The Gray Fleet retreated like ghosts, leaving behind a chaotic outer space of Anvil Star and a somber Straw Hat Pirates. The Thousand Sunny was severely damaged, especially the hidden damage to its hull structure and energy circuits caused by the confrontation at the rule level. Franky and Nami immediately began intensive repair and assessment work.
The residents of Anvil Star were extremely grateful to the Straw Hat Pirates, as the consequences would have been unimaginable had they not arrived in time. However, the Straw Hat Pirates could not bask in the joy of their successful rescue.
Inside the medical room, Chopper was giving Allen a thorough examination. The backlash from the Rule Stripping Force Field was extremely severe; Allen's internal organs had been shaken, and his mental energy had been excessively depleted, requiring rest.
"Who exactly are those guys?" Usopp still felt lingering fear as he recalled the cold, eerie blue light and their bizarre attack methods.
"Their target is clear: ' Origin Relic,' and they seem to be able to directly detect Allen's or the World Seed's reactions." Robin traced the clues. "' Origin Relic ' likely refer to items that share the World Seed or are related to the ' Sea of Origin.' They come from other universes and have a clear purpose—to capture or collect them."
Nami pulled up the star map and spatial readings of the area where the Gray Fleet appeared and disappeared. "The way they appeared and left was extremely strange. It wasn't a regular space jump; it was more like... they seeped directly into the 'background' of the universe and then retreated. The Domain Compass's tracking of them also failed; the signal completely disappeared after they left, as if they had never existed."
"In other words, we don't even know where they came from or where they'll reappear?" Sanji frowned.
"So far, yes," Nami nodded heavily. "They're like hunters lurking in the shadows of the Xinghai, and we seem to be one of their targets."
Zoro, sword in hand, eyes sharp, declared, "Then let's wait for them to come again. Next time, I'll definitely cut them down!"
"It's not that simple, Moss Head," Sanji retorted. "Their technology and power systems are completely unknown. This time it was luck, but what about next time? Moreover, if there's more than one ' Origin Relic,' are they still searching for other targets? Could they bring disaster to other civilizations?"
Allen, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke, "I sensed that their energy... carried a kind of 'hunger' and 'emptiness.' When the World Seed fought back, they conveyed a kind of rejection and... pity? I'm not sure, but the feeling was strange, as if those beings themselves were something... incomplete, something that needed to be filled."
This realization left everyone even more perplexed. Were the invaders from beyond the realm not purely evil, but some more complex and pathetic entity?
Brook played a low, somber melody. "Yo ho ho ho~ Whatever they are, since they've set their sights on us, this game of hide-and-seek has to go on."
Luffy adjusted his straw Straw Hat, his face showing some fatigue from the battle, but his eyes remained resolute. "Who cares what they are? If they try to capture us, we'll beat them! But before that, we need to become stronger!"
The captain's determination inspired everyone. Yes, fear and doubt cannot solve problems; only by continuously improving our strength can we meet the unknown challenges.
The repair and upgrade work on the Thousand Sunny has been accelerated. Based on the data from this battle, Franky prioritizes strengthening its resistance to rules and energy defense. While recuperating, Allen begins to communicate more deeply with the World Seed, trying to understand the source of that feeling of "compassion" and to find more effective ways to combat the rules from outside the realm. Robin, on the other hand, is working with Nami to try to find any records in ancient cosmic legends and pre-existing sermons that might be related to "extraterrestrial visitors" or " Origin Relic."
The Xinghai remains vast, but the Straw Hat Pirates knows that eyes are already watching from behind the veil of darkness. Their journey, while pursuing their dreams, is also burdened with a sense of responsibility and destiny, forcing them into a grand mystery.
They will continue their voyage, not only as adventurers and Watcher, but also as... the front line in the fight against unknown threats from beyond the realm.