The dark red energy core of the " Causality Stripping Device " was like a malevolent eye, locking onto the pure white anchor point and the Thousand Sunny blocking its path. The destructive energy fluctuations caused the surrounding quantum sea to boil, and countless probability clouds were annihilated in fear.
" Franky! Maximum speed! Dodge!" Nami's scream rang out from the bridge.
"SUPER--Understood! Shields at full power! Emergency evasion procedure activated!" Franky roared as he pushed the control stick to its limit. The Thousand Sunny's stern engine spewed out blazing blue flames, and the hull groaned under the strain as it made a near-right-angle maneuver, narrowly missing the dark red energy torrent.
The torrent did not strike the anchor point directly, but rather swept across the countless pure white light threads (lines of cause and effect) extending from the anchor point like an invisible giant comb. Any light threads touched by the torrent instantly dimmed and twisted, and some of the thinner threads even emitted a faint sound, like shattering glass, before snapping in response!
"They're attacking the anchor point itself!" Robin exclaimed, his eyes filled with shock. "They're trying to directly destroy the causal node!"
The anchor point itself flickered violently, and the reassuring sense of stability wavered for a moment. The quantum sea, which had been slightly calmed, became violent again, and spatial folds surged toward the spaceship like raging waves.
"Damn it! Are they trying to mess everything up?!" Luffy roared, his rubber arm gripping the edge of the deck. "Men! Stop them!"
"No need for you to tell me!" Zoro had already transformed into a green Inazuma, rushing out of the cabin first. Geppo to create a sonic boom in the air, heading straight for the Key- shaped flagship. " Three-Sword Style: Black Rope: Great Tornado!" A violent storm of sword energy swept towards the ship, attempting to disrupt its next attack.
However, a distorted spacetime shield instantly appeared around the main ship. Zoro's slash fell into it and seemed to sink into the mud. Its speed was greatly reduced and its power was weakened layer by layer. In the end, it only stirred up a ripple on the shield.
"Useless! Variables." A cold and authoritative thought echoed from the flagship: [Before the 'Causality Weapon,' all struggle is futile. Accept the predetermined fate.]
The other two escort ships simultaneously unleashed a barrage of pale beams of light at the Thousand Sunny. These beams, carrying the effects of Time Acceleration or deceleration, rapidly depleted the ship's shield energy and made evasive maneuvers extremely difficult. Most of the special intercept Seed fired by Usopp (such as "Green Star Skull Blast Grass") were either prematurely detonated by Time Acceleration or frozen in mid-air by Time Deceleration before they even got close.
"Their defense and offense have improved by more than one level!" Sanji flashed through the air, his Diable Jambe scattering several pale beams of light aimed at the engine, but the recoil made his blood surge. "And their coordination is impeccable, like they're thinking as a single unit!"
Chopper anxiously monitored everyone's vital signs in the medical room, especially Allen's. It noticed that Allen's mental energy was being depleted at an unprecedented rate. " Allen! Your brain is overloaded!"
Allen did not respond. He stood on the bridge, his pupils reflecting the constantly flashing causal anchors and the Observer Fleet attacking wildly. His " Definition Domain " was fully extended, barely stabilizing the physical rules of a small area around the ship, resisting the backlash from the Sea of Quanta and the aftershocks of the temporal attack. But he could sense that this wouldn't last much longer.
"We can't just defend..." Allen muttered to himself, his will racing as he analyzed the situation. The enemy's core was the " Causality Stripping Device," and its target was clear—to sever causality and destroy the anchor point. In a head-on confrontation, their current strength seemed insufficient to break through the enemy's defenses.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
" Nami! Franky! Listen to my command!" Allen's voice carried an undeniable decisiveness. "Abandon conventional evasion! Position the ship... between the 'Stripper' attack path and the anchor point, at the oscillation node of the seventh causal string!"
"What?!" Nami and Franky exclaimed simultaneously. That was practically suicide!
