A gray-green mist, like a living veil, shrouded the "Reef Area" in a depressing stillness. Visibility was less than a hundred meters, and even the raging sea breezes of the Grand Line became weak and stagnant here. In addition to the salty smell of the sea, the air was also filled with a sweet, cloying stench and a rusty, bloody odor.
The Ark Maxim descended, almost skimming the surface of the undulating, rocky sea, and slowly entered the marked area. The ship's own Purification Field fluctuated slightly, blocking the mist that tried to attach itself, but the unsettling aura still seeped in everywhere.
"The 'smell' here... is stronger than I sensed." Allen stood at the bow, his Eye of the Torch Dragon slightly activated, piercing through the mist to observe the jagged black reefs below and the silhouettes of sunken ships among them. In his unique vision, the "color" of this sea area presented a sickly dark green intertwined with a murky purplish-red, the energy flow sluggish and filled with malice, forming a stark contrast to the azure and vitality of the surrounding healthy sea. The core of the pollution lay deep within the densest cluster of reefs ahead.
"There's something moving underwater." Jinbe reached into the sea, sensing the currents. "Many... not small, stiff in movement, but aggressive. They've been affected by 'contamination'."
"Look! Those rocks... are 'bleeding'?" Usopp pointed to a protruding black rock not far away, where a dark green, viscous liquid was slowly seeping from its surface, dripping onto the sea surface with a slight hissing sound, corroding the seawater.
"It's the 'secretions' of the pollution source, altering the environment," Robin observed. "These liquids contain trace amounts of corrosive and psychotropic components; prolonged exposure will gradually cause ordinary organisms to become mutated or go insane."
"Just find the core and purify it, right?" Luffy craned his neck to look around. "Where's the core?"
Allen pointed to the deepest part of the mist, where the wreckage of a massive, overturned ancient sailing ship could be vaguely seen. "There. The source of the pollution, and... several 'Guardians'."
As soon as he finished speaking, as if startled by his words, the surrounding sea suddenly began to churn violently!
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Dozens of enormous Black Shadow burst from the water! What a horde of monsters they were! They vaguely retained the outlines of giant Sea Kings or deep-sea fish, but their bodies were covered with thick, reef-like, dark green proliferating tissue. Many parts exposed twisted muscles and bones oozing pus. Their eyes were scarlet or completely covered by the proliferating tissue, and their open mouths were filled with jagged, sharp teeth like fragments of reefs. Thick, vein-like, dark purple vines were also wrapped around them, one end penetrating deep into their bodies and the other extending towards the sunken ship in the depths of the mist—clearly "puppets" directly controlled by the source of pollution.
"Roar--!!!"
With inhuman roars, these " Fangs of the Reef " monsters charged fearlessly toward the Ark Maxim! They were numerous, surging in from all directions. Some rammed directly into the hull, some tried to tear it apart with their claws and teeth, and others spewed breaths mixed with reef debris and corrosive slime!
"Full shield activation! Prepare for engagement!" Franky shouted from the cockpit.
The Ark Maxim's hull once again glowed with that soft, seven-colored light membrane—the " Order Barrier " unfolded. The monsters' collisions and attacks landed on the barrier, producing dull thuds and hissing sounds of energy annihilation. Although they could not break through, the enormous impact still caused the ship to sway slightly.
"We can't just take the beating!" Zoro's eyes flashed, and he drew all three swords at the same time. "I'll go clean up the mess!" He leaped off the ship's side, using Geppo to step through the air, and instantly appeared above a giant "Reef Shark" that was ramming its head against a barrier!
" Three-Sword Style: Black Rope: Great Tornado - Modified!" No longer a pure slashing tornado, it incorporated a touch of understanding of "rules." Within the turquoise sword aura tornado, there were fine silver threads capable of severing energy connections! As the tornado swept past, the dark purple manipulating vines on the "Reef Shark's" body snapped in response. A look of confusion flashed in its crimson eyes, and its attack paused. Zoro seized the opportunity to decapitate its ferocious head with a single strike.
"Sever their connection with the source of pollution, and they will temporarily spiral out of control!" Zoro shouted.
"Understood!" Sanji moved like lightning, his Diable Jambe burning with a more concentrated and purifying flame than ever before, precisely severing the vine connection point on the tentacle of a "Reef Octopus". Jinbe, meanwhile, darted through the sea, his Fish-Man Karate shockwaves specifically targeting the extending vines.
