Chapter Text
Uta knows this wasn’t a New Genesis, this wasn’t freedom nor was its salvation. Ironic, all her songs have ‘salvation’ in them. Or some sort of theme of salvation, but the young woman can’t turn her back now. Not when she knows she’ll be hated and blamed once more for this madness.
The madness she willingly brought.
Why was she so naïve? Why did she do this? What was the real reason behind it?
It was her who destroyed Elegia, she was the one to have killed everyone off the island, she was the reason why Gordon had no people left. Not Shanks, never Shanks. Yet, she still chose to pin the blame on her father, because of the pain and guilt- the curses to her name.
It was all too much.
And now, with Luffy in the picture, will he blame her too?
May there always be angels, to watch over you...
Uta flinches at that familiar song. The same song she had fallen asleep listening to, it was that one song again, that lullaby-!
To guide you each step of the way.
Next thing she knew, Luffy was dodging the laser beams from Tot Musica; taking notice of her blue sleeves design. It was his drawing, their symbol. “That’s- that’s mine...”
Uta can feel Tot Musica reaching up from her feet, the darkened mist finally taking her. It was time, her purple eyes took one last look at her friend- her brother.
And Luffy’s face held nothing but pure determination . The young captain reaches forward and grabs her wrist, yanking her away from the Tot Musica’s hold. “Luffy!” The rubberman gave her one final hug, squeezing her quickly before throwing her off the gigantic Demon King of Songs.
“LUFFY!!” Brown eyes sparkled with unshedded tears, ‘Be free, be free with your family again, Uta.’ He links a conversation with Uta using his Observation haki and smiling at her. “Princess Uta!!” Usopp was the first to catch after Luffy had suddenly pulled her away from the Demon King.
“Wh-what are you do-” Uta freezes up, no, nonono!
“DON’T! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!” She screams ferally, the effects of the wake-shrooms ever present. The other pirates didn’t make a move to attack her, instead; they were now protecting her.
“He’s got something in mind...” Zoro mutters, his brows furrowing. He has a feeling he wouldn’t like this ‘thing’ that his captain has thought of. Sanji could see how much Uta was shaking from grief and helplessness, he couldn’t bear seeing a lady in such distress anymore.
“Uta-chan, once we defeat this demon. You can go back to singing, don’t worry!” Sanji’s reassurance doesn’t help her one bit.
“Yeah, Luffy’s strong!” Nami, Luffy’s navigator, winks at her. You don’t have to tell her twice.
“He can beat that thing for you-”
“THAT’S NOT WHAT HE’S DOING!!” Uta lets her tears flow from her face, the same voice that had become a source of comfort for her, the same voice that sang her that wonderful lullaby that guarded her from hellish nightmares of trauma on sea. The voice of Loo-li Lai-lay...-
“ ᚷᚨᚺ ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᚲ ᚷᚨᚺ !!!”
Shanks couldn’t move when Tot Musica suddenly moved towards anchor’s body, grabbing it with one of its long and thick piano key limbs and leaving behind a staggering Uta. Who looks like she’s seen some things worse than the destruction of Elegia.
Everyone was suddenly aware and awake, the civillians that had come to the concert were now awake and backed away from all the marines and pirates. However, most of them were staring at the singer who had done all this.
“ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛒᚱᚨᚲ!” Someone else was singing the cursed music sheet, but who-
Then, Yasopp had made the mistake of staring at the Tot Musica too long and exposed himself to some extremely condensed Conqueror’s haki that was ready to blow like a bomb.
“ᚷᚨᚺ ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᚲ ᚷᚨᚺ ᛉᚨᚾ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛏᚨᛏ ᛒᚱᚨᚲ!!” There was no way of defeating it now-
Now that it had someone stronger, someone much more physically powerful as its vessel. Tot Musica was in the real world, no longer having to use the Uta world as a medium. “Anchor?!” Benn choked on his own smoke, the other red hair pirates that had been with Shanks the longest were staring in horror at the turn of events.
“No- no way.... Luffy...” Chopper had gotten up from his sleeping form, remembering the events in the Uta world. One line from the first verse of the song, the line coming not from Uta but from Luffy .
“It’s her fault...!”
“It’s you! Uta!!”
“That girl is dangerous!”
“She should never be allowed to sing again!”
“She destroyed Elegia!”
“She killed us!!”
“SHUT UP!” Luffy yelled at the endless void, the emotions of the past swirling around him. Surrounding him with tornadoes of regret and anguish, targeted not at him but at Uta. If she had continued, not only would her life be done for but her heart too.
“I already knew she did that...” The young captain bit his quivering lip, killing so many people in one night was scary. There was so much fire too, everyone was so scared. He could feel it, their fear and despair suffocating him. The people of the past, torturing him.
“But- Uta is my friend... she’s Shanks daughter, the musician of the red-hair pirates! She didn’t deserve your hate! The Red-hair pirates didn’t deserve to feel the loss of a child!! You would never understand, they didn’t smile as usual, party as usual... They were all faking it! I hate it! I hate it when people lie to keep their pain to themselves! I hate that Shanks and the others were lying to me and to themselves!!” Luffy broke down, the emotions spilling from his mouth.
“...I know now, Uta... I know what I have to do... But I needed you to realize that Tot Musica wasn’t the answer, I couldn’t get away... I AM MONKEY D. LUFFY, THE MAN WHO’LL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!! But- But I can’t do it... Without ANY of you...” Chains drag him down as he tries to surface from the void, seeing the light at the very top yet he couldn’t reach. He must-
“Everyone... Help-”
Usopp takes in a sharp breath, his fingers digging up the dirt as he clenches the damp grass. “EVERYONE!!” He calls out to the pirates, desperation and begging for their attention by now. His dark eyes shook as he realized what Luffy had done.
“It’s- It’s Luffy! He-”
“SHANKS!! SHANKS GET HIM OUT OF THE TOT MUSICA PLEASE!!” The Diva was on her knees, obviously weakened but had grabbed the ends of the black captain’s cloak of her father; Red-Hair Shanks.
“I will-” “HURRY THEN! He can’t- The Tot Musica-” Uta was at loss for words, the memories of that one song that had let her slumber ever so peacefully. The wonderful warmth and safety she had been enveloped with after hearing that melody. The soft voice that was adamant in giving her the best melody to listen to as her entire body slept.
“...Uta...” Shanks’ brows furrowed; the fighters of the Straw hat pirates were holding back the Tot Musica for as long as they could. Fire and wind, bullets shooting across the field as the civilians were evacuated by marines. He has never seen her daughter break down so badly (frankly, he had been away for a decade but still-), it seems anchor was the last remaining plank on the bridge that Uta tried so hard to burn.
“If- If Gordon said... If you said that I can bring happiness with my voice... Then- Then...! Luffy can bring freedom with his!” She meets the emperor’s eyes, snapping her head up. Her purple eyes wide with frenzied emotions, “I can’t- I don’t want to hear him sing a song so cursed and so... So, hate filled as Tot Musica...!”
“P-please... Just this once, Shanks...!” He pulls her into an embrace, a quick one before ruffling her hair and giving her a grin.
“Of course, no one messes with any of our friends and gets away with it!”