At this moment, Uta seemed like an entirely different person. Her face was icy cold as she glared at Carl and said:
"You're really annoying."
Shanks also noticed something unusual about Uta. Frowning, he asked,
"Uta, what's wrong with you?"
He stepped forward, but the man with the scarf pressed a hand firmly on Shanks' shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
Shanks looked at him with confusion, but the scarfed man kept his gaze fixed on Uta. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he muttered,
"What a rebellious little girl. Just don't come crying later, all right?"
Uta sneered and retorted,
"The only one crying won't be me! I don't want to see anyone crying ever again!"
With that, she pulled out a Den Den Mushi from her pocket, took a deep breath, and let out a single note.
Gordon's face changed drastically, and he shouted in alarm,
"No! It's the Tot Musica!"
Shanks furrowed his brows and asked,
"What's that?"
Beads of cold sweat appeared on Gordon's forehead as he quickly explained,
"It's the music that summons that demon!"
Just as the words left his mouth, Uta's voice echoed outside the palace as well. Gordon's eyes widened as he looked at the Den Den Mushi in Uta's hand, panic-stricken.
"That's an amplifying Den Den Mushi! Stop her now!"
Hearing this, Shanks immediately tried to step forward, but the scarfed man's hand was like an iron clamp, pinning him in place.
In the brief moment of delay, Uta's performance had already begun in full force. Her soaring voice filled the air, and the environment around Shanks and the others began to change rapidly.
In an instant, the elegant hall they had been in disappeared, replaced by a kaleidoscopic space.
This was the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit. This realm was none other than the "Uta World" that Uta had created using her abilities.
Once inside, Uta ascended into the air. As she flew, her outfit transformed in a burst of radiant colors, and golden armor adorned her body. A spear and shield materialized in her hands as she looked down coldly at Shanks and the others.
"You will remain here forever," she declared.
Shanks' expression grew heavy as he gazed up at Uta.
"Stop this, Uta! Nobody wants to live in such a fake world forever!"
Uta's face contorted with anger, and she shouted back,
"So what?! I don't think there's anything wrong with this world!"
The scarfed man chuckled lightly and said,
"Do you really think such a little trick can keep us here?"
Uta snorted.
"You'd better behave yourselves."
With a wave of her spear, colorful musical notes floated around Shanks and his crew. The notes transformed into cartoon-like soldiers armed with weapons, surrounding them.
The weapons gleamed menacingly, but aside from Gordon, who was utterly defenseless, the rest of the group remained calm. They had been through far worse and didn't take these cartoonish soldiers seriously. Instead, their eyes stayed focused on Uta, concern evident in their gazes.
Unable to bear their looks, Uta gripped her spear tightly and screamed,
"Stop looking at me like that!"
Her outburst triggered the soldiers to attack. However, Shanks' eyes glimmered with a crimson light as a palpable wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth from him, instantly reducing the soldiers to scattered fragments of light.
A crimson flame cloud appeared at Shanks' feet, lifting him into the air. This time, the scarfed man didn't stop him.
As Shanks charged toward her, Uta gritted her teeth and thrust her spear. But her attack, lacking both speed and strength, couldn't harm Shanks. He effortlessly grabbed the spear and shattered it in his grip.
Uta froze in shock but quickly flew higher into the air.
Shanks sighed in frustration, contemplating whether to knock her out with his Conqueror's Haki. However, he hesitated, unwilling to harm her.
While he wavered, Uta stopped at a higher altitude, glaring down at him with a crazed expression. She hurled her golden shield toward Shanks, but he simply tilted his head, dodging it with ease.
When he looked back up, Uta raised her arms and began to sing again.
Her voice, though hauntingly beautiful, carried an ominous undertone.
Suddenly, a massive black vortex appeared on the ground, spewing dark mist into the air.
The sight caused the Red-Haired Pirates to shift their attention to the scarfed man.
He glanced at the vortex and said nonchalantly,
"Don't look at me. That's not my doing."
The dark mist began to condense, forming a humanoid shape. Moments later, a grotesque, obese figure with a black top hat emerged—a terrifying, monstrous being.
Gordon collapsed to the ground, trembling as he murmured,
"Tot Musica... it's been summoned again..."
There was no need for him to explain. The Red-Haired Pirates recognized this monster all too well. They had fought it once before.
Tot Musica was a "born destroyer," existing solely to annihilate everything. Even worse, it couldn't be killed.
As Tot Musica materialized, Uta, still floating in the air, wavered. Her face turned deathly pale.
Though Uta was highly compatible with the Sing-Sing Fruit, which allowed her to create the powerful Uta World, her physical stamina was weak. Maintaining the Uta World consumed enormous energy. Summoning Tot Musica had pushed her to her limits, she was already exhausted.
Tot Musica, though mindless, instinctively recognized Uta as its source of power. To the creature, Uta was a perfect vessel to enhance its strength.
It roared, and a dark golden barrier encased Uta, dragging her toward the ground.
Shanks' expression shifted as he unsheathed his sword, which crackled with the energy of his Conqueror's Haki. He lunged toward Tot Musica, slashing at it.
But the monster unleashed a black shockwave that nullified Shanks' attack.
Just as Uta was about to be consumed by Tot Musica, the scarfed man, who had remained silent all this time, raised his hand. A miniature black vortex appeared in his palm...
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg