Two weeks passed quietly in the midst of the busy and peculiar collaborative research.
Infrastructure construction on Newborn Island No. 1 has begun. With the assistance of Franky's "General" armor (which, after simple modifications, can function as heavy construction machinery) and the base's engineering corps, a simple yet fully functional port, residential area, and fortifications are rapidly taking shape. Luffy insisted on personally planting the Straw Hat Pirates ' flag at the highest point—a newly solidified volcanic hill. The black and white skull symbol and the Straw Hat fluttered in the Pacific Ocean wind, proclaiming the presence of a group of otherworldly visitors on this land.
Collaborative research within the base has yielded many interesting discoveries, but the core question—how to get home—remains without any breakthrough progress.
"Rule Mapping" Lab.
Rena, Ge Xiaolun, and Yu Qin stared at the complex energy reading chart, their brows furrowed. In the center of the screen was the energy capture record of Allen releasing the " Light of Purification," but the analysis results were perplexing.
"We still can't analyze the energy composition," Rena shook her head. "It looks like pure light, but it's completely different. It seems to possess three properties simultaneously: 'information erasure,' 'energy neutralization,' and 'rule restoration'... How is this possible?"
Ge Xiaolun attempted to simulate it using his " Anti-Void " ability. He Definition "the light in front of him as ineffective," but what he created was only a dim energy area, completely different from Allen's warm white light that contained Absolute Purification will.
"The key might lie in the concepts of 'will' and 'resonance with rules'," Yu Qin, flipping through the notes Chopper had provided about the nature of Devil Fruit (the part shared with Chopper's permission). "Their power seems to require a strong personal will as a ' Key ' to activate some kind of 'rule authority' that already exists in the world. Our Gene Engine is more like installing a powerful 'processor' and 'toolbox' into our bodies, using these tools by driving Dark Energy. Are they... directly obtaining some 'administrator privileges'?"
"Permissions..." Ge Xiaolun pondered, "My Anti-Void also ' Definition ' rules... but it requires massive energy to drive and Gene Engine to support it. Their 'permissions' seem to be more... essential? What do they consume?"
Just then, the laboratory door opened, and Allen walked in. He had just finished another discussion with Du Qiangwei about Space: Folding technology.
"Any progress?" Allen asked.
"The progress is just more perplexing," Rena shrugged. "Your power is a complete paradox. However, there's something I'd like you to help me test."
"What test?"
"The suppression effect of the Void Engine." Rena's expression turned serious. "Our intercepted intelligence indicates that the Taotie King Shi Hao has been equipped with an even more powerful Void Engine, and the demons may also possess similar technology. We need to know how much your power will be affected under this stronger Void suppression."
Allen nodded. "Okay. Where can we test it?"
"Go to the ' Black Domain ' training ground," Ge Xiaolun stood up, "There's equipment there to simulate Void suppression environment."
The " Black Domain " training ground is a special enclosed space with walls and floors made of special materials that can absorb energy. It can generate a simulated Void suppression force field inside.
Allen stood in the center of the field. Ge Xiaolun started the equipment in the control room outside.
An invisible pressure descended instantly. It wasn't physical gravity, but a more fundamental "negation"—as if the entire space was rejecting you, denying your existence, and trying to "erase" you from the level of rules. Ordinary super soldiers would feel the Dark Energy flow sluggish here, and their Gene Engine efficiency would drop significantly.
Allen raised an eyebrow slightly. This feeling... was somewhat like a lower-powered version of the corruption he experienced when facing the " Shadow of the End "? It was the same unsettling "distortion" and "rejection," but the intensity was vastly different, and it was much more "mechanical," lacking the malice that corrupted the mind.
With a slight thought, a faint, flowing starlight naturally appeared on his body. It was a protective barrier automatically formed by the Power of the Stars.
When the Void suppression field touched this faint light, it was like water hitting a reef, automatically parting to both sides, unable to penetrate even a little.
