The celebration banquet at the North Star Spaceport was brief, barely even qualifying as a banquet—it was just a rest area next to the command center, where some energy-boosting meals and drinks were provided. But the atmosphere was certainly much more relaxed.
With a specially made high-energy meat steak in one hand and a juice in the other, Luffy mumbled, "So, those triangular heads aren't all that great after all! I can go fight them next time!"
Nami angrily tapped him on the head with her notebook. "How are you going to fight in a vacuum? The Gum-Gum Fruit can't stretch in space!"
"Huh? Can't I?" Luffy tilted his head and tentatively stretched out his rubber arm—it was perfectly fine in normal indoor atmospheric conditions.
"In a vacuum, with no medium, your rubber expansion and contraction requires atmospheric pressure difference as one of the driving forces." Chopper held up a tablet displaying an analysis report just sent by Earth scientists. "However, they said that if we combine it with some theory of 'spatial stretching' or 'regular dimensional deformation,' perhaps we could..."
"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Usopp covered his ears. "Dr. Chopper, please speak like a human!"
Brook sipped his tea elegantly (though he lacked a digestive system): "Hehehe~ But that creature called the Triangle Bodies has a very interesting skeletal structure. The residual energy fluctuations after its death remind me of certain beings in the Underworld..."
Jinbe calmly ate his fish-shaped energy cake. "Their fighting style is indeed similar to Fish-Man Karate —both utilize environmental energy to enhance themselves. But that Chaos energy has gone astray."
The remaining members of the group also learned a lot from the engineers. Nami has begun to try to combine the meteorological knowledge of the pirate world with the interstellar climate model of this universe; Usopp's "lie" seems to have gained new inspiration after coming into contact with a certain "information-state reality distortion" theory; Brook's music and the connection with the Underworld were regarded as valuable cases by several scientists who study soul science (this discipline really exists in this universe).
Meanwhile, on the raiding squad's side, combat data was being rapidly analyzed.
" The Chaos Sparks's purification efficiency for Chaos biological units reached 92.7%, and its purification efficiency for pure energy structures was 85.3%," Lian Feng reported. "More importantly, the converted pure energy can be absorbed by the Sparks and enhance the user—this is a self-reinforcing positive cycle."
Ge Xiaolun exclaimed excitedly, "If Brother Allen stays in the Nether Abyss long enough, won't he get stronger the more he fights? He'll level up by grinding monsters!"
"That's true in theory," Angel Yan said, pouring cold water on the idea. "But there's a limit to energy absorption, and there's also a limit to mental strain. And... look at this."
She pulled up a set of physiological monitoring data of Allen during the battle. Within three minutes of releasing the " Seed of Order Reconstruction ", Allen's brainwaves showed abnormal low-frequency oscillations, the frequency of which was highly similar to a certain "rule background radiation" detected inside the Nether Abyss Storm.
"This is..." General Du Kao frowned.
"When Sparks comes into deep contact with Chaos energy, the user also indirectly comes into contact with the 'rule information' behind the Chaos," Angel Yan said solemnly. "That information may contain dangerous ideological imprints or mental pollution. Karl has studied the Void for many years; he knows better than anyone how to use information states for attacks."
Allen himself sensed it. Since returning from the battle, fragmented images and whispers would occasionally flash through his mind—
A distorted geometric starry sky, a logical paradox that constantly replicates itself, and a certain... thirsty call.
It was as if something in the depths of the Nether Abyss was "watching" him, "inviting" him.
"I'm fine." Seeing the worried looks from everyone, Allen shook his head. " Sparks itself has the property of purifying mental pollution, those whispers can't affect me. On the contrary... they provided some information."
"Information?" Rena asked curiously.
"Regarding the internal structure of the Nether Abyss," Allen closed his eyes, recalling those fragmented images, "The storm wasn't entirely Chaos. Deep within... there was order. Man-made order."
Just then, a red alert suddenly lit up on the main screen of the command center!
"Report! The ' Deep Dive Practitioners No. 7 ' reconnaissance fleet has transmitted an emergency signal! The signal is extremely unstable!"
Deep Dive Practitioners No. 7 – a suicide squad comprised of three specially designed reconnaissance ships, tasked with penetrating as undetected as possible to the edge of the Nether Abyss and gather direct data from within. Before setting out, everyone knew their chances of survival were no more than 30%.
