"Professor Ace!" The trainee supported the swaying Ace. "Are you okay?"
"Go... go find Luffy..." Ace said weakly. "There's important information..."
Half an hour later, the Watchers Alliance convened an emergency meeting.
"You're saying Mars has become conscious?" Luffy looked at the pale-faced Ace. "And it warned us that we're in danger?"
Ace nodded. "Not just Mars. I can sense that the other reborn planets are also trying to contact us. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus... they've formed some kind of network."
Zoro gripped the hilt of his sword. "What kind of danger could make the consciousnesses of entire planets feel threatened?"
Jinbe pondered. "If even Mars can sense the threat, then its scale must be beyond imagination."
"I need to contact Mars again." Ace struggled to his feet. "I need to learn more."
"No." Luffy pressed a hand onto Ace's shoulder. "That communication already left you this weak. Trying again could put your life in danger."
"But if we don't understand the nature of the threat..."
"We'll find another way." Luffy cut him off. "You said the other planets are sending signals too, right? Maybe we can train more people to take part in the communication."
Jinbe's eyes lit up. "Share the burden of communication, just like we divided our strength before."
"Exactly!" Luffy clapped his hands. "We'll establish the Interstellar Communication Group. Ace won't have to bear this alone."
The next day, the Watchers Alliance issued a global recruitment announcement.
"Seeking volunteers with special perceptive abilities to participate in the interstellar communication project. Requirements: abilities related to fire, light, or perception; stable mental fortitude; and willingness to take risks."
Applicants came in an endless stream.
The first person to pass the selection was Tanaka Keiko, a volunteer from Japan who possessed the ability to sense light waves.
"I've been able