Hey, everyone! Welcome back to "Omni Force: RED"! I hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long for this story's return. To be honest, I'm really excited to dive deeper into it as we head into the next few chapters.
I don't need to bore you all with a long-winded introduction now. Let's get right back to it!
OMNI FORCE
RED
As the stadium arches folded in, Sasuke looked around carefully with his Sharingan, scanning the area. He and the others were still stuck to the musical staff up in the air, with some trying to pull themselves free from it. Nami was one of them, gritting her teeth.
"We gotta get outta here and help those two!" she insisted desperately, "Uta's crazy!" she exclaimed on.
"Calm down," the rogue shinobi insisted to her surprise, "You saw what happened, didn't you?" he inquired of her, "It's not just Bartolomeo who's here," he pointed out.
"Law too, huh?" Sakura presumed, "I'm sure he could help us out," she noted confidently.
"That's only if Miss Uta's gonna let him get close…" Lector chimed in, trying to pry himself from the musical staff, "And since she already beat milady and Luffy, I don't know if anyone can stop her…" he mentioned worriedly.
"Even after taking an attack from Sunset, she brushed it off like it was nothing…" Robin commented.
"Milady…" Sting uttered worriedly.
"Luffy…" Chopper whimpered while trying to free himself still. Elsewhere, the pair of Omni Force members reappeared with Bartolomeo atop a bridge in between of castle-like towers that were leading back toward the main island from the stadium.
"Okay, I think we're safe…" the Barrier-Barrier user presumed as his colleagues stood up.
"But where are we?" Sunset asked. Just then, she and the others noticed a figure coming out from one of the towers at the far end of the bridge. Bartolomeo cracked a grin, rubbing his nose and chuckling.
"Well…" he uttered, "I didn't think you'd be a fan of Miss Uta, too…" he pointed out, as the one who appeared was none other than Trafalgar Law.
"Traffie!" the Equestrian Magic user exclaimed, "Wait, why are you here?" she asked in confusion, "You're the last person I think would wanna go to a concert…" she pointed out.
"I'm just a chaperone…" the Op-Op user replied, furthering her confusion as she arched an eyebrow. Before she could ask another question, she saw flashing lights coming from the tower as another figure emerged. It was Bepo, dressed in Uta-themed garb with a backpack that protruded a light fixture that shined brightly.
"Hi…" he greeted.
"For Bepo…" his captain muttered.
"I'm sorry…" the polar bear mink apologized.
"Thanks for the save, Traffie!" Luffy called out gratefully with a laugh.
"Wouldn't laugh if I were you, Straw Hat," the Op-Op user advised in response as he approached, "If we can't figure out Uta's power, she'll catch us all," he pointed out.
"I'd like to see her try," Sunset challenged as she socked her right fist into her left hand, "Send me back," she insisted, much to Law's shock.
"Are you crazy?!" he shouted in question, "You saw what she did to you back there, right?" he inquired further.
"That doesn't matter! Our friends are in trouble!" the Equestrian Magic user yelled back, "Besides, I can't let her get away with what she's doing…" she added, clenching her fists tightly.
"What she's doing?" Bartolomeo repeated in surprise.
"You saw her memories, didn't you?" Law assumed, narrowing his eyes, "You have an idea how her power works then?" he questioned.
"Oh there you are!" the diva's voice echoed out, getting their attentions before Sunset could respond. They looked up to see her flying in on a yellow musical note. "Can't hide from me~!" she sang out. The Equestrian Magic user snarled.
"Who says we're hiding?!" she shouted in question as she ponied up, thrusting her hands out to fire off a sparkling amber beam of light up toward Uta.
"Shimmer, wait!" Law yelled. The diva easily evaded the incoming ray by gliding off to the side, giggling all the while. The Equestrian Magic user clenched her teeth, firing off a barrage of beams that her foe easily kept dodging.
"What do we do?!" Bartolomeo inquired in panic. The Op-Op user grimaced.
"Let's retreat for now," he advised, turning and grabbing hold of a star-struck Bepo, hurrying off. The Barrier-Barrier user went ahead and grasped Luffy, running with him.
"Hey, Miss Sunset!" he called out, "I don't think it's a good idea to take her on after what happened!" he noted to her, "Come on, let's regroup!" he insisted. Frustrated, the red-and-yellow-haired girl let her magical form disappear in a flash before turning and running off after the others. Seeing that, Uta cracked a grin.
"These pirates aren't so tough! They're running away!" she pointed out, her voice echoing across the island to her many fans back in the stadium, "Let's team up and hunt them down!" she insisted. Elsewhere, a large door opened up, revealing a colorful vehicle of musical instruments hovering out, being led by a pair of musical soldiers. Following it were many of the concert attendees, who held their fists up in solidarity. Their idol landed atop the vehicle, smiling proudly.
"I can't get the SWORD transponder snail to work…" Helmeppo whispered over to Coby while holding a device in the palm of his left hand, as they were blending in with the crowd.
"Keep trying," the marine captain insisted quietly, "If Uta goes through with her plan, this'll get ugly real fast…" he pointed out.
"Oh, so SWORD has their eyes on Uta, eh?" another voice chimed in curiously, getting his attention as he and his colleague turned to see Blueno walking just in front of them. Coby gasped lightly in surprise.
"Cipher Pol's on the job, too?" Helmeppo noted as he pushed up his shades for a moment, "News to me…" he grumbled.
"So what?" his friend questioned, "We don't have time to start an argument with another department…" he pointed out seriously, "Think you can use your Door-Door power to help us?" he requested of the CP0 agent.
"I wonder if you know too much…" he commented.
"I know more than you…" Coby retorted. There was a brief moment of silence between them.
"I could use my power, but I'd rather save my stamina until we have a better plan…" Blueno told the marine captain.
"Fair enough…" he responded quietly.
"So what's the call?" Helmeppo asked, "We're running out of time…" he pointed out. Coby looked around for a moment in thought. He then noticed the musical staff entrapping the pirates and Omni Force members over the stadium.
"We'll bolster our numbers," he decided, "For now… that's all we can do," he confirmed.
X
"This sucks…" Luffy grumbled, being carried by Bartolomeo as they ran across the island, "She got my whole crew and my other friends, too…" he pointed out while holding onto his straw hat, "They're just stuck on some lines, so it's probably okay…" he noted further, "but I still wanna save 'em!" he added in frustration.
"I know things ain't lookin' great, but I'm so honored to be givin' you a lift, Mister Luffy!" the Barrier-Barrier user exclaimed, tears streaking down his face as he smiled while skipping along, "These tears of gratitude are all I can see—!" Because he was so impaired by his tears, he ended up crashing face first into a wall with his idol, starting to fall over.
"Straw Hat!" Bepo cried out, grabbing onto the right arm of the Gum-Gum user from the level above the wall to keep him and Bartolomeo from hitting the ground.
"Oh, thanks Mister Bear!" the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates exclaimed gratefully. He hopped out of the Barrier-Barrier user's grasp, subsequently causing him to fall backwards and hit the ground hard.
"Ow, my frickin' head!" he yelled as he rolled about in pain. Sunset jogged over and helped him back onto his feet.
