Two days had passed since the battle with Totmusica, and it was night. I was once again on the deck of the Red Force ship in the New World. The reason was as I declared, to welcome Uta and Gordon back... but I ended up getting involved in a festive send-off party for the two.
Do these guys even realize that I'm technically affiliated with the World Government? While feeling exasperated, I decided to participate because I was in an exceptionally good mood.
Well, I don't have a penchant for wild parties, so I'm just sipping on whiskey slowly...
"...By the way, are you really okay with that decision?"
"Yeah. Shanks, Gordon, and even Spandam-san, they all told me it wasn't my fault. But leaving Elegia as it is and returning to Shanks' ship is something I can't be satisfied with on my own. So, the musician of the Red Hair Pirates is going on hiatus! With my song, I will revive Elegia as the Land of Music once again!!"
After three days of thorough discussion, it seems that Uta has decided to return to Elegia. She must have developed an attachment to the place where she spent eight years, and there might be some guilt as well. However, more than that, I felt a strong determination to set a goal and move forward, not showing the face of the soul that seemed to have fallen out in the beginning.
"I see, well, I'm on this ship already. I'll help you to some extent."
"Really!? Thank you, that's very reassuring!"
I'm truly grateful to Uta, Shanks, and Gordon. Thanks to them, I gained the power of Totmusica and removed my shackles. I owe them a great deal.
For the time being, Uta's goal is the reconstruction of Elegia, so it should be easy to cooperate. Regarding the Five Elders who are related to the Figerland Family, which Shanks considers, they showed some hesitation in dealing with Uta, the daughter of that family, during the film version. So, there should be no problem in that direction as well.
As for Uta's Uta Uta no Mi, we had a discussion with Shanks and Gordon as well, and they reached a consensus that she will not use it against ordinary people until she can release it willingly, instead of forcibly removing it during sleep.
For now, I'll pull Lillith to Elegia soon. If she's going to debut as a singer, she'll need it.
"...Ah, and Gordon."
"Yeah?"
"I took care of Totmusica's sheet music. You probably wouldn't have been able to do it."
"Is that so... Ah, as someone who loves music, I just couldn't bring myself to dispose of the sheet music. Thank you, I appreciate it."
I'm not lying. I did take care of it... I didn't say I disposed of it. Well, since Totomusica is already within my soul, even if Uta were to sing "TotMusica" with that sheet music, Totmusica wouldn't manifest. Well, I have something prepared for that matter, so I'll talk about it later.
Totmusica is kind of like my trump card, so I plan to keep the fact that I'm fused with it as hidden as possible. I'll use it when necessary, but explaining it would be a hassle in the first place.
As I thought about such things and had some light chat... Shanks approached us.
"...Can we talk for a moment?"
"Yeah, sure."
I had expected that he would come at some point, so I immediately agreed and moved away from the bustling deck to the back of the ship.
Shanks remained silent for a while before bowing his head towards me.
"First, let me express my gratitude. Thanks to you, I was able to reconcile with my daughter."
"Is it okay for a great pirate to bow to a World Government official?"
"I don't mind. I'm bowing not as a pirate but as a father..."
"I see."
After a while, Shanks raised his head and looked at me with a serious expression.
"I'm grateful to you. I consider it a great debt. But, I have something to ask... Do you have any intentions of using Uta, my daughter, for something in the future?"
"No, I don't."
If he meant using her in the sense of manipulation, that's already done, and if he meant whether I have any plans to do something to her in the future, the answer is no. In fact, I feel grateful to Uta, and there might even be times when I'll help her.
Shanks continued to stare at me with sharp eyes, as if trying to probe his intentions...
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
"No, I believe you. But remember, if you betray her... I won't show mercy."
"You think you can defeat me?"
"It's unlikely. You're too strong... I might not even be able to scratch you, even if I go all out. But even so, if you hurt Uta, I'll turn my blade against you."
"I see."
"Well, it's just an 'if.' I can't say for sure. You certainly have an immeasurable depth, but I don't think you're inherently evil... I hope that future never comes."
I was genuinely impressed with his determination. Shanks doesn't look down on me; he fully understands my strength and yet declared that he wouldn't forgive me if I ever unjustly used Uta.
I think my own gratitude towards Shanks is also influencing my impression.
"...Well, if you care about Uta, you should show your face occasionally. After all, she was left behind for eight years."
"Ugh, it hurts when you say that..."
As the serious conversation ended, Shanks scratched his head with a wry smile. Seeing that, I also smiled faintly and returned to the bustling deck.
As I returned to the deck and leaned against the mast again, Uta approached me looking a little puzzled.
"...Spandam-san, what were you talking about with Shanks?"
"Oh, well, I told him that he seemed to have a bad habit of being overly laissez-faire. I advised him to contact his daughter more regularly from now on."
"Hehe, I see... But, yeah, I'm happy about that."
"Well, I didn't talk about anything that would worry you. Personally, I have no intention of interfering with the Red Hair Pirates... Anyway, look, it seems the stage is calling for the songstress."
Hearing my words, Uta seemed relieved and then happily headed towards the makeshift stage where the Red Hair Pirates' crew members had called her.
As I watched her absentmindedly, I turned to Gordon, who was nearby, and spoke.
"By the way, Gordon... You should teach her not only about music but also general common sense. She seems to be too naive about the outside world. If she lacks even the basic knowledge, she might be influenced by biased ideas. At least, make sure she reads newspapers or something."
"Y-Yeah, you're right. I've mostly been teaching her about music. But, in Elegia, we don't get many newspapers, so she has few opportunities to get information from the outside."
"I'll take care of that. Before she debuts as a singer, she should have a certain level of common knowledge about the world."
Thinking back to FILM RED, it seemed like Uta hardly knew anything about the outside world. She misunderstood fan complaints and dissatisfaction as the shape of the outside world and tried to create a new era with extreme thoughts. So, I should correct that. As a way of repaying her kindness, I'll take care of that aspect too.
With that in mind, I took out a few freshly printed sheet music from my pocket and approached Uta after she finished singing one song.
"Uta, take this."
"Spandam-san, what is this?"
"It's the sheet music for 'TotMusica.'"
"What?!?"
Upon hearing my words, Gordon and the members of the Red Hair Pirates exclaimed in astonishment.
"Oh, don't misunderstand. This is a copy of the sheet music that I transcribed, and there is no grudge of TotMusica dwelling in it. Even if you were to use your Uta Uta no Mi powers to sing this, TotMusica wouldn't manifest. There is no sin in the song, right?"
"Spandam-san... Yes! You're right. There's no sin in the song, right? This song, surely... It must have been lonely, never being sung by anyone."
"That might be the case... Anyway, I'll give it to you. Do as you please."
"Yeah!"
After receiving the sheet music from me, Uta looked at it with a serious expression for a while and then glanced at Shanks and Gordon. Seeing the two nodding, she slowly began to sing "TotMusica." Without using the power of the Uta Uta no Mi, she weaved the song, and of course, TotMusica didn't manifest.
With a smile on my face, I leaned against the mast again and listened to Uta's song.
It's a beautiful song... TotMusica.
Perhaps because she finally got to sing it, it felt as if the TotMusica within my soul was rejoicing.
***
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