After a night of heavy drinking, the red-haired Shanks groggily listened to his subordinate's report. But the moment he understood it, his eyes shot wide open and he roared at the top of his lungs.
The sudden outburst drew the attention of every officer nearby, who turned toward him in confusion. What they saw was their captain frantically scratching his head, his face full of panic.
"Uta~!"
Just the thought of his daughter being lured away by that "blond Thunder God" sent Shanks into a frenzy. Though he hadn't been by her side all these years, he had always kept a close eye on her growth. He even had men secretly stationed in the region she lived in, patrolling regularly.
Any pirate crews or suspicious figures that dared to approach had been quietly and efficiently erased.
But no matter how he looked at it, Shanks couldn't understand what Leno was doing in a country that had already been destroyed.
A few moments later, after the officers learned what was going on, they were equally baffled—mainly by their captain's exaggerated reaction.
That kid Leno might be a bit overbearing, but he hadn't done anything truly evil, had he?
"Boss, isn't this a bit much? That Thunder God kid isn't some villain or anything~"
Lucky Roux tore a chunk of meat off the giant bone in his hand, thinking Shanks was blowing things out of proportion.
"You idiot! Do you even know what kind of people are on the Thunder God's ship?"
Seeing that Lucky Roux didn't grasp the seriousness of the situation, Shanks glared furiously at him and barked,
"They're all beautiful women! Everyone on the seas knows that brat's nothing but a lust-crazed pervert!"
"Not long ago, he even kidnapped Kaido's daughter! If Uta boards his ship, she's doomed!"
After hearing that, the others finally realized the gravity of the situation, and their faces turned grim. They all regarded Uta like their own daughter—if she really ended up on that pervert's ship…
Just imagining it made their hearts ache.
"Boss, then we—"
"Brothers! We can't waste any more time! We set sail now! We must not let Uta board that bastard's ship!"
Cutting Lucky Roux off mid-sentence, Shanks ordered his crew to prepare for immediate departure.
He silently prayed that they would make it in time.
"Keep a close watch on Thunder God's movements. If Uta hasn't boarded yet, good—but if she has, I want their location reported immediately!"
As they hurried aboard, Benn Beckman called out further instructions to the men.
Before long, a massive pirate ship with a dragon-carved figurehead hoisted its sails and vanished into the distant horizon.
——
Morning came.
Feeling the soft warmth squirming in his arms, Leno opened his eyes to see Kuina's little head nuzzling against him restlessly.
He chuckled lazily and flicked her cute nose.
"If you're awake, get up. Let's go explore this former Kingdom of Music properly today."
"..."
Still pretending to sleep, huh?
Leno lowered his head and kissed her rosy lips. His hands began to wander, climbing peaks and crossing grassy plains in a relentless morning offensive.
Only when her flushed face trembled and a faint moan escaped her lips did he finally let her go.
If it weren't for the special circumstances today, he definitely would've added another round of "morning exercise."
Before long, the door opened, and the two walked out one after another.
They had barely taken a few steps when a gentle, melodious singing voice drifted through the air, drawing them unconsciously toward the deck.
At the bow sat Uta, bathed in the morning sunlight, singing her newly composed song.
The sweet voice that reached their ears seemed to pierce straight into their hearts, bringing peace and serenity to their souls.
By the time Leno came back to his senses, he realized he'd completely lost himself in the music.
Looking around, he saw Nami, Nojiko, and Kuina all wearing dazed expressions—as if they'd just awoken from a beautiful dream.
Then, all at once, everyone's eyes lit up, blazing with admiration as they turned to Uta.
"Uta~! Your singing is incredible!"
"Yeah! I couldn't pull myself out of it at all!"
"It's unbelievable—I can't even describe how real it felt!"
"The Goddess of Music has descended! Ah~~~!"
Their voices overlapped in a storm of excitement and praise, and within moments, they'd all become Uta's die-hard fans.
Even Leno couldn't help but sigh in awe.
Her voice wasn't just beautiful—it transcended hearing itself. It was music felt directly by the soul.
It wasn't some fancy 3D or surround-sound experience; she brought you into another world entirely—a world where you felt the beauty of music.
All the more reason, Leno thought, to make sure she came aboard his ship.
After breakfast, Nami, Nojiko, and the others went sightseeing around Elegia with Uta, while Chopper followed Robin to explore the historical ruins of the fallen kingdom.
Leno, meanwhile, sought out Gordon and got straight to the point.
"I'm taking Uta with me. If she stays here, what awaits her is utter destruction."
"I know... Tot Musica is sealed here, isn't it?"
"W-What?!!! H-How do you..."
Gordon was already shocked by Leno's demand to take Uta away, but the next words left him trembling in terror.
That secret—the one known only to the kings of Elegia through generations—had been laid bare effortlessly.
He froze, his mind spinning, when Leno spoke again.
"If she keeps living under that thing's nose, what do you think her fate will be?"
"You haven't forgotten that night, have you?"
Leno turned toward the ruins of the once-great kingdom, his voice low and calm.
"If Tot Musica breaks free again and merges with the current Uta... tell me, who could possibly stop it?"
Memories of that night flooded Gordon's mind—the Demon King of Song's cataclysmic power, the near-total annihilation of the kingdom in an instant.
If not for Uta's exhaustion as a child—if not for Shanks arriving when he did—everything would've been lost.
Just imagining Tot Musica awakening again sent Gordon collapsing to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.
He couldn't bear that outcome again.
"The forbidden score... you still have it, don't you? Hand it over. I'll seal it for good."
Leno figured it would be safer in his own hands anyway. Better sealed in his dimensional backpack than left to risk another awakening.
After that, things went smoothly.
By the time Uta and the others returned from their outing, Gordon had already composed himself—and made his decision.
He would follow Leno and his crew out to sea.
Uta didn't object. In truth, she wanted to go.
Though it had only been a single day, she had felt genuine happiness with Nami and the others.