Uta's eyes went wide. "Re-revenge?!"
She turned to face Arton, and a spark flickered across her eyes.
"That's right," Arton said with a slight nod. "Isn't that why you brought the sheet music along in the first place—because deep down, you want to get back at that thing?"
Some time ago, Uta had confessed to Arton that she'd learned the tragedy in Elegia was brought about because of her. So Arton wasn't at all surprised she was bringing this up now; instead, he'd sensed the hidden longing within her.
"You're right, Arton," Uta admitted. "I do want revenge. But that thing is so powerful… Do I really stand a chance at destroying it?"
She was worried. After all, she knew from Arton's diary just how terrifying the Demon Lord of the Sing-Sing Space was—an existence that even the entire Red-Haired Pirates couldn't easily overcome. Summoning the Demon Lord again might just give it another chance to hurt her friends.
"Don't worry," Arton said. "Don't forget I'm here with you. Sure, maybe right now I don't have a surefire way to deal with it. But in time, I'll definitely gain the power to destroy it completely. Yes, it's mysterious, but don't forget I also command mysterious powers."
He reached out and gently cupped Uta's cheek, smiling calmly.
Feeling the light brush of Arton's hand and hearing his gentle words, Uta suddenly pressed her head against his chest. "Thank you, Arton."
"What are you talking about? We're crewmates, aren't we?"
"Even so, I still want to say thank you."
"You're too polite, Uta. But if you really insist on thanking me, maybe you could… pledge yourself to me."
"Hmph, you big dummy. I was trying to be serious here!" Uta playfully tapped Arton's chest with both hands, pouting in mock annoyance. Arton merely laughed in delight.
"By the way," he went on, "when Mihawk returns to the New World, he's bound to cross paths with the Red-Haired Pirates, right? I'm sure he'll tell them about their captain's daughter joining my crew."
"You're one to talk! You told Mihawk I was your wife," Uta huffed. "What am I supposed to do if he tells Shanks and the others that?"
"But if I recall, you were the one who mentioned wanting to have my kids, right? And you said it in front of Mihawk, too."
"I—I never said it right to his face! I was talking quietly! The only reason he heard me is because he has freakishly good hearing. Besides, I was only joking!"
"In that case, we're done for," Arton said, feigning concern. "Mihawk definitely doesn't think you were joking, and neither will the Red-Haired Pirates. By the time we meet them, they'll probably have a bunch of baby supplies waiting for us."
"Grrr, what do we do? We don't actually have a child—or plan to have one—"
She caught herself mid-sentence, slapped a hand over her mouth, and stared at Arton, cheeks blazing.
Arton smirked, reaching out to brush aside her bangs with one hand while wrapping the other around her back, drawing her close. "You know, your proposal might not be such a bad idea, Uta."
He leaned in slowly as he spoke, voice low. Instantly, Uta's face went scarlet and her eyes squeezed shut.
"Hahaha, I'm just kidding," Arton teased. "Anyway, why don't we wrap up this space you've created? It's about time we headed back…"
As he released Uta and started to stand, she suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down on top of her.
"Uta?"
He found himself sprawled over her, staring straight into her face, puzzled as he whispered her name.
"Arton… stay with me a little longer, okay?"
After Uta spoke, colorful lights began to shimmer on both her clothes and Arton's. The next moment, the glow dispersed—and so did their clothing.
"You…this…"
Arton raised his eyebrows. Right then, he could feel not only Uta's breath at close range but also her bare skin. However, before he could finish speaking, his words were swallowed up by Uta's sudden closeness.
After a long moment, when their lips finally parted, Uta placed both hands behind Arton's neck and leaned her head near his ear.
"I like you, Arton," she whispered. "This time, I'm not joking."
Because of the various works in Arton's diary copies, Uta had felt quite embarrassed at times. But after all the help Arton had given her, she'd long since accepted his character and grown to truly like him. That feeling only deepened when Arton promised he'd find a way to destroy the Sing-Sing Demon completely.
Now, she had decided to take the final step she'd been thinking about for so long.
Arton locked eyes with Uta, gazing at her for several seconds. Then he leaned in close to her ear as well, speaking in a low voice:
"I like you, too, Uta."
A sweet smile spread across Uta's face—and Arton's as well. Slowly, the distance between the two of them shrank, closer and closer…