The Miniature Spectrum Temple Outpost

Ace looked down at the Flame Seed Stone. "You know what this is?"

"Of course." Silvers Rayleigh nodded. "Gol D. Roger had it for a time, but he knew he wasn't destined to wield it. Before he died, he gave it to me and told me to pass it on to its rightful bearer when the time came—his own flesh and blood."

Silvers Rayleigh motioned for Ace to follow him to the other side of the room. "Come. Let me show you one of the most important things Gol D. Roger left behind."

A concealed mechanism in the wall responded to Silvers Rayleigh's fingerprint and voice. It slowly opened, revealing a passage leading deeper inside. As they went farther in, the space around them widened until they reached an enormous circular hall.

Everything here spoke of ancient technology. Crystal-clear pillars supported the domed ceiling, intricate energy circuits covered the floor, and a massive hemispherical device at the center projected a three-dimensional image of the entire planet. Several regions on the image were marked red, indicating abnormal energy fluctuations.

"This is a Miniature Spectrum Temple outpost," Silvers Rayleigh explained. "Gol D. Roger found the method for building it on Laugh Tale and secretly made a copy here. It can monitor the state of the Dimensional Barrier across the entire planet."

Ace gazed around in wonder. "This is Ancient Kingdom technology?"

"Only a small part of it." Silvers Rayleigh went to the console and brought up more detailed data. "The true Spectrum Temple can control and repair the Dimensional Barrier. This outpost can only monitor it."

The data showed the red-marked regions expanding rapidly. They now covered nearly a third of the map. A countdown flashed in the corner of the display—72 hours.

"What's that?" Ace asked, pointing at the countdown.

Silvers