East China Sea, Elegia.
Elegia, located in the East China Sea, is known as the "Land of Music". This country is extremely famous worldwide. Singers from all over the world regard it as a holy place. Being able to perform in Elegia is the ultimate goal of singers and musicians.
Every year, nobles and wealthy people from all over the world come to this island to listen to the concerts held on it.
No one knows whether those nobles and wealthy businessmen can really appreciate music, but things that can demonstrate their "noble character" are the easiest things to make them feel superior.
Therefore, people who come to Elegia to watch performances have always been rich or noble.
This is actually very easy to understand. Those who understand will understand how difficult life is for ordinary people on this ocean. Moreover, communication means are quite limited worldwide, and the channels and means of spreading music are also very limited.
Those who have the leisure to appreciate music must be those who can leave their jobs. Only a very small number of people are truly passionate about it and come to this island called Elegia like a pilgrim.
The Red Hair Pirates' Dreyfus arrived at the coast of Elegia this morning.
It was June and the sun was shining brightly.
The cool sea breeze blew gently. Ji Guoyuan leaned against the side of the boat and looked at the bustling scene in the harbor in the distance, with a faint smile on his face.
The difference between the East China Sea and other sea areas is really huge. The maritime situation in the East China Sea is relatively stable. Although pirates often appear, the strength of those pirates is often not very strong.
Moreover, most of the navy in the East China Sea are quite responsible and often spare no effort in pursuing pirates.
Of course, there are such things as naval termites, but their number and the damage they cause are much better than those in other seas.
A stable maritime environment also lays the foundation for the economic development of those countries.
The people live a stable and prosperous life, and the lives of the nobles are naturally more comfortable. In addition, countries like Elegia can also rely on the "entertainment industry" to develop themselves and embark on a unique path to wealth.
There are many ships docked at the port of Elegia. The ships are of different sizes, but almost all of them have one thing in common, that is, the ships are gorgeously decorated, and inlaying gold and silver is a basic operation.
The people who got off those boats were often dressed in formal attire and surrounded by people.
On the coast, there were also many "strong men" wearing light-colored linen shirts, running around at the beckoning of others, carrying luggage and goods for the distinguished guests coming to the island.
Many of these "strong men" are young and strong people from Elegia. In this "country of music", those with the highest status are the "musicians" who can perform for nobles, wealthy businessmen and even the general public.
Most people on the island of Elegia have received music theory education, and they all regard becoming an excellent "musician" as their life goal.
However, the path of music really depends on talent. People who lack talent often have to succumb to reality in the end.
The most developed industry on the island is the "entertainment industry", which is the core of other industries such as catering, hotels, etc.
Against this backdrop, almost no one on the island farms, and the most ordinary residents make money by relying on these industries, working as chefs, waiters, porters, etc.
Elegia is a wealthy country with very good financial conditions. King Gordon is a pure "musician" who really has no concept of money. His own material needs are also very low. Therefore, Elegia's national welfare policy is very good.
Even if people take on the lowest-level jobs, they can still enjoy a relatively good life.
Therefore, Yoriichi Tsugikuni also saw a wonderful sight in Elegia.
Although Tsugikuni Yoriichi could see some fatigue on the workers at the Elegia dock, there was no expression of resentment or bitterness on their faces as they did their work.
There is no confusion or numbness, only the ordinary people's contentment with the comfortable status quo.
It is the most normal life for ordinary people, but for most people in this world, such a life is a beautiful vision that only exists in dreams.
"Elegia, it's very different!"
“It would be wonderful if all the countries in the world looked like this.”
Coming to such a country, Tsugumi Yuichiro couldn't help but feel in a good mood. After sighing softly, he stretched his arms, took a deep breath, and enjoyed the summer sunshine and the clear sea breeze.
"Have a good time for a few days."
"I think this is also a rare leisure time for you."
Shanks walked to the side of Tsugakuni Yoshiichi, put his hands on the railing and leaned over, tilted his head to look at the scene on the island, and said with a smile.
The island of Elegia is not very large. The entire country is built on the mountain, and the houses on the island are built step by step along the main mountain range.
At the highest position, there is a cylindrical building complex. According to Shanks' introduction, the cylindrical building located in the center of the island is the largest concert hall on the island and also the largest concert hall in the world.
"oh--"
“Amazing!”
"Is this the land of music?!"
Just as Yoriichi Tsugakuni and Shanks were looking at the scenery on the island in the distance, Uta, who was in the cabin, felt the speed of the ship slow down and ran out of the cabin.
The child was also used to life on the ship. She wore a long dress and ran barefoot to the deck. She rushed to Shanks' side, supported herself on the railing with both hands, and lay directly on it. She looked into the distance, her tone full of amazement.
Children are like this, they are interested in all new things.
It’s no wonder that Uta behaved like this after arriving at the music holy land she had always longed for.
