Chapter 205: RED (12): When Nika Descends!
"Ugh—!!"
Inside the dark cocoon chamber, Uta trembled violently, her frail body curled up like a leaf caught in a storm.
Countless pitch-black musical notes slithered through the void like living parasites, writhing around her body as they greedily gnawed at her skin, trying to burrow into the depths of her soul.
Every breath felt like her body was being torn apart.
After Tot Musica's true body in reality suffered Law's "Pulse Severance: Fate Line Sever", the corrosive force within the cocoon suddenly became incomparably more violent.
Like a wounded beast, it poured all of its rage, pain, and unwillingness into Uta—the "core anchor"—through their invisible connection.
It was accelerating.
Originally, it would have needed time to slowly erode and assimilate her. But now, it no longer cared about restraint—it was forcing the corruption through by brute force.
Tot Musica's chaotic will howled within the darkness.
These insects… dared… and were actually capable of injuring it!
But none of that mattered.
It still hadn't completely devoured and fused with Uta's song and soul. It had yet to reach its true "perfect form."
So what?
As long as it fully seized control of this human girl right now—
Then its power would instantly undergo a complete metamorphosis.
At that point, the barrier between reality and the world of song would completely shatter. The powers of both dimensions would merge into one.
These troublesome insects before it…
And this soon-to-be-complete world itself…
Would all become dust beneath its eternal melody.
The darkness surged higher.
It swallowed Uta's ankles… waist… neck…
Like freezing seawater rising with the tide, intent on drowning the final traces of light and self-awareness within her.
A sharp crimson gleam flashed through Luffy's eyes.
He "saw" it.
Not merely the writhing black mist—
But the "line" connecting Uta's soul to the Demon King's source itself, a line moments away from being completely stained black.
"There's no time…"
His low murmur vanished beneath the raging music.
The next second, he stopped being an omnipresent silver afterimage.
BOOM!
A muffled impact rang out like the heartbeat of the world itself.
The space beneath Luffy's feet caved inward like stretched rubber from the sheer force of his kick.
He transformed into a blazing silver-white comet.
No teleportation.
No flickering movement.
Just pure, savage, straight-line acceleration as he crashed directly toward the dark cocoon imprisoning Uta.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!"
Along his path, countless demonic soldiers and tendrils shattered into clouds of black mist the moment they touched the silver-white force field around him, like fragile porcelain struck by an invisible hammer.
The eerie song condensed into tangible soundwave shackles, trying to bind and slow him down—
But they exploded apart before even reaching him, pulverized by the absolute domain created from his overwhelming speed and Haki.
Silver-white lightning of Conqueror's Haki Infusion flooded the entire Song World.
The silver comet that was Luffy slammed into the outer shell of the dark cocoon.
BOOOOOOM————!!!
An indescribable roar erupted.
It sounded like space itself screaming as its structure was crushed and torn apart by overwhelming force.
Spiderweb cracks spread across the cocoon's surface.
Blinding silver-white light and ominous black radiance burst from the fractures, intertwining violently.
Inside the cocoon—
Uta, whose mouth and nose were already submerged in darkness, suddenly trembled violently.
Within the endless cold and despair…
A voice broke through.
Warm.
Familiar.
Unreasonable.
Like the first ray of dawn piercing through the night.
"…Luffy…?"
Her dried-up soul trembled faintly.
Luffy's appearance had completely changed.
His once-black hair had become pure white, blazing upward like sacred flames. Every strand radiated light and heat.
Most striking of all were the white flame clouds flowing around him.
Manifestations of his awakened power.
Like the celestial ribbons of a god from myth.
Like auspicious clouds born at the dawn of creation itself.
They floated around him with both weightless grace and overwhelming majesty.
The flame clouds rose and fell alongside his heartbeat and breathing. Every motion caused the distorted surrounding space to emit strained vibrations, as though reality itself could barely endure his presence.
His upper body was bare, his muscles outlined beneath the white flame clouds with a primal and perfect power.
Silver-white radiance surged beneath his skin.
This was the power of Nika unleashed to its absolute limit—
The shadow of the Sun God Nika cast into this world.
Yet the most breathtaking thing about him…
Was not the divine aura surrounding him.
But his smile.
As always, his lips stretched into a grin, revealing his bright teeth.
But at this moment, that smile carried an indescribable force capable of dispelling all darkness.
It wasn't mockery toward an enemy.
It was pure celebration—
Of freedom.
Of possibility.
That smile silently declared:
No matter how deep the darkness may be, it can never imprison life's right to laugh and run free!
White flames drifted like clouds.
The god laughed.
Outside the cocoon, Luffy's arms bulged with power as the awakened force of the Gum-Gum Fruit combined with supreme Conqueror's Haki Infusion, forcibly holding back the endlessly regenerating darkness.
