HST: Chapter 120/121

Chapter 120: Destroy It

"Save Uta first, then deal with this big guy!" Shanks said in a deep voice.

Right now, Uta was inside Tot Musica's body, and they didn't dare act rashly.

Just as he finished speaking, Shanks prepared to charge into Tot Musica. But someone moved faster.

"Mana Burst: Flame!"

Surging golden flames erupted around Caelan, propelling him straight into Tot Musica's body ahead of Shanks.

Seeing this, Shanks had no choice but to remain outside and draw its attention.

"She's clearly my adopted daughter, so why is he more anxious than I am?" Shanks restrained Tot Musica, feeling somewhat confused.

At this moment, Caelan had already entered the interior of Tot Musica and was speeding through it.

Inside, it was filled with floating black musical notes and countless twisted staves. A distorted and unpleasant melody echoed throughout, strange and eerie.

"Found her."

After searching for a while, Caelan located Uta—likely the core of the Demon King of Song.

The red-and-white-haired girl, with her signature music headphones, was curled up and sobbing.

"Shanks… I'm sorry."

"Gordon… I'm the one who brought disaster."

Uta's tears kept flowing. Her heart was broken.

After fusing with Tot Musica, she recovered vague memories from the past.

Elegia wasn't destroyed by Shanks—it was destroyed by her. Shanks, the man she had resented for so long, had taken all the blame for her actions.

Gordon, who raised her, had also lost his country because of her.

The weight of that realization crushed her spirit.

At this moment, she saw Caelan surrounded by golden flames, like a sacred angel descending from the heavens.

"Are you an angel sent to judge me?"

Uta threw herself into Caelan's arms, wishing to be purified by the holy fire.

"I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to save you."

Feeling the frail body of the young girl in his arms, Caelan frowned slightly.

Right now, Uta was showing clear signs of self-destruction.

"Save me? I'm a sinner who's destroyed everything. I don't deserve to be saved."

Uta looked hollow, her voice weak and lifeless.

"Don't save me. I don't deserve to live in this world!"

"I destroyed Elegia, and now I've endangered the East Blue. I'm a monster!"

She struggled desperately in Caelan's arms, crying out in anguish.

"It's not your fault. It's the Song-Song Fruit you ate. The sheet music of the Demon King of Unsealed Sound appears before every user of the Song-Song Fruit."

"Whether by accident or despair, each one is drawn to sing it."

Caelan held her steady as he walked, speaking calmly.

"Even so, it was still me who did it. I deserve to die."

Uta's struggle weakened, but she still couldn't accept living. Her guilt had completely crushed her will.

"…Sigh."

Caelan exhaled deeply.

"If you die, the Song-Song Fruit will be reborn somewhere else. Another user will awaken it and summon Tot Musica."

"Uta, you don't want this demon to appear again, do you?"

He whispered into her ear.

Uta remained silent, visibly shaken.

If she became a living cage for Tot Musica, then she still had a duty to live.

"If you think you've committed great sins, then why are you choosing to escape through death?"

Caelan smirked slightly and continued provoking her.

"I'm not escaping!"

Uta glared at him, like a defiant little lioness.

"Then stop running. Join me. Help me build a new world and atone for your past mistakes."

Seeing that his provocation had succeeded, Caelan casually extended an invitation.

"I want to atone… but why should I join you? Maybe you just want to use Tot Musica to threaten the world."

Uta replied cautiously.

She recognized his face and heard the rumors—Caelan, the madman who had even killed Celestial Dragons. Who knew if he had designs on using Tot Musica for world domination?

"Compared to Tot Musica's meager power, you're far more interesting, Red-Haired Songstress."

Caelan whispered into her ear.

He wasn't obsessed with illusory power.

She didn't believe Caelan's flippant talk. That was a demon even the Red-Haired Pirates couldn't suppress—how could it be underestimated?

Since Uta didn't speak further, Caelan simply held her tightly and burst out from within Tot Musica's body.

"Uta, it's been a long time."

Shanks looked at her and greeted her with a soft smile.

"Shanks..."

Uta replied in a whisper, tears flowing again.

She didn't know how to face her adoptive father.

After ten years of hatred, she finally realized that Shanks had been acting out of kindness all along—and she was the true culprit behind everything.

The guilt and emotional gap were too much to bear.

"We can talk about the past later."

