The arrival of the angel was like throwing a block of ice into a boiling pot of oil, instantly freezing the atmosphere of the battlefield.
The remaining Taotie fleet ceased its futile attacks, hovering in the distance, seemingly awaiting new instructions—perhaps from the Death Song Academy, or perhaps from their own fear. The Void creature, severely wounded and shrunk by Allen, also stopped its meaningless writhing and shrieking, simply hovering in the air, constantly wriggling to heal its wounds. Its countless eyes warily watched the suddenly appearing angels, especially the leader Angel Yan.
In the Kunlun Snow Valley, the wind and snow seemed to be frozen by the desolate atmosphere.
Angel Yan hovered at the very front of the angelic procession. Her gaze, like the most precise scanner, slowly swept over every person and every ruin below, finally settling on Allen and the dark, yet still ancient and majestic, black gate behind him.
"An entity without Dark Energy as its driving force, yet capable of interfering with spacetime and even directly confronting and severely damaging Void pollution." Angel Yan's voice was cold and calm, revealing no emotion. "A ' Key ' from another world, yet able to resonate with the oldest relics of this planet."
Her gaze shifted to Ge Xiaolun and Rena: " The Super Soldier Company, the guardians of Earth, have allied themselves with these unknown beings without submitting any report to the Angel Nebula. Du Kao, it seems you've learned to keep things to yourself after the destruction of Deno."
Du Kao's voice came through the remote communication, calm and composed as ever. "Queen Yan, the situation is sudden and complex. We are also gradually getting to know our new ally. We have only just begun to investigate the ruins and the Void. We respect the ' Order of Justice ' of the angels, but in the face of crisis, Earth has the right to seek all possible assistance and protect its secrets."
"Crisis?" Angel Yan's lips curled into a faint smile, whether in approval or sarcasm was unclear. "What you face is likely more than just the invasion of the Taotie and demons. The Void, the greatest taboo in the known universe, Death God Karl has already crossed that line. And this," she pointed to the Void creation in the sky, "Is his 'masterpiece.' If left unchecked, it will spread its pollution from this planet throughout the entire galaxy."
"That's why we need to figure everything out!" Rena stepped forward, looking directly at Angel Yan, "Including the truth behind these ruins, including what the Void really is! Instead of sitting here guessing at each other!"
Angel Yan glanced at Rena, her tone softening slightly. " Light of the Sun, your straightforwardness remains unchanged. But some things cannot be resolved with mere passion and straightforwardness." Her gaze shifted back to Allen, "Otherworldly Being, you seem to know something. About this ruin, about the ' Key ' within you, about the Void... and why you are here."
Allen suppressed the slight ripples within his body caused by the continuous high-intensity battles and looked up to meet Angel Yan's gaze. He could sense the terrifying power contained within this Angel King, a highly ordered, pure, and powerful divine energy, completely different from his own Power of the Stars, yet equally unfathomable.
"I may not know more than you do," Allen said slowly, his voice equally calm. "We came to this world by accident, and all we want is to find our way home. This ruin is one of the clues we've discovered. As for the ' Star Core Mark ' within me, it comes from a deceased civilization in my world, and may be related to the builders of this ruin."
"As for the Void," Allen's eyes sharpened as he pointed at the Void creation, "It is a distorted, corrupted 'error' that attempts to deny the meaning of all existence. My power has a restraining effect on it; perhaps it's a coincidence, perhaps it's... design."
"Design?" Angel Yan keenly caught the word.
"We've just gleaned some fragments of information from this 'door,'" Robin said at the opportune moment, her voice carrying the calm and methodical quality characteristic of an archaeologist. "This civilization known as ' Kunlun Ruins,' in an era far older than human history, was attacked by a force called the ' Observers,' possessing 'distorting' and 'purifying' properties. To preserve their Spark, they dispersed some of their people and heritage to other worlds. This door is the unfinished coordinates of their return. And the ' Star Core Mark ' is likely the ' Key ' or 'identity certificate' they left for their dispersed descendants."
