The truth revealed by W7 was like a Boulder thrown into a calm lake, powerful enough to shake our understanding. In the following days, a peculiar atmosphere permeated Ark Maxim —after the initial shock came deeper reflection and determination.
Under the continuous nurturing of Allen's Power of the Stars and Franky's assistance in adjusting, W7's condition gradually stabilized. The unlocked core memory, like a fragment of Key, pried open more related, previously vague or chaotic information in its memory bank. Although most of it was still incomplete, some key threads began to become clear.
Robin stayed by W7's side almost constantly, like a diligent student, recording every word it uttered and every fragmented description. She attempted to integrate and cross-reference W7's knowledge, information from the Kunlun Ruins, research on the mythology of Earth's Super God Academy, and historical fragments from the One Piece world.
"According to W7's fragmented memories, their civilization viewed the ' Sea of Origin ' as the source of all possibilities, rules, and life, akin to an infinite-dimensional 'database' or 'blueprint library,'" Robin explained her deduction to her gathered companions at a hastily convened "Truth Seminar." "And the 'Mirror Image of the Sea of Origin ' might be a 'projection' or 'subset' of this source within a specific dimension or set of rules. In their final moments, W7's civilization, through some unimaginable technology, projected their civilization's 'existential imprint'—an 'information package' condensing their history, culture, technology, and Psionic Energy essence—directly onto a specific area of this 'Mirror Image.'"
She pulled up the star map and pointed to a blurry region of stars that W7 had marked as a " Possibility Turbulence Zone ": "W7 speculates that their ' Beacon ' likely fell into this area. The spatial structure here is exceptionally complex and unpredictable, filled with turbulent currents of creation and annihilation, but also thus filled with... infinite possibilities of 'evolution.' Like a highly active 'petri dish.'"
"And everything in our world..." Nami interjected, her tone incredulous, " Devil Fruit, Haki, Seastone, Ancient Weapon... even the unique climate of the Grand Line, Sky Island, Fish-Man Island... are all products of this 'information package' interacting with, evolving, and even 'mutating' the rules of the 'mirror image' itself over countless years?"
"Highly likely." Robin nodded. "The 'rule-granting' of Devil Fruit might be the manifestation of some kind of ' Psionic Energy authority' or 'technological template' from the 'information package. 'Haki might be an adaptive evolution of the concepts of life potential and will interfering with matter from the 'information package.' The Will of D. might carry the collective unconscious imprint of the last 'resistance' and 'freedom' that destroyed civilization."
"That Void Century, the history that the World Government has tried so hard to cover up..." Jinbe said in a deep voice.
"It likely involves the impact and integration of the 'information package' on the indigenous civilizations in its early stages, as well as... the wars and cover-ups caused by certain entities (such as Imu ) attempting to monopolize or distort this 'legacy.'" Robin's tone turned cold. " Laugh Tale, as the Laugh Tale, is very likely the core landing point of the 'information package,' or it may contain the most complete 'initial records' and 'control permissions.'"
Luffy picked his nose, feeling a little dizzy from all the complicated stuff, but he grasped the core idea. "So, the way home, and to find the answers to all our questions, we have to go to Laugh Tale! Right?"
"Yes, Captain," Allen affirmed, "And now, more than ever, we understand the 'meaning' of going there. Not just for ONE PIECE, not just for the blank history, but also... to respond to a call and entrustment from a distant, devastating universe, transcending life and death."
"And," he looked at W7, "It's also to help you find... other clues that might exist, related to your home civilization. If the ' Beacon ' can evolve into a complete world, then what about the other 'arks'? What about your 'mother ark'? Have they also drifted to other 'mirrors' or dimensions?"
W7's V-shaped light band flashed steadily. "My core protocol has been updated. Escorting and witnessing your arrival at the ' Beacon Evolution Core ' ( Laugh Tale ), and recording its current state and inherent 'possibilities,' has become one of my highest priorities. This aligns with my original mission—to observe the growth of the 'Seed of Hope.'"
