The discovery of the deep-sea ruins shifted the focus of North Star's collaborative research. General Du Kao specially approved a joint expedition team composed of top scientists, archaeologists, and elite Super Soldier Company to conduct a systematic exploration of the Mount Kunlun Range in order to find clues that Robin had speculated might be related to the deep-sea ruins.
Meanwhile, the construction of a surveillance and research station for the waters near Newborn Island No. 1 was also accelerating. Franky practically lived in the makeshift underwater research lab, spending all his time circling around that ancient device, muttering words like "SUPER~ Ancient Technology." Lian Feng and Du Qiangwei, on the other hand, tried to use Deno technology and space theory to analyze the mathematical and physical meaning of those ancient runes.
The Straw Hat Pirates split into two groups. One group, consisting of Allen, Robin, Sanji, and Jinbe, prepared to head to Kunlun. The other group, consisting of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, stayed behind on Newborn Island No. 1 to assist in research and construction, and also to serve as a mobile force to deal with any unforeseen threats. Franky was running between the two groups.
The night before departure, at the North Star Command Post.
" The Mount Kunlun Range are vast, with complex terrain, variable climate, and many areas are sparsely populated with chaotic electromagnetic environments, making satellite monitoring ineffective," Du Kao explained, pointing to the holographic map. "More importantly, according to our past monitoring, abnormal Dark Energy fluctuations and even small-scale spacetime distortions occasionally occur deep within the Mount Kunlun Range, but the cause has remained unknown. Something we haven't yet discovered may be hidden there."
"Abnormal fluctuations?" Allen asked.
"Yes, it's very faint and intermittent, but it definitely exists. Some theories suggest that certain special geographical nodes on Earth may naturally be weak points in the spatial structure, or... remnants of ancient energy fields," Lian Feng added. "Similar reports have been made in certain areas of the Kunlun, Himalayas, and Andes Mountains. If Ms. Robin's speculation is correct, there might indeed be clues there related to that deep-sea device, or even to your arrival."
Robin nodded. "In our world, special regions like Sky Island and Fish-Man Island are often associated with secrets such as Poneglyph and Ancient Weapon. Special terrain, magnetic fields, or climates sometimes serve as natural barriers or Key hiding secrets."
"Before losing contact in the designated area, our advance drone transmitted some blurry images back." Du Qiangwei pulled up a video. It showed the outline of a cluster of buildings amidst snow-covered mountains, their style ancient and peculiar, unlike any known civilization, though most of them were buried under ice, snow, and rocks. Most striking was the central structure of the buildings, which appeared to be a huge, seemingly carved door-like structure made of a single piece of black jade, with faint, flowing patterns of light on its surface.
"This is... a 'door'?" Sanji squinted.
"It's very similar. And it shares a conceptual similarity with the 'gate' at the deep-sea ruins, but the materials Gentle Breeze are completely different," Du Qiangwei analyzed. "Based on the terrain and the thickness of the ice and snow cover, the complex of buildings may have been buried for tens of thousands of years."
"That's our destination," Allen decided. " Robin, we need your expertise to interpret the information on those buildings and 'doors.' Sanji will handle surveillance and logistics, and Jinbe will deal with Jinbe potential waterways or complex terrain."
"No problem/Understood," the three replied.
"As for the Super Soldier Company, Rena, Ge Xiaolun, and Qilin will accompany you," Du Kao arranged. " Rena's stellar energy is highly effective in extreme environments and energy combat, Ge Xiaolun's Anti-Void ability can serve as insurance in special circumstances, and Qilin's long-range sniping and reconnaissance capabilities can provide vision and security."
"What about us? What about us?" Luffy complained, "I want to go on an adventure too!"
" Luffy, Newborn Island is just as important," Allen said earnestly. "That deep-sea device needs protection, and this is our temporary home. You, Zoro, Nami, and the others should guard the island and also study those glowing creatures; you might find some clues. We'll stay in touch."
Luffy was reluctant, but he still pouted and agreed, "Okay... then you guys have to come back quickly! Bring some good food!"
The next morning, two specially modified vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft took off from the North Star Base, carrying the expedition team westward toward the majestic Mount Kunlun Range.
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was far from relaxed. Besides the excitement of exploring the unknown, there was also concern about the current situation.