She paused, then looked at Angel Yan: "The last warning message the gate delivered was—'crisis is imminent,' and 'balance node.' Considering the current arrival of the Void power, we have reason to suspect that the ' Observers's ' distorting power that attacked the Kunlun Civilization back then, and the ' Void ' that Death God Karl is researching today, may share some common origin, or... be manifestations of the same threat at different times and in different forms. This relic, and another relic in the deep sea, may be 'balance nodes' they left behind to monitor and respond to this threat."
Robin's words were clear and logical, piecing together fragmented information into a conjecture that, while incomplete, was nonetheless quite shocking.
Angel Yan fell silent. The angels behind her also wore thoughtful expressions. The angels' knowledge base was vast and boundless, containing records of various ancient legends and civilization ruins in the universe, but there were few direct correspondences to the descriptions of this " Kunlun Ruins " civilization and the " Observers." However, the words "distortion," "purification," and "balance node," as well as the essential sense of "negation" and "contamination" brought about by the Void creation, forced her to take this conjecture seriously.
"If this conjecture is correct," the Angel Zhui, "Then the appearance of these visitors from another world may not be a simple coincidence. They returned with the ' Key,' causing the ruins to awaken as a warning... This might be a 'watchful' mechanism that transcends time and space being triggered."
"And what we need to do now," Ge Xiaolun interjected, "Is not to interrogate each other, but to figure out the truth together, and then... kill those bastards who want to drag this world (and possibly other worlds) into the Void!" He pointed to the Void creations in the sky and the Taotie fleet in the distance.
Angel Yan did not respond immediately. She looked at the black giant gate again, then at Allen, and finally her gaze swept over the ravaged battlefield and the remains that had been mutated by the Void spores.
After a few seconds of silence, she made her decision.
"The angels' justice lies in maintaining the order and balance of the known universe. The Void is the enemy of order, and any action that aids the Void will be judged by the angels." Angel Yan's voice became firm. "Based on the current information and the real threat of Void pollution, the angels temporarily approve your objective—investigate the ruins and fight against the Void."
She abruptly changed the subject, the tip of her Flame Sword slightly tilting towards Allen: "However, otherworldly beings, your very existence is a huge variable. Your power system, your origins, your ultimate purpose—the angels need to continuously observe and evaluate these. In the fight against the Void, the angels will provide necessary assistance, but reserve the final right to judge your actions."
This can be considered a fragile cooperation reached temporarily. Instead of directly confronting the unknown, the angels chose a more pragmatic approach—to first address the most pressing threat from the Void, while maintaining vigilance and observation of the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Sure," Allen readily agreed. As long as it didn't hinder their search for their way home and their fight against the enemy before them, he didn't care about being observed.
"Now," Angel Yan's gaze returned to the Void creation, "Let's deal with this source of contamination first. Its remaining spores pose a threat of spread and must be eliminated."
"It's difficult to completely destroy," Allen frowned. "My Light of Purification can severely damage it, but its core seems to be connected to a deeper source of Void energy, constantly regenerating. Unless we can simultaneously cut off its energy supply, or eradicate it at its source with a stronger purifying force."
"Sever the connection?" Angel Yan's eyes flashed. "Zhui, Leng, Lingxi, cooperate with me. Activate ' Holy Domain ' and ' Heavenly Blade Judgment ' to warm up. Try to temporarily isolate any possible Void energy links it may have using the divine energy field."
"Yes!" The three high-ranking guardian angels immediately flew to a specific location, forming a tetrahedral energy array with Angel Yan. They simultaneously raised their Flame Sword, and holy golden light surged from the swords and their bodies, quickly connecting and intertwining to form a huge golden energy cube that enveloped the Void creations— the Holy Domain!
The moment the domain took shape, the Void creation let out a painful groan. Its wriggling and regeneration speed within the domain slowed significantly, as if some invisible "nutrient" supply had been cut off.
"Now!" Angel Yan shouted.
"Leave it to me!" Allen understood and once again exerted all his Power of the Stars and Power of Zhulong, and an even larger and more condensed pillar of purification light condensed in his palm!
However, just as Allen's beam of light was about to shoot out, and the angel's judgment was about to descend—
Mutation and Regeneration!
