The decision has been made; action must begin immediately.
The Thousand Sunny adjusted its attitude and hovered several kilometers in front of the largest spatial rift. This distance allowed Allen to make accurate perceptions while also providing a buffer for defense.
Allen sat cross-legged on the bow deck, his eyes slightly closed, and invisible ripples of regularity began to emanate from his body. His mental power was like the most precise probe, carefully avoiding the violent, heterogeneous energy flows within the cracks, searching for the regularity of its internal structure and the relatively stable "gaps". This process was extremely mentally taxing, and he had to maintain absolute focus. Any interference could lead to the failure of all his efforts or even a mental backlash.
"He's started," Robin whispered, gesturing for everyone to be quiet.
However, the "master" of the space clearly did not welcome these uninvited guests. Almost at the same time Allen began to investigate, the huge dark purple crack began to writhe violently like a disturbed beehive. Accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound, like glass shattering and then reforming, dozens of different-shaped Otherworldly Demons swarmed out from it!
Some resemble floating shadow jellyfish, their tentacles scattering ripples that disrupt direction; others look like hunting dogs pieced together from metal and bone, their claws capable of tearing through space; still others are like enormous crystals that constantly change their geometric shapes, the light they refract carrying Rule Distortion effect.
"They're here!" Zoro shouted, his three swords flashing as they were drawn, wreathed in ghostly energy. "Hold the line! Don't let any of them get close to Allen and the ship!"
"Understood!" Luffy laughed, activating his Nika Form. His massive rubber arm swung like a windmill, swatting away the leading Otherworldly Demons. " Gum-Gum -- Giant Whirlwind!"
Sanji moved like lightning, leaving trails of blazing afterimages in the starry sky. " Ifrit Jambe - BBQ Party!" His kicks precisely struck the agile Otherworldly Demons trying to bypass the frontal defenses.
Jinbe stood calmly on one side of the ship, his Fish-Man Karate manipulating the surrounding energy flow to form flexible barriers that deflected the ranged energy attacks of the Otherworldly Demons. Franky, meanwhile, controlled the heavy firepower of General Franky, using lasers and cannonballs imbued with Haki to create a barrage of fire, clearing out hordes of low-level Otherworldly Demons.
Luo's ROOM space appears and disappears intermittently. He is not the main attacker, but the firefighter. Whenever a partner is in danger, or the defense line is breached, his " Tact " can always transfer the threat in time or create opportunities for his teammates.
The battle was exceptionally intense. The Otherworldly Demons ' attack methods were unpredictable and varied, and the interference with the rules made everyone's abilities sometimes work and sometimes not. Luffy's punches would sometimes inexplicably go astray; Zoro's slashes would occasionally be deflected by invisible spatial folds; Sanji's speed was also suddenly reduced due to local gravity anomalies.
"These guys are a real nuisance!" Usopp provided remote support from the rear with his specially made slingshot. Various functional plant Seed (such as those that produce bright light, release slime, and create illusions) could not directly kill the Otherworldly Demons, but they could effectively disrupt their movements and create opportunities for his comrades at the front.
Chopper transforms into his Monster Point, using immense power to blast away approaching enemies while closely monitoring everyone's condition, ready to provide immediate assistance. Brook's Soul Departure and the Chill of the Underworld are remarkably effective against some of the energy-based Otherworldly Demons, and his Requiem can also slightly disrupt the energy connections between the Otherworldly Demons.
Nami uses her Clima-Tact, combined with her keen perception of energy flow on the battlefield, to create small-scale thunderstorms, fog, or air vortexes for tactical support. Robin uses her ability to generate countless eyes and arms to monitor the entire field and use " Mil Fleur " to form barriers or pull in time to stop the advance of the Otherworldly Demons.
Time ticked by, and Allen remained immersed in deep perception, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The attacks of the Otherworldly Demons seemed endless, with new enemies constantly emerging from the cracks, including some larger, more powerful elite individuals with stronger ability to disrupt the rules. The defensive perimeter began to shrink, and the pressure on everyone increased.
" Allen! How much longer!" Franky shouted into the communicator, his general's armor already damaged in several places.
Allen did not answer; he was at the most critical moment. His consciousness had penetrated deep into the cracked structure, where bizarre and chaotic rules clashed and annihilated, and the laws of two dimensions collided and vanished. He was like walking in the eye of a storm, searching for a relatively stable singularity that could serve as an "anchor."
"Found it!" Just as the defensive perimeter was about to be breached, Allen suddenly opened his eyes, a weary yet excited glint in them. "To the left front, 3.7 kilometers inside the rift, there's a brief period of calm! That's the perfect spot to establish an anchor point!"
He quickly shared the coordinates and the required energy frequency with Franky and Nami.
"But how do we get the anchor point in?" Nami asked anxiously, looking at the entrance to the rift that was still heavily blocked by the Otherworldly Demons.
"I'll clear the way!" Luffy roared, his Haki surging, and the power of his Nika Form reaching its peak. " Gum-Gum —Giant Liberation Bridge!"
His enormous rubber body suddenly stretched, transforming into a rainbow bridge spanning the starry sky and pointing directly to the entrance of the rift! The liberating drumbeats and ripples of laughter forcefully carved a brief passage through the dense horde of otherworldly Otherworldly Demons!
"Now!" Allen hurled the "Anchor Core"—a fist-sized sphere of light with countless rule runes flowing inside—that he had already condensed, containing the pure Power of Definition and the origin of the Seed of the World Seed, into the passage!
The ball of light shot towards the entrance of the rift like a meteor along the Luffy had cleared.
However, just as the sphere of light was about to disappear into the crack, a massive, octopus-like Otherworldly Demons lord, hidden in the shadows and possessing countless pupils of rules, suddenly extended its enormous tentacles from the side of the crack, carrying terrifying power of rule annihilation, and grabbed at the sphere of light!
"Don't even think about it!" Zoro and Sanji roared simultaneously.
" Three-Sword Style: Black Rope - Instantaneous Slash!"
" Ifrit Jambe - Ultimate - Feast Kick!"
The sword intent that could sever everything and the kick that could incinerate all things merged into one, striking first despite being delayed, and slammed hard into that tentacle!
boom!!!
The violent explosion cleared out the surrounding Otherworldly Demons, and the tentacle was also blasted off. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the sphere of light finally managed to disappear into the dark purple crack.
"It worked?!" Usopp exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not over yet!" Allen stared intently at the inside of the crack. "We need to guide the anchor core to the designated location and activate it!"
His consciousness sank in again, following the ball of light, struggling forward through the chaotic currents of rules, dodging the omnipresent erosion of otherworldly rules, and heading towards the predetermined "peaceful zone".
Externally, the Otherworldly Demons offensive paused for a moment due to the injury of the Otherworldly Demons lord. But soon, an even more frenzied attack followed, the wounded lord letting out a silent roar, and more Otherworldly Demons poured out from the cracks.
The defensive battle entered its most brutal phase. Everyone was wounded and their strength and energy were being rapidly depleted.
Whether one can hold on until the anchor point is activated becomes the key to success or failure.