One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

"Come on! Bottoms up! Nobody's allowed to use Haki to sober up!"

"Whoever does is a little fish fry!"

Luffy and Zoro threw their arms roughly around each other's shoulders while raising giant wooden mugs large enough to fit half a person's head.

The two tilted their necks back like they were competing, pouring icy liquor down their throats with reckless intensity. Amber-colored alcohol streamed freely from the corners of their mouths, soaking their clothes without either of them caring in the slightest.

"BURP—!! That hit the spot!!"

Luffy slammed his mug onto the coral table with a thunderous bang.

Alcohol had already dyed his cheeks bright red, and a hazy drunken glaze clouded his eyes.

"Ever since Nami… hic… put me under a 'drinking ban,' I've been holding back forever! Today I'm drinking as much as I want!!"

"Hmph, that's why I'm saying…"

Zoro lowered his own mug, his tongue already beginning to slur though his tone remained strangely serious.

"You should've ditched that woman ages ago."

His shocking declaration was followed by a heavy slap on Luffy's back that nearly knocked another burp out of him.

"Listen carefully. If a real man can't even drink properly…"

Zoro raised a finger with the solemn expression of a swordsman explaining the truths of the universe.

"Then what's the difference between your life and a salted fish soaking in seawater?!"

"Uh… that kinda… makes sense?"

Luffy's drunken eyes unfocused briefly as he instinctively nodded.

But in the very next second—

A primal survival instinct even sharper than Observation Haki suddenly pierced through the alcohol fog in his brain.

"OH CRAP!!"

Cold sweat instantly exploded across his back, sobering him halfway on the spot.

His neck creaked stiffly as he nervously scanned the banquet hall.

The hall remained loud and crowded.

Fortunately—

That familiar orange hair and terrifyingly "kind" smile were nowhere in sight.

"Whew… saved…"

Luffy let out a massive sigh of relief like someone who had just escaped death itself.

Was this a joke?!

Just a few days ago, Nami had entrusted him with something more precious than anything she owned!!

If he seriously started talking about "ditching" her now—

Luffy could already picture the terrifying black aura rising behind her alongside the familiar nightmare known as Nami's Fist of Love descending from the heavens.

He'd die.

Absolutely die without even leaving a body behind.

"No more drinking! Seriously, not another drop!"

Luffy shook his head violently as if trying to fling both the alcohol and suicidal thoughts out of his skull.

He staggered to his feet and immediately tried moving as far away from Zoro as possible.

"Tch, coward."

Zoro frowned in dissatisfaction at Luffy's utterly henpecked behavior before taking another huge gulp himself.

"Beautiful women really are storms at sea."

"When you get close, they make your head spin…"

"But once you're caught in one, they'll break a man's spirit in half."

"Luffy, are you okay?"

A gentle voice carrying concern sounded beside him.

At some point, Uta had walked over and naturally reached out to support his unsteady arm.

At such close range, Luffy's drunken gaze found her startlingly clear.

Beneath her softly curved brows, those unique violet eyes—like stars wrapped in melodies—perfectly reflected his own disheveled figure.

Concern practically overflowed from them.

Her elegant nose.

Her soft pink lips.

The smooth pale skin glowing beautifully beneath the banquet hall lights…

Everything about her carried a breathtaking beauty.

"Luffy… do you want me to stay with you?"

Her lips parted gently.

Her sweet voice carried a faint fragrance unique to her as it drifted into his senses.

Perhaps the alcohol had completely paralyzed the part of his brain labeled "reason."

Or perhaps the concern in her eyes was simply too beautiful.

Before Luffy's hazy mind could process anything—

His body moved first.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips directly against hers.

"Mmh…!"

The instant their lips touched, Uta's breathing completely stopped.

It felt as though countless brilliant musical notes exploded inside her mind, leaving her thoughts blank.

Her beautiful violet eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Luffy's face mere inches away.

The sensation on her lips was completely unfamiliar.

Warm.

Soft.

Moist.

Carrying a faint trace of alcohol, yet impossibly hot.

Luffy's presence overwhelmed her senses like the strongest rhythm imaginable, instantly filling her heart and washing over her soul until every thought disappeared entirely.

The stage.

Her songs.

The noisy banquet hall—

Everything faded away.

Her entire world now contained only the burning warmth between their lips and Luffy's presence alone.

Time itself became meaningless.

Perhaps it lasted a long time.

Perhaps only a moment.

Eventually, Luffy slowly pulled away.

A thin silver strand briefly stretched between their lips before snapping apart.

"I-I'm gonna go sober up!"

Only now did Luffy seem to realize what he'd just done.

His eyes darted awkwardly away.