"Miss Uta, can you seal this monster again?"

Aokiji looked at her seriously.

"No… the forbidden song has already been sung. I can't control it anymore."

Uta shook her head bitterly.

Tot Musica had been completely unsealed. She no longer had the power to suppress it.

"No problem. We'll just destroy it."

Caelan handed Uta to Nami and the others, then turned around to face the Demon King of Song.

"Don't blame yourself, Uta. We'll handle the rest."

Shanks said firmly, his back turned toward her.

As her father, it was only natural that he clean up his daughter's mess.

"Shanks… and Caelan…"

Uta's eyes were filled with tears. She didn't even know what to say.

Caelan stood side by side with Shanks as they faced off against Tot Musica.

Caelan didn't wait.

"Brahmastra"

Caelan's aura was condensed to its absolute peak.

He dashed forward at lightning speed, an unstoppable blur of light.

The massive blade in his hand was coated in jet-black Armament Haki, encircled by golden flames and a swirl of dark madness.

It fused the flames of Karna, the insanity of Heracles, and top-tier Armament Haki.

The pressure was so immense it seemed to crush the atmosphere itself.

He charged at the still-rampaging Tot Musica, who was unleashing chaotic destruction in every direction.

Boom!!!

A thunderous explosion rocked the sky.

Like striking through rotted wood, the terrifying Demon King was torn apart in an instant, reduced to black smoke.

The very same Tot Musica that once destroyed Elegia was utterly powerless against Caelan.

Uta watched, dumbfounded, as Caelan obliterated the monster in a single strike.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 121: Sun God Nika?

"Well, you really live up to the title of the legendary God Slayer!"

When Shanks saw Caelan's attack, he couldn't help but cheer.

With the power of that sword alone, Caelan was worthy of ascending to the rank of Yonko.

In terms of pure swordsmanship, he wasn't far off from his close friend, Dracule Mihawk.

"You flatter me. I didn't even scratch that monster."

Caelan curled his lips and replied modestly.

While he was speaking, the Tot Musica he had just slashed into pieces began reassembling itself, as if it were immortal.

"Haha, don't blame yourself. I couldn't do anything to it either."

Shanks laughed heartily, then drew his famous sword, Gryphon.

The next moment, he stepped forward hard and shot toward Tot Musica like an arrow from a bowstring.

As Gryphon swung, it was wrapped in streaks of black and red lightning.
Boom!

With a single strike, Tot Musica's arm, made of piano keys, shattered completely.

Though slightly weaker than Caelan's blow, it was still powerful enough to kill a Marine Vice Admiral.

Yet the injury didn't last. In just a moment, Tot Musica's arm regenerated.

"As expected, normal attacks are useless."

Shanks sheathed his sword, his expression turning serious.

"That kind of regeneration... it's like it can't be killed!"

Gion's face was grave as she couldn't help but exclaim.

This Demon King of Song was far too difficult to deal with. Attacks that could have killed it didn't even faze it. It was completely unaffected.

The entire Red Hair Pirates crew showed no surprise. They had faced Tot Musica ten years ago.

Yasopp stepped forward and explained the situation.

"The Demon King of Songs, Tot Musica, is a demon sealed by the ancient user of the Sing-Sing Fruit. It can merge the Song World with the real world, causing immense destruction to both."

"To defeat it, you must destroy it in both the Song World and the real world simultaneously. Otherwise, it's impossible to eliminate this monster."

Everyone fell silent after hearing this.

"That doesn't sound too complicated. As long as someone fights it in the Song World, the strength of two Yonko should be enough."

Borsalino rubbed his chin and analyzed, which was rare for him.

He clearly wanted to finish things quickly. Staying here with these people made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"The issue is, there's no one of Yonko-level or close to it inside the Song World. Once the soul enters the Song World, the body left behind becomes defenseless."

Beckman pointed out the main problem.

In front of them, more than a dozen pirates danced erratically, proving Beckman's statement.

The group fell silent.

Entering the Song World meant the real body would be left vulnerable, unprotected.

And with everyone outside focused on fighting Tot Musica, they wouldn't be able to guard those bodies. The risk was enormous.

Who should enter? Who would protect their body outside? Could they even be protected?

These were all serious problems.

"There's no need for all that. I'll take care of it."

Caelan stepped forward and said in a deep voice.

He had originally intended to use Tot Musica's immortal body to blow off some steam.

