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From their high vantage point in the castle, they could see the whole bay. They saw the ship, and the rising smoke.
The color drained from Gordon's face.
"This is not good," he thought. "Are they just passing through, or did they come here for a reason? Will they explore the interior? Are they here for treasure? Or something else? I thought... after what happened, the World Government and the Marines had completely sealed off Elegia."
Gordon's expression was grim, his heart heavy with worry.
That "demon" was too powerful.
It held a deep resentment for the entire world. It wanted to drag everything into the void, to destroy it all.
And Uta... was the extension of its will.
He looked at the young girl, standing on her tiptoes, gazing out with curiosity.
"Uta," he said, his voice serious, "it doesn't matter if they are pirates or not. You must not let them find you."
"Okay," Uta nodded.
She might have been young, but her adventures with Shanks had taught her much. She was far more mature than her years.
In the next instant—
"Hello there."
The sudden voice made both Gordon and Uta jump back, startled.
They followed the sound and saw a tall, handsome, dark-haired young man suddenly appear before them.
He was standing on one of the stone pillars of the corridor.
He was casually dressed in shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sandals—the typical attire of someone from a warmer, coastal climate.
He had a friendly smile on his face.
And despite his casual dress, he radiated a natural charisma, an aura of quiet power. It was the confidence of someone who was truly strong, an invisible presence that emanated from within.
That kind of aura changes with wealth, with status, with confidence. When you're rich, you walk with your back straight. When you're poor, you hunch your shoulders.
In the world of One Piece, where the Haki system was so heavily influenced by one's will, it made perfect sense.
To put it simply, your environment shapes you.
And Jin, having gone through countless battles and several transformations, was on another level.
A person?
A stranger?!
Gordon and Uta were stunned.
His words, "You must not let them find you," were still echoing in the air.
And then... they'd been found.
"EH?!"
Their shocked expressions were priceless. Two gasps of surprise echoed through the palace, so loud that the building itself seemed to tremble.
Jin covered his ears.
Impressive. As expected of a musician. Her voice really carries.
Gordon snapped back to reality and immediately stepped in front of Uta, his eyes fixed warily on the mysterious young man. "Who are you? What do you want?"
Jin leaped lightly from the pillar. "You must be Gordon," he said with a smile. "The former king of the Kingdom of Elegia."
"How do you know that?"
Jin reached into his sub-space and pulled out a newspaper he had prepared earlier.
[World-Renowned Musician, Piano Maestro, King of the Music Birds, Gordon!]
The picture in the paper showed Gordon playing the piano.
Jin had done his homework.
Gordon glanced at the paper. It was a report on his last formal concert, from several years ago.
"Allow me to introduce myself," Jin said. "My name is Jin. I am the king of the Winter Blossom Kingdom."
"A king?" Gordon was surprised, but he didn't lower his guard. "What are you doing here? What is your purpose?"
"I've come for a musical exchange."
Gordon was taken aback. "A what?"
"An exchange," Jin repeated. "I, too, once dreamed of becoming a great composer. When I heard the songs of Elegia—so passionate, so creative—it rekindled a fire within me. I feel like, in this very moment, I'm about to explode with creative energy! Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do..."
Uta just stared, wide-eyed.
Gordon's brow twitched.
In any case, it didn't seem like the man had any ill intentions.
He led Jin into a guest room and served him a cup of aged coffee, hoping for a friendly discussion.
Uta sat across from them, watching with curiosity. She had two-toned hair—red on the right, light pink on the left. She wore a pair of headphones, and a yellow, knee-length dress with a bow. She swung her short-booted feet back and forth under her chair.
Who would have thought that this cute, innocent child held such a terrifying power within her?
Tot Musica.
"You're saying you want to have a competition with us tonight? A music competition?"
"That's right," Jin said with a smile. The "demon" of the Sing-Sing Fruit was connected to music. Only music could activate it.
Uta's eyes lit up. She loved music, loved to sing. But she had no one to share it with.
In the original story, her desire to pull the world into her "dream" had been sparked by the countless letters she had received from her listeners, sharing their pain, their wish to live in a carefree world.
