The " Higher-Dimensional Information Turbulence Zone," as its name suggests, is an extremely special spatial structure in the universe. It is not an ordinary nebula or galaxy, but rather a region composed of countless layers of folded, twisted, and interpenetrating spatial dimensions, and the almost eternal turbulent flow of information and energy generated by the conflicting rules between these dimensions. Ordinary physical laws become unreliable here, and the concepts of time and space often exhibit incomprehensible phenomena.
Thanks to the encrypted Sea Route charts provided by Cruiser-073, Ark Maxim, like a nimble petrel navigating through turbulent reefs, meanders along relatively stable "safe passages" marked by predecessors. Even so, the voyage is by no means easy.
The familiar starry sky outside the porthole was no longer a sight to behold, but a bizarre and surreal scene. Twisted bands of light, like colorful silk being kneaded by an invisible giant hand, would shift from left to right, and occasionally, without warning, a slowly rotating, swirling, multicolored nebula would appear ahead, with fragments of celestial bodies and incomprehensible geometric structures floating within. Space itself seemed to possess "weight" and "flow," and the spaceship had to constantly adjust its power output and attitude to counteract those invisible pulls and thrusts.
"Spatial readings are fluctuating wildly! A temporary gravity well has appeared at the seven o'clock position, and its intensity is increasing!" Nami stared intently at the screen, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard, constantly correcting the course. " Franky, power up the third and fourth Jet Wind Dial on the starboard side! Stabilize the ship!"
"SUPER~ Understood! Energy output increased by 15%!" Franky responded from the cockpit.
"W7, how's the detection going on your end?" Allen asked. W7's " Phase Adaptability " and Psionic Energy perception are sometimes more effective than purely technological instruments in this chaotic region.
"At a distance of 0.3 light-seconds ahead, there exists an 'information sedimentation zone.'" W7's voice came through the internal communication, tinged with caution. "A large amount of chaotic spacetime information, energy afterimages, and even fragments of biological consciousness have been gathered and compressed during the long period of chaos, forming a structure similar to 'memory amber' or 'holographic fossils.' Rushing through may result in information shocks or spacetime projection interference."
"Can we bypass it?" Robin asked, filled with both academic curiosity and a keen awareness of the potential dangers posed by these "information fossils."
"According to the Sea Route chart, this is the only way to the next stable node. However, Sea Route chart marks a 'low-interference channel' that passes through the edge of the 'sedimentation zone,' where the risk is manageable," W7 analyzed. "It is recommended to reduce speed and strengthen mental protection, especially for Mr. Brook and Ms. Robin, whose resistance to influences at the consciousness level is relatively unique and requires close attention."
Following W7's guidance, Ark Maxim carefully sailed into the edge of the "sedimentation zone." Sure enough, as soon as they entered this area, everyone immediately felt a strange "viscous" sensation, as if the spaceship was not flying in space, but traveling through some kind of translucent gel.
Blurred, ever-changing fragments of images began to appear all around. Sometimes it was the silhouette of a magnificent city on some strange planet, which in an instant transformed into the afterglow of interstellar battles; sometimes it was the phantom of some never-before-seen behemoth swimming in a nebula, which in the next second turned into a river of countless tiny, microbial-like specks of light. Even intermittent sounds could be heard—not transmitted through the air, but acting directly on the level of consciousness: the clanging of metal, the hissing of energy, the cries of creatures, the whispers of incomprehensible words... all mixed together, forming a Chaos background noise.
"These are all... Echo of events that happened here in the past?" Usopp clutched his head, feeling a little dizzy.
"The unstable spacetime structure, coupled with a high concentration of free information and residual energy, causes 'traces' of the past to be solidified and occasionally 'replayed,'" W7 explained. "Most of them are harmless, just holographic illusions. However, a few strong 'information clumps' or 'remnants of obsession' may have a more significant impact on consciousness."
