Earth, North Star, the top-secret observation station of " Heart Source Project ".
On the massive circular screen wall, dozens of different monitoring images were displayed: real-time images of the faint light flowing through the Kunlun Giant Gate, a dynamic map of the bio-energy field in the waters around Newborn Island No. 1, the distribution of hotspots of abnormal mental fluctuations worldwide, and... an extremely blurry, intermittent energy spectrum record that seemed to come from deep space—it was the "Farewell Ripple" captured by the " Sparks Observation Station " as the Ark Maxim crossed the " Terminal Navigation Beacon," almost unrecognizable.
Lian Feng stood in front of the control panel, her brows slightly furrowed. Behind her, Du Kao, Chief Huang, and Ge Xiaolun and Rena, who had just finished a round of deep meditation, all had solemn expressions.
"The 'self-healing' phenomenon of the Kunlun Giant Gate has stabilized, but its internal energy activity pattern has undergone a fundamental change." Lian Feng pulled up the comparison data, "From the previous 'silent standby' state, it has transformed into a low-power... 'information recording and targeted transmission' mode. The target coordinates of the transmission are extremely vague, but based on the residual energy characteristics of ' Sparks,' there is an 87% probability that it points to the direction of the ' Terminal Navigation Beacon ' where the ' Straw Hat Pirates ' last disappeared."
"Are they... letting us know they're safe? Or are they recording their whereabouts?" Ge Xiaolun guessed, his eyes more profound than ever. Tempered by the " Heart Source Project," his will and " Anti-Void " abilities had become increasingly intertwined, even allowing him to vaguely perceive the "rule strings" originating from the deepest levels of the universe—strings imperceptible to ordinary people.
"It's more like the 'ruins' themselves, fulfilling some kind of 'watchful agreement' that transcends time," Rena interjected. Her Light of the Sun genes grant her an extraordinary perception of the nature of energy. "They're confirming the whereabouts of the ' Key,' and possibly... assessing our world's reaction to the departure of the ' Spark.'"
Du Kao said in a deep voice, "The ' Watcher ' creatures around the deep-sea ruins are also more active. Some observers have even reported seeing them rise to the surface under certain lunar phases and 'resonate with light' in a fixed direction of the starry sky. The direction is consistent with the information transmission direction of the Kunlun Giant Gate. These ancient creations are all watching the journey of those visitors from other worlds in their own way."
Chief Huang tapped the table. "These phenomena, along with the initial results of the ' Heart Source Project,' all prove that the impact of ' Sparks ' is profound and positive. But we can't just bask in the rewards. Lian Feng, is there any progress in analyzing that anomalous energy spectrum? Also, the previous report mentioned large-scale anomalies in the Triangular Body Civilization?"
Lian Feng switched the screen, displaying another set of more complex and chaotic data streams. "The abnormal spectrum is too weak and peculiar for current technology to fully analyze. However, its waveform structure shows a weak similarity of 0.3% to some encrypted communication features left by ' Blade of Order ' Cruiser-073. We suspect that this may be related to ' Blade of Order ' or its related forces."
"As for the Triangle Bodies..." Her expression turned grim. "Large-scale anomalies have been confirmed. More than three main ' Deep Dive Practitioners ' fleets have left their traditional star systems, heading straight for... the edge of the star sector where the ' Terminal Navigation Beacon ' is located. Even more disturbing, our deep-space monitoring network has detected extremely brief, highly suspicious ' Void energy-induced signals' along their flight paths."
" Death God Karl," Du Kao was almost certain, "He's guiding the Triangle Bodies there. The purpose is unclear, but it's definitely not for sightseeing."
"He wanted to use the Triangle Bodies prism as a stepping stone to test the ' Beacon ' area, and even... the bottom line of the ' Blade of Order '," Ge Xiaolun analyzed, a cold glint in his eyes. "That madman is filled with a twisted curiosity about everything beyond the 'Origin' and the ' Void '."
"We must prepare for the worst." Chief Huang stood up. "If the Triangle Bodies encounters misfortune in the ' Beacon ' area, or clashes with the ' Blade of Order,' the flames of war may somehow spread to the Milky Way, or even Earth. The ' Heart Source Project ' must be accelerated, and the Super Soldier Company's combat readiness level must be raised to the highest. Also, Lian Feng, try to use the faint, informal 'understanding' we left with the ' Ancient Law Faction ' observers to send an encrypted 'risk warning' without any coercion. The content should only mention 'Abnormal movements of the Triangle Bodies and suspected Void- induced signals have been detected; the target area may involve your concerns.' The wording must be cautious and neutral."
"Yes, sir!"
Styx Galaxy, Death Song Academy, Void Observation Hall.
Karl stared silently at the suspended three-dimensional star map before him. On the star map, the three purple tracks representing the Triangle Bodies fleet had penetrated deep into the edge zone marked as the " Higher-Dimensional Information Turbulence Zone " and stopped near a certain coordinate point, constantly flashing red warning signs representing "high-intensity energy conflict" and "violent disturbance of spatial structure".
