw Hat." Abell said smiling. "Ask away, but I don't know how much help I'll be."
"You guys met a lot of singers, right?" Luffy asks as he adjusts his hat.
"We met several over the years since Red has been a diva." Pitch responds. "However, Red is a solo artist and doesn't collaborate with other singers, So we don't have any strong bonds with them."
"Do you two know any singer named Uta?" Luffy asks.
Abell and Pitch look at each other in shock. They turned around to see if Uta heard and despite the fact she's meeting and greeting her fans, the sweat dripping from her brow indicates that she's able to hear the conversation. Both didn't expect Luffy to bring Uta's name up as they assumed, based on what Uta had told them, completely forgot about her. Rave didn't get the clue as she doesn't know the extent of Uta's past with Luffy, so the conversation didn't catch her attention. However, Abell and Pitch let out a smug grin towards Uta causing her to stress out a bit. Even Gordon, who's standing beside Uta, is finding the situation amusing which is not helping Uta.
"Huh, I met a lot of singers you know." Abell said innocently. "I mean, Uta could be anybody."
"Give us a description." Pitch adds as she follows her friend's lead. "Be very descriptive! Mention every detail."
"Well, it's been about ten years since I last saw her." Luffy said as he rubs his chin. "However, Red looks just like Uta in almost every way. She must be copying her."
Pitch turns away from Luffy and covers her mouth to suppress her laughter. It was hard for Abell to keep a straight face as well, but she was luckily able to not show it.
"Please tell us in detail." Abell stutters.
"Well, Uta's hair is also in two colors." Luffy said, staring at Uta who's beyond nervous. "One side of her hair is white and the other is red. However, she let the hair on her left side fall down to her eye and she put her hair in these weird bunny loops. That's pretty much the only difference between her and Uta."
A change of hairstyle is enough to fool him? The two Section Leaders thought in shock.
What do you mean weird? Uta mentally screamed. My hair wasn't weird!
"She has purple eyes and wears headphones all the time. Red totally stole Uta's headphone look!" Luffy said pointing to the diva. "She was also about the same height as me, but I was taller."
Your liar, I was taller!
Abell smiles as she can see Uta's embarrassment and anger. Pitch is almost at her wits end.
"She must be a very important person if you can remember her so clearly." Abell said.
"She must be very important to you."
"Of course, she's my first friend! I could not ever forget about her." Luffy said smiling.
Steam erupts from Uta's head causing alarm for the fan in front of her.
"Are you ok?" asks the fan. "You look red."
"I'm just peachy." Uta reassures her fans. "It's just your imagination."
All of the sudden, Pitch stands and looks at Luffy with a gleam in her eye. She went up to him casually, which caught the pirates attention.
"Hey, was she pretty?" Pitch asks. "You know, cute?"
Abell and Gordon froze in place as they couldn't believe that the woman would ask the pirate such a question. Pitch is pretty arrogant today. Uta stiffened up and leaned in slightly to her side to await Luffy's answer. Everyone expected a fast answer, but Luffy seems to be putting quite a bit of effort to answer the question as he begins to think.
"Hmm."
Damn it, Luffy! Answer already! Since when did you think? Uta mentally screams as she continues to give handshakes and sign albums. Make an excuse or something! And damn you, Pitch!
"C'mon, what's the answer?" Pitch asks. "We can't find her if you don't give us distinct details."
"Well, she said she was cute. So I guess she was." Luffy said bluntly. "She used to say that a lot. You know, call herself cute and will sometimes do this little hand thing to prove her point."
BAM!
Uta slams her head against the table, shocking Rave and the people who're waiting in line. Gordon and Abell snicker at the sight, but not Pitch.
"Oh yeah, Red did that to me too once." Luffy said as he thought back to his encounter in Loguetown. "Red also copied her hand thingy too.
Pitch bursts into laughter which surprises the line of fans.
"VAHAHAHAHA! Seriously?!" Pitch laughs "She called herself cute in front of others?! Her self esteem must've been unbearable!"
Pitch threw out all common decency for Uta and laughed her heart out. Abell and Gordon held in her laughter while Rave looked confused. Uta looks up from the table to reveal her swollen forehead.
"Are you ok?" asks the fan who's still shocked from Uta's previous action.
"Nothing to worry about." Uta said, shaking. "My hand slipped."
Damn it all! Why was I such a brat back then?!
Uta's face is flushed and is about as red as her hair. She can't deny that she didn't say that during her time with Luffy. She even made a competition with him just to prove her point. Looking back at it all, some of the contests that she had suggested were pretty ridiculous.
Once I erase this from my memory, I'll get you back, Pitch!
"Well, I mean, it's not like she wasn't." Luffy said.
This stops Pitch's laughter and catches the attention of Uta and the other Section Leaders.
"I never really knew what cute was until I met her." Luffy said thinking back on his past. "Uta showed me things that were cute and things that weren't. I didn't like it, but I did learn all that from her."
