"Because you're my friend," He said simply. As Uta wrestled with her emotions, Luffy extended his hand, her a lifeline. "Let's go to Foosha Vilge, Uta. You deserve a ce to shine again. And we front Shanks together. You need answers."

  Her heart raced at the thought of fag Shanks again, the man she felt betrayed by. The man who had left her behind.

  "I… I don't know if I'm ready for that," She admitted, biting her lip.

  "You 't let him trol how you feel anymore. You o front him," Luffy said, his voice steady and reassuring. "You'll never know the truth unless you ask him. And I'll be right there with you."

  Uta took a deep breath, gng between Luffy and the shadows of the ruins. "And what if I 't five him?"

  "Then you'll have to decide what's for you," Luffy replied, his expression ear. "But you deserve to know. Don't let fear keep you here, Uta. Let's go."

  After a moment of silea looked down at the ground, her resolve wavering. But in Luffy's eyes, she saw a flicker of hope—a ce to recim her life.

  "Okay," She finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll go with you. But I o front Shanks first."

  "The's do it," Luffy said, a smile breaking across his face. "We'll face whatever es ogether."

  As they made their way back through the ruins, Luffy and Gordon walked alongside Uta, sharing the burden of her past while guidioward a brighter future. The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the remnants of Elegia, a stark trast to the darkhat had onveloped it.

  Ohey reached the shordon paused, looking at Luffy with a newfound respect. "You have a gift, Luffy. Y hope where there seems to be none."

  Luffy smiled, gng at Uta, who was gazing at the horizon. "I just remind people of who they be. Uta deserves a ce to shine again."

  As Luffy hugged her waist and took off, Uta took a deep breath, feeling a flicker of hope ighin her. She was leaving Elegia behind, but she was also stepping into a future filled with possibilities.

  "Thank you, Luffy," She whispered, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with gratitude.

  "Just remember," Luffy said, casting a gnce back at the fading silhouette of Elegia, "You have the power to create your owiny. We're all in this together."

  And with that, they set sail for Foosha Vilge, ready to face whatever awaited them.

  ----

  The sun had just begun its dest over Foosha Vilge, casting warm golden light over the quiet streets, as Luffy walked toward the main square, Uta by his side. It took him four days to arrive back with Uta as he had to slow down a bit for her sake.

  The vilge bustled with excitement, unaware of the storm brewiween father and daughter.

  To Luffy, Uta was more than just a friend; she was family. Her loneliness, her resilience, and the betrayal she felt—all weighed on him. It was why, after resg her from the ruins of Elegia, he had brought her here, knowing that the past could no longer be ignored.

  They both khat Shanks would e.

  As expected, it wasn't long before the Red-Haired Pirates docked at Foosha.

  Shanks led his crew down the ship's gangpnk, his usual carefree grin lighting up his face, fident he'd surprise Luffy and perhaps catch a glimpse of the simple vilge life.

  But his eyes nded on the familiar figure of his daughter standing beside Luffy, and the smile froze.

  "U-Uta?" Shanks stammered, his eyes widening in surprise and fusion. His crew members fell silent, sensing the tension radiating from their captain.

  Be, Yasopp, and the others watched with guarded expressions, knowing that Shanks's st memory of Uta was as a young girl on Elegia that he left behind a few days ago, a memory he had chosen to leave behind for reasons only he uood.

  There was a moment of utter silence.

  Uta's expression was unreadable as she met her father's gaze.

  Shanks's shock quickly gave way to a swirl of emotiret, unease, and an old, lingering pain.

  "Uta, what… what are you doing here?" Shanks asked, his voice soft but trembling with a tension that alpable even to the vilgers gathering around.

  Luffy felt Uta tense beside him, her hands curling into fists, aepped closer, a silent show of support.

  Uta's voice was cold, her eyes filled with an accusation that cut through Shanks like a bde.

  "What am I doing here? What kind of question is that Shanks?" She retorted. "You're the one who left me. You left me, your own daughter, on Elegia. Do you even realize how much you hurt me?"

  Shanks's face crumpled, aook a step toward her. "I know… I know, Uta. I…"

  He struggled to find the words, his fident demeanone, repced by a man grappling with guilt a. "I thought it was the best way to keep you safe."

  Uta's ugh was hollow. "Safe? You left me alone, on an isnd, with a stranger, surrounded by ruins. I thought I'd done something wrong, that I wasn't good enough to be by your side."

  Shanks's heart broke at her words. Each sente him like a physical blow, and he realized that in his effort to protect her, he had unknowingly scarred her.

  Uo remain silent, Luffy stepped forward, pg himself protectively between Shanks and Uta. His voice was sharp, his normally cheerful face hardened iermination.

  "Shanks, do you know what you put her through? You left her alohinking she wasn't good enough. Do you even uand what it's like to carry that kind of pain?"

  Shanks flinched, his gaze shifting from Luffy to Uta, then back to the ground. He looked as though he'd been punched i, and his shoulders slumped, a rare moment of vulnerability from the usually unshakeable pirate.

  "Luffy…" Shanks began, but Luffy's gre silenced him.

  "You were reckless, Shanks," Luffy tinued, his tone filled with frustration. "You alreach about proteg those you care about, but when it came to Uta, you left her to fend for herself. You might've thought you were doing the right thing, but all you did was leave her with wounds that haven't healed."

  The vilgers murmured around them, taken aback by Luffy's open frontation. Shanks was a great pirate, a wanted man worth billions, but Luffy didn't care.

  He spoke as a friend, as someone who had seen Uta's pain and wasn't afraid to challenge even the great Red-Haired Shanks.

  Shanks felt his resolve crumble uhe weight of Luffy's words and the raw hurt in Uta's gaze. He finally uood that his iions, no matter how well-meaning, had caused a pain he had nht to inflict. He'd thought he aring her from the dangers of his world, but instead, he had abandoned her when she needed him most.

  His voice was soft, almost broken, as he finally spoke. "Uta, I… I thought I roteg you by leaving you behind. I thought you would be happier without the danger of my life. But… I never wanted you to feel unwanted. I never wanted you to feel like I didn't love you."

  --- ? ? ? ---

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