Carrying heavy intelligence and the new conditions from the parliament, the Thousand Sunny sets sail once again, its destination home.
The atmosphere inside the cabin was no longer as noisy as before. Robin was resting quietly, and Allen was meditating with his eyes closed, trying to recover his strength and suppress the increasingly active " Scent of the Abyss ". Luffy was unusually silent, sitting at the bow of the ship with his knees drawn up to his chest, gazing at the endless Xinghai in front of him, lost in thought. Zoro was wiping his sword, and Sanji was quietly preparing the meal. Everyone felt the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.
Home is in sight, but undercurrents are already brewing.
When that familiar azure planet came into view again, there was little joy in their hearts. The silver-purple barrier constructed by the " World Seed " around the planet remained stable, but in Allen's perception, the space outside the barrier had a faint, unsettling "wrinkle".
"Something's wrong." Jinbe's calm voice rang out, and with a slight adjustment of the steering wheel, the Thousand Sunny began to slow down.
Not far from their home planet, two small but distinct fleets were clearly visible floating in the Void!
A fleet comprised of starships of various designs, similar in style to those seen at the " Seat of All Knowledge," with the emblem of the Council of Stars engraved on their hulls—this was an "observation team" or "advance liaison group" sent by the Council.
The other ship, however, caused the pupils of all the Straw Hat Pirates to shrink—it was a vessel dominated by pale and silver-gray tones, its structure as intricate as a mechanical clock! It was the very ship they had encountered outside the Slumbering Corridor — the Temporal Overseer!
They actually came too! And they parked right at the entrance to the Homeworld!
" The Temporal Overseer... what are they trying to do?!" Nami exclaimed.
Confrontation and Warning
Just as the Thousand Sunny approached, a cold, emotionless thought, like a precisely programmed prompt, entered everyone's minds:
[Anomalies in the timeline, including the ' Torch Dragon ' and its associates, have been detected. This world has been added to the observation sequence. Warning: Any attempt to alter the predetermined course of fate, especially interference with the ' Void Rift ' node, will be considered a serious threat to the purity of time and will be... eliminated.]
At the same time, the flagship of the Council Observer Group also sent a communication. Sabo's voice came through with a solemn tone. " Luffy, Allen, you're finally back! The fleet of the Temporal Overseer suddenly appeared three days ago, just hovering there without taking any further action, but their warnings... are related to you, and also to the Void Rift."
Allen's eyes turned cold. The Temporal Overseer not only knew their movements, but seemed to have even predicted that they would go to defend the Void Rift and issued a warning in advance!
Luffy suddenly stood up, walked to the ship's side, and shouted towards the Temporal Overseer ' fleet, "Who wants to listen to your warnings! We're going to protect our home, protect our friends! Anyone who tries to stop us, I'll knock them away!"
His voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, resonated throughout the surrounding area, domineering and resolute.
The fleet of the Temporal Overseer remained silent, offering no response, but the chilling sense of being watched was like a thorn in one's back.
The Council Observer Group ships remained silent, seemingly observing how the situation developed.
A storm is brewing
The Thousand Sunny Mod slowly passed through the World Barrier and landed at the Allied Forces headquarters. Sabo, Ace, Koala, and other core members were already waiting, their faces extremely serious.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Allen immediately recounted everything he had seen and heard in the Corrupted Star Abyss, the threat posed by the Abyss's main forces, the importance of the Void Rift, and the Council's demands.
The news was like a bombshell, leaving the command center in complete silence.
" The Devourer... the Abyss Maw..." Sabo chewed on these names, taking a deep breath. "It seems the stage for the final battle has been set in the Void Rift."
" The Temporal Overseer have gotten involved too," Ace clenched his fist, flames leaping in his palm. "Are they friend or foe?"
"At this point, they seem to be enemies, not friends," Robin said weakly but clearly (supported by Chopper ). "The 'predestined fate' they uphold likely means... the destruction of our world 'should' happen."
"Then let's beat them all up!" Luffy without hesitation.
Allen looked at Sabo and the others. "We have no way out. We must immediately gather all our forces and, before the Abyss, take control of the Void Rift and establish a defensive line!"
Sabo slammed his fist on the table. "That's right! Pass the order down to all allied units: enter maximum combat readiness! Target— the Void Rift!"
The war machine of the Homeworld has begun to operate at full speed. On the outside, there is the Abyss that is watching with predatory eyes, and the Temporal Overseer stance is unclear but who are full of threats.
The undercurrents have converged into a raging whirlpool, threatening to engulf everyone.