Sanji, carrying Allen's body, which resembled a broken porcelain doll, landed as fast as he could on the top of a relatively intact watchtower behind Iron Shield Fortress. He carefully laid Allen flat on the ground, his fingers probing the other's carotid artery. The faint, almost imperceptible pulse sent Sanji's heart sinking. Golden blood continued to slowly seep from the cracks in Allen's body; his skin was cold, and he was barely breathing.
" Allen! Hang in there!" Sanji tore off a piece of his shirt, trying to stop the bleeding, but the wounds seemed to exist only on a conceptual level; ordinary physical contact was completely ineffective. He anxiously looked around; the clamor of the battlefield continued, but this corner was filled with a deathly silence of despair.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred.
The mighty river of fortune, which had been slowly swirling in the sky and appeared somewhat dim due to the loss of direct guidance, suddenly surged as if drawn by some invisible force! It no longer spread evenly across the battlefield, but instead, like a torrent that had found a breach, it transformed into an incomparably condensed and dazzling golden pillar of light, descending from the sky and precisely enveloping the top of the watchtower and Allen completely!
"This is...?!" Sanji was pushed back several steps by this gentle yet immense force, staring in shock at the scene before him.
The golden Power of Fortune was no longer external energy; it flowed joyfully into Allen's riddled body like living spirits. The cracks that covered his entire body, which even advanced healing spells could not cure, began to heal at a visible speed under the Power of Fortune! It was not a simple repair, but a kind of essential reshaping. Where the cracks healed, mysterious and exquisite silver-purple patterns were left, like naturally formed dragon scale runes, faintly flowing with ripples of time and space.
The nearly depleted Power of Zhulong within Allen, nourished by this aura containing the world's "hope," "resistance," and "future," began to revive, grow, and transform wildly, like rain after a long drought! His consciousness sank into the endless Abyss of darkness, when suddenly he saw a glimmer of light, followed by countless glimmers of light— Luffy's grinning face, Sabo's pensive expression as he pushed up his glasses, Ace's burning flames, Sanji's heroic figure as he kicked a monster, Jinbe's composed back, and the blood-soaked shouts of all the Allied Forces warriors fighting on... Countless imprints of life, countless fragments of time, converged into a river of light, lifting him up and pulling him back from the brink of death.
"Everyone..."
A barely audible murmur escaped Allen's lips. His eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, Sanji almost held his breath.
Allen's eyes were striking. His left eye was as clear as the midday sun, brimming with the brilliance of life and creation; his right eye was as deep as the midnight sky, reflecting the shadows of tranquility and oblivion. Light and darkness were not opposites, but rather achieved a strange balance and symbiosis in his eyes. An indescribable majesty emanated naturally, not through deliberate oppression, yet it made even a powerful figure like Sanji feel insignificant, as if facing a vast starry sky and a rushing river of time.
Allen propped himself up and flexed his fingers. He felt an unprecedented surge of power coursing through his body, and his perception of time and space became incredibly clear. With a slight thought, the light around him subtly distorted, and the flow of time seemed to change as well.
" Allen... you..." Sanji was at a loss for words.
"I'm alright, Sanji." Allen's voice was steady and strong, carrying a calm that came with the weight of experience. "Thank you for protecting this place. And thank you... for not abandoning me."
He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the top of the watchtower, staring directly at the crack in the sky tightly bound by the silver-purple Divine Chains of Order. In his perception, the " Spacetime Closed Loop " remained stable, but deep within it, the dark red entity filled with destructive will had not been annihilated. Like a frozen volcano, it was still slowly and steadily impacting the barrier, trying to break free of its restraints.
"The real crisis has only just begun."
Shortly after, at the Iron Shield Fortress Central Command Post.
Around a hastily assembled long table, the core leaders of the Allied Forces gathered. Luffy was bandaged, but his spirits were high; Sabo looked tired, but his eyes remained sharp; Ace had changed into clean clothes, his face was still a little pale, but his burning fighting spirit was undiminished; Jinbe sat calmly, his breathing had returned to normal; Sanji lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall; Nami and Franky were also participating through virtual images projected by Den Den Mushi; Law, as an ally, was also present at the meeting.