It paused, then continued, "Furthermore, according to the partial navigation logs I've repaired, my route to your world coordinates passed through several star systems marked as 'suspected Ark signal remnants' or 'advanced lost civilization ruins.' One of these deviates from our current route by about 15%. If you don't mind taking a slight detour... perhaps we could investigate along the way. The technological relics or information remnants that may exist there might further repair my system or provide more clues about ' The End,' ' The Void, ' and the structure of the universe."
"A detour?" Nami immediately checked the star map and energy reserves. "The deviation is minor, energy consumption is within acceptable limits, and the estimated time will increase by... 7 to 10 Earth days. Allen?"
Allen looked at his crew. Luffy was the first to raise his hand. "An adventure! Of course we'll go! Maybe there's treasure!"
Zoro crossed his arms. "As long as there's a fight, that's fine."
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring. "As long as it doesn't interfere with the ladies' ( Nami and Robin ) search for the Poneglyph and their way home, I have no objections."
The others echoed their agreement. For a group of pirates whose very genes were adventure, the allure of exploring unknown, lost civilizations was no less than the allure of returning home.
"Alright, let's adjust the course then." Allen made the decision. "W7, please provide the exact coordinates. Franky, optimize the route and ensure the energy and life support systems have sufficient redundancy. Nami, closely monitor the navigation environment."
"SUPER~ Got it!" "Leave it to me!"
The Ark Maxim traced a graceful arc through the Xinghai, heading towards the new coordinates indicated by W7.
The target star system is located on the edge of a desolate spiral arm, with sparse stars and dim stardust. According to W7's description, this was once a frontier colony or observation station of an ancient interstellar civilization. This civilization suddenly declined tens of thousands of years ago for unknown reasons, and its main star system has become a dangerous radiation wasteland and a space rift zone, with only a few marginal relics possibly remaining.
After several days of sub-light-speed travel ( the Ark Maxim did not perform a space jump to conserve energy and carefully scan the environment), they arrived at the outer edge of their target star system.
The sight before us was breathtaking.
It is not the planetary ruins or space station wreckage one might imagine.
Instead, it was an extremely vast, seemingly static "nebula" composed of countless fragments of enormous geometric shapes!
These geometric fragments, some as large as small planets and others several kilometers long, were made of neither gold nor stone, displaying a dark gold, silver, and bronze hue. Their surfaces were covered with exquisitely detailed mechanical patterns and remnants of energy conduits. They floated silently in the vacuum, maintaining a delicate distance from each other, like a grand symphony suddenly frozen at its climax. Occasionally, tiny arcs of electricity flickered between the fragments, or streams of eerie blue energy briefly lit up and then extinguished like blood vessels, proving that this behemoth was not completely "dead."
"Is this... a ship?" Usopp's mouth dropped open. "Or... a city?"
"More like... part of a civilization's 'mobile ark' or 'ultimate fortress.'" W7's voice carried a hint of solemnity and... a familiar tremor. "The energy signature... partially matches some records from 'Lost Eras' in my database. But the damage level... exceeds 97%. Life signs... none. Weak, disordered automated defense systems and residual energy fields detected. Hazard level: low to medium, but unknown variables exist."
"Can we go in?" Franky's eyes were already sparkling. "SUPER! It's spectacular! The technology! The scale! If we could find an intact energy core or the main control database..."
"Entering en masse is not recommended," W7 analyzed. "The internal structure is unknown, and the energy field is unstable, which may trigger residual defense mechanisms or cause a chain reaction of collapses. It is suggested to send out small reconnaissance units to explore from the relatively stable debris areas on the periphery. My ' Phase Adaptability ' can, to some extent, circumvent or neutralize the residual automated warning systems."
" Zoro, Sanji, Franky (General Form), W7, and I will go in." Allen quickly assigned tasks. " Nami, Robin, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and Jinbe will stay on the ship to maintain vigilance and provide long-range support. Luffy..."
"I want to go too!" Luffy shouted immediately.
" Luffy, you stay here as a last resort and a source of mobility." Allen looked at him earnestly. "If we run into trouble, we'll need your strength to break the deadlock from the outside. Also, the ship needs someone to keep things in order."
