"Ding! Thirty thousand justice points consumed, and the Devil Fruit can be stripped without harming the host, and special forces can be summoned."
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
Benedict's brows furrowed.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford the thirty thousand justice points, but he hadn't expected that merely stripping the fruit would cost so much.
It was more than summoning special forces, or even specific special forces.
However, this was just killing a few artificial devils.
So, Benedict didn't care at all.
"Kamikaze, bring that little girl over."
Benedict contacted Kamikaze via communicator and said.
Kamikaze was currently by Uta's side.
Uta, who hadn't slept all night, had experienced emotional ups and downs, so she was tired and hungry.
After Kamikaze gave her something to eat, Uta didn't hesitate and ate heartily. After finishing, she couldn't suppress her tiredness and fell asleep.
Kamikaze looked at the sleeping Uta, who was very cute.
However, despite feeling some regret for Uta's fate, he dared not disobey Benedict's orders.
He grabbed the sleeping Uta and headed towards the office where Benedict was.
As she was being shaken, Uta, feeling somewhat cautious, stirred awake.
"Marshal."
Knocking on the door, Kamikaze entered with Uta.
Uta tried her best to lift her head and looked at Benedict.
"Bad guy, give Shanks back to me."
"I want Shanks."
Uta's voice was pitiful.
But it was also full of determination.
Benedict extended his hand, and Kamikaze felt a suction force appear. Understanding, he released his grip.
Uta, thus, flew into Benedict's hand.
"Bad guy!"
"Bad guy!"
Uta's small hands kept hitting Benedict.
They were small and weak, unable to harm Benedict.
However, when tears dripped into his hand, Benedict frowned.
"What's your relationship with Shanks?"
Benedict looked at the pitiful Uta, who hated him but pretended to be fierce, and asked.
However, when faced with Benedict's question, Uta pursed her lips and said nothing.
"She's clearly acting all cute and fierce, but she's pretending to be mute."
"Where did that courage just now go?"
Benedict extended his other hand and flicked Uta's forehead lightly.
Startled, Uta instinctively covered her forehead, looking as if she was about to cry.
"No crying."
"If you cry, Shanks will die."
Indeed, upon hearing Benedict's words, Uta held back her tears.
But her eyes were still welling up.
"I'll give you a choice."
"If you had to die to save Shanks, how would you choose?"
Benedict, wanting to test Uta, placed her on the table and said.
Although Uta was just a little girl of a few years, she understood the meaning of his words.
Therefore, Uta looked a bit dazed.
Considering such a question was somewhat cruel for her.
But this was the world of pirates.
When facing pirates who wanted to kill her parents, a five-year-old child would pick up a flintlock, aim at the pirate, and pull the trigger.
Perhaps the recoil would be so strong that the shot would miss the enemy, and it would alert the pirate, ultimately costing her own life.
But this was reality, and it was a choice that children had to make.
It wasn't a personal problem.
It was a problem of the environment.
Cruel reality forced people to grow up.
They knew from a young age the danger of pirates and that pirates would kill them without hesitation.
From the moment they were conscious, they had been instilled with certain ideas.
"No," Uta said.
"I don't want to choose, I want Shanks."
Uta suppressed the urge to cry, but her voice was still choked with tears as she called out.
"You must choose," Benedict said indifferently.
His voice was not loud, but his cold tone intimidated Uta, making her feel afraid.
"I want Shanks!"
"I want Shanks!"
"Wuuuuuu!"
Few children could remain calm and collected.
Crying became an outlet.
Benedict raised an eyebrow, looked at Uta, and extended his hand, saying, "Is this your choice?"
"Sacrifice yourself to save Shanks' life."
Kamikaze, standing by, looked at Benedict, whose hand was reaching for Uta, and couldn't help but say, "Marshal."
Benedict turned to Kamikaze, his expression cold, and asked, "Is something wrong, Kamikaze?"
Kamikaze felt Benedict's indifferent tone, and the words he was about to say failed to come out.
"Nothing, Marshal."
Kamikaze said, turned around, and left the office.
Standing at the office door, Kamikaze subconsciously clenched his fist.
Frankly, Kamikaze couldn't bear to watch Benedict torment a five-year-old girl like this.
This was a form of torture for a child.
Inside the office.
Benedict's hand, amidst Uta's terror, pressed down on her head.
"System, consume justice points and strip the Devil Fruit."
Benedict admired Uta's courage.
At the same time, he couldn't bring himself to kill a five-year-old girl.
Therefore, stripping the Devil Fruit became the inevitable choice.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully consuming thirty thousand justice points and obtaining the opportunity to strip a Devil Fruit. Does the host wish to use it now?"
Benedict heard this and said without hesitation, "Use it."
"Ding! The host has successfully used the opportunity to strip a Devil Fruit. Stripping the Devil Fruit is in progress..."
"Ah!"
At that moment, Uta let out a painful scream.
Simultaneously, a force erupted from Uta's body.
It was the power of the Uta Uta no Mi.
Possessing extremely powerful penetration, illusion, and soul impact.
Musical notes appeared, swirling around Uta.
At the same time, a powerful force broke through the office and spread outwards.
In an instant, most of the unsuspecting people were affected.
They were directly drawn into a special illusion.
However, SS-class powerhouses like Kamikaze, though shocked, were not pulled into the illusion by this power.
The reason for this was that Uta's strength was very weak.
The sound and power were strong, and Benedict, being up close, bore the brunt of the impact.
Meanwhile, Shanks and the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates, far away in Azkaban, reacted immediately upon hearing this sound.
The ability of the Uta Uta no Mi.
Shanks was so excited that he instantly stood up.
However, he was covered in wounds and bound by special ropes, making it impossible for him to break free at the moment.
The Dementors guarding them sensed it immediately and rushed over.
Sucking the happy memories of humans was their food, and also their form of entertainment.
In an instant, screams echoed from Azkaban.
Shanks was not spared.
"Uta!"
Shanks was heavily injured, and after struggling for a moment, knowing he couldn't break free, all he could do was mutter.