Uta takes the time as she remembers the times where she would drag Luffy around the village teaching him about cute and pretty things. She remembers showing off some of her pirate treasure and clothes to Luffy to help her point and drawing pictures to help him understand.
"I guess it's hard for a guy to understand what cute is." Abell said, shrugging her shoulders. "Uta must've had a hard time."
"So, do you know what cute is?" Pitch asks.
"No." Luffy said bluntly.
EH?! Seriously?! But I worked so hard!
"I mean, I don't really like cute things and I probably won't, but I like Uta!" Luffy said smiling. "So if Uta says she's cute, then I guess she is!"
Abell and Pitch stare at Luffy with bewildered looks. Either he's the most blunt person or just extremely naive, but it slowly became clear why Uta fell for someone like him. It's hard not to hate this guy.
"Oh! I remember something!" Luffy said. "The day she left, I gave her a wristband which I thought was cute and gave it to her."
"Wristband?" Abell repeats. "What kind?"
"It was a band with a red flower on it." Luffy answers.
Uta looks down at her wrist and eyes the said wristband that Luffy was talking about. Uta slowly takes off her accessory and puts it on her opposite wrist to make sure it's out of Luffy's sight. Gordon is the only one who knows about who gave Uta her wristband. The other girls never questioned it before.
"Last time I saw Red she had that same bracelet." Luffy said pointing at the diva. "So I asked her about it, but said that it was given to her by someone."
"You don't say." Abell said as she crossed her arms and stared at Uta. "That's a very interesting detail you mentioned."
Uta gulps and feels a sense of slight dread.
"This will be a long shot, but what if Red is Uta?" Pitch asks. "You know, some divas and singers hide their appearance and change their name. For all you know, that could be who this Uta person is. I can't think of anyone you described other than Red."
Pitch is too blunt. Abell thought as she looked at her colleague angrily. However, Pitch's logic is straightforward. There's no way Luffy wouldn't have thought of that idea.
"If Red really was Uta, why would she hide it from me?" Luffy asks. "Me and her are childhood friends!"
The Section Leaders were speechless at Luffy's response and all three of them glared at Uta who was shot in the heart and in great pain. Uta did her best, but the anger from her mentor and friends weren't easy to ignore.
I feel sorry for Luffy. Abell and Pitch thought as they looked at the diva disappointedly.
"If it's Uta, I bet she would've definitely called me out!" Luffy said confidently. "She wouldn't do that to me."
Uta bleeds from the mouth as several mental arrows hit her in her spleen and chest.
"Are you bleeding, Red?" a fan asks as she looks at the diva with great concern.
"I just bit my lip." Uta said, reassuring her fan.
Uta could cry and she feels like crap. She knows Luffy was naïve at a fault, but this was something she didn't expect.
"Poor boy." Gordon sighs. "I feel sorry for him."
"How about me?" Uta grumbles as she holds back her tears. "Don't I get pity?"
"Not from me." Gordon replied.
Pitch and Abell no longer feel like pushing the subject on any longer as now they feel bad for Luffy. Abell notices Luffy staring at Uta and begins to wonder if the boy really meant what he said.
"You say that, but you still have the feeling that your friend and Red are connected, right?" Abell asks.
"After I met Red back at Loguetown it kinda bothered me on how much she looks and acts like Uta." Luffy said. "I mean when she went up to me, she looked the same, had the same personality and dream. I told her that she reminded me of Uta too."
"How did Red react?" Pitch asks curiously.
"I don't know." Luffy answers. "When I told her, me and my friends had to run away from the Marines and pirates so I never got a chance to see."
"Is that so?" Abell mutters glaring at Uta. "That would explain a lot."
"When I heard her sing during that video, I couldn't help but see her as Uta again." Luffy said. "I mean, she HAS to know something."
Luffy then frowns and crosses his arms which creates some amusement for Pitch and Abell.
"I can't have Red steal Uta's dream and take away her style!" Luffy said angrily. "Is it ok if I beat the answer out of her?"
All of the sudden, the crowd hears him and starts yelling towards him in anger. Even Luffy's friends are scolding him.
"Alright, calm down." Abell yells to the crowd. "It's not like he threatened the diva. He just asked a question, no need to be so uptight."
"Can't we just let him?" Pitch whispers to Abell. "After hearing his side of the story, I kinda want him to land a hit on 'Red'."
"Yeah, but that won't end well." Abell whispers back. "If we let those two fight, Uta won't be able to hold back and will fight him with all her might. Do you want to know how that'll turn out in a place where all of Uta's fans are?"
"Well, do you have any better ideas?" Pitch asks. "He's not going to leave until he gets some sort of answer and frankly, I don't want him to."
"I have an idea, so just play along." Abell said, reassuring her friend.
"Mind telling me what it involves?" Pitch asks intrigued.
