Uta stared at the Tot Musica doll in her hand, her eyes filled with surprise.
Lloyd gave a faint smile.
"Uta, this time you turned a disaster into an advantage. From now on, Tot Musica will be your personal bodyguard."
Uta possessed the Sing-Sing Fruit and had extraordinary talent, making her the most suitable vessel to summon Tot Musica.
However, compared to Tot Musica itself, she had been far too weak before. She could not control its rampaging power at all.
Lloyd had directly used Dark Baptism to purify Tot Musica, removing its chaotic will.
From now on, Uta could use the power of the Sing-Sing Fruit to summon Tot Musica and command it freely, without the risk of losing control.
The current Tot Musica was nothing more than a weapon. It would no longer interfere with her emotions.
In simple terms, Uta now possessed a weapon tied directly to her will, one that carried combat strength comparable to an Emperor.
Of course, summoning Tot Musica required far more stamina than simply using the Sing-Sing Fruit. With Uta's current strength, maintaining its full combat form for three minutes would already be her limit.
Even so, three minutes was more than enough to deal with most enemies in this world.
Uta gently squeezed the doll and looked up at Lloyd.
"Thank you, Uncle..."
Lloyd's expression remained composed.
"If you recognize me as your uncle, there is no need to thank me."
At that moment, Shanks finally regained his senses. He stepped closer and looked at Uta.
"Uta, let's dispel your world first."
Uta nodded softly. She hummed a short melody, and the colorful space around them began to dissolve into countless fragments of light. The illusion faded, and everyone returned to reality.
Outside, the crowd was in confusion. They had also heard the broadcasted singing through the Den Den Mushi and had been pulled into Uta's world.
Inside the Royal City, Uta faced Lloyd and the others and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I caused trouble."
Shanks waved his hand with a relaxed smile.
"It's fine now. Actually, that world just now was quite interesting. A rare experience."
He turned toward Beckman and the others.
"Isn't that right?"
Beckman nodded immediately. Lucky Roux had already taken out a large piece of meat and was shouting about starting a banquet.
Gordon still looked shaken, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, a low voice sounded behind him.
"Hey."
Gordon stiffened. He slowly turned his head and found himself facing a towering figure.
Katakuri looked down at him, his sharp teeth visible as he spoke in a steady tone.
"You are the king here, right? Can you get me some donuts? I forgot to bring any when I left the ship."
Gordon blinked in confusion. He had expected something far more threatening, not a simple request for donuts.
Seeing no response, Katakuri frowned slightly.
"Did I frighten you?"
Gordon quickly shook his head.
"No, not at all. I will have them prepared immediately."
He hurried off to give orders. Soon, servants from the royal palace entered and began arranging everything.
Among them, a servant delivered a large plate of donuts to Katakuri.
Meanwhile, Uta stood together with Shanks and Lloyd.
Shanks laughed as he recounted stories from his years at sea. Uta listened attentively, occasionally letting out small exclamations of amazement, which only made Shanks more pleased with himself.
Lloyd stood to the side, holding a glass of red wine, watching quietly.
As the conversation went on, Shanks grew more animated. Finally, he looked at Uta and spoke with expectation.
"Uta, how about coming back and becoming the musician of our crew again?"
In his mind, she would not refuse. The sea he described was exactly what she had always longed for.
However, Uta shook her head.
She turned to look at Lloyd, her eyes carrying hesitation.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow slightly.
"What is it? You do not want to go to sea?"
Uta pressed her lips together.
"I do... but right now, I want to visit Marineford more."
Shanks froze.
"What?"
Lloyd looked at her with mild curiosity.
"Marineford is the headquarters of the Navy. Why do you want to go there?"
Uta placed her hands behind her back. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"When I used to talk with my fans, they often mentioned you. They said they wanted to see you... so I made a promise."
Lloyd tilted his head slightly.
"And?"
Uta scratched her cheek.
"I said I would hold a performance in Marineford and let them see you through a live Den Den Mushi broadcast. I asked Gordon to send a request to the Navy, but there has been no reply..."
She looked at Lloyd cautiously.
"Uncle, was my request rejected?"
Lloyd paused for a moment, thinking.
"I am not aware of it. It was likely overlooked."
As Fleet Admiral, he did not personally handle minor administrative matters. Requests like this would normally be processed by the Propaganda Department.
Recently, with major events happening across the seas, including the fall of multiple Yonko crews, the department had been overwhelmed. A performance request would not have been prioritized.
After a brief moment, Lloyd spoke again.
"If that is the case, come back with me. I will have it arranged."
Uta's eyes lit up instantly. She let out a small cheer and rushed forward, hugging Lloyd.
"Uncle is the best!"
Shanks stood to the side, his expression stiff, as if he had just been completely ignored.
===
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