One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

Night fell like soft velvet, gently enveloping Elegia Island.

The bright full moon hung above the spires of the Crystal Resonance Tower, its silver radiance flowing like a ribbon of pearly light.

The moonlight slipped through the arched windows and quietly settled upon Uta's eyelids.

"Mmm…"

Her eyelashes trembled faintly.

"Ahh—!"

A yawn full of sleepiness yet bursting with energy broke the silence of the room.

Uta sat up on the large bed covered with a pink velvet blanket. Stretching both arms high toward the moonlight, she arched her slender waist backward like a cat waking from a deep nap, luxuriantly stretching every inch of her body.

After sleeping the entire afternoon, the exhaustion and pale weakness that had seeped into her bones had quietly been wiped away by deep sleep.

Her red-and-white hair lay messily over her shoulders, and under the moonlight it gave her a lazy, lively charm.

She rubbed her eyes and looked toward the deep starry sky outside the window.

"Huh?"

She blinked in confusion.

"The sky… still isn't bright yet?"

Her mind was still foggy, but her body's sense of time told her something was off.

Tilting her head, she tried to remember…

When she returned to her room after the performance, the sunset had still been kissing the horizon.

But now—

She glanced at the music clock beside her bed. The delicate hands clearly pointed to late night.

"I slept that long again…"

She muttered softly, unconsciously twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

Over the past month, after every full-power performance, her drowsiness had grown more intense.

Sometimes her body felt as if it were trapped in a soft cloudbed, unwilling to wake before noon.

"Grrr~~"

A long, unmistakable rumble suddenly sounded from her flat stomach, echoing loudly in the quiet room.

"Ah!"

Uta quickly covered her stomach. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson beneath the moonlight.

Embarrassed, she glanced around the empty room as if worried someone might hear the "unladylike" noise.

"I was so tired I forgot dinner…"

She muttered sheepishly, scolding herself.

A strenuous performance consumed not only mental energy, but also enormous physical stamina.

Once she noticed the hunger, it surged like a tide, urging her to move.

Barefoot, she stepped onto the cool, smooth wooden floor and walked toward the door.

Moonlight stretched her shadow long across the room.

Where's Grandpa Gordon?

Usually at this hour, he would either be organizing sheet music in his study or preparing a late-night snack in the kitchen.

But tonight the corridor was unusually quiet.

Only her soft footsteps echoed through the hall.

The moment she opened the door and stepped into the courtyard—

An incredibly tempting aroma of food wrapped around her senses like something tangible, drifting straight into her nose.

Uta stopped at the end of the corridor.

She had followed the smell expecting to see Gordon busy in the kitchen.

Instead—

The scene in the courtyard stole her breath away.

In the center of the courtyard, crystal lamps cast a warm golden glow.

A group of people she had never seen before had gathered there, their lively atmosphere almost spilling over into the night.

A blond man wearing a white apron skillfully flipped skewers on a grill. The dancing flames lit his focused profile.

The irresistible aroma came from the sizzling fat dripping onto the fire.

Nearby, a cold-looking man, a kind old man, a silver-haired woman, and Gordon were all clinking cups, devouring meat, and drinking heartily.

But Uta's gaze—

Like iron drawn to a magnet—

Pierced through the noise and light, locking onto a single figure.

A boy sitting on a wooden barrel at the center.

A worn straw hat rested on his head.

He wore a bright red vest, his chest open, grinning so widely that only his teeth could be seen.

In his left hand he raised a frothy wooden mug.

In his right he held a bundle of greasy grilled meat skewers, stuffing them into his mouth with wild enthusiasm, cheeks puffed like a hamster.

Grease dripped down his chin, but he didn't notice.

With his mouth still full, he shouted loudly,

"I'm telling you guys! The meat Sanji makes is the best in the whole world!!!"

His voice was clear and bright.

It carried a carefree joy so infectious it seemed to melt away all worries.

Ripples of laughter spread outward from him.

The courtyard grew warmer because of that single sentence—even the moonlight seemed gentler.

Uta's fingertips began to tremble.

She covered her mouth tightly, but she couldn't stop the torrent rising inside her.

Large tears burst from her eyes without warning, rolling down her delicate cheeks one after another, leaving glittering trails in the moonlight.

Her vision blurred instantly.

Yet the red figure before her became even clearer through the tears.

Clear enough to make her heart ache.

How could she possibly forget?

The boy who used to stumble after her as a child, shouting, "Uta, wait for me!"

The little follower who let her place flower crowns on his head and even smear lipstick on him while he simply laughed.

The boy who sat beside her on the shoreline under the stars and made a serious promise in a childish voice—

That they would change the world together so everyone could live smiling.

Even after more than ten years.

Even though the childish boy had grown into a tall, strong young man.

Even though his smile now carried the freedom and boldness forged by the sea.

That spirit inside him—

That pure, blazing life force like the sun itself—

Had long been etched into the deepest part of her soul.

