The Ark Maxim rolled over the shattered wreckage of enemy ships, its silver hull tracing a straight and resolute path in the sunlight. The brief encounter left no trace on this colossal ship that had crossed dimensions; rather, it served as a perfect "warm-up," allowing the crew, who hadn't had a chance to stretch their muscles in a long time, to readjust to the rhythm of the Grand Line.
However, the aftermath of the battle did not subside.
Below the battle zone, several ships disguised as merchant vessels or fishing boats, but actually equipped with high-precision observation equipment, were frantically transmitting the brief but shocking scene that had just occurred through encrypted channels. The Straw Hat Pirates's "Return of the Sparks " and the overwhelming strength they displayed were spreading like Boulder thrown into a calm (but actually turbulent) lake, rapidly permeating the New World's intelligence network.
The Navy's New G-1 Branch (converted from the former Marineford site), and the temporary Fleet Admiral's Office.
" Akainu " Sakazuki —a former admiral who, after experiencing inner struggle and ideological reshaping amidst the collapse of the old World Government and the Admiral of interdimensional invasion, ultimately chose to remain in the transforming Navy, practicing " Absolute Justice " in a more pragmatic (but still ruthless) way, and now temporarily assuming the position of Fleet Admiral —is watching encrypted footage sent back from a frontline observation ship on the screen. The rainbow barrier that easily annihilated all attacks, and the effortless combat stances displayed by the Straw Hat Pirates crew, make his face terrifyingly grim.
" Order Barrier... otherworldly technology... or some kind of Awakening Devil Fruit ability?" His deep voice surged like magma. "Their strength has increased by more than one level since Wano Country. Especially that Allen Portgas... the 'aura' emanating from him has already surpassed the scope of ordinary strongmen."
The staff officer standing nearby, former Marine Vice Admiral " Momousagi " Gion (now a senior advisor to the Naval General Staff), also wore a grave expression. "Based on the limited intelligence we currently possess, combined with the time they disappeared and the 'rule resonance' phenomenon appearing in certain specific areas after the global dissipation of otherworldly energy, there is reason to suspect that they may have come into contact with 'beings' Transcendence our world's level and obtained corresponding power. That barrier likely involves... a defense at the 'rule' level."
"Rules..." Sakazuki chewed on the word, a complex look flashing in his eyes. After experiencing the fight against the invasion from another world and witnessing the darkest secrets of the World Government, he was no longer the pure warrior who only believed in "might makes right." He understood that some forces had already Transcendence the scope that can be dealt with by cannonballs and lava.
"What will their return bring to this chaotic sea? A new order, or even greater changes?" Gion worriedly asked. "The Navy is currently riddled with factions, and maintaining stability is already difficult enough. The Revolutionary Army is pushing for reforms globally, Blackbeard is recruiting the remnants of the old Four Emperors, and there are countless emerging ambitious figures like ' Demon ' Barbarossa... The Straw Hat Pirates's strong intervention may shatter this fragile balance."
Sakazuki paused for a moment, then slammed his fist on the table, leaving a charred fist mark. "Balance? This sea has long since lost its balance! What we need to do now is not maintain this ridiculous balance, but use force to ensure the continuation of 'justice'! Issue the order: all naval units, raise the level of monitoring of the Straw Hat Pirates ' movements, but strictly prohibit any provocation or attack. We need to assess whether their 'new power' will become a ' Fire of Purification ' for this sea, or... the source of another disaster."
"What if... they launch an attack on the remnants of the World Government, or clash with Blackbeard?" Gion asked.
A resolute glint flashed in Sakazuki's eyes. "That's none of our business. As long as they don't harm civilians or disrupt the basic order maintained by the Navy... let them fight like dogs. Our primary task is to restore the Navy's own discipline and conviction, purge the corrupt elements within, rebuild public trust, and, in the event of a new crisis... protect what needs to be protected."
Somewhere in the New World, in a strange sea area permanently shrouded by heavy clouds and tsunamis, lies the flagship of the " Demon " Barbarossa —the " Abyss Howl ".
