The Ark Maxim tore through the clouds, like a weary bird returning to its nest, swooping down towards that blue expanse of memory—the sea near the East Blue Foosha Village.
"I see it! It's the sea! It's the East Blue!" Luffy shouted excitedly, clinging to the ship's railing.
"Finally... I'm back." Nami's eyes glistened with tears; this familiar ocean held so many memories.
Zoro, clutching his sword, had a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. Sanji lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, as if confirming the taste of his hometown air. Chopper and Usopp hugged each other and cheered, Brook started playing a cheerful violin tune, Robin smiled as she watched her companions, and Franky was already striking his signature pose, ready to shout, "SUPER~ Return!"
Allen stood at the bow of the ship, his heart pounding with excitement. Having transmigrated here, he had long regarded this place as his true home. Being able to bring his companions back safely and complete that magnificent cosmic adventure was his greatest satisfaction.
However, once the Ark Maxim landed steadily on the sea and the waves subsided, the jubilation on the deck gradually quieted down.
"Something's not right..." Nami was the first to notice something amiss. She looked at the Log Pose and the nautical chart, her brow furrowed. "The ocean currents... the magnetic field... it all feels so strange. And... isn't the direction of Foosha Village... a bit too quiet?"
"There's something in the sea!" Jinbe suddenly exclaimed, his expression grave. "It's not Sea Kings, it's some kind of... metallic creation!"
As soon as the words were spoken, several Black Shadow lurking on the seabed swiftly rose to the surface and broke through the water! They were not any known Marine warship, but streamlined, futuristic silver-gray vessels, their surfaces shimmering with eerie blue energy patterns. They silently surrounded the Ark Maxim, their cannons flashing with ominous light.
"What is this?!" Usopp jumped up in surprise, "New naval technology?!"
"This isn't Vegapunk's style," Franky asserted, his mechanical eyes scanning rapidly. "The technological approach is completely different, and the energy signature is unfamiliar!"
Almost simultaneously, a sonic boom echoed across the sky. Several figures, trailing long plumes of flame, arrived at an astonishing speed and hovered in front of the Ark Maxim. They were several warriors clad in uniquely designed, full-body black armor. The armor's lines were sharp and powerful, and behind them were unfolded mechanical or energy wings. The leader was tall, with a resolute face and eyes that held a scrutinizing and unquestionable authority.
"I am Ge Xiaolun, of the Super Soldier Company, the Galaxy Power." The leading warrior spoke in a deep voice, amplified by external speakers, filled with intense vigilance, "Who are you? Which civilization do you come from? This spaceship... and the energy signatures on you, do not belong to any known system on Earth!"
" Super Soldier Company?"
"Earth?"
"Energy signature?"
The Straw Hat Pirates looked at each other, filled with confusion. They spoke the common language (Japanese), and the other party spoke a similar language (Chinese), but the words " Super Soldier Company " and "Earth," as well as the information revealed in the other party's words, left them bewildered.
"We are the Straw Hat Pirates!" Luffy forward, hands on his hips, and shouted, "This is the East Blue! Who are you? Are you here to cause trouble?" He completely failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind their words, only sensing their hostility.
" The Straw Hat Pirates? East Blue?" Du Qiangwei, standing beside Ge Xiaolun, operated a miniature computer, quickly searching the database, then shook her head. "No records found. The energy readings are chaotic and cannot be analyzed... but their individual life strength... is extremely high!" Her voice carried a hint of disbelief.
"Hey, Tin Man!" Zoro said impatiently, his hand on his sword hilt. "If you're going to fight, hurry up and get on with it, don't block our way home for the banquet!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the soldiers of the Super Soldier Company entered battle stance.
"Wait!" A clear, slightly surprised female voice rang out. In the sky, a Wormhole quietly opened, and a beautiful woman in red and black armor with flowing red hair stepped out. She was none other than the Light of the Sun — Rena. Her gaze swept intently over the Straw Hat Pirates, finally settling on Allen, her brows furrowing slightly.
"I am Rena, the Light of the Sun from the Super Soldier Company," she introduced herself, then whispered to Ge Xiaolun, "It's very strange... I can't sense any Dark Energy driving them at all, but they... especially that black-haired kid ( Allen ), and that one with the straw Straw Hat ( Luffy ), the energy they contain is unbelievably vast, a kind of... primordial power I've never encountered before. It's somewhat like... stellar energy, but completely different, much older and... more active?"
Rena's words sent a shockwave through all the Super Soldier Company members. Without the power of Dark Energy, yet possessing energy comparable to or even Transcendence that of a god-level gene carrier? This overturned their understanding.
Just then, the remote communication came through, Lian Feng's voice came through. " Xiaolun, Rena, the other party's identity is unknown, but they don't seem to have shown any signs of intrusion immediately. General Du Kao has ordered that they be brought to the North Star Command. Maintain the highest level of alert, but avoid initiating conflict."
Ge Xiaolun took a deep breath, suppressing his shock and doubt, and said to the Straw Hat Pirates, "Based on the security agreement, please come with us to the North Star Command. Our supreme commander needs to speak with you."
Nami looked at Allen and Luffy and whispered, "Something's not right. The 'Earth' they're talking about... could it be a world we know? And these warriors..."
Allen's heart was churning with turmoil. " Super Soldier Company," " Ge Xiaolun," " Rena," " North Star "... these names clearly came from the anime * Super God Academy /* Super Soldier Company Academy, the world he lived in before! He had transmigrated to the world of One Piece, and now the "Earth" he had returned to—was it not the Earth set in the One Piece story, but... the modern Earth he was on before his transmigration, the one where Super God Academy and Super Soldier Company existed?! Or perhaps, this was an Earth that incorporated the Super God Academy's worldview? And the One Piece world was another parallel world?!
" Allen, what do you think?" Luffy was confused about the situation, but he trusted his crewmate's judgment.
Allen quickly gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Go with them. We need to find out what exactly happened here, whether this... is still the 'home' we know." He had to confirm this startling suspicion.
Thus, under the close "escort" of the Super Soldier Company Fleet and the Black Armor Warriors, carrying the Ark Maxim from the pirates of another world, it changed direction and flew towards the completely unfamiliar North Star of Huaxia.
The sea breeze brought an atmosphere completely different from what they remembered. The Straw Hat Pirates stood on the deck, looking down at the unfamiliar land filled with the outlines of modern cities rushing by, their hearts filled with confusion, vigilance, and a trace of unease.
They traversed the Xinghai, overcame cosmic threats, only to seem to have stumbled upon a completely unfamiliar "home."
Allen gazed into the distance, his expression complex. If this truly was his past life's world, or a parallel universe, then how would he—a "pirate" from another world, an individual possessing unconventional yet powerful abilities—constitute himself? And this world seemed to be facing an equally severe alien threat...