"Uta."
Shirogai spoke her name, his voice steady, a faint smile on his lips.
"What exactly did you go through to fall this far into despair?"
Before him stood the girl known across the world, the user of the Uta Uta no Mi, the famous singer whose voice could shake hearts and bend reality itself.
Now, her beauty was twisted by madness.
"Why… why do you hateful pirates always appear and ruin everything…"
Uta's hollow eyes trembled with rage and sorrow. She did not question how Shirogai knew her. That no longer mattered.
"You are like this, Red Hair is like this, all of you are the same… Why do pirates have to destroy the peace of this world…"
Her body swayed stiffly as she reached into empty space.
Ding!
A black-and-white guitar materialized before her, vibrating with a strange, eerie melody.
"She told me… as long as you disappear, the world will become the way I imagined it…"
Her deep purple eyes stared blankly at the instrument before curling into a distorted smile.
"Then I'll kill you. For everyone who believes in me… for those who dream of peace, safety, and happiness… you need to die."
Her fingers struck the strings.
A wild, infectious melody erupted, spreading across the dream world and painting the darkness in violent color.
Musical notes surged like a storm.
Sharp, chaotic, and alive.
"They've been waiting… Shirogai."
Her voice rose as the rhythm intensified.
"This is my grand performance, made just for you. You are my only audience."
A massive stage burst into existence beneath her feet, black yet gleaming with blinding lights. Spotlights gathered on her before scattering outward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wherever the light passed, explosions followed. The stage lights acted like cannons, tearing through the dream world.
"You've waited long enough…"
Uta stood at the center, the undeniable focus of everything.
"The show starts now."
She raised her head, her empty eyes locking onto Shirogai.
Her voice softened for a brief second, then surged with emotion.
"Painful memories buried deep… tearing through my heart ♪"
As her song continued, monstrous figures formed from the flowing musical notes. Their grotesque shapes twisted as they rushed toward Shirogai.
"The resentment never fades… all because of someone like you ♬"
Around him, giant speakers appeared, vibrating violently. Soundwaves crashed down on him, amplifying the monsters rushing in.
The creatures grew larger, sharper, more violent.
Their bodies swelled, claws extended, and their weapons sharpened as they surrounded him completely.
"So this is what your power becomes when it sinks into despair."
Shirogai remained motionless in the air, arms crossed, watching her with clear interest.
"Impressive."
He made no attempt to dodge.
The next instant, the monsters swallowed him whole.
Uta's voice only grew louder.
"You could never understand… the loneliness buried inside ♪"
Her song intensified, emotions spiraling out of control.
"If pirates like you never existed… maybe the world would have been better…"
She inhaled sharply.
Then her eyes snapped open, filled with fury.
"Anger!"
Boom!
A massive explosion ignited behind her, flames consuming the entire battlefield.
"Now… let's drive those villains away ♬!"
A pair of massive wings, one black and one white, spread from her back, lifting her into the air.
Her presence turned radiant and terrifying at once.
"Punishment… wrapped in love ♪"
Countless beams of light pierced through the flames, targeting the center where Shirogai stood.
Yet—
He remained untouched.
A thin, transparent barrier shimmered around him, repelling everything.
The power of the Bari Bari no Mi.
Absolute defense.
"In this world, you really are like a creator… invincible within your own rules."
Shirogai's smile faded slightly, his gaze sharpening.
"But that also means something else."
His voice carried weight now.
"This nightmare world has fused with your ability."
The attacks intensified.
Explosions, soundwaves, and fragments rained down endlessly.
"If this continues… you might actually die here."
The response was another surge of destructive force.
Fragments like reversed rain collided against the barrier.
"I'm not sad anymore!"
Uta's voice rang out, louder and more unstable.
Shirogai's figure disappeared under the barrage, yet his voice remained steady.
"If I kill you… Shanks will be the one who suffers."
…
For a split second, her expression changed.
At the mention of that name, something inside her trembled.
Then—
Her eyes hardened.
"So my anger will burn even brighter!"
She screamed, her voice cracking as she sang.
"Drive them away! This is love's punishment!"
The dream world erupted in color.
Spotlights filled the sky, all converging on Shirogai.
Beams twisted into binding ropes, locking his barrier in place, restricting his movement.
At that moment, the stage shifted.
Shirogai became the center of the performance.
Uta's voice echoed endlessly.
"I can't sleep… I can't rest…"
Her gaze never left him.
"I'm not alone anymore… not anymore!"
She raised her arms, pouring everything into her voice.
"Against the light!"
All the beams detonated at once.
A massive explosion swallowed Shirogai completely.
Within the blinding light, his voice echoed faintly.
"So the power can still increase…"
Then—
Boom!!!
The explosion expanded, turning the entire dream world into pure white light.