"Let's just say Uta won't have it easy." Abell said with a smug grin.
"I like it already." Pitch said, giving Abell a thumbs up.
"Hey Luffy, what are you planning to do after this?" Abell asks the pirate.
"Well, we're planning to look for a ship coaster in Sabaody Park." Luffy said.
Abell turns around and sees that, although depressed, Uta is now occupied with meeting and greeting her fans and is blocking herself out of their conversation.
Perfect. Abell thought.
"After your friends meet Red, can you take her with you to the amusement park?" Abell asks. "You see, Red has been looking forward to going to that amusement park, but she doesn't feel as if she deserves it. If she goes with you, she will definitely go."
Pitch smiles behind her mask as she gets Abell's plan and she's on board with the idea. Uta would definitely go without any hesitation, but going with Luffy will make her look rebellious so the excuse would be necessary. Abell looks at Pitch with a gleam in her eyes and Pitch looks back with a similar look.
"Ok, the more merrier." Luffy said smiling. "Besides, there's a bunch of things I want to ask her."
"Thanks Luffy." Abell said. "I hope your friends will be ok with it."
"It'll be fine." the pirate reassures Abell. "I'm sure it will work out somehow."
"Don't mind if you get too wild." Pitch adds. "Red isn't a weak diva."
"I know." Luffy said. "I already arm wrestled her and almost lost."
"Wait, you beat Red in a contest of strength?" Abell asks. "Seriously?"
"Yeah." Luffy answered nonchalantly.
"Wow, you must be a lot stronger than we thought." Pitch said, rubbing her chin. "That makes it all the more reassuring to leave our diva in your care."
Abell, Pitch, and Luffy all talk about Luffy's past with Uta together just to get to know each other. Slowly but surely, the two begin to understand why their leader fell for a guy like him as the two seem to be extremely close. In exchange, the two tell stories about their relationship with Uta, who they described as Red. Eventually, the queue to meet 'Diva' Red ended with Luffy's crew mates and colleagues. Afterwards, the group met up with their respective friends to see that they were talking with each other.
"What are you talking about?" Uta asks the three.
"I'm talking about Uta and these two are talking about you." Luffy explains.
Uta turns bright red and steam puffs out of her headphones.
"Aha...I see." Uta said, embarrassed. "I hope they're good tales."
"Of course." Luffy said happily. "You and Uta have a lot in common."
"Enough of that." Abell said. "Straw Hat told me that you guys are going to the amusement park, right?"
"That's right." the fishman said. "We're going to look for a ship coater named Rayleigh there."
"Well, is it ok if you take Red with you?" Abell asks the group.
"WHA?!" the entire group including Uta scream. "You're kidding!"
"Nope, take Red and get her out of here." Pitch said. "Take this with you, Red."
The shock was so great for Uta, that she froze stiff. Pitch looks at Uta who's still stunned and unresponsive. The masked girl smirks as she expected this. Still, regardless of her condition, Pitch takes Uta's hand, opens it up and places a cap, sunglasses, and face mask. Uta looks down at her hand and snaps back into reality.
They want me to be with Luffy?! Uta mentally. I can't do that! Nope! No chance!
"Gordon, you must be against this, right?" Uta asks frantically.
Gordon gives Uta a thumbs up and she falls over comically.
"Rave?"
"But, he seems like a nice person though..."
"But...but...but..."
Abell and Pitch grab Uta by the shoulder and bend down to talk to her quietly.
"Listen, Uta. You're not going to get a better opportunity to get to be with Luffy than now." Abell whispers. "This is your once in a lifetime chance!"
"We heard what you guys have gone through together when you were little." Pitch said. "You were so happy back then! C'mon, you have to do this."
"But, this is too much!" Uta protests. "I can't face him now! I'm not even Uta!"
"Just shut it and listen!" Abell hisses. "You've been working hard and deserve a break. You're going to that amusement park with Luffy and his friends and that's that!"
Abell shoves some money into Uta's pocket and glares at her.
"Here's some spending money too. Make sure you use up all of it." Abell said.
All this was too fast for Uta to register and all she could do was stutter. Then, Abell clasps the diva's face between her hands and stares at her.
"Luffy wants this too." Abell said. "He's your best friend and deserves to know the truth sooner or later."
Abell blinks, unable to retort.
"Don't you remember what Ace told you?" Pitch asks.
Uta's eyes widen as she recalls Ace's words to her.
~
When the time comes and you join Luffy once more, don't let him out of your grasp.
~
Uta looks down as she thinks about those words that Ace said. As much as hates to admit it, her friends are right. She's running because she's scared. Afraid of what Luffy might think. Afraid of meeting him again after leaving him without warning. Afraid of what she might do after meeting him once more.
"If you're not ready now, when will you be? Get it together and stop running!" Abell said harshly. "How can you create your New Genesis if you can't even confront your childhood friend? Is that the type of mindset you should have?"