"Hey, Uta, go put your shoes on."
"You'll catch a cold if you go barefoot."
"Put on some clothes too, it's going to get colder later."
Young Shanks was like almost all "old fathers", giving instructions. Seeing Uta's excitement, Shanks couldn't help but smile, but behind the smile, there was a hint of helplessness.
“Okay~~~~”
Uta answered in a long and crisp voice, then looked for a few minutes. After the boat reached the shore and stopped, she hurried back to the cabin. Less than two minutes later, Uta returned to the deck wearing sandals and holding a small shawl in her hands.
Shanks saw the "clothes" in Uta's hands and opened his mouth to say something, but in the end he sighed and murmured, "Ah——"
"Let her do it"
Yoshikazu Tsugakuni saw this scene and saw the deep friendship between Shanks and Uta from the interaction between them.
"I can't believe that a great pirate like you is also a daughter slave."
"If other pirates knew that Red Hair, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, was such a person, they would probably be shocked."
Ji Guoyuan smiled and joked that the future Four Emperors would be such a person, and others probably couldn't even imagine it.
"Same here."
"If those people knew that the top criminal with a bounty of over 5 billion was someone as easy to get along with as you, they would probably question their lives."
Shanks said casually, and the two looked at each other, both seeing a deep smile in each other's eyes.
“Hua La La—”
The Dreyfus seemed to have found a port of docking. Under the guidance of the personnel on the shore, it moved slightly and then dropped the anchor.
When Shanks saw the ship stop steadily, he called out to the crew and lowered the wooden ladder to prepare to board the island.
The place where the Dreyfus was docked seemed to be some kind of "special channel", and the nearest ship to them was more than ten meters away.
At the same time as the wooden ladder was lowered, a group of people came to the shore.
The leader was a tall, bald man with long limbs and a "rough" face.
On the deck, Yuichiro Tsugikoku noticed the person coming and his eyes fell on him.
The bald man was wearing a pair of shiny black leather shoes and a dark green suit in this weather, looking very "gentlemanly".
But that person's face was too "rough", giving people the feeling that he was really a bandit.
Many outsiders on the coast also saw this group of people, and when they saw the fierce "bandit" leading them, they immediately retreated.
"Bang!"
After a muffled sound, the wooden ladder was lowered, and Shanks led Uta quickly off the boat. At the same time, Tsugikuni Yoriichi also mixed in with the crew and got off the boat.
Before landing on the island, Tsugikoku Yuichi made a simple disguise. He simply wore a white red maple shirt, blue and white shorts, and a pair of sunglasses before blending into the crowd.
Although the long red hair is still dazzling, there are many people with red hair in this world, and others will not associate him with Yoriichi Tsugikuni just because of his red hair.
"Long time no see!"
"Gordon!"
Shanks got off the boat and immediately went towards the burly and fierce man on the shore.
The man who looked like a gangster was actually the current king of Elegia, Gordon, the legendary great artist who devoted himself to the path of music.
"Shanks!"
Gordon and Shanks seemed to have known each other for a long time. They opened their arms and greeted him, and the two hugged each other.
When Ji Guoyuan saw this scene, he couldn't help but pull up his sunglasses, feeling quite surprised.
This time, he was also confused by Gordon's appearance. He thought that the bandit was an unknown "little brother" of the Red Hair Pirates. He really did not connect Gordon with "artist".
Reality has given Ji Guoyuan a deeper understanding of the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".
"I actually bothered you to come here to pick us up. This really makes me feel bad!"
"I'm a little uncomfortable with you suddenly becoming so polite!"
Shanks and Gordon were like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time. They met and reminisced about the past.
"Pick you up? It's just a side job."
"I'm here to see a musical genius!"
"Is this child the Uta mentioned in your letter?!"
As he spoke, Gordon slowly lowered his head, looked at Uta, gave a smile that he thought was "kind", slowly squatted down, and spoke.
Facing the ferocious Gordon, there was no fear on Uta's face. Instead, she looked at Gordon with curiosity.
Seeing Gordon squatting down, he raised his hand and greeted generously:
"Hello, Mr. Gordon!"
"I'm Uta, Shanks' daughter."
Uta introduced herself crisply. Gordon was a little surprised to see Uta extend her hand to him, and then laughed happily:
“Hahahahahaha!”
"well!"
"Hello, little girl Uta, welcome to Elegia."
"I am Gordon, King of Elegia."
Gordon's appearance must have scared countless children to tears, and Uta's attitude at this time also made him very happy.
I can only say that this child is worthy of being taught by Shanks, he is different from ordinary children!
"Everyone, I have prepared afternoon tea for you. Take a short rest first, and then I will personally take you on a tour of Elegia."
"There will be a performance at the concert hall later. You can come and listen."
