The island looked this rundown because its construction had not been handled by Water 7's craftsmen.
The Marines had taken full responsibility for the entire project, including every last Beli of the construction costs.
When Sengoku first signed off on the budget, the expense had nearly made his heart bleed.
Then he reconsidered.
Once the venue was complete, they could capture a huge number of pirates and help preserve peace across the seas.
They would also save the fortune normally paid to bounty hunters, and the rewards attached to all those pirates would recover a substantial portion of the cost.
With that thought, Sengoku's frustration immediately disappeared.
…
Meanwhile, Cain was still speaking with Aokiji over the Den Den Mushi.
Aokiji furiously accused him of making inadequate preparations, while Cain stubbornly insisted that everything had been arranged to the highest standards in the industry.
They argued back and forth, each fiercely defending his own position, yet neither noticed the contradictions hidden in their conversation.
After all, neither of them had imagined that the concert had been split between two different venues.
During a pause in Aokiji's complaints, Cain took the opportunity to ask where exactly he was.
Aokiji looked around before answering,
"I'm sitting in the audience."
Cain immediately thought he understood.
"Oh, you're already in the stands. No wonder I couldn't find you. Just stay there and keep an eye out for any pirates trying to cause trouble nearby."
"But I promise you, this will be the grandest concert you've ever seen. You'll definitely be satisfied."
Aokiji glanced at his surroundings.
No matter how he looked at the place, nothing about it suggested he would be satisfied.
As for pirates causing trouble, a huge number were already lying frozen around him.
Still, remembering Cain's plan and Sakazuki's impending operation, Aokiji suppressed his anger.
He informed Cain that, according to the intelligence he had received, Sakazuki would not act until after the concert began.
Then he sat silently in the audience and waited for the performance to start.
After receiving the information, Cain ended the call and slipped the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket.
He turned toward Uta and Bella, who were playing with an assortment of cosmetics nearby.
The girl and the little cloud were having such fun that Cain felt awkward joining in. Cosmetics were hardly something a boy should be playing with.
Still…
Cain picked up one of the concert scripts and grabbed an eyebrow pencil from the table. Before long, his hand began moving across the paper.
Uta was busy applying cosmetics to Bella's face. Since Bella was a Homie made from a cloud of freezing air, her body kept changing from white to red to pink, making the result both adorable and hilarious.
As the saying went, children were born to be played with.
That description suited Uta and Bella perfectly.
Before long, a drawing of the mother and daughter appeared in Cain's hands.
"Looks like my skills haven't gotten rusty."
"Mm-hmm! Cain's still just as talented as before!"
Uta and Bella both crowded beside him, eagerly admiring the drawing.
"Good thing Papa didn't add color. Bella looks far too embarrassing right now."
Covered in every shade imaginable, Bella sneezed hard and shook all the makeup from her cloud body.
Then she tilted her head curiously.
"But why isn't Papa in the picture?"
"Exactly. How can a family portrait be missing the father?" Uta agreed with a smile. "Everyone should be together."
"And add Great-Grandpa Garp too! And…"
Bella hurriedly bobbed her soft body as she continued making suggestions.
Although she had never met Garp, Cain had told her plenty about her rather strange-tempered great-grandfather.
During the final stretch before the concert, the girl and the cloud quietly remained in the dressing room, watching Cain lower his head and add more figures to the picture.
The family portrait gradually took shape.
Though it lacked bright colors, every line carried the feelings they shared.
…
Time passed quietly.
The roof above the island slowly closed, and the enormous audience area gradually darkened.
Uta's headphones had already been connected, and the sound equipment was undergoing its final checks.
Even so, anxiety filled her heart, and her eyes remained fixed on Cain.
Noticing her unease, Cain asked,
"What's wrong? Nervous?"
Uta nodded gently.
"Mm. No matter how I look at it, this is still my first time…"
"Then I'll go onstage with you."
Cain bent down and extended a hand toward her with a smile.
"The Marines won't act until after you appear, so I have plenty of time to stay beside you."