This was a colossal structure crudely welded together from the wreckage of several large warships, and covered with a large amount of dark purple biological carapaces and energy crystals of unknown origin. Inside the bridge, the lights were dim, and the air was filled with a mixture of blood, engine oil, and a certain sweet, putrid stench.
On the video screen, a giant nearly three meters tall, covered in twisted metal and superimposed muscles, wearing a Demon mask, was letting out a beast-like growl. He was Barbarossa, the " Demon," the former captain of a brutal pirate crew in the New World. During the interdimensional invasion, he had inadvertently devoured the core of a critically wounded and dying interdimensional "Whisperer" unit, gaining the ability to manipulate negative emotions and low-level interdimensional mutated creatures. With this ability, he quickly gathered a group of fanatical followers who believed that "power is purity."
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Barbarossa's roar shook the bridge. "Fifteen ships! And the Abyss Hunters ' assistance! And you didn't even scratch their skin?! What the hell is that light?!"
His single, crimson eye (his other eye, replaced by that of an otherworldly organization, gleamed with an eerie light) was fixed on the multicolored barrier and Allen's calm face in the image. " Allen Portgas... ' Sparks '... 'Purification'... Hmph!" He grinned, revealing jagged, shark-like teeth. "Playing tricks! He's just mastered some advanced technology left over from another world! True 'purity' is embracing the Abyss, returning all things to their most primal, most powerful ' Chaos '! Their 'order' is nothing but fragile shackles!"
He turned and looked at several blurry figures in the shadows of the bridge, seemingly composed of viscous shadows—high-ranking members of the " Abyss Hunters," experts specializing in forbidden research and hunting rare "materials."
"Don't you ' Abyss Hunters ' pride yourselves on understanding ' Abyss Power' the most? Can you break through that barrier?"
A hoarse, sandpaper-like voice came from the shadows. "... Preliminary analysis shows that the barrier's energy structure is highly ordered, unlike any known Devil Fruit ability, technological weapon, or common otherworldly energy form. Its 'rule negation' priority is extremely high. Conventional physical and energy attacks are ineffective. We need... a more 'fundamental' erosion, or to find its energy source or structural weakness."
"Weaknesses?" Barbarossa sneered. "Everything has weaknesses! Investigate! Mobilize all resources and offer a bounty on all intelligence related to the ' Straw Hat Pirates,' ' Ark Maxim, ' and that ' Sparks ' 'Purification'! Especially the places they might have been during their 'disappearance'! Also, urge ' Deep Dive Practitioners ' (his research fanatic subordinate) to accelerate the cultivation of the ' Seed of the Abyss '! I want to create monsters that can devour 'Order'!"
The voice in the shadows paused for a moment, then spoke again, "... The price is high. The ' Seed of the Abyss ' is unstable and may backfire."
"The price?" Barbarossa laughed maniacally. "The throne of the new era has always been paved with blood and madness! Go do it!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the New World, at the Revolutionary Army's newly established temporary headquarters, " Dawn Island."
This is a mobile sea fortress constructed by connecting several huge Revolutionary Army warships side by side and supplementing them with artificial floating island technology. The atmosphere inside the command room is equally serious.
Revolutionary Army Commander-in-Chief Monkey D. Dragon, along with Chief of Staff Sabo and others, were also watching the same battle footage. Unlike the solemnity or rage of the Navy and Barbarossa, their eyes held more scrutiny, assessment, and a hint of... complex satisfaction.
"They've gotten stronger... incredibly stronger." Sabo watched Luffy's rubber attacks on the screen, now more controlled yet far more powerful, a brotherly smile spreading across his face, but it quickly turned to worry. "But that power... and that ship, it's too conspicuous. It'll attract countless eyes and enemies."
Dragon's gaze lingered more on Allen and the " Order Barrier." "' Sparks '... 'Purification'... these names, and the nature of that barrier..." he began slowly, his voice low, " Sabo, do you remember those fragmented records we saw deep within the final fortress, those about the 'beyond the world,' the 'Ancient Watcher '?"
Sabo nodded. "I remember. At the time, I thought it was just a lie fabricated by Imu to glorify his rule. But later, the otherworldly invasion proved the existence of 'beyond the world.' Leader, you mean..."