But since everyone was in such a hurry, he might as well get rid of it now.

"You!?"

"I need to remind you—attacking in just one world is useless."

Shanks frowned at him, emphasizing the terrifying nature of the Demon King of Songs.

"Relax. I won't act unless I'm confident."

Caelan smiled slightly, speaking with quiet certainty.

The next moment, to everyone's shock, Caelan shouted.

"Spear!"

Above Elegia, the golden divine spear embedded in the ground before the Golden Lion suddenly turned into golden light and shot through the sky toward Caelan.

"What!?"

As he watched the spear fly away, the Golden Lion's face turned green.

How could he not understand now? That spear had been left behind by Caelan deliberately to track him.

He had treated it like a treasure. But it was really a time bomb!

Without thinking, the Golden Lion activated his Float-Float Fruit powers to fly away in panic.

Caelan didn't care about his reaction. He wouldn't be able to escape anyway.

"Behold...

These are the shining armor and earring given to me by Surya, the god of the Sun.
But know this.

Once I transform myself into the life's radiance, this gold will no longer be my armor.

It will merely be a sign that I am burning bright as the Sun, here where you can see it.

Kavacha and Kundala!!"

He loudly recited, summoning the noble phantasm inherited from Karna.

A golden suit of armor as dazzling as the sun wrapped around Caelan's entire body, making him look as sacred and untouchable as the sun itself.

Everyone was stunned. The light surrounding Caelan was so radiant, it was like a second sun had risen in the sky.

"The Sun God? Nika?"

Shanks stared, muttering in disbelief.

This looked even more like the Sun God than Luffy's Fruit!

While everyone was still in shock, Caelan's majestic voice rang out again.

"Feel the mercy of the King of Gods."

"You will be destroyed with this one strike."

"Vasavi Shakti!"

The golden armor melted away, and all his vitality and magic power flowed into the divine spear in his hand.

Everyone could clearly feel that Caelan had poured his entire life into that spear.

"Is he seriously going that far?"

The Red Hair Pirates' scalps went numb.

This was a suicidal attack, and even before it was fully formed, they could already sense a fatal danger from it.

If it hit, the target would definitely die. But Caelan would also die.

To keep them safe, he chose to burn his own life.

They had only known him for a short while. Wasn't this too much?

The next instant, a blindingly sharp and massive light spear formed.

Golden flames and thunder swirled around it.

A divine spear gifted by Indra, the Thunder God. A lightning-based weapon designed to kill in one strike!

In a flash, it shot toward Tot Musica.

Boom!

The giant, dark, and twisted monster instantly disintegrated like melting snow.

The Demon King of Songs, which had to be destroyed in two worlds simultaneously, was erased in an instant.

A massive crater appeared where it once stood.

The walls of the pit were smooth and flawless, as if carved by divine hands.

"Oh my god!"

Everyone stared at the destruction in disbelief, dazed by the sheer force of the blow.

It was like the sun had crashed down, like divine punishment had struck.

Beautiful, yet unimaginably dangerous!

Anyone hit by that attack would be obliterated instantly.

Aboard the Marine warship, both Borsalino and Kuzan were horrified. They could tell that even if they fully elementalized, they wouldn't survive that strike.

Humans would be completely annihilated. Objects would be obliterated. The environment itself would be altered.

Time passed.

But the Demon King of Songs never reappeared.

"It's really gone?!"

Shanks couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Demon King of Songs, which they couldn't destroy no matter what, had been completely wiped out by that attack.

It hadn't just returned to the seal, waiting for another chance to reemerge.

It had been completely erased from existence!

"Isn't that normal?"

Caelan smiled calmly.

[Vasavi Shakti: O Sun, Abandon Thy Crown!]—as an EX-ranked Noble Phantasm, it is a one-use treasure activated by sacrificing one's life.

Its power is enough to utterly destroy all individual existences: whether they be mythical creatures, legendary beasts, humans, shields, armies, barriers, or even gods—nothing can resist it.

Only conceptual defenses based on the idea of a world can withstand it. For example, Achilles' EX-ranked treasure [Akhilleus Kosmos] could block it.

Obviously, there's no such treasure in the world of One Piece.

Which means, once Caelan uses this attack, it guarantees a one-hit kill!

Even the so-called Demon King of Songs was erased under this attack.

(To be continued.)