"Stop screwing around, we need to hurry!" Law called out. As the group made their way up to the next level, the Equestrian Magic user looked out and gasped. Laid before them was a whole city that kept in line with its musical theme from the stadium, having arch-like structures that resembled instrument strings. But instead of people, there were several musical soldiers floating about, no doubt in search of the group.
"Whoa, it's a whole city!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Being patrolled by those things…" Sunset mentioned with a grimace, "Uta's cornering us…" she noted in frustration.
"Gentlemen," a voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to see someone walking out from one of the nearby buildings, being the elderly man who was watching the show from afar earlier, "And lady," he added politely over to Sunset, who blinked in surprise. It wasn't long before he led the group to a church-like estate on the island's outskirts. The building itself was practically in ruins, seeming like it hadn't been used in years.
"Oh man, you really saved our butts…" Bartolomeo pointed out to the elderly man. He didn't pay him any mind, instead turning his attention to the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Your name is Luffy, yes?" he presumed of him.
"Yep!" he confirmed.
"And who are you?" Sunset asked, folding her arms over her chest. The elderly man turned to face them as Bartolomeo accidentally bumped into some crates, almost knocking them over.
"Straight to the point then…" he said, "My name is Gordon, and I am the former ruler of this nation known as Elegia," he introduced.
"Not much of a nation without a bunch of people in it…" the Barrier-Barrier user commented as Law wandered in, surveying the area for any signs of the musical soldiers, "You just got a bunch of buildings…" he added, earning himself an elbowing from Sunset.
"That may be true now," the captain of the Heart Pirates chimed in as he approached alongside Bepo, "but Elegia was once known as the music capital of the world," he told the group, "Until all its citizens disappeared overnight," he mentioned.
"Robin brought something like that up…" Sunset recalled, putting her left hand onto her chin in thought.
"So what happened to 'em?" Bartolomeo asked curiously.
"It was the work of a famous pirate, or so they say…" Law replied, glancing over to Gordon for confirmation.
"…And that pirate was Shanks, wasn't it?" the Equestrian Magic user presumed, causing everyone to slightly widen their eyes in surprise. The former ruler of the island tensed up. Outside, the fans of Uta continued to march along the island after her, heading all across the island in search of their targets.
"Let me tell you something about Uta," Gordon began to the group before him, "After Elegia's citizens were gone, I raised her in this city myself," he confirmed.
"Wait… what?" Luffy uttered in surprise.
"So that must've been around the time after she left Shanks' crew…" Sunset concluded, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"But as I said, the others were gone," Gordon noted, "so it was only us," he recalled, thinking back to how he cared for the diva as a surrogate when she was still so young, "I'm sure she was terribly lonely," he mentioned, "Of course, she put on a brave face around me," he added further in remembrance, "But many times when she was alone, I would catch her singing about her lost friends…" he noted.
I recall that day we played together by the sea~…
Just you and me~…
Still that scent of ocean seems to fade each passing day~…
It slips away~…
So I sing an old familiar song~…
I hope you know the one~…
I will sing to call you back to me~…
"I had hoped to fill her voice with boundless joy," Gordon recalled, "I raised her to be the greatest singer the world had ever known…" he mentioned. Though as he was explaining… Luffy was building a pile of rocks and wood. "Hey, are you even listening?!" the former ruler of the island shouted in question, "This is important!" he yelled. Law sighed with exasperation, while Sunset let off a frustrated growl.
"Don't worry, Pops," Bartolomeo chimed in, "I'll listen for him," he assured, "Keep talkin'," he said. At that moment, Bepo's light contraption suddenly activated, with the lights flashing brightly and music blaring out. He yelped in panic as the others looked over at him.
"Sorry…!" he apologized, managing to turn his device off.
"So I guess that explains why Uta doesn't know a thing about Luffy, given how infamous he is…" Sunset noted, "She was kept out of the rest of the world's reach," she mentioned. At that moment, Bepo's contraption flashed on again.
"Ah, oh, jeez!" he yelped, quickly fussing to turn it off once more, "Sorry…" he apologized. Gordon looked down for a moment.
"The greatest question I faced was where and when to present her singing to the world…" he told the group, "She remained secluded here for years, so she was ignorant of outside affairs as you've deduced," he mentioned over to the Equestrian Magic user, "But then… the time came in a way I couldn't have anticipated…" he said to the group's surprise, "It was two years ago," he recalled, "She stumbled upon something by chance," he added, "A new kind of video transponder snail had washed up on the beach," he explained, "Uta started sending her songs beyond the island," he continued, "Suddenly, she was free, soaring from its confines!" he exclaimed, "Before long, she had amassed a countless number of fans," he recalled further, "Her voice reached every corner of the globe, even as she stayed in the silent, empty city," he kept going.
"Thanks, Uta! You're the best!"
"I'm all better now!"
"I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I can face it thanks to you."
Those messages, along with others, poured in for the diva right from the start. Her angelic voice was a beacon of hope for many people. And she would listen to their grateful words, inspiring her further.
"It's nothing..." she had once proclaimed while being recorded by the video transponder snail, "I am just… so happy you all like my singing…" she said while letting tears of joy streak down her face. However, things didn't get better.
"The more people she reached, the more she learned about the state of the outside world…" Gordon noted, "Soon she learned that the Great Pirate Era was a time of unending war and bloodshed for many innocent people," he explained on, "At first, she only hoped to uplift them with her music…" he recalled, "But as time went on… fans started to hail Uta as some sort of savior for the downtrodden," he told the group, "Uta… didn't deny them," he said.
"I get it! I feel the same way, too!" she had exclaimed during one of her recordings, "I'll create a new age…" she promised, "And then… we will be free!" she declared.
"Luffy… you must stop Uta's plan before it's too late!" Gordon pointed out desperately to the Gum-Gum user, who was continuing to stack rocks as the pile he was making reached well above his own height, "You were her friend, weren't you?!" he questioned of him, "Surely you can do it!" he proclaimed.
"Whoa, hold on…" Sunset chimed in as she put her hands out in a placating manner, "What plan?" she asked.
"I would've thought you'd know, Shimmer…" Law remarked, getting her attention.
"Yeah, didn't you read her mind or something?" Bartolomeo asked with a confused tilt of his head.
"I only saw part of it," the Equestrian Magic user confirmed as she took out her pendant, rubbing it in between her fingers, "My memory magic's basically a two-way street with people," she told the group, "Depending upon their willingness to share their memories, it can be difficult to see the things I want to," she mentioned.
"So what did you see?" the Op-Op user asked. Sunset looked down for a moment.
"All of us were at the concert, though it was all foggy and rainy…" she recalled, "Uta started singing and then… I think we all blacked out," she confirmed to the others' shock.
"Wait, blacked out?!" Bartolomeo repeated.
"As I feared, it's already begun…" Gordon grimly commented.
"Which means the concert's a part of her plan…" Law realized, "What else do you know?" he asked of the island's former ruler. Sunset glanced over to Luffy, who still wasn't bothering to pay attention to a single thing she and the others were talking about, continuing to build up his pile of rocks and wood planks. Normally, she wouldn't be so irritated with him goofing off. However, something about the situation made her far more annoyed with him than usual. With another growl of frustration, she kicked down his pile.
"Ah!" he yelped, "What'd you do that for?!" he yelled in question.
