Inside the Crystal Tower, the air was so heavy it seemed you could wring water out of it. The faces of the Winged Tribe elders and warriors were filled with shock and lingering fear. The sacred land they had guarded for generations was actually a Key imprisoning the evil that would destroy the world.
"Repairing the seal..." Franky stroked his chin, looking at the ancient and complex runes. "This thing is super-ancient! The technology and energy it requires are beyond what we currently possess, right?"
"Exactly," Robin, her fingertips lightly brushing the edge of the rune, feeling the coldness and malice flowing within it. "Forced destruction or misinterpretation could cause the seal to collapse more quickly."
"Then let's blow it away!" Luffy clenched his fist, staring intently at the crack. "Just beat that bastard down there to a pulp!"
"No, Luffy," Allen said, his voice steady yet tinged with barely perceptible weariness. He had already expended considerable energy purifying the Cloud Roar Behemoth, and now he sensed even more acutely the immense size and eeriness of the entity beneath the earth. "Its true form is protected by layers of seals, and simultaneously sealed off. If our attacks fail to annihilate its core in one strike, they might instead become an external force for it to break through the seals. Moreover, its form of existence... is more like an invisible curse and will; physical attacks may have limited effectiveness."
"What should we do then?" Chopper looked at Allen worriedly. "Even you find this difficult?"
Allen didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes and focused all his senses on the crack. His consciousness flowed downstream with the trickle of Dark Abyss energy, once again "facing" the bound Lord of the Dark Abyss. Mad roars, destructive whispers, and twisted negative emotions crashed against his mental barrier like a tidal wave. But this time, Allen did not resist. Instead, he carefully separated an extremely fine Light of Purification, touching the dark purple energy aggregate like a probe.
"Waaaaah--!"
A deep, furious roar echoed from the depths of the earth, causing the entire crystal tower and even the floating Sky Island to tremble slightly. The Lord of the Dark Abyss sensed this wisp of light power that it both loathed and recognized.
"It's angry... but there's also a hint of... fear?" Allen keenly caught that fleeting emotion. This fear didn't stem from his current power, but from something deeper within the essence of his power.
He recalled the resentful shriek emanating from the Dark Abyss core before its collapse during the purification of the Cloud Roar Behemoth: "That power again... Damn ' Source of Life '... Damn Guardian..."
Source of Life... Guardian...
These two words stirred something within Allen. His purifying power stemmed from his unwavering will to protect and his love for life; it was the embodiment of the Light of the Heart. Could this be the very nemesis of this ancient evil?
He opened his eyes, his gaze resolute as he looked at the crowd. "Perhaps, we don't need to fully understand and replicate the ancient sealing techniques. The strongest fortresses are often breached from within, and the most secure seals require unity from the inside out. Since this crack is its channel for seeping outwards, and also its tentacle for absorbing energy and corroding the outside world... then perhaps we can use this channel 'in reverse'."
"Using it in reverse?" Nami, puzzled.
"Yes." Allen stepped forward and slowly placed his palm near the ominous crack. "It spreads darkness and madness through here, attempting to corrupt the outside world and weaken the seal. So, I will use this to infuse 'purification' and 'hope' into it!"
"This is too reckless!" Usopp exclaimed. "You're sending your power into that monster's lair? What if it gets corrupted?!"
"My power is inherently incompatible with it; it cannot corrupt me, it can only be neutralized and purified," Allen explained, but his eyes held a hint of caution. "The risk is that my consciousness might be subjected to its mental attacks as it extends, and this would greatly deplete my power. But this is currently the most direct, and possibly the most effective, method—not to repair it from the outside, but to 'strengthen' it from the inside. I will use my power to fill that crack and continuously purify the escaping evil, and even... weaken it in turn!"
This is undoubtedly an extremely audacious plan! Directly injecting one's own power into the sealing core of an ancient evil creature is tantamount to reaching into the mouth of a ferocious beast and pulling out its teeth!
"How long will it take?" Zoro asked succinctly, placing his hand on the Wado Ichimonji. His meaning was clear: if it required protection, he would do his duty without hesitation.
"I don't know." Allen shook his head. "It might take some time. It can't be seriously disturbed during that time."
"Understood." Sanji lit a cigarette. "Then we'll guard this tower for you until you finish."
Luffy grinned and adjusted his straw Straw Hat: "Go on, Allen! Put that guy back in there! We'll take care of what's going on outside!"
Upon seeing this, the Winged Tribe elder immediately and solemnly ordered, "All warriors of Kumokakure Village, heed my command! We swear to protect the Crystal Tower to the death, to protect our benefactor, and to ensure that no one disturbs Lord Allen!"
"Yes!"
In an instant, a sturdy defensive line was quickly established centered on the Crystal Tower. The Straw Hat Pirates and the Winged Tribe warriors stood ready for battle.
Allen took a deep breath and no longer hesitated. He sat cross-legged in front of the crack, pressing his hands on it. The brilliant and gentle Light of Purification shone again, but this time, the light did not spread outward. Instead, like a living stream, it seeped into the crack in strands and steadily, flowing backward along the path of the Dark Abyss energy, rushing towards the sealed evil core deep underground!
"Buzz--!"
The heart-shaped crystal emitted an unprecedentedly bright light, illuminating the entire interior of the crystal tower as if it were daytime. The tower trembled slightly, creating a strange resonance with Allen's power.
"It's working!" Robin examined the runes closely. "The dark purple at the edge of the crack seems to be fading!"
However, at almost the same time—
"Boom!!!"
The entire floating Sky Island trembled violently, more violently than ever before! The sky darkened instantly, with dark clouds gathering from all directions, and countless cloud beasts roaring wildly from within! The Lord of the Dark Abyss sensed a tremendous threat, and it began to mobilize all the power it could influence, launching a frenzied counterattack!
"Here they come!" Zoro's eyes sharpened, and his three swords were already drawn.
The final battle of the Sky Archipelago erupted in a different form! And Allen's consciousness was now traversing that dangerous path, delving deeper into the dark Abyss sealed for countless years...