"Bring it in! Maximum boost!" Lian Feng rushed to the control panel.
On the screen, distorted, snow-like images appeared intermittently. It was clearly the view from inside the reconnaissance ship; all the instruments were frantically alarming, and outside the window was a boiling, dark purple sea of energy.
"... Repeat... We have discovered... an artificial structure at the coordinates..." The captain's hoarse, static-filled voice came through the communication, accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of metal twisting and the screams of the crew.
The camera shakily captured a terrifying scene outside the porthole.
In the raging sea of Chaos energy, a fragmented, gigantic tower-like structure, composed of a mixture of dark golden unknown metal and biological tissue, looms in the distance! The surface of the tower flows with a dark purple energy stream that originates from the same source as the Nether Abyss but is more refined, and at the top of the tower is a constantly rotating energy vortex that resembles an eye!
Even more shockingly, dozens of beings, enveloped in Chaos energy yet vaguely recognizable as humanoid, floated around the tower! They floated motionless, like guardians or sacrifices.
"... It was Karl's... laboratory... he... transformed himself... together..." The captain's voice grew weaker and weaker, "Those were... failed... Void God... experimental subjects..."
The image shook violently, finally settling on a "face" near the porthole—a terrifying face that was half human and half energy, with empty eyes and a strange smile on its lips, which opened and closed as if to say something.
The lip-reading expert immediately began interpreting the lip movements.
The lip movements were saying:
Welcome... Flame of Order... The Void... awaits you...
The signal was completely cut off the next second.
" Deep Dive Practitioners No. 7... Signal lost." The communications officer's voice was heavy.
The command center fell into dead silence.
That tower... those transformed humanoid beings... Karl may have already merged himself with the Nether Abyss...
And the last sentence was clearly a "welcome" addressed to Allen.
"He's waiting for me," Allen broke the silence, his gaze fixed on the afterimage of the tower on the screen. "Or rather, he's waiting for ' Sparks '."
"A trap." Zoro said succinctly, holding his sword.
"It's definitely a trap!" Usopp jumped up. "That kind of place looks like a den of monsters where you can't get out once you go in! We need to think this through!"
"But we don't have time for long-term planning." Lian Feng pulled up the latest monitoring data, "The expansion rate of the Nether Abyss has increased again, reaching 0.1 light-years per day. At this rate, it will affect the first star system with life in forty days—where there are more than two billion intelligent lives."
"Moreover, the Triangle Bodies are evolving at an accelerated pace," Angel Yan added. "Reconnaissance shows that they have begun to actively 'guide' the flow of Nether Abyss energy, seemingly preparing for some major operation."
General Du Kao looked at Allen: "Sir Allen, what do you think? That tower... could it be the 'control core' or 'energy hub' of the Nether Abyss?"
"Very likely." Allen nodded. "A Tower of Order born from Chaos... That's very much in Karl's style. He combined his life's research on the Void and secondary life forms with the rules of corruption to create a Chaos laboratory where he could 'touch the truth.' And he's inside the tower."
"So, to purify the Nether Abyss, we must ultimately enter the core of the storm and destroy that tower?" Ge Xiaolun asked.
"Or... purify it." A spark of Sparks flashed in Allen's eyes. "The essence of Sparks is 'possibility.' If that tower is a 'distorted truth' built by Karl using the rules of Chaos, then Sparks might be able to 'correct' it back to a normal order structure—in the process, we might even gain all of Karl's knowledge about the Void."
"Too risky," General Du Kao shook his head. "You could be completely corrupted by the Void Whispers, or countered by Karl. Since he's waiting for you, he must have prepared a way to deal with Sparks."
"I know," Allen said calmly, "But it's the only option. Purifying the Nether Abyss from the outside requires energy and time that we cannot afford. We must disintegrate it from within."
He surveyed everyone in the command center, "I need a suicide squad to come with me into the core of the Nether Abyss. The number can't be too large, otherwise we'll be instantly overwhelmed by the Chaos energy. But they must be strong enough to handle any unforeseen circumstances."
"I'll go," Angel Yan was the first to speak. "My divine code can resist Void corruption, and I have some understanding of Karl's research."