When Allen walked in, all eyes were on him. His physical changes were not exaggerated, but his profound and dignified aura, as if he were one with the surrounding time and space, made everyone understand that their companion had been completely transformed.
" Allen!" Luffy was the first to jump up, grinning from ear to ear, "You're alive! That's great!"
"Yes, I'm sorry to have worried you, Luffy." Allen nodded with a smile, then looked at everyone, "To make a long story short, the being on the other side of the rift is far stronger than we previously estimated. They may have reached the pinnacle of what we consider a ' Four Emperors,' or even... touched upon an even higher level."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"I sealed it with Spacetime Closed Loop, but this isn't a permanent solution," Allen continued, his fingers tracing a miniature crack model made of light and shadow appearing on the table, surrounded by silver chains. "It's adapting to the rules of the Space-Time Barrier, eroding faster than I anticipated. At this rate, the seal will show significant signs of weakening in three days at most."
"Three days?!" Nami's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, filled with shock.
"Then what should we do? Concentrate all our strength, wait for it to come out, and fight it?" Ace clenched his fist, platinum flames dancing at his fingertips.
"No, that would be too passive, and setting the battlefield in our world would come at too high a cost, regardless of victory or defeat." Allen shook his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on the crack model. "My suggestion is... to take the initiative."
"Take the initiative?" Sabo adjusted his glasses. "You mean...?"
"At the edge of the Spacetime Closed Loop I maintain, there exists a 'gap' region," Allen explained. "It belongs neither to our world nor entirely to the other side of the rift. The spacetime rules there are relatively chaotic, but they can be temporarily stabilized by my power. We can gather our strongest forces, enter that 'gap,' and confront it there. Even, if possible, we could try to rush into the rift from the opposite direction and solve the problem at its root."
"Fighting in the Spacetime Crevice?" Luo frowned. "That's extremely risky. Our inability to adapt to the environment could severely weaken us."
"Risk and opportunity coexist." Allen looked at Luo. "In that area, my Power of Zhulong can be used to its fullest extent, providing you with protection and benefits to a certain extent. Moreover, the luck feedback gained from killing an existence of that level will be unimaginable, and may even help some of you break through your current bottlenecks."
This proposal plunged everyone into deep thought. It was undoubtedly a high-stakes gamble, deploying the coalition's elite forces into an unknown and extremely dangerous territory.
"It's decided!" Luffy suddenly slammed his hand on the table, breaking the silence. "That's it! Defeating it over there is better than letting it come here and wreak havoc! I'm going!"
Luffy's decision seemed to have a certain infectious quality; Ace immediately agreed, Sanji exhaled a smoke ring and nodded, Jinbe voice, "This old man is willing to go."
Sabo pondered for a moment, then looked at Allen: " Allen, how confident are you in stabilizing that 'gap'?"
"Seventy percent," Allen said frankly, "Provided that you withstand the main pressure while I'm focused on maintaining stability on the battlefield."
"That's enough." Sabo's eyes were resolute. "Compared to passively waiting for destruction, a 70% chance of success is worth risking our lives for. I agree to this plan."
Luo finally nodded. "As an ally, I will provide all necessary support. 'ROOM's' abilities might prove surprisingly effective in that environment."
The strategic direction was thus determined.
"Then, begin preparations immediately." Sabo regained his commanding presence. " Ace, you're in charge of selecting the top combatants for this operation. The criteria are at least Admiral Candidate level strength or special abilities. Nami, Franky, Pluton, as the final deterrent and support platform, need to be in peak condition and ready to deal with any unexpected events. The rest of you, strengthen the defenses. While we're away, we absolutely cannot allow the monsters to break through!"
The order was issued swiftly, and the entire coalition machine began to operate efficiently.
Allen walked to the window and looked at the crack in the sky again. In his perception, the dark red shadow seemed to have sensed something as well, and the power that was breaking through the seal became even more violent.
"The final showdown..." Allen murmured to himself, a faint light flickering in his left eye, while the darkness in his right eye deepened. "Let's settle this at the end of time and space."
The calm before the storm enveloped the entire Iron Shield Fortress. An unprecedented expedition, Transcendence world boundaries, was about to begin.