The Chaos within the Spacetime Crevice seemed to be frozen. Only the gruesome piercing wound on Sanji's chest, from which contaminated blood continued to seep, and his increasingly faint breathing reminded everyone that the crisis was not over.
Allen knelt beside Sanji, his finger still resting on Sanji's forehead. The silver-purple spacetime power, like the finest threads, wove a complex seal, temporarily "freezing" Sanji's injuries and the destructive will at this moment. This couldn't heal; it merely bought time to prevent the situation from worsening. Sanji's face was ashen, his once bright eyes were tightly closed, and his brows were furrowed with extreme pain.
" Sanji... Sanji!" Luffy knelt beside him, his rubber hand hanging helplessly in the air, afraid to touch him, only able to growl his comrade's name over and over again, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and raging fury.
" Curly Brow! You idiot! Who told you to block my way!" Ace clenched his fists, the platinum flames flickering on his body due to the intense emotional turmoil. He hated the sneak attack with its bloody light, and he hated himself even more for not being a step faster.
Jinbe stood silently to the side, his eyes, usually so accustomed to the storms of the sea, now filled with sorrow and grim determination. Sabo adjusted his slightly askew hat, his gaze behind his glasses as cold as a knife. He quickly checked Sanji's condition, his heart sinking.
Law kept the ROOM space to a minimum, enveloping Sanji, whose forehead was covered in fine sweat as he desperately analyzed the structure of the destructive will, trying to find a way to peel it off, but the result was hopeless.
"No..." Luo's voice trembled slightly, "This will... is too high-level. It's already intertwined with his life force and even his soul's essence. Forcibly separating it would be equivalent to... killing him." He uttered the last few words with difficulty.
These words were like ice water poured over everyone's heads, plunging their hearts into despair.
"Is there... really no way?" Sabo's voice was hoarse.
"... Yes." Luo raised his head and looked at Allen. "There's only one way. It requires a 'purification' or 'reversal' power that Transcendence the level of this destructive will. Either, with more powerful purification energy, gradually erode this will without harming its essence; or..." He paused, looking at Allen, "Reverse the 'time' of his injured area, changing it before the damage occurred."
Reverse time!
All eyes immediately focused on Allen. He was the only one here who might have access to the power of time.
Allen closed his eyes and focused his mind, pushing the newly broken through and not yet fully stabilized Power of Zhulong to its limit, carefully sensing the flow of time at Sanji's wound. After a moment, he opened his eyes, which were filled with solemnity and a trace of helplessness.
"It's impossible." Allen's voice was low. "This will itself possesses the characteristic of 'resisting time interference.' It comes from an existence of that level, and my Power of Time is currently unable to completely cover up and reverse its effects. Forcing an attempt could very likely cause a backlash of time paradoxes, directly..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.
Hope suddenly seemed to have faded away.
Just then, Sanji's body twitched slightly, letting out a very faint groan. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.
" Sanji!" Luffy closer.
"... Green... weed head..." An extremely faint voice, like a dream, escaped Sanji's lips, "... Bento... less... salt..."
Everyone was stunned, and then an overwhelming sense of sorrow welled up in their hearts. In his fading consciousness, he was thinking of Zoro, who was thousands of miles away and who argued with him all the time, and his beloved cooking.
Allen's fingers trembled slightly. Sanji's unconscious murmurs were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart. It was because of protecting him that Sanji had ended up in this situation!
An indescribable rage and self-reproach surged and accumulated in his chest like magma. The silver-purple light around him fluctuated uncontrollably, causing ripples to spread throughout the surrounding space and time.
" Allen, calm down!" Sabo, sensing that something was wrong with Allen, immediately pressed down on his shoulder. " Sanji risked his life to protect you, not to watch you lose control!"
Allen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the destructive impulse that was almost overwhelming his reason. The Chaos light in his eyes flickered violently, eventually slowly returning to a chilling coldness and calm.
He gently picked up Sanji, his movements careful, as if he were holding the most precious and fragile thing in the world.
"Luo, maintain his condition, hold on for as long as possible." Allen's voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable determination.
"I will do my best." Luo nodded emphatically, making the maintenance of ROOM his sole focus at the moment.
Allen turned to the crowd, his gaze sweeping over each sorrowful yet resolute face.
"This will originates from its very being. The only way to eradicate it is to completely destroy its source."
His gaze fell upon the faint energy channel that still existed in the distance, connecting to the rift itself—a remnant of the projection's collapse.
"I want to go in," Allen said, emphasizing each word.
"What?! You want to enter the space where the rift itself is located?!" Ace exclaimed in disbelief.
"This is too reckless! Allen! We have absolutely no idea what's going on in there! You just broke through, and your condition is still unstable!" Sabo immediately objected.
"I'm going! Let's go together! Let's beat that bastard to a pulp!" Luffy roared.
"No." Allen shook his head, unusually resolute. "That passage is extremely unstable and filled with the repulsive will of its own being. More people would only make things worse. After my Power of Zhulong broke through, my adaptability to spacetime is much stronger. Only I can go in."
He looked at Sanji, whose breath was faint, in his arms.
"Besides, we're running out of time. Law's abilities won't last much longer. I have to go to its lair and take it down. This isn't just for Sanji, but also to end this invasion once and for all."
He paused, then looked at Luffy and Ace.
" Luffy, Ace, Sabo, and everyone... the outer defenses still need you. If I fail... I'm counting on you all."
Having said that, Allen gave no one a chance to object. His body shone with a brilliant silver-purple light, and the newly generated Power of Zhulong enveloped him and Sanji (maintained by Law's ROOM), transforming them into a streak of light as they rushed towards the remaining energy channel without hesitation!
" Allen!!!" Luffy and Ace's shouts were left behind.
The moment the light stream came into contact with the passage, it caused a violent spatial tremor, and then disappeared.
In the Spacetime Crevice, only Luffy and his crew remained, facing an empty Chaos, and a heavy heart filled with worry, anger, and determination.
Allen, bearing the weight of his dearest friend's life and the fate of the world alone, ventures into the deepest reaches of the source of destruction. The final, destiny-bound showdown awaits them on that unknown shore.