"That kid Allen, and Luffy and the others, may have come into contact with those ' Watcher ' or similar beings mentioned in the records, who truly stand 'outside the world.'" Dragon's eyes deepened. "That barrier is unlike any power known in our world. It's more like... a 'permission' or 'granted' 'authority,' targeting 'chaos' and 'corruption' itself. This might explain why they have such overwhelming restraint against enemies clearly corrupted and transformed by otherworldly forces."
He paused, then continued, "This might be an opportunity, or it could be a turning point, for our Revolutionary Army's ideal—to build a truly free, equal world, no longer threatened by any 'supreme power' or 'external encroachment'."
"Are you worried that they will become the new 'supreme power'?" Sabo asked.
"No." Long shook his head, a rare hint of paternal gentleness appearing on his face. "I understand my son, and I trust his companions. They pursue the ultimate 'freedom,' not 'power.' What worries me is that the mission of 'guarding' or 'purifying' they bear might embroil them in more dangerous conflicts, conflicts that Transcendence worldly struggles, conflicts that may not be resolved by mere passion and bonds."
He looked out the window at the vast, turbulent sea. "Send orders to all legion commanders: keep a close eye on the Straw Hat Pirates ' movements, but do not initiate contact or interference. At the appropriate time... perhaps we need an open and honest dialogue. About the future of this world, about the shadows 'beyond the world,' about... how we should all face a truly 'free' yet also unknown and dangerous new era."
The gazes and calculations of all parties, like an invisible spider web, quietly converged on that giant silver ship.
Meanwhile, aboard the Ark Maxim, the group, having just finished a lighthearted battle, paid little attention to these undercurrents. They were adjusting their course based on the updated sea chart provided by Nami and Allen's vague sense of the lingering "otherworldly contamination" through the " Sparks Brand."
"The most recent 'point of discord'... is to the southeast, about two days' voyage away." Allen pointed to the edge of a zone marked "Reef Area" on the nautical chart. "The signal is very weak, but very 'stubborn,' like some low-level pollution source has formed a symbiotic relationship with the local environment or organisms, and is slowly spreading. The scale shouldn't be large, which is perfect for us to 'practice' and test the specific effects of our 'purification' methods in this world."
"Understood!" Luffy exclaimed enthusiastically. "Then let's go! Let's clean up that filth!"
The Ark Maxim accelerated again, heading towards its target sea area.
However, they were unaware that in that marked "reef area," what awaited them was more than just a simple "source of pollution."
Deep within a reef shrouded in a perpetual gray-green mist, several ancient shipwrecks lie half-buried among the jagged rocks. Inside the largest of the shipwrecks, in a dimly lit cabin, a figure draped in a tattered black robe, whose face is obscured, kneels before a makeshift altar constructed of twisted coral and the skeletons of unknown creatures.
At the center of the altar was a fist-sized "tumor" that constantly oozed a viscous, dark green liquid and pulsated slightly as if it were alive. The surface of the tumor was covered with fine, eye-like holes, emitting a nauseating stench of decay and faint, twisted spiritual fluctuations.
The man in black robes stretched out his withered, emaciated hand, covered in festering wounds, and gently stroked the tumor, uttering indistinct whispers that seemed to come from the Abyss:
"...' Sparks '... is coming...'The Purifier'... is approaching..."
"... Cannot... be purified... cannot..."
"...'Mother'... needs nourishment... needs... to spread..."
"... guide them... awaken them... let the ' Fangs of the Reef '... awaken..."
"... to greet... the 'Purifier' with blood and fear..."
"... and then... devour them... becoming the new seedbed for the 'mother's' spread..."
As he whispered, the "tumor" throbbed more violently, the dark green liquid seeped out faster, and a more intense sense of decay and malice, like invisible tentacles, began to seep into the surrounding reefs and seawater.
The grayish-green mist seemed to have grown even thicker.
In the depths of this seemingly ordinary "reef area," ancient sea monsters and mutated creatures, long dormant and slightly distorted by otherworldly whispers, are beginning to stir restlessly...
The first step of the purification journey doesn't seem to be as simple as expected.
The shadows have already whispered.
The hunt is about to begin.