Interlude of the Morning Glow

In the midst of the morning glow, a somber elegy illuminated by flames in the dark sky. The echoing sound of cannons, the departing back of the Red-Haired Pirates as they loaded their treasures and laughed.

"Shanks!! Don't leave me behind! Why... Why?!"

Startled awake, I found myself gazing at the familiar ceiling of my room. Ah, it's that dream again, the day from eight years ago... The day when I was abandoned by Shanks, whom I regarded as my real father, and left behind by the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates, losing everything.

I believed in him, only to be betrayed. I resent him. I want to hate Shanks... Really hate him... Would my feelings be at least a bit easier if I could truly hate him?

With a heavy heart, I got out of bed and washed my face in the bathroom. I see this face every day, but it's so ghastly. It's like my soul has been drained away... I've even forgotten how to smile.

After tidying myself up a bit, I headed to the dining room, where Gordon had prepared a meal on the table. When he noticed me, he stopped what he was doing and smiled lightly.

"Good morning, Uta. Breakfast is ready just in time."

"...Good morning, Gordon."

Since that day eight years ago, Gordon and I have been living in this country, the ruined Elecia. Gordon has done so much for me. He taught me a lot about music to become a great singer.

I even practiced and improved my cooking, which I used to be bad at, and now I can make amazing dishes. He has done so much for me, and that's why the breakfast he prepares should be delicious, but... I can't taste much of it, and I always leave about half of it uneaten.

"Sorry, Gordon. I'm already full... I'll, um... go out for some fresh air."

"Sure, take care."

With a slightly sad expression, Gordon saw me off as I left and walked through the ruins of the town while looking at the coastline.

Walking along the sunlit path... I reached the seashore. This could be considered my daily routine. Every morning, I come to the beach and quietly hum a song that holds memories of Shanks and the others.

Speaking of which, when I mentioned that I could stay in Elecia, Shanks said, "When you become the world's greatest songstress, I'll come to pick you up." If I become the world's greatest singer, would Shanks come to see me?

Shanks... Why did you leave me behind? We promised to set sail together, but were you really just using and deceiving me...?

Even though I want to hate you, I can't. I don't want to see you, but I still want to see you so badly... I can't even understand my own feelings anymore.

Even after finishing the song and looking out at the sea, I don't see the ship I wished for. I look up at the sky. The morning sun should be shining brightly, but for some reason, it feels dark, as if black figures are flying... huh?

Suddenly, I saw a figure flying in the sky, and the person landed a little distance away from me, carrying a large box-like object. He wore all-black clothing and had a slightly panda-like coloration around his nose and eyes, but his eyes were sharp.

What... who is this person? Wait, did he just fly in the sky? Can people fly?

As I was bewildered, the man with a calm smile spoke.

"Nice to meet you. I am Spandam. You must be Uta, right?"

"...Why do you know my name?"

"Well, I have my reasons. I came to see you and a person named Gordon. If possible, could we have a talk with the three of us?"

Spandam's voice was gentle, and he didn't seem like a bad person. Meeting someone other than Gordon after eight years was quite confusing, but I nodded in agreement with Spandam's words, and we headed together to where Gordon was.

Spandam effortlessly carried the large box and walked with a steady pace. He didn't seem like a typical pirate, but he also felt different from the Marines. I couldn't quite figure out what kind of person he was.

When we arrived with Spandam, Gordon looked incredibly surprised.

"...You're from the World Government..."

"Indeed, I belong to the World Government, but this time I'm here on a private matter, so the government is not involved. I'm wearing this attire to serve as a kind of identification. I have no intention of harming you or Uta, so rest assured."

"...I understand. Either way, it seems I have no choice but to trust your words for now. So, what brings you here today?"

After brief introductions between Spandam and Gordon, the three of us sat down at a table, with me and Gordon sitting side by side, and Spandam across from us.

He said he had something to discuss, but I wondered what it could be... I was vaguely thinking about it when Spandam spoke again.

"To be blunt, I am going to 'take you and Gordon to Shanks.'"

