After three days of sailing, Ark Maxim weathered numerous trials, including thunderstorms and whirlpools.
When the ship finally broke through the last raging curtain of lightning, the sight before them took even the most seasoned Straw Hat Pirates by surprise.
What lay ahead was no longer the azure expanse of sea and sky, but a bizarre and surreal "realm of Chaos."
Several enormous ocean currents, varying in color, velocity, and temperature, twisted and converged like intertwined pythons in the air, on the sea surface, and even in semi-transparent spatial faults, colliding to create towering waves and roaring water vapor. The seawater displayed eerie rainbow layers, and in some areas, the water could even be seen defying gravity and flowing upwards, forming spectacular suspended waterfalls. The air was filled with dense salt mist and turbulent water-attribute energy, resulting in extremely low visibility. Even more dangerous was the visible instability of the spatial structure, with tiny black cracks flashing by every now and then—spatial rifts powerful enough to easily tear apart steel ships.
"This is... the ' Ocean Current Graveyard '?" Usopp's legs went weak. "This is no place a ship should be able to go!"
"A veritable graveyard." Jinbe Ping's expression was grave. "I can sense that the will of the water here is extremely chaotic and volatile, completely impossible to communicate with or control. Moreover... the water is mixed with a large amount of spatial fragments and lingering energy remnants, filled with malice towards any creature that attempts to enter."
Nami watched the Log Pose spin wildly, then glanced at the Eternal Pose —which was also twitching erratically. "The magnetic field is completely chaotic, and the spatial coordinates are fluctuating... No wonder this is a natural weak point in the seal. Allen, is the ' Deep Blue Beacon ' reacting?"
Allen held the pale blue crystal and infused it with a wisp of Sparks power. The crystal immediately lit up, emitting a steady pulse that pointed towards a direction deep within the chaotic sea. At the same time, a clear thought entered his mind:
[ Watcher, we have sensed your approach. I am Tortuga, captain of the advance team of the Giant Whale Tribe Deep-Sea Council. We have established a temporary observation post on the relatively stable reef outside the Vortex Eye Core Zone. Please follow the Beacon's guidance and be careful to avoid large spatial rifts and the ' Ocean Current Fury Beasts' —elemental monsters spawned by the chaotic energy of this place. We have cleared a relatively safe passage for you, but the passage will change over time, so please pass through quickly.]
"Roger that, we're entering." Allen responded telepathically, turning to his companions, "Did you all hear that? Follow the instructions closely, full speed ahead! Franky, barrier at maximum power, prioritize defending against the space-tearing effect!"
"SUPER~ Understood! ' Order Barrier ' adjusted to spatial stabilization mode!" Franky operated the controls rapidly in the cockpit. The brightness of the ship's seven-colored light film increased, and fine, honeycomb-like regular patterns appeared on the surface, forcibly calming the spatial fluctuations within a few meters around the ship.
The Ark Maxim transformed into a seven-colored stream of light, precisely cutting into that turbulent, chaotic region.
Upon entering, the pressure increased sharply.
The immense force of the ocean currents caused the ship to rock violently. Even with the barrier protecting it, everyone could feel the overwhelming power. The creatures flying in the air weren't seagulls, but rather swarms of erratic " Ocean Current Fury Beasts " formed from water vapor, salt crystals, and chaotic energy. They instinctively attacked anything that intruded into the space, crashing into the barrier and exploding into a cloud of mist. Even more dangerous were the randomly appearing spatial rifts, some as thin as a hair, others several meters long, silently cutting through everything in their path, even cleaving the seawater in their wake. Had the Ark Maxim not possessed the spatial stability of a rule-based system, it would likely have been torn apart long ago.
Allen was completely focused, his Eye of the Torch Dragon operating at full power, anticipating the spawn point of the spatial rift and the trajectory of the raging beast, directing the ship to perform high-difficulty evasive maneuvers. Nami helped interpret the changes in ocean currents, while Chopper and Usopp nervously monitored the energy consumption of the barrier.
"Thirty degrees to port, a large crack is forming! Hard starboard!"
