Chapter 422: Carnival and Crisis
Sabaody Archipelago · Concert Venue
"Ladies and gentlemen—!!!"
The host's voice, amplified by giant speakers, boomed across the entire venue:
"Next up! It is the most anticipated festival moment in the entire world!!!"
"Let us use our most passionate cheers to welcome the 'Diva of the New Genesis'!!! U—TA—!!!"
"WAAAHHH—!!!!!"
The crowd boiled over like a tsunami, their cheers crashing like giant waves, making the entire stage tremble slightly.
A magnificent symphony suddenly began to play, and the hydraulic lift in the center of the stage slowly activated.
Dazzling lights converged from all directions, illuminating the slender figure gradually rising in the center.
White mist churned, and colorful lights intertwined, as if the curtains of a dreamscape were slowly being drawn open.
Uta—had finally taken the stage!
Her dual-toned red and white hair swayed in the light, like the blending of fire and snow;
Her feather-adorned outfit shimmered with starlight, trembling slightly with her steps.
A white miniskirt paired with a black bow tie made her look both cute and dignified. The symmetrical red and white wings on her back slowly spread open, making her look like an angel descending into the mortal realm.
Her slender legs glowed softly under the stage lights. The thick white boots on her feet tapped lightly to the rhythm, the pink circular patterns on them flashing like points of light breathing in time with a heartbeat.
Uta slowly raised her microphone, her crimson eyes shining brightly amidst the countless beams of light.
A faint curve formed at the corners of her lips: "—Let the song resound!"
BOOM!!!
The very first high note was like thunder breaking the dawn, tearing through the night sky!
Her singing was surging yet pure, like ocean waves striking the heartstrings, making the hearts of countless audience members accelerate with it!
The music suddenly exploded. Beams of light, fireworks, and fountains intertwined on the stage, forming a magnificent picture.
Holographic projections bloomed in the sky. Peace doves, stars, Marine flags, and a colorful rain of flowers cascaded down simultaneously. The entire Sabaody Archipelago seemed to transform into an ocean of a dreamlike stage!
The audience fell into absolute frenzy.
"UTA—!!! UTA—!!!"
Fans screamed her name, their voices converging into a massive wave!
Wearing his pink support shirt, Bepo held his glowing fans high with both paws, shouting with teary eyes: "Lady Uta is the absolute best!!! Today is the happiest day of my entire life!!!"
The fan club followed suit with wild cheers, the scene nearly bursting through the heavens!
Up on the high platform, Nami crossed her arms, a gentle smile on her face: "As expected of the 'Diva'. She really is the most popular person in the world..."
Beside her, Luffy tilted his head, his face full of seriousness: "Eh? The most popular person in the world? Well anyway—her singing really is good!"
Seeing the pure, unadulterated appreciation in his eyes, Nami couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling a warmth in her heart.
On the stage, Uta closed her eyes, completely immersing herself in the song.
When her voice soared, it was like thunder shaking the sea; when it dipped low, it was like a whisper guiding one into a dream. It was at times gently healing, and at times soul-tearing.
At this moment, she wasn't just singing; she was narrating with her very life.
The stage lights were brilliant, and the musical waves churned.
On the other side, Baby-5 struggled to weave through the crowd, until under the dazzling light and shadows, she finally saw that familiar figure.
"Law—!"
She threw herself to his side excitedly, grabbing his hand without hesitation.
The rhythm struck her heartstrings, and she couldn't help but sway gently to the melody, the most genuine smile rippling across her face.
Law froze slightly. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but upon seeing the pure joy in the depths of her eyes, the tension in his grip gradually loosened.
He sighed, his tone helpless: "Hey, hey, hey... I'm currently executing a mission."
Though he said that, he didn't actually pull away.
The stage lights washed over the night sky, and the waves of music cleansed the soul.
At this moment, he simply allowed the warmth from her palm to be transmitted, standing silently by her side.
—Out front, it was a carnival of tens of thousands, a grand festival belonging to the entire world.
However, on the other side, the atmosphere was completely different.
In the backstage waiting room, under the dim lighting, the air had solidified to a suffocating degree.
Gordon leaned weakly against the wall. Cold sweat dripped down his temples, and his breathing was ragged.
The figure rushed urgently to his side. The thick cloak could not conceal his anxious expression.
"Gordon!! What exactly happened?!"
The newcomer—was none other than Shanks!
Gordon opened his eyes with great difficulty, his gaze filled with terror and despair.
"Shanks—!!!"
His hoarse voice seemed to tear through the air: "Quick... you must stop Uta!!!"
"She is going to use the Sing-Sing Fruit—to pull all of humanity... into an eternal dream!!!"
"Everyone... will be turned into... the living dead!!!"
"What—?!"
Shanks' pupils shrank violently, his heart giving a fierce jolt.
He abruptly raised his head to look in the direction of the stage.
On the stage, the lights and shadows were dazzling, the singing pure.
Uta was smiling. Her red and white hair danced in the wind, and the wings on her back were spread wide, making her look like a holy maiden of the mortal realm.
But that beautiful singing was quietly coiling around the minds of the audience like a venomous snake.
The cheers and applause had now become an ominous overture of another kind.
She spread her arms, and her singing poured out like ocean waves—gentle, holy, just like the sounds of heaven.
The audience was initially intoxicated by it. Their faces brimmed with smiles, and their eyes sparkled with fanaticism and joy.
But soon, that joy gradually froze.
Their movements slowly stagnated. Their hands remained raised high, but they were like puppets that had lost their souls.
Their originally bright eyes lost focus bit by bit. The smiles hung rigidly on their faces, as if they had been frozen in place.
Bepo was still waving his support fans, tears flowing down his cheeks, but his body's movements gradually became mechanical, as if he himself hadn't even realized it.
The surrounding audience's cheers didn't stop; instead, they became even more uniform, like some sort of ensemble harmony echoing the diva on stage.
—It was too uniform. So uniform that it no longer felt like a carnival, but more like a sacrificial ritual.
On the high platform, Nami's smile gradually froze, her brows furrowing tightly: "Something's not right..."
Luffy initially just clapped his hands and laughed purely: "Haha! She sings so well!"
But in the next second, he suddenly noticed that the expressions of everyone around him were all exactly the same, their smiles starting to go rigid. He instantly froze:
"Eh... Nami, they... they're acting really weird."
A chill ran through Nami's heart. Her gaze swept across the entire venue: "This isn't just a simple concert... this is some kind of ability?!"
Within the crowd, Law had also sensed the anomaly. He gently opened his palm, and the spatial ripples of his ROOM expanded silently, capturing the energy coiling through the crowd.
"Just as I thought..."
He murmured softly, his gaze locked dead onto Uta on the stage.
At this moment, this anomaly wasn't just happening in Sabaody.
Through the footage transmitted by the broadcasting Den Den Mushi, it spread across the Four Blues.
In countless households, children who were listening to the song and holding up puppets while smiling at the screen suddenly stopped moving, their eyes turning hollow;
In the plazas of bustling cities, the crowd's original clamor gradually fell silent, replaced by uniform murmurs and mechanical smiles;
Even some Marine soldiers watching the broadcast at their bases began to freeze in their movements. Their weapons dropped to the ground, but they maintained their smiles, slowly humming along with the melody.
The entire world was gradually being eroded by this song.
On the stage, Uta's smile was pure, her purple pupils flashing. Her voice was gentle yet absolute: "The New Genesis... will be ushered in by me."
In this moment, the gentle singing transformed into a nightmare that enveloped the entire world.
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