"You're the one who's not paying attention to what your friend is doing to all these people, including our own friends!" the Equestrian Magic user shouted back, getting right into his face.
"They're gonna be fine, Sunset!" he assured as retort, "I don't think Uta's gonna hurt them…" he mentioned while putting his hands onto his hips.
"That's not the point!" Sunset bellowed, "Whatever she's up to, it's putting all of our lives in danger like Gordon's saying!" she mentioned further, "We have to stop her!" she insisted firmly.
"And… how are we gonna do that?" Bartolomeo asked, getting their attentions, "Look, I get where you're comin' from, Miss Sunset…" he noted while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "But you saw what Miss Uta could do to you two and your friends back there…" he added seriously. The Equestrian Magic user clenched her fists tightly.
"She hasn't seen the best of me yet…" she growled out in response. Luffy blinked in surprise.
"Hey," he said, grabbing Sunset's right arm to her surprise, "You're not gonna try and hurt Uta, are you?" he inquired of her.
"She's the one who started this!" she argued, pulling her arm away, "I can't see why you don't wanna stop her!" she pointed out.
"Oh man, I don't like this…" Bartolomeo commented as sweat trickled down his head.
"It's one thing for Straw Hat to be irrational…" Law remarked, looking over to Sunset with concern as she and Luffy kept arguing. At that moment, he overheard Bepo's contraption go off yet again, causing him to let out an annoyed sigh.
"Sorry…" he apologized sheepishly as he turned it off.
"Bepo!" Law yelled as he turned, only to blink in surprise. The polar bear mink had been engulfed in colorful musical notes, which then dissipated to reveal that he had been shrunk to a small, cutesy version of himself.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he shrieked, waving his arms frantically.
"BEPPPPOOOOO?!" Law exclaimed in shock.
"UH OH!" Bartolomeo yelped. Their shouts were enough to make both Luffy and Sunset stop arguing as they looked over. The colorful musical notes returned to Uta, who stood at the entryway to the building with her musical hovercraft behind her. The bright light from outside shined in as well.
"Uta…" Gordon uttered as he stepped forward.
"Gordon… what are you doing with these pirates?" the diva growled in question, sounding disappointed. Sunset clenched her teeth together, ponying up in a flash of amber light. She was about to lunge out, only to be stopped as Luffy put a hand onto her shoulder. He stepped forward.
"Uta… tell me why you really left Shanks' crew back then," he requested of Sing-Sing user. She merely scoffed. "You said you were his musician, so didn't you wanna stick with them?" the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates asked, "Did something happen?" he inquired on.
"That's enough…" the diva snarled out, "I don't wanna talk about Shanks ever again…" she confirmed, starting to sound angry, "SHUT UPPPPPPP!" she suddenly roared, with the force of her voice slamming into everyone in front of her. It was enough to knock down Gordon and even make Sunset slightly slide back. Before she and Luffy could think to do anything, they both found themselves entrapped in colorful musical notes. And in the process, the latter's straw hat had gotten blown off.
Uta noticed it. The wind blowing through the building carried it over to her before Bartolomeo could catch it. It spun in an orb of transparent gold light, hovering just above her.
"You don't need this stupid hat, or the One Piece, and you don't need to be King of the Pirates, either…" she listed off to Luffy, who was trying to break free of his entrapment, "I can give you everything that matters…" she proclaimed, "Stop fighting and enjoy life with me…" she insisted, smiling all the while.
"You stop!" the Gum-Gum user retorted, "Let me go!" he demanded, gritting his teeth as he tried to free himself from the musical notes. Sunset grimaced, vanishing in a flash of amber light, causing the notes that were once surrounding her to dissipate. She reappeared above the diva as she looked up, seeing her soar down while cloaking her right fist in an amber luminosity.
"Shimmer, don't!" Law yelled in panic. An eruption of horns went off, blowing the Equestrian Magic user back as she crashed up against the ceiling, falling toward the floor.
"Sunset!" Luffy cried out. Luckily, the Op-Op user hopped over to catch her in his arms. She batted her eyes open, glaring at Uta, whose focus was still on the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"We could arm wrestle and eat all kinds of food…" she pointed out, "Like we did before, right?" she noted, "Just laughing and living in peace…" she commented on, grabbing hold of the straw hat as it came down in front of her.
"Give that hat back!" Luffy roared, "Then we can talk!" he affirmed angrily.
"And let our friends go, too…!" Sunset snarled as she tried to rush out at her again, only for Law to hold her back. Uta gave off a disappointed look.
"Fine, Luffy…" she uttered in acceptance, "I don't need you… not in my new age," she proclaimed, turning her gaze away, "Too bad…" she said as her eyes shimmered briefly. A bright red light flashed from the musical vehicle behind her.
"Room!" Law yelled instinctively, making a blue spherical space expand outward from his position, engulfing him, Luffy, Sunset, and Bartolomeo.
"Traffie, wai—!"
"Shambles!" the Op-Op user yelled as he flipped his left hand over. In an instant, the quartet vanished, with a cleaved tree appearing in their place as it fell onto the floor. Amongst the musical soldiers that came into the building were a few of Uta's fans.
"Huh? Where'd they go?!" one man asked.
"Thought we had them cornered for sure…" a woman commented.
"I see…" Uta uttered, "Guess there's all kinds of powers, huh…" she noted, "It's no biggie!" she proclaimed with a bright smile, "Let's make it a game!" she decided excitedly, "It's a hunt for runaway pirates!" she announced as her musical vehicle left alongside her fans and the soldiers. However, she stayed behind, looking back toward Gordon as he slowly got to his feet.
X
"LET ME GO!" Luffy roared out angrily, "I gotta get that hat back!" he insisted.
"Shut up!" Law yelled, "You're in timeout because I don't want you to do anything stupid…" he muttered, pushing along a ball-shaped barrier that Bartolomeo had conjured, trapping the Gum-Gum user inside with him as they ventured along the path up the hillside, "Honestly, I should put Shimmer in there with you…" the captain of the Heart Pirates mentioned as he glanced over to the Equestrian Magic user walking beside him, as she was transformed back to normal.
"Try it…" she challenged with a glare, making him flinch slightly.
"We can't just keep runnin' away from Miss Uta…" the Barrier-Barrier user commented, keeping his fingers crossed to maintain his barrier while Luffy was just rolling along in it, having a sickly expression upon his face as he was pressed up against the conjured barricade.
"Our objective now is to get to the port," Law said.
"Why…?" Luffy asked as he rolled about.
"I noticed quite a few Marines and intel agents in the audience," the Op-Op user noted to the group.
"What do you think that means?" Bartolomeo asked.
"It means that the World Government and the Navy have already noticed Uta's power," Law responded.
"And they probably consider her a threat…" Sunset added in realization.
"So they want her and are plannin' to make a move?" Bartolomeo guessed.
"Yeah…" Law replied, taking his hands off of the barrier ball as the group had reached the top of the hill, grabbing hold of his scabbard, "The idea is to find someone from the Navy and get them to talk so that we can—"
"Uh, Traffie?!" Sunset yelped, interjecting her colleague as she pointed over to the Barrier-Barrier user, who was still walking along with Luffy despite the others having stopped. And he didn't seem to notice that he was heading for a cliff.
