The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

At this moment, Shanks' gaze towards Luffy revealed a complex emotion.

His thoughts returned to that tragic battle, to his fallen comrades.

If they hadn't encountered Gion and the others, the fruit might have been eaten, and he would have at most responded with a smile.

But now, this fruit has become incredibly heavy for him.

He didn't know what happened to the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates, and he didn't even dare to think about it.

Before he finally lost consciousness, nearly half of the people were instantly killed by Gion and his group.

Cook Lucky Roux used his obese body as a human shield to cover Yasopp's retreat, while ship's doctor Hongo and navigator Bendick Snake fought desperately to hold off Kizaru, buying Beckman time to escape.

The others didn't even have time to react before being killed by the three Gion members.

He himself was also seriously injured by Gion's sword during his escape and fell unconscious in the sea.

Although he was lucky enough to survive the ordeal, the deaths of his companions became his greatest pain.

His heart was filled with pain and sorrow. What was originally just an ordinary voyage turned into a tragedy because of a Devil Fruit, leaving him all alone upon his return.

Now, the fruit that the Red-Haired Pirates obtained at such a heavy price has been eaten by Luffy, a child, by sheer chance.

"Captain...is all of this destined?"

Shanks murmured with a complex expression, his voice revealing a sense of bewilderment at fate and self-mockery.

He recalled Captain Roger's self-deprecating words when he returned from Larulav.

Roger back then seemed to be just like he is now, mocking the injustice of fate.

Yes, even a great man like Roger was not favored by fate.

Even a man as great as Roger was not favored by fate.

How could someone who is not even one ten-thousandth as good as Roger expect to be favored by fate?

"Luffy, Dragon's son, Garp's grandson, with a childlike heart—is this the one fate has favored...?"

Shanks murmured to himself, as if all his energy had been drained, and his face suddenly looked much older.

When Luffy saw Shanks' appearance, he was so frightened that he shivered and stood to the side, not daring to move.

"How interesting, it's all destined... You've got all the magnanimity in the world, my cowardly father!"

On the grass not far away, Uta chuckled.

As a being fused with the Demon King of Song, Uta can easily hear Shanks' whispers.

With her abilities, she could hear the sounds of the entire Goa Kingdom and even use them to construct images and create her own world of songs.

"People always experience a lot of complex emotions when they encounter unexpected events. Shanks is, in the end, just an ordinary person."

Luther shook his head, slightly disappointed.

Shanks's thinking at this moment is not wrong at all. In fact, even if he were to do it, he might not necessarily do it better than the other party.

But to place one's future on a vague and uncertain destiny, in Barrett's words... is certainly not the act of a strong person.

"Ha, there's no need to defend him. In his eyes, the pirate life is probably just a mundane game of make-believe."

Uta spoke of Shanks with increasingly detached emotion.

When her disappointment reached a certain point, she didn't even want to look at Shanks anymore.

However, due to the pain of being abandoned before, Uta still raised her hand expressionlessly.

“?????|?.??|”

A note that ordinary people cannot hear flowed from Uta's mouth, as if summoning something.

Unlike Shanks, who was too weak to use Observation Haki, Rudd immediately sensed Uta Note's target.

It was a sea monster with red eyes and blue fins, looking just like a giant sea eel. It also had another name in the nearby sea – 'King of the Near Sea'.

Uta's notes seemed to open a door to another world, directly drawing the not-so-wise near-sea king into her world of songs.

In reality, the king of the near seas was manipulated by Uta and swam towards the coast.

"Luther, may I do this?"

While controlling the King of the Near Sea, Uta looked up and asked Luther.

Her words carried a hint of caution; she would immediately release the Lord of the Near Seas from his control should Luther be unwilling.

"Do as you wish, and I'll take care of anything that happens."

Luther gently ruffled Uta's hair and smiled as Uta had expected.

Upon hearing Luther's words, Uta smiled brightly.

That's why she liked Luther; he gave her freedom, understood her thoughts, and was willing to take the consequences for her.

Unlike Shanks, who is constantly prevented from doing this and stopped from doing that, he can only engage in pointless matches with Luffy.

Chapter 281 Shanks' Future Path

Shanks, it's time to make a choice... your belief in fate, or your own life?

