After breakfast, the group, led by Uta, truly entered the kingdom, a place steeped in history and utterly destroyed by some catastrophe. All around them, they saw broken branches and uprooted trees. The sunlight that filtered through seemed to grow dim amidst the desolation.
They finally found signs of human activity when they reached an ancient building resembling a lyre. Here, Kouta and Kuina finally met Gordon, the Frankenstein-like figure they had seen the previous night.
"Gordon, this is Kouta, this is Kuina, and this is Robin..." Uta introduced her new friends to him with clear pride.
"Hello, Mr. Gordon." After Uta finished her introductions, Kouta and the others greeted Gordon.
"Hmm!" Gordon looked at Uta with affection, then nodded at Kouta and the others, his expression neither overtly warm nor unwelcoming. He was a man who kept his emotions well concealed.
"Gordon, Mr. Kouta wants to take a look at the basement. Is that okay?" Uta said, her voice soft as she tugged on Gordon's arm. "Miss Robin is a historian, and she wants to learn about our Elegy's history."
"Just history?" Gordon didn't look at Uta but instead focused his gaze on the silver-haired young man leading the group. From the moment the silver-haired young man and his companions landed on the island, he had suspected they had a hidden agenda. After all, Elegy had been reduced to ruins, and even pirates wouldn't venture deep into the island given its dilapidated state.
While he knew Kouta and the others had a purpose, he hadn't expected them to be interested in the relatively well-preserved basement. "Is there something in there they need?" Gordon didn't believe that individuals as powerful as the silver-haired young man and his group were genuinely interested in Elegy's history. Furthermore, it was suspicious how Kouta and the others knew about the basement. Only two people knew of its existence after Elegy's destruction: him and Uta. He had seen last night's broadcast and was certain Uta hadn't spoken much with Kouta and his companions. Today, while Uta was leading the way, he could clearly see from his vantage point that Kouta and his group were heading straight for this location, their destination obvious. These factors made him suspect the silver-haired young man's true intentions.
After a deep look at the silver-haired young man, who met his gaze with a composed expression, Gordon nodded, agreeing to let Kouta and his group into the basement. He had no choice but to agree. There were only him and Uta here, and while Uta didn't know who the silver-haired young man and his companions were, he did. Who knew the temperament of the strongest person in this world? If he refused, he couldn't be sure if they would get angry, attempt to force their way in, or even kill them. For the sake of some history books and the writings of Elegy's countless musicians, it wasn't worth provoking the world's strongest.
As for Kouta and the others' real objective, the "Forbidden Score," Gordon hadn't considered it. He had hidden that item deep within the basement after that disastrous night. While it was selfish of him not to bury the Forbidden Score where no one could find it, he didn't believe the silver-haired young man and his group could find it.
"Thank you~" Seeing Gordon agree to let them in, Kouta and the others bowed gratefully. Lifting his head, Kouta's gaze lingered on Gordon for a moment, a hint of an amused smile playing on his lips. Gordon likely suspected their purpose was not simple, but he dared not obstruct them too much due to their known identities. In truth, if Gordon had tried to stop them, they wouldn't have defied the owner's wishes and forced their way into the basement. However, it wasn't as though Gordon could truly prevent them. Here, he could clearly sense the source of that demonic power. If he wished, he could retrieve that Forbidden Score from where he stood. But it seemed there was no longer any need.
Rising, Kouta and the others followed Uta into the lyre-shaped church. Inside, at the very back, they saw the passage to the underground that Uta opened.
"Mr. Kouta."
"Hmm!" Kouta looked up at the girl holding his arm, her head tilted towards him. "What is it?" He could sense her apprehension and guessed the reason for her question.
"Is there really another truth here, like you said?"
Looking at the girl, Kouta didn't answer immediately. He wasn't sure himself if this truth was here. Although he hadn't watched the "Red-Haired Songstress" movie in his previous life, upon meeting Uta now, he was certain that this Uta was not the Uta from a few years later. What had caused Uta to become someone the Marines would deploy two Admirals to Elegy for? After witnessing the specific power of Uta's Devil Fruit, he thought he had found the answer. Uta's Uta Uta no Mi (Song-Song Fruit) ability was incredibly unfathomable and powerful. Hearing her song could pull people into Uta's world. Would even those listening via broadcast be drawn into Uta's world? If it were just a live performance, Kouta believed the World Government and Marines wouldn't need to deploy such a large force. And if Uta were simply holding a concert, the Marines wouldn't come. The only explanation was that Uta must be engaged in some wicked plan, possibly to trap those drawn into her world by her song, preventing them from ever leaving and forcing them to live in Uta's world forever. If so, she could truly achieve her ideal of peace and happiness (a self-deemed peace and happiness).
What had caused Uta to change? The only thing Kouta could think of was that Uta must have discovered the truth of what happened back then in Elegy. After all, the "Red-Haired Songstress" movie wasn't just about Uta; Shanks was also a protagonist. Without this truth, Shanks' arrival would be purely to oppose Uta, not to save her. After all, Uta was shown in Shanks' arms in the trailer.
"Yes, there definitely is. As for whether it's here, I'm not entirely sure." Despite the cruelty, Kouta nodded and answered Uta. Last night, he had called Shanks and told him they had arrived in Elegy and encountered Uta. With Shanks' crew's speed, they should arrive here within two days at full sail. If the weather was good, it might even be less than two days. After all, they were currently in the latter half of the New World, not the first half.