The Thousand Sunny broke through the boundary of the Slumbering Corridor, leaving the dark area still raging with the tide of laws far behind. Outside the porthole, the familiar cosmic space dotted with distant starlight returned. The oppressive feeling that had driven one to the brink of madness vanished abruptly, leaving only the silence of surviving a catastrophe and the low hum of the overloaded engine.
"Did... did it succeed?" Usopp slumped to the ground, looking back with lingering fear, as if he could still feel the aftershocks of that information deluge.
"We're safe for now." Jinbe calmly steered the ship, maintaining a relatively stable cruising speed. A hint of fatigue lingered on his broad face. "Thanks to Allen."
All eyes were focused on Allen, who was leaning against the ship's railing, his face pale. The silver-purple runes on his chest had dimmed, but the primal aura that was closely connected to the world and as steady as a mountain still lingered.
" Allen! Are you alright?" Luffy was the first to rush over, supporting him with concern on his face.
"It's been quite taxing, I just need a rest." Allen forced a smile, feeling his nearly depleted spacetime and spiritual energy, but the " World Seed " was steadily drawing faint energy from the Void, slowly nourishing his body and soul. "The key is, we got it."
He gently patted his chest, where the " World Seed " had taken root. No words were needed; all his companions understood the significance of this mature Seed —it was the hope for strengthening their home World Barrier and facing even greater crises in the future.
Nami immediately pulled up a star map, her fingers swiping rapidly across the virtual screen as she calculated the optimal route back to her home world. "Based on the Xinghai coordinates and feedback from the ' Will Lighthouse,' traveling at full speed, it's estimated that we'll need to make three short jumps, during which we'll traverse a relatively stable ' Stardust Desert '..."
"Set a course as soon as possible, Nami," Robin said. Although her face was still a little pale, her eyes had regained their usual calm and wisdom. "Although the Abyss and the Temporal Overseer are temporarily restrained by the ancient consciousness, they will not give up easily. We must bring the Seed back as soon as possible."
"Understood!" Nami nodded, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she began to plan the specific route.
Sanji lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and suppressed the shock in his heart. "That chaotic power just now... it was truly terrifying. Allen, in your last move, did you redirect that power towards the enemy?"
"Hmm." Allen nodded and explained, "After the ' World Seed ' matured, its ability to stabilize laws and information greatly increased. I merely acted as a 'guide,' diverting the 'calamities' that we couldn't handle towards our enemies. They will either be corrupted and assimilated by the information, or they will need to expend enormous energy to Resistance. Either way, it creates an opportunity for us."
"That was a risky tactic," Sabo's voice came through the encrypted communication, tinged with approval and lingering fear. "Well done, Allen! Allied headquarters has received news of our successful Seed acquisition, and everyone is waiting for your return."
"Let's go back right away!" Luffy shouted back, full of fighting spirit.
Interludes and Growth on the Way Home
The remainder of the voyage was relatively calm, but not without its challenges.
While traversing the " Stardust Desert," they encountered a small group of wandering space pirates, seemingly corrupted by the Abyss. This group of pirates, piloting dilapidated but highly aggressive modified ships, pounced on the seemingly lone Thousand Sunny Mod like hyenas.
This gave the Straw Hat Pirates a perfect opportunity to test their combat capabilities during their Xinghai voyage.
Franky, controlling the upgraded shipborne weapon system, unleashed a salvo of " Franky Laser Beam: Stardust Burst," precisely destroying the power cores of several pirate ships.
Usopp used his long-range Observation Haki and specially designed "energy interference Seed " to disable the enemy's command ship's communication and fire control systems from outside their firing range.
Brook's Soul Departure, moving like a ghost between enemy ships, freezing critical equipment with the Chill of the Underworld, creating chaos, and probing for any remnants of the Abyss Will.
• Chopper, after confirming the possibility of boarding action, is ready to transform at any time to deal with enemies who may board the ship.
Nami used the Clima-Tact to simulate a small-scale electromagnetic storm, disrupting the enemy fleet's formation.
Jinbe at the helm, maneuvering the Thousand Sunny through a barrage of incredible evasive maneuvers.
Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy, as the main force, did not participate in the battle. This level of enemy strength is just right for the crew to hone their new abilities and adapt to space combat.
Allen, meanwhile, meditated to recover, silently sensing the faint resonance between the " World Seed " and his distant home world, further familiarizing himself with its power.
Robin, using her ability to create clones, simultaneously read documents collected from various parts of the Xinghai, attempting to find more clues about the " World Devourers " or " Temporal Overseer ".
The small-scale skirmish ended quickly, with the space pirates routed. The Straw Hat Pirates's teamwork became even more seamless, and their adaptability to combat in the Xinghai environment significantly improved.
The network support of " Will Lighthouse "
During the voyage, Allen attempted to actively connect to the " Will Lighthouse " network under the " Council of Stars ". When he injected a wisp of spiritual power containing the aura of the " World Seed " into the network node, an anomaly occurred.
The lighthouse network, which originally only provided basic navigation and information transmission functions, seemed to have been injected with new vitality. Centered on Allen, an invisible but stable "signal" rippled out like water, covering a considerable area of the star system.
Within this star system:
Nami discovered that her perception of cosmic energy flow had become clearer, her navigation accuracy had improved several times over, and she could even predict some tiny spatial ripples or energy storms in advance.
Usopp's Observation Haki range has increased by nearly half, and the details he can perceive are also much richer.
Everyone felt a greater sense of peace, and their mental energy recovered more quickly, as if an invisible force was comforting and protecting their will.
Even the energy core of the modified Thousand Sunny seems to operate more smoothly and efficiently.
"This is... an enhancement of the Lighthouse Network by the ' World Seed '?" Nami looked at the fluctuating data on the instrument with surprise.
"Yes." Allen closed his eyes and sensed it. "The 'stability' and 'barrier' laws contained within the Seed can spread through the Lighthouse Network. Although the range is limited, our advantage will be very obvious within this area. This may be the prototype for our future ' Watcher Alliance ' defense line."
Homeland in sight
After several jumps and a period of travel, the familiar star field finally came into view. That blue planet, which carried countless dreams and bonds—their home—was now in sight.
The closer they got, the stronger the " World Seed " in Allen's chest reacted, radiating a warm and eager light, as if a prodigal son returning home. It was impatient to re-establish a closer connection with the core of the world that had given birth to it.
"Finally... we're back!" Luffy lay on the ship's railing, watching the planet draw closer, a bright smile spreading across his face.
However, just as everyone was immersed in the joy of returning home, Robin frowned slightly. She looked at a message she had received from the " Will Lighthouse " network, marked "urgent" but not yet fully decoded, from the " Council of Stars," and a sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
" Allen, Nami," Robin said, "There seems to be urgent news from the council."
Almost simultaneously, Sabo's encrypted communication came through again, his tone grave. "Welcome home, everyone. However, while we prepare for the 'sowing' ceremony, we'll need to convene a top-level operational meeting immediately. The council seems to be facing considerable trouble, and... has specifically requested our assistance."
Allen and Luffy exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes.
The joy of returning home was temporarily suppressed, as new responsibilities had already arrived. They brought back the Spark of hope, but the battle to protect that Spark and spread its light was far from over.
"Let's go," Allen straightened up, his eyes sharp despite his exhaustion. "First, let's go home and plant the Seed. Then, let's hear what trouble our 'ally' is facing."
The Thousand Sunny changed course and headed resolutely towards that blue planet. The end of its journey is also the beginning of a new one. Carrying the mature World Seed and a plea for help from the Xinghai, the Straw Hat Pirates and their allies are about to embark on another magnificent journey.