The Exile-W7's movement onto the deck wasn't walking, but a precise, almost silent magnetic levitation. It stepped onto the silver metal deck, its gray armor appearing even more stark under the soft, built-in lighting of the Ark Maxim. The atmosphere on the ship became somewhat subtle—a mixture of curiosity, wariness, and a barely perceptible hint of sympathy.
Franky was the first to approach, his mechanical eyes flashing red as he scanned the new "passenger" up and down, exclaiming "SUPER~ Interesting!" "This bio-mechanical integration! The arrangement of the energy circuits! I've never seen anything like it before! This material... it's like a shape-memory superconducting alloy? Signs of self-repair in the damaged parts... though slow, it definitely exists!"
W7's V-shaped light band turned towards Franky, its voice calm. "You are... an engineer. Your scan accuracy is very high. My basic architecture is based on ' Psionic Energy -quantum-biological synergistic materials,' possessing a certain potential for self-repair and evolution. However, the core memory bank and some advanced functional modules are severely damaged, and conventional repair methods... are inefficient."
" Psionic Energy? Quantum? Biosynergy?" Franky rubbed his hands together excitedly (despite being metal hands). "Can I see the internal structure diagram? No, I don't need a specific diagram, just... an energy flow diagram will do! Perhaps I can use the properties of Star Core energy to help you stimulate those 'dormant' circuits!"
W7 paused for a moment, seemingly assessing the risks, then the V-shaped light band flickered slightly, and a beam of pale blue light projected an extremely complex, multi-dimensional, interwoven energy network diagram from its chest. "Some non-core circuits... can be displayed. Do not attempt to interfere with the core memory bank area; there are... unpredictable risks."
Franky immediately seized the opportunity, dragging W7 towards his "SUPER~ Lab" while muttering various technical terms. W7 didn't seem to resist this kind of "research," perhaps because its long, lonely wandering had made it hold a faint hope for any form of "interaction" and "possible repair."
"What a... weird guy." Sanji lit a cigarette and watched them leave.
"But it just helped us," Robin said softly. "And its story... if it's true, it's so tragic." The last survivor of the universe, burdened with a warning mission, drifting alone in the Void, his memories shattered, his home gone... The weight of it all made even this seasoned historian's heart ache.
"Alright, alright! Anyway, let's have a feast to celebrate our escape!" Luffy's loud voice broke the somewhat heavy atmosphere. " Sanji! Meat! I want to eat meat! And my new friend too! Even though he doesn't seem to eat..."
"Who says I don't need energy replenishment?" W7's voice suddenly came from the direction of Franky's lab, carrying a faint, almost mocking tone. "My ' Psionic Energy core' can be replenished by absorbing cosmic radiation of specific frequencies and high-purity energy crystals. Of course, I can't experience the 'taste' and 'social significance' of organic compounds."
"Eh? We can eat? That's even better!" Luffy was even more excited. " Sanji! Make more!"
The banquet was held in the main cabin. Although W7 stood quietly in a corner, occasionally "absorbing" a high-energy compressed crystal (a gift from Earth) that Sanji had specially placed in front of it, its V-shaped light band flickered softly, seemingly observing and recording this gathering full of laughter, playfulness, and genuine emotions. It watched Luffy and Usopp "fight" over the last piece of roast meat, watched Nami pull Sanji's ear and scold him for being so attentive to "metal men," watched Chopper and Brook play strange yet cheerful music, watched Zoro and Jinbe drink silently together, watched Robin smiling as she recorded everything, and watched Allen sitting calmly to the side, his eyes constantly watching each of his crewmates...
Something called "bond" or "warmth," which its database could not fully parse, flowed quietly on this ship.
As the banquet drew to a close, W7 suddenly spoke up, his voice still calm, yet seemingly warmer than ever. "Your... group interaction mode is efficient, disorderly, full of variables, yet possesses extremely high... resilience. This is different from most of the 'last Spark ' carriers I know."
"A carrier of the Spark?" Robin keenly grasped the key phrase. "Someone like you?"
"Including, but not limited to." W7's V-shaped beam of light swept over the crowd. "Physical creations, gene Seed, consciousness data packets, codes of civilization... they come in various forms. But most choose the ultimate order, cryopreservation, or hiding in dimensional rifts to maximize the probability of 'continuation.' Those like you... so high-profile, active, constantly challenging the unknown and dangers, and placing 'emotional connection' at such a central position... are extremely rare."