"I'll go too!" Ge Xiaolun immediately said, " Anti-Void abilities should be helpful!"
"Count me in," Rena raised her hand. " The Light of the Sun can surely illuminate the way forward, right?"
On the Straw Hat Pirates's side, Luffy was about to shout when Nami covered his mouth.
"This time... I agree with Usopp." Nami was unusually serious. "This isn't an ordinary adventure. It's a Jedi Realm that even the universe's top warriors find terrifying. We should..."
"But Allen needs partners," Robin interrupted her softly.
Everyone looked at Robin.
The archaeologist smiled slightly and looked at Allen: "What you saw in those whispers wasn't just a tower, was it? Wasn't there also... a door? A 'door' leading to some deeper level?"
Allen's pupils contracted slightly, and he slowly nodded. "... Yes. At the base of the tower, there's the outline of a 'door.' Those whispers are calling me to open it."
"That might be Karl's real purpose," Robin said. "He created the Nether Abyss, perhaps not just to become the God of Chaos. He might want to use Chaos energy as a ' Key ' or 'fuel' to forcibly open that 'door'—the door to the true origin of the Void, or... a door to some far more terrifying place."
This speculation sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Therefore, I must go," Allen repeated, "Not only to purify the Nether Abyss, but also to stop Karl from opening that door that should never have been opened."
Zoro stood up. "Then let's stop talking nonsense. When do we set off?"
Sanji lit a cigarette. "The cook can't just watch the captain (the first mate is also the captain) go to his death alone."
Franky: "SUPER~ Adventure! My old General Franky is ready to level up!"
Chopper, though trembling with fear, still raised his hoof. "I... I'm a doctor! What if someone gets hurt..."
Brook: "Yohohoho~ Even though I've already died once, before I die again, I want to see what's behind that 'door'."
Jinbe calmly replied, " Fish-Man Island owes you a debt of gratitude; it's time to repay it."
Luffy finally broke free from Nami's grasp and grinned, "See! Everyone's going! Nami, Usopp, what about you guys?"
Nami looked at her companions, then at Allen, and finally sighed, rubbing her temples. "... I'm truly fed up with you bunch of fearless bastards. Fine, if we're going, we'll all go together! Staying here isn't necessarily safe anyway—who knows if the Nether Abyss might suddenly expand!"
Usopp's legs were trembling, and his voice was trembling too. "I... I am the great warrior of the sea Usopp! How could I be left out of this great feat of saving multiple universes! Although my legs are a little out of control..."
"Then it's settled." Allen looked at his crew, a warm feeling welling up inside him. " Straw Hat Pirates, all members, join the battle!"
"The elite squads of the Super Soldier Company will also accompany us," General Du Kao made the final decision. " Ge Xiaolun, Rena, Liu Chuang, Qilin, Zhao Xin, and... I will apply to have Senior Sun Wukong join us as well."
"Brother Monkey?" Ge Xiaolun's eyes lit up. "He's willing to come?"
"It involves the survival of the universe; he won't refuse," Du Kao said. "As for the angels..."
"I will lead an elite angel squad," Angel Yan said, "Ten high-ranking guardian angels, skilled in Holy Domain and purification combat."
" The Lieyang Sun will also dispatch several divine generals," Rena contacted Pan Zhen. "My father said that this is a crisis in the known universe, and the Lieyang has an inescapable responsibility."
The Allied Supreme Command quickly passed a resolution: the final operation, codenamed " Sparks Set the Plains Ablaze," would be launched in seventy-two hours!
Objective: Infiltrate the core of the Nether Abyss, find the Carl's Tower, destroy or purify the control node, and prevent the "Gate" from opening.
For the next three days, everyone entered a state of frantic preparation.
In his dedicated meditation room, Allen battled the increasingly clear whispers of the Void. The voices were tempting him:
Order is merely an appearance; Chaos is the true reality.
[... Open the door... and you will see the truth of the universe...]
Join us... and you will Transcendence the gods...
But each time, the Sparks ignited deep within his soul, burning those whispers to ashes. With each confrontation, the Sparks grew more solid and brighter. Within the platinum flames, silver, regular patterns began to emerge—an evolution resulting from absorbing divine codes and Anti-Void properties.
