The Red Hair Pirates had traveled the world and witnessed all sorts of legends.
Of course, they had also heard of Totmujika's legend.
In fact, the legend of Totmujika had appeared in this world more than once, and the tragedy of Eregia was far from the only one.
And during the one nine years ago, when the entire Red Hair Pirates crew was engaged, the Demon King only disappeared after Uta's stamina ran out.
That experience led the Red Hair Pirates to believe that the Demon King was inherently that powerful.
But after hearing Kota's explanation, they finally understood that the Demon King they faced at the time was actually at its historically strongest state.
"No wonder it was so strong."
The gaze of everyone present shifted as they looked at the paper at this moment.
If Kota's explanation was anything to go by, this thing was clearly far more dangerous than they had imagined.
"Then Mr. Kota, you intend to...?"
Beside Beckman, Usopp's father, Yasopp, the sniper of the Red Hair Pirates, asked.
"Me?"
Kota put down his wine gourd, let out a belch, and then smiled, "Me! The moment I saw the legend of Totmujika, I realized the danger of this thing. Of course, I'm here to deal with that guy completely!"
"Deal with it completely??"
Everyone was shocked.
They had personally experienced the power of the Demon King nine years ago. Looking at the silver-haired youth who seemed so relaxed, Beckman and the others were lost in thought.
They vaguely remembered the first time they heard news of this brat in front of them, it was when Golden Lion died. Time had passed so quickly, yet also so slowly.
In just one year, not only had this youth surpassed Shanks to become the world's strongest, but he could also kill a fictional being that existed only in human imagination?
"Of course," Kota said again at this moment, "Killing that guy shouldn't be too difficult for me. The hard part is finding its spatial coordinates."
"So that's why you told Uta the truth?"
Beckman looked up at the youth, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "You asked us to come mainly to keep Uta stable and prevent her from getting into trouble."
He didn't know how an outsider like Kota knew the truth of nine years ago, but with everything that had already happened, it was pointless to dwell on it.
They weren't here for any Demon King, but for their family, for Uta.
"Yes!" Kota nodded.
"Music itself is indeed not guilty. In my opinion, Uta was just a key back then. If there was truly a fierce beast in the cage, and that beast was a bloodthirsty one, then after the tragedy occurred, the only ones we could definitively hold responsible were the one who controlled the key and the beast in the cage, not the key itself."
"Uta's experience should be considered an undeserved disaster under unforeseen circumstances. Although she did sing the forbidden score, which released the beast, we cannot simply attribute all of this to Uta."
"We can think this way, but Uta, as the person involved, will not. After learning the truth, she will surely fall into self-destruction."
"You should also know the power of her Devil Fruit. I don't know what a collapsing Uta might do. But with you, with your family who watched her grow up, by your side, with the tenderness of kinship, I believe she can overcome this unpleasant, yet unforgettable disaster."
"This is why I asked you to come."
Having said that, Kota raised his wine gourd and took a big gulp, moistening his throat with the wine before speaking again, "As for the Demon King and such, I actually just need Uta to open the cage again. As for what happens next, leave it to me."
"I guarantee that after this, there will be no more Demon Kings in this world, no more legends of Totmujika."
Looking at the confident youth, the entire Red Hair Pirates crew was stunned. By the time they reacted,
The youth, with his companions, was already heading towards the ruined wasteland under the scorching midday sun.
They knew.
They knew the youth was giving them time.
Time to soothe their daughter's near-collapsed heart after learning the truth.
Casting their gratitude at the youth's retreating back, they all stepped forward in unison and entered the darkness through the passage.
In truth, they had considered the day Uta would learn the truth.
But they hadn't expected it to be revealed in such a dramatic fashion.
When they saw the Den Den Mushi, which had been left there and was lying quietly at Shanks' and Uta's feet in the basement, they couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.
But then came a sense of dread.
The dread stemmed from the fact that they knew this Den Den Mushi had been here all along, meaning that if they had been more observant, Uta would have discovered the truth on her own sooner or later.
And without Kota's intervention, they couldn't imagine what Uta would have become, facing the truth alone.
So at this moment, the entire Red Hair Pirates crew once again silently thanked Kota in their hearts.
...
"Kota."
On a dilapidated street dappled with sunlight, Kota leaned casually in the shadow of a building's corner. Hearing Kuina's voice, he put down his wine gourd, turned to look at the girl, and asked gently, "What is it?"
"Do you think the Demon King can really be destroyed?"
The girl looked up, her clear eyes filled with questions.
"That's a good question!"
Kota stroked his chin and pondered for a moment, unable to provide an answer.
He knew that as long as the power of miracles existed in this world, such things would inevitably appear.
The Demon King, formed from human desires, Kota could kill it once, but he couldn't kill it countless times. As long as humans existed and human desires persisted, there would always be a Demon King.
In the river of future time, this Demon King could be the legend of Totmujika, or some other "mujika" legend.
Just like the long-vanished demon tribe. Even though they were gone, the desires of living beings remained. Did these lingering desires not form things like Devil Fruits?
Perhaps one day, when the devils within the Devil Fruits truly awakened, it would be another form of demonic reappearance.
No one could answer this.
After all, in a fantastical world, anything could happen.
Leaning her head on Kota's shoulder, Kuina narrowed her eyes slightly. Without Kota saying it, she already knew the answer.
After all, she had not only experienced things related to demons herself, but she also knew of the existence of the afterlife and the immense being that Kota himself was.
So, when a doubt arose in her heart, out of attachment, she unconsciously voiced it.
...