That "eye," composed of pure Void, was indifferent and cold, as if bearing the emptiness of the universe's end. It hovered before the crack in the stone gate, without pupils, yet it made everyone feel as if their soul and existence had been completely seen through and analyzed.
"Ugh--!"
Usopp and Chopper were the first to be affected. Just being swept by that "gaze" made them feel as if their consciousness had been thrown into a blender. Their rational defenses were on the verge of collapse, and countless crazy and distorted hallucinations appeared before their eyes. They clutched their hair and groaned in pain, almost losing themselves in that pure, chaotic whisper.
"Stay calm! Don't look at it!" Jinbe shouted, and the power of Fish-Man Karate's "Root" spread like a clear spring, trying to dispel the invisible mental pollution.
Brook's Soul King Form spontaneously manifested, and the melody of a requiem, carrying a soothing power, rose up, barely resisting the surging tide of madness. "Yo ho ho ho... those eyes, so cold they could freeze you to the bone..."
Even those with unwavering wills like Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji felt a strong sense of dizziness and discomfort, as if their very " Definition of existence" was becoming blurred under that gaze. The edges of Luffy's rubber body began to twist subtly and irregularly; Zoro felt his sword become heavier, and his intent to strike was being disrupted; Sanji's World-Purifying Flame also flickered.
The "eye" seemed to have developed a very slight "interest" in this group of "ants" who could collectively resist even a trace of its presence. It slowly turned, its "gaze" sweeping over the crowd, and finally settling on Allen.
Is it because he possesses the order origin of the " World Seed "? Or is it because he just led the confrontation, even attempting to " Definition " this Chaos?
A terrifying, targeted pressure, far exceeding anything seen before, descended instantly! Allen felt his " Torch Dragon Divinity Spark" tremble, as if he had encountered a natural enemy! The rule domain around him fluctuated violently, and his mental sea, which had just stabilized, was once again engulfed in towering waves, with countless chaotic fragments of rules colliding within, attempting to assimilate him.
" Allen!" Robin exclaimed, she could feel Allen's breathing becoming chaotic and unstable.
"It... it's trying to corrupt me... to assimilate me!" Allen gritted his teeth, blood seeping from his nostrils and the corners of his eyes. He channeled all his power to fight back, but the chaotic essence originating from the "Origin," like a top-level virus, was frantically eroding his will and the very foundation of his rules. "My ' Definition '... is being shattered... in the face of its 'existence'..."
Once Allen is completely corrupted, not only will he lose himself and become a puppet of chaos, but the " World Seed " within him, which contains the origin of order, may also be distorted, with unimaginable consequences!
"Don't even think about it!" Luffy roared, unleashing his full power in Nika Form. His enormous hand, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of liberation and a joyful laugh, slammed down towards the Void eye! " Gum-Gum —Giant Liberation Palm!"
However, physical attacks had little effect on that conceptual existence. The palm pierced through the Eye of Void as if it had struck empty air, but the cold "gaze" remained firmly locked onto Allen.
"Things at the level of rules need rules to counter them!" Luo endured the discomfort of the distorted space and activated ROOM again. " Tact!" He tried to "swap" that wisp of energy with the surrounding Chaos space, but this time, the moment ROOM came into contact with the Eye of Void, it was as fragile as glass and cracked. Luo coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his ability was forced to stop!
" World-Purifying Flame!" Ace unleashed the flames to their fullest potential, a white sea of fire surging towards the Eye of Void. The flames did cause the Void to ripple slightly, as if encountering some resistance, but it was far from enough to dispel or purify it. After all, this was a trace of the " Shadow of Origin," its level far too high.
As Allen's gaze gradually lost focus, a chaotic mist of rules began to uncontrollably emanate from his body, and even his form began to subtly distort in an indescribable direction...
At the critical moment!
The distant " Silent Evolution " orb of light, which Allen had been carefully maintaining contact with, seemed to sense the chaotic aura of the same origin but a higher level, as well as Allen's order source on the verge of collapse, and suddenly began to move!
The evolution of the billions of rules within the light cluster suddenly accelerated, as if injected with a powerful catalyst. It was no longer calm, but pulsated violently. A beam of order, thicker and more condensed than before, shot out from the light cluster as if attracted, traversing the chaotic space and precisely illuminating the eye of Void!
Sizzle--!
Like cold water dripping into hot oil, the moment the Light of Order came into contact with the Eye of Void, a violent reaction occurred! The Eye of Void twisted and rippled violently, and its indifferent "gaze" finally shifted away from Allen, turning instead to "look" at the Light of Order and the " Silent Evolution " orb of light from its source.
Between the two, there seemed to be some kind of mysterious "resonance" and "confrontation" based on the essence of Chaos.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Allen felt much less pressure and gasped for breath. He frantically circulated his divine power to dispel the chaos and pollution within his body and reshape his self- Definition.
After confronting the Light of Order for several seconds, the Eye of Void seemed to realize that it could not easily resolve this interference from a "same kind" but different kind. Its indifferent "gaze" swept over the Straw Hat Pirates were on high alert once more, and finally, it slowly retreated into the crack in the stone gate.
The regular patterns on the stone gate shimmered with light, attempting to repair the crack, but the hair-thin black mark stubbornly remained, like an unhealable scar.
The light of order emanating from the " Silent Evolution " orb slowly receded.
Everything seemed to have returned to calm for the time being, but everyone could sense that something... had changed.
They not only witnessed a glimpse of a terrifying cosmic entity, but also personally (though unintentionally) tore a hole in the seal.
"We..." Usopp collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with tears, "Have we... committed a terrible crime?"
No one could answer him.
Allen stared at the crack in the stone door, feeling the lingering pain of the rules eroding his body, his voice low and serious:
"Perhaps... the awakening of the ' Shadow of Origin ' was an inevitable countdown. And we simply accelerated this process a little bit."
"Now, we not only need to find Imu and Laugh Tale, but also... figure out how to deal with this ultimate chaos that has (perhaps) arrived ahead of schedule because of us."
Their journey carried an unprecedented weight.