"They've encountered resistance... or rather, 'prey'," Karl's voice whispered in the Void. "' The Beacon's' defenses have been triggered. More intense than expected... interesting."
Sno's figure materialized beside him. "My God, the Triangle Bodies ' Deep Dive Practitioners ' mothership transmitted back a final fragment of chaotic perception via the Psionic Energy network—they encountered a powerful attack of rules with highly 'order' and 'purification' properties, and... a magnificent entity suspected to be the core of the ' Origin Beacon.' Communication was subsequently lost. Based on the energy dissipation pattern analysis, the three main fleets... have a greater than 95% chance of total annihilation."
"Total annihilation..." There was no regret in Karl's eyes, only an even stronger thirst for knowledge. "Even ' Song of the Ruins of Return ' failed? It seems the ' Beacon's' defenses, or... the 'residents' inside, are even stronger than we estimated." He paused. "What's the reaction from ' Blade of Order '?"
"We detected traces of a high-intensity spatial concealment field being deployed and dissipated near the conflict coordinates of the ' Blade of Order,' but no indication of its fleet directly intervening in the battle was observed. The ' Ancient Law Faction's' public communication channels remain silent," Sno reported. "However, we intercepted a fragment of encrypted information flowing to the ' Ancient Law Faction's' arbitration court through an infiltration unit in the ' Blade of Order's' peripheral data network. The content mentioned that ' the Spark has passed the final trial, the Legacy Watch mode has been activated, and the external threat has been eliminated with the assistance of the inheritors.'"
" Spark... Successor... Eliminate external threats..." Karl repeated slowly, his pale fingers tracing the blurry area on the star map marked " Lost Beacon Zone." "So that's how it is. It wasn't the ' Blade of Order ' that made the move, but those 'Otherworldly Spark,' with the help of the ' Beacon,' who resolved the Triangle Bodies on their own. Heh... their growth rate is truly astonishing."
He turned to look at the constantly writhing, seemingly gestating Void energy clusters deep within the hall. " Sno, adjust the observation priority of the ' Eye of the Void.' Strengthen long-term monitoring of the spatial stability of the ' Terminal Navigation Beacon ' area. Simultaneously, initiate the next phase of the ' Void Whisperer ' project—an attempt to make contact with the ' Silent Abyss ' consciousness, which lies higher up in the Triangle Bodies Mother Civilization. Since their desire for the ' Beacon ' is so intense, perhaps... we can provide some 'technical support' to help them better understand... and 'counter' the 'Order Purification' power that they both fear and crave."
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, "After all, plunging an ancient civilization into deeper levels of paranoia and despair, thus causing it to more thoroughly embrace the ' Void '... isn't that a valuable 'sociological experiment'?"
Angel Nebula, the Merlot Heavenly Court, the private research lab of Tianji He Xi.
This place is less a research lab and more an isolated island floating in a sea of data. Countless flowing ribbons of light carry the oldest and most essential knowledge of the Angel Civilization, knowledge that has been carefully sealed away by successive angel kings.
Angel Yan and He Xi stood side by side before a huge "ancient book" made of pure light. This "book" was turning its pages automatically, revealing fragmented records about the " Sea of Origin ", "Mirror Projection", " Spark Civilization", and " Ancient Covenant and Taboos".
"You guessed right, Yan." He Xi's voice was ethereal yet tinged with weariness. "Our Angel Civilization, or rather, the source of Holy Kesha's knowledge system, is intricately connected to these ' Ancient Covenant.' According to these fragmented records, the earliest ' Guardians of Order ' (possibly the precursors of the ' Blade of Order,' or even more ancient beings sharing the same ideology) had contact with some ' Spark Civilizations' from the ' Sea of Origin Mirror,' and established a vague agreement based on 'watchfulness' and 'non-interference in internal affairs.' Queen Kaisa's ' Order of Justice,' to some extent, inherited the core spirit of this agreement—'maintaining the basic order of the universe' and 'protecting weaker civilizations'—but it is more systematic and absolute."
She pointed to a passage of text distorted by a special energy field, almost unreadable. "But it also mentions a warning... ' The Spark ' is both hope and a potential source of conflict, a conduit for pollution. Over-intervention in the Spark's growth, or attempts to forcibly control the ' Beacon's ' power, have led to catastrophic consequences. In a deliberately erased part of history, it seems a powerful civilization... 'imploded' as a result."
Angel Yan's gaze sharpened. "So, the Ancient Law Faction's approach of 'observing without forcibly intervening' might not just be due to ideology, but also to lessons from history? And that madman Karl, with his unbridled research into the ' Void ' and his probing of the ' Beacon,' isn't he afraid of getting burned?"
