Uta (Seeking Follow-up!)

The Red-Haired Pirates wanted to speak but stopped themselves, yet upon thinking of the harsh environment on the plateau, they found it quite reasonable.

Finally, Louis sighed, "Singing is a voice that can make people happy, and musicians are the ones responsible for conveying this wonderful joy."

Yelena listened, lost in thought, and nodded gently, quietly awaiting Uta's song.

A temporary stage was quickly set up under the skilled hands of the Red-Haired crew.

Following that, Uta, egged on by a few people, showed no shyness. Instead, she boldly stepped forward and spread her arms on the deck.

Then, she cleared her throat and closed her eyes.

In the crowd, Shanks and Yasopp understood Uta's signal, and indulgent smiles appeared on their faces simultaneously as they stepped forward and took Uta's hands respectively.

They lifted her step by step, helping her onto the stage.

The next moment, Uta slowly opened her eyes and flashed a brilliant smile at Louis and Yelena.

At this time, a warm sea breeze blew, lifting the two-colored long hair that hung in front of her and her yellow skirt.

Under the gaze of everyone, Uta's figure swayed gently with the sea breeze. She raised a hand to shield the sun, and another stream of sunlight shone on her face through her fingers.

♫: "Even if I keep asking the sky"

♫: "Where this wind comes from, I won't get any reply"

Her clear singing voice echoed in everyone's ears, making them unconsciously ignore the noise of the sea and become immersed in it.

On deck, all the Red-Haired Pirates wore smiles. Even Lucky Roo, who always had food in his hands, paused his eating, afraid of disturbing Uta's performance.

Louis leaned against the railing, quietly listening to Uta's performance. He had to admit that even without the Uta Uta no Mi, her singing had world-class potential.

Even Louis, who in his past life enjoyed electronic and rock music, was gradually drawn in.

Listening to the singing blend with the sea breeze, Yelena was stunned at first, then the corners of her lips turned up, revealing a nostalgic smile.

"So, the sound I often heard when I was little was singing..."

As the song lingered, the world in Yelena's eyes began to change. She saw her young self being lulled to sleep by a gentle figure.

"Yelena, be good!"

"When Mom sneaks onto the prison ship and gets him out, everything in the Kingdom of Jacob will disappear..."

Yelena watched as the gentle figure stroked her twin horns, her face a mixture of guilt and regret.

The figure Yelena was very familiar with looked at her sleeping self and whispered, "This should have ended long ago, but in the end, I didn't seize the opportunity."

"I am a sinner..."

"..."

♫: "Set sail in your heart and advance towards your wishes"

The world changed again, and the figure singing on the stage reappeared before Yelena's eyes.

Yelena looked up at the bright, azure sky and whispered in her heart, "It's all over..."

♫: "May we meet again at the end of the journey we firmly believe in"

♫: "And reunite with you..."

"..."

The singing, accompanied by the sea breeze, brought a smile to Beckman's face as he steered the ship on another vessel.

Behind him, the Ganan Remnants, who had been diligently learning to steer, looked up in confusion before quickly becoming immersed again.

Beckman turned his head and looked helplessly at the entranced crowd, speechless for a moment.

Finally, he smiled and shook his head, "Forget it, for the sake of Uta's singing, I'll let you all relax for a bit."

♫: "No matter where I am, I will keep singing"

♫: "I will deliver my feelings to your heart"

♫: "Sailing on the sea, I will transform into a brand new breeze..."

As the song ended, Uta's silent demeanor during her performance changed, replaced by a brilliant, bright smile.

"Welcome Louis and Yelena to the Red-Haired Pirates!!"

"..."

However, the air was silent.

Louis: "..."

Yelena: "..."

Everyone looked at her with strange eyes.

Uta's face fell, looking a bit embarrassed. The butterfly hair accessory on the back of her head drooped unconsciously.

"Huh?"

"Why aren't you cooperating?"

Then, Yasopp scratched his head, his face full of awkwardness, "But, Brother Louis isn't joining us..."

"?" Uta was confused.

Just then, Shanks gave an awkward smile, went up, patted Uta's head, and said, "Little Louis and Yelena are just staying on our ship for a few years to recover. They aren't joining us."

Upon hearing this, Uta looked at Shanks, then at Louis, a hint of confusion on their face.

"But isn't it all the same?"

"Aren't pirates supposed to adventure at sea with their nakama?"

"Staying here for two years, living and adventuring with us, doesn't that mean becoming our nakama?"

"..."

Everyone was stunned by the words, then exchanged glances. For a moment, they didn't know how to answer.

Louis's eyes widened, unable to find a retort for Uta.

He could only think that this was truly a unique way of thinking, like that of the late Uchiha Madara from childhood.

Finally, Louis shook his head and said, "It's different. We are always just passing through. Our beliefs and goals are not the same, and there will always be a time for parting."

Shanks carried Uta off the deck, chuckling helplessly. "You'll understand when you're a little older."

Uta crossed their arms, turned their head away, and huffed, "Hmph..."

Afterward, the Red-Haired Pirates all laughed.

Soon, Uta had forgotten all about what had just happened. They clapped their hands to get everyone's attention and declared loudly, "In that case, let's have a party!"

"Ooh!" The Red-Haired Pirates responded immediately, giving Uta the emotional validation they sought.

Louis fell silent. As expected, this crew was too boisterous; he wasn't quite used to it.

Yelena looked puzzled. "Didn't we just have a party last night?"

Actually, she thought, having parties every day like this might be a bit too wasteful.

Shanks seemed to sense Yelena's concern and replied with a smile, "It's alright. The sea is very generous. As long as we don't waste food..."

Just then, Louis frowned, looking out at the distant sea. At the same time, Shanks also noticed a ship approaching in the distance.

But soon, he turned back to look thoughtfully at Louis.

The pirates on that ship might be decent in the East Sea, but before him, they were nothing.

However, what he didn't expect was that despite Louis's young age, his Observation Haki was almost on par with his own.

Shortly after, Yasopp and Beckman on another ship also noticed the approaching vessel.

After a moment of thought, Beckman turned to the Ganan Remnants behind him and said, "Have your tribesmen on deck come back inside. You can go out again later."

Yasopp immediately pulled out his spyglass and looked out at the distant sea.