Music Kingdom, Elegia.
The Endless Dream docked on the desolate shore.
As Zyhark and his crew disembarked, the Endless Dream activated its self-protection mechanism and slowly submerged into the sea.
Apart from hiding its whereabouts to avoid unnecessary trouble, the reputation of the sea restaurant in the New World was too great. There was no guarantee that some stubborn pirate wouldn't eye their ship.
Zyhark didn't want to spend his rare relaxation time constantly keeping his Observation Haki on alert.
That would be far too exhausting.
"Hey, Zyhark, are you sure this island is supposed to be a musical sanctuary? It looks like a deserted island to me!"
Aqua was leading the group with a spring in her step, scanning the surroundings. All around were broken ruins, even more shattered than the havoc they caused on Cake Island.
Having looted quite a fortune from Big Mom's pirate crew, she was eager to spend, and her face showed clear disappointment.
"To be more precise, it was once the Kingdom of Music. A year ago, it suffered a devastating blow," Zyhark said as he surveyed the island, now reduced to ruins. Over the year, vibrant plant life had begun to grow, covering it with a thin layer of green.
In the distance, tall trees, several meters high, formed a forest.
In the world of pirates, both animals and plants exhibited growth speeds far beyond common logic, and their appearances were nothing short of bizarre.
"What a pity, I was hoping to perform my Meowth Song here, nya."
Meowth sighed in disappointment.
As the cute and charming villain, his skills were not lacking.
Thanks to his passionate dedication to pursuing love, of course—though in the end, he still got cheated on.
"On an island like this, do humans still live here?"
Escanor, carrying his golden battle axe on his shoulder, peered through the layers of trees. In the distance, he could faintly make out a castle ruin overgrown with vines and moss.
"There should be. I think I hear some beautiful singing."
King furrowed his brows, looking around in confusion.
He was certain that the slightly immature voice wasn't his imagination, but he still couldn't pinpoint its source.
Hmm?
Zyhark gave King a surprised look but said nothing more.
With his powerful Observation Haki, Zyhark easily located a young girl sitting on a cliff, practicing her singing.
But that spot was deep within the forest, hundreds of meters away. How did King hear that?
A talent anyone would envy!
Realizing this possibility, Zyhark couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
"Report, Captain Zyhark! There's a girl on the cliff up ahead!"
At this moment, perched on Zyhark's shoulder, Kanna pointed her delicate hand toward the direction of the singing, her expression serious.
The group followed her gaze and, after a few searches, finally spotted the small, slender figure.
"Message received, over." Zyhark replied cooperatively to Kanna.
"Hehe." Kanna gleefully spread her arms, hugging his head.
With that, the group moved through the overgrown forest toward their destination.
After casually taking down a few beasts that foolishly tried to attack, they arrived at the base of the cliff where the young girl, Uta, was.
The cliff was only about ten meters high. Looking up from below, they could clearly see her thin legs dangling and swaying in the air.
At this moment, Uta was deeply immersed in her music, entirely unaware of Zyhark and his crew's presence.
"That bright red hair, could it be Shanks?"
From Aqua's angle, she could see the red hair on the side of Uta's head.
And so, the hopelessly clueless goddess blurted out an astounding remark.
Zyhark: "... Are you sure?"
As expected of someone who could get along so well with Luffy...
"She doesn't quite have his build," Aqua muttered, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought.
After a few seconds, she seemed to arrive at a conclusion, mumbling, "Could it be that Shanks ate a Devil Fruit that turns him into a child?"
"You're unbelievable."
"Hmph, as if! Do you even know who I am? No wonder you insisted on coming to this broken island. You must've known Shanks would be here!" Aqua, having taken Zyhark's response as confirmation, began waving her arms to greet the girl on the cliff.
"Hey! Shanks!"
Shanks?!
Hearing the name of the man she had longed for and resented for so long, Uta snapped out of her musical inspiration with a start.
In the beginning, after being "abandoned," she had stood by the shore every day, hoping to see the Red-Haired Pirates appear and take her away.
