Judging by how Shanks handled the Elegia incident in the original timeline… calling it a complete mess would be putting it mildly. It was an utter failure.
Acting on the logic that it was for Uta’s own good, he made the wrong decision, causing Uta to go from a normal girl to developing in the direction of a full-blown lunatic.
In the end, she tried to pull everyone into her Sing-Sing World and create a utopia devoid of all suffering, triggering a huge crisis on the scale of the world’s destruction.
Daring to leave Gordon to raise Uta alone in his stead could only be described as bold. Finding a suitable villager in Foosha Village to look after her would have been far more reliable than leaving her with Gordon alone.
“Don’t assume children don’t understand anything. The truth is just as important to them. This decision of yours will affect her for the rest of her life.”
“I’ve learned something… Looking at it that way, I can actually feel comfortable entrusting her to you.”
Shanks pressed down on the straw hat atop his head, now convinced that she was a suitable foster parent.
“Were you not listening to a word I said?”
“No, I heard you perfectly clearly. I’ve already lingered in this region for a long time. In these waters, I could safely keep Uta aboard my ship, but the voyage ahead is different. It would be far too dangerous for her.
She has her own dream to fulfill, and I have things I must do. I’ll leave it to you to tell her the truth, Princess Nanamo.
However, the Red Hair Pirates will bear all the infamy for what happened today. Tell Uta for me that we haven’t abandoned her. Once her singing has spread across the seas, and once the seas have become a better place, we’ll meet again.”
The response to Shanks came in the form of a shell. Nanamo tossed an orange-yellow shell directly into Red-Hair’s hand.
“You went to Skypiea with Roger, didn’t you? Tell her those things yourself. This is a Tone Dial. You should know how to use it.”
“A Tone Dial, huh? I haven’t used one in a long time. This certainly brings back memories… Let’s hurry, guys! If we wait until Uta wakes up, we might not be able to bring ourselves to leave!”
Shanks was naturally adept at using a Tone Dial. He gathered the other members of the Red Hair Pirates and began recording their farewell messages.
The Demon King of Songs had drained an enormous amount of her stamina. By the time Uta awoke, the Red Force had already left the coastal waters, and only the faint silhouette of the ship was still visible.
“Shanks…”
“He’s gone. The voyage ahead will be too dangerous, so it wouldn’t be convenient to bring you along. He plans to have you study under me for a while instead.”
“What?”
“This is the recording he left for you before departing. He explained things clearly enough, so you can listen to the details yourself.”
Before Uta could even accept this reality, Nanamo activated the recording in the Tone Dial.
“Uta, by the time you hear this recording, I’ll already have set sail…”
“Why… Why didn’t you take me with you…?”
“What he plans to do next really is quite dangerous. Red Hair will enter the New World sooner or later, so temporarily separating from you is the safer choice.
Although he promised to come back and see you once your singing has spread across the seas, I never promised him I wouldn’t take you to see him.”
As soon as the Red Hair Pirates’ recording finished playing, Nanamo announced her own decision, successfully capturing Uta’s interest.
“Really?”
“I keep my word. Red Hair said you’re a fan of mine, so you should know where my country is. If your adoptive father intends to enter the New World, he’ll inevitably pass by there. He couldn’t avoid it even if he tried.
Besides, whenever I have time, I can take you out to explore. Even in the New World, aside from those old monsters, there aren’t many people capable of causing me trouble.”
It wasn’t that Shanks was incapable of looking after Uta. After all, he would become one of the future Yonko, and the one with the strongest connections and background among them at that. In the New World, he would possess the power to protect an entire region.
But that was not the case yet. At present, Shanks still had to handle many matters personally, and once his attention was divided, he naturally couldn’t guarantee her safety.
Nanamo was different. Her life was essentially quite leisurely, so setting aside time to care for one person would be no problem at all.
To coax a child, one first had to know what she wanted. After briefly getting to know her, Nanamo had already grasped those things, so she naturally succeeded in catching Uta’s attention.
Uta’s idolization of her might also have played a part, but for now, the situation looked good.
“Don’t celebrate too soon, though. There’s something I have to make clear to you. A demon was sealed beneath Elegia.
While you were singing, that demon bewitched you and made you release it, resulting in Elegia’s current state.
It wasn’t your intention, and it wasn’t your fault, but you were still involved to some extent. Your dear Shanks decided to shoulder the responsibility, bear all the infamy in your place, compensate the citizens of this country for their financial losses, and redirect all their hatred onto himself.
But he didn’t have much money, so he took out a loan from me. If you want to help him, you can work for me to repay the debt.
The job is simple. All you need to do is sing on the stage you love most. I’m sure there are plenty of people across the seas who would gladly pay to hear your voice.”
Nanamo had not made any of that up. It was all true. It gave Uta the feeling that even though she and Shanks were temporarily separated, she could still help him, leaving her brimming with motivation instead.
However, Nanamo did not intend to take Uta back to Fishman Island immediately. Instead, she planned to make a detour to the North Blue first, to assess Uta’s psychological state.
Whether it was for understanding or intervention, Otohime was an expert in this regard.
It would be best to ensure that Uta did not harbor any negative emotions deep within her. It would be terrible if she developed self-destructive tendencies.
What had happened in Elegia could not remain concealed forever, and events unfolded much as Shanks had predicted.
“The Destroyers of Elegia,” “The Vicious Red Hair Pirates,” and similar labels all appeared in the newspapers.
For many people in this world, this had been a turbulent year. The famous stage actress Cindry died after tragically falling from the stage.
Cindry’s admirer, Hogback, known as the world’s greatest surgeon, joined Moria’s command in hopes of reviving her. Using his exceptional surgical skills, he stitched together corpses for Moria and created more powerful zombies.
Uta temporarily parted ways with the Red Hair Pirates, while far away in Foosha Village, Luffy also lost many things that year.
His childhood playmate left for the time being, and after entrusting his straw hat to Luffy, Shanks likewise departed Foosha Village.
Not long afterward, Luffy’s sworn brother Sabo also “died” beneath a Celestial Dragon’s cannon fire. After experiencing so much, Luffy seemed to mature considerably that year.
Uta did not remain in North Blue for long. After Otohime assessed that Uta’s heart was still bright and optimistic, Nanamo took her back to Fishman Island and began teaching her various things.
Major personnel changes also took place within the Marines.
TN: Hey guys, I have picked up a new Pokemon novel: Life in the Post-Apocalyptic World After Pokémon’s Descent.
You can read ahead upto 45 chapters on my patreon and I’ve also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon.