The tremors on Laugh Tale gradually subsided.
Inside the spherical space, warm golden light pulsed slowly like breathing. The "Joy Boy gift" in Lin Yan's chest was merging deeply with the Nika Core. The historical crystal stele floated silently, playing soundless yet soul-shaking images of the truth. The holographic blueprints rotated slowly, displaying the pinnacle of an ancient civilization's wisdom.
Exhausted, the others sat or stood, seizing this rare chance to catch their breath and recover their strength. Chopper and the doctors accompanying the Revolutionary Army busied themselves treating the wounded. Sabo's arms were wrapped in thick bandages, his face pale from blood loss, but his gaze remained sharp.
Rayleigh, Crocus, and the other veteran members of Roger's crew hurried up the stairs of light onto the platform. At the sight before them, they all sighed in relief, though they could not hide the shock in their eyes.
"Did it work? Has Imu's will retreated?" Rayleigh approached Lin Yan and asked gravely.
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Yan nodded as he regulated his breathing. "We drove him back for now. We achieved the initial resonance of the 'Trinity' and used the connection to strike back at Imu's core consciousness. It should have disrupted him considerably." He paused, looking toward the charred, twisted figure barely clinging to life on the ground nearby. "Our immediate priority is dealing with the most unstable factor."
Everyone's gaze fell on the unconscious Blackbeard, whose body had been so corroded by the power of purification that he barely looked human. Shiryu, Jesus Burgess, and the other officers of the Blackbeard Pirates had been subdued by the heroic spirits and Roger's veteran crewmates. They were tied up nearby, their faces ashen.
"This fellow's vitality... is frighteningly tenacious." Crocus crouched to examine him, clicking his tongue in wonder. "Seventy percent