Uta's eyes widened at her friend's words. Uta always thought of herself as fearless and ambitious, but here she is shaking away with her tail between her legs. This isn't like her at all and she knows it. The diva looks down in shame and nods 'no'. Abell lets go and she and Pitch smile at her.
"It doesn't have to be today for you to tell him that you're Uta, but try and at least make some memories." Abell said. "Look over there."
Uta looks up to see Luffy walking over to her and he smiles his classic grin.
"Come and join us already." Luffy said. "I never did get the chance to thank you for those chocolates and helping me back at Loguetown."
Uta chuckles softly and looks at her friends and nods. Then she looks at Luffy and his friends who're smiling and waiting for her response patiently.
"How can I deny your invitation now?" Uta asks as she puts on her jacket. "I'll join you, guys!"
"Hooray! Red is joining us!" Everyone cheers. "Time for the amusement park!"
"We're looking for Rayleigh though!" The starfish reminded the group.
The group, Uta included, were jumping for joy and ignored the starfish's words. The Section Leaders were relieved that Uta had already adjusted to the group. The group of seven went of to the amusement park and wave goodbye to the Section Leaders
"Alright, take your time and come back whenever you feel like." Abell said.
"Just don't take our diva to the sea!" Pitch reminds them. "And don't bring too much attention to yourself, Red!"
"I won't!" Uta yells back happily.
Once the group was out of sight, Pitch smiles evilly and takes a step forward.
"Drain."
Pitch strength leaves her and she hits the ground face first.
"This is her moment and you're not going to eavesdrop." Abell said as she hefts Pitch on her shoulder. "C'mon, we did enough fooling around."
"Damn it..."
"We got to see a face we never seen on Uta." Abell said smiling. "I've known her for years and I've never seen that look on her before. Let her enjoy herself, ok?"
"Fine, but we're going to that amusement park later!" Pitch grumbles. "I wanna go on a roller coaster too."
"And I'll treat you and Rave in full." Abell promises.
"Wait, speaking of Rave, shouldn't we tell her about the Kid Pirates?" Pitch asks.
"She went out to look for them the moment we talked to Uta." Abell said. "She told me that she'll be back after she finds her answer."
"I hope she gets what she's looking for." Pitch said as she feels her strength come back to her.
Before getting too far from her previous location, Uta made sure to put on her bucket hat, sunglasses, and face mask. Then, she puts her headset in her backpack and mentally prepares herself for the trip ahead. As the group walked to the amusement park, Uta got to know the names of the group she's with and a bit about themselves. The raccoon creature is actually a reindeer and doctor of Luffy's crew named Tony Tony Chopper who ate the Human Human Fruit. The skeleton with the Afro is the musician of Luffy's crew and ate the Revive Revive Fruit. Hatchan is an octopus fish man who met Luffy back in East Blue. Camie is a mermaid who Luffy and his friends save and finally her pet starfish Pappagu.
"We're here! Sabaody Park!" Luffy yells excitedly.
"Looks amazing!" Uta squeals happily.
The group eventually find themselves before the entrance of Sabaody Park and they were in awe. Uta has never seen an amusement park and the things she sees are beyond what she can imagine. A beautiful gate, Ferris wheel, roller coaster and more bubble bikes. She can see that just from the outside and her body is bursting with excitement.
"Are you going to search for that guy or not?" the starfish asks, slapping Luffy's head.
"The lady said that the craftsman guy likes this place." Luffy answers.
"That's only if he wasn't in the lawless zone!" Pappagu retorted.
"C'mon starfish." Uta said getting in between the two. "It's much safer to search here than the lawless area."
"Your expression says otherwise!" Pappagu yells. "Do you even know why we're here?!"
"Wah! A Ferris wheel!" Camie screams with hearts in her eyes. "This is the first time I've seen it this close!"
"Are you guys even listening to me?!"
"All right, you guys! Let's have some fun!" Luffy screams.
"Yeah!" the group says excitedly.
"You're not looking for him at all!"
As the group gets in, the starfish grabs Camie causing her to yelp.
"Camie, you can't go in!" Pappagu said. "Absolutely not! You're a mermaid and if someone sees you, you might get kidnapped!"
"It's fine." Hatchan said. "We have Straw Hat here to protect us if the worst were to happen."
"Don't worry, I'll beat anyone who tries to hurt you guys." Luffy reassures the starfish.
Hatchan paid for the group's tickets and they all entered the amusement park and all were immersed in its grandness.
"What should we do first?" Luffy asks, looking around.
"I see cotton candy!" Chopper said, looking in a different direction.
"Yohohoho! I can't believe my eyes!" Brook said. "That is, if only I had eyes! Yohohoho!"
"Ferris wheel! Tea cups! Roller coaster! Carousel! Haunted house!" Uta screams as jumps up and down. "I wanna go on all of them!"
