With the cover of the shattered star rings and Allen's continued mental protection, the Thousand Sunny Modified moved like a ghost through the Corrupted Star Abyss, gradually approaching the source of the abnormal energy fluctuations.
The deeper they went, the more horrifying the surroundings became. The previously scattered aberrations began to exhibit a kind of "organization." They no longer wandered aimlessly, but instead, like worker ants, carried the captured stardust, broken metal, and even the corpses of their companions in the same direction. The dark red fungal carpet covered an increasingly wider area, pulsating in the Void like a living network of blood vessels, transmitting unsettling energy.
"What... are they building?" Franky stared in shock at the images transmitted from the sensors. The twisted structures were beginning to converge, forming a massive, honeycomb-like outline.
"The energy readings are skyrocketing!" Nami pointed to the screen, where a glaring red dot was flashing on the navigation map. "That's it! The source of the fluctuation!"
Looking through the enhanced observation scope, the sight before them made everyone gasp in horror.
It was a colossal entity beyond description—an irregular, multifaceted structure forcibly fused together from countless twisted metals, biological tissues, solidified energy bodies, and fragments of a planet trapped within, not yet fully digested. It resembled a gigantic, hideous tumor growing in the darkness of the Star Abyss. Its surface was riddled with countless holes, from which aberrant creatures constantly flew out or crawled in, and powerful energy flowed within, emitting an ominous dark red glow.
"This is... a 'hatching nest'?" Robin's voice carried a chill. "They're mass-producing Abyss creatures!"
Nest defense and infiltration plan
The defenses around the hatchery were even tighter. Not only were there endless aberrations patrolling, but countless energy probes, like tentacles, extended from the surface of the nest, scanning the surrounding space. Several enormous, even more ferocious, " Abyss Behemoth," exuding an aura comparable to that of Marine Vice Admiral, slowly swam around the nest like guards.
"A direct assault is impossible," Zoro immediately assessed. "I might be able to beat those big guys one-on-one, but there are too many of them, and I'll get bogged down."
"And it would immediately alert the entire lair," Sanji added.
"The camouflage coating's effectiveness diminishes as we approach the core area," Franky checked the data. "We can only get a little closer before we're detected."
"Then let's sneak in!" Luffy whispered, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "Just like when we infiltrated Enies Lobby or Punk Hazard!"
"The scale is not even in the same league, Luffy!" Usopp wailed, but his hands were already preparing various special plant Seed for stealth and creating chaos.
Allen stared at the enormous hatching nest, the power of spacetime flowing in his eyes as he analyzed its structure. "The energy core of the nest should be the source of the abnormal fluctuations, and also the place where intelligence might be stored. I can sense strong spatial folds and energy convergence there. The external defenses are too strong, but inside... there might be exploitable passages or weak points."
He pointed to a rather inconspicuous area on the surface of the nest, where the energy flow seemed somewhat sluggish. "There, the scanning frequency of the energy probes has slight gaps, and the structure seems a bit unstable. We can try to break through from there."
A plan was quickly formulated:
1. Remote interference: Usopp and Franky are responsible for creating an "accident" from a distance—detonating an asteroid or simulating an energy turbulence—to attract the attention of the outer defenses.
2. Precise Infiltration: Taking advantage of the moment of interference, Allen uses his spatial abilities to lead the elite team ( Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Allen, and Robin (for intelligence analysis)) directly to that weak point in a short distance.
3. Internal Sabotage and Reconnaissance: Infiltrate the lair, locate the energy core, gather intelligence, and decide whether to carry out sabotage as needed.
Break into the nest!
Operation begins!
Usopp's Beyond-Visual-Range Sniping Seed - Guided Blast Type accurately hit a huge meteorite far from the nest but on the patrol route. Franky simultaneously launched a specially made energy-disrupting torpedo.
"Boom--!"
The violent explosion and chaotic energy signals immediately attracted the attention of the aberration patrol and several Abyss Behemoth, who all rushed towards the blast site.
"Now!" Allen roared, enveloping the five people in a silver-purple light that slightly distorted the space around them.
"Short-distance shuttle!"
The next moment, they had detached from the Thousand Sunny Modified and appeared on the surface of the massive hatchery, in front of the pre-designated weak point. The viscous, corrosive biomass armor was close at hand, emitting a nauseating stench.
" Three-Sword Style: Purgatory Oni Giri!" Zoro didn't hesitate. Enma roared, and the slash, wrapped in Conqueror's Haki, sliced through the bio-armor like a hot knife through butter, instantly tearing a gash in the bio-armor!
" Diable Jambe - Finishing Touch!" Sanji's fiery kick followed closely, widening and burning the cut to prevent it from healing quickly!
"Go in!" Luffy was the first to stretch out his arm, grab the edge, and propel himself in, followed closely by Allen, Robin, Zoro, and Sanji.
Inside the lair was a more nightmarish scene than outside. The tunnel walls, like living viscera, writhed and pulsated, their surfaces covered in mucus and shimmering dark red energy veins. The air was thick with a pungent, putrid stench and a sense of mental oppression. Countless malformed embryos, not yet fully formed, floated in vesicles on the fleshy walls, emitting faint hissing sounds.
"Stay close to me, I can sense the direction of the energy core," Allen whispered, using his perception of energy flow and subtle sense of the " Scent of the Abyss " marker to quickly navigate the maze-like passages of the nest.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of automated defense units inside the nest—some fast, tricky cutting insects and eyeball-like creatures that could spray psychic shockwaves—but Zoro and Sanji dealt with them quickly without making much of a commotion.
Finally, after passing through several layers of twisted membranes, they arrived at a huge chamber.
In the center of the chamber floated a massive, pulsating core composed of pure, dark red destructive energy. Surrounding the core were countless thick energy conduits, like umbilical cords connecting the entire nest. Even more shocking, something seemed to be sealed within the core... the struggling remains of a Protoss, radiating intense resentment and rage! The core was forcibly extracting its power, transforming it into nourishment for incubating aberrant mutants!
Beneath the core, on a platform constructed of pale bones and dark metal, lay numerous crystals shimmering with an eerie light—information storage units!
"That is... the energy core and... intelligence?" Robin's gaze sharpened.
"That sealed one... is alive?" Luffy's eyes widened.
"Damn it! They don't even spare souls?!" Sanji was furious.
The moment they discovered the core—
[... the intruder... discovered...]
The cold, emotionless thoughts, like an alarm, instantly spread throughout the entire chamber and even the entire hatchery!
They've been discovered!