The humanoid Void creation that called itself " Experiment No. 173 " stood beside the broken incubation chamber in the laboratory. Its body was composed of translucent dark purple energy and twisted biological tissue, with tiny tentacles constantly wriggling on its surface, but its eyes, which emerged from the energy vortex, were unusually clear—the eyes of someone who had endured much torture but had not yet completely gone mad.
"Food... or visitors?" it repeated the broken question, its voice sounding as if squeezed from a leaky chest.
Zoro's sword was already drawn an inch from its sheath, Sanji assumed a fighting stance, and Franky's left arm transformed into a cannon barrel. Robin, however, stepped forward and raised her hand to signal her companions to calm down.
"We are not Karl's test subjects, nor are we food," Robin said calmly. "We're here to stop him. You seem... to still have your sanity?"
"Reason..." No. 173 let out a bitter laugh, like the scraping of metal. "Yes, I still 'remember'. I remember the color of the sky, the smell of the wind, my daughter's smile... These 'memories' are the reason Karl can't completely erase me. They are also my curse."
It slowly raised a quantifiable hand, pointing to the tattered holographic images on the wall. "That person... dragged me from my world. He said my ' Rule Distortion ' talent was interesting, a perfect sample for studying the interaction between the Void and the material world."
"Are you a superhuman?" Nami asked.
"It used to be. I could temporarily 'disrupt' or 'rewrite' the physical rules of a small area around me—freeze flames, burn water, reverse gravity." No. 173's tone carried a distant pride, which then turned to pain. "Then Karl came. He implanted the Void Engine into my body, saying he wanted to see what would happen if 'natural Rule Distortion ' combined with 'artificial Void interference'."
It looked down at its distorted body. "And you see the result. I survived, but I became... this thing. My abilities were amplified a thousandfold, but they're out of control. My very existence is constantly distorting the rules around me—if it weren't for the special stable field in this laboratory, anyone within ten meters of me would turn into an abstract painting."
Dr. Chopper instinctively wanted to check on its condition, but Usopp stopped him. "Don't go! It's too dangerous!"
No. 173 seemed to chuckle (if that distorted face could even make an expression): "Little reindeer, you have a lot of compassion. But it's no use. My body is already a mixture of Void energy and a mutated flesh; any conventional treatment will only cause the energy to go berserk."
It turned to the crowd. "You say you've come to stop Karl? With your abilities?"
"With us, and our allies outside," Robin said, "And with ' Sparks' —a power that can purify Chaos."
Upon hearing the word " Sparks," No. 173's body trembled violently, and the dark gold metal floor around him began to soften and deform!
"Star... fire..." it murmured repeatedly, its eyes flashing with a complex light—a mixture of longing, fear, and a glimmer of... hope, "That word repeatedly mentioned in the whisper... the flame of order... the fire that can burn away the Void..."
It suddenly took two steps forward, its body leaving a melting trail on the ground. "Help me! Help me!"
"How can I help?" Luffy asked.
"Kill me." No. 173's voice grew urgent. "Use your Sparks to utterly purify me! Free me from this eternal torment! In exchange... I'll tell you everything I know! Control of this isolated island, the core data from Karl's early research, and... clues about that 'door'!"
Zoro frowned. "How can we believe you're not just trying to trick us into getting close so you can ambush us?"
"If I wanted you dead, I could have done it the moment you landed," No. 173 said with a wry smile. "This entire island is under the influence of my Rule Distortion field. Although I can't completely control it, I could still make the ground suddenly turn into spikes, turn the air into acid... But I didn't."
It extends its energy-infused hand, palm facing upwards. A faint, pure blue light appears—a color that clashes with the surrounding dark purple energy.
"This is my 'memory core'—all my memories of the past, my daughter, and me as a 'human.' Karl tried to erase it, but it's too resilient; it's become the anchor of my consciousness." No. 173's voice pleaded, "If I wanted to harm you, would I show this? It's my most vulnerable part; once damaged, I'll become a mindless Void monster."
Robin and her companions exchanged glances. Nami whispered, "It's betting... betting that we really have the Sparks, and betting that we have a conscience."
Jinbe said in a deep voice, "Its pain is real. That despair of being trapped in a twisted body... I can feel it."
Brook's soul flickered slightly. "Its 'song'... is filled with a melody of sorrow and a longing for end."
Luffy scratched his head. "I don't quite understand, but it seems to be really upset. And it knows about that bastard Karl, right? Maybe it can help Allen!"
Ultimately, it was decided that Robin would represent them in the communication.
"We can try to help you find release," Robin said, "But we need to first assess the value of the information you've provided, and... how to ensure your safe purification. None of us currently hold the Sparks."
