Chapter 327: Let's Just Carry Uta onto the Ship First
"B-Black Snake Reiner."
"Why is he in a place like this?"
"I didn't hear that this mission involved fighting a Sea Emperor."
Scattered voices came from the Marines.
Although they had an absolute numerical advantage, the sea of Marines that filled the mountains and plains now stopped dozens of meters away.
One by one, they gripped their weapons, their expressions grave, their eyes wary as they looked at Reiner standing beside Uta.
"It's you. Long time no see. You've got a new blind cane."
Reiner teased the person at the head of the Marines.
Fujitora spread his legs into a half-squat, holding a cane sword diagonally in front of him.
"This old one is an Admiral, after all. The World Government is not so stingy as to not have a weapon tailored for me."
"You, on the other hand, Your Excellency... why have you appeared in a place like this?"
Fujitora opened his eyes slightly and stared at Reiner. His cloudy white eyeballs seemed as if they wanted to see through something.
Not only did the soldiers behind him not move, but Fujitora also did not act rashly.
Standing opposite them was a Sea Emperor who controlled countless powerful undead and possessed the power to destroy a country.
Not to mention that he had been defeated by Reiner's hands before. Just the other's title of Sea Emperor meant that the Marines could not easily make a move.
But...
At this very moment, countless people around the world who had seen Uta's concert through the live broadcast had fallen into a deep sleep.
Before this world-class disaster, he also had a code of honor that he had to uphold.
Fujitora gripped the hilt of his sword in a reverse grip, with no intention of backing down.
"Although the orders from above are not to go to war with the Straw Hat crew, this old one will not shrink back. I ask that Your Excellency hand over this young lady to us."
Seeing Fujitora's stance, the Marines behind him seemed to be somewhat encouraged.
They tightened their grip on the weapons in their hands, stopped their retreating figures, and mustered their courage to look at Reiner.
Reiner glanced at the girl slumped at his feet.
Uta bit her lower lip, a hint of fear in her unwilling eyes.
"That won't do. We're taking this person with us. If you don't want to start a war, then go back."
Reiner took a step forward and stood in front of Uta.
"I know what you Marines are worried about. I'm not in the mood to fight you right now either. Hand her over to me, and nothing will happen."
"Are you saying that this old one should entrust the lives of so many people around the world to a pirate?"
Fujitora asked back, his serious expression unchanged, but his thoughts began to struggle.
His experience in Dressrosa had made him a little concerned about the Straw Hat crew's style of doing things.
Although they were pirates, they had, intentionally or unintentionally, saved a country that was on the verge of falling into an abyss.
After being defeated by Reiner, Fujitora had returned to headquarters and also looked up their past experiences.
And as it turned out, the experiences of the Straw Hat crew could be said to be full of legends.
The Arlong incident in the East Blue, Alabasta, Fish-Man Island...
Wherever they went, they would cause a big scene, yet each time they would appear like heroes.
The fact that the other was a pirate made him feel it was a pity.
"Yare, yare. I was wondering why a powerful presence suddenly appeared. Turns out it's Black Snake Reiner."
Just then, a golden flash streaked across the sky.
The beam of light landed in front of the Marine camp and condensed into a tall, slender figure.
He wore a yellow-striped suit and orange sunglasses. Kizaru's face was as sleazy as ever.
"The ability of the Uta Uta no Mi is too dangerous. We can't rest easy leaving her with you. The people up top would probably lose sleep if they knew."
"Not to mention, this old one can't explain himself if he goes back empty-handed."
Kizaru said with a punchable expression.
"That's your own business."
Reiner put his hands in his pockets, and several void rifts appeared out of thin air beside him. A few undead walked out.
"If you really want to fight, I'll play with you for a while."
"..."
Kizaru didn't speak. Under his orange sunglasses, his gaze imperceptibly glanced at Uta, as if he were hesitating about something.
The next moment.
Swish!
Kizaru erupted without any warning, instantly transforming into a streak of light and flying to Uta's side.
Just as Kizaru reached out to grab her, a flying slash appeared, as if crossing the distance of space and cutting at Kizaru's arm.
Clang!
The sharp slash tore through the earth like cutting tofu.
Kizaru's body, as if it had been hit, dispersed into countless golden points of light that flew backward, re-forming into his figure.
"What a fast sword. I almost lost an arm."
Kizaru stared at Sukuna with a teasing expression.
In a white samurai uniform, holding a straight cane sword, which he slowly sheathed, Sukuna stood beside Uta, his eyes showing no ripple.
Just as Kizaru had steadied himself...
Reiner's eyes hardened, and dark red lightning raged and exploded around him. A violent shockwave of Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted!
A terrifying pressure swept across the entire field, like a spiritual torrent that engulfed all the Marines.
The moment they were hit by the impact...
