Inside the council hall, Allen and Robin slowly stood up with the help of their companions. Their faces were still pale, and the excessive consumption of their mental energy would not be able to recover in a short time. But their eyes were sharper and more determined than before they entered the Memory Corridor.
"What... what happened inside?" Nami asked anxiously, sensing the unease in their solemn expressions.
Robin took a deep breath and, using the most concise language possible, recounted to everyone what he had seen in the Memory Corridor —the birth and destruction of countless civilizations on a cosmic scale, and the cold truth that Observers, as the cosmic "immune system," perform "purification" to maintain the "benchmark."
"... So, in the eyes of the universe, we... all of our lives are 'errors' that need to be erased?" Usopp's voice was trembling with tears, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. Chopper also hugged Zoro's leg in fear.
Even Zoro and Sanji frowned; the weight of this truth far exceeded their expectations. What was the point of fighting against such an "enemy"?
"No!" Allen's resolute voice shattered the atmosphere of despair. He looked at the five guardians, who were also more subdued by this "truth," his gaze piercing. "That's not the complete truth! Or rather, the ' Baseline Consciousness ' itself may have a problem!"
He described in detail the discordant "noise" he perceived, which seemed like a man-made "shackle" and "pollution."
" The Observers ' behavior is more like carrying out an order that has been maliciously altered, made extreme and distorted! Their 'purification' is not for the stability of the universe, but more like a... purposeful Harvest and suppression!" Allen's words were like thunderclaps, exploding in everyone's hearts.
"Tampering? Contamination?" For the first time, a clear expression appeared on Chief Guardian Oriharu's usually impassive face. His silver eyes gleamed with disbelief. "This... how is this possible? Who could tamper with the fundamental rules of the universe?"
"We don't know," Robin interjected, producing several fragments of information, forcibly recorded by her mental power and shimmering with a faint glow. "But these clues point to a possibility: the Observers are not invincible natural disasters; they may simply be... manipulated tools. And finding the 'source of contamination,' breaking that 'shackle,' might be the true way to end all of this!"
This groundbreaking discovery is like lighting a faint candle in absolute darkness, yet it points to the true exit!
Hope has been rekindled in an unexpected way!
"Tools? So, there's an even worse guy pulling the strings behind the scenes?" Luffy's anger flared instantly. "Then find that mastermind and beat them both to a pulp!"
The Straw Hat Pirates's morale instantly soared. Fighting an abstract "enemy" representing the laws of the universe was despairing, but fighting a concrete, however powerful, "mastermind" was their familiar territory!
Oriharu and the other guardians exchanged rapid thoughts again. This time, their fluctuations were noticeably more intense.
After a long silence, Oriharu spoke slowly, his voice carrying an unprecedentedly complex emotion. "If... if your discoveries are true... then perhaps the ancient covenant has truly reached a point where it must be fulfilled. The stillness of Eleusis may not be the only path."
He reached out his hand, and a blue crystal, as clear as a teardrop and seemingly containing a nebula, appeared out of thin air in his palm.
"This is the last Beacon left by our ancestors, sealed away along with that memory of origin. It originally pointed to a legendary place—the ' Sea of Origins.'" Oriharu handed the crystal to Allen. "Legend has it that it is the most active and Chaos source of 'possibilities' in the universe, and also the region where ' Baseline Consciousness ' first manifested. If there truly is any 'contamination' or 'shackles,' that place... is most likely the source."
"However," the female guardian added, her tone serious, "The location of the ' Sea of Origins ' is constantly shifting and cannot be recorded using conventional star charts. This Beacon can only provide general directional guidance, and it is an absolutely unknown territory that even the ' Purge Protocol ' rarely ventures into; its danger is immeasurable."
Yet another unknown and dangerous destination! But this time, the objective is clearer than ever before—directly addressing the root of the problem!
"It's okay!" Luffy snatched the Beacon crystal (which Allen caught quickly, preventing him from breaking it), full of fighting spirit. "As long as I know the direction, that's enough!"
Allen gripped the Beacon crystal tightly, feeling a faint yet unwavering pull emanating from it. He looked at the Guardians: "Thank you for your trust and this final gift. We will journey to the ' Sea of Origins ' to uncover the truth."
Oriharu nodded. " Eleusis can't offer much more help on a material level, but we will do our best to maintain this Order Field, serving as your... and perhaps other future rebels' last 'information hub' and 'safe haven.' May you... find a new way out for all of us."
The time for farewell has come. This time, the guardians' eyes held less indifference and more genuine expectation.
The Straw Hat Pirates left the council hall and returned to Ark Maxim.
The spaceship started up and slowly departed from the overly tranquil orbit of the Eleusis Prime.
Standing before the observation window, gazing back at the verdant planet and the entire star cluster shrouded in the Order Force Field, the group felt a complex mix of emotions. This place was a refuge for a civilization, and also its graveyard. And now, they bore the mission of finding a true path to survival for countless such worlds.
"Alright!" Luffy announced loudly, breaking the silence, "A new adventure begins! Our goal—the ' Sea of Origins' —to find the bastard who's been pulling the strings behind the scenes!"
Guided by the Beacon crystal, Nami set a new route on the star map, leading to deeper and more unknown regions of the universe.
The Ark Maxim adjusted its course, unleashed its full power, and, carrying the heavy truth and new hope, shot like an arrow from a bow toward the vast, unknown " Sea of Origins," where even the stars seemed sparse!