Before the words were finished, on the left side of the Sea Route ahead, an exceptionally dense "information mass" suddenly fluctuated violently, and an image with a clarity far exceeding the others burst forth from it!
It was an extremely elegant spaceship, seemingly composed of crystal and light, but at this moment it was tightly bound by several dark purple, tentacle-like energy beams, its hull covered with cracks and burn marks. In the image, one could "see" inside the spaceship, where several silver-white figures, similar in style to the Cruiser-073 but with more antique decorations, were struggling to control something, their faces (or rather, the patterns on their faces) filled with determination and... pity.
Immediately following, an even larger, more distorted shadow emerged from the depths of the image, emanating a suffocating aura of "negation" similar to that of the " Shadow of the End " and the " Concept Erosion." The image abruptly ended the moment the shadow completely engulfed the crystal spaceship, leaving only a silent "explosion" of white light and the ensuing, intense "emotional aftershocks" of grief and defiance, impacting the image as if they were tangible!
"Ugh!" Zoro and Sanji, who were closest to the image, groaned simultaneously and instinctively took a half step back, as if struck by an invisible fist. They felt the intense will contained within the image, a will that had not faded even after countless years.
"It's the ' Blade of Order '... or rather, its predecessor, the ' Watcher Council '!" Robin recognized the style. "They were also fighting against that 'Shadow'! And... they failed?"
This sudden "historical Echo " weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. Even an organization like the " Blade of Order " had paid a heavy price in its history.
Just then, another unexpected event occurred!
The Ark Maxim shuddered violently, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall! The Sea Route markings on the navigation screen instantly became garbled, and the scenery around the ship began to spin and stretch wildly!
"What happened?!" Nami exclaimed.
"Sudden spatiotemporal fold detected! Unmarked on the Sea Route chart!" W7's voice was urgent. "We've been caught up in a dynamic structure within a 'turbulent zone'! It's moving and changing! Fixed Sea Route are ineffective!"
Outside the window, the previously relatively clear "low-interference passage" disappeared, replaced by a more violent and chaotic turbulent flow. Like a leaf in a storm, the spaceship lost its stable course and was dragged by an invisible force, rapidly sliding towards a certain direction in the depths of the turbulence!
"Activate emergency braking! Reverse all power!" Franky roared.
But its effect was minimal. The dragging force seemed to be more than just physical; it also carried a kind of spatial "adsorption" effect.
"There's something ahead!" Luffy suddenly shouted, standing in front of the observation window.
Deep within the churning turbulence, the outline of an unimaginably vast "structure" was slowly emerging. It was not a naturally formed star or nebula, but an extremely complex, multi-layered, seemingly forcibly fused "aggregate" of countless broken geometric shapes, energy channels, crystal clusters, and unidentified biological tissues, constantly writhing and deforming!
Its size rivals that of a small star, with new "limbs" or "organs" constantly "growing" from its surface while old parts "dissolve" or "shed" and merge into the surrounding turbulence. It exudes a chaotic, disordered, yet strangely "active" energy field, as if it were born in an information turbulence and continuously self-proliferates and mutates...
" Chaos Creation," or rather, "A Cancerous Variant of Rules!"
"What... what kind of monster is that?!" Chopper was Jinbe.
W7's V-shaped light band flashed rapidly. "Unidentifiable! Extremely mixed energy characteristics! Contains technological remnants from at least seventeen different civilizations, high concentrations of disordered Psionic Energy, biological mutation signals, and... trace amounts of ' Concept Erosion ' contamination residue! It's like a ' Chaos Aggregated Life Form' that has 'fermented' and 'evolved' over a long period of time in a 'turbulent zone' from various cosmic debris, information residue, energy waste, and a trace of contamination 'catalyst'... Danger Level: Extremely High!"
