One Piece:I am King Luffy!

Uta dragged Luffy into a clothing store, then started picking out clothes one by one.

"Luffy, let's wear matching outfits as siblings!"

She excitedly held up two identical outfits to Luffy.

"Nami and Nojiko always wear the same clothes. I'm a little envious."

"I don't mind."

Uta held up one shirt to Luffy and compared another to herself.

Meanwhile, Nami and Nojiko entered a bookstore.

"If I'm going to get close to someone, I'd better understand what boys like," Nami mused as she headed to the adult section, noticing some books about relationships.

"Be careful, Bellemere might catch you. You always get caught when you're up to no good," Nojiko sighed.

"She won't. I have my own room; Bellemere won't come in uninvited."

Nami scanned the shelves and finally picked up a book on psychology.

"After all, I do want to know what goes on in a guy's mind."

She opened it and found some bold advice:

> "From a psychological perspective, physical closeness expresses intimacy in relationships. Hugs and gentle touches foster warmth and strengthen bonds."

> … The more hugs, the better—it shows deep affection and solidifies connections.

Nami's cheeks turned red as she quickly closed the book.

The words resonated. She remembered how much she enjoyed Bellemere's hugs.

Luffy… She thought of the nights she'd spent with Luffy, sleeping beside him. His warmth, the comfort of his hand on her stomach—it was relaxing, and she found herself wanting more of that touch.

Lost in thought, Nami suddenly hugged Nojiko.

Not understanding, Nojiko hugged her back.

But it wasn't the same… A hug from Nojiko didn't have the same feeling. Her embrace was soft and comforting, but it lacked something… Luffy's arms were strong, warm, and firm, and being held like that made her feel needed.

"Is something wrong, Nami?" Nojiko asked.

"Nothing…" Nami shook her head, trying to push away the longing she felt.

"Let's buy some clothes as a birthday gift for Luffy, like Uta did," Nojiko suggested.

"Yeah." Nami nodded.

---

Hours later, they returned to the ship. Luffy and Uta were wearing matching T-shirts with a pirate emblem on them, and Luffy carried several large bags—they hadn't stopped at just one outfit.

"Look, sibling outfits!" Uta showed off to the others.

"They look great." Bellemere smiled as she patted Uta on the head.

Being around these sweet, thoughtful kids brought out a smile she hadn't felt in years.

"You bought so much… But remember, at sea, information is the most valuable thing," Bellemere reminded Luffy.

"I asked the Marines about Clockwork Island. It's an unusual place, and you can't just take the main road to enter. The islanders built elaborate traps with towering rock layers to keep pirates away. They all live on the mountain tower, and they even refused help from the Marines. There's no Marine base in that area."

Bellemere took out a picture of Clockwork Island for them to see.

"It's so tall—it must be hundreds of meters high!" Uta exclaimed.

"And there are some pretty formidable pirates in that area, with several large pirate ships. If we cross paths, it could be tough." Bellemere handed five wanted posters to Luffy.

They depicted Big Bear King, Queen Sweetheart, The Clown, Pig Jack, and The Skunk.

The Clown was a swordsman, and The Skunk used poison gas attacks.

Together, they were known as the Poker Brothers, each with a card name. The Marines only knew about The Clown's and The Skunk's abilities; the others were a mystery. But even these two were strong enough to give the Marines a hard time.

"This is a full-fledged pirate crew," Bellemere said.

Pirate strength was generally categorized by the size of their ships.

Light sailboats, large ships, multiple large ships, and colossal ships…

The Poker Pirates had multiple large ships, each capable of holding eight hundred to a thousand people.

It was an intimidating concept.

Hearing this, the girls hesitated. So many pirates descending on their village would terrify the residents of Cocoyasi Village. They could overwhelm the villagers with just a shout.

Uta popped a candy into her mouth, her little head shaking slightly, not understanding what there was to fear. Numbers didn't matter to her.

"So, there's a lot of them, huh?" Luffy put on his straw hat, grinning.

"Fighting against a thousand—that's the thrill of being a man!" Luffy laughed, his spirit ignited.

"Idiot Luffy, do you think you can handle it?" Uta raised her chin, exposing her snow-white neck with a huff.

"Just don't get all beat up. Maybe I should step in…"

"No way! Uta's voice isn't meant for that. I won't let you steal the spotlight," Luffy stretched, relaxed.

"Is Uta a strong fighter too?" Bellemere raised an eyebrow.

"Since Uta's a sweet songstress, nobody would want to hurt her." Uta replied with a charming smile, her voice sweet as honey.

"You really know you're adorable, don't you? That's so unfair!"

Unable to resist, Bellemere patted her head, and Uta closed her eyes in delight.

That evening, everyone gathered for dinner.

"Happy birthday, Luffy!" Nami handed him a bag with new clothes.

Then she leaned in and gave him a hug, a satisfied smile on her face.

After celebrating, Uta activated her powers, transporting everyone into a dream world while Bellemere remained unaware.

"Uta, I'm ready to fight a thousand!" Luffy shouted, brandishing his sword.

"Silly Luffy, you're dreaming big!" Uta made a face at him.

"You can't even handle ten!"

Music warriors appeared, lining up before Luffy.

The girls sat on a hill, watching Luffy get pummeled as Uta began to tell them stories.

There weren't many stories with Shanks; mostly, their journeys were dull, which was why Shanks had wanted Uta to find a friend her age.

Most kids on the islands they visited were afraid of her, knowing she was the daughter of a pirate.