The massive black gate, without warning, once again erupted with a powerful, dark golden light! This time, the light was no longer gentle, but filled with urgency, warning, and even a hint of... sorrow!
All the runes on the door flashed and swirled wildly, and finally all the light and energy, like rivers flowing into the sea, surged towards a single point in the very center of the door!
Immediately afterwards, a dark golden beam of light, more concentrated and clearer than before, shot out from the center of the door! But it wasn't aimed at the sky, nor at any enemy, but... directly at the ground of the snow valley!
Where the beam of light struck, the ice and snow instantly vaporized, revealing the ancient and hard rock beneath. Then, a breathtaking scene unfolded—
What the beam of light projected was not a star map, but a "holographic image"!
The background of the image is a vast and boundless starry sky, but the starry sky is eroded and covered by a gray, constantly writhing "mist". Wherever the mist passes, stars go out, space is distorted, and countless civilizations, creatures, and even planets themselves dissolve, collapse, and turn into meaningless clumps of Chaos matter in the mist.
Deep within that gray fog, one could vaguely discern an indescribably vast "outline" composed of countless geometric structures and twisted lines. It had no concrete form, but rather resembled a manifestation of a "concept"—"unification," "purification," and "ultimate silence."
Just seeing that outline sent an indescribable wave of despair, coldness, and a sense of being "denied" through the hearts of everyone present! Even Angel Yan's brows furrowed tightly, and her Holy Domain rippled as a result.
In the images, one can see countless fleets of civilizations of various shapes and sizes, and powerful individuals, rushing towards the gray fog one after another to launch attacks. Their attacks are enough to destroy stars, but in front of the gray fog, they are like pebbles thrown into the ocean, at most creating a few ripples before being completely swallowed up and assimilated.
Against this backdrop of despair, the focus of the footage shifts to a peculiar fleet. The style of that fleet is identical to the architectural style of the Kunlun Ruins! They are clearly not going to their deaths, but rather carrying out a plan.
The image shifts to show the core home planet of the Kunlun Ruins civilization (which is the outline of present-day Earth, but with completely different continental plates!). On the planet's surface, several enormous "gates" (including the black giant gate in front of us and the shape of deep-sea ruins) are being activated simultaneously. Countless spaceships, supplies, and even "orbs of light" enveloped by a special force field (suspected to be individuals or souls carrying information about the civilization) are pouring into these gates like rivers flowing into the sea.
A narrative-like flow of information (non-verbal, directly conveying concepts) floods into the consciousness of all viewers of the image:
• " The Observers, the Shadow of the End... Descends... Irresistible..."
• " Diversion Plan... Initiated... Preserving the Spark... Scattered Across the Xinghai..."
• "Balance node... establishment... monitoring... early warning... waiting... Key..."
" The Final Prophecy: When the shadows fall again, the Sparks rekindle, the door guides, and the journey home is also a journey of discovery..."
The final image shows the "outline" in the gray fog, seemingly "gazing" at the Kunlun Civilization carrying out its Diversion Plan. A beam of light, indescribable in color and imbued with an absolute will to "erasure," traverses the galaxy and shoots toward Earth (then Kunlun Homeworld )!
At the critical moment, the Kunlun Civilization seemed to activate some kind of ultimate defense, and the entire planet burst forth with unprecedented light, colliding with the beam of light!
The video abruptly ended amidst a violent flash of light and a silent roar.
The beam of light dissipated, and the holographic image vanished. The black giant gate seemed to have exhausted its last bit of power; all light was completely extinguished, and even a few fine cracks appeared on the gate, making its aura even more ancient and silent.
The snow valley was deathly silent.
Everyone was deeply moved by the images they had just seen, immersed in the tragic, desperate, and indomitable spirit that spanned billions of years.
That gray fog... that outline... that feeling of "erasing" everything...
"That is... the ' Observers '? Or rather, some form of it?" Ge Xiaolun's voice was somewhat hoarse.
" The Shadow of the End..." Robin murmured, repeating the name as she looked at Allen, "It has the same name as the Sea of Origins we purified."
