Without the protection of the barrier of rules, the large Otherworldly Demons was quickly defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates's attack. Its dark purple core annihilated after emitting a piercing frequency, and its remains turned into Void dust.
However, before everyone could celebrate, the situation changed.
"Damn it!" Nami stared at the navigator, her face pale. "The barrier we just broke didn't dissipate its energy; it was absorbed by other cracks! And... the biggest crack is still widening!"
In the distance, the largest spatial rift was bulging slightly, as if breathing, its dark purple light at the edges growing more intense, and the alien energy seeping from it becoming increasingly powerful. Even more unsettling, something seemed to be writhing deep within the rift, trying to emerge.
"They're using the energy from our attack?" Franky asked incredulously.
"Not entirely," Allen said, his brow furrowed as he sensed the energy flow. "It's more like a... stress response. Our attack acted like a Key, accidentally accelerating a process. These cracks... they weren't 'torn open,' I feel they were more like 'summoned' or... resonated with!"
"Resonance?" Robin caught the key word. "Resonate with what?"
Allen didn't answer immediately. He hovered outside the ship and cautiously approached a smaller, relatively stable spatial rift. He didn't dare to touch it directly, but instead mixed an extremely subtle amount of mental energy with the Power of Definition and extended it like a probe towards the edge of the rift.
Countless chaotic, cold, and predatory fragments of information flooded his mind, accompanied by sharp, soul-tearing noises. He endured the discomfort, searching for the faint light of a lighthouse in a storm, tracing the source of these alien energies.
A few minutes later, he withdrew his spiritual power, his face pale, but his eyes held a hint of understanding.
"I saw a... dying world." Allen's voice was heavy. "A dimension where the rules have collapsed, resources are depleted, and it's trapped in an eternal winter. These ' Otherworldly Demons ' are the last 'survivors' of that world, or rather, the 'explorers' and ' Reapers ' created by their civilization to ensure its survival."
"They invaded us for survival?" Usopp, somewhat taken aback.
"That's one way to understand it, but the method is unacceptable," Allen said seriously. "They didn't forcibly break through the dimensional barriers with overwhelming force, but rather utilized a special 'frequency'—a frequency that resonates with weak points in the rules of the multiverse, similar to... shattering glass with a specific tone. They found these 'resonance points' in our universe, and then, like parasites, they burrowed in, devouring our fundamental rules to maintain the existence of their dying world."
"So, their world is the 'mastermind'?" Zoro gripped his sword tighter.
"No, that world itself may no longer have 'consciousness.' These Otherworldly Demons are more like automated machines operating according to a predetermined program, carrying out the last 'continuation instructions' of civilization," Allen explained. "The key lies in that 'resonance frequency.' As long as this frequency remains, they can continuously find new weaknesses and open new cracks."
"Then what should we do?" Chopper asked worriedly, "Find the source of the frequency and destroy it?"
"Theoretically feasible, but the source lies in another dimension, making direct intervention difficult," Allen pondered. "Another approach is to reinforce our 'glass'—repair and strengthen these weak points in the space, so that their 'tones' can no longer resonate."
"Like patching something up?" Franky became interested.
"It's more complicated than that." Allen pointed to the largest crack. "We need to establish 'dimensional anchors' inside the cracks, Definition the rules at the cracks, stabilize them, and make them immune to that specific frequency of resonance. But this requires enormous energy and a deep understanding of the rules of space, and... it must be done inside the cracks, which is extremely dangerous."
"Inside?!" Usopp screamed, "We're going to the monsters' homeland?!"
"It's not our home, it's the interior of the rift itself," Allen corrected. "But it's definitely filled with the corrosive influence of otherworldly rules; if we stay there long enough, our very existence might be rewritten."
Luffy adjusted his straw Straw Hat, looked at the widening crack, and grinned, "Sounds interesting! Let's go in and take a look!"
"Wait, Luffy!" Nami hurriedly stopped him, "It's too dangerous!"
"But this is the only way to stop them from getting any deeper, right?" Luffy looked at Allen.
Allen nodded. "Theoretically, yes. After establishing the anchor point, not only can it seal this crack, but its stabilizing effect can also radiate to the surrounding area, reinforcing other smaller cracks."
"Let's do it!" Luffy made the decision. "How do we get in?"
Allen looked at the dark purple crack, took a deep breath, and said, "I need to analyze the relatively stable 'path' inside the crack first. This will take time and cannot be disturbed. In the meantime, I must prevent any Otherworldly Demons from emerging from the crack or interfering with me from the outside."
"A defensive battle?" Zoro's lips curled into a fighting spirit. "Perfect, I haven't had enough yet."
"Understood." Sanji exhaled a smoke ring. "We'll defend this place."
The Straw Hat Pirates once again clearly defined their roles: Allen was responsible for analyzing the structure of the rift and finding a way to establish an anchor point; Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, Franky, and others formed a defensive line to block the surging Otherworldly Demons and protect Allen; Nami, Robin, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook were responsible for providing support, early warning, and assistance.
An operation to venture into perilous territory and repair the wounds of the universe is about to begin.