He hurriedly rubbed Uta's red-and-white hair in panic before stumbling off almost robotically, fleeing the scene as fast as possible.

Leaving Uta standing there alone.

A few seconds later—

A blazing crimson flush exploded from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears before spreading across her entire face.

Her cheeks felt so hot she could practically steam.

"So… that's what kissing feels like…"

Almost trembling, she slowly touched her still-burning lips before placing her hand against her flushed cheek.

A dizzying mix of embarrassment, sweetness, and overwhelming happiness completely enveloped her.

The sounds of the banquet became distant background noise.

Only the warmth and lingering taste left behind by Luffy remained vividly clear.

The ocean breeze carrying Ryugu Palace's cool salty scent drifted through the coral corridors, helping clear some of the alcohol from Luffy's head.

Leaning against a pillar, he let out a long breath.

"Phew—! Finally sobered up a little!"

He slapped both cheeks hard.

"Next time I'm definitely not letting Zoro force me to drink that much again!"

Just then, an irresistible aroma drifted through the hallway.

Luffy's food-sensitive nose immediately twitched.

"Huh? That smell is…"

Following the scent, he peeked ahead and saw several Ryugu Palace guards carefully pushing serving carts toward a strange-looking shell tower nearby.

One by one, they quietly delivered dishes into the tower.

Their movements were extremely gentle.

After placing the food down, they bowed respectfully toward the depths of the room before tiptoeing back outside and tightly shutting the heavy doors behind them.

The entire process felt strangely solemn.

"Oh right…"

Luffy scratched his head while staring at the closed tower.

"That's where that suuuper huge mermaid princess lives…"

"The one who cries a lot and gets scared easily."

A vague image surfaced in his mind—

A gigantic tearful mermaid who somehow still looked oddly adorable.

"Well… I'm not sleepy anyway. Might as well take a look!"

Once Luffy's curiosity ignited, nothing could stop it.

Sneaking quietly toward the ornate shell-shaped doors, he carefully pushed them open just enough to peek inside.

The room beyond was completely dark and silent.

Only the faint scent of untouched food drifted from the distant dining table.

"Guess she's really asleep…"

Luffy quietly prepared to close the door again.

Click.

The tiny sound echoed sharply through the silence.

The next moment—

Soft glowing pearls embedded throughout the tower walls and ceiling lit up one after another.

"Uu… w-who's there…?"

A gentle voice drifted from deep within the chamber.

It sounded soft and sweet, carrying the drowsiness of someone freshly awakened alongside a faint trembling nervousness.

The kind of voice that could instantly capture someone's heart.

Luffy froze awkwardly before slowly turning around.

Upon the enormous coral bed sat Princess Shirahoshi, supporting her gigantic body while rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Her long pink hair spilled messily over her shoulders like drifting seaweed.

Those sapphire-blue eyes, pure as the deepest ocean itself, still carried traces of sleepy mist.

Her beauty was flawless.

And her freshly awakened appearance only made her seem even more innocent.

Her luxurious pink-and-red mermaid tail shimmered dreamily beneath the pearl light.

Yet despite her overwhelming beauty—

Luffy couldn't appreciate any of it at the moment.

"W-Who are you…?"

The instant Shirahoshi saw the unfamiliar human standing at the doorway, the sleepiness vanished from her face and was replaced by panic.

She instinctively shrank backward, her voice trembling weakly.

"A human…?"

"Are you… one of the people trying to kill me too?"

She tried forcing herself to look brave by puffing up her chest slightly, but her trembling voice and rapidly reddening eyes betrayed her instantly.

"I-I'm not scared! I'm King Neptune's daughter, after all… s-so don't try anything strange…"

Before she could finish speaking, tears had already begun filling her huge blue eyes.

"Oh no, she's gonna cry!!"

Luffy instantly panicked.

His scalp practically went numb.

"M-My name's Luffy! Monkey D. Luffy!"

He quickly raised both hands and waved them frantically, trying his hardest to look harmless.

"Don't be scared! I'm definitely not here to hurt you!"

"I just… uh… smelled food and got curious!"

"Eh…?"

The expected flood of tears never came.

Shirahoshi blinked rapidly.

The tears hanging at the edges of her eyes somehow stopped completely.

Tilting her head slightly, she stared at him while tiny traces of tears still clung to her long pink eyelashes.

The fear on her face slowly transformed into a mixture of shock, disbelief…

And even admiration.

"…Luffy-sama?"

"Are you really… that Luffy-sama?"

Her voice remained soft, but the fear had vanished entirely.

All that remained was cautious awe.

Luffy: "…???"

He stood there completely dumbfounded, a giant question mark practically floating above his head.

Since when had his name gained the miraculous power to instantly stop someone from crying?

It was even more effective than Chopper's miracle medicine.