Lin Ye sat in the empty seat beside Ace, gently placing the Dawn Blade across his lap. Strangely, the blade began to tremble faintly, as though it sensed the keys at the center of the table.
"First," Dragon said, sweeping his gaze across the room, "let us confirm the status of the seven keys. Ace holds the Flame Key; I have the Wind Key; Whitebeard safeguards the Sea Key; Sabo has the Earth Key; the Thunder Key was entrusted to Kaku; Robin watches over the Shadow Key; and the last one, the Purification Chain, was successfully recovered from Marine Headquarters by Lin Ye and Vice Admiral Tsuru."
Dragon pointed to the six keys at the center. "According to ancient records, these seven keys must be gathered at a specific location—the Dimensional Convergence Point at Laugh Tale—and activated through a specific ritual in order to repair the damaged Dimensional Barrier."
"Now, Lin Ye." Dragon looked at him. "Please place the final key in the center. Although the Dawn Blade was not mentioned in the original records, it clearly resonates with the Purification Chain. We need to understand its purpose."
Lin Ye nodded, rose to his feet, and slowly drew the Dawn Blade from its sheath. Under the room's lights, the blade gleamed with an eerie radiance, its runes flickering in and out of view. He walked to the center of the round table and gently placed it beside the other six keys.
The instant the Dawn Blade touched the pedestal, something incredible happened—all the keys began to glow faintly at once. Their light linked together, forming an intricate geometric pattern in the air. The meeting room lights suddenly flickered, and an invisible wave of energy swept through the room, leaving everyone present with an unsettling sensation.
"This is..." Rayleigh narrowed his