Uta shoved a wake-shroom into her mouth as she kept moving.
It was fortunate that her audience had a handful of fairly powerful individuals among them, because she knew there was no way she could escape that admiral without their help.
That admiral definitely intended to kill her. She couldn't die yet, though; it was too early for that. She had to draw as many people into her world as possible before that.
So she hid. She knew the former country of Elegia like the back of her own hand, so it was easy to disappear into the long abandoned ruins of its murdered citizens.
Uta clenched her jaw tight at the reminder. They had all been so friendly and welcoming for the brief time she had known them… before Shanks and his pirates had killed them all.
Uta took a deep breath and focused. Shanks wasn't here, she needed to focus on her mission, her sacred quest.
The den den mushi would directly transmit her performance from her Uta world to all her fans in every Blue. When they were finally all within her world, she could rest.
Uta pressed herself flat against a wall and held her breath. A squad of marines ran down the street in a hurry. There would be more where they came from.
'Just a bit more time…' Uta thought to herself as she forced her body to keep moving.
…
"CHER-! MMMMM!" Bartolomeo started to shout before Cherry's hand clamped over his loud mouth.
"Shush, don't call attention to us," Cherry reprimanded. Bartolomeo nodded.
"Cherry-onee-sama!!!" Bartolomeo squealed at a whispering volume.
"To give you a quick rundown, Uta down there trapped us all in a separate world and plans to keep us here forever. We need some extra manpower to sort things out," Cherry explained.
"Luffy-senpai is here too?!" Bartolomeo looked around quickly, hoping to spot him.
"No, just me. I got drunk and sort of just woke up here," Cherry said.
Bartolomeo sagged slightly in disappointment, but he recovered quickly enough. "How can I help? Do you need me to kill Uta-chan? It's a shame, but I'll do it!"
Cherry gave him a firm slap. "Don't even suggest that. Everybody makes dumb choices when they're young."
"Yes, ma'am!" Bartolomeo saluted.
"Don't do that, either," Cherry pushed his hand down. "We're meeting up further inland, so try not to be noticed or Uta might put you up on that music thingy."
Bartolomeo nodded vigorously, unable to keep a goofy smile off of his face.
…
"Are we all here?" Cherry asked, looking around at the assorted characters she had met around the world.
"Present!" Bartolomeo raised his hand eagerly.
"We're here as well," Koby strolled up with Helmeppo in tow.
"I have arrived." A door opened out of thin air, revealing Blueno who deposited Foxy and his two crewmates on the ground.
"What's the big idea, huh? Is this revenge for our little game two years ago? Sore losers aren't looked well upon, and sore winners even less so, you know!" Foxy squirmed in his rope bindings, as did his two fellows.
"I had Blueno bring you here because Uta is planning to trap all of us here forever. It's possible, if not likely, that her attempt to do so will just kill us all, though," Cherry explained.
"Why didn't you just say so?!" Porche demanded. "Let's just leave, then!"
"We're already trapped inside her Uta World. Leaving on a ship won't do you any good," Cherry said. "So we need to work together to get out of this mess, and get everyone else out of it as well."
"Why did you have us abducted and tied up, then? Our senses of self preservation alone would ensure our cooperation, no?" Foxy asked in a grumble.
"It's funny," Cherry smirked.
"If you're done antagonizing our new teammates, Cheapshot, we should get started quickly," Koby clapped and took charge. Bartolomeo shot him a dirty look and Foxy looked mildly grateful. "Hopefully, there will be some clues about Uta's plans or abilities somewhere on the island. It is an accurate recreation of the true Elegia, so there's a decent chance we'll find something here."
Blueno raised his hand. "I briefly returned to the real world."
"Can your door devil fruit do that?" Helmeppo asked.
"No, I've tried," Blueno answered. "Cheapshot was poking me on this side, and strangling me on the other side. I believe it is possible that she, perhaps, fused my soul back into my physical body by accident."
"Wow, you're pretty smart even though you don't look it," Cherry said. "Naturally, I noticed this as well, and though it's a tad more complicated than Bull-Head here made it out to be, it's a possible solution. However, it's practically guaranteed that Uta will notice me doing it, so that's Plan B."
"Agreed," Koby sighed. He had gotten excited for a moment before she pointed out the fact that Uta wouldn't sit back and let them get away with it.
After a minute of deliberation, they split up in search of clues.
…
Drunk Cherry scratched her head at the slumped form of Blueno.
She choked him out again, so why didn't he wake up again? That just doesn't make any sense.
"Hey!" Drunk Cherry shouted and pointed at Kizaru.
"Hm?" Kizaru kicked Helmeppo across the jaw. "Is there something you want from me?"
"I woke up the CP9 guy once, but it didn't work the second time! You're an admiral, so use your marine brain and tell me why!" Drunk Cherry demanded with her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.
"I haven't a clue," Kizaru said, though only after a moment of thought first. "If you figure it out, though, do let me know. I'd rather not have Garp on my ass for killing his two newest proteges."
"What the heck is that about?" Drunk Cherry scoffed. "Are you gonna kill the celestial piggy, too?"
Kizaru instantly refocused on her. "What do you mean?"
His voice sounded much less lazy now.
"I'm talking about that unlucky celestial piggy who keeps getting his ass whipped!" Drunk Cherry threw her hands up as if to say 'You ought to know who I'm talking about!'
"Saint Charlos?" Kizaru hummed. Apparently he did know who she was talking about. It must be a common occurrence if he came to that conclusion so quickly. "He's supposed to be on probation in Mary Geoise, though…"
As if to wash away all his doubt, a sleeping Saint Charlos barely managed to pull himself up and out of the water onto the stage. He huffed and puffed from the unfamiliar physical activity, but showed none of the signs of distress as he would were he still awake.
*pop* *pop* *pop*
He fired off a few poorly aimed shots with his fancy pistol at Drunk Cherry, which she didn't even need to pretend to dodge.
"See, that little piggy!" Drunk Cherry waved a hand at him.
Kizaru kicked Koby away especially hard to give himself some space to use his miniature den den mushi. "We've got a problem in Elegia. Saint Charlos is among the affected."
"You've got to be fucking with me, Kizaru. I swear if you're messing with me again that I'll put my foot so far up your ass that you'll get brain freeze!" Aokiji's voice answered.