The encounter with the Void Rift was like a cold needle, piercing the initial excitement of entering the Final Sea Route and making everyone realize the unpredictability of the road ahead. The Thousand Sunny Modified became more vigilant, Allen also strengthened his monitoring of the surrounding spacetime. His eyes, which could see through light and darkness, often stared at the chaotic scene outside the ship's side, capturing any unusual ripples.
During the rest of their voyage, they encountered even more bizarre phenomena. Sometimes they would stumble into an area where time flowed extremely fast, and the plants on the ship would complete a cycle of growth and decay within minutes; other times they would be trapped in bubbles where time was almost frozen, and even their thinking would become sluggish; they also passed through a "mirror sea" where everything was upside down, and even the helm of the Thousand Sunny became strangely responsive. Only Jinbe's superb piloting skills and Allen's time-space corrections allowed them to pass safely.
These experiences, though perilous, served as a whetstone for everyone's growth. Luffy gained a new understanding of Life Return while battling the effects of Time Acceleration; Zoro practiced his swordsmanship in the Mirror Sea and even faintly touched the edge of "severing concepts"; Sanji attempted to incorporate the World-Purifying Flame into his culinary skills, creating food that not only restored stamina but also temporarily increased resistance to abnormal statuses.
As Allen constantly dealt with various spacetime anomalies and the occasional strange creatures that slipped in from the cracks of other worlds (some were energy beings, some were silicon-based life forms, and on one occasion he even encountered a group of transparent jellyfish-like creatures that fed on sound), he gained a deeper understanding of his newly born power, which was integrated with the essence of " Void ".
On this day, the Thousand Sunny entered an extremely special area. The seawater here was no longer liquid, but viscous and sparkling like molten crystal. The sky was not filled with the sun, but with a strange sphere of light that pulsated and emitted various laws. The air was filled with various elements and fragments of rules so dense that they were almost tangible.
"This is... the ' Sea of Manifested Laws '?" Robin looked at the description in the ancient book, his eyes filled with shock. "It is said to be one of the areas where the world's laws are most densely intertwined, an excellent place to comprehend power, but also extremely dangerous, where one can easily get lost in the chaotic laws."
As if to prove her words, as soon as the ship entered this area, the materialized fragments of laws swarmed over like bees attracted by the fragrance of flowers! Fiery fire laws, heavy earth laws, sharp metal laws, vibrant wood laws, ever-changing water laws... and even some rarer fragments, such as those of "gravity," "electromagnetism," and "probability," were like living spirits, trying to merge into the bodies of everyone on the ship.
"Be careful! Don't accept them lightly!" Allen immediately warned, "These fragments of laws are ownerless, but they are too chaotic. Forcibly absorbing them will cause conflicts or even the collapse of your own power system!"
A silver-purple light emanated from his body, forming a massive protective shield that enveloped the Thousand Sunny, temporarily isolating it from most of the law fragments. However, a small amount still managed to penetrate, causing Luffy and the others to instinctively use their power to Resistance or guide it.
Just then, another unexpected event occurred!
That strange, pulsating ball of light, suspended in the air, seemed to be the core of this area. It sensed the presence of Allen, this "abnormal being," especially the high-level power within him that fused spacetime and " Void." The ball of light suddenly shone brightly, and a beam of light, condensed from countless fundamental laws, colorful yet chaotic, tore through space like a spear of judgment, shooting directly at Allen!
This attack was not a simple elemental attack, but a pure "law impact"! Its power may not be as great as the previous condensed Void chains, but the complexity and specificity of the rules it contained made it even more troublesome!
" Allen!" everyone exclaimed.
Allen's eyes narrowed. He knew that simple spacetime defense or Power of the Primordial Beginning blocking wouldn't be very effective, as the beam would automatically seek out loopholes in the rules to penetrate.
In a flash, an idea crossed his mind.
Instead of defending himself, he deliberately dispelled the protective shield around him and even released the protection of his own power, allowing the chaotic beam of law to directly blast into his body!
" Allen! Are you crazy?!" Ace shouted (through Den Den Mushi ).
Everyone was stunned, watching in disbelief as the multicolored beam of light Allen's body. Allen's body instantly became as transparent as glass, revealing countless colors of law energy clashing and exploding wildly within! A look of pain crossed his face, and his body trembled violently, as if he were about to be burst apart by this vast, chaotic force of law energy!
But at this critical juncture, the Chaos light that had been stabilizing the darkness in Allen's eyes shone with unprecedented brightness!
"The Origin of the Torch Dragon - All Laws Return to Nothingness!"
He let out a low roar, and the Power of Zhulong within him, fused with the essence of " Void," erupted in full force! But this power was not directed outward to resist, but rather inward... to devour, decompose, and transform!
Within his body, it was as if a miniature "Void Black Hole" had appeared! The violent and chaotic energy of the laws that surged in, upon contact with this "Void Black Hole," had its violent characteristics rapidly "smoothed out," decomposing into the most primordial, attribute-less law particles! Then, these law particles were quickly absorbed and integrated by Allen's own Spacetime Torch Dragon Law, discarding the dross and absorbing the beneficial "law information" to supplement his understanding of the fundamental structure of the world!
This is an extremely dangerous process, akin to a microscopic creation and destruction within the body! The slightest mistake will result in a backlash from the laws of nature, leading to the annihilation of both body and soul!
But Allen succeeded!
The glassy luster around him gradually faded, and his body returned to its original state, even becoming more solid. A more harmonious and profound aura emanated from him. He slowly opened his eyes; the light in his left eye and the darkness in his right eye seemed even purer, while the Chaos color in the center seemed to contain more fundamental rules and codes.
He raised his hand, and a wisp of light flashed at his fingertips. It was no longer a simple silver-purple, but could instantly simulate the heat of flames, the cold of frost, and even the distortion of gravity according to his will! Although it was merely a form, and its power was far inferior to that of a master who specialized in this law, it meant that his understanding and application of the fundamental laws of the world had reached a whole new level!
He has initially acquired the ability to "simulate" and "control" various fundamental laws! This is an important step in the evolution of the Power of Zhulong towards the "source of all laws" after merging with the essence of " Void "!
The strange sphere of light in the sky seemed to have exhausted its energy, its radiance dimmed, and it slowly disappeared into the Void. The viscous "seawater" and the scattered fragments of laws around it also gradually calmed down and dissipated. The Thousand Sunny seemed to have passed through an invisible membrane and entered a relatively normal starry sea—a real ocean adorned with countless stars!
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Allen's demeanor subtly change once again, followed by an overwhelming sense of admiration. What they had just witnessed was like dancing on a knife's edge, a battle with death.
"You... you're a monster." Zoro sheathed his sword and muttered in a low voice, but his tone carried an air of approval.
"Great! Allen, you're alright!" Luffy over, laughing and patting him on the back.
Nami and Robin exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with a strong sense of security for their comrade.
Allen felt the power within him growing stronger and richer in "knowledge," and as he gazed out the porthole at the boundless ocean shimmering with stars of various colors, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him.
The laws resonated, and the dragon roared across the Xinghai. His path had Transcendence mere combat power enhancement, leading him to explore and master the fundamental rules of the universe.
This was merely a small episode on their Final Sea Route. Laugh Tale's coordinates flickered ahead, and more secrets and challenges awaited them in the depths of the vast universe.