Kapitel 140: Chapter 140: The Massage
The girls looked down at their outfits. Uta was dressed in a cropped top, exposing a hint of black innerwear from under her arm, paired with denim shorts that hugged her hips. Nami and Nojiko wore matching T-shirts and shorts, looking like they were in coordinated sister outfits.
Their clothes were all typical for young girls.
The girls gave Luffy a puzzled look.
Luffy explained, "This is a pretty primitive island, and there might be cannibal tribes. What if you get bitten by insects or get sick?"
Nami, often having a weaker constitution, had been troubled by a persistent debuff, possibly from malnutrition in her childhood. In the original story, she even became seriously ill, nearly dying from it.
Uta laughed, "Luffy, you've always hated bugs."
"It's better to cover up," Luffy suggested.
"No way! It's way too hot!" Uta bounced off the boat, swinging her side bag, her two-tone ponytails swaying as she moved.
"If we get sick, Luffy will take care of us, right?"
With Uta leading the way, the other girls giggled and followed suit, leaping off the boat, utterly unconcerned about any potential dangers on the island.
"They're being too reckless; it's bound to cause trouble," Bellemere said with a smile, holding some essential oils and incense, looking at Luffy.
"True."
Luffy stretched, cracking his fists.
"Bellemere, could you add a string to this hat for me?" Luffy handed over his straw hat to Bellemere and checked his gear.
"Not a problem." Bellemere took the hat. "But really, how are you planning to protect the girls from bugs if they're just running off like that?"
"I'll find a way. After all, they depend on me, and I actually enjoy it," Luffy said with a grin.
Bellemere noticed a flicker of red in Luffy's eyes, like a faint, burning ember.
She blinked; it wasn't an illusion. Luffy's eyes had a strange red glow.
She met his gaze for a few seconds, then instinctively looked away.
"Your eyes?"
"Is there something wrong with them?" Luffy asked, sensing the telltale signs of his Conqueror's Haki stirring, ready to unleash its power.
"There's a faint red glow," Bellemere noted, taking a small mirror from her pouch and handing it to Luffy.
Luffy looked down and saw that his eyes had a slight red glow. If one didn't look closely, it could be mistaken for a trick of the light.
This must be a side effect of Conqueror's Haki… Luffy thought as he looked into the mirror.
It wasn't supposed to be automatic. Luffy assumed this kind of visual effect was reserved for a higher level of Conqueror's Haki, but apparently, he was already exhibiting it.
He restrained himself from testing his Haki on the spot to admire his eye effect.
It looked incredible—a dream effect, like having red eyes as a character trait. A perfect aesthetic.
Luffy handed the mirror back to Bellemere. "It's probably from using Conqueror's Haki. I'll just use it to keep bugs away and protect the girls."
"Does Conqueror's Haki have this kind of effect?" Bellemere mused, as they walked off the boat together.
"I only just found out," Luffy replied.
Since you can't see yourself in battle, Luffy hadn't noticed his eyes changing. Conqueror's Haki is a momentary burst, and he usually shuts it off right after, as it consumes energy over time.
Walking onto the grassy terrain, a faint breeze rustled the wild grasses around them, causing insects to scatter in the presence of a King's aura.
"I was going to have them use insect repellent, but now it seems unnecessary. That's quite a handy ability," Bellemere noted.
"Feel free to keep complimenting me," Luffy joked.
"Sunscreen's still a must, though." Bellemere pulled out some more small bottles.
The girls walked ahead, finding a suitable campsite and began setting up tents, bringing down supplies like paper and frames from the ship.
Nami immediately started sketching maps and charts of the island's layout, while Luffy, bored, did some sketching of his own.
Uta sidled up to him, showing some notes she'd recorded with her Transponder Snail, then took out a sheet of music and began composing.
On it were a few lines of scattered lyrics:
Why did the scent of the sea we played in that day…
Why did that smile that seemed unchanging…
Disappear behind the rolling waves?
It was a fragmentary piece, likely just capturing a fleeting inspiration, but the melody had a melancholic tone.
Luffy hummed a couple of notes, finding the tune vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place it.
"This was something I came up with while we were swimming the other day, but I can't get into the right mood to finish it."
Uta glanced at the draft.
"It does feel a bit somber…"
"Does it? I'm trying to balance it with an uplifting tone, to bring out a sense of happiness in the end."
Uta said confidently.
Luffy recalled a song with a powerful beat, one that pumped him up just by remembering it.
No matter who you are, there are times you want to run away,
But if you find the strength to push through, you can clear all obstacles.
Luffy scribbled down part of Brave Heart, the Digimon theme, onto the paper.
"Listen up, girls; remember to apply sunscreen!" Bellemere handed out bottles to the girls, who started helping each other apply it, giggling as they did.
Their laughter filled the island.
At night, they gathered around a campfire, with smoke rising into the dark sky.
The tents were pitched nearby, and Bellemere began recounting stories of her island adventures, sharing survival tips with the kids.
The first day on the island passed peacefully.
The next day, after breakfast, Nami pulled Luffy and Uta aside. "I noticed Bellemere keeps rubbing her shoulders like she's really tired. We should do something for her!"
"Yes! Even with Nojiko helping, Bellemere seems overworked with preparing meals and taking care of everything," Uta added. "It's all because Luffy eats so much!" She patted Luffy's hard stomach playfully.
"Hey, I help too," Luffy protested, grabbing her hand.