"Just as we were preparing to depart, news came from the front lines," Ge Xiaolun said gravely. "The main fleet of the Taotie has finished its assembly around Pluton Star and begun moving towards Earth. Although its speed is not fast, based on its trajectory, it will enter near-Earth orbit in about a week. The demons' activities have also become more frequent, and they seem to be plotting something."
"What about Karl?" Allen asked.
"No major moves, but our intelligence network has intercepted some vague information indicating an unusual gathering of Dark Energy and Void energy at the Death Song Academy, seemingly preparing for some 'large-scale project'," Qilin said while checking her sniper rifle. "After the Angel Zhui relayed back to the Angel Nebula, no new angels have descended yet, but Angel Yan seems to be in urgent consultation with some ancient angel elders."
Rena leaned back in her chair, gazing at the clouds outside the window. "These are turbulent times. But precisely because of this, we must quickly uncover the secrets of Kunlun and the deep sea. If we can find new power or methods, perhaps we can change the course of the war."
The transport plane landed at a military base on the outskirts of the Mount Kunlun Range. The expedition team then transferred to special all-terrain vehicles and snow vehicles adapted to high altitudes and complex terrain, and headed toward the area where the drone last lost contact.
As the altitude increased, the air became increasingly thin and cold. All around were endless snow-capped peaks and deep glacial valleys, a magnificent landscape fraught with deadly danger. Gale-force winds whipped up snow pellets, and visibility fluctuated between good and bad.
" The Dark Energy background radiation here... is at least three orders of magnitude higher than normal." Du Qiangwei frowned as she looked at the instrument's readings. "And the fluctuations are very irregular, like... breathing."
"The target area is three kilometers ahead," the driver reported, "But the vehicle's radar and communication equipment are beginning to experience severe interference."
"Stop the car, we're proceeding on foot," Allen ordered.
Donning specially designed cold-weather and radiation-resistant gear, and carrying necessary instruments and weapons, the group began their trek. Rena and Ge Xiaolun led the way, using their energy to disperse the snow and scout the terrain. Qilin occupied a high vantage point on the flank, setting up a sniper rifle and providing surveillance for the team through a high-powered scope and special sensors.
Allen, Robin, Sanji, and Jinbe walked in the middle. Robin kept observing the texture of the surrounding rocks and the occasional exposed ancient rock layers, trying to find traces of artificial carving or special symbols.
"The geological structure of this area... is very strange." Robin pointed to a bare, black rock wall whose color was distinctly different from the surrounding rocks. "It doesn't look like naturally formed igneous or sedimentary rock; it's more like... the traces of something that was instantly 'reshaped' by high temperature and pressure. And look, the texture of the rock wall has vaguely regular geometric patterns."
Allen touched the rock wall with his hand; it felt cold and hard, but his Power of the Stars allowed him to sense an extremely faint, almost dissipated "energy memory" deep within it. It was a kind of... "imprint" left after a massive burst of energy.
"What happened here?" Allen whispered.
As they continued onward, the wind and snow subsided, but the surrounding scenery grew increasingly eerie. Huge, irregularly shaped black stone pillars stood abruptly in the snow, covered with traces of wind erosion, yet faint traces of once intricate carvings could still be discerned. Occasionally, large, unnaturally formed fragments of stone could be seen on the ground, their patterns somewhat resembling the runes of deep-sea ruins, but even more rugged and ancient.
"We've arrived." Ge Xiaolun, who was walking at the front, stopped.
Before them lay a vast, bowl-shaped valley. The valley floor was covered by thick ice and snow, but one could vaguely discern large ruins buried beneath it. The scale of the ruins far exceeded the images transmitted by the drone; they were built against the mountainside, layer upon layer, extending deep into the valley. The architectural style was extremely unique, making extensive use of arcs and spiral structures, as if they had "grown" out of the mountain, or resembled the shell or skeleton of some giant beast.
In the very center of the valley, a towering black "giant gate," over thirty meters high, stands silently. It is not perfectly vertical, but tilted at a subtle angle, as if it might collapse at any moment, yet it has stood for countless years. The gate frame is carved with countless complex runes, which at this moment emit an extremely dim, flickering dark golden light, like the light of a breath.
"Is this... ' Kunlun Ruins '?" Robin looked up at the giant gate, his eyes filled with awe and a thirst for knowledge.
"The energy readings are off the charts!" Du Qiangwei stared at the instruments, her voice filled with shock. "Not only Dark Energy, but also a large amount of unknown energy reactions! That door... it's practically an energy aggregator! But it seems to be in a... 'dormant' or 'sealed' state."