"C'mon, let's go somewhere already!" Camie said, clapping her hands.
"The roller coaster is the closest." Hatchan said. "If we're going to go somewhere, let's all go together so we won't separate."
Everyone eagerly agreed on going on the roller coaster. Everyone was able to go with the exception of Pappagu, but Camie managed to persuade the staff that her was a bag and so they strapped him up in front as an item that won't fly away much to the starfish disappointment. Uta eagerly sits next to Luffy in the front car while Camie and Hatchan sit next to each other behind them and Brook and Chopper last. The roller coaster slowly climbs up the rails making a clicking noise. Uta makes sure to put her hat away so it won't fly off.
"I have never been on a roller coaster before, have you?" Uta asks Luffy.
"Nope!" Luffy answers. "I have never been to an amusement park actually."
"I guess it's the first time for us both!" Uta said smiling.
"I'm starting to like this ride." Brook said, admiring the view. "It's nice and slow."
Luffy, Uta, and Pappagu, who were in the front, leaned forward to see a steep drop and pales.
"My, look aaaAAAHHHHHHH!"
"YAH-HOOI!"
Everyone raises their arms as the coaster swoops left, right, up, and down. Uta has never gone at such speeds before and she loved it.
"This is amazing!" Uta screams as tears fill her eyes.
"So fast!" Luffy screams.
"Slow down! Slow down! Slow down! Slow down!" Brook screams.
After three minutes of roller coaster fun, the group finally gets off and walks back to solid ground. Everyone was clapping and cheering with excitement while Brook was holding his knees and attempting to calm himself down.
"That was so much fun!" Luffy said as he clapped with joy. "Let's do it again!"
"Camie, that was your first time on a roller coaster, were you scared?" Hatchan asks.
"I was, but it was so fun!" the mermaid said cheerfully.
"I never had so much fun in my life!" Chopper said, clutching his chest.
"You had it easy, I was in the front!" Pappagu said laughing. "We were going so fast that I thought my face would fly off!"
"I thought my heat would leap out of my chest." Brook gasps. "Not that I have a heart. Yohohoho..."
"Alright, let's go again!" Uta cheers.
"YEAH!"
"Heavens, no!"
With the exception of Brook, everyone rode the roller coaster two more times. After that, Chopper, Camie, Hatchan, and Pappagu needed a rest from it. However, Uta and Luffy refused to take a break and rode it again four more times before becoming too dizzy to stand straight. After the two regained their balance, everyone was ready for the next stop.
"Why don't we go on the carousel next?" Uta suggests. "It should be a slower ride."
"I think I'll skip and watch." Brook said.
The group, with the exception of Brook, eagerly wait in line to go ride the carousel. The group points to all the animals and talks to decide which one they should ride. Once the carousel stops, the group chooses the animals they want to ride on. Hatchan and Chopper chose the bull, Camie and Pappagu wanted to ride on a pig, and Uta and Luffy went on the rabbit. The carousel begins to move and the animals move up and down as the ride spins around.
"I'm not going to lie, these slow rides are fun too." Uta said as she enjoys the casualness of the ride. "Don't you think so, Luffy?"
"Hey, Red! Look what I can do!"
Uta looks up to see Luffy balancing on the pole with one hand which causes Uta to laugh at the sight. The others laugh happily too and wave to the skeleton who's watching calmly in the background sipping some tea. Afterwards, the group wanted to ride the tower ride. Brook, feeling left out from being on the slow ride, decided to join them.
"Wow, what a tall tower." Camie said as she looked up. "I have never seen a building that tall before."
"Neither have I." Hatchan said. "They don't have anything like this in Fish-Man Island."
"I've seen bigger." Luffy and Uta said in union. "Hey! Don't copy what I say! Stop it!"
Before they knew it, both Uta and Luffy begin to fight each other by pulling their hair and cheek while the others laugh and watch the scuffle. It wasn't long before it was their turn to go on the ride. Each person sat around in the bubble seats. As the ride goes up, Brook lets out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, I do prefer these slow moving rides." Brook said as he admired the view. "This way I can take in the view without having tooOOOAAAHHHH!"
Everyone gets off and cheers happily while Brook, once more, takes a knee to catch his breath. The group then continues to explore the amusement park while riding on their bubble bikes. Luffy, Uta, and Chopper riding in one and Brook, Hatchan, Camie, and Pappagu riding in the other.
"I'm so glad that I came here." Uta tells Luffy from the top of the bubble. "Thank you for letting me join you guys."
"No problem, I'm glad you're here too!" Luffy said.
"I am as well!" Chopper said as he jumped onto Uta's lap. "You're so cool, Red! You can handle roller coasters and tall towers like it was nothing!"
"Well, I am a strong diva." Uta said proudly. "Something like that is nothing for me."