"The suppressive force field is ineffective against the target! The target's energy field is stable, and no signs of weakening have been detected!" the monitoring personnel reported.
"Upgrade to Level 1 Void Suppression!" Ge Xiaolun ordered.
The force field suddenly intensified. Inside the training ground, the air began to distort, and the light dimmed. If Liu Chuang were here, he would probably already be finding it difficult to move.
The starlight on Allen's body had only brightened slightly, but remained stable.
"Level 2 suppression!"
"Level 3 Suppression!"
"... Highest level of suppression activated!"
Inside the training field, the simulated Void energy was so dense that it had almost solidified into a gray mist, causing ordinary objects to rapidly disintegrate into elementary particles.
Allen stood still, not even the hem of his clothes fluttering. The starlight emanating from his body was like an absolute domain, isolating all "denial" and "distortion" from it.
He even raised his hand, and a pure " Light of Purification " shone in his palm. The moment the white light appeared, the surrounding gray mist, like ice and snow meeting the Lieyang, hissed and quickly melted away!
"Stop! Stop the force field!" Ge Xiaolun shouted immediately.
The force field shut down, and the training ground returned to normal. The small sun in Allen's palm also quietly went out.
The control room was silent. Everyone, including Rena and Ge Xiaolun, stared in disbelief at the black-haired youth on the monitor screen who was completely unharmed and whose breathing was not even disordered.
"... Completely immune." Lian Feng's voice came through the communicator, filled with unbelievable shock, "The highest level of simulated Void suppression is ineffective against him. He can even use that 'light' to purify Void energy in reverse... this..."
Rena took a deep breath, looked at Ge Xiaolun, her eyes filled with complex emotions. " Xiaolun, if your Anti-Void is about 'silencing' the opponent's skills... then his power is practically about 'deleting' the opponent's skill code, or even 'formatting' the opponent's hard drive."
This analogy sent chills down everyone's spine.
Allen stepped out of the training ground, observed the expressions on everyone's faces, and calmly said, "This kind of ' Void suppression' is essentially a low-level Rule Distortion. My power has a natural resistance to, and even a restraint against, 'distortion' and 'contamination.' If the intensity isn't high enough, it can't affect me."
"What if... it's Death God Karl himself who takes action?" Ge Xiaolun couldn't help but ask.
Allen paused for a moment, thought carefully, and then replied, "I don't know. But my intuition tells me that if it's the complete version of the 'rule rewriting,' driven by a strong will, it could be a tough battle. However, he probably can't kill me."
This calm confidence only deepened the complex emotions of the Super Soldier Company soldiers. Was it reassurance (having such powerful reinforcements)? Or unease (due to a power they couldn't comprehend)?
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of North Star, there is an abandoned industrial park.
Two furtive figures lurked in the shadows. They wore inconspicuous civilian clothes, but the occasional flash of purple light in their eyes betrayed their demonic nature.
"Boss Ato sent us to scout, and we've been keeping watch for days. All we've seen is that strange ship and those strange people going in and out, but we haven't seen them do anything special," a skinny demon complained.
"Shut up, Cook," another burly demon whispered. "The Queen wants intelligence, not evaluations. Continue observing and recording the characteristics, frequency, and... energy responses of all those entering and leaving."
The instrument in his hand was pointed at the distant North Star Base, the screen displaying a blurry energy reading—the base's defenses and jamming were very strong, and they dared not get too close.
"Huh?" the skinny little devil Cook suddenly pointed to the sky, "What's that?"
A golden streak of light flew rapidly from the horizon, its target clearly set on the North Star Base. The energy emanating from the streak of light was pure and powerful, carrying a... sacred quality.
"That's... the aura of an angel?!" The burly demon's expression changed. "Why are angels here too?!"
"Quickly! Report this to Boss Ato!"
The golden streak ignored the base's air defense identification and landed directly in the designated area inside the base—the shared activity area of Super Soldier Company and the Straw Hat Pirates.