"Because we're pirates!" Luffy mumbled, his mouth full of meat. "Pirates are all about adventuring freely!"
"Freedom... adventure..." W7 repeated softly, the V-shaped light band flickering, "My creators... in their final moments, debated similar concepts. Should they choose the absolutely rational 'Ark' project, preserving as much of civilization's 'data' and 'samples' as possible, or... go all in, using their last strength for a hopeless 'counterattack,' leaving 'freedom' and 'existence' themselves with a... symbolic period."
Its voice was calm and even, but everyone could sense that beneath those calm words lay the final and most painful choice a civilization faced with ultimate destruction.
"They... chosen the 'Ark'?" Allen asked.
"... Yes. Most of the power was used to build the 'Ark'—that is, me and my kind, and the ' Seed Vault' that holds the essence of civilization. A small portion of the power... executed the counterattack codenamed ' Sunset Afterglow.' The details of the counterattack... are not fully recorded in my memory bank, only some fragments: light, roars, and... the silence that was ultimately swallowed by the gray fog." W7's V-shaped light band seemed to dim for a moment. "My damage stemmed partly from the aftershocks of that counterattack, and partly from... the encounter when crossing the barrier."
"So, besides you, did any other 'arks' successfully escape?" Robin pressed.
"... Unknown. My navigation and communication systems were severely damaged during the traversal, losing contact with the 'Mother Ark' and other possible entities. I only know my mission: to record, observe, issue warnings, and search for...'possibilities'."
"Possibility?" Nami asked curiously.
"To confront ' The End,' or... to prove the meaning of 'existence' itself in the face of ' The End '... the possibility." W7's tone carried an almost sacred sense of mission. "Your appearance, your power, your 'bonds'... perhaps represent a new 'possibility.' This is one of the reasons I agreed to travel with you temporarily. I need to... observe, record, and analyze."
Over the next few days, they sailed through a relatively stable star system. Franky stayed almost inseparable from W7, constantly trying various methods to stimulate and repair W7's damaged circuits. Occasionally, he could cause a new light to appear or a slight hum to be emitted from a certain part of W7's armor, but the core memory bank remained as if it were sealed by solid ice.
Robin often engages in lengthy conversations with W7, attempting to glean clues about the " Shadow of the End," the "essence of the Void," the "structure of the universe," and even the "relationship between rules and will" from its fragmented yet profoundly complex knowledge base. W7's knowledge is incredibly vast and profound, with many concepts that Robin currently struggles to fully comprehend, but she absorbs it voraciously, constantly enriching her understanding of the truth of the universe.
Allen, on the other hand, spent more time training and meditating. His encounters with the " Erosion Realm " and W7 led him to rethink the " Light of Purification " and the " Power of the Stars." W7 had mentioned that its creators considered " Psionic Energy " (an energy deeply bound to life consciousness and emotions) as one of the keys to combating the " Void of the End," which coincided with their experience of igniting the " Sparks " with "willpower." Allen began to explore more deeply the connection between his own power and "willpower" and "belief," rather than just the application of energy.
On this day, Allen was in a solitary meditation room, trying to sink his consciousness into the depths of the " Star Core Mark." Since the " Sparks " was ignited, the imprint seemed to have become more active, and its connection with his soul had become stronger.
When he focused his mind on the core of the imprint, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
It was no longer a meditation room, but a... Chaos Void.
The Void was not empty; rather, it was filled with indescribable, ever-changing light and shadow, and whispers. He "saw" shattered planets, dissolving galaxies, and the silhouettes of countless civilizations silently annihilating in the gray fog... These images were fragmented and disjointed, filled with an atmosphere of despair and impending doom.
Are they fragments of memory from the " Shadow of the End "? Or are they ancient horrors recorded in the Star Core Mark?
Just as Allen was trying to calm himself and discern the truth, a voice, or rather a "feeling," pierced through the Chaos whispers and clearly reached his consciousness.
The sensation didn't originate from within the mark, but rather... from the outside? From... the direction of W7?!