Luffy was somewhat reluctant, but he knew Allen was right, especially when it came to such an unknown, massive ruin. "Alright... then you guys better hurry back! If you find any meat... no, if you find any treasure, you have to share it with me!"
Soon, a small reconnaissance boat, hastily modified by Franky and partially coated with anti-detection material provided by W7, carrying Allen and his five companions (plus W7), flew cautiously toward the solidified metallic nebula.
The closer you get, the more you can feel the grandeur and exquisite craftsmanship of these ruins. Upon closer inspection, the patterns on those fragments are not simple decorations, but rather some kind of extremely complex energy circuits or information codes. Even though they are severely damaged, they still exude an awe-inspiring aesthetic beauty. Occasionally, you can see huge structures that resemble temple pillars, or menacing protrusions that look like turret bases.
They chose a relatively small fragment that looked like an external armor plate or living quarters module as the entry point. The fragment had a huge gash on its surface with smooth edges, as if it had been cut open by some kind of extreme energy.
The reconnaissance boat slowly entered the crevice. Inside was a deep, dark passage, illuminated only by the searchlights on the boat and the eerie blue light emanating from the W7 itself. The walls of the passage were also made of that exquisite metal material, filled with pipes and wiring connections, but most of them were broken or charred. The air (or rather, the former air circulation system) had long since disappeared, leaving only absolute vacuum and deathly silence.
"No signs of life... not even a trace of microbial activity." W7 scanned its surroundings. "Energy depletion... destruction time... cannot be precisely determined, at least tens of thousands of years ago. Strange... such a massive creation, so thoroughly destroyed, yet without any obvious signs of explosion or impact... more like...'withered from the inside.'"
They cautiously ventured deeper into the main passage. Franky's scanner beeped incessantly, recording material data and residual energy along the way. Zoro and Sanji flanked them, keeping watch for any possible movement.
Suddenly, W7 stopped, its V-shaped light beam pointing towards a seemingly ordinary wall to its side. "Abnormal energy fluctuation detected... very weak, periodic... similar to... a dormant backup energy node, or... a low-power information storage unit."
Franky immediately stepped forward, his robotic arm deploying various detection tools. "There's a hidden interface here! The energy patterns show faint activity! SUPER~ Attempt docking!"
After a series of complex operations (including an old universal decoding protocol provided by W7), the wall slowly slid open, revealing a small, sealed compartment behind it. In the center of the compartment, there was a device half-embedded in the ground, resembling a crystal pillar, with a fist-sized, dull, multifaceted crystal on top.
Just as Franky was about to examine it further, the dim crystal suddenly lit up without warning!
It wasn't a blinding light, but a soft, flowing light that seemed to be a mixture of gold and silver, emanating from within the crystal. It began to flow and converge in the cabin, eventually coalescing into a blurry, semi-transparent humanoid figure of light and shadow before them.
The silhouette of light and shadow vaguely resembled a "person" dressed in an ancient robe, with an indistinct face. It had no physical form, but was merely a projection of pure energy and information. An aged, weary, yet somewhat liberated "voice" resounded directly in their consciousness:
"Those who come after... no matter where you come from... being able to trigger this final ' Watcher Log ' proves that you hold... a Key to 'resonance'..."
"No need for surprise, no need for fear. We... the last watchtower of the ' Star Scar Civilization,' are about to... completely vanish."
"Recording time... is meaningless. Recording event: ' The Great Silence '."
The "sound" of light and shadow is intermittent, as if it might dissipate at any moment:
"We once gazed at the stars, wove laws, and built a home spanning the galaxies... We thought we had touched the threshold of 'eternity'..."
"Until...'it' arrives."
"Without warning, without form... only the collapse of rules, the reversal of logic, the blurring and dissolution of the meaning of existence. We call it... ' the Concept Erosion.'"
"It devours light, devours matter, devours energy... and ultimately, devours ' Definition ' itself. Our warships 'forgot' they were warships in the Void, transforming into a chaotic stream of elementary particles. Our warriors 'forgot' the meaning of battle in their charge, standing frozen in place, turning to dust. Our sages 'forgot' knowledge and logic, annihilating themselves in frenzied whispers..."