"Wha...!? What are you saying? To Shanks... Take us? Will we be able to see Shanks...? But, he left me and deceived me..."

"I understand why both you and Shanks made your choices. However, is the current state of this child... this appearance that seems to have lost all vitality, really what you both desired?"

"Well, that's... But, still... However..."

"Continuing to hide the truth does not necessarily benefit that person."

Gordon seemed greatly distressed by Spandam's words. Hide the truth... what does he mean? What does Spandam know that I don't?

"...Gordon... W-what is the truth? What are you hiding?"

"...Uta... I..."

Seeing my question, Gordon's expression became pained, and he hesitated to say something. Just as Spandam said, I felt that he was hiding something, something very important related to me...

Amidst that, Spandam calmly delivered another shocking statement.

"Eight years ago, it was not the Red-Haired Pirates who caused the destruction of Elecia."

"L... Lies... Because..."

"For the rest, ask the person directly. Now, Uta, the right to choose lies with no one else but you. Therefore... whether you want to go to Shanks and learn the truth is... up to you."

Hearing Spandam's words, I glanced at Gordon. He looked like he had resigned to something, yet there was a sense that something heavy had been lifted from him. As if he was leaving my decision entirely up to me...

Looking back at Spandam, who waited quietly for my response, my answer was already decided.

"...I want to know. The truth... Spandam-san! Take me... take me to Shanks!!"

"Understood."

Upon hearing my words spoken with determination, Spandam nodded calmly and then opened the large box that was placed there, taking out... um, some strange-looking clothing? He placed it in front of me and Gordon.

"Put on this protective suit."

"...Eh? U-um, okay."

It's a bit different from what I expected... Is this not for going on a ship or something?

***

Spandam was incredible. With us, dressed in protective suits, he effortlessly lifted us up and started flying through the air. Moreover, the speed was so astonishing that the scenery around us seemed to blur as we moved.

As we continued to flow through the scenery for a while, the speed gradually slowed down... and there it was, unmistakably the Red Force, Shanks' ship, coming into view.

"...Well, let's put a little pressure on them to get him to come out."

Just as Spandam muttered those words, a strong wind blew, and the Red Force swayed, with the crew members rushing out to the deck in a fluster.

Among them were many familiar faces, and their presence behind the protective suits covering their faces warmed my heart with nostalgia.

And as Spandam landed on the deck, Shanks came walking slowly, pushing aside the wary crew members.

"...Hey now, isn't that quite a bold greeting? Is the government sending its officials to start a war with us?"

"No, I just came for a delivery... your daughter."

"...What?"

It was Shanks! The real Shanks!!

I had thought about many things. What I would say or do when I meet Shanks, all those thoughts that filled my mind before arriving here.

I had so much to say about him leaving me behind and all that. But when I saw him in person, all those emotions just vanished.

Before I knew it, I had taken off my helmet and was running towards Shanks, tears streaming down my face.

"Shanks!!"

"...U...ta..."

Shanks, with wide-open eyes full of surprise, still caught me as I jumped at him with my right hand. My mind was a mess, and I didn't know what I was thinking, but the only feeling that remained was that I was happy to see Shanks, and tears streamed from my eyes.

"Shanks! Shanks! Uwaaaahhhh!"

"Why... Uta... and Gordon too... why are you here?"

Clutching onto him and crying, I could see Shanks looking astonished as he muttered something. Yet he didn't push me away and held me tightly until my tears stopped.

I don't know how long I cried, but as the explosive emotions settled, a moment of silence fell on the deck.

Not only Shanks but the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates I knew had expressions that seemed to indicate they didn't quite understand the situation. Even Beckman and Hongo, who were always calm, looked bewildered.

Amidst that confusion, Spandam's voice cut through the tense atmosphere sharply.

"Red-Haired Shanks and Gordon... I'll tell you both something. Great tragedies often arise from misunderstandings of goodwill. Such people often end up saying, 'That wasn't my intention.' Hiding behind lies and continuing to keep the truth a secret doesn't necessarily bring happiness to the other person. Even now, after seeing that child's tears, can you honestly say that keeping her in the dark is for her sake?"

