NOVEL NEXT Chapter 154: you can hate me if you want, but I won't stop
With the death of Mister 9, they found themselves with one less issue to deal with. Luffy was excited to go back to the palace. He had some concerns about leaving Captain Hina to deal with Vivi and her family issues.
But he also remembered something that was equally important.
"So, what's the plan for the other two prisoners?"
Uta was quite curious about what Luffy was up to, which was quite out of the ordinary for her. Her silence all this time suggests a lack of concern, indicating that she simply goes along with whatever happens.
While she may not always agree with the choices Luffy makes, she understands that she is a member of his crew. And what happened recently got her thinking.
"Got any ideas?"
Uta was taken aback when she heard him say something she never thought he would, as she glanced at Luffy with a puzzled expression. However, she managed to regain control of herself in no time.
"I'd prefer not to kill them... what you did yesterday could mess someone up."
"Who?... Are you that person?... because I believe Nojiko is doing well. You can see it for yourself - she has become noticeably more cheerful than before."
Perhaps this is a great chance for her to influence Luffy's perspective, as she quickly shared her own thoughts on the matter.
"I understand your concern about the potential trouble your enemies may cause if you release them, but not every problem needs to be resolved by killing them."
Luffy glanced over, and their eyes locked briefly before Uta quickly looked away.
"So, what do you suggest I do with them?"
"Umm, if I were still hanging out with Shanks, I might not have known the answer. But now I get it - we're Marines, right? Putting them in prison would be the appropriate course of action."
"What if they finally get released? Do you believe they'll become better people just by being locked up for a couple of years?"
The ones Luffy is referring to are pirates. Uta understood his message, which is why she remained quiet. Her gaze returned to the front.
Since their ship was the only one of its kind docked at the port, it naturally drew a great deal of interest. Every now and then, the porters would sneak glances at them as they walked back and forth, moving boxes.
It's pretty easy to figure out what's going on in their heads, especially since Luffy and Uta are both pretty young. Their presence on a marine ship sparks a lot of curiosity. Unfortunately, their work demands not only physical strength but also a great deal of concentration, so they prefer to keep it to themselves.
"Yeah, like you said, that could totally happen... I've also had some encounters with Shanks, including a few run-ins with his arch enemy…"
Uta is feeling uncertain now as she struggles to find a way to persuade Luffy to refrain from taking more lives.
"If… If Shanks isn't strong enough, there's a chance he could lose to enemies he has defeated before. And if that happens, your life will be completely in that person's hands."
"B-But still..."
Without needing to say anything more, Luffy was confident that Uta had grasped his meaning. He reached out and gently stroked her head, causing her tense body to immediately relax.
"Don't think too much, just think of it as me doing this because of my own selfishness… you can hate me if you want, but I won't stop."
Luffy then went on, saying, "I'm not as strong as Shanks yet, so I'm pretty scared... especially since you've put your trust in me... I can't even fathom a future where I end up losing you simply because I made the foolish mistake of forgiving my enemies."
Uta found herself biting her lips. The pressure she applied was so intense that her lips began to turn pale, although she was unaware of it. She finally let go when the warmth in her head faded away.
Uta realizes that her feelings for Luffy are quite different from what she expected. They started off as childhood buddies who enjoyed getting on each other's nerves, but over time, their friendship grew stronger as they faced countless challenges and pushed through grueling training sessions at the Marine base.
She even shared her dream of becoming a diva with him. Even to this day, she can't shake off the memory of her dream. For a little while, she held onto it tightly as she joined Luffy on his wild and selfish adventures.
Although she gets really annoyed with him at times, she just can't bring herself to hate him. That weird sensation in her heart grew even more intense.
'Ugh... it's all because of him, always pushing me to do that perverted things. I know I should feel repulsed, but somehow I keep getting drawn into that twisted pleasure.'
Uta's face, filled with annoyance and embarrassment, went unnoticed by everyone. As Luffy strolled away, leaving her by herself, she couldn't help but call out to him when she noticed him went inside.
"I'm not sure I can get on board with your approach! You can't just do whatever you want. I won't allow it!"
She was practically yelling at him. Luffy grinned and, as if recalling a memory, he chimed in:
"I know you don't have any ideas about our two prisoners, so no need to worry. I already have plans in place for them."
"D-Don't kill them, ok!"
Unfortunately, Luffy wasted no time in expressing his thoughts and promptly left. It's highly likely that he didn't catch what Uta said or simply chose to ignore her. Uta seemed to lean towards the latter assumption.
"He is messing with me... I mean, if he already knows what he wants to do, why didn't he just say it right from the beginning?"
Uta couldn't help but admit that their recent conversation had brought much-needed clarity to her thoughts. It also gives her a deeper understanding of Luffy's true emotions.
However, she has another question...
"Did he try to reassure me?... clearly, he's aware of my deep resentment towards him, especially about the Nojiko incident."
"Nah, that jerk probably just said those nice things to mess with me. There's no way he's actually that considerate."
Uta kept denying it repeatedly, but with no one around to lend an ear, there was nobody to provide any validation.
She suddenly recalled what Luffy had said earlier, which almost made her heart explode because of how fast they were beating. As soon as her face flushed crimson, she quickly hurried left, worried that the port workers might catch a glimpse of her. However, little did she know that even if they did happen to glance her way, their view would be too obscured to make out any details.