As the light faded, a beautiful woman was revealed, clad in silver armor, with pristine white wings on her back and golden hair flowing like a waterfall. Her features were exquisite, her eyes sharp, and she held a longsword engulfed in flames.
It was Angel Zhui was sent to Earth.
Her arrival immediately drew attention. The warriors of the Super Soldier Company quickly surrounded her, but showed no hostility—the angel was still a nominal ally for the time being.
"I am Angel Zhui, sent by Acting Commander Yan to Earth to gather information and deliver the latest intelligence." Angel Zhui's voice was clear and melodious. Her gaze swept over the Super Soldier Company members who had surrounded her, and then paused slightly when she saw the Straw Hat Pirates approaching from a distance.
Especially when Angel saw Allen, Angel Zhui's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Her angelic Gene Engine and Eye of Insight instantly activated, attempting to read the other party's information. However, the response was a message that read, "Unrecognizable."
It's not encryption, it's not blocking; it's simply "This target does not conform to the known information framework and cannot be parsed."
She had only encountered this situation when facing certain extremely ancient beings, or... beings from the " Void ".
"Who are you?" Angel Zhui's hand tightened slightly on the Flame Sword.
"They are our new allies, friends from another world," Admiral Du Kao arrived just in time to introduce them. "This is Angel Zhui, a warrior from the Angel Civilization."
"Another world?" Angel Zhui frowned slightly.
"Parallel worlds," Du Qiangwei added.
Angel Zhui remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly communicating with the distant Angel Nebula via dark communication. After a moment, she nodded. "Acting Commander Yan is aware. She asked me to convey that the angels will observe the new variables. However, anything that might threaten the balance of the known universe will be judged by the angels."
Her gaze swept over the Straw Hat Pirates again, lingering especially on Allen: "Your power... is quite special. I hope your choices align with 'justice'."
After speaking, she turned to Du Kao: "General Du Kao, I have brought the latest intelligence on the movements of demons and Taotie. In addition, Death God Karl's activities are becoming more frequent; he seems to have made a new breakthrough in his research on ' Void creatures,' which could trigger an unpredictable crisis."
Du Kao's expression turned serious. "Please come to headquarters for further discussion."
Angel Zhui nodded, took one last look at the Straw Hat Pirates, especially Allen was making eye contact with her, before leaving with Du Kao.
"An angel..." Luffy looked up at the direction the Angel Zhui gone, stroking his chin. "A woman who can fly, wielding a fire sword... She looks a bit like Enel, but she feels different."
"Her wings are real," Sanji's eyes had turned into hearts. "What beautiful wings! What a divine aura! Ah, is this a messenger from heaven?"
"Sacred is sacred," Robin said softly, "But that scrutinizing gaze, and the word 'judgment'... it seems the 'gods' of this world have a strict sense of order."
Allen remained silent, gazing thoughtfully in the direction the Angel Zhui disappeared. The angel's arrival signified a more complex situation in the world. Moreover, the angel's "unrecognizable" reaction to his power confirmed the uniqueness of their power system.
Demon One.
Morgana listened to Ato's report with a playful smile on her face.
"Even the little bitch from the angels went? Looks like even with Kaisa dead, that little girl Yan still can't stay still." She swirled her wine glass. "Visitors from a parallel world... a completely different power system... even that perverted Karl and those angel girls can't figure it out... Interesting, so interesting!"
A sly glint flashed in her eyes. " Ato, get ready. I'm going to Earth myself. But not now... Let them fight the Taotie or the angels first, then we'll go 'mediate'."
"Your Majesty, this is too dangerous!" Ato warned.
"Danger?" Morgana scoffed. "I am the Demon Queen! Besides, with those 'otherworldly visitors' around, the muddier the waters, the easier it is to fish. Go prepare."
"... yes."
Death Song Academy.
Karl quietly watched as Sno transmitted encrypted intelligence regarding the Angel Zhui of North Star and the results of the " Black Domain " test.
