With its destination set, the Thousand Sunny turned its bow and headed toward the nearest prosperous starport— Esperanza, the " City of a Thousand Stars." It was a well-known trade and information hub for several nearby star systems, where they might find the supplies they needed, or even some obscure knowledge about dimensional theory.
During the voyage, the atmosphere on board became both tense and full of anticipation. The crew was mainly divided into several busy groups:
Theory Group: Allen, Robin, Franky
The three of them practically lived in the library-cum-studio. Although the knowledge gained from the Hall of Echo was vast, the part about dimensional travel was like scattered puzzle pieces that needed careful organization and deduction.
Robin hunched over his desk, writing furiously, transforming the ancient symbols and narratives he remembered into words and diagrams that everyone could understand. "The records mention, 'The walls of dimensions are not solid walls, but barriers of frequency. Those of the same frequency can resonate, while those of different frequencies are forever separated.' The key is to find that frequency that can 'resonate' with the target dimension."
Allen, meanwhile, attempted to simulate various energy frequencies using the Power of Definition. His fingertips shimmered with light as he continuously constructed and dismantled miniature energy models. " The Otherworldly Demons use a frequency filled with 'plunder' and 'despair,' which we certainly cannot use directly. We need to find a more stable, more neutral, or... more 'inclusive' frequency."
Franky, referring to the blueprints, sketched and drew on his beloved General Franky: "Super-difficult problem! Simply receiving and analyzing the residual signals from that dimension isn't enough; we also need a device that can actively emit powerful and stable resonant signals! Energy source, resonance core, stability control... Ugh! So many problems!"
Supply Preparation Team: Nami, Usopp, Chopper
Nami compiled a long shopping list, which included not only regular food, water, and medicine, but also many strange and unusual items:
• "High-purity energy crystals (at least three standard units)"
• Space-stabilizing alloys (the more the better)
• "A variety of known frequency modulators (one of each model)"
"And... Usopp, do you still have the materials for that ' Miracle Shot ' that almost turned into a black hole last time? It might be useful."
Usopp perked up immediately. "Of course! This great god will go check the inventory right away! We also need some rare metals that can amplify the power of belief..."
Chopper, on the other hand, is primarily focused on medical supplies. He is worried that the environment of the other world may bring unknown viruses or radiation, and is working hard to develop broad-spectrum antitoxin serum and rule-based adaptation enhancers.
Combat Force Preparation Team: Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, Ace
The four of them honed their newly acquired skills on the deck or in the training room in order to adapt to potentially harsher combat environments.
Zoro tries to incorporate the feeling of breaking free from the constraints of rules into his daily practice; as his blade flashes, the air itself seems to be sliced into different "layers."
Sanji combined the World-Purifying Flame with Geppo with even greater skill, leaving behind long-lasting white flame trails in the air.
Jinbe and Ace were sparring on how to better combine Fish-Man Karate, fire, and Haki to deal with enemies who might be immune to pure physical or pure energy attacks.
Intelligence and Peripheral Team: Brook, Luo
Brook uses his Soul Departure ability to patrol around the Thousand Sunny, sensing any unusual spatial fluctuations or potential threats. His music can also soothe the minds of everyone exhausted from the intense research.
Law then used his Op-Op Fruit ability to fine-tune the ship's structure, enhancing its spatial stability, and envisioned various "spatial surgery" schemes that might be needed in the dimensional portal.
As the captain, Luffy was ironically the most "idle" one. But he wasn't idle; sometimes he would run to the theory group to curiously look at the glowing models, sometimes he would go to the supplies group to help move things (although he often made things worse by messing things up), and sometimes he would go to the combat group to clamor for a sparring match. His presence was like an inextinguishable flame, inspiring everyone's morale.
A few days later, the silhouette of Esperanza, the City of a Thousand Stars, appeared on the horizon, like countless crystal flowers in full bloom. This city, built on a giant artificial celestial body, was filled with all sorts of strange races and advanced technological creations.
After docking, the team immediately split up and took action.
Nami, along with Usopp and Chopper, headed straight for the largest general trading market and began a meticulous (mainly Nami's ) large-scale shopping spree.
Franky then took Allen and Robin to the black market for technology and the exchange of ancient documents, searching for potentially useful parts or forbidden knowledge.
Zoro, Sanji, and others were responsible for guarding and carrying supplies.
At a secluded stall in the black market for technology, they made an unexpected discovery. The stall owner was an old mechanic wearing multi-functional goggles, and he had a broken, strange compass that emitted faint spatial fluctuations.
"This is a fragment of the ' Void Compass '," the old mechanic said hoarsely. "Legend has it that it can point to 'gaps' outside known space, but it's been broken for hundreds of years, and no one has been able to repair it."
Allen sensed it for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "The residual guiding frequency within it bears a faint resemblance to the dimensional signal source we detected!"
Franky was overjoyed and immediately began to bargain (mainly by exchanging some of his "little inventions").
Meanwhile, at the trading market, Usopp inadvertently touched a peculiar crystal that was said to "amplify mental power" with his hand, which was imbued with a strong belief in "lies." The next second, the crystal suddenly lit up, projecting an image of a "giant slingshot" from Usopp's mind into the air. Although it only lasted for a moment, it drew a warning from the market administrator and astonished glances from the surrounding crowd.
"It seems," Robin said thoughtfully, watching Usopp frantically apologizing and the glowing crystal, "That the power of belief might be more suitable as a 'catalyst' for dimensional resonance than we imagine."
Carrying the purchased supplies and new ideas, the Straw Hat Pirates regrouped. The Thousand Sunny slowly departed from the City of a Thousand Stars, laden with hope and the unknown, heading towards the edge of the star map, towards that Void where even starlight was somewhat sparse, beginning its arduous journey to find a dimensional passage.