The " Chaos Aggregate " seemed to have also "sensed" the "ordered alien" that had intruded into its domain. Several organs resembling "eyes" or "sensors" on its massive body simultaneously turned towards the spaceship, emitting an ominous Ark Maxim of mixed colors. Immediately afterward, several thick "tentacles" composed of a mixture of broken metal, crystalline energy flow, and writhing flesh suddenly sprang out from its body, ignoring the chaotic spatial structure, and reaching for the Ark Maxim in a bizarre way, as if directly "folding" the distance between them!
"Avoid it!" Allen shouted.
However, the space was disrupted by the force field of the aggregate, making conventional maneuvering extremely difficult. A gigantic tentacle was about to sweep across the ship's hull!
" Three-Sword Style: Black Rope: Great Tornado: Modified!" Zoro instantly appeared outside the ship's side (temporarily secured by the Jet Wind Dial ), unleashing three sword strikes simultaneously, slashing out with a spiraling sword aura that was even more condensed than usual, attempting to sever the connection between space itself!
The sword energy collided with the tentacles, unleashing a piercing sound of energy friction. A deep wound was slashed open on the surface of the tentacles, splattering out "blood" mixed with metal fragments, energy fluid, and unknown biological tissue. However, the tentacles only paused slightly, and the granulation tissue at the wound wriggled wildly, rapidly healing before continuing to grab!
" Diable Jambe - Finishing Touch - Scorching Penetration!" Sanji appeared on the other side, his kick, burning with scorching flames, struck the tentacle like a drill, scorching a large area of tissue, but with limited effect.
This monster's regenerative abilities and defensive capabilities are ridiculously strong!
"Use the purifying energy!" Robin shouted.
Allen was already prepared. He hovered in mid-air above the bridge, his hands clenched, and immense Power of the Stars and Light of Purification gathered in his palms, ready to deliver a heavy blow to this Chaos monster.
However, just as his energy was about to erupt, another unexpected event occurred!
At the core of that " Chaos Aggregate," a massive "organ," seemingly composed of countless shattered mirrors, suddenly aimed at the Ark Maxim and unleashed a "torrent of information" that was not an energy attack, but rather... an extremely chaotic, complex, and distorted torrent!
This torrent contains countless fragments of civilizational memories, garbled technological principles, noise from biological senses, emotional turmoil, and logical paradoxes... All information has been shattered, mixed, and distorted, forming a "mental pollution bomb" powerful enough to crush any orderly consciousness!
"Oh no! It's an information poisoning attack!" W7 issued a warning, but it was too late to fully defend against it.
A tsunami of information overwhelmed Ark Maxim in an instant! Everyone's brains felt as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer, countless incomprehensible fragments flashing before their eyes, their ears (and consciousness) filled with sharp noise and frantic whispers! Even the energy that Allen had gathered was dissipated!
Usopp and Chopper, whose willpower was weaker, immediately clutched their heads and squatted down in pain. Nami, Robin, and Franky were also pale-faced and barely able to stand. Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, Jinbe combatants, although resolute, also showed obvious signs of slowing down.
Luffy roared and unleashed his full Conqueror's Haki, attempting to dispel the chaotic mental shock. His Conqueror's Haki acted like a stabilizing force, indeed clearing away the pollution around him to some extent, but it was insufficient to protect the entire ship.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, even more Chaos tentacles swarmed in, about to completely entangle and drag the Ark Maxim into the ever-writhing aggregate!
Crisis, a close call!
At this moment of despair--
A familiar, cool, yet undeniably powerful silver energy field, like the most precise Scalpel, instantly sliced into the space between the Chaos Aggregate and the Ark Maxim!
It's Cruiser-073! Her silver-white spaceship has appeared nearby without us even noticing!
"Unrecorded 'Unrecorded Chaos Variant' and high-intensity information contamination detected. ' Order Purification Protocol ' activated." The cold voice of the Cruiser-073 rang out directly.
Complex geometric patterns lit up the surface of her spaceship, and a pure, seemingly untouched silver beam shot out, not attacking the aggregate itself, but precisely striking the chaotic "information torrent"!