"Really?" Chopper asks as his eyes shine with admiration. "Are diva's really that strong?"
"I am."
"So cool!"
The next ride that the groups set their eyes on, is the bubble tea cups which spin around if one twists the center wheel. The group watches the ride operate and Brook decides to join as it's on the ground where it's safe. The seven split into two groups, the pirates and Uta in one and the takoyaki workers in the other. The ride then turns on and the group begins to spin around.
"I want to turn the wheel!" Uta yells as she grabs the wheel.
"No, I wanna!" Luffy yells as he grabs the wheel.
"Me!"
"Me!"
"ME!"
"ME!"
Chopper and Brook look on in disappointment as their cup wasn't really moving due to Luffy and Uta forcing the wheel against each other.
"Whee!"
The four look over to see their friends spinning around happily and Luffy and Uta look at each and smile.
"Together!"
With the combined strength of both Luffy and Uta, the cup spun a lot faster than it should be. Even the cup with the others is spinning unusually fast.
"Spin! Spin!"
"Faster! Faster!"
It wasn't long before it came to the point where the two cups were spinning so fast that it was a blur to others. Suddenly, sparks begin to fly from beneath the cups and the sound of metal creaking is heard.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the bottom of both cups exploded from the centrifugal force and shot upwards. Still spinning, all that the seven individuals can do is scream in horror as their ride goes awry.
"We're flying!" Uta screams as she raises her hands in the air.
"Why are we flying?!" Brook screams. "I thought this was a calm ride!"
The two cups landed in the ground and toppled over knocking off all seven. Their condition isn't the greatest as Hatchan and Pappagu lay on the floor too dizzy to move, Camie trying to catch her breath, Chopper trying to stand still, but is too dizzy, and finally Luffy, Uta, and Brook who're vomiting. The conductor of the ride was screaming something at them, but the group were trying to recover and were unable to hear him. Then, they set their sights on the Ferris Wheel.
"I can't believe I can finally get to go on the Ferris Wheel!" Camie said excitedly as she clapped her hands. "I must be dreaming!"
Uta's eyes were also shining as she never rode on a Ferris Wheel either. In fact, no one in the group has and they were all looking forward to it. Uta looks at some of the bubbles that were being carried by the ride and sees a bunch of couples holding hands while admiring the view. The diva flushes at the sight and looks over to see Luffy who's talking with his crewmates. Due to their being a passenger limit of four, the group will have to split up. The first car lands on the ground and opens up.
"I'm going first!" Camie said as she jumped off the bubble and into the car.
"Me too!" Luffy said excitedly.
"I'm going with Luffy!" Uta yells.
"You guys go on ahead." Hatchan said. "We'll take the next one."
Uta was shocked at how easy it was to be alone with Luffy, with the exception of Camie, but Uta knew that Camie would be preoccupied with looking through the bubble. Slowly but surely, the Ferris Wheel begins to lift the bubble car up into the air.
"We're so high up!" Camie said as she looked through the bubble. "Look! Luffy! They're selling ice cream over there!"
"For real?" Luffy asks.
Uta can't help, but smile at Camie's excitement. Seeing as they're high enough to not be seen, Uta takes off her sunglasses and face mask so she can relax a bit. Luffy was also kicking it back while resting his head against the soft cushions.
"Everyone looks so tiny from over here!" Camie exclaims. "Red! I can see the ocean from here!"
"I bet you can." Uta said smiling.
Uta looks over to see Camie who has tears in her eyes and can sense her happiness.
"You're so happy that you're crying?" Luffy asks.
"Of course she is." Uta said. "Who wouldn't feel emotional after experiencing an impossible dream?"
"It's always been my dream to ride the Ferris Wheel since I was a child and I've never been so high up in the air before!" Camie said as she wiped the tears off her eyes. "I'll always remember this day for the rest of my life! Thank you so much!"
Luffy looks at Camie confused.
"The only reason Hacchin and Pappagu let me come here is because you and your crew will keep me safe." Camie said.
"Oh, I see." Luffy said. "I'm happy for you!"
"Thank you too, Red!" Camie said as she moved over to Uta.
"Huh? What did I do?" Uta asks.
"I've always been a fan of yours and always listened to your music!" Camie said. "To think I can see you and talk to you like this, I couldn't be any happier! It's so much fun to have at least one girl here with me!"
"Oh, you're welcome." Uta said as she twirls her hair. "Anything for a fa..."
"Thank you all for being such good friends!"
"Do you see me as a friend?" Uta asks.
"Of course." Luffy said casually. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't. I'm your friend too, right?"
Uta can feel her heart tighten with happiness and smiles. Uta then unintentionally begins to tear up causing Luffy to panic.
"Wha?! Are you ok?!" Luffy asks frantically. "Was it something I said?"
Uta was also shocked from this and wipes away one of the tears from her cheek. Never did she expect Luffy to call her his friend once more. Not after ten years of separation. Uta smiles and thanks her friends for forcing her to take this trip.