Even as his strength rapidly drained away, his grin remained dazzling.
"Yeah! I told you—"
"I'M TAKING YOU BACK!!!"
The instant the words fell—
The silver-white radiance around him erupted outward like a supernova.
"UTA!! GIVE ME YOUR HAND!!!"
That shout carried the blazing warmth of sunlight and an unquestionable determination, piercing through the final curtain of sticky darkness like a blade.
A large hand wrapped in sacred flame clouds and silver-white Haki tore through the chaotic energy currents and firmly seized Uta's pale, slender wrist without hesitation.
The moment they touched—
"Hah!"
Uta's entire body shuddered.
A warm power overflowing with life surged from Luffy's palm into her frozen limbs and soul like pure sunlight pouring forth from a spring.
That was the laughing divine power of Nika.
It did not forcibly expel the darkness through domination.
Instead, like cheerful drums and the first morning light of dawn, it illuminated the frozen ravines within her heart that had been carved open by those black musical notes.
Before such pure joy, life, and freedom—
The shadows recoiled like frost beneath a blazing sun.
Silent screams echoed as they rapidly melted away.
"Luffy…!"
With one powerful pull, he dragged her completely out of the shattered cocoon and into a firm, warm embrace that felt capable of shielding her from every storm in the world.
Luffy's arms wrapped around her like an unbreakable fortress.
The white flame clouds around him automatically formed a barrier, isolating all chaos and malice from the outside world.
Uta slowly raised her head.
Her beautiful face was deathly pale from the soul-consuming corruption she had endured. Sweat and traces of dark energy still lingered across her forehead.
Yet despite that—
A clear, genuine smile bloomed upon her face.
A smile that scattered every trace of pain and gloom lingering in her eyes, like the first flower blooming after a storm.
Crystal tears gathered within her amethyst-colored eyes as she stared unblinkingly at the face right before her.
That burning white hair.
Those curled cloud-like eyebrows.
And especially those eyes overflowing with endless vitality and laughter.
At this moment—
The Luffy who had dragged her back from the abyss of eternal darkness…
Was no longer merely the clumsy childhood friend who shouted about becoming Pirate King.
No longer just that smiling idiot.
White divine flame clouds flowed around him.
Warm light capable of banishing despair radiated from his body.
He carried a laughing power that could shatter all chains.
Like a god descending into the world—
For her sake alone.
At last, tears overflowed.
Gratitude.
Trust.
And something even deeper.
They silently slid down her cheeks.
Yet her smile only became brighter as she tightly held the hand that had saved her.
"Mm!"
Though her voice trembled with sobs, she nodded with all her strength.
As long as he was here…
There was nothing left to fear.
——————————
At the same time—in reality!
"You insects… have angered me…"
No longer a roar.
The voice echoed directly within everyone's minds, cold and viscous like something crawling through the soul.
The black fog filling heaven and earth suddenly reversed direction, surging back toward Tot Musica's wounds and body like countless rivers returning to the sea.
But whether it was Rayleigh, Law, Sanji, or Yamato—
All of them realized the same thing.
The Demon King of Song's power…
Was weakening!!
"This disturbance…"
Cold sweat dripped down Law's forehead, but his eyes shone brighter than ever.
"Captain's making a huge move over there…!"
"Then we can't fall behind either!" Yamato shouted fiercely.
Sanji's figure solidified amidst crackling lightning. Taking a deep drag from his cigarette, the ember at the tip suddenly flared brightly.
"Looks like the final 'main course' is coming out early."
"NOW—MOVE!!"
Rayleigh's roar thundered like an ancient bell, instantly suppressing every sound on the battlefield.
The legendary sword at his waist, which had never been fully unsheathed until now, was finally drawn outward by a single inch beneath his powerful grip.
Just one inch.
HUMMMMM—
An indescribable supreme aura erupted from the exposed edge of the blade like a volcano awakening after a thousand years of slumber.
The surrounding space emitted faint cries as though unable to bear its weight.
Even Tot Musica's frenzied darkness froze for an instant before the half-unsheathed sword—
And instinctively recoiled in fear.
Rayleigh's tightly shut eyes snapped open.
Gone was the warmth and drunken laziness they usually carried.
Only absolute clarity remained.
And the resolve to sever everything.
His presence merged completely with the sword's aura.
Man became sword.
Sword became the very law of "cutting."
This legendary blade—
With every inch drawn, it bore the weight of heaven and earth itself.
And now, to seize this fleeting opportunity—
Dark King Rayleigh would finally reveal the true edge capable of cleaving through an era.
"This sword strike…"
His voice rang like clashing steel as he locked onto the charging Demon King.
"—will sever all karma!"
The final battle between reality and illusion had now entered its last countdown across both battlefields simultaneously.
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