But as time passed, that hope gradually wore away, transforming into deep resentment.
Why! Why did you leave me here without a word?
Weren't we family? Just because I was weak and would become a burden, did you choose to abandon me in such a cruel way?
Why! You didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye!!
As these memories flashed through her mind, Uta glanced at the figures below and leaped off the cliff.
She landed gracefully and stared at Zyhark and the others with hostile eyes.
"You from the outside world, what's your relationship with that bastard?!"
Unlike the glamorous outfit she wears in the film, this nine-year-old Uta was dressed in a simple yellow dress, with a black bow tied over her slightly developing chest.
The long dress covered her down to her thighs, revealing only her slim, pale legs.
"Huh? That's not Shanks?"
Seeing the small Uta, with her left eye half-covered by white bangs, the slow-witted Aqua finally caught on.
"Answer me! How do you know that bastard's name?!"
Uta stood with her hands on her hips, looking like an aggressive delinquent.
Despite being outnumbered and outsized, she didn't back down—after all, she had grown up with the Red-Haired Pirates and had seen plenty of pirate battles.
"Huh? Where did this brat come from? Why should I, the great goddess, answer your questions?" Aqua, always holding herself in high regard, shot back even more forcefully at Uta's question.
The foolish goddess didn't care who you were; if she was displeased, she would lash out right then and there.
Uta's face darkened, and she pulled a dagger from her side, charging forward.
If you won't answer my questions, then I'll get my answers the pirate way!
Startled by the sudden attack, Aqua's first reaction was not to retaliate but to hide behind Zyhark.
Even though she was a figure who had struck fear into countless pirates.
Snap.
Before Uta could get close, her dagger was sliced in half, leaving only a rough hilt.
Uta looked up to see her view entirely blocked by Escanor's massive figure, radiating with heat.
"To be honest, little girl, I prefer it when you're quietly singing," Escanor said expressionlessly, looking down at the stunned girl.
Having found a strong sense of belonging with Zyhark and the others, Escanor wasn't about to let anyone cause trouble for them.
Even if that person was just a child.
"Damn it! You must be sent here by that bastard Red-Haired Shanks!" Uta's frustration boiled over as she shouted.
The grievances and confusion she had been holding back surged like a tidal wave.
"Wait, wait! Please don't harm this child!"
A middle-aged man, his head stitched and his back severely hunched, suddenly rushed over, spreading his arms to shield Uta from Escanor.
Gordon, the last remaining resident of the Music Kingdom, was also the man entrusted by Shanks to care for Uta. His knowledge of both music and science was extensive.
"Old man, get out of the way! I need to ask them why Shanks abandoned me here!"
Tears sparkled in Uta's eyes, her delicate and cute face showing madness.
"Sigh, Uta, you..." Gordon sighed in distress.
Over the past year, watching such an adorable girl sink into endless sorrow every day, he had often been tempted to reveal the truth.
But when he recalled Shanks' resolute face, lit by the firelight, the words stuck in his throat.
A man must honor his promises! Whether right or wrong, he had stubbornly held on. But seeing Uta's future descent into madness, where she would attempt to destroy the world even after learning the truth, showed the consequences were severe.
"To be honest, we do know Shanks, but we are not his subordinates," Zyhark said as he walked past Escanor and Gordon, stopping in front of Uta.
"However, I do know the truth behind Elegia's destruction. If you want to know, you'll need to agree to one condition."
Sensing something ominous, Gordon urged, "Who are you people? This is not a place for you. You should leave immediately."
Uta ignored Gordon completely, her face raised, her clear eyes fixed on Zyhark.
"What condition?!"
She refused to believe that Shanks was the kind of person who would slaughter an entire nation over treasure. She even had an inkling of what might have happened.
As long as she could learn what happened a year ago, she wouldn't hesitate—even if it meant her life!
After a moment of contemplation, Zyhark smiled and said, "Sing me a happy song."
"What? Are you kidding me?!" Uta thought he was mocking her.
"If you can't do it, then I can't help you," Zyhark said casually with a shrug.
The others were baffled by his actions.
