Chapter 427: Hard Counter
Sabaody Archipelago · Concert Stage
Everyone had not yet recovered from the tearing and collapse of the mental world. Their chests heaved rapidly, and cold sweat dripped down their cheeks, as if their souls were still trapped in that crumbling golden illusion.
The first to recover, however, was Shanks.
He took a step forward, his Haki surging. His crimson hair danced wildly like raging flames, and his entire being resembled a drawn sword as he lunged straight toward Uta in the center of the stage:
"Uta!!!"
"Stop right there!!" A cold shout exploded like a thunderclap.
Teleporting via ROOM directly in front of Red Hair, Law's eyes gleamed with a chilling light. He held Kikoku horizontally across his chest, the spatial ripples faintly undulating along the blade, forcibly blocking Shanks' path.
"Can't you see clearly?! He is suppressing Uta's singing!!!"
Shanks halted his steps, his pupils shrinking violently as he stared dead at the center of the stage.
He saw the man standing there, casually exhaling a puff of smoke. His eyes were half-closed, and his tone was laid-back and lackadaisical:
"Red Hair, don't get in the way."
—Right at this moment.
Deep within the originally disintegrated dream world, the phantom of Tot Musica was still writhing.
Its hideous smile twitched, its fangs gleaming coldly, as a silent roar echoed from the depths of its throat.
It was attempting to use Uta's body to continue singing, forcibly playing the "Third Movement" to unfurl the melody of destruction once again!
However, just as that soundwave spread around the stage, it abruptly stagnated!
It was as if an invisible giant hand between heaven and earth had coldly snapped the spines of all the musical notes.
VROOM—
Centered around Rosinante, a purple halo of light abruptly expanded outward.
That wasn't a shockwave of Haki, nor was it the common energy fluctuation of a Devil Fruit. Instead, it was an eerie, absolute "absence".
The air in the center of the stage was so silent it made one's heart palpitate.
No echoes.
No sound of the wind.
Even the rapid breathing of the crowd was completely swallowed the instant it crossed into this halo of light.
Uta's lips were still trembling, her vocal cords vibrating desperately, yet what came out of her mouth was a "silence" incapable of leaving even the slightest ripple.
"Within this domain, 'sound' does not exist."
—This was the terror of the Nagi Nagi no Mi (Calm-Calm Fruit).
If the Uta Uta no Mi (Sing-Sing Fruit) was a world-destroying demonic sound capable of raising a tsunami of souls and tearing the firmament apart with musical notes...
Then the Nagi Nagi no Mi was the cosmic singularity manifesting out of thin air, swallowing all soundwaves.
When the user of the Uta Uta no Mi roared and played the symphony of destruction, their musical notes turning into a tangible army of thousands, and their soundwaves enough to resonate and collapse mountains or boil and reverse the seas—
The user of the Nagi Nagi no Mi didn't even need to lift a finger.
He merely needed a single thought, an indifferent glance.
In the next instant, "Silence" itself transformed into the most terrifying violence aimed solely at sound.
Centered on Rosinante, a domain of absolute silence abruptly opened.
Within this domain, the very concept of "sound" was sentenced to death.
The demonic sound of the Uta Uta no Mi—which was supposed to shatter eardrums and manipulate minds, roaring and impacting like a stellar behemoth—the moment it touched this domain, it was like crashing into an eternally motionless absolute-zero abyss.
No collision.
No explosion.
Not even a single ripple.
The energy, fluctuations, and even the "fact" of sound's existence, the instant it touched "Silence," was like morning dew meeting the scorching sun—thoroughly "evaporated" into nothingness.
Tot Musica vainly attempted to rule the world with "sound" through the Uta Uta no Mi, but the Nagi Nagi no Mi directly stripped away the right for "sound" to exist.
Just like how even the most brilliant fireworks cannot burn in a vacuum.
The power of singing it was most proud of was reduced to nothing but the clumsiest silent pantomime within the domain of "Silence".
It desperately opened its throat, screaming with all its life force, yet it couldn't even hear the echo of its own heartbeat.
—That despair of being uprooted from its source and utterly denied was the ultimate suppression the Nagi Nagi no Mi brought upon the Uta Uta no Mi.
Tot Musica's phantom finally began to twist madly.
Its grinning fangs continuously opened and closed, and its blood-red "X" eye burned violently, yet it couldn't transmit even the faintest whisper.
Its existence, as if forgotten by the world, was erased into nothingness inch by inch.
Rosinante flicked his cigarette ash, a roguish smile on his lips and a lazy look in his eyes: "Sorry, little girl—"
"Your solo ends here."
In the center of the stage, the halo of silence gradually dissipated.
Tot Musica's phantom was finally and completely obliterated, taking with it that eerie melody that oppressed the soul.
Enveloped in silence, Uta slept peacefully. Her face was pale, but she still maintained a faint breath.
Rosinante's tone was lackadaisical: "Although you guys fought turning heaven and earth upside down in there and probably felt like several hours passed...
In the real world, only two minutes have gone by."
He glanced at Shanks, his eyes lowering and his tone carrying profound meaning:
"The live broadcast... Morgans will handle it. But with the current situation, you'd better figure out a way to wrap things up."
Shanks' eyes instantly tightened.
If the truth of this incident were exposed, Uta would be viewed by the entire world as a demon's vessel—her future completely severed.
Gritting his teeth, he gripped Gryphon. His figure abruptly turned into a streak of red light, charging straight at Luffy!
"?!!"
Luffy's pupils shrank violently, his dragon scales bristling all over.
Before he could even speak, Law and Nami instantly understood Shanks' intention!
"Cloud Mist—!!!"
Nami shouted lowly, activating the Kumo Kumo no Mi (Cloud-Cloud Fruit). A rolling sea of fog cascaded down like a curtain, swallowing the entire stage!
"ROOM!"
Law brought two fingers together. Blue spatial ripples intertwined with the thick fog, causing the center of the stage to completely distort and blur.
"KABOOM—!!!!"
In the next instant, a deafening explosion blasted from the center of the stage!
Smoke and dust soared into the sky like a mushroom cloud, shaking the entire Sabaody Archipelago!
The audience, who had been eroded by the song and were still in a daze, suddenly snapped awake, their pupils refocusing.
"Wh-What's happening?!"
"Enemy attack—!!!"
Usopp and Sanji immediately led the Marine elites to charge forward, lining up on guard as their voices overpowered the chaos:
"Everyone, calm down! Villains attempted to attack the stage using Devil Fruit abilities—the Marines have already subdued them!!!"
The crowd in the audience was in a panic, but under the maintenance of the elite Marines, the fear gradually turned into order.
When the thick fog and dust slowly cleared, only the unconscious Uta remained in the center of the stage.
—Ten minutes later.
An official statement rapidly spread across the entire island:
"During the concert, villains infiltrated the staff in a vain attempt to attack the 'Diva' Uta, using Devil Fruit abilities to stun the audience and the broadcasting Den Den Mushi.
The Marines intervened in time and subdued them.
The 'Diva' Uta fainted from shock, and the concert has been postponed."
The truth of the stage was thoroughly concealed within that cloud of mist and the sound of the explosion.
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