Uta's Love

Growing Up, Stronger Desire!

Uta has grown significantly in the last three years. She is now 14 and a lot more mature. She even found a way to contact Makino, the news birds. She'd trained one to send and receive messages directly to Foosha Village by tying a map around it. Ever since, on Luffy's birthday, She would ask Makino for the picture. Today, Uta will be receiving Luffy's thirteen years old birthday picture.

"Thirteen is usually that year." Uta sighs, nervous.

She dreaded Luffy outgrowing her, wanting to be able to pick on him playfully if they met again.

"Sqwuak!" A bird crowed.

"Hm? OH!" Uta gasped.

The news bird flew over to Uta, who was sitting on a small grassy hill. It perched next to her, dropping the newspaper and a box. She handed the bird a handful of beli, and it took off.

"Today's the day! Please, don't be..."

Uta slowly opened the box, squishing her face into her head as she leaned backward, peaking at it.

"THANK GOD!"

In the colored photo, Luffy was leaning up against a support beam for the bar. Makino stood next to him, them both smiling widely. Just next to Makino's chin was an indent in the beam. Luffy stood under that, being shorter than the mark. Makino had marked it to show where Luffy was to Uta, which relieved her greatly. Luffy had no idea why he took yearly photos and didn't even know Uta was still alive, let alone having them sent to her.

"Luffy, you're scaring me here!" Uta chuckles, staring at the photo.

Teardrops fall onto the paper, bouncing off.

"Another year... I miss you so much!" Uta cries, hugging the photo. "I wish I could tell you where I am, but I don't want to worry you!"

Uta wipes her face with her sleeve. Her hair and face were a mess. She sniffles a few times, but straightens her posture.

"I have to keep on going! For you, Luffy!" She announces, standing up.

Uta shoves the photo in her right breast pocket, and she begins to walk back to the mansion. On her way, she glanced at the sea.

"Maybe, just maybe, I'll see your ship out there. You said at seventeen, right? 4 more years."

Uta opens the door to the partially burned mansion and swung the doors open. Nothing's changed since she first arrived.

"Hey, Gordon! What's for breakfast? I'm hungry!" Uta calls out, cupping her hands.

The old king popped his head out from a counter.

"What do you crave, Princess Uta?" He kindly asked.

Uta thinks for a moment. She wanted to eat healthy and work out, but she wanted it tasty.

"Hm? Uh, what's healthy, yet, yummy?" She asks, walking up the same counter.

Gordon gave her a LONG list of options. Uta settled on oatmeal with nut butter, avocado toast with an egg, chia seed pudding, and a greek yogurt parfait with nuts and berries.

"That sure is a lot. Are you sure you can finish it?" Gordon asks, already preparing her meal.

"Yep! I can't fall behind him!" She giggles.

Gordon shake his head, chuckling.

"Is he all you ever think about? Is that why you're failing the lessons in giving you?"

"EH!? NO!" She growls from her seat.

"Do you mind telling me what this boy looks like?" He asks.

"Fine. But you're only getting his older picture!"

"Where in the world did you get a picture of him!?" Gordon questions, sprinkling almonds into the plain Greek yogurt.

"The Ne-"

Uta quickly covered her mouth. She had secretly been trading with the bird for yearly pictures without Gordon knowing.

"Ah. I see. I didn't know he meant that much to you. If you don't want to talk about him, no need to." Gordon sighs, handing Uta her breakfast.

"Thanks, Gordon!"

Uta chows down swiftly, finishing before Gordon can return to the kitchen. She hands him her plate and runs upstairs ti her room.

"What in tarnation!? I need you were a growing girl, but that fast is concerning!" He shouts, washing he dish.

"I said I was hungry!" She giggled, closing her door.

Uta jumps to her desk, sitting down. She opens a drawer and pulls a large notebook out. It was titled as, "Uta's Songs." Very expressive, she knows. She flips about halfway through the book, stopping on a mostly finished work called, "New Genesis."

"Today is the day I finish this! For Luffy!" She eagerly announces to herself.

Instantly, Uta starts scribbling notes and hums to the beat she's made. Page after page, her room quickly filled with crumpled up paper. She lays on her desk, barely awake.

"This is... harder than I... anticipat-"

*Snores*

A few hours later, Gordon walks in, stepping over the sheets. He walks over and tapped Uta on the shoulder. She didn't budge, so he turned the lights off and left.

"I can't wait to see your first masterpiece, Uta! Hopefully, we can possibly share it to the world some day!" He chuckles to himself.

~Very early the next day

"IT'S DONE!" Uta shrieks.

*Thud*

Uta fell back asleep.
~________________________________________~
End of Chapter 7.