Allen's heart pounded. The " Shadow of the End " he had faced in the Sea of Origins was a corrupted black cube, a shackle on the Baseline Consciousness of the universe. But what was shown in the image was a gray mist and outline capable of devouring galaxies and erasing civilizations... Although the forms and scales were vastly different, how similar were their essences of "distortion," "unification," and "denial of existence"!
Could it be that the " Shadow of the End " contamination of the One Piece world and the " Observers - Shadow of the End " attack encountered in this ancient era of the universe share the same root cause, or are they simply manifesting in different forms under different worlds and rules?
And the Kunlun Civilization's Diversion Plan... the " Spark scattered across the Xinghai "... could it be that Devil Fruit, Ancient Weapon, the Will of D., or even these "abnormal" beings... are all " Spark " or "legacy" that were scattered to other worlds after that ancient catastrophe and evolved from them?
Their arrival in this world may not truly be a coincidence!
" The Key... the reunion of Sparks... the journey home is also a journey of conquest..." Angel Yan repeated the final prophecy in a low voice, her gaze becoming incredibly profound, "If this prophecy is true... then your arrival, the awakening of these ruins, the activity of the Void (perhaps a form of 'the return of the shadows')... all of this may be a preordained 'gathering' that transcends dimensions and time."
She looked at Allen, her scrutiny no longer merely wary, but carrying a more complex meaning. "Others, the 'path home' you seek may not be as simple as returning to your world. It could be a path connecting the past and the future, intertwined with the fates of multiple worlds."
Allen clenched his fist. More and more pieces of the truth were emerging, the puzzle was coming together, but the picture being revealed was becoming increasingly grand and heavy.
The road home seems to be inextricably linked to an ancient war and a mission of redemption that spans endless time and space.
Just then, Lian Feng's emergency communication came through again, her voice filled with unprecedented anxiety and a hint of... fear:
"Urgent report from Newborn Island! The Triangle Bodies Army has broken through the defenses! They... they didn't attack the island, but instead all rushed towards the Deep Sea Ruins! The core of the ruins' device is being forcibly activated by the Triangle Bodies Army's psychic field! Energy readings are soaring abnormally! Moreover... similar gray fog energy signatures to those in the Kunlun Giant Gate image have been detected, seeping from the seawater surrounding the Deep Sea Ruins!"
"What?!" Everyone's expression changed drastically.
The ruins of Kunlun had just revealed past disasters, and now the ruins of the deep sea are showing signs of "gray fog" energy?
Could it be that the true purpose of the Triangle Bodies... or rather, the beings behind them, is to awaken or activate the remaining power of the " Shadow of the End " within the ruins?!
"We must get back to Newborn Island immediately!" Allen said without hesitation.
"Agreed!" Du Kao's voice rang out, "The Super Soldier Company Corps is assembling and heading to provide support! Angels..."
Angel Yan replied without hesitation, "The Angel Fleet will provide fire support and intercept any potential alien reinforcements in outer space. Zhui, Leng, you two will come with me to the waters around Newborn Island. Lingxi, you will lead the others to continue purifying the Void remnants in the Kunlun region and attempt to repair and further study this door."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
" Xiaolun, Rena, you and Allen return immediately! Qiangwei, use the Wormhole for the fastest possible long-distance teleportation!" Du Kao ordered.
"Clear!"
Du Qiangwei immediately began calculating coordinates and constructing a large, stable Wormhole leading to the vicinity of Newborn Island.
Allen took one last look at the silent, massive black door; the cracks on its doors seemed to tell of countless ages of vicissitudes and unfulfilled responsibilities.
The journey home, the journey ahead.
The answer may lie in that deep sea that is being shrouded in gray fog.
Without time to hesitate, the group quickly entered the Wormhole.
Amidst the dizzying sensation of traversing space, the final prophecy of the giant gate Echo in Allen's mind:
When shadows fall again, Sparks rekindle, doors guide, and the journey home is also a journey of discovery...
These " Sparks " from another world have reunited.
And the "shadow" seems to be opening its eyes once more from its ancient slumber.
The real test may have only just begun.