"..."

It wasn't just Shanks and Gordon, but the others in the Red-Haired Pirates I knew, all had expressions that indicated they had something to think about in response to Spandam's words. I could tell that it was related to the truth that Spandam mentioned.

"If you truly care and love that child... then reveal the truth. About what happened eight years ago and about TotMusica... after that, decide for yourselves."

With that statement, Spandam leaned against the mast of the Red Force, popped a candy into his mouth from his pocket, and crossed his arms. It seemed like he had nothing more to say...

As I looked up at Shanks' face, he had a pained expression... as if he was wrestling with something.

"Shanks... tell me."

"Uta..."

"The truth... about that day..."

I made up my mind. I knew that the truth Spandam spoke of would likely be painful for me. That's why Shanks and Gordon were wearing those pained expressions.

"I understand. Probably, it's something painful for me, right? I can see it in your and Gordon's faces. But... I want to know. About Shanks and everyone... because I want to keep loving them."

I had thought about it a lot for eight years. I tried over and over again to hate the pirates, to hate Shanks. But in the end, I couldn't hate them, and I visited the coast every day.

I always hummed the song of memories with everyone. And now, meeting them again, I realized once again that I loved Shanks. That's why I wanted to know everything.

"...You've grown up, Uta."

My feelings must have reached him, as Shanks showed a gentle smile, and then he and Gordon began to tell me the truth of that day.

On that day when Elecia was destroyed... during the party that Gordon and everyone opened for me, my song inadvertently awakened the cursed score that had been sealed in ancient times, TotMusica.

As the one possessing the power of UtaUta, I unintentionally sang the score "TotMusica" and brought forth the Demon King TotMusica to Elecia.

Despite the Red-Haired Pirates' attempts to fight back, they couldn't defeat TotMusica, and everyone in Elecia, except Gordon, was killed, leading to the country's downfall.

And to prevent me from bearing the guilt, Shanks and Gordon discussed it. They decided to entrust me to Gordon and had Shanks shoulder the crime of destroying Elecia.

I was being used to infiltrate Elecia, and they lied to protect me. That was their way of trying to protect me.

"No... that's not true. It was TotMusica that destroyed Elecia and killed its people, not you. If you knew about TotMusica and intentionally brought it forth, that'd be a different story, but if that's not the case, there's no way you're at fault. Stop burdening yourself with the ancient grudges and taking on the blame."

I was taken aback by his frankness. Though it was quite a brusque way of saying it, I understood what Spandam meant. He was telling us that the blame lies solely with TotMusica and that none of us were at fault.

Amidst the stunned silence, I heard a voice full of exasperation.

"You guys are all idiots, aren't you? TotMusica destroyed Elecia and killed its people, not any of you. Unless Uta intentionally summoned TotMusica, there's no way any of you are guilty. Stop this nonsense of taking on the burden of ancient grudges."

His words were surprising, but I could understand the blunt kindness behind them. And somehow, it made me happy, and tears welled up again.

"I'm sorry, Uta. I thought I was acting for your sake, but I ended up causing you pain."

"No, it's alright... Thank you... Hey, Shanks? Even now, about me... that..."

"Yeah, no matter how many years pass, that won't change. You're my daughter, Uta."

"Sh... Shanks!!"

I was so happy. I was so incredibly happy that the tears I thought had stopped started flowing again. It felt like the dark and cloudy part of my heart was clearing up, and even as I cried, I had a smile on my face.

Oh, that's right. I remembered... this is how you smile, how you show happiness. I finally, finally remembered. When I looked up at Shanks' eyes through my tear-filled vision... I could clearly see tears in his eyes too.

***

When I woke up, Spandam was gone, and according to what Shanks said, "He'll come back in three days, so decide what to do by then," he left some parting words and departed.

Before going to sleep, I felt a strange sensation, but I guess it was just my imagination. Anyway, Gordon and I were going to stay on the Red Force for the next three days, and during that time, we decided to discuss our plans for the future.

At least for the next three days, I was filled with joy to be with Shanks and the others, and I had completely forgotten about the faint doubts I had.

***

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