Out of trust in Zyhark, they all kept silent.
Except for Aqua, who cheekily added, "If it doesn't please the great goddess, it doesn't count!"
"Forget it, looks like you're too blinded by hatred to do it now."
Seeing Uta clenching her fists without moving, Zyhark turned and started to leave.
He had only taken a few steps when a beautiful melody floated from behind.
"A new era is the future."
"If only I could change everything in this world."
"If only I could change..."
Initially, it was just a pure a cappella with no background music. But as Uta closed her eyes and poured her emotions into it, a cheerful tune quietly emerged.
A gentle breeze accompanied the song, passing over the dilapidated ruins around them.
In the next moment, lush grass sprouted, flowers bloomed, and vibrant life spread in all directions at a visible speed.
The gloomy sky cleared as if it had been washed clean, turning a deep shade of blue.
The sky was cloudless, and pure white birds flew past the clouds. Surrounded by this fairy-tale-like world and hearing such a joyful song, one couldn't help but feel an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
Zyhark stopped in his tracks, watching as the world transformed before his eyes.
It was obvious: this was the virtual world created by the Song-Song Fruit. This was the reason why the fruit was known to have "the power to destroy the world"!
Aqua, her eyes wide open with wonder, found herself unexpectedly moved by the song.
"Am I hallucinating, nya?" Meowth asked in shock, looking at the beautiful, unfamiliar world.
If it weren't for Zyhark and the others around, he would've almost thought he'd returned to the Pokémon world.
"A big bird!" Kanna shouted excitedly, pointing at a bird soaring in the sky.
The young ancient dragon's instinct was unleashed, and she flapped her wings, flying into the sky.
"Such a phenomenon beyond scientific explanation... Is this also a Devil Fruit ability?" King said solemnly.
Even if he hadn't eaten the pig, he'd seen the pig run. After witnessing so many bizarre abilities, he quickly came to the right conclusion.
"To create such a vibrant world, why does this little girl seem so full of hatred?" Escanor couldn't understand.
From Uta's song, one could clearly feel a positive, optimistic spirit.
"King is right. She is a user of the Song-Song Fruit of the Paramecia class. Through her singing, she can pull people into an imaginary virtual world," Zyhark explained.
When he looked back at Uta, her simple yellow dress had already disappeared.
In its place was a luxurious and exquisite performance outfit.
Uta stood on a glowing stage, her eyes closed, surrounded by colorful musical notes and five-colored threads, like a flawless little princess.
"Step into the dream, step into the dream."
"Step into the new era!"
The cheerful world suddenly fell silent as her song ended.
"Huh? Is that all? One more, please," Aqua said, unsatisfied.
Uta, however, didn't comply. She lowered her head and walked up to Zyhark.
"Is that enough? Please, tell me the truth."
Her tone was almost pleading.
Holding back her sorrow and resentment to sing New Era was already her limit.
As her words fell, the beautiful world collapsed, and they returned to the dilapidated reality.
At this stage, Uta was clearly not yet able to maintain the power and ability to sustain a musical illusion as she would ten years later.
"No matter how cruel the truth is, you still want to know?"
Zyhark's expression turned serious, and he looked directly into Uta's eyes.
Uta took a deep breath and nodded heavily.
"Hey, young man, I don't know what your intentions are, but please, don't do anything unnecessary!" Gordon still tried to intervene.
Intuition told him that this familiar-looking young man might really know about Elegia's destruction!
"Claiming to protect her, but planting seeds of resentment against the real world in her heart—isn't that also doing unnecessary things?"
Zyhark emphasized "you" deliberately.
In his eyes, knowing the future's storyline, Uta's resilience and vulnerability far exceeded what Gordon and Shanks imagined.
Rather than stubbornly hiding the truth, it was better to let Uta face the harsh reality!
Gordon was left speechless by his sharp retort.
Lately, Uta had indeed shown a tendency to despise the world.
"Listen, Uta, the one who destroyed all of Elegia wasn't Shanks, but..."
Zyhark looked back at the teary-eyed Uta.
"You."
(End of Chapter)
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