Ash naturally looked down on this so-called idea of self-redemption, but he did not deny the choice itself.
In the original storyline, Uta wanted a dramatic ending, otherwise she would not have staged such an enormous global performance. However, Ash personally felt she would have been better off dying quietly instead of turning it into a worldwide spectacle.
The entire Red Hair Diva incident only deepened his negative impression of both Shanks and the Marines.
On the Marine side, in order to stop Uta's plan, Akainu directly ordered his forces to fire on the controlled civilians without hesitation. He even stated coldly that collateral damage did not matter, as long as the greater goal of reducing casualties and protecting the world was achieved.
Then there was Kizaru, who casually remarked that without sacrifice there can be no justice, adding that stopping a child should not come at the cost of millions of lives. He then acted without hesitation.
To Ash, this so called justice was absurd enough to be laughable. It only reinforced his belief that the Marines had an extremely low moral baseline in this world.
Shanks' side was even more ridiculous.
Just before Uta's death, Shanks seemed to be overcome with dramatic emotion and declared that she was his daughter and family, warning anyone who tried to take her away to prepare for death. He then unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, forcing the Marines to retreat.
When Ash witnessed this scene in the past, he had immediately mocked it in his mind.
Was it suddenly acceptable for a kingdom to be destroyed just because she was his daughter? Was she suddenly exempt from punishment after nearly causing global catastrophe? The logic was nothing more than emotional favoritism disguised as righteousness.
It was the classic mindset of strength equals justice.
During the chaos where Marines were firing on civilians and the Red Hair Pirates intervened, Kizaru even commented on the contradiction, noting how strange it was that Marines were killing civilians while pirates were protecting them.
The Red Hair Pirates' response, however, was even more questionable.
None of this matters, as long as we do not add more sin and cause Uta further emotional damage.
To Ash, this reasoning was completely incoherent. It sounded less like saving people and more like avoiding guilt over Uta's mental state, regardless of the lives at stake.
Uta herself was deeply emotional and afraid of harm coming to those she controlled, yet she had still used those very same civilians as weapons against both the Marines and the Red Hair Pirates. The contradiction was obvious.
Ash dismissed it as instability caused by the Sleepless Mushrooms she had consumed, which likely distorted her mental state.
During that period, Ash had even been discussing with his livestream audience whether Shanks bringing the Gum Gum Fruit to Foosha Village was part of some hidden agenda.
What kind of pirate would stay in Marine Hero Garp's hometown for an entire year?
Even if others did not know Garp's identity, Shanks, who had sailed with Roger and witnessed Roger's clashes with Garp for years, could not possibly be ignorant of it.
Coincidentally, during that same period, Ash saw Shanks' dramatic declaration again, which completely erased any remaining goodwill he had toward the Red Hair Pirates.
Throughout the entire Red Hair Diva incident, the only person who acted with consistent reason on either side was Issho.
When the Music Demon was unleashed and the Marines continued firing on controlled civilians, Issho was the only one who insisted the priority should be dealing with the demon first.
Later, when conflict between the Marines and Red Hair Pirates escalated, Issho again opposed unnecessary war, stating that fighting so close to civilians would only create more disaster.
In Ash's view, everyone else involved behaved irrationally, while Issho alone retained some sense of restraint.
As he replayed the entire incident in his mind, the lingering discomfort that had eased after dealing with Gorden returned once again.
The truth of this world was simple. The more closely one examined the Pirate World, the clearer it became that very few people could truly be called good, and most carried deeply distorted values.
A voice suddenly broke his thoughts.
"You are…?"
Uta stood nearby, her voice soft as she looked at him in confusion.
Ash acknowledged that her voice was indeed pleasant, fitting for a singer, but he had no intention of allowing any future connection between them.
In a flash, he moved behind her and struck her lightly to knock her unconscious.
Without hesitation, he created a Paramecia type Sing Sing Fruit and placed it into her mouth.
This fruit had no real combat ability beyond enhancing vocal projection and making the voice more pleasant.
Since she loved singing, she would remain a singer. Trying to play the role of a savior did not suit her.
Just as Ash finished this act, he suddenly turned his gaze toward the distant sea.
A dense and oppressive killing intent was approaching.
At the same time, space distorted beside him, and Kirk's voice echoed out.
"Ash, we have spotted the Red Force. The Red Hair Pirates have arrived."
More than half a year earlier, the Red Hair Pirates had been tracking the whereabouts of the Dawn Ship.
On their journey, they encountered Loki, the runaway prince of Elbaf. Because of Shanks' connection with Elbaf, he could not ignore the situation.
However, Loki's strength exceeded their expectations. A full scale battle erupted, and the entire crew engaged him.
The Red Hair Pirates suffered heavy injuries in what became their first major setback.
The crew included Shanks, Beckman, Yasopp, Lucky Roux, Monster, Ben Beckman, Hongō, Benn Beckman, Lime Zeus, and Gab, all of whom were drawn into the fight.
The battle ended with neither side achieving a clean victory, but the cost to the Red Hair Pirates was significant.
Shanks himself felt bitterness over the outcome, though he never voiced it openly.
Because Loki was a prince of Elbaf, capturing him required restraint. Killing him was not an option. That limitation made the entire battle far more complicated.
A Devil Fruit user with near Admiral level strength, combined with the ancient giant bloodline and a seventy meter physique, made Loki an extremely difficult target.
Even Shanks, during recovery, could only regard the decision to capture him alive as a dangerous gamble.
Fortunately, none of his crew was lost in the process, or the outcome would have been far worse.
And just as the crew began recovering, another issue arose.
Silvers Rayleigh, the retired former first mate, had already been unsettled after hearing news of their losses. But shortly after, it was revealed that the Dawn Ship had moved toward Wano Country.
Without informing anyone, Rayleigh set sail alone and vanished.
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