In a specially designed training room, Luffy is practicing fighting in a simulated vacuum environment. Earth scientists have designed a "space anchoring device" for him, which allows his rubber powers to partially function in a vacuum—the principle being to use micro -Wormhole technology to simultaneously stretch the spatial structure as his limbs extend. Although he is not yet proficient, Luffy can already fire " Vacuum Gum-Gum Rocket ".
Zoro sparred with Liu Chuang and Sun Wukong (who has arrived). The clash between his Three-Sword Style and the Golden Cudgel and God-Slaying Axe nearly demolished the entire training area. However, after adapting to the characteristics of God-Slaying Power and Dark Energy, Zoro's slashes became even more unpredictable—he could cut through not only matter, but also localized energy structures.
Sanji communicates with the God of the Lieyang about the "Way of Flame," and his Diable Jambe begins to incorporate the properties of stellar energy. The flames he kicks out are dark gold in color and so hot that they can instantly vaporize special alloys.
Nami is studying at the Weather Control Center, beginning to experiment with combining thundercloud climate with interstellar energy storms. Usopp's plant ammunition depot has been replenished with a large number of special plant Seed from this universe (some even from alien civilizations). Chopper's new Rumble Ball formula incorporates components that resist Chaos energy. Brook's telepathy resonates strangely with the angels' research into soul science. Jinbe has made initial progress in combining Fish-Man Karate with Dark Energy manipulation. Franky's General's Jaeger is undergoing a complete overhaul, being equipped with God-Slaying Weapon-level melee weapons and Heavenly Blade Judgment- level energy cannons.
Seventy-two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
On the eve of departure, Allen came alone to the observation deck of the spaceport and looked at the distant starry sky—there, in the direction of the Nether Abyss, an unnatural dark purple halo could already be seen in the visible light spectrum.
"Are you nervous?" Angel Yan's voice came from behind.
"A little," Allen without turning around, "But more than that, it was... anticipation."
"Expect?"
"I look forward to seeing the truth." Allen turned, his eyes Sparks. "I look forward to knowing what lies at the end of Chaos, and what the source of order is. I look forward to knowing why Sparks chose me."
Angel Yan looked at him for a long time, then suddenly said, "Do you know? In the ancient records of angels, there is a legendary existence called ' Sparks of Order ' or ' Bonfire of Civilization.' They are not born naturally, but are formed when a civilization faces absolute darkness, by the 'hope' and 'possibility' of all its members. Once ignited, they never go out, transcending time and space to illuminate all worlds plunged into darkness."
She looked at Allen: "The flame within you... it feels very similar to me."
Allen was silent for a moment, then smiled, "Then let my flame burn the Nether Abyss to ashes."
The next day, early morning.
On the largest launch platform of the North Star Spaceport, a specially designed assault mothership, " Dawn," is ready. It combines the cutting-edge technologies of Earth, Angels, Lieyang, Deno, and the Deep-Sea Council (through remote technical support). Its hull is covered with Sparks guide layer and sacred code protection, and its engines adopt a multi-cosmic rule-adaptive design.
The Straw Hat Pirates, the elite of the Super Soldier Company, the Angel Vanguard Squad, the Lieyang General... a total of fifty-six warriors boarded the ship.
General Du Kao, Lian Feng, and other high-ranking coalition officials who remained on the platform saw them off.
"Remember, your primary task is survival," General Du Kao said sternly. "If things become unbearable, retreat immediately. We will prepare second and third plans."
"There won't be a second option." Allen stood at the hatch, taking one last look at Earth in this universe, "Because we will succeed."
The hatch closed.
" Dawn, set sail!"
With engines roaring, the warship transformed into a streak of light, plunging into the depths of space, towards the dark purple storm that devoured everything.
And at the heart of the Nether Abyss, in that tower where dark gold and flesh were mixed.
A phantom, composed entirely of energy and retaining the refined appearance of the Karl scholar, is smilingly "watching" the approaching warship.
Behind him, the enormous "door," inscribed with countless forbidden knowledge, was slowly... absorbing the Chaos energy pouring in from outside the tower.
A wisp of energy leaked from the crack in the door... an aura that sent shivers down the spines of the entire Nether Abyss.