So she ended up meeting a boy from Foosha Village—Luffy. He had snatched her juice, pinned her down, and demanded she call him "big brother." He was a mischievous and wild boy, but Uta felt happy. Luffy wasn't afraid of her, and he was amusing. Seeing he only had animal friends, she felt a bit sorry for him…

Uta described how she used her Devil Fruit power to beat him effortlessly, savoring the thrill of a "come-from-behind" victory.

"Every day, I bullied Luffy a little. Seeing his unwilling expression was just… incredibly…"

Uta lowered her gaze, a mischievous purple light flickering in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Uta's feelings for Luffy are pretty complex…" Nami observed.

"We have boys in Cocoyasi Village too. They always say Bellemere's oranges taste bad, so I taught them a lesson with my fists!" Nami said, shaking her fist.

"Those boys are annoying. Luffy, though, isn't so bad. Would he steal other people's food? He's a bit like you, Nami, who'd swipe things." Nojiko added.

"I had no choice! Luffy just takes things like it's perfectly normal." Nami defended herself.

"The first time we met, he was already eating oranges from our orchard!" Nojiko laughed.

The girls burst into laughter.

"You guys don't know, but Luffy was raised by me!" Uta announced proudly, resting her chin on her knees.

"At first, Luffy had hardly any muscles, but with my training, he improved so much, got faster at learning, and now his abs are well-defined, hard all over…"

"Raising him like that feels uniquely satisfying. Maybe that's what being a mother feels like?"

She admitted she often wanted to touch Luffy's firm muscles. Seeing him grow stronger, learn new things—this was the boy she'd trained. Back then, he couldn't even read. Watching him develop…

And she remembered that night.

Luffy had sincerely told her she could be a mother someday…

"Really, Uta's the reason Luffy's so strong?" Nojiko said in realization.

"Not yet," Uta pouted.

"He's far from it. If he were like Shanks, he wouldn't get hurt."

"I want to train Luffy to surpass Shanks," she said, her eyes gleaming as she shared her dream with her friends. "There's something amazing about nurturing someone and watching them grow bit by bit."

"Do you look at Luffy like a mom would?" Nami asked.

"A bit strange…"

"Strange? Maybe…"

"Anyway, thank you, Uta." Nami said, smiling.

"Huh?"

The girls glanced at Nami, puzzled about why she was saying thanks.

---

One afternoon, Luffy sat at the bow of the ship, feeling the sea breeze, fidgeting with his fingers. The girl with red and white hair leaned against the railing, singing.

Her soft song drifted on the wind.

"Luffy, you've stopped letting me train you lately!"

She glanced over at him.

"Stop fiddling with your fingers! So childish!" 

"Can't help it. Training the Finger Pistol technique is something I have to practice on my own," Luffy said, frustrated. "It's all about transferring power through the fingers, and it's much slower than training my fists or legs."

The girl tapped Luffy on the head, frowning. "It's because you're too dense, Luffy, that you still haven't figured it out!"

"Stay alert. We're entering Clockwork Island waters. Nojiko, keep an eye out for any pirate activity," Bellemere said, binoculars hanging from her neck.

"No problem, Bellemere. I've got this," Nojiko replied confidently.

The sea was calm, and in the distance, Clockwork Island came into view.

"Wait, Nami, Bellemere—don't go any further!"

Nojiko suddenly noticed something and called out.

"Clockwork Island… it's surrounded by pirates! That flag—it's the Poker Pirates!"

Bellemere looked through her binoculars and saw the shores of Clockwork Island swarmed with pirate ships, each flying the Poker Pirates' flag. The island was entirely blockaded by the fleet.

"So many… there must be at least two thousand of them!" Bellemere said gravely.

"This is more than we can handle alone. We need to call for Marine support."

Luffy didn't argue. With so many pirates and their officers present, protecting the girls in the middle of a battle would be too difficult.

It was time to call in reinforcements.

Luffy picked up a Den Den Mushi and called Rear-Admiral Pudding Pudding.

"Yes, go ahead!" the Den Den Mushi connected.

"This is Monkey D. Luffy. I'm in the waters around Clockwork Island. A pirate crew has surrounded the island—the Poker Pirates. There appear to be over a thousand of them…" Luffy reported.

"I see. Such an event is intolerable to justice!"

The Vice-Admiral's brow furrowed. "The Poker Pirates, that large crew… Understood. I'll mobilize the Marines to assist. There's no base near that sea zone, so please hold tight."

"Please ensure your own safety, Your Highness. This situation calls for a full-scale operation. Even as a prince, you're not obligated to be involved—this is for adults to handle!"

"Don't worry. I still need to protect the cute girls on board," Luffy replied.

In a sea battle, Luffy wouldn't be worried—he had the Sea Cow Moo Moo with him, and they could take on a thousand pirates without issue.

But the current situation was different. The pirates had already landed on the island, armed with heavy cannons and occupying strategic positions.

As their ship slowly backed away, it bumped into a massive pirate ship.

"A Marine ship, huh."

On the bow of the massive battleship was a built-in bath, where a blonde woman lounged, lazily watching Luffy and his crew.

She boldly leaned halfway over the edge, eyeing the smaller Marine vessel with interest.

"Flying the Marine flag, yet only children on board."

Seeing this female pirate, Luffy's breathing quickened, and a dark power within him stirred.

Holy crap! It's a goddess!

In that instant, Luffy's senses became razor-sharp, his mind flipping a switch and entering a state of total awareness.

This sensation… this feeling of clarity.

He could understand everything.

The goddess's physical stats were already mapped out in his mind!

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Happy New Year Everyone! May this year bring you joy, peace, and prosperity. Cheers to new beginnings! 🎉🍻🎊