"Something's coming!" Qilin's voice came through the comms, urgent. "Two o'clock, low altitude! Very fast! Energy signature... It's a small, high-speed reconnaissance aircraft from Taotie! Three of them!"
Everyone immediately took cover. Three sharp-looking, black shuttle-like Taotie reconnaissance planes flew low over the ridge on the side of the valley. They had obviously also discovered this unusual area and were circling to investigate.
"How did they find this place?" Ge Xiaolun whispered.
"Perhaps they're drawn to the unusual energy fluctuations, just like us, or... they have intelligence sources we don't know about." Rena's eyes were icy. "We can't let them transmit information back."
"Leave it to me." Before Qilin could finish speaking, three gunshots, almost in quick succession, shattered the silence of the valley.
The three Taotie reconnaissance planes exploded with sparks almost simultaneously, plummeting into the depths of the valley and creating three deep craters in the snow.
"Beautiful!" Sanji exclaimed.
But Ge Xiaolun's expression grew even more grim. "The gunfire and explosions might attract more enemies. We must speed things up."
The group quickly descended to the valley floor and approached the massive black gate in the center. The closer they got, the more they could feel the invisible pressure. The air seemed to be filled with an ancient and heavy "aura," making even breathing difficult. In the snow beneath their feet, they could occasionally step on broken pottery, metal fragments, and even fossilized bones of some enormous creature.
"These structures... don't belong to any known human civilization." Robin carefully examined a section of ruins half-buried in the snow. "The structural mechanics are completely unconventional, more like they were designed for some enormous or incredibly powerful creature. Moreover, the building materials... have similar energy-residual properties to deep-sea devices."
When they finally stood before the massive black gate, everyone felt their own insignificance. The gate was tightly shut, made of neither gold, jade, nor stone, yet warm to the touch and indestructible. The runes on the gate flowed slowly as if alive, exuding an ancient and awe-inspiring majesty.
"How do I open this door?" Ge Xiaolun tried to push it, but it wouldn't budge. He even used a bit of Dark Energy, but the energy was completely absorbed the moment it touched the door, without even causing a ripple.
"It can't be opened by brute force or conventional energy." Robin carefully examined the arrangement of runes on the door. "This seems to be a very complex 'lock,' requiring the correct ' Key ' or... 'password.'"
Allen stepped forward and gently placed his hand on the door. This time, he did not use the Power of the Stars, but instead tried to mobilize the " Star Core Mark " aura within his body that had resonated with the deep-sea ruins.
Buzz--
It was as if a colossal beast that had slumbered for millennia had been awakened.
All the runes on the black gate lit up simultaneously! No longer a dim glimmer, but a dazzling dark golden light! The light flowed and converged on the gate like mercury, eventually forming a complex, three-dimensional star map projection in the center of the gate!
The star map slowly rotated, and the way some of the star regions were marked bore a striking resemblance to the star map Allen obtained from the lunar civilization that guided them to this world! But it was more complete, more ancient, and... had an additional, clearly marked "end point"!
That destination wasn't a coordinate in the One Piece world, but rather... a "region" that Allen had never seen before, located at the very edge of the star map, surrounded by thick fog and distorted lines!
At the same time, a vast, desolate stream of information, seemingly spanning endless time, flowed directly into Allen's mind through his palm!
Those were fragmented images, discontinuous whispers:
• " The Observers... Distorts... Descends..."
• "Diverted... Spark... scattered..."
"The door... coordinates... homecoming... is also... watching..."
" Key... Star Core... Bloodline... Resonance..."
"Crisis... approaching... balance... node..."
The information was too vast and fragmented; Allen felt a splitting headache, but he endured it and tried his best to memorize and understand it.
At that very moment, another unexpected event occurred!
The star map projection on the black giant gate suddenly fluctuated violently, and the gate itself began to emit a deep rumble, shaking the entire valley! Large amounts of snow collapsed and slid down from the surrounding mountain peaks.
"Oh no! The energy reaction is escalating rapidly! The spatial structure is becoming unstable!" Du Qiangwei shouted.
" Allen! Get out of the way!" Rena cried urgently.
But Allen's hand seemed to be stuck to the door, unable to break free for a moment! The light on the door grew brighter and brighter, and the phenomenon of spatial distortion appeared visibly around the door!