"Yes, it was something you said." Uta said, chuckling.
Luffy looks at the diva confused, but his expression changed once he saw her smile.
"Luffy, I'm glad that I'm your friend too." Uta said, smiling at the pirate. "I always was."
Luffy blinks as an image of a young Uta overlaps the singer. The pirate blinks a couple times and rubs his eyes before everything returns to normal and Uta is looking out of the bubble. Now his head hurts more than it previously has.
"Hey, Red?" Luffy asks.
"What is it, Luffy?" Uta asks.
"Do you know anything about someone named Uta?" Luffy asks. "I never really got the chance to ask you directly."
Uta looks away and takes a deep breath.
This is it. Uta thought.
"You see Luffy, I..."
CLUNK!
Suddenly, the ride stops as the trio's car hits the ground. The door opens and Camie gets on the bubble bike that was parked next to the Ferris Wheel.
"How about we enjoy the amusement park first?" Uta suggests laughing. "That's why we're here, right?"
"Yeah, you're right!" Luffy agrees. "We're nowhere near done!"
The trio waited for the remainder of their party to arrive on the ground and once they did, they began to go to one attraction after another. Next, they all went on the gondola ride which moves in a full circle. This meant that anyone who rides will experience going in a loop and everyone, with the exception of Brook, welcomed the idea.
"I've never been upside down like this before!" Uta said as she held onto her hat.
"This is so much fun!" Chopper said smiling.
After that, the group saw a hat cart and they all bought different colors and types of hats. Luffy, Camie, and Pappagu chose party hats, Chopper chose a polka dot spotted hat, Brook decided on trying on a floral hat and Uta tried on a large sun hat.
"That look doesn't suit you guys." Hachan said laughing at the Straw Hats. "You all are already wearing hats!"
"You look so pretty with that hat, Red!" Camie said admiring Uta's look.
"Hm, maybe I should buy it later." Uta said smiling.
Next the group decided to buy something to eat. After some discussion, they decided to buy a bunch of crepes. The ones who enjoyed it the most were Camie and Uta who were drowning with the creamy strawberry flavor. Next, they went onto the bubble swing ride for which Brook was pressured to go on as well. The ones who enjoyed that ride the most were Chopper and Pappagu, but Brook, on the other hand, wasn't too pleased. The group then got some cotton candy for which Chopper and Luffy munched on happily. Uta and Hachan tried riding on the mechanical horses for kids where Hatchan riding it like a five year old and Uta balancing on it like a surfboard. Eventually, it became Luffy's time to decide and he wanted to go to the haunted house walkthrough.
"Alright, who wants to go inside?" Luffy asks.
"Haunted House! Haunted House!" Camie cheers. "I wanna go!"
"You can go with me then, Camie." Hatchan said. "Who's going with Straw Hat?"
Everyone else looks away, scared of entering.
"I'm still trying to recover after what happened in Thriller Bark." Chopper whimpers.
"I'm not a fan of ghosts, so I'll pass." Brook said, waving his hand.
"I'm too scared." Pappagu said, latching on to Brook.
"Red?" Luffy asks a
"Uh, well..."
Uta hates ghosts just as much as the others. The creepy way they laugh and how they appear out of nowhere. It freaks her out. Uta takes a look at Luffy and sees his face. A face of sorrow and disappointment.
Luffy wants to go and someone needs to be with him. Uta thought frightened. But...
All of the sudden, Uta gets a surge of inspiration.
If I go with Luffy to the Haunted House, it'll just be me and him! Uta thought. It'll just be me and him!
Uta's fantasies overpowers her fear and she nods to herself with confidence.
"Alright, I'll go!" Uta said, raising her hand. "I'll go with you, Luffy!"
Luffy smiles and together, Uta, Luffy, Hatchan, and Camie enter the Haunted House. Once Uta stepped into the door of the entrance, she felt a cold breeze go past her. Uta has fought pirates, faced cooperates, battled her monster powered friends, and traveled through several seas to perform for different countries. However, the atmosphere in this house is nothing in comparison to that.
Maybe this is a bad idea.
Uta was screaming bloody murder and latched onto Luffy like her life depended on it. She was so scared from the zombie and skeleton actors that she completely forgot that she was with her crush. However, Luffy was having the time of his life and was unaffected by the scares. It was a grueling fifteen minutes for Uta and in the end she was as pale as the ghosts she saw in the mansion. Once she saw daylight, she refused to leave Luffy's side and clutched his arm.
"That was so much fun! Wasn't it Red?" Luffy asks the diva. "Red?"
That was terrible. Uta thought as she cried softly. I'm never going to another haunted house ever again!
After Camie and Hatchan went out, the group decided to split up temporarily. Camie decided to watch over the bubble bikes, Brook, Chopper, Hatchan, and Pappagu went to go buy food, and Luffy and Uta went out to go shopping for souvenirs.
