These warships were methodically extracting Pluto's life energy, completely unaware that three "meteors" were rapidly closing in.
"Ejection countdown... three... two... one... eject!"
The three Life Pods burst open at once, launching Luffy, Ace, and Zoro toward Pluto with tremendous force.
Flying through a vacuum felt even more terrifying than traveling faster than light. There was no air, no sound—only deathly darkness and the guidance of distant starlight.
But all three gritted their teeth and endured, because they knew Pluto was waiting to be saved.
"I see them!" Ace pointed ahead. "Those black warships!"
Dozens of Void Hunter warships formed a ring, completely surrounding Pluto. Every ship extended tentacle-like energy conduits, frantically drawing out the planet's life essence.
The light on Pluto's surface had already dimmed to the point of near invisibility.
"Are we in time?" Zoro clenched his sword hilt.
Fury burned in Luffy's eyes. "We have to be! Lin Ye said that as long as there's hope, miracles can happen!"
Pluto's orbit, six hours later.
The three Life Pods cut through the darkness and arrived at the Solar System's frontier battlefield.
The sight before them filled Luffy and the others with utter rage.
Pluto, which had once emitted a faint but constant blue-white glow, was now tightly bound by three enormous black tentacles. Each was thousands of kilometers long, its surface covered in countless sucker-like organs that were madly siphoning the planet's life essence.
The light on Pluto's surface was fading at a visible rate, like a living being slowly being strangled to death.
"Bastards!" Luffy roared from inside his Life Pod. "They're torturing Pluto!"
Three bizarre Void Warships circled Pluto. Each vessel was over five kilometers long, with irregular shapes and armor plates that slowly writhed, like living creatures breathing.
Even more unsettling, the space around the