In Bepo's apologetic voice, they passed through the crowd and went straight to the backstage. This was also why Perona chose to have her spirit leave her body, so she wouldn't encounter any annoying things.
"Signature?"
Uta was sharing her feelings of being on this stage with Cindry. She actually wanted to talk to Ann, but after Tesoro went on stage, Ann was not only the special effects artist but also took on the role of host, and didn't have time to chat with Uta.
And it was at this moment that the first person to run backstage and ask her for a signature arrived.
"Hmm hmm, can you give me a signature? Your singing is amazing!"
"But I didn't bring a pen..."
"Sorry for bothering you..."
Before Uta finished her sentence, Bepo in front of her suddenly became dejected, and Uta felt a bit at a loss.
"After so long, why are you still so negative?! She didn't refuse you, try to act normal!"
Perona tried to punch Bepo, but in her spirit state, she couldn't touch physical entities, which was related to her fruit development. Now she was a very special spirit body.
"Don't mind him, Uta, he's just like this. If you say even a couple of words to him, he'll start apologizing."
"Sorry..."
"I didn't ask you to prove it!!"
"Pfft, you all have such a great relationship. Let me go look in the back, there should be a pen there."
Cindry laughed out loud at these young people messing around. This was much more interesting than life in the West Sea. Amidst the noise, Uta gained her first fan asking for a signature, and Bepo received the first signed photo of Uta's performing career.
A photo with monumental significance.
The performance continued, but most of the audience were ordinary people. Industry giants were all signing new agreements or busy with their work.
The next day, the first batch of guests had left, and new guests came flocking in. At this time, both Yamato and Ulti signed up for a no-rules moto race.
The rules of the race were very rough; you could use any non-lethal means to interfere with opponents. Whoever reached the finish line first was the winner.
Cyclizar had high intelligence. As long as the means were non-lethal, even if a person slid off their back, they could catch them again. Yamato wasn't there to gamble, just purely interested in participating.
While she was competing, the newspapers written by Morgans, along with tapes sold with them, spread all over the world. The copyright of these tapes was, of course, held by Hundred Beasts Fruit, even though copyright protection laws were mostly symbolic in this world.
But legitimate businesses couldn't secretly produce them. With the release of the newspapers, Uta's singing reached more ears. Although she was still far from being number one globally, she already stood at a height many could never attain in their lifetime.
As Uta's fame spread, a unique phenomenon also appeared among her fanbase.
In the photos taken by Morgans, Uta flew in the sky using a basket carried by Heracross, and the image of the giant horned beetle was captured clearly.
The celebrity effect is quite a magical thing. There's always someone who wants what the celebrity has. Flying is still a dream for many. Who could refuse a giant beetle that can carry people around in the air?
Based on Heracross's carrying capacity, apart from those who are overly developed, it can carry most people.
Previously, Arceus released a large number of Heracross onto various islands. Due to Uta's indirect influence, a Heracross craze appeared among her fans and gained some standing in the pet market.
But they are Pokemon, not ordinary wild animals. Pure violence cannot tame Pokemon, only those who genuinely want to connect with them might gain Heracross's recognition.
Although they are group dwellers with gentle temperaments, if they truly get angry, they're not easy to handle. When a group of flying Heracross releases Pin Missile, their power is no less than a small bomber.
Most who aimed to profit from Heracross met with misfortune. Even those lucky enough to capture one often faced sea monster attacks during transportation on the sea.
Moreover, Heracross are found widely, existing on most islands except deserts and harsh cold climates. Gradually, no one pursued this business, except for those true fans of Uta still trying to emulate her, hoping to find such a beetle.
Some even wrote to her asking how to capture or raise such beetles, but only a handful were successful.
East Sea, Windmill Village, Luffy was back to his usual optimism, especially after seeing Uta singing in the newspaper, since Shanks didn't really lie to him.
But now, he wasn't thinking about that; instead, he was running for his life.
"Heyo, run, Grandpa's catching up! Ace has already been caught!"
Since Uta left, much had happened: Shanks losing his arm, the three brothers' oath, Sabo's "death," and also his goal of becoming Pirate King.
Occasionally returning, Garp had become a nightmare to Luffy; the fist of love was something even he, made of rubber, couldn't avoid.
Every time they talked about becoming pirates, they got beaten, but they never changed their goal. Luffy just gained a new escape method, letting Heracross fly him away.
If only he could fly away, he'd probably escape.
Due to Heracross's call sounding like "Heyo," he chose to call his Heracross that. When he took off, Garp showed up behind him, carrying Ace, who had a head full of bumps.
"Goodbye, Grandpa! You can't catch me!"
"That brat...."
Garp watched the gleeful Luffy in the sky, dropped Ace, and tightened his fist. The next moment, he appeared right next to Luffy.
"Grandpa?!"
"Luffy, thinking you can avoid the fist of love just like that, it's too soon!"
Watching as Luffy got punched back to the ground by Garp, Heracross raised both hands and then silently descended, instinctively sensing that the old man was a monster.
...
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, Grandpa, how can you fly!"
"Hahaha, that's a Navy ability. As long as you join the Navy, I'll teach you how to fly. How about it, isn't it worthwhile?"
Seeing Luffy showing interest, Garp continued persuading him to join the Navy, but Luffy's brain gave a quick response in a fraction of a second.
"I don't want to. I'm going to be Pirate King!"
Crack, crack, Garp's fist made a cracking sound, followed by the all-too-familiar scene and screams.