"Hey, stop!" Law yelled upon noticing, quickly running over with the Equestrian Magic user. Unfortunately, it was too late. The second Bartolomeo looked down, the barrier ball had gone over the edge. He screamed as he and his idol began rolling down the cliff.
"Uh, don't worry! We won't die! My barrier's real strong!" he reassured, though sounded very panicked, "It won't stop rollin' though!" he pointed out, trying desperately and failing to stop his barrier from bowling uncontrollably toward the city. Law and Sunset watched on, knowing that there were musical soldiers scouting about.
"Come on!" the latter yelled, hurrying off as she activated her magic, letting her amber energy wings appear at her back before flying off. The Op-Op user quickly teleported himself after her. In the meantime, the barrier ball kept bounding about the city. At one point, it ended up going high into the sky.
"Aw, crap! This is too high!" Bartolomeo yelled, while Luffy's face was turning blue as his cheeks puffed out. Fortunately, the barrier ended up landing at the top of one of the harp-like arches of the island, bouncing to a stop. The Barrier-Barrier user sighed with relief, while his idol looked ready to puke his guts out.
Musical soldiers were scouting the area. Bartolomeo grimaced, hoping that they wouldn't discover him and Luffy almost in plain sight. But fortunately, they left, much to his relief as he exhaled. He then turned to his idol… and grimaced upon noticing how sickly he appeared.
"Mister Luffy, I'm beggin' ya! You gotta hold it in…!" he insisted. The barrier ball began sliding before rolling along again, heading down the arch as its occupants screamed for their lives. They fell towards the port, as Sunset noticed from afar.
"Well, that's one way to get there…" she remarked as she flew over. Back at the church-like building on the outskirts, Gordon sat up against the wall as Uta approached him. She seemed… somewhat ashamed.
"Hey, Gordon…" she began, "are you mad?" she presumed, "Because I did this concert without asking you?" she inquired further.
"It's not just a concert… is it?" he assumed as a response.
"I-If you know that, then you'll support me…" the diva proclaimed with a stutter, "right?" she asked through her teeth almost threateningly.
"…Not…Not in the way you want…" Gordon answered, looking at Uta's smiling face.
"Must be nice to have that choice…" she growled out while gripping the straw hat she took tightly in her left hand, "To turn away…" she added, the anger in her voice growing.
"I only want what's best for you!" the island's former ruler proclaimed, bringing himself up onto his feet, "Which is most certainly not this!" he affirmed, "Listen—!" His shouts were halted as he suddenly found himself hung off of the floor by a musical staff that the Sing-Sing user conjured.
"Just wait there for now," she advised.
"If you don't stop this, the World Government will come for you!" Gordon warned desperately.
"Let them come!" Uta retorted, holding up a set of sheet music, "I have this…" she pointed out. The former ruler of the island gasped.
"Tot Musica…!" he exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing with that?!" he inquired out of panic.
"I knew you hid it beneath the castle," the diva noted as a response, "It was waiting for me to find it," she mentioned, having her colorful musical notes envelop the sheets, turning them into a single white chip that she held in her fingers, "Why didn't you throw it away?" she asked of her caretaker, "Maybe all this time… you've hoped for the dawn of a new age… just like me…" she presumed, inserting the chip into a port that opened upon her headphones.
"Uta!" Gordon yelled, "You can't use that! Please!" he begged of her as she made a large yellow musical note appear beneath her feet, carrying her up from the ground and flying her away, "NO!" her caretaker screamed. Still present, Bepo went over and let out a worried moan. The diva soared along the skyline of the island, having not a care in the world as she smiled. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching that new age she dreamed of.
A new age… What a farce.
"Huh?" Uta uttered in surprise upon hearing the voice suddenly echo, bringing herself to a stop as she looked around, "Uh, hello?" she called out.
You can call it whatever you want. But in the end, your new age is just a cover for your fans… and for yourself…
"Okay, this isn't funny…" the diva remarked, giving off a nervous grin, "Why don't you come out and enjoy the show?" she offered.
You know how this show is going to end. What new age is there without people to help build it? You're not giving them freedom and peace… You're caging them for eternity.
"Alright, that's enough!" Uta shouted, "I don't know who you are, but I'm not caging anyone!" she affirmed loudly, "Why don't you just show yourself already, huh?!" she yelled out. She heard footsteps nearby, getting her attention as she turned and spotted a figure walking out from one of the buildings nearby. It was a slender young woman with red eyes and black hair with diagonally cut bangs. She had two pairs of longer bangs, each on the front and back of her head, respectively. She wore a red qipao with a cherry blossom pattern that exposed much of her back, and a lily flower on the right side of her head. Something the diva noticed about her was that her feet were bare.
"This place… is a once in a lifetime dream, Uta," she told the Sing-Sing user, "But that's all it is," she pointed out to her surprise, "Making a dream a reality is difficult, but you can't do it like this…" she mentioned further, "I hope you'll think on that…" she said, turning around and walking back into the building.
"Hey, wait!" Uta called out, only for the wind to suddenly breeze by, making her flinch. She opened her eyes and found that the mysterious woman was gone. She didn't know what to think of that encounter. And as she flew off back toward the stadium, the smile on her face… was a bit more troubled.
X
"Looks like Straw Hat and his fanboy didn't get caught," Law noted as he and Sunset were walking down towards the port, having evaded the musical soldiers.
"Good…" the Equestrian Magic user sighed out, transforming back to normal in a flash of light, "If Uta catches Luffy, then things get much harder on us…" she pointed out. The Op-Op user glanced over, noticing how tense she appeared. Part of him didn't want to pry into why she was so on edge. But knowing that he had never seen her like this made him hesitant.
"Okay…" he uttered, getting her attention, "What's got you so riled up over Uta?" he asked to her surprise, "Obviously, the whole capturing your friends thing is a red flag…" he noted, scratching at his right cheek, "But I get the feeling there's more to it than that…" he mentioned with a concerned glance. Sunset sighed, turning away for a moment.
"…She reminds me a bit of myself," she admitted, "At least, a part of me that wants to do right by everyone, to make them happy…" she mentioned on, "but… I know something isn't right about this…" she affirmed, "I mean, we all heard Gordon warn us about whatever her plan is…" she added.
"And the concert seems to be a part of it somehow…" Law said, "You think it's her taking things a step too far, don't you?" he presumed. The Equestrian Magic user nodded.
"That's what scares me…" she admitted.
"Well, I think it's about to get worse…" the Op-Op user grumbled out as they arrived at the port. There, seagulls squawked overhead, while Bartolomeo looked out into the distance.
"Yep, that's a lot of water," he commented with his arms folded over his chest, "As far as the eye can see…" he added, "But what I don't see are any Navy ships…" he noted curiously.
"Barto!" Sunset called out, getting his attention as he turned to see her jogging over to him, with Law lagging behind.
"Miss Sunset!" the Barrier-Barrier user exclaimed, "Thank goodness you didn't get caught by those freaky scouts from Miss Uta…" he noted in relief.
"Same," the Equestrian Magic user remarked, "So… this is the port, right?" she inquired as she looked around.
"Yep," Bartolomeo replied, "The only one on the island I know," he mentioned, "But I don't see any Navy ships for miles…" he pointed out.
"What about your ship?" Sunset asked, "I figured it'd stick out like a sore thumb…" she noted, causing the Barrier-Barrier user to widen his eyes.
