Allen's act of "healing wounds" in Sanji's body was like planting a Seed full of life on the ruins of war, quickly triggering an unimaginable Echo throughout the world. The news spread like wildfire, shaking surviving kingdoms, ravaged islands, and major powers still licking their wounds.
" Spacetime Torch Dragon," " Restorer of All Things," " Guide of the New Era "... these titles, filled with awe and hope, were bestowed upon Portgas D. Allen. The Alliance's prestige reached an unprecedented peak, and the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies, as the core members, were regarded as heroes who would save the world.
However, Allen, who was at the eye of the storm, remained unusually calm. After initially stabilizing the situation in the Eastern Theater, he returned to Pluton's meditation chamber. With the help of Law's Op-Op Fruit ability and Franky's latest technology, a "gestation chamber" was built specifically to reshape his body for his Dragon Soul. The chamber was filled with a special matrix composed of pure energy, Seastone factors (processed by Vegapunk's technology to stabilize the form of his abilities), and Allen's own dissipated Spacetime Brand.
Allen ( in Sanji's body) stood in front of the incubation pod, taking one last look at this temporary body. Sanji's consciousness was still being nurtured in a deep slumber, and his body, after this symbiotic and energy baptism, had its strength and affinity for fire elevated to a new level, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.
"It's time," Allen murmured to himself. He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his mind.
There, a solid, majestic Torch Dragon soul, its body flowing with silver-purple light and Chaos hues, had fully taken shape. The dragon soul raised its head and let out a clear, melodious dragon roar that only souls could perceive.
The next moment, the dragon-shaped mark between Allen's ( Sanji's ) brows shone brightly! The solidified soul of the Torch Dragon transformed into a stream of light, detached itself, and plunged into the incubation chamber in front of it without hesitation!
Sanji's body trembled slightly, then returned to calm, his breathing becoming long and deep as he fell into an even deeper, more natural sleep. The mark between his brows faded, leaving only a barely perceptible silver-purple dot, a trace of his past coexistence with the dragon's soul.
Inside the incubation chamber, with the infusion of the dragon soul, the special substrate seemed to be infused with life, beginning to churn and condense violently! Countless silver-purple spacetime runes lit up within the substrate, outlining a human-shaped silhouette. External energy was frantically drawn in through Pluton's conduits and injected into the chamber, even causing the clouds in the sky to swirl, forming a small energy vortex.
Luffy, Ace, Sabo, Nami, Robin, Chopper, Franky, Brook, and all the core members gathered outside the quiet room, waiting anxiously. Even Jinbe, who was handling affairs thousands of miles away, was monitoring the situation through Den Den Mushi.
This process lasted for three days and three nights.
At dawn on the third day, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone upon Pluton's deck—
The light inside the incubation chamber reached its peak, then suddenly receded!
The hatch slowly opened.
Amidst the swirling energy mist, a tall and slender figure slowly stepped out.
He still had that familiar short black hair, and his features were clearly defined, carrying the resolute determination unique to the Portgas family. But upon closer inspection, his skin was radiant, as if containing a glow. Deep within his pupils, his left eye seemed to contain a river of light, while his right eye seemed to conceal Abyss abyss of desolation. Amidst the shifting light and darkness, a trace of Chaos settled at the center, making him even more profound and majestic than before. The aura he naturally exuded was perfectly integrated with the heavens and earth, as if he himself was an independent realm of time and space.
He clenched his fist gently, feeling this brand-new body, completely reshaped from the purest energy and his own dragon soul imprint. It was more perfect than his previous body, with a 100% compatibility with the Power of Zhulong, and every cell was filled with the vast power of spacetime.
Portgas D. Allen, truly a perfect union of body and soul—has returned!
" Allen!" Chopper was the first to rush forward crying, but Allen caught him with a smile and gently rubbed his hat.
"Wow, what a perfect body, Mr. Allen!" Brook sized him up, even though he had no eyes.
"SUPER~! This look, this aura! It's perfect!" Franky struck his classic pose.
Nami and Robin exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with relief. Law hugged Kikoku, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
Luffy rammed into him with a Gum-Gum Rocket, laughing loudly, "Hahaha! Allen! You've finally turned back into yourself!"
Ace and Sabo stepped forward and patted him heavily on the shoulder, their unspoken understanding unspoken.
Allen felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he experienced the unreserved joy of his companions. He looked up at the boundless sea in the distance, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of space.
"I'm sorry to have worried everyone." His voice was gentle, yet carried a convincing strength. "Now, I'm back."
He paused, then continued, "The wounds of this world need time to heal, but the road ahead requires our collective exploration. The door to New World has been opened; a wider ocean and unknown challenges await us."
His words ignited a flame of adventure in everyone's eyes. Having experienced a war that nearly destroyed the world, their perspectives were vastly different. The truth of the world, the mysteries of time and space, the stories hidden behind the Poneglyph... there was still so much unknown waiting for them.
"Of course!" Luffy adjusted his straw Straw Hat, his smile radiant. "I'm going to be the Pirate King! The adventure is far from over!"
"That's right, there's still a lot of interesting history waiting for us to discover," Robin agreed with a smile.
"I'm really looking forward to the new ingredients and the unknown ocean climate~" Sanji (who had just woken up and was carrying a delicious breakfast, though his face was still a little pale, was in good spirits and had obviously recovered well) lit a cigarette and said with a smile.
Looking at his spirited companions, Allen smiled. He gently raised his hand, a wisp of silver-purple light flowing from his fingertips, causing the surrounding space to ripple slightly.
"Then, let's get ready to go."
"Target--"
"The Final Road and... the stars and the sea!"
The dragon returns to the vast sea, body and soul united. The Straw Hat Grand Fleet —no, the new era's ship carrying the world's hopes and future—is about to set sail once more, guided by the Spacetime Torch Dragon, on its magnificent final voyage filled with infinite possibilities and challenges!