She had been too sensitive, too naive. She had thought she could save them all. Her intentions were good.
It was only when people had rejected her, opposed her, that she had fallen into despair and unleashed that final, terrible song.
The child had been isolated from the world for too long. She was too pure. She didn't know that the malice in the hearts of men was far more terrifying than any demon.
"I refuse," Gordon said, shaking his head. "The Island of Music no longer needs music. So please, leave this place."
Gordon had seen the "demon's" power firsthand. He knew how terrifying it was. What if Uta lost control again...?
"I'm sorry," Jin said, his voice suddenly turning cold, "but I've already decided. 'No' isn't an option for you. Unless... you'd prefer to die."
Gordon and Uta both froze, a chilling cold seeping into their bones.
"So," Jin said, his smile returning, "tonight, let's let the songs ring out over the ruins. Let's celebrate the day we met. Let's become friends through music."
He snapped his fingers.
"Ai," he said, his voice now cheerful, "play that song. The ice cream truck one."
His bond with the demonic carrier had grown to the point where they could communicate telepathically, no matter the distance.
"Right away!"
A series of large, candy-made speakers emerged from the side of the conning tower, aimed at the island, and began to play a classic, maddeningly cheerful tune.
Then, he layered another power on top of it.
The Scream Scream Fruit.
He could control the frequency, the resonance, and he could create a massive soundscape. Eldoraggo had only been able to use the fruit to create a single sound beam because he had no understanding of music theory, or the physics of sound.
If he had, he could have controlled the sound waves to resonate with his enemies' heartbeats, or created a deafening zone of noise. The possibilities were endless.
In an instant, the entire island was filled with the melody.
The tune was simple and cheerful, but the ice cream truck... anyone who's heard it knows the feeling.
Even if Uta and Gordon refused to compete, even if they couldn't activate the "demon," Jin had other methods.
He could just play the song on a loop, day and night, for a month. He doubted Tot Musica could stand it.
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"A competition?"
When Jin returned and told them about the music competition, everyone was surprised.
"That's right," he said, turning to Carina. "You're a great singer, aren't you?"
"Eh? I-I'm alright," she stammered.
Carina had been the lead songstress at Gild Tesoro's Gran Tesoro. She was a musical genius. And her lively, clever, and kind personality would make her a good friend and mentor for Uta.
It was the perfect way to introduce them.
"You all can join in, too," Jin said to Robin and the others. "The more the merrier."
Music held a spiritual, emotional power. A good song could inspire, could encourage, could move people.
It was a form of "media."
In the movie, Uta's songs, broadcast via Den Den Mushi, had captivated listeners all over the world.
In Jin's eyes, this was a way to break the World Government's and the Celestial Dragons' monopoly on the news.
Whether he had ambitions of becoming the Pirate King or not, the World Government and the Celestial Dragons were obstacles that had to be overcome.
A man is born into this world. How can he live his life bowing his head to others?
Jin had been preparing for this for a long time, shoring up his weaknesses in technology, military power, finance, and media.
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The stars twinkled in the night sky.
Tonight, the stars were bright.
After considering his options, Gordon had respected Uta's choice and agreed to the competition.
Carina was the first to take the stage. She had a naturally beautiful voice, and she sang a song from her homeland.
The melody floated through the air. Aided by the Sound-Sound Fruit, it seeped into every corner of the island.
Jin's Observation Haki followed it, and he could faintly feel a membrane, the seal of the "demon."
Gordon was surprised. He had never expected this girl to have such a beautiful voice. Even on the old Island of Music, she would have been considered a top-tier singer. She had no flashy techniques, just pure, natural talent.
A genius is something that hard work can never hope to match.
As for Uta, with the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit, she was on another level entirely—a soul-level singer, beyond even a genius.
When she took the stage and began to sing...
"I'm gonna be a new genesis..."
"Our love screams out in my heart..."
"Creating a new power..."
"If I'm going to find it..."
"I'll raise this unchanging bond..."
The song was heart-wrenching, a search for a kindred spirit in a vast, lonely world.
Jin's eyes narrowed. Under the influence of the sound waves—a powerful force was being awakened by Uta's voice.
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