"Uta, finally, you're here!" "Uta, are you ready? Here's the sheet music; it'll be right behind you during the performance…" "Uta, your hair's a little messy—let's fix it up…" "Uta, have some water to soothe your voice…"
As Luffy escorted Uta into the performance room, a swarm of musicians who had been waiting for her crowded around, ushering her off to prepare for the concert.
Uta quickly slipped into performance mode, fully focused on her first concert. Meanwhile, Luffy was seemingly forgotten, ignored by everyone.
Luffy shrugged it off, stretching his arms and rotating his ankles to shake off the soreness that had settled into his body, wincing as he moved. He made his way to the seating area to find a place to watch the concert. Naturally, he chose the front row, picking a spot close to where Uta would stand on stage and settled in to rest.
The audience began to enter the concert hall in an orderly fashion. First to arrive were the nobility of Elegia. These music aristocrats strode in confidently, each accompanied by a partner, claiming seats in the front rows.
Some nobles noticed Luffy sprawled out unceremoniously in the front row, which was normally reserved for the king, and frowned disapprovingly. One particularly uptight nobleman approached him, clearly irritated.
"Hey, whose child are you? Haven't you been taught proper manners or respect for seating arrangements? The first row is reserved for the king!" the nobleman scolded, tapping his cane on the floor with a loud "thud, thud."
"Is he a student from the music academy? I heard they were banned from attending after offending Miss Uta…" "Such rude behavior…"
The other nobles began whispering among themselves, discussing whose child this might be.
Luffy, who had just closed his eyes, opened them with a sigh, looking at the haughty noble standing before him.
Compared to Uta, he thought, he wasn't nearly as popular. Uta was recognized wherever she went, treated with utmost respect. Meanwhile, even as a student under King Gordon's tutelage in painting, Luffy was overlooked, almost invisible.
Luffy glanced around, hoping a guard might step in and resolve this, but the guards were all outside, ensuring security for the king and other dignitaries.
"Look, old man, just find your own seat. I came with Uta," Luffy replied, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes again.
"Such a lack of respect! Even if you did come with Miss Uta, surely you understand the difference in status between you and her!" the nobleman retorted, his tone seething with indignation.
He had heard rumors of a boy with poor artistic talent following Uta around—a boy who, despite receiving lessons from esteemed court tutors, could only draw childish hearts. To him, this boy was a disgrace to the kingdom's artistic legacy.
Seeing this noble berate Luffy, several other nobles joined in, lending their voices in support. They took satisfaction in upholding "standards" and scolding the child who dared to sit among the elite.
Encouraged by the support, the noble before Luffy felt even more righteous. He viewed this affront as a threat to decorum, a crack in the kingdom's refined etiquette that had to be mended immediately.
Luffy considered his options, wondering if he should throw the man out or perhaps slap him first.
Just then, a procession entered the hall, led by King Gordon himself, flanked by members of the royal court.
"What's going on here?" King Gordon asked, noticing the commotion in the front row. He walked closer and saw a noble standing over Luffy.
"Your Majesty," the noble said, bowing slightly and stepping back respectfully.
"Mr. Luffy is a distinguished guest of the kingdom. I won't tolerate any disrespect toward him!" Gordon announced firmly, immediately dispelling the tension.
Luffy glanced at the nobles, musing that nobility in the pirate world was truly… a peculiar sort.
Nobles often lived sheltered lives, detached from the realities of the world beyond their borders. They neither respected nor feared the power of pirates and the Navy, caring only about taxes or, in some cases, aspiring to join the ranks of the Celestial Dragons. They judged people solely by social status, blind to the harsher truths outside their domain.
Luffy recalled that even the king of Goa Kingdom had dared to disrespect his grandfather, Garp, a Navy hero and Vice Admiral, simply because Garp was officially a lowly law enforcement officer in the kingdom. Of course, Garp had dismissed the king's orders without a second thought.
These nobles truly had a strange sense of the world.
"You're a bit late, old man. If you hadn't shown up, I was about to throw these nobles out," Luffy said to King Gordon with a shrug, ignoring the disapproving stares from the surrounding nobles.
"Consider replacing some of your nobles," he suggested, smirking.
"My apologies, Mr. Luffy," Gordon said with a laugh, casting a glance at the nobles. "They're just a little too attached to outdated customs…"
Gordon held Luffy in high regard; after all, this boy had effortlessly defeated his fully armed palace guards. For a seven-year-old to have such strength now, what would the future hold?
Not wanting to provoke any unnecessary conflicts, especially in a kingdom devoted to music with little combat prowess, Gordon turned his attention to the concert.
"Well, let's look forward to Miss Uta's debut concert, shall we?" he announced, changing the subject.
Meanwhile, the rest of the common folk began filling in, taking seats behind the nobility, who begrudgingly settled down, unwilling to show poor etiquette in front of the commoners.
Luffy relaxed. His only focus was retrieving the song of the Demon King, that explosive melody.
As the music hall filled to capacity, Luffy could hear the nobles muttering complaints about the unwashed commoners, while the commoners excitedly discussed Uta's legendary voice.
The hall was buzzing, a blend of whispers and murmurs rising like a swarm of chattering insects.
At last, a grand overture echoed through the hall, and the red curtains began to pull back, revealing the royal orchestra. Their vigorous performance immediately commanded everyone's attention, silencing the crowd.
Even Luffy had to admit that the royal orchestra's skill was extraordinary. The combination of piano, drums, violins, trumpets, and harps created a symphony of unparalleled beauty.
But his focus remained on the red-and-white-haired girl.
There she was, Uta,stepping onto the stage with a microphone in hand, ready to captivate them all.
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