"By the way, Luffy, didn't you study massage with Honma? Now's the perfect chance to use it."
"Wait, really? You know massage, Luffy?" Nami asked, intrigued.
"Yep, I do. But I haven't actually tried it on anyone yet," Luffy said.
"Bellemere, Luffy's going to give you a massage!" Uta called out, already dragging Luffy towards Bellemere.
"Luffy knows how to massage?" Bellemere asked, rubbing her shoulder.
"I'll give it a try…though I haven't really practiced this skill much," Luffy admitted.
The girls had Bellemere lie down on a recliner.
"I'll sing for you while you relax, Bellemere," Uta offered, holding up a sheet of music Luffy had written the night before.
Bellemere settled into the chair, and Luffy knelt over her back, straddling her hips.
"First, let's assess the muscle tension…"
Luffy recalled Honma's teachings. His strength was considerable, so he carefully used Armament Haki to balance his force, which absorbed excess energy, ensuring he wouldn't apply too much pressure.
Uta hummed softly as she watched Luffy's technique.
Luffy began by pressing along Bellemere's arm, slowly working up to her shoulder. When he applied a bit more pressure, Bellemere let out a soft groan.
After some adjustments, Luffy found the right balance and started the actual massage.
Bellemere's muscles were taut from years of tension, typical for an adult, but they softened under Luffy's skilled hands.
Bellemere was soon covered in sweat, clenching the edges of the chair, holding back sounds of relief mixed with pain.
With one final press, Luffy got up, wiping his hands as Bellemere lay on the recliner, looking like softened clay.
"That was… intense. I didn't expect you to actually be good at this, Luffy…" Bellemere's face had a faint blush from the relaxation.
"I only trained for a few months. You're the first person I've actually practiced on," Luffy said, wiping his brow.
"He really is amazing," Uta remarked, taking a sip of milk, eyeing Luffy's hands.
"Can I try?" Nami piped up, her hand raised excitedly.
"Was it comfortable, Bellemere?" she asked.
"It was… exhausting, actually. It felt like he crushed me. Luffy's grip is impossible to resist," Bellemere replied, a strange satisfaction in her voice.
"But I do feel lighter now—it's impressive."
Luffy washed his hands, then placed them on Nami's shoulders, giving them a quick squeeze.
The girl instinctively tensed up, pulling her head and shoulders together.
"That feels so weird! No more!" Nami squealed.
Ignoring her protests, Luffy went through a gentle shoulder massage, leaving Nami sprawled on a nearby chair, dizzy.
"I want a turn too!" Uta said, obediently lying down on her own chair.
Standing beside her, Luffy had now fully transformed into an emotionless massage machine. He looked at Uta's bare back, pressing down gently, adjusting his technique to her delicate frame, and recalculating his force. As he applied just the right amount of pressure, Uta finally understood why Bellemere couldn't hold back those reactions earlier. She let out an "Ah!" as her feet curled, and for a moment, the surrounding scenery seemed to blur and shift, although it remained mostly unchanged.
For Luffy, Nami, and others used to venturing into dreamscapes, it was clear they were no longer in the real world—Uta had unintentionally activated her powers.
"Uta?" Luffy asked in confusion, looking at her.
"My ability… it's out of control!!"
Dream-Uta, with her enchanting violet eyes wide open, shouted in alarm.
"...Really?" Luffy couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical. Song-Song Fruit wasn't like a poison-based fruit that could backfire on its user. But, then again, the peculiarities of Devil Fruits could be unpredictable. He decided to just roll with it.
"Oh, got it!" he said, as if suddenly enlightened.
Back in reality, Uta was breathing heavily. That was a strange sensation; after being massaged, her entire body felt tense. She couldn't let him keep going.
Checking her reflection, Uta caught a glimpse of herself, her appearance carrying a hazy, fragile beauty. She wiped away the moisture from the corner of her mouth, then took a long sip of iced orange juice, gulping it down until she felt more like herself again. Her breathing gradually returned to normal, although the blush on her cheeks hadn't quite faded.
Given her reaction to the massage, perhaps her response wasn't all that surprising.
After regaining her composure, Uta finally released the dreamscape, carefully adjusting the time within the dream and reality so that no one noticed any lapse.
Bellemere, meanwhile, had drifted into a deep sleep, completely relaxed by Luffy's massage. The gentle sensation had brought on a natural drowsiness, and Uta's dream had gently nudged her into a full slumber.
As the girls continued their playful banter, Luffy suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching—numerous, unsteady, and close. Only because they were so near did he even pick up on them. The sheer number of footsteps revealed that a large group of islanders was closing in.
Luffy unsheathed his kingly sword and called out, "Come out! I know you're there!"
"Well, well, fresh meat, a young lad and some fine women."
Roughly dressed figures emerged from the forest, forming a half-circle around them. They approached slowly, about seventy of them, with those at the front armed with spears and blades while the ones behind readied bows, already drawn.
"Heh, heh, heh..."
The leader aimed his bow at Luffy, clearly underestimating him.
"Who gave you permission to enter? This is Bear Paw Island, the territory of the Bear Hand Tribe!"
"They're cannibals!" Nami gasped.
"They even have clothes… and can talk!" Uta added.
"Wait! We're Marines, not enemies!" Nojiko pointed to the
seagull emblem on their ship's flag, addressing the tribe members.
As they spoke, the girls edged closer to Luffy, while Uta held her microphone firmly in hand.
"We came here to be friends with you…" Uta said calmly.
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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