"Trust me!" Allen's gaze was fixed on the dark red core that was beginning to recharge again. "They want to sever causality, so we'll use their attack against them! Luffy, Zoro, Sanji! Prepare to meet the impact, and at the moment of collision, attack the main ship's spacetime shield generator with all your might! It's located in the third quadrant on the port side of the hull, that constantly flashing pale crystal pillar!"
Although they were puzzled, their trust in Allen made them carry out the order instantly.
The Thousand Sunny's engines roared with overload, and it abruptly turned around, no longer to evade, but to actively meet the dark red torrent that was about to launch!
"Now! Franky, concentrate all shield energy at the bow! Nami, unleash all interference projectiles! Brook, charge the flagship with your most powerful life symphony!" Allen issued a series of commands.
The next moment, the dark red torrent of the " Causality Stripping Device " erupted again, like a destructive python, rushing straight towards the Causality Anchor Point! The Thousand Sunny happened to be positioned between the torrent and the anchor point, and the shield formed at the bow of the ship collided violently with the dark red torrent!
Rumble--!!!
The indescribable roar didn't travel through sound; it directly shook everyone's soul! Dark red energy frantically eroded the spaceship's shields, which thinned at a visible rate. The ship trembled violently, as if it would disintegrate at any moment.
"Now!" Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, braving the energy shockwaves and spacetime distortions that would obliterate ordinary people, charged towards the port side of the main ship like three shooting stars in reverse!
" Gum-Gum - King Kong Gun Gatling!"
" Three-Sword Style: 1800 Troubles Phoenix!"
" Diable Jambe - Memories of Hell - Medley!"
The three's strongest attacks converged on a single point and slammed heavily into the pale crystal pillar!
At the same time, Brook's " Soul King Encore," which contained boundless passion for life and indomitable will, transformed into tangible sound waves, piercing through the chaotic energy field and directly impacting the internal structure of the main ship.
At the moment the spaceship collided with the crimson torrent, Allen made an even bolder move. Instead of attempting to defend, he injected all of his " Power of Definition," like the most precise Scalpel, into the raging crimson torrent! He wasn't trying to neutralize it, but rather... to "guide" it!
"With this body as my guide, with this will as my rudder—" Blood began to seep from Allen's seven orifices, but his eyes shone brightly. " Definition: This attack, target modified—enemy spacetime shield core!"
Buzz--!
The crimson torrent was slightly deflected just before it touched the ship's shattering shield! As if drawn by an invisible force, it bypassed the Thousand Sunny and slammed into the main ship's own spacetime shield, which was already unstable due to the combined attack of the three and the impact of the music, with even greater ferocity!
Click--!
A sound like a shattering mirror echoed throughout the quantum sea.
The main ship's spacetime shield was attacked by its own " Causality Stripping Device," guided from the inside and fiercely attacked from the outside, until it finally could not bear the burden and completely collapsed!
A dark red energy shockwave swept across the flagship, tearing through its armor, destroying most of its external facilities, and instantly dimming its enormous "eye." The flagship, crackling with pale sparks and turbulent energy, lost most of its combat capability.
"Impossible!!" The thoughts emanating from the main ship were filled with shock and confusion, "A variable... interfered with the targeting of the causal weapon?! This violates..."
Upon seeing this, the other two escort ships immediately halted their attack.
The Thousand Sunny was also severely damaged, with its shields overloaded and multiple parts of the hull broken, but its core structure remained intact. Allen collapsed to his knees, exhausted, and was quickly helped up and treated by Chopper.
"It's a success..." Nami murmured in disbelief as she looked at the damaged and retreating Observer Fleet.
The pure white " Anchor of Causality " continued to rotate slowly. Because the attack was diverted, it was not further damaged. Its stable light seemed even softer than before, as if responding to the thrilling protection it had just received.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji landed back on the deck, and smiled as they looked at the retreating enemy and the safe anchor point.
"Well done, Allen!" Luffy gave him a thumbs up.
Allen smiled weakly, looking at the causal anchor point so close at hand. After such a fierce struggle, they had finally won the chance to touch this legendary artifact. What kind of power could it bring? What secrets did it hold?