Thanks to Luffy's unique resistance to time constraints through his free will, and the crew's gradually mastered "using chaos to control chaos" tactic, the Straw Hat Pirates managed to hold their ground with difficulty at the edge of the Temporal Rift. After being impacted by several time turbulences, the silver-gray torrent of Sands of Time seemed to have decided that these "tough nuts" were not worth the effort, and receded like the tide, disappearing into the depths of the ever-changing light and mist.
"They... retreated?" Usopp gasped for breath; he felt like his mind had almost stopped.
"It's more like a temporary abandonment, a return to 'digest' or summon more companions," Luo analyzed, noting that his ROOM space was extremely difficult to maintain under time interference.
Allen's face was somewhat pale; the continuous struggle against time extraction and maintaining the Definition Domain had taken a heavy toll. "We can't stay any longer; we must find a clue as soon as possible, or leave."
They continued deeper along the relatively stable flow of time. The surrounding scenery became increasingly bizarre; time was no longer merely a matter of speed, but began to take on the form of "tributaries." Occasionally, they could see blurry projections of other "timelines"—perhaps a moment of prosperity for a civilization, or a frozen moment of destruction. These projections were like mirages, seemingly within reach yet Void.
Nami attempted to map the area using the Domain Compass (which Franky had urgently reinforced, allowing it to function even under time interference) and Allen's perception, but discovered that the map itself was constantly being "updated" and "corrected," making it difficult to fix.
"Look over there!" Chopper suddenly pointed ahead.
In the center of a relatively wide and calm "flow of time," floats a massive palace ruin constructed of some kind of transparent crystal. The palace is relatively well-preserved, emitting a soft and constant light that contrasts sharply with the chaotic flow of time around it. That light gives one a sense of peace and eternity.
" The Eternal Light?" Robin guessed, his eyes filled with wariness and inquiry.
The group cautiously approached the palace. The closer they got, the more they could feel the strange power contained within that constant light—it seemed to smooth out the wrinkles of time and bring a sense of absolute tranquility to the soul. Even Luffy's perpetually restless nature seemed to have calmed down considerably.
They entered the palace. The interior was spacious and simple, without any superfluous decorations. In the center of the main hall, a pure sphere of light, the size of a fist, radiated a constant glow.
"This is... the Eternal Light?" Franky examined the sphere of light curiously. "It doesn't look like a weapon, nor does it look like an energy source..."
Allen sensed the sphere of light, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "No... this light... it's 'assimil' the concept of time around it, trying to pull everything into an absolute, unchanging 'stillness.' This isn't eternity, this is... 'freezing'!"
As if to prove his words, when Brook tried to touch the sphere of light with his soul's voice, his notes suddenly froze and lengthened a certain distance away from the sphere, then remained suspended in mid-air as if frozen, neither dissipating nor changing!
"It's not granting eternity, it's depriving us of the possibility of change!" Robin understood instantly. "Freezing everything in a single moment, seemingly eternal, is actually the graveyard of life! What those ' Seekers ' civilizations are searching for is nothing but a trap!"
Just then, the " Eternal Light " sphere suddenly fluctuated, and a cold, emotionless consciousness transmitted a message to everyone:
Embrace stillness, and you will attain eternity.
[Abandon change, merge into absolute tranquility.]
[ The Resistance will be purified by the Sands of Time...]
As it spoke, the light and mist outside the palace surged again, and even more numerous and solidified Sands of Time, like an army receiving orders, rushed in from all directions, surrounding the palace completely!
"So the Sands of Time are the 'cleaners' of this thing!" Sanji spat.
"What eternal? That's meaningless!" Luffy shouted at the orb of light. "Adventure is about constant change, constantly encountering new things! Who wants to become a static stone?!"
"That's right!" Zoro pointed his blade directly at the orb of light, "Severing your false eternity!"
The truth comes out: the " Eternal Light " is not hope, but destruction on another level. The Straw Hat Pirates must now face both the army of the Sands of Time, capable of plundering time, and the source that seeks to freeze everything into a deathly stillness.
A decisive battle concerning "change" and "stillness" is about to erupt deep within the rift of time.