Flesh Is Brief, the Soul Ascends

"What an ugly and pure existence, devoid of reason, driven only by destructive desires, a creature that can only exist in reality and illusion—what's with that smile?"

"Honestly, why did Your Majesty have to wake me up from my slumber? How boring..."

With her azure eyes shimmering like water, Citrus blinked, a strange smile appearing on her captivating face.

"Since it's about collecting information, the longer it takes, the better, so that we can collect more comprehensive information, hehehe..."

With a gentle touch of her fingertips, alluring pink lips revealed specks of crimson. Amidst the raging crimson thunderstorm and black flames, the tiny bat, unnoticed by anyone, darted into the body of the Song Demon King, who was wreaking havoc on Elegia.

For a moment, the Song Demon King, Tot Musica, paused, but what happened next filled all the citizens of Elegia with a deep sense of despair.

"What happened? How could it have turned out like this!"

"That little girl, the little girl named Uta, her singing summoned this monster!"

"God, if this is a nightmare, please wake me up..."

"Damn it, hasn't the Navy arrived yet? If this continues, Elegia will be reduced to ruins by this monster..."

Panic spread like a plague to the hearts of all the citizens of Elegia. Amid the surging tide of people fleeing, two figures went against the current, showing no fear in the face of the sight that terrified everyone.

"This is the Ancient Consciousness Aggregate that Big Brother was talking about. Why do ancient beings always leave behind such troublesome things? Ancient Weapon are one, and this thing is another..."

"The so-called civilization gap seems to indicate that there was indeed an era hundreds of years ago that involved the soul and was technologically advanced."

"This must be one of the truths that my brother was talking about, which was being concealed and buried by the World Government."

Clang!

The Ame no Habakiri drawn from its sheath. Unlike its usual smooth blade, the Ame no Habakiri was now gradually covered in a chilling aura.

"Well, in short, the entire kingdom of Elegia is now sealed off by the Silence Barrier, so Uta's singing can't reach outside this Music Kingdom."

"So..."

"We need to minimize the damage here and seal off the battle area, confining it to the center of the city. That's why we need the Ice-Ice Fruit's power."

Yamato spoke loudly, his orange-yellow eyes gradually being replaced by icy white, and blue flames swirled around him.

"Musashi Ice Fang!"

"Devil Fruit Dial - Frozen - Ice Time!"

Azure sword energy cleaved the island, and a wall of ice hung high in the sky, a breathtaking sight.

The icy breath spread in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, a thick layer of frost covered the Song Demon King Tot Musica, who was wantonly spreading purple and black flames.

The sudden appearance of sword energy and icy coldness in Elegia left the Red-Haired Pirates speechless, except for Red-Haired Shanks slightly and revealed a hearty smile.

"Hiyori and Kaido's daughter, that girl has also arrived in Elegia? She's arrived just in time..."

Shanks murmured to himself, then turned his gaze back to Tot Musica.

"This is a tricky fellow, Mr. Gordon. Do you know where he comes from?"

King Gordon, battered and bruised, barely crawling out of the ruins, looked up at the sky, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.

"Um, um... if I'm not mistaken, this should be the ancient consciousness aggregate sealed in Elegia many years ago, the legendary Song Demon King Tot Musica!"

"Ancient collective consciousness, ah la ah la..."

After looking him up and down, the Red-Haired Shanks man frowned, sensing that this guy was different from before, as if he were more energetic.

Beneath a top hat of purplish-black, a full head of blond hair cascaded down his back, and beneath a black cloak lay a power that seemed almost ethereal and elusive.

A smile graced his pale face, but the sharp teeth and long nose gave the comical smile a chilling undertone.

His right eye was jet black and deep, and within the blood-red X that replaced his left eye, a faint blood-red light flickered, almost identical to the materialized Conqueror's Haki.

The skulls burning with purple flames, like a necklace adorning themselves, slowly reveal the true nature of this comical scene.

"Since it's an ancient relic sealed within Elegia, is there no way to deal with it, or any way to exploit its weaknesses?"

"This... I'm sorry, even the previous king didn't know about these things. I only learned about the existence of the Song Demon King, Tot Musica, from ancient books..."

"That book also doesn't have any methods on how to deal with Tot Musica."

After listening to Gordon's explanation, Red-Haired Shanks shook his head helplessly, focusing his gaze on the powerful opponent restrained by the cold air, and smiled wryly.

"In other words, only by exhausting Uta's stamina can we stop this guy from destroying the surrounding area. No wonder he used cold air to condense a barrier beforehand. Mr. Huayue is quite thoughtful, he saw the future in advance!"

Click!

Gryphon landed in his hand, strands of Conqueror's Haki swirling around the blade, its eyes flashing red as it pointed directly at the colossal creature in the distance.

"No matter what kind of Ancient Weapon or historical relic you are, don't attack our Red-Haired Pirates ' little musician! Divine Departure!"

A sword descended from the sky, landing squarely on Tot Musica's enormous top hat. The surging, domineering aura penetrated the exterior, inflicting damage from within.

With a powerful stomp of its ferocious griffin claws, the sound of shattering reverberated throughout the entire Music Kingdom, and a terrifying impact suddenly erupted.

Click! Click! Click!

With her brows furrowed, she swung her Ame no Habakiri once more, replenishing the shattered ice-white barrier.

"His domineering aura is too strong. Even the ice fortress that I built collapsed. No wonder my brother considers him the strongest contender for the title of Four Emperors..."

"However, relying solely on the powerful aura from the outside world is completely useless against this guy. Only an indestructible being would choose to deal with it by sealing it, Shanks."

Meanwhile, deep within the underground ruins of Elegia.

One by one, the active guardians of the ruins were sealed in place by the Six Rods of Light Prison, unable to move. After deciphering the last sentence of the Poneglyph, Huayue raised an eyebrow and looked meaningfully at the rampant consciousness aggregate outside.

"An being immersed in suffering chooses to gain eternal happiness in another world, but because of the negativity originating from its soul, its ocean of consciousness is tainted, giving birth to an incomparably powerful demon king..."

"The flesh and blood are short-lived, and the soul ascends, but is polluted by negative information, eventually gathering all consciousnesses into a demon king who exists only in instinct."

"I wonder which generation of Uta-Uta Fruit Ability User, heard the key to open the Pandora's Box, and composed a summoning song. That was truly... a terrible mistake!"