However, there were too many monsters, and some of the vines were deeply embedded in their bodies, making it difficult to remove them all at once. More importantly, as the battle broke out, the mental whispers emanating from the contaminated core suddenly intensified! The bewilderment in the eyes of the monsters whose vines had been severed was quickly replaced by deeper rage and pain, causing them to attack even more frantically, and even begin to indiscriminately tear at their companions, making the scene even more chaotic.
"The pollution sources are being tightened off, even... catalyzing their madness!" Robin frowned. "If this continues, it will only lead to pointless killing. We must strike at the heart of the problem!"
"Leave it to me." Allen stepped forward. He didn't attack the monsters directly, but instead closed his eyes and focused his mind on the " Star Core Mark " deep within his soul.
Through his deep connection with Laugh Tale and the inheritance of " Beacon " knowledge, his understanding of the " Light of Purification " has long Transcendence simple energy release. Now, he needs a more precise, gentler, and more thorough approach—"purification and soothing at the level of rules."
He pressed his hands together, palms facing each other. A point of pure, silvery-white light, like a newly born star, was born in his palms. Then, the light rippled outwards like water, not bursting forth in a fiery burst, but transforming into countless tiny, dust-like "purifying light dusts." With his will, they silently spread out, merging into the surrounding air, seawater, and mist.
These "purifying dust particles" are almost harmless, but they contain the purest rules of "order" and "life-soothing" information. Like the gentlest spring rain, they quietly fall on the frantically attacking " Fangs of the Reef," seeping into their polluted and painful bodies and souls.
A miracle happened.
The outermost few monsters, their scarlet eyes flashing first, gradually slowed their frenzied movements. The dark green proliferative tissue on their bodies, upon contact with the light dust, began to melt and peel away slowly, like snow exposed to sunlight, revealing the rough skin or scales that originally belonged to the Sea Kings beneath. Although still scarred, the twisted madness originating from pollution was being gradually eroded away.
Immediately afterwards, more monsters stopped, hovering blankly in the sea, emitting low, confused whimpers. The dark purple vines inside their bodies withered and broke rapidly, as if drained of life, under the penetration of the light dust.
Allen's face paled slightly. Such a large-scale, meticulous purification at the rule level consumed far more mental and physical energy than a single, fierce attack. But he persisted, guiding the light dust toward the core of the pollution.
"Now's the time! Charge toward the shipwreck!" Nami seized the opportunity, maneuvering the Ark Maxim along the passage cleared by the monsters, accelerating toward the shipwreck deep in the mist!
As they approached the shipwreck, the stench of pollution became so intense it was almost tangible. The ship's wood had long since decayed, but its hull was covered by a thick, pulsating, dark green fleshy fungus carpet. Countless twisted vines extended from the carpet, connecting to the surrounding monsters and reefs. At the very center of the wreckage, the "tumor" worshipped by the black-robed figure was now throbbing violently, emitting a nauseating malice and a mental shriek!
"Desecrators! Purifiers! You will not harm the 'Mother's' offspring!" A shrill, crazed voice echoed from the depths of the creep. The black-robed figure emerged from behind the tumor, pulling back its hood to reveal a horrifying face—half rotting, the other covered in tiny growths of flesh—its eyes filled with fanatical devotion and twisted hatred. In its hand, it gripped a deformed dagger crafted from coral and bone, which it plunged violently into its own chest!
Dark red blood, mixed with green fluorescence, gushed out and poured onto the "tumor"!
"With my blood, offer sacrifice to my soul! Awaken! Tentacles of the 'Mother'! Devour them!"
The tumor suddenly swelled and burst open! Countless thicker, dark purple tentacles with suckers and sharp teeth at the tips surged out wildly, like blooming hellish flowers, wrapping around and biting at Ark Maxim and Allen in the air! Wherever the tentacles passed, even the air seemed to be corroded and hissed, and mental pollution swept in like a tsunami!
This is no longer a low-level pollution symbiosis, but rather the pollution source temporarily activating some aggressive "manifestations" through the sacrifice of believers!
"Hmph, a death throes." Allen's eyes turned cold. Large-scale purification requires precise control, but dealing with this kind of concentrated outbreak of pollutants can be done more directly.
He stopped spreading the light dust and instead focused his will. The silver-white light in his palm suddenly contracted and compressed, transforming into a three-meter-long spear of light made purely of the "purification" rules!