Allen suddenly opened his eyes, instantly activating the Eye of the Torch Dragon, which pierced through the cabin walls and looked in the direction of Franky's laboratory.
Inside the laboratory, W7 stood silently in the center, its azure core flashing at an unprecedented frequency, releasing intense energy fluctuations. Franky was pushed against the wall by a gentle yet resilient energy field, staring in disbelief.
Through the Eye of the Torch Dragon, Allen clearly "saw" that deep within the core of W7, there was an extremely complex "memory crystal" that was heavily sealed, and it was vibrating violently at that moment! The frequency of its vibration... was actually in extremely faint but real synchronization with a certain ancient "resonance" felt deep within the Star Core Mark!
It was as if the activity of the Star Core Mark had inadvertently become Key, triggering a long-forgotten lock in the W7 core memory bank... a lock that even W7 itself had forgotten!
"W7! What happened?" Allen appeared instantly at the laboratory door and asked in a deep voice.
W7 did not answer; its V-shaped light strip flickered wildly, and its entire body trembled slightly, as if enduring a massive information shock. A cold, electronic voice sounded intermittently, mixed with chaotic, overlapping Echo that seemed to come from different times and spaces:
"Alert... Highest priority... Detected...' Origin Resonance '... Coordinates... Confirmed..."
"... The Sunset Afterglow... is not an attack... it's...'sowing seeds'..."
"... The Spark... is more than just data... it's... an 'brand'... a 'call'..."
"... find... the 'source of resonance'... find... the 'lighthouse' of the 'path home'..."
"... Warning! Warning! Memory conflict... Logic lock failure... Core protocol... Reassessment..."
After the final sharp electronic sound, W7's azure Light of the Heart suddenly went out, its entire body stiffened, and it fell backward, only to be caught by Franky with lightning speed.
"What... what's wrong with it?" Franky examined W7. "Energy core overload? No... it's a consciousness-level shock! Its ' Psionic Energy core' fluctuations are extremely chaotic!"
Allen strode forward and placed his hand on the W7's cold armor, slowly channeling pure Power of the Stars mixed with a soothing intent.
A moment later, the V-shaped light strip on W7 lit up again, but the light was dim and flickering. It slowly "looked" at Allen, its voice weak, yet carrying an unprecedented mix of excitement and confusion.
" Allen... I just... received a core memory message... that was deeply encrypted, and might even have been 'actively forgotten' by myself." W7's voice was filled with electronic noise. "The message indicates... the final operation of my creator civilization, codenamed ' Sunset Afterglow '... was not a simple suicidal counterattack."
It paused, seemingly processing the explosive information.
"That was a... targeted, dimensional- Transcendence 'conceptual projection.' They condensed the last 'essence of Psionic Energy ' and 'imprint of existence' of civilization into a special ' Seed '... or rather, a ' Beacon.' Then, using the brief but intense 'rule rift' created when the ' Shadow of the End ' devoured everything, they projected this ' Beacon '... onto the 'mirror ripples' of the ' Sea of Origin' —that is, a certain mapping level of the 'cosmic Baseline Consciousness,' which is completely opposite in nature to the power of the ' End ' and has given birth to countless possibilities and lives."
W7's V-shaped light band was fixed on Allen, or rather, on the " Star Core Mark " within Allen's body that was beginning to heat up.
"And just now... the activation of your ' Star Core Mark ' resonated with that locked memory deep within my core, creating an ' Origin Resonance.'"
"This strongly suggests... that your civilization, your world, the source of your power... is very likely the 'newborn Spark ' conceived and evolved in the 'mirror image' of the last civilization from my home universe, a ' Beacon ' that transcended destruction and rebirth, within the ' Sea of Origin '!"
"And I... or rather, my creators, in the very end, did not merely want to preserve the 'data' of civilization..."
"They did it for the universe they destroyed, and for all worlds that might be threatened by ' the End '..."
"A seed of hope has been planted, waiting for the day when it can guide the 'homecoming' and ignite a ' Sparks ' against the 'shadow'..."
The laboratory was deathly silent.
Only W7's weak yet powerful words echoed in the air.
Allen felt the Star Core Mark within his body pulsating with an unprecedented warmth and power.
As if in response to that which transcends the birth and death of the universe, originating from a distant, destroyed homeland...
An ancient call.