"Hey, you're right! Where is it?!" he exclaimed, looking around frantically.
"Did Uta make all of the ships disappear…?" the Equestrian Magic user wondered aloud, narrowing her eyes while putting her left hand onto her chin, "I wouldn't put it past her if she doesn't want anyone leaving…" she grumbled on, "By the way, where's Luffy?" she asked of Bartolomeo, getting his attention.
"Oh, Mister Luffy had a rough ride in, so… uh…" he started to reply.
"Huh… say no more…" Sunset sighed out.
"OH NO!" the Gum-Gum user yelled, causing the pair to perk up as he was running over to them.
"Luffy?" the red-and-yellow-haired girl said.
"What's wrong?" Bartolomeo asked.
"The Sunny's missing!" Luffy shouted in response, running frantically up and down the dock in search of the brigantine.
"Did somebody take off with your ship?!" the Barrier-Barrier user exclaimed, while Sunset grimaced.
"Guess that means Uta must've hidden it, too…" she presumed.
"Sunnnnyyyyy!" a voice suddenly echoed out, causing her and the others to stop in surprise. Luffy noticed something. Crawling up onto the dock was a plush-like lion with red pants, a white belt that had a number '1' for a buckle, and a fluffy tail to match its mane. It was soaked with seawater, letting out breaths as it reached the dock floor. "Sunny!" it exclaimed in greeting.
"Whoa, wait!" the Gum-Gum user exclaimed, falling to his hands and knees in front of the lion-like plush, "How did you get so tiny, Sunny?!" he inquired in shock.
"Did Miss Uta's powers do this, too?!" Bartolomeo presumed as Law approached, "This is gettin' frickin' crazy!" he yelled out.
"You're telling me…" Sunset muttered, wondering just what was going on. She looked up at the clear sky, thinking back to the memory she saw from Uta when the concert first began. It looked like it was going to be a terrible day for such an event with all of the rain and fog. And yet… it was gone. "Just what is this place?" she wondered aloud.
"Sunny…" Sunny sighed out. Meanwhile, navy ships were closing in on the island underneath a dark, cloudy sky. Messages and commands were going out to platoons all across the island as they disembarked, searching the ruined city for any sign of their target. For the moment, no enemy was sighted. Rain started to fall as one person arrived at the stadium, standing on the mainstage. He was a man with a dark red mohawk and a mustache. He wore the standard marine uniform, consisting of a purple and white pinstripe suit with a coat draped over his shoulders, like Kizaru. Underneath his coat lied a dark blue shirt and a light blue tie. He was of relatively tall height and very well-built. He carried around his weapon of choice, a katana, attached to his right hip.
"What happened here…?" he wondered aloud. Several people were in the vicinity, fast asleep. That included the likes of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Omni Force members, with Sunset and Luffy lying beside each other upon the grass in the rock formation with their friends. "No one's moving…" the vice admiral noted curiously. Amongst the crowd of sleeping people were Coby, Helmeppo, Law, Bepo, and many others. They were all snoozing soundly amidst the rain.
"This is armed scouting team seven," one marine reported through a communication line, "No intel found on Elegian citizens," he confirmed.
"Armed scout team two," another chimed in, "We haven't spotted any hostiles in the vicinity," he pointed out. Several small rowboats were venturing around the water of the arena, looking for signs of the target while also surveying the area.
"This is armed scout team four with a message for Vice Admiral Momonga," one more officer communicated, "The audience is still unconscious," he noted.
"You're certain they're not dead?" the mustached man on stage inquired into his transponder snail.
"No, just sleeping," a familiar voice chimed in, getting his attention as he turned to see Uta walking out into the open, carrying a basket with her left arm, "But they won't be waking up no matter what you do," she added. In the basket she had was not only Luffy's straw hat, but several mushrooms. Momonga quickly signaled for his soldiers to close in. "And if you kill me, their souls will be lost forever," she mentioned further as a warning, "I'm sure you think that sounds like a bluff…" she noted on, "but I wouldn't risk it if I were you," she advised.
"Young lady," a gruff voice greeted, getting her attention as she turned to see Fujitora there alongside the marine officers who had their rifles aimed her way, "I think I understand how your Devil Fruit power works, more or less," the admiral noted, holding onto his sheathed sword in both hands, "We all know what we're up against here…" he affirmed.
"Great, saves me an explanation…" Uta said as she sat down on the stage, "Okay, well… bye-bye then," she remarked, expecting her foes to leave, knowing they wouldn't be able to do anything, "It's alright…" she uttered, reaching into her basket, "Even if you don't like me," she continued as she took hold of one the mushrooms inside, "once I wrap this up, I'll be gone anyway…" she pointed out before eating the oddly-shaped fungus.
"I can tell by the scent that's a wake-shroom you're eating, correct?" Fujitora presumed as he sniffed. The diva shot him a thumbs-up in response.
"And what may that be?" Momonga asked.
"As the name implies, if you keep eating wake-shrooms, you'll never fall asleep," the blind admiral explained in response, "Though you will die soon enough…" he mentioned, causing the vice admiral to gasp with shock.
"What are you thinking?!" he inquired as he stomped up to Uta, "You're going to drag the whole audience into the abyss with you?!" he presumed angrily.
"Death isn't a big deal," Uta proclaimed as a retort, "The soul is way more important than the body, after all…" she pointed out, "We'll leave this sick world and enter a new age where we can live together in spirit," she declared. Fujitora stepped forward.
"I would rather not shed any blood if I can help it," he admitted to her, ready to draw his blade, "Is there some way we can make you reconsider, perhaps?" he inquired, "I'd hate to see this world thrown into chaos…" he commented, slowly pulling out his sword.
"Huh? Are you dumb?" the Sing-Sing user questioned back, "I want everyone to be happy," she affirmed, "It's kind of telling you think that's chaos…" she mentioned.
"Misguided or not, it seems like you're not going to budge…" the admiral realized, "even if we ask nicely…" he added.
"Drawing your weapon isn't nice…" Uta retorted, taking a deep breath as she was ready to sing.
"Not so fast!" Momonga exclaimed. He and the others were quick to put on mechanical headsets over themselves. "If we block out your voice, then there's nothing you can do," he pointed out.
"Nice try," the diva commented to his surprise, "But you're too late," she affirmed. All of a sudden, the figures of Coby and Helmeppo came down onto the stage, blasting several of the marine officers away as Momonga and Fujitora stood their ground. The dust settled, revealing both young marines standing off against their superiors.
"Captain Coby?" the admiral uttered in surprise, followed by noticing that both he and his friend were still asleep despite standing up, "I get it…" he realized, "So this is another effect of your Devil Fruit's power…" he concluded.
"Heyyyy~!" Uta echoed out to the rest of the sleeping audience, "The bad guys are here!" she pointed out as some members in the crowd got up, still asleep, "Let's beat them up together! Fight for our new era!" she declared. The marines in the rowboats and those in the vicinity started to panic, with some aiming their rifles at the audience members.
"These are innocent civilians she's controlling! Don't harm them!" Fujitora quickly commanded, "Stand your ground and be careful!" he insisted. Unfortunately, it was difficult for his soldiers to do much with so many people coming after them. One by one, each of them were relieved of their headsets. And by the time many had lost them, it was too late…
I'm sick and tired of being alone~
Wanna be connected~
Have a bond to hold on to~…!
