One Piece:I am King Luffy!

"Luffy, until you've fully mastered your Conqueror's Haki, try not to use it recklessly," Shanks advised, glancing at the unconscious girl in Luffy's arms. "Using it carelessly can affect innocent people."

At the awakening stage, most users could barely control Conqueror's Haki—it was like a gun with a set level of power. For a user to gain true mastery, they'd need to learn how to fine-tune its effects, to go from a cannon to a handgun, from affecting groups to targeting individuals, and eventually, even adjusting the intensity.

Earlier, Shanks had only directed a small amount of Conqueror's Haki at Luffy, just enough to provoke him without overwhelming him. That was why Luffy had recovered so quickly.

"I understand."

Luffy nodded, handing Uta back to Shanks, who looked at her with mild amusement. "Might as well let her enjoy a good nap."

…

"Grandpa, I'm back!"

Luffy opened the door to his house, only to find that Garp wasn't there. He wasn't surprised—Garp came and went as he pleased, often leaving the island without telling Luffy.

It might've been because Luffy was so mature for his age.

As a reincarnated adult, he understood that adults tended to appreciate well-behaved children. So, he rarely caused trouble for others.

This maturity made things easier for the adults around him, although now and then, he took advantage of his young age to get away with a bit of harmless mischief.

Turning on the shower, Luffy got ready to wash up and sleep. This had been his first time taking a life, but whether it was due to his mental preparation or the warrior spirit stirred by his newfound powers, he felt no discomfort—just a slight satisfaction at getting rid of evil.

It was no different from swatting a fly.

"Now that I've unlocked my first superpower, I'll get the other two forms of Haki from Grandpa. And the Amazon Lily, where the Pirate Empress lives, should have some strong traditions in Haki training since it's a nation where everyone has Haki…"

"With Grandpa by my side, I'll be unstoppable!"

To the original Luffy, family ties and background weren't important—he cared more about a good meal than his lineage. But as a reincarnated person, leveraging his connections came as naturally as breathing.

…

The next morning, Luffy woke up on time, asked Makino for breakfast, trained, sparred with his animal friends, washed up, and then asked for lunch.

Uta didn't wake up until noon. "Luffy… good morning. I feel like I had such a great sleep…"

She yawned and sat down next to Luffy. "You eat this much in the morning?"

"It's already noon, Uta," Luffy reminded her.

"Huh? No way, I always wake up early!"

As her sleepiness faded, Uta looked outside at the sun. "Strange… I can't remember when I fell asleep last night."

Still groggy, Uta hadn't even noticed that she'd come out in her loose pajamas.

Luffy finished his milk and got ready for his afternoon training.

"Luffy, let's play tic-tac-toe!"

Unlike Luffy's rigorous exercises, Uta wasn't interested in push-ups or sit-ups. She watched him from a shady spot, still hooked on tic-tac-toe.

"No, because you keep losing. It's boring."

Luffy crossed his arms and suspended himself in the air, enjoying the feeling of his newfound strength. His body was so light, and he could do challenging moves effortlessly—something only a child could experience. In his second chance at life, he cherished this agile, young body.

"You're talking nonsense! We had lots of ties, remember? Besides, I even beat Shanks yesterday—I'm improving!"

Uta glared at him, cheeks puffed in frustration as he hopped around.

"If you lose again, Uta, you'll have to do me a favor!" Luffy said, peeling off his sweaty shirt.

"What favor?"

"Haven't thought of it yet."

"Alright, let's play!"

Confident, Uta thought she could at least manage a tie. How hard could it be?

Luffy agreed to humor her. Building a good rapport with Uta could be beneficial, especially since he planned to sneak onto Shanks' pirate ship.

After all, the original Luffy had stowed away on Shanks' ship before, only to be discovered by Uta. If he could get along with her now, maybe she'd let him stay on board.

…

The air was soon filled with Uta's complaints as the two of them drew tic-tac-toe grids all over the ground. Uta still lost more than she tied.

The game seemed simple, but she kept losing at the last second, driving her to frustration.

To Luffy, it was a predictable game where going first practically guaranteed victory. Uta's losses and draws were all calculated.

But nine-year-old Uta didn't understand that. The game's simplicity blinded her to the traps within it.

It was time for a new game to stimulate their friendship. "Let's play Go-Moku, Uta!"

Luffy suggested. Tic-tac-toe was a bit too childish; while fun once in a while, Uta's obsession with it was wearing thin. Go-Moku, where the goal was to line up five in a row, seemed like the perfect upgrade.

To Uta, the only difference was needing five in a row instead of three, so she dove in with enthusiasm—only to lose repeatedly.

"Bullying little friends sure feels nice," Luffy thought, genuinely amused.

"I'm done playing! You're definitely cheating, Luffy!"

Uta's eyes were red with frustration as she ran off to find Shanks for comfort.

…

Soon, the time for farewells approached.

Uta dressed carefully, picking out her princess outfit, adorning herself with the elegant accessories Shanks had given her, looking every bit the little princess.

The pirates gathered noisily at Makino's bar.

Luffy, determined to join the Red-Haired Pirates, made his move.

"Shanks,

take me with you! I want to see the world outside!"

He stood before Shanks, his eyes filled with excitement.