Having bid farewell to Xinghai friendly inhabitants of the Ecological Corridor, the Thousand Sunny Modified continued its journey along the Freedom Sea Route. The surrounding scenery shifted once more, transitioning from a vibrant ecological treasure trove to a more abstract space, seemingly composed of pure geometric light trails and pulsating data streams. This place is known as the " Transition Corridor," a special, naturally formed passageway in the Xinghai that allows for ultra-long-distance travel.
"The spatial structure here is very... regular, yet full of dynamic changes." Nami observed the data streams flowing like waterfalls on the navigation system, trying to find patterns. "If we can grasp the patterns of these natural jump channels, our travel speed will increase countless times!"
Franky excitedly recorded the various energy readings. "SUPER! This is practically a natural interstellar highway! If only we could replicate this technology..."
However, Allen's expression carried a hint of imperceptible solemnity. The power of light and darkness in his eyes slowly shifted, sensing the dangers hidden deep within this seemingly convenient passage.
"Don't be fooled by appearances," he cautioned. " The Transition Corridor is a shortcut, but it's also riddled with traps. Spacetime curvature is extremely distorted here, with natural 'gravitational traps,' 'time stagnation zones,' and even some... artificially created interference nodes."
As if to prove his words, a previously stable light trail ahead of the Thousand Sunny suddenly twisted and broke without warning! An invisible vortex with a powerful gravitational pull instantly formed, threatening to drag the entire ship into an unknown dimension!
"Hard to left! Full power propulsion! Avoid that gravitational singularity!" Jinbe roared, giving full control of the steering wheel.
The Thousand Sunny's engines roared under overload, the ship tilted violently, and it narrowly escaped the suddenly appearing gravitational vortex. The powerful gravity still tore at the hull, leaving several deep dents.
"Damn it! The weather here is even weirder than the Grand Line!" Usopp clung tightly to the mast, his face pale.
Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, dozens of silent, semi-transparent energy spikes suddenly shot out from a stream of data light on the side! These spikes seemed capable of penetrating conventional energy shields, heading straight for the ship's critical structure!
"It's a spatial fragment! Accelerated to its limit!" Robin immediately judged.
"Leave it to me!" Zoro drew his sword instantly, his Three-Sword Style dancing like a barrier. " Three-Sword Style: Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds: Reversal!" The sharp sword energy formed a tornado, shredding the spatial fragments to dust.
However, the attack was not over. The ship suddenly came to a halt, as if it had sunk into an invisible swamp, and the data stream flowing around it slowed down noticeably.
"We've entered the time stasis zone!" Chopper exclaimed, looking at the data on the medical equipment that had almost stopped moving.
"Power output has dropped by seventy percent!" Franky reported anxiously.
Within this region, time flows extremely slowly, and the Thousand Sunny is like an insect frozen in amber, unable to move an inch. To make matters worse, those unstable light trails and gravity traps in the distance are still slowly approaching!
"We can't be trapped here!" Luffy tried to push the ship with his rubber arms, but his movements were like slow motion.
"Let me try." Allen took a deep breath and walked to the bow of the ship. He pressed his hands forward, and the Chaos light in his eyes intensified. He was no longer limited to the power of space and time, but mobilized a new power that combined the essence of " Void " and the spirituality of will.
"All phenomena arise from the mind; space and time... Definition!"
A strange fluctuation spread out from him. He wasn't forcibly resisting the effect of time stasis, but rather, in a more subtle way, he " Definition " the spacetime rules of a small area around the Thousand Sunny! The spacetime in this area temporarily "believed" that it was flowing at a normal speed!
In an instant, the Thousand Sunny seemed to break free of invisible shackles and suddenly regained its speed!
"Now! Charge out!" Allen shouted, his face slightly pale. This kind of partial rule modification was extremely taxing.
Jinbe seized the opportunity, maneuvering the Thousand Sunny like a fish, narrowly gliding out of the edge of that time-stagnant zone!
Just when everyone thought they were safe for the time being, Allen suddenly looked up, staring in a direction deep in the corridor, his eyes sharp as knives. "Found you!"
In his perception, the series of "accidents" just now were not all formed naturally! There was an extremely hidden consciousness, with obvious malice, secretly guiding and manipulating the traps in the corridor to attack them! That consciousness was well hidden, almost integrated with the data flow of the corridor itself, but when Allen forcibly modified the local rules just now, that consciousness produced a subtle fluctuation, which he accurately detected!
"You cowardly coward!" Luffy sensed the malice and angrily looked in that direction.
Without hesitation, Allen locked onto the source of that consciousness and unleashed a " Finger of the Void" imbued with the power of spacetime! A tiny yet incredibly refined beam of silver-purple light ignored spatial distance and instantly shot into the depths of that data stream!
"Ugh--!"
A short, sharp, inhuman scream echoed in everyone's minds! Immediately afterward, the data stream became violently disordered, and a blurry, jellyfish-like phantom, composed of countless 0s and 1s, flashed by and then completely vanished, as if it had never existed.
"What is that?" Sanji asked, frowning.
"A... data life form? Or perhaps an ancient intelligent entity that exists within the Transition Corridor?" Robin speculated. "It seems to regard the corridor as its territory, attacking any intruders."
With the disappearance of that malicious AI, the surrounding Transition Corridor seemed to become much calmer, and the unstable light trails and traps were noticeably reduced.
"Looks like we've taken care of a road hog." Franky breathed a sigh of relief.
After this ordeal, the group became even more cautious. Guided by Allen, they avoided the remaining natural traps and traversed the Transition Corridor at an astonishing speed along the relatively stable light trail.
After an unknown amount of time, a huge, slowly rotating exit appeared ahead. Beyond the exit lay a completely different star field, exuding an aura of vastness and antiquity.
"We're almost through this corridor," Nami said, looking at the pointer.
"The energy reaction at the exit... is very ancient, and... carries an indescribable pressure." Allen sensed what was ahead, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and wariness.
The Thousand Sunny adjusted its course and shot towards the vortex-shaped exit like an arrow. The journey through the Transition Corridor came to a temporary end, and what awaited them ahead were even more ancient and mysterious Xinghai relics, and possibly the secrets concerning the essence of the universe hidden within.