"A pack of enraged beasts is gathering directly ahead, preparing to charge! Concentrate the barrier's energy at the front!"
"The ocean current below has suddenly changed direction, creating an upwelling eddy! This is lifting the ship!"
The ship teetered on the brink of life and death, like a feather in a storm.
After flying for a full half hour, the chaotic scene ahead finally eased slightly. They arrived at a relatively calm reef area supported by several huge underwater pillars. On the reef, three figures were already waiting.
Leading the group was a magnificent creature over five meters tall, with deep blue skin covered in mysterious white patterns, a whale-like head, and a human torso— Tortuga of the Giant Whale Tribe. Beside him was a " Deep Sea Water Spirit," floating in mid-air, translucent like a jellyfish, its core shimmering with intelligent light, and a " Star-Spotted Giant Clam," its shell covered in star-like spots and its body the size of a small submarine.
"Welcome to the ' Vortex Eye Observation Point,' Watcher and his companions." Tortuga's voice was deep and resonant, spoken in Common, echoing like the sea. "I am Tortuga. This is the water sprite 'Xi,' responsible for energy sensing and communication; this is the Star-Spotted Giant Clam ' Mr. Shell,' responsible for geological and spatial structure analysis."
Allen led the group down the gangway ( the Ark Maxim hovered at the edge of the reef): "I am Portgas D. Allen, and they are my companions. Thank you for your guidance."
"Time is of the essence, let's synchronize the intelligence directly." Tortuga cut to the chase, waving his massive hand across the reef, and a three-dimensional nautical chart formed from condensed water vapor appeared. "As you can see, the ' Vortex Eye Core Zone ' is fifty nautical miles ahead, the final convergence point of all the chaotic ocean currents here, the most unstable space, and also the weakest 'vulnerability' in the seal."
On the nautical chart, the core area is marked as a constantly rotating dark red vortex-shaped region.
"Over the past seven days, the corruption energy readings there have risen sharply, reaching a dangerous threshold. We've detected energy traces resembling Shadow Shell Tribe activity, but we haven't been able to pinpoint the exact location—the chaotic energy field here severely interferes with perception." The water spirit Xi's voice, gentle as ripples, resonated directly in everyone's consciousness. "What's more troublesome is that a natural 'corruption field' has formed around the core area, which our purification methods cannot penetrate. A forced incursion could very well trigger a large-scale spatial collapse, or... trigger a trap that the traitors might have set."
"A trap..." Robin keenly caught the key phrase, "You suspect Callistos has already laid an ambush here?"
"Almost certainly." Mr. Shell's shell shimmered with spots, emitting a steady, mechanical voice. "Based on energy trace analysis, several key spatial nodes on the periphery of the core area show signs of being artificially reinforced and linked by 'external forces,' forming some kind of energy circuit. This doesn't resemble the pattern of natural corruption and diffusion; it's more like... a variant application of an array or sealing technique. It fits Callistos's methods."
Allen stared at the sea chart. "So, we need to first break through the outer trap nodes and weaken the corruption field before we can safely enter the core area, find the traitor, and purify the corruption tumor?"
"This is the safest option," Tortuga nodded. "We've preliminarily located three suspicious 'nodes,' situated at ocean current hubs in the east, south, and west of the core area. Each node emits strong corrosive fluctuations and is connected to the core area's force field. We hypothesize that destroying at least two nodes would create a gap in the force field. But..."
He paused, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. "When our reconnaissance team attempted to approach the eastern node, they encountered a powerful attack of mental corruption and a spatial distortion trap, nearly resulting in their complete annihilation. Callistos seems to have combined the power of corruption with his expertise in sealing space, creating an extremely vicious environmental weapon. We lack effective countermeasures, especially against attacks infused with corrupted spirit."
"Mental pollution... spatial distortion..." Allen pondered. "Leave that to us. My ' Sparks ' power is effective against corrupting mental attacks. As for spatial distortion..." He looked at Zoro and Robin, "We need the ability to sever abnormal spatial connections and disrupt magical structures."
"Severing space? Sounds like a challenge." Zoro grinned.
"The sealing technique's structure... I can try to recreate it using my abilities and analyze its weaknesses." Robin crossed her arms over her chest.