Those soldiers and low-ranking officers all had their pupils shrink to a pinprick, and their eyes rolled back as they lost consciousness. Their bodies went limp and they fell directly.
Even the Vice Admirals had to grit their teeth to resist.
Until the fierce wind gradually subsided and the black lightning dissipated, leaving only the earth and trees that had been blasted to pieces.
There were less than two handfuls of Marines still standing on the field.
"Conqueror's Haki that has materialized into an attack... all those below the rank of Vice Admiral were actually 'wiped out'. Is this the Haki of a Sea Emperor?"
Kizaru stood opposite Reiner with his hands in his pockets, a hint of gravity finally appearing in his usually carefree eyes.
Once upon a time, the other had to rely on a Celestial Dragon as a hostage to escape from his hands.
And now...
It seems I can't win.
"Let's just forget it. There are so many civilians on the island. If we start a war, the casualties will be heavy."
Kizaru seemed to be finding an excuse for himself.
In fact, without the permission of the Five Elders, the Marines were not allowed to make a move on the Straw Hat crew.
Kizaru had just wanted to try to snatch Uta with his speed. Since he had failed, he let it go.
The Marines were not yet ready to go to war with the Straw Hat crew.
"I'm taking the person. We'll also take care of the matter. Don't be so clueless."
Reiner gave a light glance, then turned and carried Uta away from the forest.
Kizaru, Fujitora, and a host of pale-faced Vice Admirals stood where they were and did not give chase.
It wasn't until Reiner was far away that the few Vice Admirals who had been holding on collapsed to the ground on one knee, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.
"Yare, yare. Even the Vice Admirals almost couldn't take it. This Conqueror's Haki is almost on par with Red-Hair's."
"The young people these days are really terrifying."
Kizaru brushed his chest, his face calm and unruffled.
He did not leave, but prepared to wait on the island for the result.
If things really got out of control, he would have to volunteer for some unpaid overtime today.
If he really went all out to kill Uta, even a Sea Emperor might not be able to protect her.
Night fell. A cool, jade-like plate hung in the sky, emitting a faint moonlight that parted the clouds.
"Let me go, you bastard! You perverted uncle! Don't think I'll spare you just because you're Luffy's companion!"
Returning to the concert venue, Uta, who was being carried on his shoulder, struggled continuously, punching Reiner's back.
Reiner didn't care, just treating it as a free massage. Arriving at the stage, he threw Uta to the ground.
Thump.
"Ouch! That hurts."
Uta, who had fallen to the ground, held her bottom, a tear welling up in the corner of her eye. She looked up at Reiner with resentment.
"Can't you be a little more gentle with a lady!"
"Give me back the wake-shrooms!"
Uta rushed up and tried to snatch the basket from Reiner's hand.
Reiner didn't stop her, letting her take the wake-shrooms.
Uta sat back down on the ground, leaning against the high stone steps. She looked up at Reiner, who had so easily let her snatch the wake-shrooms, with a surprised look.
"Why did you save me just now?"
She picked up a wake-shroom and put it in her mouth, asking as she chewed.
Being rescued from the Marines by Uta... although it didn't make her have a good impression of him, at least they could communicate normally.
To her question, Reiner did not respond, but asked back:
"Do you think the world you created is really a so-called new era?"
"Why isn't it!"
"No wars! No pirates! No sickness! I can create anything everyone wants for them!"
"Isn't such a world exactly what everyone is looking forward to! No longer having to face the pain of reality!"
Uta retorted loudly, then added:
"Let me ask you! For a person, which is the essence of life, the body or the spirit!"
"The spirit."
Reiner did not hesitate.
"Then isn't that it! As long as the spirit exists forever in my Uta-Uta World, the decay of the body is not the end of life!"
Uta's tone was very firm, as if trying to make Reiner agree with her point of view.
"The spirit I'm talking about is not consciousness."
But Reiner shook his head.
"Life is woven from all sorts of good and bad experiences. To be troubled by difficulties, to be happy about good things, and to grow strong in hardship because of the expectation of a better future."
"This is the eternal spirit of humanity."
"Your so-called new era is just selfishly denying everyone's past lives. You didn't even ask them if they wanted it."
"Shut up!"
Uta clenched her hands, her emotions becoming agitated again.
"In the end, you're just a pirate! Stop saying such high-sounding words to beautify yourself!"
"What's wrong with pirates? Did pirates eat your family's rice?"
Reiner gave a disdainful look. "You talk so big. Have you ever been a pirate?"
"Of course I have!"
Halfway through, Uta stopped, and fragments of memory appeared in her mind, all from her time with the Red Hair Pirates.
Shanks, Beckman, Lucky Roux...
At that time, everyone was very happy every day.
Adventures, banquets, singing...
Does that count as being a pirate?
If it does, then she can't hate pirates at all.
"I hate pirates."