Just gonna lay it all out~…
How I feel, honest~… (Shout out~!)
With several marines under her control, Uta had both them and audience members deal with other soldiers, all while she sang and danced. Even the likes of Momonga and Fujitora were having trouble dealing with stopping them without doing them any harm. It didn't help that more and more of their men were falling to the allure of the diva's voice.
Listen, baby, makin' you happy~
Whether you like it or not~!
Gonna be up in your ears~
No runnin' away~
Just wait for the beat to drop~!
So just stay out of my way~!
Be my good, good, good boys and girls~!
You think you're so tough~
Well I've had enough of it~…
I got something here that's better~
So come on up and we can sing together~
Fun unfettered~…
Get on stage~… Let's go~!
Wanna make your day~
Do my thing loud and proud~! Hey~!
No shame in what I create~
I got this down~!
Everything exactly how we want it~…
This is a utopia~…!
Been a long time coming~
Now it's here to stay~
You can't deny~…!
It's a miracle of mercy~
You can't stop it if you try~…!
I know it's possible~
I'm not trying to ask too much~…
Salvation's got to come~…
This generation's done~…
I'm tired of never being listened to~…
The screams were never heard~…
The suffering endured~…
But no more~!
Watch me rock this~!
They got nothing~!
Up to me~
You just need to stay out of my way~!
There's no turning back now~!
Gonna be singing jointly for all time~…!
Fujitora and Momonga were practically the only ones left, as the former found himself needing to tactically retreat and lure more marine officers away down towards the bridge leading to the main island. He countered their sword swipes and deflected their bullets, hoping to find a way to stop Uta. But before he could think about that, a small, oval-shaped space opened up like a door right behind him. He turned as it was none other than Blueno there, rearing his right arm back for a punch.
Blowin' your mind with my pace~!
Drummin' to burst your ear drum~!
Bring in the bass, guitar and keys~!
Macaferri got nothing on me, no~!
As the admiral was having trouble, so too was Momonga, who found himself met with Law and Bepo attacking him. The sleeping Op-Op user swung his blade down mightily onto the vice admiral. Though he blocked it, he ended up crashing into the water below.
Let me hear you shout~!
Banish every gaslight~!
Let clarity shine~!
Gotta clean up this brainwash~
Don't let 'em tell you lies~…!
Heads up, let my song clear your senses~…
All you really need is my true voice~…!
With most of the arriving marines now under her control, it seemed as if nothing was going to stop Uta. And watching from afar curiously was none other than Xiaomei, who put her right hand up to her cheek. She hummed softly.
"Is this really the one you want, Arawan?" she wondered aloud.
X
The sun shone over the stage as a seagull flew by, passing the musical staff where the Straw Hats and Omni Force members were left stuck. Some were still desperately trying to pry themselves free, while others were thinking about a way in which they could escape. In other cases, some were getting worried both Luffy and Sunset.
"How long has it been?" Nami asked, managing to glance off to the side.
"Probably a couple hours…" Sanji responded, "And we're still not making any headway here…" he grumbled, having remained stuck to the staff like his friends.
"Heh," Zoro chuckled, "You have no idea how stupid you look," he noted to the cook.
"Oh, shut up!" he yelled.
"Guys, is this really the time to bickering?!" Sakura shouted in question.
"Yeah, we gotta help milady and Luffy!" Lector insisted, "Even if Traffie's with 'em, we can still do something, I bet!" he affirmed on.
"Like what exactly?" Kyoya asked, "How are we supposed to beat someone who can basically control… everything?!" he inquired on.
"That's not what this is," Sasuke chimed in, getting everyone's attention.
"Sasuke?" the kunoichi uttered out of confusion.
"Let me ask, do you really think that a Devil Fruit based around singing could do all of this?" the rogue shinobi inquired of his colleagues, "Even if it's awakened, I don't understand how manifesting things into reality makes any sense for that," he explained to them.
"That's a good point…" Usopp admitted.
"So then… this isn't reality?" Jimbei presumed.
"By my guess, it's a genjutsu, like the Infinite Tsukuyomi," Sasuke told the group, causing Sakura to blink in surprise, "In reality, we're probably all under Uta's influence," he mentioned.
"Her song…" Applejack uttered, widening her eyes, "It's like the sirens!" she exclaimed.
"The who now?" Star asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion.
"Uh, never mind…" the cowgirl said with a sigh, "Guess that kinda explains what got Sunset so worked up…" she pointed out. Nami frowned sadly.
"I hope she's okay…" she said out of worry, "I've… never seen her like that…" she noted.
"Me either…" Sting chimed in, "But knowing milady, she'll be fine," he affirmed confidently, "Right now, we need to get ourselves outta here," he insisted.
"Right!" Usopp agreed, trying to pull himself off of the musical staff, only for the left side of his face to be practically glued to it, "Franky! Jimbei!" he called out, "You guys having any luck over there?!" he inquired of them.
"Nope! Super-stuck!" the cyborg responded.
"I fear it's the same for me as well…" the fish-man added, "Also…" he continued, noticing the flame of Charizard's tail hovering dangerously close to him, "it's difficult for me to stay like this!" he confirmed in panic.
"Sorry about that!" Alain apologized, while the Flame Pokémon tried to move his tail as far as he could away from Jimbei, "Anyone else have a way out?" he questioned.
"Sasuke?" Sakura called out expectantly.
"Sorry, but trying to reverse the illusion won't work since we're already so deeply caught in it," the rogue shinobi confirmed apologetically.
"That's not good…" the kunoichi noted.
"Anyone think they're close to unstuck?" Rogue inquired.
"Fro isn't!" Frosch happily confirmed, upside down beside Chopper.
"How about you, Brook?" the doctor asked of his skeleton crewmate.
"I'm… almost there…!" he grunted out, causing everyone to perk up in surprise.
"You found a way to get free?" Nami presumed.
"I can almost… see them…!" Brook affirmed, "Panties!" he exclaimed.
"REALLY?!" both Nami and Sakura roared, with the former blushing in embarrassment.
"Come on, is this really the time to be checking out Nami's underwear?!" Usopp shouted in question.
"Ah, well… you see…" Brook began, "It's not Nami's panties I'm seeing…" he pointed out. The navigator blinked in surprise. She noticed that the skeleton was actually looking to whomever was at her right. And that happened to be Applejack.
"AH!" she yelped in realization, blushing a bright red, "Hey, quit starin', ya weirdo!" she shouted angrily.
"What the hell?!" Kyoya roared, "Don't go peeping up my girlfriend's skirt!" he yelled.
"Yohoho!" Brook laughed, "I see they're a deep forest green…" he commented.
"Wh-What?!" the beyblader stammered, blushing a bright red. Applejack's head was practically steaming.
"That was s'posed to be a surprise…" she grumbled with embarrassment, tearing up.
"So… here's a thought…" Robin chimed in, getting everyone's attention, "Uta said she'd make us into a song, and we're stuck on a staff," she pointed out, "If there's some logic to our arrangement, then perhaps we should figure it out," she advised of the group.
"Huh," Brook uttered, "You know now that you mention it, it does seem to be some sort of melody…" he noted.
