Enel could no longer contain himself and struck first.
Violent lightning exploded in the void. Millions of volts of electricity transformed into a thunder dragon, roaring as it pounced toward Tot Musica.
However, after the lightning pierced the demon's body, it vanished like clay oxen entering the sea, completely swallowed by the black hole-like right eye.
Tot Musica didn't speak, merely letting out a wild, loud laugh.
"Lightning doesn't work? Then try this!"
Ace condensed scorching fireballs in his hands, Armament Haki coiling around them, turning them into crimson-black flame spears. He fiercely stabbed at the demon's chest.
But the moment the flames touched Tot Musica's body, they dissolved as if dissipated by invisible musical notes, scattering into the air.
"How is that possible?" Ace gritted his teeth, gathering even stronger flames, yet they remained ineffective.
"You Logia users rely too much on your abilities. It's up to my swordsmanship!" Cavendish's rapier left its sheath. The powers of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi made his figure flicker like a phantom. The blade drew countless silver arcs, slashing toward the demon's neck.
Tot Musica merely raised a hand and swung. Chains resembling musical staves shot out from the void, entangling all his sword strikes before violently flinging him away.
"Let's not argue about who goes first. Let's attack together!" Ace shouted.
"Tch. Then you adjust to my rhythm," Enel didn't want to listen to him. He expanded his Observation Haki to its limit, tracking every trace of Tot Musica's energy flow.
"If we can't hit it directly, then use area coverage!" Enel laughed, spreading his arms. The entire sky turned into thunderclouds. Countless pillars of lightning crashed down, enveloping the demon in the blinding center of the thunderstorm.
"Alright, alright. I'll cooperate," Ace sighed, 'This guy really is as troublesome as Luffy. Good thing I have experience dealing with Luffy.'
Ace crossed his arms over his chest. Blazing white flames, compressed by Armament Haki, turned into flowing magma. When his fists shot forward, it was like a volcanic eruption.
"Fire Fist: Meteor Volcano!"
Setsuna watched with interest. Naturally, this was a skill he had guided Ace to copy from Sakazuki.
Why should the Mera Mera no Mi be inferior to the Magu Magu no Mi?
A torrent of crimson-black flame swept forth, intertwining with the lightning into a devastating storm of energy.
Cavendish's figure flickered through the void, the sharpness of his rapier soaring. The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi allowed him to move like a ghost through the gaps between lightning and fire.
"This strike will sever your melody!"
He used his newly learned Armament Haki, the blade's edge precisely stabbing toward the demon's left eye… the glowing red 'X' symbol, which he had observed as an energy node.
Three completely different forces struck their target at the same instant. Tot Musica's colossal body twisted and distorted within the energy storm.
The black hole-like right eye frantically devoured the attacks. The crimson left-eye symbol flashed violently.
Finally, at the moment it surpassed its tolerance limit, it emitted a piercing metallic tearing sound, collapsing like a fallen musical sculpture.
"Did we succeed?" Ace's face showed delight.
However, the demon's remnants on the ground suddenly transformed into leaping musical notes. An invisible conductor's baton waved in the void. All the fragments reversed and reassembled.
Tot Musica's hoarse laughter came from all directions. In eternal music, death is merely a rest note.
"You're joking, right? We still can't kill it?" Cavendish gritted his teeth.
Setsuna, who had been observing from the side, slowly spoke. "The illusory world created by the Uta Uta no Mi is essentially a mental realm. All your attacks here will be weakened by the rules of this illusory world."
"Does that mean we can never kill it?" Enel asked, displeased.
"No, not exactly," Setsuna continued. "Your attacks are ineffective because it exists simultaneously in both the real world and the mental world. If you attack it in only one world, it can transfer the damage to the other world to offset it."
Tot Musica could be considered a top-tier 'mechanic monster'. It needed to be destroyed simultaneously in both worlds.
Moreover, Tot Musica's strength was no joke. Whichever side you were on, you needed the power of an Emperor's crew to destroy it.
The fact that the combined efforts of Ace and the other two worked was likely because Uta's will was restraining the demon.
"Such a terrifying Devil Fruit ability exists? If Uta could control this demon, probably only a handful in the world could be her match," Kuma said, shocked.
"The Uta Uta no Mi is indeed powerful, but its weakness is also obvious. As long as you last until the user's stamina is exhausted or they fall asleep, the ability is dispelled," Setsuna shook his head slightly.
"And right now, our goal is to destroy the demon. If the goal was simply to kill Uta, any sniper in the real world could do it."
Ace scratched his head, troubled. "Then what do we do? All of us are trapped in the mental world."
"Haha, have you all forgotten something?" Cavendish suddenly laughed. "I have a second personality! Hakuba in the real world won't just sit around doing nothing!"
Hearing this, Ace's eyes lit up. That's right! Cavendish's alternate personality should take over his body.
Tot Musica cackled weirdly, raising a hand and waving. A projection of the real world actually appeared in the void.
In the real world, Cavendish had indeed entered his Hakuba Mode, but he was currently pinned under the demon's foot.
"Damnable demon!" Hakuba's face darkened. He didn't expect that the demon dared to humiliate him like this.
"Everyone, fall back. I'll deal with it," Setsuna cracked his knuckles.
Ace was somewhat confused. "But Captain, didn't you say we need to destroy it in both the real world and the mental world simultaneously?"
"Correct. That's why my 'alternate personality' will also take action," Setsuna said calmly.
In the projection of the real world, 'Setsuna' walked toward the demon with a sinister grin, black mist coiling around him, a terrifying demonic silhouette appearing behind him.
With just one punch, Tot Musica in the real world was blown apart.
Although Tot Musica quickly revived, the fear in its gaze when it looked at Setsuna was now palpable.
Cavendish watched, dumbfounded, muttering to himself, "We both have alternate personalities… why is Captain's so much stronger?"
Ace patted his shoulder, consoling him. "It's like the Hito Hito no Mi. If the Captain ate the Mythical Zoan version like Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you ate the commoner version."
Cavendish really wanted to refute loudly, but he sadly realized Ace might be right.
Setsuna stood atop the ruins of the illusory world, slowly raising his hand. A vortex of pitch-black energy condensed in his palm.
Although Tot Musica lacked much intelligence, at this moment, it also felt tension.
It was no match for that monster in the real world. If it were destroyed in the mental world as well, it would vanish from this world for good.
Setsuna's figure vanished abruptly, reappearing right in front of Tot Musica.
His fist, coiled with pitch-black Armament Haki, descended.
An invisible barrier blocked it. Setsuna's fist was halted, but the shockwave of Haki violently blasted the demon away.