"Then let's split up!" Luffy couldn't wait any longer. "Three directions, right? We'll split into three groups and sabotage them simultaneously!"
"No, we can't split our forces." Allen shook his head, his eyes sharp. " Callistos isn't stupid. If we split our forces, he'll likely concentrate his strength to defeat us one by one, or use the connections between nodes to set up even more insidious traps. The space here is so chaotic; once it's divided, even providing support will be difficult. We must concentrate our forces, taking down each node one by one, step by step."
He looked at Tortuga: "Please take us to the most dangerous, or the most crucial, point."
Tortuga gave Allen a deep look. "The most dangerous... is the southern node. The ocean currents there are the most turbulent, the spatial rift density is the highest, and the corrupted mental fluctuations we detected are also the strongest, suggesting it's guarded by 'corrupted creations.' If that's the core of the trap, destroying it could weaken other nodes in a chain reaction."
"We'll go there," Allen decided.
"Wisely," Tortuga gestured to the water sprite Xi and Mr. Shell, "We'll lead the way. The rest of the council squad will remain at the observation point, maintaining the passage and monitoring changes in the core area."
The group boarded the Ark Maxim again and, guided by three members of the Deep-Sea Council, sailed towards the southern node.
The closer they got, the harsher the environment became. Ocean currents squeezed and tore at them from all directions, and spatial rifts flashed frequently like black Inazuma. A familiar, cloying, putrid odor began to permeate the air—the smell of decay.
Finally, they saw the so-called "node".
It was a massive, heart-pulsating network structure woven from countless dark purple, translucent energy channels, rooted in a floating island forcibly glued together from reefs and spatial fragments. At the center of the network floated a constantly pulsating, dark green tumor, over ten meters in diameter, similar to the one seen in the reef area, but larger and more malevolent, its surface flowing with viscous black liquid and emitting nauseating mental whispers.
Around the tumor, several twisted "guardians" swam—they seemed to be the remains of Ocean Current Fury Beasts that died here, forcibly mixed and reshaped by the power of corruption. They had multiple eyes, several asymmetrical limbs, and parts of their bodies were in a semi-illusory state, as if they existed in multiple spatial dimensions at the same time, emitting silent roars.
"As expected... the power of corruption combines with spatial attributes here." Allen activated his Eye of the Torch Dragon to see through the true nature of those guards. "Parts of their bodies are located in spatial interlayers, making it difficult for conventional physical attacks to hit them completely. Moreover... the node network is very tightly connected to the force field of the core area. Forcibly attacking the tumor might trigger a violent spatial backlash or a mental shock."
"Let me try." Robin closed his eyes, pressing his hands together in front of him. " Cien Fleur - Eyes of Analysis."
Countless slender arms appeared around her, each armpit opening into an eye that gleamed with intelligence. These " Eyes of Analysis " simultaneously observed the network of nodes, synchronously reproducing every detail, every connection, and every energy flow node of the complex energy circuit into Robin's mind. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead; this ultra-precise analysis of high-level energy structures was extremely demanding.
"Found it..." A few minutes later, Robin opened his eyes, somewhat tired but with bright eyes. "The node network has three key 'energy hubs' and one main 'conduction pathway.' Destroying any two hubs, or severing the main pathway, will cause the network to collapse. However, each hub is protected by Space: Folding, and the main pathway is deeply bound to the tumor; attacking it will directly trigger a corrupting mental shock and spatial tremors."
"In other words, we need to destroy at least two hubs protected by Space: Folding simultaneously, or someone can withstand the mental shock and spatial tremors and forcibly sever the main artery?" Zoro concluded.
"Or..." Allen looked at the pulsating tumor and the half-illusory, half-real guardians, "First clear out the guardians, then concentrate our power and unleash the most intense 'purification' attack to instantly pierce through the tumor and the main vein, completely purifying it before it triggers a massive backlash."
"The prerequisite is that you can quickly take down the guards, and your purification attack needs to be strong and fast enough." Sanji lit a cigarette. "Those guys look tough."
