168: Chapter 167 Controlling Totemjika, Awakening of the Gum-Gum Fruit"Oh right, Luffy!" Uta suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "Do you know you've become one of the new Four Emperors?"
Upon hearing this, Luffy looked puzzled: "Huh?What new Yonko?"
Uta's eyes widened in disbelief as she said, "Luffy, you didn't know?I was shocked when I first heard this news!"
Seeing that Luffy was still clueless, Uta simply told him what had happened.
After listening, Luffy suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."
However, he didn't seem to care much, shrugging nonchalantly: "I'll become one of the Four Emperors sooner or later, so what?It's no big deal."
Uta smiled helplessly, then asked, "Do you know why Aokiji left the Navy?"
Luffy shook his head: "I don't know, but he's already one of my crew members!"
Uta's eyes widened in surprise."Wait, Luffy, how did Aokiji join us?Even if he's no longer a Marine, logically speaking, he should choose to live in seclusion or do something else, not become a pirate!"
Luffy laughed nonchalantly, "Haha, don't worry, Uta.Since Aokiji has chosen this path, let him go."
Uta was still quite shocked, but seeing Luffy's determination, she had no choice but to believe his decision.
Luffy patted Uta on the shoulder, reassuring him, "Don't worry, I've got you covered.Whatever his purpose, as long as we stay vigilant and are ready to respond, we'll be fine.The most important thing now is to get back to the palace as soon as possible; there are many people waiting for us there!"
Uta nodded.She understood what Luffy meant, and felt a sense of relief.Luffy smiled and nodded at Uta, then picked her up and flew towards the palace like a bird.Inside the palace, chaos reigned.The king was heavily guarded, and many soldiers patrolled the palace to ensure his safety.
Not wanting to cause further chaos and trouble, Luffy quickly exchanged for an invisibility hat from the shop after putting Uta down.He secretly put it on and followed closely behind Uta, who wore a disguise mask, making her appear very mysterious.When she appeared at the palace gates, the soldiers guarding there breathed a sigh of relief and immediately brought her before Gordon.
"It's good you're back, it's good you're back!Uta, are you alright?Did that wretched straw hat do anything bad to you?" Gordon breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Uta return, then asked, feigning concern.Uta gently shook her head, indicating she was unharmed.She asked Gordon to have the guards leave so they could speak privately.When only the two of them remained in the palace, Luffy removed his invisibility hat, revealing his true form.
"You must be Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirates captain Uta mentioned.I'm so sorry about earlier!" Gordon approached Luffy with a somewhat apologetic expression, but Luffy simply waved his hand dismissively, indicating it wasn't a big deal.Luffy smiled and explained his purpose to Gordon, who warmly welcomed him.He told Luffy that Uta was there and then led him into Uta's room.
Gordon reminded Luffy that it was best not to go out while the alert was still in effect to avoid causing a bigger disturbance.After Gordon left, Luffy looked at Uta in his arms and asked softly, "By the way, Uta, can you control Totemjika perfectly now?"
Actually, Luffy's purpose in coming here, besides visiting Uta, was more importantly to help her perfectly master that powerful force.However, Uta shook her head helplessly, a bitter smile on her face.She had tried to control Totemjika before, but each time she could only summon it for a few minutes before it was quickly reversed and controlled by her.
If it weren't for the fact that the Hundred Music Spectrum always appeared just before Totemjika took control, Eregia would probably have been destroyed long ago.This troubled Uta greatly, as she didn't know how to better control Totemjika.
"Emmm, System, do you have any ideas?" Luffy was at a loss for what to do and could only turn to the system for help.The system, unfazed by this, replied, "Host has won the Marineford War.Rewards: Two Devil Fruit Awakening Cards, Two Sun Breathing Cards, Two Unlucky Cards, Two Transformation Cards, and Two Ability Inactivation Cards, plus one Soul Control Melody."
The Devil Fruit Awakening Card allows the host to awaken any one of their Devil Fruits.This means Luffy can further enhance his Devil Fruit, unleashing even greater power.
Sun Breathing, originating from the Demon Slayer world, is the origin of all breathing techniques and the strongest, but it is also more difficult to master than other breathing techniques.Luffy understands the value of this breathing technique; it will become an aid for Zoro and Kuina to become stronger.The Soul Control Melody allows for complete control of Totemjika (the Soul Control Melody is not that simple; its other effects can only be developed by the user).Luffy is full of anticipation for this ability because it can help Uta better control the situation and may even change the entire course of the battle.
As soon as the system finished speaking, the music score suddenly appeared before Uta's eyes.With each page turned, a brand new score emerged.Uta carefully studied the new piece, and after understanding its effects, she was overjoyed.
After Uta learned about the effects of the newly discovered music, she immediately hugged Luffy with joy.She knew that it was all thanks to Luffy; without him, she might never have been able to control Totemjika.Uta held Luffy tightly, expressing her joy and gratitude.
Unable to contain her excitement, Uta immediately grabbed Luffy, eager to try it out.She couldn't wait.To verify if the new song was truly effective, Uta took a deep breath after entering the training space and first sang the song to summon Totemjika.After Totemjika was fully summoned, Uta sang the Soul Control Song again.The moment the Soul Control Song began, Totemjika clutched its head and roared in pain, its massive body convulsing.After a moment, Totemjika quieted down, and Uta sensed that Totemjika was now almost completely under her control.After Uta finished her experiment, it was Luffy's turn.Luffy looked excitedly at the Devil Fruit Awakening Card in his hand and then used it on the Gum-Gum Fruit without hesitation.As the card shattered, a beam of light quickly merged into the Gum-Gum Fruit, and Luffy immediately felt a powerful force coursing through his body—a feeling he had never experienced before.
Just then, a burst of rousing drumbeats resounded throughout the entire cultivation space, so loud that even Uta was startled.
"What's going on?" Uta looked around in confusion.
"I don't know!But I feel so good right now!" Luffy was equally puzzled, but he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Accompanied by the sound of drums and laughter, Luffy's body gradually changed, starting with his hair turning white, followed by his clothes, and finally, a white cloud of smoke surrounded Luffy, creating a mysterious and solemn scene.
"Wow!Luffy, you look like an immortal!" Uta exclaimed.
Just then, Luffy suddenly burst into laughter.His laughter was full of confidence and pride, as if it could pierce through the clouds and reach the heavens.This laughter quickly infected Uta, and she laughed along with him.However, just as the two were having fun, Luffy felt a strange consciousness trying to forcibly take over his body.
This consciousness was exceptionally powerful, even causing Luffy to momentarily lose focus.But just as it was about to succeed, the system in Luffy's mind suddenly let out a cold snort, and then Luffy felt the consciousness that wanted to take over his body vanish without a trace.
"What's going on?" Luffy snapped out of his daze and frowned.