"Completely immune to Void Suppression... reverse purification of Void energy..." Karl repeated in a low voice, his eyes gleaming with unprecedented fervor. "This isn't just 'another system'... it might be an existence on 'another level'! Their world, the 'foundation' of their rules, might be completely different from ours! If we can study them, if we can understand the essence of their power... perhaps, I can truly touch the truth of the ' Void,' or even... Transcendence the Void!"
He looked up at the deep starry sky. "Earth... is getting more and more interesting. Morgana must be getting restless too... Fine, let them test the waters first. As for me..."
His gaze fell into the depths of the main hall, where an eerie light seemed to flicker.
"My 'gift' is almost ready too."
North Star Base, late at night.
Allen stood alone on the roof of the guesthouse, gazing at the starry sky. The experiences of the past two weeks had given him a clearer understanding of the world, but the way home remained uncertain.
He could sense that more and more eyes were being watched from the shadows. Taotie, demons, angels, Death God Karl... all the major powers in this world had taken notice of them, this sudden variable.
They are like Boulder thrown into a calm (but turbulent) lake, the ripples they create are spreading, and no one can predict what kind of waves they will eventually develop into.
But one thing is certain—they can no longer exist as mere observers or simple allies as before. They have been deeply drawn into the vortex of this world.
"What are you thinking about?" Robin's voice came from behind. She was carrying a cup of hot tea and walked over to Allen.
"I've been thinking about the 'meaning' of our coming here," Allen said softly, taking the tea. "At first, I thought it was an accident, but now it seems there might really be some kind of 'inevitability' involved."
"The continuation of protection?" Robin smiled.
"Perhaps," Allen said, glancing at the teacup in his hand, the starlight reflected on its surface, "The threats facing this world, especially the distortion and corruption brought about by the ' Void ' and 'Demons,' remind me of what we once fought against. Though the forms are different, the essence... may have similarities."
So you're planning to help the world?
"Help is definitely welcome, after all, we live here now, and many of the people here... aren't bad." Allen paused, "But more importantly, I suspect that something in this world—perhaps the source of the ' Void,' or perhaps some ancient relic recorded in the mythology of this world—might hold clues that can help us get back. Between the two worlds, there might be 'passages' or 'anchors' that we haven't yet discovered."
Robin nodded. "I also found some interesting records in the ancient books. The myths of this world about ' Mount Buzhou,' ' Jianmu,' and ' Kunlun ' have a striking similarity to our world's legends about ' Red Line,' ' Sunlight Tree Eve,' and ' Sky Island ' in terms of the imagery of 'connecting heaven and earth' and 'supporting the world.' Perhaps... it's not just a simple coincidence."
Allen perked up. "You mean..."
"I'm still piecing together the clues," Robin said, taking an elegant sip of tea. "But my intuition tells me the answer might lie in those ancient memories that modern people consider 'myths.' Tomorrow, I'll apply to visit a few legendary 'sacred sites,' such as the Kunlun Mountains."
"I'll go with you," Allen said immediately.
Robin smiled and said, "Okay."
Just then, the base's alarm suddenly sounded again, but this time it wasn't a combat alarm, but an emergency communication.
"Attention all units! Large-scale spatial fluctuation detected! Coordinates: Central Pacific Ocean, near Newborn Island No. 1! Energy signature... unidentifiable! (Repeated, unidentifiable!)"
Allen and Robin exchanged a glance and then looked towards the Pacific Ocean.
That's where they're building their new home.
"I'll go check it out!" Allen's figure instantly transformed into a silver streak, soaring into the sky and speeding towards the Pacific Ocean.
Robin immediately turned around and went downstairs to inform his other companions and the Super Soldier Company.
In the night sky, Allen moved with Inazuma speed. He had a vague premonition that this spatial fluctuation was likely not a regular invasion by the Taotie or demons.
What could that be?
An unknown enemy? Or... some phenomenon related to their arrival?
He had to get there as soon as possible, no matter what.
The Pacific Ocean night is deep and mysterious. And new waves are quietly rising on the surface.