The silver beam seemed to possess the ability to "organize" and " Definition," forcibly "ordering," "decoding," and "silencing" the chaotic flow of information wherever it passed! Like dropping a powerful silencer in a bustling market, the maddening mental pollution attack was forcibly "purified" by more than half!
Immediately afterwards, the cannons of the silver-white spaceship turned, firing several slender yet incredibly sharp silver-white beams of light, like the most precise laser Scalpel, accurately slicing through the energy nodes and regeneration cores of the Chaos tentacles reaching for the Ark Maxim!
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
This time, the cutting effect was remarkable! At the wounds of the severed tentacles, silvery-white energy, like a persistent leech, prevented their rampant regeneration. The severed tentacles twitched and turned into scattered dust and chaotic energy flows.
The Chaos Aggregate emitted a silent "roar" that could be heard through spatial vibrations, clearly enraged. More "organs" lit up, preparing to launch an even more ferocious attack.
"Target threat level upgraded. Requesting the use of 'Limited Boundary Weapon' - ' Blade of Order: Severance'." The voice of the Cruiser-073 remained calm, as if stating a trivial matter.
Before her silver-white spaceship, a thin, straight black rift suddenly opened in space! From within the rift, an indescribable "slash" of "color" and "shape" slowly emerged—it was neither energy nor matter, but rather more like a... highly condensed "rule fault" imbued with the concepts of "severing" and "negating"!
The word "interruption" was gently waved down.
There was no earth-shattering sound.
The massive, star-like Chaos Aggregate, along with the vast chaotic energy field and distorted space surrounding it, vanished silently, as if erased from a drawing.
It was not destroyed, it was not annihilated.
Rather, its very existence has been temporarily "cut off" and "isolated" from the current spatial, temporal, and even informational levels by that "blade of rules."
In place, only a relatively calm, slowly flowing torrent of information remains.
Inside the Ark Maxim, the aftershocks of the mental pollution gradually dissipated, and everyone watched this unbelievable scene with lingering shock.
"The threat has been temporarily eliminated," came the calm voice of Cruiser-073. "Moderate information contamination has been detected affecting your spacecraft's systems and crew, causing some equipment to malfunction. We recommend immediately departing the current area and proceeding to the nearest stable node for rest and self-checks. I have updated the Sea Route map and marked a safe evacuation route."
"Furthermore," she paused, glancing into the cabin as if she could "see" Allen, "The ' Ancient Law Faction ' arbitration tribunal has issued a preliminary response. Based on the scan data and the fact that your side did not actively instigate any risks in this incident, and demonstrated a certain degree of resistance to order under the impact of pollution, the tribunal is inclined to grant 'temporary observation clearance' and has appointed me as the direct liaison and observer for the ' Ancient Law Faction ' side. The detailed resolution will be formally communicated after further evaluation."
"During this period, I will provide limited information support and risk warnings for your voyage, in accordance with the principles of the ' Ancient Law Faction ' and while ensuring the baseline order of the universe."
"Now, please follow my guidance and leave this area."
After speaking, the silver-white spaceship adjusted its direction and began to lead the way.
Inside the Ark Maxim, the people looked at each other, feeling both relieved to have survived the ordeal and bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
" Blade of Order: Severed Flow"... Ancient Law Faction Observer...
This suddenly appearing " Blade of Order," and its internal faction known as the " Ancient Law Faction," seem to be beginning to intervene more deeply in their journey in a way they do not yet fully understand.
Is it a blessing or a curse?
Allen gazed intently at the elegant yet cold, silver-white spaceship ahead, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
Regardless, the journey home must continue.
And ahead, deep within the turbulent currents, Laugh Tale's call seems to be growing ever clearer...
Accompanying this is an increasingly thick fog surrounding the ultimate truth of the universe, and... something imminent that could upend everything...
"The moment of decision".