...
Golden Lion Shiki's originally dismissive expression completely froze on his face.
When Rayleigh and Whitebeard pointed out the fatal factor of "hostages," this great pirate—who had once stood on equal footing with Roger and Whitebeard—had to admit he had indeed overlooked something crucial.
The surrounding pirates, seeing this, also dropped their contemptuous looks.
Yes—100,000 fanatical civilians acting as human shields… No matter how strong the Marine Admirals were, would they dare unleash their full abilities against ordinary people?
Fujitora's gravity could crush warships, Kizaru's lightspeed kicks could shatter mountains…
But if even a single civilian was accidentally injured, the "justice" image the Marines had painstakingly maintained for so long would completely collapse.
"Of course, there are ways around it."
Silver Axe said coldly from the side: "As long as the Marines disregard civilian lives and forcefully arrest Uta, that would still count as a military victory."
His words drew sneers from many Marines—they refused to believe the Marines would be that ruthless…
"Silver Axe, do you think the Marines are like us pirates?"
Ganju shook his head, his tone mocking: "If the Marines dared to do that, the next day the whole world would despise them."
If the Marines resorted to extreme measures, they would pay an incalculable political price.
In the light curtain scene, Fujitora was the first to set foot on Elegia's soil.
The blind Admiral leaned on his staff-sword, his steps steady.
Unlike Kizaru relying on speed for a sudden advance, he walked step by step, solidly toward the direction of the main concert stage.
His "Justice" coat fluttered in the wind. With every step, the ground trembled slightly.
Suddenly, Fujitora stopped.
He tilted his head slightly, nostrils flaring gently. Though blind, his other senses were extraordinarily sharp.
"This smell…"
Fujitora's brows furrowed tightly: "It's the distinctive sweet-fishy scent of 'Wake-shroom'… and it's very fresh."
He "looked" toward the stage, his voice low: "Miss Songstress… you've consumed something you shouldn't have."
At the center of the stage, Uta paused at Fujitora's words, then showed a bright yet pale smile: "As expected of a Marine Admiral—even able to distinguish the scent so clearly."
She admitted it without any concealment: "Yes, I ate the Wake-shroom. Because I need to stay awake… until the moment the new era arrives."
"Foolish!"
Vice Admiral Momonga, who had arrived shortly after, shouted sternly: "Wake-shroom is a chronic poison! If you keep taking it, you'll die!"
"Die?"
Uta tilted her head, her smile terrifyingly innocent: "If my death can bring about a world without pirates… wouldn't that be a great deal?"
"Stubborn to the end! Are you planning to drag all these people down with you to die?!"
Vice Admiral Momonga did not draw his sword, but his tone was filled with ice: "In that case—arrest her!"
Dozens of elite Marines moved simultaneously, closing in on the stage from all directions!
Facing the Marines' encirclement, Uta showed not the slightest panic.
She prepared to use her ability, but this time the Marines had clearly come prepared.
"Be careful!" Momonga ordered sharply.
All the Marine soldiers simultaneously pulled out strange devices from their chests.
They were metal helmets covering half the head, with thick soundproofing layers over the ears and specially filtered lenses over the eyes.
They quickly put on the helmets and inserted earplugs.
The singing was completely blocked!
Sure enough, in the scene, when Uta saw the Marines donning protective gear, she didn't panic—instead, she gave a slight smile:
"The ones I want to hypnotize… aren't you~"
Before Uta even finished speaking…
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two figures suddenly burst from the audience seats at astonishing speed, blocking in front of Fujitora and Momonga!
"Captain Coby? Helmeppo?" Momonga stared in shock at the two before him.
But at this moment, their eyes were tightly shut, breathing even—they were clearly in deep sleep.
Yet their bodies were moving, sleepwalking-like, assuming combat stances and firmly protecting Uta behind them.
And then, an even more horrifying scene unfolded.
In the audience seats, tens of thousands of people stood up.
Their eyes were also tightly closed, eerie peaceful smiles on their faces, yet their movements were perfectly synchronized as they surged toward the Marines!
"Protect Princess Uta!"
"Drive out the Marines!"
"The new era doesn't need you!"
They shouted slogans, unaware that they were being controlled by Uta's singing and turned into her human shields.
"Do not open fire!"
Fujitora barked heavily, his voice carrying across the entire area: "They are not pirates—they are innocent civilians under control! Absolutely do not harm them!"
The Marine soldiers who had been about to raise their guns hesitated and lowered their weapons.
But this brief hesitation became a fatal opening.
The out-of-control crowd surged forward like a tidal wave!
They had no tactics—just instinctively pounced on the Marines, tearing at their uniforms, snatching their weapons.
Even more lethally, they began ripping off the protective helmets from the Marines' heads!
"My helmet!"
"My earplugs were pulled out!"
…
Screams rang out one after another. Once the protective gear was destroyed, Uta's singing invaded like an omnipresent poison, instantly seeping into the soldiers' minds.
One after another, Marine soldiers' eyes glazed over, their movements slowed, and finally…
Thud! Thud!
They collapsed in droves, falling into sleep.
And those who fell stood back up mere seconds later, eyes vacant, turning to join the ranks of "protecting Uta."
"This… this is…"
Momonga gritted his teeth while fending off two controlled subordinates: "They're fighting in their sleep?!"
"Not fighting."
Fujitora "looked" toward Uta on the stage, his expression more grave than ever: "These are 'dream puppets' controlled by song. Little girl… your ability is far more dangerous than the intelligence reports described."
Uta stood on the stage, her face growing paler and paler.
The toxicity of the Wake-shroom was beginning to take full effect. She could feel her life draining rapidly; every breath carried searing pain.
But she could not stop.
"Just… a little more…"
Uta bit her tongue, using the pain to force herself to stay conscious.
Musical notes spread like a plague, enveloping all the hypnotized Marine soldiers. Their bodies began to glow, musical note patterns emerging on their skin.
Then their consciousnesses were fully dragged into the "dream world" constructed by Uta, while their bodies became puppet soldiers completely under her control.
At the same time, inside the "dream world" created by Uta's ability…
Everyone also learned some truths…
Before the concert even began, Uta had consumed a large quantity of Wake-shrooms. The poison would keep her awake until death.
And her death would become the key to permanently solidifying this "dream world."
Once Uta died, all those affected by her ability… their souls would be forever trapped in this world.
Their real bodies would become vegetables, while their consciousnesses looped infinitely here.
This was her "New Era Plan"—to create a world without pirates by pulling everyone who watched the live broadcast into this eternal dream world under her control.
She had opened a global live broadcast not to let people hear her sing… but to expand the range of her ability.
Every person watching a screen could be influenced by the song and pulled into this world.
And in this world, she was the only god. She could set the rules, erase the concept of "pirates," and… create the utopia she envisioned.
The only cost was…
Everyone's freedom—and her own life.
Inside and outside the light curtain, there was dead silence.
Even the most "arrogant" Shiki could no longer speak.
They finally understood Uta's full plan—not to destroy the world with Tot Musica, but to create a global "dream prison."
Trading the conscious freedom of countless people for an "ideal world" without pirates.
"Madwoman…"
The Golden Lion murmured: "No… this is worse than madness…"
"She truly intends… to lock the entire world in a cage."
Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri tightly, his expression complex.
Roger held little Shanks and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said softly: "How deep must this child's pain be… to come up with such a plan?"
...