It had never faded.

"…Luffy…"

The name broke silently between her lips.

But she didn't dare say it aloud.

She barely even breathed.

As if making the slightest sound might shatter this beautiful scene like a fragile soap bubble.

A terrible fear gripped her heart.

She was afraid.

Afraid that this was only a hallucination brought on by exhaustion from overusing her powers.

Because only in her deepest dreams—

The ones she never dared speak of—

Did she allow herself to imagine something so extravagant.

That he would cross mountains and seas to stand before her again…

With that same smile…

Lighting up a world that had long been colorless.

Moonlight flowed silently.

The noise of the courtyard seemed distant, muffled as if through water.

Uta stood frozen at the border between shadow and light, tears streaming down her face like a statue too afraid to disturb fate.

Her gaze fixed on the blazing red flame in the courtyard.

"Uta, you're awake!!"

The voice came naturally.

Familiar.

As though ten years had never existed between them.

Before she realized it, Luffy was already beside her.

One hand casually rested on her delicate shoulder, still carrying the warmth of barbecue smoke.

In his other hand he still held a half-eaten meat bone.

He grinned brightly—his smile almost outshining the courtyard lights.

But the next second—

His smile froze.

He saw the tear tracks on her face.

Under the moonlight, they were still glistening.

Luffy froze.

Almost instinctively, he raised his free hand and gently wiped her cheek with his thumb.

The gesture was clumsy—

But incredibly gentle.

"What's wrong with you?!"

His voice carried genuine confusion—and a hint of panic.

In his world, Uta was supposed to be smiling.

Running ahead of him like she did when they were kids.

Tears didn't belong on her face.

Uta slowly raised her head.

Her tear-washed eyes shone like amethysts submerged in water as they stared directly into his.

As if searching his soul for proof.

"Luffy…"

Her voice trembled like a thawing spring stream.

"Is it really… you?"

That question instantly unsettled Luffy.

Thud.

The precious meat bone dropped to the ground.

He grabbed her slender shoulders with both hands and bent slightly so their eyes were level.

Under the shadow of his straw hat, his expression was more serious than ever.

There was even a hint of alarm.

"Uta, did something happen to your head?"

He leaned closer, frowning anxiously.

"It's me! Luffy! Luffy!"

"The man who's gonna become the King of the Pirates!"

That familiar, completely unfiltered declaration—

So unmistakably Luffy—

Broke open the emotional dam inside Uta's heart.

"Uhh…"

A choked sob escaped her throat.

The next second—

Her small body rushed forward like a bird returning to its nest.

She threw herself into his arms with all her weight and the longing she had carried for ten years.

Her arms wrapped tightly—almost stubbornly—around his waist.

Her face buried deep in his chest, which smelled of sweat, smoke, and sunshine.

The unique fragrance of Uta—mixed with faint flowers and music sheets—instantly surrounded him.

Warm softness filled his arms.

But Luffy froze.

All his senses focused on the warmth spreading across his chest.

Her tears.

Hot and endless.

They soaked through his red vest and pressed against his skin.

"Uta…?!"

He had never faced a situation like this before.

The crying girl in his arms felt completely different from the fearless, always-smiling Uta he remembered.

After a moment of hesitation, those arms capable of smashing steel and stretching across great distances gently wrapped around her slender waist.

Awkwardly.

Carefully.

He patted her back.

Again and again.

Trying to comfort her.

In the courtyard, time seemed to pause.

Clatter.

The skewer between Sanji's fingers fell onto the grill, sizzling sadly.

The cigarette in his mouth burned his lip before he snapped back to reality.

Staring at the two hugging—especially Luffy's oblivious expression—he covered his forehead and sighed internally.

This idiot… his ridiculous luck with women is unbelievable.

Yamato tilted her head, her horns shining in the moonlight.

Her big eyes blinked in pure confusion.

Is this normal when good friends reunite after a long time?

Trafalgar Law, arms folded with Kikoku at his side, frowned deeply.

From beneath his hat brim, his sharp gaze analyzed the scene.

The captain and this singer… troublesome emotional variables.

Leaning against a pillar, Silvers Rayleigh sipped his drink.

A knowing, gentle smile rested on his lips.

Watching the two young people, he seemed to see another pair of youths from long ago.

And in the shadows, Gordon's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Seeing Uta clutch Luffy so tightly—

Seeing Luffy respond awkwardly yet sincerely—

Moisture shimmered in his eyes.

He let out a long, silent breath.

Moonlight bathed the courtyard.

The smell of food still lingered.

But now all the noise had faded into the background.

At the center stood a boy and girl embracing tightly.

One crying freely, releasing ten years of loneliness and longing.

The other offering silent, steady support in his own simple way.

Perhaps reunions never needed grand speeches.

Sometimes—

Tears and an embrace

are the truest beginning.

◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.

◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → /Chakraflow789