Suddenly, a dark golden beam of light shot out from the star map in the center of the gate, shooting towards the sky above the valley! The beam of light spread out hundreds of meters high, forming a spatial portal similar to the "mirror" opened by the deep-sea ruins, but more solid and more unstable!
On the other side of the portal, instead of blurry light and shadow, a scene of ruins could be vaguely seen: twisted metal structures, a dim starry sky, and... the slowly drifting, broken wreckage of a massive warship bearing the Taotie symbol?!
"Is that... a vision of the future? Or... another dimension?" Ge Xiaolun asked in shock.
The portal lasted for less than three seconds before flickering violently and then collapsing with a deafening roar! The dissipated energy transformed into a shockwave that swept across the entire valley, sending everyone staggering about!
The light on the black giant gate quickly dimmed, returning it to its previous dormant state, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.
Allen was finally able to remove his hand, staggered backward, and was supported by Sanji. His face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, but his eyes were sharp as knives.
" Allen, what did you see?" Robin asked hurriedly.
Allen took a few breaths and said in a deep voice, "This door... is not just a relic. It's a 'recorder,' an 'early warning device,' and also... an unfinished 'portal.'"
He looked at everyone and said, word by word:
"It records a catastrophe—the twisted power of the ' Observers ' (possibly an entity of the same origin as or similar to the ' Observers ' in our universe) once descended upon this world, attempting to 'purify' its civilization."
"The so-called ' Kunlun Ruins ' civilization may have been, in order to preserve the Spark of hope, using its last strength to send away a portion of its people and civilization's heritage through a technology similar to stargates during that catastrophe. One branch may have gone to our world and left behind a legacy such as a ' Star Core Mark '."
"This door was originally intended as a 'Gate of Return' to re-establish contact with their scattered clansmen. But disaster struck too quickly, or other unforeseen events occurred, causing the door to be incompletely built, or... the ' Key ' was lost."
" The Star Core Mark within me might be part of the ' Key.' That's why the door reacted to me, showing me parts of the encrypted history and... a 'final coordinate' pointing to the possible ultimate destination of the 'Diverted Spark' —although that coordinate was protected by a thick fog, I remembered its 'feeling'."
"Most importantly," Allen said gravely, "The last messages the door conveyed were 'crisis is imminent' and 'balance point.' Combined with the sight of the Taotie's remains I saw when the portal briefly opened... I suspect this door not only recorded past disasters, but may also... foreshadow some kind of future crisis! And this crisis is very likely related to the current invasion of the Taotie and demons, or even to Death God Karl's research on the ' Void '!"
"This door and the deep-sea ruins may both be components of an 'early warning system' and 'balance node' left behind by this ancient civilization! They sensed a new threat that could disrupt the balance approaching, so they began to 'awaken' and 'warn'!"
Allen's words left everyone deeply shocked and in deep thought.
If his interpretation is correct, then their arrival in this world may not be purely accidental, but rather carries the "watchful eye" and "warning" of a lost civilization across time and space. And the crisis facing this world may have roots that are more ancient and profound than imagined.
"Wait!" Qilin's voice suddenly rang out in the comms, filled with unprecedented urgency and tension, "A large number of aerial targets are approaching at high speed! They're entering the atmosphere directly from low orbit! Energy signature confirmed—it's the main strike fleet of the Taotie! Number... over a hundred! Target... is Kunlun Mountains! They're coming for us!"
Everyone looked up sharply and saw that in the distance, countless red dots of light, like a meteor shower, were rapidly plunging down towards the Mount Kunlun Range, leaving long trails of light!
At this very moment, the main force of the Taotie, in such a massive manner, is heading straight for Kunlun!
Was it a coincidence? Or... did they also sense the anomaly here, or receive some kind of instruction to prevent them from uncovering the secrets of this place?
"Prepare for battle!" Rena instantly entered battle mode, conjuring dazzling orbs of light in her hands.
Ge Xiaolun gripped his greatsword tightly and stood at the forefront.
Sanji and Jinbe flanked Allen and Robin.
Allen looked at the " Star Core Mark " in his hand, which still seemed to be slightly warm, and then at the rapidly approaching Taotie "meteor shower" in the sky. His eyes turned completely cold.
"It seems that some beings don't want us to know the truth."
"Then let's prove our path through battle!"
Before the ancient gates of Kunlun Snow Valley, pirates from another world and the guardians of Earth are about to face a true bloodbath on a scale far exceeding anything they've ever fought before!
This battle may directly determine whether a secret buried for millennia can see the light of day again.