Without scorching heat or violent energy fluctuations, this spear of light simply floated quietly, yet it exuded an aura of "absolute purity" and "denial of existence" that made all "filthy" beings instinctively tremble.
"With this ' Sparks ' spear..."
Allen gripped the light spear, aimed it at the core of the wildly thrashing tentacles, and made a throwing motion.
"Pierce through illusion, purify the root cause!"
The spear of light left his hand.
There were no sounds of air being cut, and no special lighting effects.
It simply "disappeared" as if blending into the background, and then in the next instant, it appeared right in the center of that tentacle core!
Pfft.
A sound so faint it was almost inaudible.
The light spear pierced into it.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment.
Immediately afterwards--
Centered on the point where the light spear pierced the water, pure silver-white light spread rapidly like a drop of ink in clear water! Wherever it passed, the wildly dancing dark purple tentacles, like burning paper, emitted silver light from within, then crumbled and dissipated inch by inch, turning into the purest points of light. The fleshy fungal carpet covering the sunken ship quickly dried and peeled away. The piercing mental scream abruptly ceased.
The black-robed figure remained frozen in the sacrificial posture, the stains on his body rapidly fading in the silver light, revealing the pale, human skin riddled with wounds. The fanaticism and hatred in his eyes vanished quickly, replaced by boundless bewilderment and a... liberated emptiness. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately collapsed silently, his body turning to ashes in the lingering silver light.
Just a few seconds.
The nauseatingly polluted core, the fanatical followers, the hideous tentacles... all vanished into thin air.
Only the original, dilapidated, and decaying skeleton of that ancient shipwreck remains, lying quietly among the rocks.
On the sea surface, the overgrown tissue on the " Fangs of the Reef " monsters had completely shed, revealing their original forms. The crimson in their eyes had vanished, replaced by the bewilderment of marine life and a lingering fear. They looked around blankly, then at the large silver ship that exuded a comforting and peaceful aura ( the Purification Field of the Ark Maxim ), and finally let out a low, thankful cry before slowly sinking into the sea and disappearing into the deep blue.
The gray-green mist that shrouded this sea area seemed to have lost its source and began to dissipate rapidly. Sunlight pierced through again, illuminating the much clearer seawater.
Purification complete.
On the Ark Maxim, all was quiet. Apart from Allen's slightly tired breathing, there was only the sound of the sea breeze and the waves gently lapping against the rocks.
As everyone witnessed the dramatic changes before them, saw the creatures restored to their original state and returning to the sea, and watched Allen calmly withdraw his hand, a complex mix of emotions welled up within them.
This is more than just a victory in battle.
This was a true "purification" and "redemption".
There is no pointless killing, only the severing of the root of pollution and the liberation of distorted beings.
"Is this... the power of the ' Sparks Watcher '?" Usopp murmured, his eyes filled with awe.
"It's not just about power, Usopp," Robin said softly, "It's about choice, it's about the method. Allen chose the most difficult, but also the most... gentle method."
Luffy over to Allen and patted him hard on the shoulder (almost making the exhausted Allen stumble): "Well done, Allen! That's the best! Get rid of the filth so those big guys can go home!"
Allen smiled, feeling a faint but clear pulse of "satisfaction" and "acceptance" emanating from the " Sparks Brand " in his soul—a resonance from distant Laugh Tale. He knew that his actions were in line with the ideals of the " Beacon " and the " Spark."
"The first 'contamination point' is cleaned up." He looked at his colleagues, "How does it feel?"
"SUPER~ That feels amazing!" Franky exclaimed excitedly, "Seeing a rule-level purification being applied in practice is incredible!"
"But it must have taken a lot of energy, right?" Sanji asked with concern.
"It's alright. The main drain is on mental control. Dealing with this level of contamination is still under control." Allen flexed his wrist. "Moreover, the purification process itself seems to be replenishing the ' Sparks Brand,' making the connection more stable. However, we need intelligence. That man in black robes, and the 'mother' he mentioned... there's probably more than one isolated contamination point behind this."
His gaze sharpened. "How many more 'reefs' like this are there on this vast ocean? And what is that so-called 'mother'? Is it some more powerful source of pollution, or... some force that uses the power of pollution?"
Although the Reef's Devouring have subsided, the Iceburg we have made here foreshadows a deeper and broader shadow that still lurks beneath this "free" yet " Chaos " new era's ocean.
The path to purification has only just begun.
After a brief rest, their ship will set sail again, heading towards the next place that needs the " Sparks " to illuminate and purify...
A dark corner.