Elegia under the setting sun appeared particularly dilapidated.
Ruined churches of music, with their moss-covered stages, were visible everywhere, speaking of past glories.
On the beach, to the right of the stage that resembled a giant ribcage.
After the girl revealed she was the daughter of the red-haired man, she had kept her head down, not uttering another word. To everyone's questions, she responded with silence.
And only Kong Tai knew that what the girl said was true.
The girl's name was "Uta."
She was Shanks' adopted daughter, just as Shanks had grown up on Roger's ship, Uta had been with the Red-Haired Pirates since she was two years old.
It wasn't until the disaster that destroyed Elegia that they were separated.
From Kong Tai's perspective.
Although Shanks' departure was a kind lie to the girl, did this benevolent lie make the girl happy?
It clearly had not.
Although her singing was still beautiful, the moment Kong Tai heard it, he discerned a trace of longing, pain, and resentment hidden deep within her voice.
At this moment, Uta did not know the truth.
Kong Tai had not truly seen the Red-Haired Diva, so he did not know if the lie would one day be exposed.
When that time came, even a well-intentioned lie would shatter the girl before him like a balloon pricked by the needle of truth!
If Shanks had told Uta the truth about the Island of Music that night, what would the outcome have been?
Uta might have abandoned music forever and never sung again.
What would she have gained?
A painful truth, and a family who would always be by her side, who would steadfastly say, "She is our daughter, and we will never abandon her."
No matter what happened, family companionship was always more genuine than a well-intentioned lie. Even if she became the world's greatest diva, would she truly feel happy if she turned around and found herself utterly alone?
While the truth might be cruel, as long as one grit their teeth and endured, they would eventually see the shore of happiness.
A lie was like thick cream wrapped around a balloon; it was sweet, but when the lie-balloon burst, all the sweetly wrapped cream would vanish, and the truth would be even more biting.
The collapse of belief might just be the biggest turning point in the Uta movie.
Otherwise, how could the inherently kind Uta become the ultimate villain of a movie?
"Mmm~"
Just then, the girl's sudden song interrupted Kong Tai's reverie.
From Kong Tai's perspective, at this moment, the girl's singing seemed to possess a magical quality, drawing everyone's spirits along with her song into a parallel world that was a mirror image of the real one.
In that world, the surroundings of the stage were not drab and desolate, but brightly lit.
The gray of the stage's decay had transformed into the vibrant, transparent colors of Kong Tai's memory.
Even the seawater in the center had turned into a fantastical, multicolored hue.
If it weren't for the suddenness of the event and the clear malice Kong Tai felt from Uta towards his crew, he would have believed Uta was putting on a concert for them.
Due to the suddenness of the event and Kong Tai's lack of knowledge about the full extent of Uta's devil fruit abilities, he could only watch helplessly as his companions' spirits were pulled into another world by Uta.
Outside, Kong Tai stared at Uta, a rare seriousness in his azure eyes. His gaze traversed the two worlds, as if he were looking at Uta in both simultaneously.
"What do you want?"
Though his voice was soft, it echoed in both Utas' minds like a bell, instantly disrupting Uta's song.
However, even so, the other world that had already taken shape did not change in the slightest as Uta's singing ceased in the outside world.
"What do I want? Of course, to cleanse the world of pests and kill you damned pirates!"
Uta raised her head, her bright but strangely dull eyes fixing on Kong Tai, a look of surprise on her face.
"Why weren't you drawn into the 'Uta World' by my song?"
She had eaten the Uta Uta no Mi, the Song-Song Fruit, which allowed her to lead others into the virtual space known as the "Uta World" through her singing.
Like most bug-type devil fruit abilities, her physical body was not particularly strong. In reality, people could only return to consciousness if they were asleep, unconscious, or guided by her own singing.
Of course, this was only if she subjectively willed for those pulled into the Uta World to return.
If she did not wish it, their spirits would not return, even if she were killed.
Shanks' departure, while a benevolent lie, was unknown to Uta!
So, when she learned that Shanks was the culprit behind the destruction of Elegia, her initial fondness for pirates instantly turned into hatred, fueled by resentment towards Shanks for abandoning her, and she became completely hostile towards pirates.
Furthermore, Uta knew the monstrous nature of her ability, so even when Kong Tai and the others claimed to have met Shanks, she showed no fear.
But now, looking at the silver-haired youth who, despite his spirit being drawn into the Uta World, remained unaffected in the real world, Uta's usually calm expression finally revealed a hint of panic.
Yet, despite her panic, no fear showed on her face.
What if she were killed? The pirates trapped in the Uta World would still not be able to escape. Although it was a regret.
Regretting that she couldn't eliminate all these pirates who knew Shanks, but...
"Desperate, aren't you!"
Uta's lowered eyelids snapped open, and a bizarre, almost maniacal smile spread across her calm face.
She looked at the silver-haired youth, smaller than her, by the side of the Thousand Sunny, and with a mocking tone, she shouted, "Your companions will never return, not even if you kill me. I don't know why you can still act in the real world."
"But even so, the part of your spirit that was drawn into the Uta World can only stay there forever."
"Is that so?"
Kong Tai looked at Uta, his expressionless face betraying no change in his eyes due to her words.
He extended his right hand, pressing it against the empty space to his right. In the Uta World, another Kong Tai simultaneously extended his hand, but it was his left, also pressing against the empty space to his left.
Both Kong Tais looked at Uta and calmly said, "You have no idea who you are facing."
"Oh~" Uta's face showed a flicker of interest. She tilted her head and asked, "Who?"