Uta's voice, though soft, echoed in my heart, like a mysterious summons.

At the same time, the waves began to churn violently, and the massive body of the Sea King suddenly emerged from the water. Its red eyes gleamed with hunger as its tens of meters-long body lunged at Luffy.

"Ok?"

Although Shanks was physically weak, his almost beast-like attack intentions still alerted him.

In his current state, even rapid movement has become a problem, let alone using advanced abilities like Conqueror's Haki.

But he knew that if the Lord of the Coast continued to attack, Luffy, who had just eaten the Devil Fruit, would not be able to escape being devoured.

If Luffy were taken into the sea, he would have no chance of survival after eating the Devil Fruit.

Shanks' eyes flickered; he had another idea in his mind.

Devil Fruits are said to be reborn somewhere in the world after the user dies. If Luffy dies, the Nika Fruit will be reborn in another place.

He's already incapable of saving Luffy, so perhaps...

laugh! ! !

"Shanks!!!"

Blood splattered everywhere.

Everyone present was shocked by Shanks' actions.

In a moment of absolute crisis, Shanks steeled himself, exhausted all his strength, and moved his body to block the Lord of the Coast's attack path.

His right arm was bitten by the king of the near sea, the wound was so deep that the white bone was visible, and blood gushed out.

However, upon seeing Shanks' actions, Uta showed no surprise or emotion; instead, a flash of extreme madness and hatred appeared in her eyes.

Under her control, the Lord of the Coast forcibly tore off Shanks' right arm and swallowed it into his belly.

Under her control, the Lord of the Coast forcibly tore off Shanks' right arm and swallowed it.

"Shanks!!!"

Uta's voice was like a tearing wind, full of hoarseness and disgust.

At that moment, her emotions surged, a mixture of hatred and pain.

Shanks only let out a muffled groan and collapsed weakly onto Luffy, his eyes revealing a deep weariness and helplessness.

Luffy finally realized what was happening, his eyes filled with determination, and he kept muttering to himself:

"Yes, yes, Shanks told me to go find Makino."

It's unclear where the power came from, but Luffy suddenly rallied, hoisted Shanks onto his shoulder, and sprinted towards Windmill Village at top speed.

"Why...why can't I even compare to Luffy..."

Uta stared blankly at Luther, her expression like that of a wounded little animal, pleading for pity and shelter.

Luther gently embraced Uta, stroking her hair tenderly as if comforting a frightened kitten.

In fact, the choice that Uta made was never going to have a good outcome for Uta herself from the very beginning.

No matter what choice Shanks makes, the ending will not change.

If Shanks chooses to abandon Luffy, Uta will deeply despise his cold-bloodedness, and the pain of being abandoned will resonate in her heart, turning into a deep madness.

If Shanks chooses to save Luffy, Uta will again be unable to accept the fact that she is less important to Shanks than Luffy, just like she is now.

A few days ago, Shanks fled quickly after fighting the Song Demon King, only giving Uta some idealistic arrangements, far less than the current determination to protect Luffy even in danger.

"Fate, fate... Since you choose to submit to fate, I will kill your fate and show it to you!"

Uta, who had collapsed in Luther's arms, gradually calmed down.

She took a slow, deep breath, as if trying to suppress all her emotions and prevent them from causing any further ripples.

Uta silently vowed in her heart that she would never again have any emotional fluctuations for Shanks.

"Luther, let's go."

As Uta spoke, her fingers gripped Luther's clothes tightly, her eyes firm and resolute.

"Ready?"

Luther asked softly, his gaze deep and tolerant, as if he were examining Uta's soul.

"Ok!"

Uta nodded emphatically, his voice carrying a cold resolve:

"Now is not the best time to kill Luffy, Luther. Help me become stronger. I will stand in front of you and kill all your enemies, including that so-called ancient sun god!"

“I don’t need a child standing in front of me yet. Grow up well, Uta. I look forward to your future, your strength and wisdom.”

A hint of appreciation and anticipation flickered in Luther's eyes as he gently stroked Uta's hair, a tender smile playing on his lips.

On this trip to the East China Sea, he seemed to have done a lot, but in reality, he did nothing.

Everything was Uta's choice, and Shanks' choice too.