"So, for your first time, let me join you. Would you care to dance with a dragon, Miss Uta?"
Uta immediately placed her hand in his and smiled.
"Of course, Mr. Cain. From now on, I want all my first times—"
She paused.
"No, that's wrong. I want every time to be with you."
Caught completely off guard by her blunt declaration, Cain froze.
"Huh?!"
Uta deliberately nudged him in the side with her elbow, then glanced toward Cain's weapon and smiled.
"Bella should come too."
The blue-and-white cloud emerged from inside Cain's weapon.
She had obediently remained hidden there until now, but her face immediately filled with equal parts delight and anxiety.
"Huh? Bella can come too? What if I ruin everything?"
"Of course you can."
Uta stepped forward and tightly hugged the soft little cloud.
"Bella is the best-behaved girl in the world. Mama knows you'll do a wonderful job helping with the performance."
Bella nodded her little head vigorously.
"Mm-hmm! I definitely won't disappoint Mama!"
Just then, urgent shouting and arguing suddenly erupted from the backstage entrance, cutting through the surrounding noise.
"Uta! Uta!"
"Stop! This is a restricted backstage area! No one except authorized staff is allowed inside!" a staff member shouted sternly.
"No! I have to go in! That child… I'm her…!"
Even with two workers holding him back, the visitor desperately struggled to force his way inside.
The voice was unmistakably familiar.
Uta spun toward the entrance and cried out,
"Gordon!"
The man was indeed Gordon.
Cain and Uta had previously agreed to bring him from Elegia to attend the concert.
However, when they contacted him through a Den Den Mushi, he had declined the invitation, claiming that he was too old to travel such a long distance.
Uta had been disappointed for quite some time.
Yet now, without warning, he had appeared before her.
Ignoring the staff members trying to restrain him, Gordon forcefully broke free and rushed into the backstage corridor.
But the moment his eyes locked onto Uta beside the rising platform, every trace of his struggle and urgency vanished.
He stood frozen in place.
Tears instantly filled his clouded eyes as he gazed at the young woman before him, no longer carrying the childishness of years past, her eyes now shining with radiant light.
He looked at Cain standing beside her, then at Bella nestled in her arms.
The shoulders that had remained tense throughout the entire journey finally began to relax.
Realizing that he knew Uta, the staff stopped trying to block him.
They bowed and withdrew to the side, leaving the two of them space for their long-awaited reunion.
Gordon opened his mouth several times, but his throat remained painfully tight.
He pinched his own thigh hard enough to suppress the sob threatening to escape, then finally managed to speak.
"Uta… you've finally made it this far."
"When I said I was too old to travel, I was lying to you—and to myself."
"I've never been able to let go of what happened in Elegia. I felt guilty, and I was afraid. I didn't know how I could possibly face you, and I was terrified that my appearance would make you remember that painful past."
He looked toward Cain, relief filling his eyes.
"Cain was the one who made me understand. He gave me the courage to finally take this step."
Gordon turned back toward Uta, whose eyes were now glistening with tears.
"I can see it now. You didn't allow the past to trap you. You found your voice again, and you found someone who can walk beside you."
"You no longer have to carry everything alone."
"Uta, don't look back. Keep moving forward."
"Dreamers on this sea were never meant to remain imprisoned by the past. Your songs were never chains meant to bind anyone. They are light—light that can cross the seas, pass beyond every border, and connect people's hearts."
"So sing."
"Stand upon the world's stage and use your voice to create a true New Genesis, one filled with happiness for everyone!"
Uta lifted her head, refusing to let her tears fall.
Then she smiled and nodded firmly.
"Mm! Of course! I promise I will!"
With that, she reached back and took Cain's hand with one of hers while tightly holding Bella with the other.
She raised their joined hands and waved energetically toward Gordon.
Gordon lifted his own hand and smiled back at her.
Under his gentle yet unwavering gaze, Cain, Uta, and Bella joined hands and stepped onto the platform as it slowly began to rise.