"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"
"Alright, Uta, you don't have to feel sad. We'll always be watching over you. The sooner you grow up, the sooner we can meet again."
One problem with Den Den Mushi is that it can't hide emotions. At this moment, tears were streaming from Shanks' Den Den Mushi, a genuine reflection of Uta's situation.
Recalling Stella's words, he realized he might truly not understand women's thoughts.
This was the result even after he bid farewell. If he had left without saying goodbye, due to the lie, Uta might have been in even more despair.
"Beckman? Do I really not understand women?"
After hanging up the phone, Shanks looked at Beckman beside him. Despite Beckman looking like a serious person, he was actually a playboy who often mingles with women during their breaks.
"You are really clueless, aren't you? Like Uta said, you're a complete idiot."
Amidst his crew's mocking laughter, the Red Force returned once again to Foosha Village, where they had some unfinished business.
Meanwhile, aboard Tesoro's ship, Heracross was holding a tissue and looking at Ann and Uta.
Ann was closest in age to Uta. Stella thought she could divert Uta's attention, so she arranged for Ann to comfort Uta and help her move on from this matter quickly.
"Don't worry. With your talent, you'll soon grow into a world-class singer, and then he'll come back for you."
What she needed to grow up in wasn't status but psychological resilience. It was not something a child can learn. She needs enough time, and during this period, becoming a singer became her goal to strive for.
This was her own dream and also why Tesoro initially wanted to sign her.
"So, I'll show you something fun."
Saying that, Ann brought out Shanks' wanted poster, tore off his photo, and with her abilities, a fake Shanks quickly appeared before Uta.
"Sh-Shanks?!"
"I'm a user of the Vision-Vision Fruit. Though it's fake, I can create illusions for you when you call, so it's almost like the real thing."
Back in Elegia, they were classmates. Now, with the power of this fruit, their relationship quickly warmed up. On the other side, Darkrai had also resumed his journey, leaving Tesoro with some additional information before departing.
"That thing inside the girl's body is still there. If it comes out again, you can contact Lord Arceus, and I'll come to deal with it."
This time, the Demon King of Songs escaped quickly. If it had been any slower, Darkrai would have made it disappear forever.
But this was also a good thing for Darkrai. Such a delicious thing was rare.
However, it was too weak at the moment. Even if Uta sang Tot Musica again, it wouldn't be able to appear.
Due to Darkrai's desires, he hoped the Demon King of Songs would come out again after some time.
But contacting him could only be done through Arceus; besides Arceus, no one can find him while he is roaming the seas.
As for whether contacting Arceus for such a trivial matter would be inappropriate, think of it this way: he was just asking someone to convey a message to his "father," that it was his snack time. Such a small thing is no big deal.
Afterward, Darkrai disappeared before them. Meanwhile, Tesoro looked at the newspaper that had just been delivered.
"Is Marines' action...fast or slow?"
To say they are fast, Tesoro and Shanks had fought with that demon-thing in Elegia for half a day, yet not a shadow of the Marines was seen.
To say they are slow, they arrived right after the incident was dealt with, and they even managed to collect information and publish a newspaper.
The newspaper reported on the Elegia incident. The final statistics showed that half of Elegia's total population was injured or dead, and the country was in ruins, no different from being destroyed.
When only Gordon remained, he couldn't resent Uta. In fact, he didn't have the right to because he knew about the sealed Demon King of Songs. In truth, most of Elegia's people had heard the story, but they treated it as a legend.
In Gordon's eyes, Uta was also a victim. The one who forgot about this matter was the real culprit behind the Demon King's resurrection. But it was different now. With this incident, the remaining citizens had lost a lot, and their emotions needed an outlet.
At Shanks' request, he became the outlet for the people's resentment in Elegia.
While they resented the Demon King of Songs, they also held a grudge against the one who released the demon king.
Moreover, the Marines, to exaggerate the threat of pirates, also added the title of Nation Destroyer to Shanks.
The Marine's information was already exaggerated, and Morgans even outdid them in this respect.
[The Destroyer of Elegia, the Man Closest to the Emperor of the Sea.]
This was the title bestowed upon Shanks. The Beasts Pirates destroyed the Shikkearu Kingdom, Big Mom had also destroyed kingdoms and islands due to food issues, and as for Whitebeard, while he treated his territory's people fairly well, outside, he was a pirate who had done similar things.
The ability to destroy the world wasn't just exaggerated; it was because the Marines had witnessed islands being destroyed by Whitebeard's power.
"Nation Destroyer" almost became synonymous with the Emperors of the Sea. Shanks, having achieved half of this feat, naturally also earned this title.
Of course, something like the Demon King of Songs couldn't be publicized everywhere. So in the public announcement, Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates became the main cause of disaster.
...
"Madam, should we show this newspaper to Uta?"
"Wait a bit. Her emotions are unstable right now. Let's wait a while before deciding. Also, what about the things you were supposed to take care of?"
"We've cleared everything. Before leaving, we searched the entire island for similar things. There shouldn't be any leaked footage."
"Good, be more vigilant. Dispose of anything you find promptly. It's not time for her to see this yet."
The Den Den Mushi's popularity was high, so Elegia also has recording devices. To prevent Uta from accidentally seeing these videos and disrupting their plans, Stella had the devices collected before leaving.
Meanwhile, the events in Elegia also affected many others. For example, in an unknown place in East Blue, a certain red-nose was so frightened after reading the newspaper that he turned into several pieces.
"What's wrong, Captain Buggy? Any big news?"
"Oh, it's about Shanks. Heard he did something terrifying. Quite impressive..."
In the eyes of pirates, Shanks' actions were undoubtedly extraordinary, but his casual remark annoyed Buggy nearby.
"Get back to your work now!"
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