"All order, all meaning, the very foundation of all 'existence' is being slowly 'erased'..."
"We tried everything... energy barriers, dimensional folding, time loops, logic locks... nothing worked. ' Concept Erosion ' Transcendence all realms of our understanding..."
"Finally, we understood. Resistance... was pointless. Preservation... was hopeless."
"Thus, we launched the ' Silent Ark ' project. Gathering our last strength and clear-headed will, we built this ' End Stele Forest' —not a tomb, but... the final 'observation station' and 'warning device'."
"We compressed and encrypted all of civilization's history, knowledge, emotions, and proof of its existence... and injected them into these 'memory crystals' (the light and shadow pointed to the crystals behind them), scattering them throughout the Stele Forest. They were programmed to activate only when they detected energy characteristics that were the exact opposite of ' Concept Erosion,' representing 'ordered existence,' 'unyielding will,' and 'resonance of possibility'... for the last time."
"We don't know if there will be successors... we don't know if this warning will be useful... and we don't know if the ' Concept Erosion ' is the end of everything..."
"We only hope... if you hear these words... if your civilization has not yet met the same fate..."
"Be wary of the inexplicable loosening of rules... be wary of the quiet collapse of logic... be wary of the silent loss of 'meaning'..."
"That might be... a sign that 'it' is approaching..."
"To seek... the 'origin'... to understand... the essence of 'existence'... perhaps... there is still a glimmer of hope..."
The sounds of light and shadow grew fainter and fainter, and the forms began to dissipate.
Before disappearing completely, that blurry "face" seemed to "look" at W7, and also seemed to pass through W7, looking towards the more distant, destroyed homeland that W7 represented.
The final message, tinged with deep weariness and a barely perceptible... resonant sense of doubt, entered everyone's consciousness:
"You possess... an aura of 'end'... yet also carry... the glimmer of 'new life'..."
"So... we're not alone after all..."
"May you... find... a different... answer..."
The light and shadow completely dissipated. The crystal also exhausted its last bit of energy, becoming completely dim and shattered, turning into a pile of dull powder.
Inside the cabin, deathly silence returned.
Only the eerie blue light of W7 and the heavy breathing of everyone inside their spacesuits could be heard.
"' Concept Erosion '..." Robin's voice came through the communicator, which she had been listening to the entire time. "It sounds... like the 'Negation of Existence' and 'Oneness of All Things' of ' Shadow of the End, ' as well as the 'Distortionary Rules' of Void Energy... in essence, it seems to describe the same thing? Just different civilizations, observing and naming the same ultimate threat from different angles?"
"The possibility is very high." W7's voice was more solemn than ever before. "My creator civilization was directly devoured by the ' Shadow of the End.' This ' Star Scar Civilization ' suffered from the ' Concept Erosion.' Earth 'Super God Academy is studying the ' Void '... Perhaps, these are all different 'branches' growing from the same 'Tree of Destruction,' and their roots... may point to a more ancient and fundamental 'rule-based catastrophe' or 'cosmic disease.'"
Allen felt the tremor in his heart caused by those last words. Yet another glorious civilization had silently perished in despair, leaving only a final, silent warning.
They explored the ruins, hoping to find clues to repair W7 or ancient technology.
Unexpectedly, they heard the dying whispers of another civilization that had been destroyed.
The phrase, "You all possess... an aura of 'end'... yet also carry... the glimmer of 'new life'...", undoubtedly points to W7 and these "newborn Spark " who journeyed alongside W7.
"Collect all the 'Memory Crystal' fragments you can find, even if they're just remnants," Allen said in a deep voice. " Franky, scan the entire fragment area and mark all nodes with similar energy reactions. W7, try using your ' Phase Adaptability ' and Psionic Energy frequency to see if you can activate any other nodes that haven't been completely depleted yet."
"Then... we'll leave here as soon as possible."
This " End Stele Forest " carries an overwhelming weight of despair and warning.
But they must take this information with them. It is a responsibility, and also... something Sparks must remember—darkness takes many forms.
And their journey home, after collecting yet another heavy piece of the puzzle, seems to point to something even deeper and more dangerous...