"After the performance, if you're interested, I'll take you backstage."
Gordon had known Shanks and the others were coming and had already made a lot of preparations in advance. The standard of reception for Shanks was even higher than that for many "kings".
Although it is not known what kind of relationship Shanks and Gordon had before, Tsugikoku Yoshiichi is clear that the relationship between the two is not as simple as "pen pals".
"It's up to you."
"It just so happens that I have something I want to talk to you about." Gordon heard Shanks' words and didn't ask what it was. He immediately patted his chest and promised: "Something?! Whatever it is, I will definitely help you if I can."
"Don't worry, if Wuta really has talent, I will do my best to train her!"
Seeing Gordon's statement, Shanks smiled and patted Gordon's arm gently, then explained, "It's not a child's business."
"I have a friend who needs a favor from you. This isn't the place to talk. Please leave first."
After hearing what Shanks said, Gordon nodded slightly in sudden realization. He glanced at the pirates behind Shanks and then saw a slightly unfamiliar figure in the crowd.
Noticing Gordon's gaze, Ji Guoyuan didn't feel embarrassed at all. He calmly adjusted his sunglasses without saying a word.
Gordon seemed to have noticed something, looked away, and without asking any more questions, he asked the accompanying guards to clear the way and walked towards the comprehensive concert hall in the center of the island.
Entertain Shanks and the others right there.
Under Gordon's leadership, Shanks, Tsugumi Kuni, and the others went to the center of the island. They arrived at an open-air lawn venue where a small cocktail party was being held.
There were quite a few people attending the meeting, both men and women, all dressed modestly. They were scattered in groups of three or five in different places of the venue, drinking, eating and chatting in low voices.
In the center of the venue was a large round stage. In the center of the stage, a young man was singing loudly. His voice was so penetrating that it penetrated the entire venue.
The arrival of Shanks, Tsugikoku Eiichi and others also attracted the attention of some people. However, when those people saw the casual attire of Shanks and others, they all showed some contempt and disdain, and quickly withdrew their gazes, as if they had seen something disgusting.
Shanks and the others also noticed this, but they didn't care.
"Shanks, just let your friends be as casual as they can."
"Just sit anywhere you want. Eat and drink as much as you want."
"Uta, there's cake over there. If you want some, just help yourself."
Gordon acted very casually and said to Shanks' crew. At the end, Gordon couldn't help but reach out and touch Uta's little head, and said gently.
After walking for such a long time, the members of the Red Hair Pirates were already hungry. When they heard this, they had no intention of "asking for instructions" from their captain Shanks, and they dispersed in a flash.
Except for Beckman, Yoriichi Tsugakuni and Uta, the rest of the people had disappeared without a trace.
Uta also slowly turned his head and looked at Shanks, with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Go, go."
"But don't make too much noise, take only as much as you can eat, and don't disturb others."
After getting Shanks's consent, Uta trotted away, her eyes bright. She quickly ran to a dining table with cakes on it and grabbed a small plate beside it to pick up some food for herself.
Shanks took a look at Uta's position, then looked away and looked at Yoriichi Tsugikoku behind him, and formally introduced him:
"Gordon, this is my friend."
"Tsugikoku Yoriichi."
"Yuichi, this is Gordon. If you have anything to say, just tell him directly. I don't think he will refuse."
While Shanks was speaking, Yoshikazu Tsugakuni slowly walked up to Gordon, pushed his sunglasses aside, said "Hello", and extended his hand with a smile.
"Tsugumi Kuniichi?!"
When Gordon heard this name from Shanks' mouth, his expression was obviously shocked. Looking at the half of Ji Guoyuan's face that was exposed and the red mark on his forehead, his pupils suddenly trembled.
Just as he was about to reach out to shake Tsugikuni Yoriichi's hand, his movements were interrupted by a cry of surprise:
"Let me go!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a skinny old man wearing a red crown and a gorgeous dress squatting in front of a dining car not far away. He was holding Wuta's small hand with one hand and said with a rosy smile:
"Little girl, don't be nervous, uncle is not a bad person."
"Whose child are you from? How did you end up here?"
"Are you lost? Can uncle take you home?"
"Oh, these little hands are so tender!"
In front of the old man, Uta tried to shake her arms and break free, but her strength was ultimately no match for an adult.
This scene was also seen by Shanks, Tsugikoku Yoshiichi and others. The crew members of the Red Hair Pirates, who had just dispersed, also heard Uta's exclamation and their eyes were focused on the old man who had sensed it.
When Ji Guoyuan saw this scene, he slowly withdrew his hand and put it into his trouser pocket. Gordon's hand froze in the air, looking at the scene in the distance, his face full of shock and confusion.
Behind Shanks, Beckman had already reached into his arms, and half a pistol appeared from his chest.
"What's that old idiot doing?!"
(End of this chapter)
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