Chapter 223 The Songstress's Father
That day, the human competition zone's preliminary broadcast caused tremendous upheaval worldwide.
Even the previous excitement from Fish-Man Island's preliminary broadcast couldn't compare to today.
The reason was singular—a girl named Uta.
In just one song, she made people throughout the world listen entranced, even leaving them unable to forget for a long time, paying no attention to contestants who appeared afterward.
Uta.
This girl who enthusiastically declared during the broadcast that she would become the world's number one songstress—in just a short time, the entire world knew her name.
Even the World Economic News Agency had moved quickly, immediately conducting an exclusive interview with her.
The poised girl spoke of her dreams in the newspaper. She said she wanted to use her singing voice to bring about a beautiful new era—an era where no one would suffer pain or despair. What she wanted to create was a world where everyone could live in peace and prosperity.
Everyone was moved by the young songstress's beautiful wish. All who saw this interview showed knowing smiles.
These were beautiful words only a child would say.
In this chaotic world, peace and tranquility were distant fantasies that countless people didn't even dare dream of.
But such a wonderful child held such a wonderful vision—people were deeply moved.
Even the usually cool Shyarly said with emotion, "Only a child who knows nothing of the world's reality would express such a wish."
"Perhaps so."
Though he said this, Brett felt something was off.
This girl gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.
As if he'd seen her somewhere before.
But despite wracking his brain, he couldn't recall such a character appearing in the original story.
Very strange.
"Brett," Shyarly turned to look at him. "Mr. Tesoro surely won't let such a child come to harm, right?"
So she was already certain this child would ultimately stand out?
Though that wasn't particularly strange.
The girl named Uta truly possessed a beautiful voice that could move everything.
Perhaps Tesoro was now quite troubled.
With the girl possessing such ability, if he still tried to force through rigged selections, the entire world probably wouldn't accept it.
He'd be torn to shreds by criticism.
In fact, that was exactly the case.
That evening, Tesoro complained bitterly to Brett over the Den Den Mushi.
"Who knew such a girl would suddenly appear and completely disrupt my plans!"
"Really, now I don't even know how to explain this to Viola. I clearly promised I'd let her debut!"
Princess Viola, second princess of the Dressrosa Kingdom, was an ability user possessing the Paramecia-type Glare-Glare Fruit.
This fruit ability was extremely powerful.
Not only could it see through people's hearts, it could also observe scenery within thousands of kilometers like a super telescope.
It even possessed some combat capabilities.
Tesoro coveted it greatly.
Brett said with a smile, "So, Tesoro, you mean you're going to let this child become the final victor?"
Tesoro fell silent for a moment.
Then the man sighed. "No choice. Uta's singing makes me feel ashamed. I'm even thinking maybe I should just give up singing and focus on acting in movies."
Tesoro himself was an excellent singer. He naturally understood what kind of charm Uta's voice contained.
"I can't help but acknowledge her excellence."
"That serious?" Brett hadn't expected Tesoro's mentality had already collapsed to this extent.
"You're not skilled at singing, so you don't know just how remarkable that girl is!" Tesoro's tone now contained only full admiration. "I'll make her the world's number one singer!"
"Then do your best." Brett chuckled lightly.
He'd never particularly cared about entertainment matters. This was Mr. Tesoro's domain.
What Brett didn't know was that at that moment, in the East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Windmill Village—
"It's Uta!" A boy wearing a straw hat was tremendously excited. He waved the newspaper in his hand and ran toward the figure walking ahead of him. "Ace, look! It's Uta!"
"Uta?" The youth, who appeared much taller and more mature, turned around. "You mean the one you mentioned before, Shanks' daughter?"
"Yeah!" The straw-hatted boy nodded happily and repeatedly. "Shanks didn't lie to me—she really is safe and sound!"
"Hehe, as expected, Uta is still working toward becoming a songstress! Good, then I can't fall behind either! Next time we meet, I'll definitely surprise her! Let's go train, Ace!"
"Hey, hey, why are you suddenly fired up?"
At the same moment, somewhere in the New World, on some island—
"Oh, so she hasn't given up on this dream?"
A red-haired man with only his right arm sat on the ship's rail, holding a newspaper with a photograph showing a girl with red-and-white hair and a brilliant smile.
"Seeing little Uta growing up healthy and strong, you must be happy too, Boss!" A large fat man with a chicken leg in his mouth laughed beside him.
"But you're really heartless, Shanks," the sniper with dreadlocks sighed dramatically. "You haven't gone to see her even once since then, right? Even though little Uta loved you the most."
"You've got some nerve saying that," Vice Captain Beckman rolled his eyes.
A bastard who abandoned his wife and child to run off to sea—how shameless could he be?
"Hahahaha!" The man named Yasopp scratched the back of his head, laughing somewhat awkwardly.
"So, Captain, are we going to see Uta now?" The redhead's right-hand man, this pirate crew's number two, Beckman asked gravely. "She should be looking forward to it—reuniting with you."
"..."
Red-Haired Shanks clenched the newspaper in his hand and raised his head, his gaze somewhat unfocused.
"If I remember correctly, that Tesoro guy is in Dressrosa, right?"
"Hmph." Beckman snorted coldly. "I never knew you could be so weak, Shanks."
"A meeting now might not be good for either of us," Red-Haired said quietly, gazing at the distant sea, his tone somewhat cryptic.
Uta—
Then the man who had already become famous throughout the sea known as the New World turned back around, his familiar hearty smile reappearing on his face.
"Well, anyway, for now let's go visit a certain someone and make sure he doesn't let our little princess down."
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