"Hey, Luffy, check this shirt out!" Uta said as she showed Luffy a green t-shirt that says 'Sabaody Park' and is covered with pictures of bubbles. "Think it'll look good on me?"
"Yeah! That's a cool one!" Luffy said smiling. "How about this? Think I'll look good with these funny shoes?"
Uta looks at the clown shoes and laughs out loud.
"Those don't suit you at all!" Uta laughs. "With those shoes, your outfit would look terrible."
"Huh? No they..."
Luffy draws a blank unknown to Uta.
I've heard those words before. Luffy thought as he stared at Uta. It's just like what she said.
"Is something wrong, Luffy?"
The pirates snap back into reality to see Red looking at him slightly confused.
"No, just thinking." Luffy said.
" Why don't you buy a t-shirt instead?" Uta suggests. "It'll look good on you."
"I don't know." Luffy mutters as he looks at the different types of clothes. "I don't even know what to pick."
"Leave that to me." Uta said proudly. "I'll choose some great clothes for you."
Uta spends the next few minutes picking clothes for Luffy and after some laughs and arguing, Uta happily buys an outfit for Luffy. Afterwards, the two walk back to the others.
"Look, Red!" Luffy said pointing to a stand. "They're selling kebabs! Meat kebabs!"
Uta and Luffy's mouth water and they gun for the stall. Upon closer look, not only were they selling meat, but other types such as vegetable, fish, squid, and all sorts of meats.
"Ten...no, twenty!" Uta said as she handed the man her money. "All different kinds!"
"Are you sure?" the man asks nervously looking at the drooling pair. "That's a lot of..."
"We're hungry!" the pair yell angrily. "Give us food!"
The man nods vigorously and takes Uta's money before handing them twenty kebabs. The duo then went off happily back, eating each stick one by one. Luffy gulps down the meat kebabs easily and spits out the sticks while Uta snacks on the vegetable one.
"Hey, let me try that one!" Luffy said pointing to the squid kebab.
"Give me a bite of your pork and we'll call it even." Uta said.
"Huh? No way!" Luffy protested.
"Hey, look over there!" Uta yells.
Luffy turns around and Uta leans over and bites one of Luffy's kebabs and strips off the entire content leaving just the stick. The pirate looks down and notices it then yells in surprise.
"Hey! No fair! That was cheap!"
"C'mon, don't be a sore loser." Uta teases.
Luffy was taken aback once more. This time a flashback of when he played chicken with his friend pops up.
"Here, have a kebab!" Uta said, handing Luffy a kebab.
"Thanks, Uta!" Luffy said as he munched on the kebab.
"Sure thing, Luffy! Next time don't..."
Uta stops midway as she and Luffy stare at each other stunned.
Did he call me...
Did I call her...
Suddenly, both became frazzled and almost dropped their food on the ground.
"I'm sorry!" Luffy yells as he bows apologetically. "I didn't mean to call you, Uta! I was just thinking about her and it just popped out!"
"No! It's fine!" Uta said blushing. "It doesn't bother me! Not at all!"
The two quickly calmed down, but it became a bit awkward for the both of them. Uta takes a deep breath and looks at Luffy, who's now avoiding eye contact. Uta clenches her fist and grits her teeth. She's sick of herself. Seeing Luffy like this, being with someone who he believes she isn't, but is, must be tough on him mentally.
I can't hold this off any longer. I need to tell him. This is what's best.
"Luffy."
"Yeah?"
"I do know something about Uta."
Luffy gives Uta a shocked expression and almost drops his food once more before regaining composure.
"Seriously? I knew it!"
"Yes." Uta nods, "You see, the truth is...?!"
All of the sudden, Uta's eyes glow red and she senses something sinister from far off. Uta swivels her head and looks around to see nothing, but the aura she feels stands out like a sore thumb.
What's causing this? Uta thought as she searched her surroundings. Two people fighting? No, it's one sided. Someone large and someone small.
Uta then feels a sense of distress and that was when she was able to target the location of the scuffle and she drops everything in shock. It was coming from where their group was and Uta's eyes widened with realization.
~
You're a mermaid and if someone sees you, you might get kidnapped!
~
"CAMIE!"
This is, by far, the longest chapter I've ever written with a word count of over 7.4k. I really hope it wasn't too boring. I tried my best to get as much fluff as I can without deviating too much away from the original plot line. I also want Uta to make friendships with the others too and since I feel like being happy with not only Luffy, but meeting new people would be something she would enjoy. It seems like Luffy is catching on to Uta's identy after bonding with 'Red' for the last few hours. Uta seemed to realizes this too and was about to reveal the truth! However, things are going south and the kidnappers seem to have got to Camie! Unforgiveable bastards! They're ruining the good part! Whatever happens next won't be good. Until the next chapter, bye!