"Then let's finish this quickly." A silvery-white aura began to rise from Allen's body. "I'll focus on the tumor. Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe, you clear out the guards, be quick. Nami, prepare weather control to disrupt the energy environment here. Franky, focus the barrier on protecting Robin and Usopp, and prepare to stabilize the space at the last moment. Chopper, prepare to deal with any possible spread of mental pollution. Brook, try to freeze the spatial anomaly with your Chill of the Underworld. Luffy..."
"I know!" Luffy grinned, his arm already bulging. "I'll beat up those toughest-looking guys and clear the way for Allen!"
"The three members of the Deep-Sea Council, please assist in suppressing the spatial turbulence in the environment, and be prepared to interfere with the node network in your own way." Allen looked at Tortuga.
"It is my duty." The Giant Whale Tribe warrior clenched his enormous fist, and the white patterns on his body lit up, causing the surrounding water to flow in an orderly vortex.
Battle is imminent.
However, just as everyone was preparing to act—
A hoarse, distorted laugh, echoing multiple times, suddenly resounded from the depths of the nodular tumor, reverberating throughout the chaotic sea:
"Hehehe... Hahaha... They've finally arrived... ' Sparks Watcher '... and those idiots from the Deep-Sea Council..."
On the surface of the tumor, a blurry, shellfish-like old face emerged, composed of light and shadow and mucus, its eyes filled with madness and mockery.
"Welcome to... the ' Coffin of the Buried Current ' that I have prepared for you!"
"The game... has started!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a sudden and dramatic change occurred throughout the entire southern node area!
The already raging ocean currents suddenly began to squeeze and contract wildly from all directions toward the location of the Ark Maxim, defying the laws of physics! The bodies of the wandering corrupted guardians lit up at the same time, and their semi-illusory parts suddenly expanded, resonating with the surrounding spatial rifts, instantly weaving a "strangulation net" composed of spatial fragments and corrupted energy that covered the entire area!
Even more terrifying, the "floating island" reef beneath their feet began to violently shake and disintegrate, revealing a massive, dark purple sealing array that had been prepared beforehand! The array shone brightly, emitting a powerful suction force and spatial confinement power, attempting to drag Ark Maxim along with everyone else into an unknown spatial interlayer!
A trap! And a series of nested, deadly traps!
Callistos not only anticipated their arrival at the southern node, but also laid a trap there long ago! Utilizing the natural environment, the power of corruption, and spatial sealing techniques, he constructed this deadly scheme!
"Power up the barrier! Stabilize the ship!" Franky roared.
"The ocean currents are tearing us apart! Tortuga!" Nami exclaimed.
The Giant Whale Tribe warrior roared, trying to control the water flow, only to find that the water was being forcibly manipulated by an even colder and more evil will, which was actually turning against him!
"The spatial confinement field is intensifying! My abilities... are being suppressed!" Robin felt the surrounding air become viscous.
"The guards are charging! And there are... twice as many as we just saw!" Usopp screamed.
With the array's enhancement, the corrupted guards became even more ferocious and faster, rushing in from all directions!
"Hehehe... Feeling the despair?" Callistos's face twisted into a maniacal laugh on the tumor. "This is your grave! The Deep-Sea Council's pursuit? The purification of ' Sparks '? Before the power bestowed by 'Mother' and the spatial sealing techniques I've dedicated my life to mastering, they are all a joke! Become nourishment for 'Mother's' expansion!"
Desperate situation!
However, Allen showed no panic in the face of this sudden and deadly trap.
Within the Eye of the Torch Dragon, silver light swirled, as if it had already seen through something.
He slowly raised his hand, and a tiny silver Sparks quietly ignited in his palm.
"It's indeed a very ingenious trap... it takes advantage of the environment, our psychology, and information asymmetry."
"But Callistos..."
Allen's voice was calm, yet carried a chilling, all-knowing quality:
"Didn't you ever think about..."
"We dared to come because we were already prepared... Would you have set up an ambush?"
"And the trap is most deadly when..."
"Often, it's when hunters think they've succeeded and let their guard down..."
"That instant."
Sparks silvery-white sparks erupted suddenly!