"What Karl pursues is the ultimate 'truth,' even if it's the truth of destruction." He Xi shook her head. "He may believe that risk is insignificant compared to knowledge. Moreover, he possesses the ' Void, ' a power that also touches upon the essence of the universe, and is confident that he can handle any backlash. But this time..." She pulled up a briefing from a distant star system regarding the mysterious annihilation of the Triangle Bodies Fleet at the edge of the " Beacon Zone," "The power displayed by those ' Spark ' inheritors, and the counterattack of the ' Beacon ' itself, probably exceeded his initial expectations."
Angel Yan pondered for a moment, " He Xi, I need you to continue digging deeper into these ancient records, especially the parts about the conflict between ' Spark ' and 'Contamination,' and 'Order' and ' Chaos.' I have a premonition that we angels may not be able to remain uninvolved in the future. In addition, strengthen our informal information channels with the ' Ancient Law Faction ' observers. Without violating the principles of 'Justice,' we need to learn more about the dynamics of ' Beacon ' and ' Spark.'"
"Clear."
Demon One, Central Intelligence Analysis Room.
Morgana crossed her legs, looking at the intelligence summary on the screen about the destruction of the Triangle Bodies Fleet and the unusual movements of various forces (mainly Karl and the Angels) with a bored expression.
"Tsk, those Triangle Bodies seafood, they usually seem pretty tough, but they went to touch some 'ancient ruins' and got wiped out in one fell swoop? Useless." She swirled her wine glass, her tone full of schadenfreude. "That perverted Karl must be furious; his 'little experiment' failed. Those little bitches of the Angels are probably holding some kind of 'justice seminar' again, figuring out how to become 'cosmic police.'"
Ato stood to the side and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, according to the analysis of the residual energy, the attack that destroyed the Triangle Bodies Fleet contained extremely strong 'order' and 'purification' characteristics, which are highly similar to the power characteristics of Allen, the otherworldly being from the previous ' Sparks ' incident. It is very likely... that those 'pirates' gained even greater power inside the ' Beacon,' or... that the power of the ' Beacon ' itself was activated by them."
"Oh?" Morgana's interest was piqued. "Those oddballs actually managed to make it big in a place like that? Interesting." A sly glint flashed in her eyes. " Ato, have our kids scavenging on the fringes of the ' Blade of Order ' keep an eye out for any 'secondhand information' or 'lost items' related to the ' Ancient Law Faction ' or anything like the ' Spark ' or ' Beacon.' I'm not interested in being a 'savior,' but if we can find some ancient black technology, or some leverage to annoy Karl and the Angels... that would be great."
She downed her drink in one gulp, stood up, and said, "Pass down the order: Demon One, enter Level 3 cruise readiness. We're not going to get involved with that hot potato, ' Beacon,' but we can't stray too far either. This universe is about to get even more exciting; we need to find a good spot... to watch the show, and maybe even see if there's anything we can gain."
The Ancient Law Faction, the deep, silent space of the arbitration tribunal.
There are no physical entities here, only countless interwoven data streams representing different logical chains and observation reports flowing in eternal silence. The complete evaluation report on the " Spark Successors - Straw Hat Pirates " (from contact, trials, certification to their final departure), as well as the detailed record of the conflict between the edge of the " Beacon Zone " and the Triangle Bodies, have been archived and marked as "Amber-level - High-potential Observation File".
The data consciousness stream of Cruiser-073, like a tiny speck of light, floats quietly on its own "observation node." It receives cautious "risk warnings" from distant star regions (Earth's side) and is also synchronized with the Arbitration Tribunal's analysis and prediction of Karl's subsequent movements (inducing the Triangle Bodies, contacting the " Silent Abyss ").
[" The Straw Hat Pirates have safely returned to their original world."] A new logical deduction conclusion was generated in the silent space: ["Their ' Sparks Brand ' is stable, and their ' Beacon ' connection is normal. Preliminary judgment indicates that they possess the potential to fulfill basic 'watchfulness' duties at the world level."]
The external threat, the " Triangle Bodies," has been temporarily averted due to its own greed and Karl's manipulation, leading to its self-destruction. However, the " Void's " focus on the " Beacon " and the " Spark " continues to rise. Death God Karl's behavior pattern conforms to the "seeking knowledge - experimentation - high risk" logic model, requiring continued vigilance.
["Recommendation: Maintain remote, silent observation of the variable ' Straw Hat Pirates '; increase the monitoring level of the ' Void ' side's activities in the Milky Way and nearby regions; when appropriate, consider transmitting non-sensitive macroscopic warning information about the ' Void ' or ' Ultimate Pollution ' to the variable through established weak communication channels (such as on Earth) to assist its growth and judgment."]
"The arbitration was successful."
The silent space returned to absolute stillness, with only the cold, precise logic eternally at work, guarding its understanding of "order," observing that ignited spark that had traversed two worlds...
A faint Sparks.
On the other side of the universe, where the glimmer of light has already faded, on the Grand Line, that silver ship is sailing against the wind and waves, heading towards their destined magnificent future.
The threads of fate between the two worlds are intertwined by this unexpected encounter, and then temporarily separated by their respective journeys.
But separation never means the end.
It's just another legend...
start.