"Maybe our heads are where the notes are supposed to be?" Nami presumed as a suggestion.
"In that case, think you could sing it, Brook?" Robin inquired of the musician of the Straw Hats.
"Well, I don't have a view of the entire score…" he pointed out, "but what I can see are Applejack's panties," he confirmed, furthering the cowgirl's embarrassment.
"Why'd I let Rarity convince me to wear a skirt…?" she muttered in question. All of a sudden, an oval-shaped door of air opened just in front of the musical staff, causing everyone to perk up in surprise. Standing there in a green space were Coby, Helmeppo, and Blueno.
"Already figured out the trick to the song?" the marine captain assumed of the group upon the staff, "You Straw Hats never fail to impress," he complimented, crossing his arms over his chest. Everyone was surprised.
"You're here with Blueno?" Robin noted, "What's happening?" she asked of Coby, who was quickly writing something upon a clipboard.
"Let's hold off on the details for now," he advised. As he finished whatever he was writing, he held it out to Brook. "Here, can you sing this?" he inquired of him.
"Miii-rrreee-dohhh~!" the skeleton sang. A sparkling aura appeared around both Nami and Applejack. They fell off of the staff in yelps, but fortunately managed to use the musician as a foothold as he yelped with pain, jumping into Blueno's door space. Sanji was also able to remove himself from the staff.
"Finally free!" he exclaimed as he hopped off of Brook into the space as well.
"Keep going, Brook!" Coby insisted, "Sing the next part!" he advised.
"I can help speed things up, too!" Applejack assured as she came over, "Faaahhh-soohhhh~!" she sang, ultimately freeing both Alain and Charizard from captivity as the former fell onto the latter's back, sharing a smile with him.
"I'm still a bit confused, but it seems like you have a good grasp on her power…" Jimbei noted. One after another, each of the Straw Hat members and those of the Omni Force were free.
"Woohoo!" Star exclaimed with outstretched arms as she was standing in the door space alongside her friends, "We're back in business, baby!" she affirmed, putting her hands onto her hips.
"What about them?" Kyoya asked, enticing the others to look over at the remaining pirates aboard the staff, including both Oven and Brûlée.
"Tch," the former scoffed, "Leave me here if you'd like…" he muttered, "but could you at least free my sister?" he requested.
"Oven, you're too good to me…!" the Mirror-Mirror user sobbed out.
"We'll free you on one condition!" Helmeppo affirmed to the Big Mom Pirates, "Cooperate with the Navy 'til we stop Uta!" he requested. The Heat-Heat user growled in frustration, not wanting to lower himself to being an ally to marines.
"It's better if we all work together in numbers," Sasuke chimed in as he stepped forward, "We're all in the same trap that we're trying to escape, after all," he mentioned on. Elsewhere, back at the church, Gordon was still trapped to his musical staff, though he had told Bepo the method in which he could be freed. The shrunken polar bear mink was doing his best to guide the former ruler of Elegia what notes to sing.
"Miii~…" he echoed, only for Bepo to shake his head, "Miiii~…!" he sung again, but his tiny companion shook his head once more, "Do-reee~…" he began.
"Miiiiii~!" the polar bear mink finished for him. With that, he was freed from the staff, with his feet touching the floor.
"You have my thanks…" he said gratefully, "What a wonderful little bear you are," he complimented of Bepo, who was beaming.
"Thank you, sir!" he squeaked out happily.
X
Sunset couldn't help but grimace at the sickly noises Luffy was making, again needing to be rolled around inside of Bartolomeo's ball-shaped barrier. After realizing that no ships were on the island or were transformed like the Sunny, the group quickly left to avoid being seen, trying to find a way in which they could put a stop to Uta. At least, that's what the Equestrian Magic user was hoping.
"This sucks…" the Gum-Gum user groaned out, pressed against the barrier as Bartolomeo kept walking, making him roll, "Why won't you let me out…?" he asked almost pleadingly.
"We still don't know exactly how Miss Uta's powers work," the Barrier-Barrier user noted in response, "If she captures you, we're gonna be in a lot of trouble…" he mentioned.
"Su-Sunny~!" Sunny sang, balancing itself atop the barrier ball.
"So no ships and no Navy…" Sunset said, putting her right hand onto her chin.
"Aside from those in the audience," Law corrected, "Shimmer, you sure you don't remember anything else from seeing Uta's memories?" he inquired of the Equestrian Magic user beside him.
"All that I can remember is that she started singing, and we blacked out," she replied, "Maybe if I was able to hold onto her longer…" she started to suggest, letting out a frustrated sigh, "We need help," she insisted, "That means our best bet is to go back and get the others that Uta captured," she told the group.
"That's like walking right into the lion's den, isn't it?" Bartolomeo questioned.
"Yeah," Law concurred, "Sorry, Shimmer," he apologized, causing the Equestrian Magic user to frown as she lowered her head. Suddenly, she and the others heard something behind them. They whipped around to see a portion of space open up, revealing both Coby and Blueno there.
"Whoa, who are you?!" Bartolomeo exclaimed in question, while the Op-Op user took on a battle stance.
"Coby!" Sunset yelped upon noticing the marine captain, who hopped out from the space door.
"Good to see you, Sunset!" he greeted, "You too, Luffy!" he added to the Gum-Gum user, who was lying down on his stomach.
"Hey there, Coby…" he said in a sickly tone, "Wanna be a pal… and get me outta here…?" he requested pleadingly.
"How did you know where to find us?" Law inquired, narrowing his eyes.
"I was able to sense Luffy's presence," the marine captain responded.
"Observation Haki, huh?" the Op-Op user presumed, standing down.
"After that, I just had Agent Blueno bring us here thanks to his Door-Door ability," he mentioned, gesturing to the Cipher Pol agent as he hopped out from the space door, which subsequently disappeared.
"Get me a Door-Door… outta here…!" Luffy pleaded, sticking out his tongue with fatigue.
"Oh for Celestia's sake…" Sunset grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, "Barto, you can take the barrier down. We're cool," she assured to the green-haired pirate, who blinked in surprise.
"Uh, yeah…" he responded, letting his spherical barricade disappear around him and the Gum-Gum user. Sunny yelped as it fell down, landing atop Luffy's head.
"Alright, I'm free!" he exclaimed happily as he got onto his feet.
"Sunny~!" the plush form of his ship sang out.
"Geez, Shimmer…" Law grumbled, "You're either an idiot or bold…" he muttered on, turning to the two members of the World Government, "Cipher Pol and the Navy don't usually conduct operations together," he pointed out, keeping a grip on his Kikoku, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice, "so what's going on?" he asked.
"If I'm going to explain something…" Coby began to reply, "wouldn't you rather I explain Uta's powers?" he presumed to the group's surprise.
"We've just been walkin' in circles, and you figured that out?!" Bartolomeo yelled in question, while Luffy blinked.
"This may be hard for you guys to believe, but this world isn't real," the marine captain told the others, "It's more like… like a fantasy," he added.
"Huh?" the Barrier-Barrier user uttered out of confusion.
"I get it…" Sunset realized, folding her arms over her chest, "That means everything around us is all just one big illusion, right?" she assumed.