Uta curled up her legs, hugged her knees, and buried her face in her arms, her eyes becoming moist.
"They were the ones who abandoned me first. In the end, it's as if I was the one who was wrong."
"The Elegia incident, right? The news from back when the Red Hair Pirates were stationed in Windmill Village. They used a young girl to get close to the kingdom of music, and in the end, destroyed it and plundered it."
Reiner suddenly spoke.
"How do you know that?"
Uta didn't turn her head, just asked casually.
Reiner leaned his back against the wall and looked up at the night sky.
"I'm also from Windmill Village. I happen to know a little about the Red Hair Pirates."
Hearing this, perhaps because they had something in common, Uta couldn't help but turn her head to look at him.
"I don't know them as people, but I know some of the things they've done."
Reiner still looked at the night sky and said lightly:
"I heard that the territories and pirate crews under their flag are all weak forces, and they rely on them to survive on the cruel sea."
"It's hard to imagine such a pirate crew would destroy a country for treasure."
"Are you trying to defend them?"
Uta's voice was very soft, but her tone clearly expressed some dissatisfaction.
"If you want to talk about disbelief, I'm the one who doesn't believe they would do such a thing the most. But I saw it all with my own eyes."
"To say I saw it with my own eyes might not be accurate, but I saw the destroyed kingdom, and I saw the pirate crew celebrating their harvest of treasure and sailing away."
"The survivor, Gordon, has already told me everything."
Uta clenched her hands, a hint of disappointment and struggle in her teary eyes.
For so many years, Uta had never communicated with anyone other than Gordon in the real world. She didn't reject chatting with Reiner.
Of course, it was mainly because she couldn't beat him and was afraid he would snatch her wake-shrooms again.
But the thing she was worried about still happened.
"Alright. If you eat any more, it might really be dangerous. Game over."
Reiner snatched the basket from her hand.
Uta immediately made a move to snatch it back, but it was in vain.
Reiner just pressed her forehead with his hand, and Uta's arms couldn't even reach his body.
"Give it back, you bastard!"
"Why! Why are you stopping me? It was everyone who asked me to do this!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Luffy and the others never asked you to do this."
It had only been about an hour since the concert started. Perhaps because she hadn't consumed too many wake-shrooms, Uta currently showed no signs of going crazy.
Reiner took a wake-shroom and put it in his mouth to try. His face suddenly turned green.
"This thing has gone bad. How long have you had it?"
"Shut up! What can I do? It took me many days to collect all of these! Give them back!"
"You should at least dry them and process them. Do you really not have any common sense?"
Reiner couldn't help but complain.
Uta waved her arms rapidly, still struggling, making him look like he was bullying a child.
The people Uta could control had already been tightly bound by Frieren.
Seeing that she couldn't get back the wake-shrooms with her own strength, Uta pulled back and retreated, taking out an old piece of sheepskin paper with a musical score on it.
"Is that the legendary Tot Musica?"
Reiner recognized that it was a sealed monster, the collection of human negative emotions, sealed in a musical score by a former user of the Uta Uta no Mi.
"It seems you know what this is."
Uta's eyes hesitated. "I didn't want to use this thing originally. After all, I don't know what the consequences will be."
"It will destroy the world."
"Eh?"
"Both the real world and your spiritual world will be destroyed."
Reiner rubbed his chin and said teasingly, "The new era is about to end before it has even begun."
"..."
Uta's figure paused. After a moment of silence, she finally lowered her hands in disappointment.
"You bastard. You're a complete and utter bastard."
Sleepiness came over her again. Uta staggered back a few steps, leaned against the high stone steps, and sat down, her expression tired.
"What else can I do? I just want to bring everyone happiness. It was everyone who asked me to do this."
"To bring people happiness with music... a very good dream. But Uta, you've been looking at others' worlds all along."
"Of course, you can't find your own answer in others' worlds."
"So..."
Reiner snapped his fingers, burned the wake-shrooms with a fire, and said with a light laugh:
"Go out to sea, Uta. Go and experience your own world. Maybe you can find the true path to creating a new era."
"A certain skeleton on our ship has found his own way of bringing happiness to others with music."
"This sea will embrace all dreams."
"All fantasies..."
At this moment, Uta seemed to see a glimmer of light in Reiner's eyes.
"In others' worlds, I can't find my own answer?"
"I don't know. I'm so tired."
Uta lowered her head and slowly closed her eyes, which she had been struggling to keep open.
I finally feel a little sleepy...
Finally, at this moment.
The Uta-Uta World, which was still holding a concert, shattered. Under the quiet night sky, she fell into a dreamland along with Uta.
Reiner brushed off his clothes and stood up.
He summoned his undead to carry Luffy and the others, while he himself carried Nami with one hand.
With the other hand, he looked at Uta and Robin and fell into hesitation.
Emmm...
Pick the bigger one.
(End of chapter)
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