The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

Soon, Gion's gaze shifted to Robin's pretty back, her eyes filled with understanding.

That makes sense now.

Luther proposed it, Robin planned it, and Hancock carried it out—that's the whole story of the Eregia incident.

Even though she understood all this, Gion didn't have any particular thoughts.

If I had to say what I was curious about, it would be why Luther went to all this trouble.

boom!!!

A series of loud noises continued to emanate from the island where Eregia was located.

The once peaceful island of music has now been transformed into a hellish place.

Gordon knelt down with a sense of regret, his mind, which had been misled by the ancient musical score, now fully cleared.

He also realized just how stupid he had been.

"You should leave quickly."

At the port, Gordon spoke expressionlessly.

"Hey, you bastard, we're not leaving until you explain this clearly."

Beckman grabbed Gordon by the collar and said menacingly.

"Never mind, Beckman."

Shanks, dragging his weary but unharmed body, approached from afar, glanced at Gordon's repentant and sorrowful expression, and said directly:

"He's probably a victim of deception, and there's something strange about this sheet music."

He pulled out a stack of ancient-looking papers from his pocket, which were now shimmering with an eerie purple light:

"If someone who doesn't understand Observation Haki or has weak mental strength touches this, they will be confused by this ancient musical score and only think about performing that final piece."

Shanks shook his head, knowing that Gordon was also being controlled. He also knew that Gordon was a pitiful person and had no intention of seeking revenge.

"So what do we do now? The Navy and the World Government are coming soon," sniper Yasopp said, frowning.

The rest of the members instinctively focused their attention on Shanks.

Shanks returned empty-handed, clearly having failed to bring Uta back despite his best efforts.

In this situation, they either have to wait for the Demon King of Song to finish venting his anger and break through the naval defenses with Uta and leave, or they have to leave now.

"It's simple, we have no choice!"

Shanks lowered his hat brim slightly, his voice leaving no room for argument:

"Mr. Gordon, I suppose you wouldn't mind if pirates took the fall for this disaster!"

Chapter 270 The Red-Haired Pirates Depart

Shanks! You're giving up on Uta?

Beckman's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Shanks in surprise.

The others quickly realized what was happening and looked at Shanks with disbelief.

They are our comrades; abandoning our comrades is not the way of a pirate!

As for the crime of resisting the destruction of a country, it has long been ignored by others.

It's just destroying a country; pirates have done similar things countless times.

Although they weren't those vicious pirates, they didn't care about such things.

"Ah... given what happened today, Uta is no longer suitable to stay with us. Keeping what happened today a secret is the best option."

Shanks lowered his eyes and spoke his mind.

What happened tonight will surely leave a thorn in Uta's heart.

If Uta is taken away as well, then Uta will inevitably feel that he has destroyed a country.

Given their pirate identities, it's highly likely that Uta will become even more extreme.

Shanks's convictions would not allow Uta to become that kind of person in the end.

In that case, why not let Uta stay and grow in a new way, gradually smoothing out this extreme tendency?

"Mr. Gordon."

Shanks looked at Gordon and said softly:

“Tell Uta that we knew about the ancient musical score all along, but we deliberately let her distract you in order to get your treasure and the score. We then took the opportunity to destroy the entire country and steal all your treasure and the score.”

"Shanks..."

Gordon frowned, his mouth slightly open.

"Alright, it's settled then. Let's leave now. Uta is in your care. I believe you have your reasons, and I trust you can take good care of Uta."

Shanks didn't let Gordon speak, but instead let out two dashing laughs before turning and walking toward his ship.

The rest of the Red-Haired Pirates, seeing that Shanks had made his decision, stopped thinking about it and followed him with relaxed expressions.

In their view, Shanks' decision was correct, and supporting him was the right thing to do.

Gordon's expression grew increasingly strange as he watched the pirate crew leave the shore.

He couldn't understand Shanks' thinking at all; what made Shanks think that he could take on everything just by doing this?

Why do they think that doing this will prevent Uta from going to extremes?

Gordon couldn't help but think of Luther's way of raising children, and the difference between the two was simply too obvious.

Gordon sighed and shook his head.

Since this is Shanks' own idea, as a sinner, he will still do as the other party wishes.

I just don't know when Uta will stop, or if he'll live that long.

Looking at Eregia, who resembled something out of hell, and with the shrill singing still ringing in his ears, Gordon's lips curled into a bitter smile.

However, these people didn't know...

Uta was still standing in the banquet hall, but her gaze was fixed on the direction where Shanks and the others had left, and a deep hatred lingered in her clear eyes.

"Why..."

"Why are you doing this to me... Shanks!!!"

Thanks to the amplification from the Demon King of Song, Uta was able to clearly perceive everything that was happening throughout Eregia.

She had heard everything Shanks had said earlier.

But in Uta's eyes, those words were nothing but lame excuses!

Yes, what a lame excuse!

"Saying he'd take all the blame, saying he deliberately seduced her, ha... what a scumbag!"

Uta's voice, filled with resentment, even broke free from the Demon King of Songs' restraints, uttering low, muttering murmurs.

However, the sound she made was quickly transformed into jarring music by the Demon King of Song, exacerbating the destruction of Eregia.

"He clearly just wanted to abandon me, saying all those nice things just to get rid of me..."

At this moment, Uta was perfectly clear-headed and even thought Shanks' behavior was utterly ridiculous.

After only a brief struggle with the Demon King of Song, realizing he couldn't defeat him, he immediately chose to flee.

Uta saw this not as valuing himself, but as fearing his own performance.

Isn't it because she has now become a monster that people are afraid of her and dread her, which is why they can't wait to get rid of her?

As for why he came up with such an excuse, Uta immediately concluded that it was Shanks's way of leaving himself an escape route, so that if they were to meet in the future, he could use the truth to convince himself and find a reason to live.

In Uta's eyes, Shanks had transformed from a heroic pirate into a complete coward.

"Utterly ridiculous... Shanks, you tell me, to judge a person, don't look at what they say, look at what they do..."

"Ah, the feeling of being abandoned by you, I think I'll never forget it..."

Two lines of clear tears flowed down Uta's cheeks, and her only clear eyes were quickly turning into the same lifeless state as the other one.

Shanks' abandonment made her feel that she had lost the meaning of life.

In this world, there was nothing left for her to cherish.

......

Just after the Red-Haired Pirates' ship left the port, Stella and Usopp's merchant ship also arrived in Eregia.

Most of the passengers stood on the deck, watching the flames burning in Eregia with worry.

However, they weren't afraid, since this merchant ship originated from the Grand Line, and the East China Sea was nothing to worry about.

Stella and Usopp were also among the crowd, staring in astonishment at Eregia's raging fire.

"Aunt Stella, this was done by that man, wasn't it?"

Usopp whispered to Stella, his tone firm despite his question.

Since the accident two years ago, he is no longer the clueless teenager he once was.

He knew Eregia's strength well; she wasn't particularly strong, but most pirates couldn't mess with her.

The only force in the vicinity capable of destroying Eregia is the Red-Haired Pirates.

"It's not certain yet... all we know is that the Red-Haired Pirates' ship is heading towards us."

Stella's words left Usopp stunned.

He quickly looked into the distance, and thanks to the talent inherited from Yasopp, he could clearly see the pirate ship approaching from not far away, aided by the light of the Eregia fire.

The mast of the pirate ship prominently displays the emblem of the Red-Haired Pirates.

"They really did it..."

Usopp was now convinced that Eregia's situation was related to his bastard father.

However, this was not unexpected for him. In his imagination, pirates were just a bunch of trash who only knew how to burn, kill, and plunder.