"Exactly," Coby confirmed with a nod, "Rather, it's an imaginary world that Uta created with her power," he mentioned further, "Everyone affected is unaware that they're separated from reality," he added.
"An imaginary world… separate from reality…" the Equestrian Magic user noted aloud, thinking of the memories she was able to see from the diva herself earlier, "So that's what happened," she concluded, "In reality, all of us are asleep right now," she said, "And this dream world we're all stuck in is basically what Uta lured us into," she mentioned on.
"Yeah, it's the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit," the marine captain replied in confirmation again, "With her singing, Uta can lure in souls the second they're exposed," he explained further.
"Guess that explains the freaky forecast change…" Sunset muttered, looking up at the bright blue sky, "In this world, she makes the rules… because it isn't reality," she realized.
"And all these people trapped here…" Coby continued, "It's like we're all dreaming the exact same dream…" he noted grimly. The Equestrian Magic user growled, pivoting around. However, she was stopped as Law put a hand onto her shoulder.
"Easy, Shimmer," he said in a calming tone, making her perk up in surprise, "I get how you feel," he affirmed to her, "But the last thing we need is you losing to Uta again without a plan," he pointed out seriously. She lowered her head in frustration.
"Actually, now that you mention it…" Luffy chimed in, getting their attentions, "Uta talked about having a power like that years back," he pointed out to the group's surprise, "It all makes sense!" he concluded with a big smile, "We'd used to fall asleep whenever she sang, but I never figured out why!" he pointed out.
"If you already knew that, why didn't you say so?!" Bartolomeo asked out of frustration.
"Hehehehe!" the Gum-Gum user chuckled sheepishly as he scratched his left cheek, "Guess I forgot!" he admitted.
"Of course…" Law muttered.
"Wait…" Sunset said as she blinked in realization, "Luffy, how'd you end up breaking out of whatever spell Uta put you under back then?" she inquired of her friend.
"Well… I didn't do anything…" he replied, "Whenever I woke up, Uta was fast asleep…" he recalled.
"So then her power works as long as she stays awake…" the Equestrian Magic user presumed, putting a hand onto her chin, "If we're able to make her sleep, then we should get out of this, right?" she assumed.
"Well, that's only if she falls asleep in reality…" Coby replied, "Even then, we still don't know enough…" he mentioned.
"What's going on in reality then?" Law inquired, getting his attention.
"I don't know exactly…" he replied honestly, "For all I know, our bodies are just lying at the stadium like we're sleeping," he told the group, "Even worse, I've heard that Uta can control them like puppets…" he mentioned, causing Sunset to lightly gasp.
"Great…" Law muttered out.
"And the only way to get back if we get her to release us or fall asleep probably…" the Equestrian Magic user added, "But I'm betting she thought about that…" she mentioned further. In reality, Uta was contently sitting upon the stage, eating more of her wake-shrooms.
"Every Devil Fruit power has a limit," Law pointed out from the dream world as he and the others followed Coby and Blueno, "She can't just do this forever," he affirmed on.
"That's exactly right," the Cipher Pol agent confirmed.
"So she's aware of her own limits then?" Sunset presumed as the group quickly took cover to avoid getting spotted by the musical soldier scouts patrolling the area.
"Maintaining the Sing-Sing World is surely an incredible drain on her endurance," Blueno noted to the group, "If I used my Door-Door power continuously like that, I would wear down in no time…" he pointed out before they headed onward.
"So we just gotta wait 'til Miss Uta passes out, then we're all free?" Bartolomeo assumed.
"Sorry, that's not likely," Blueno apologized in response, "Before the concert started, she was confirmed to be eating wake-shrooms," he told the others, "They keep people who eat them from falling asleep," he mentioned, making the others gasp.
"But that can't last!" Coby noted out of panic, "She'll run out of stamina and… die…" he mentioned grimly.
"She'll die?!" Luffy exclaimed in shock.
"Why would she do that…?" Sunset wondered aloud, "Does she even know?" she inquired on.
"Well, sounds to me like the problem's taking care of itself," Law noted, earning himself an elbowing from the Equestrian Magic user beside him, "Ow!" he yelped, giving off a glare toward her.
"Quite the opposite, unfortunately," Blueno retorted as the group found themselves back in the abandoned city.
"The second Uta dies, this world will be cut off from reality," Coby pointed out, "But that doesn't mean we'll be released," he mentioned, "Rather… everyone here, including us, we'll be stuck," he confirmed to everyone's shock, "Permanently," he added, "That was Uta's plan from the start," he said, "To bring all of her fans to the Sing-Sing World and seal them in an eternal dream, free of suffering," he told the group.
"What…?" Sunset uttered in disbelief with shaking eyes.
"I get the sentiment, but that's insane!" Bartolomeo exclaimed.
"Okay…" Luffy uttered out, "so do you know how we stop her, Coby?" he asked of his marine friend.
"That's what I came here to find out, but I'm still not sure…" he responded honestly, "We don't know enough right now…" he mentioned.
"So what can we do?" Sunset asked, stepping forward.
"The more fighters we have, the better," Coby affirmed in reply, "So Helmeppo's trying to gather all the pirates who've been trapped here," he noted to the group as Sunny crawled up onto Luffy's head, "Also, the Straw Hats and your other friends are free," he mentioned, "Sounds like they're coming up with a plan of their own," he added on.
"Oh, thank Celestia…" Sunset sighed out in relief.
"Glad to hear they're okay!" Luffy noted happily.
"They were headed for Elegia's castle a moment ago," Blueno pointed out, "Nico Robin seems to know something about this island's past…" he mentioned.
"What about what's going on in reality?" Sunset inquired, getting the group's attention, "There's no way we can get in contact with the outside world?" she presumed.
"I don't think so, sorry," Coby apologized as a response.
"Huh, well that's fine…" the Equestrian Magic user assured, folding her arms over her chest, "I get the feeling that a certain someone's gonna come lend a hand since we're not able to respond in reality," she inferred to the others.
"Uh, and who'd that be?" Bartolomeo asked. Sunset let off a smirk.
X
UNIVERSE-57
OMNI FORCE TOWER
"Still no reply?" a concerned Rook Blonko inquired of the man pacing in front of him, being Ben Tennyson. Holding his MPG in his right hand, he came to a stop and exhaled a sigh.
"I get that it's hard to talk during a concert, but I doubt there's one that lasts three hours," he pointed out, "unless it's like Coachella…" he mentioned jokingly.
"But Sunset would make it a point to respond as quickly as possible," the Revonnahgander noted, "even if she were to have missed just one call," he added.
"You're right," Ben agreed, narrowing his eyes, "I'm gonna go check in on her and the others," he decided, walking off.
"Will you not need the rest of us to join you?" Rook inquired out of concern.
"I don't wanna sound off any alarms just yet, Rook," the Biomnitrix bearer responded as the door before him automatically opened, "Just hold down the fort until I get back," he advised on.
"Understood," the Revonnahgander responded, seeing his partner depart as the doors closed.
END
Yep, things are getting good! With Ben getting involved, this story's certainly going to push some boundaries! Not to mention really show just how my writing style's evolved over the years. I'm so glad that I've gotten super used to adaptations.
Anyways, next time, there's gonna be a lot more emotionally charged battles going around. And believe me, it's gonna be rough. Thanks for reading!