No. 173 immediately said, "The island's control terminal is on the lower level of the lab. I can take you there. There are all of Karl's early research logs there, including how he discovered the 'door' and what he thought was needed to open it."
It paused, then lowered its voice. " Karl is waiting for the ' Key.' He believes that to open the door to the origin of the Void, three things are needed: a sufficiently large amount of Chaos energy ( the Nether Abyss ), a 'container' capable of withstanding the impact behind the door (himself and the tower's fusion), and... a ' Key ' that can 'turn the lock.'"
"What's the Key?" Sanji asked.
"A 'rule-neutral existence'... capable of freely shifting between order and Chaos." No. 173 looked at everyone. " Karl initially thought it was the collective consciousness of the Triangle Bodies, then the ultimate form of the Void Engine, but finally... he seems to believe it's the 'Flame of Order' from another universe—what you call the Sparks."
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
From the very beginning, Karl was luring Sparks over!
"He wants to use the Sparks... as Key to open the door?" Usopp's voice trembled.
"Yes. But Sparks is on the order side, and the Gate is on the Chaos side. Using them directly would cause a conflict," said No. 173. "So Karl created the Nether Abyss —using Chaos energy to pollute the real universe, creating a 'transition zone' where order and Chaos mix. Here, Sparks will be slowly 'polluted' or 'adapted' by the environment, gradually shifting towards the Chaos side. When it shifts to a certain critical point... it can become the Key."
" Allen is being contaminated?" Chopper exclaimed.
"I'm afraid so. Those whispers in the Void are part of the contamination process," said No. 173. "But the good news is that as long as the critical point isn't reached, reversal is possible. And the island's control terminal contains data from Karl's early research on 'rule neutralization'—perhaps we can find a way to stop the contamination, or even, conversely, purify the Chaos with Sparks."
"Take us there," Zoro said succinctly.
No. 173 nodded, and his body began to "flow" forward, creating a passage on the ground. The others followed closely behind, maintaining a safe distance.
Passing through a hidden door, they entered the lower level of the laboratory. The scene here was even more unsettling: the walls were embedded with pulsating, brain-like biological tissue (partially crystallized), and the floor was made of translucent energy pipes flowing with a dark purple liquid. In the center of the room was a huge columnar control console, its surface displaying constantly scrolling data streams and 3D models.
No. 173 placed his palm on the control panel, and the biological tissues glowed faintly.
"System identification: Experiment subject No. 173, access level: Observer. Data retrieval in progress..."
A deluge of information began to surface. Robin quickly read it, Nami copied it using the recording device she had brought. Franky excitedly studied the structure of the control console. "SUPER~ Technology! This energy transfer method is similar to Vegapunk's Lineage Factor technology, but it's more... radical?"
The data reveals a startling truth:
Ten thousand years ago, Karl discovered the "gate" between the " Void Sea " and the "Real Universe" through the Great Clock. The gate was sealed by some ancient seal and could only be opened with the " Key of Chaos." After ten thousand years of research, Karl finally concluded that the Key of Chaos must be a "transformation state from order to Chaos," and this transformation requires the collision of the rules of the two universes.
Therefore, he secretly guided the Source of Corruption to erode Allen's world, and when the Source of Corruption was purified, he captured the aftershocks of the rules to create the Nether Abyss —essentially creating an artificial "collision field of two universes' rules."
He waited for Allen not only for the Sparks as Key, but also because Allen himself, as the carrier of the Sparks, was the "catalyst" for this collision.
"So, even without the Sparks, as long as Allen enters the Nether Abyss, his very existence will accelerate the collision and mixing of the rules?" Robin's face turned pale.
"Yes," No. 173 said, "But the Sparks makes this process controllable... For Karl, he can guide the Sparks's purifying properties, refining the purest 'rule-neutral state' in the collision—that is the Key to perfection."
"Then what should we do?" Luffy asked.
"Two choices." No. 173 pulled up an encrypted file. "One is to find the ' Stability Anchor ' Karl left in various parts of the Nether Abyss —rule stabilization devices he established during early testing to prevent the experiment from going out of control. If all the anchors can be activated, a temporary but powerful ' Order Field ' can be created inside the Nether Abyss, delaying or even reversing the Chaos of the rules."
"Secondly..." it paused, "Find Karl's core control program, located at the very top of the tower. Destroy it, Nether Abyss will lose its 'consciousness,' becoming Chaos sea of energy without a master. Although still dangerous, at least it will no longer expand purposefully or open doors."
"But whichever choice you make, you all need Sparks." No. 173 looked at the crowd. "So, help me to be free. I will completely transfer control of the island to you—this island itself is one of the largest ' Stability Anchor,' and I can teach you how to use it."
Robin and her companions discussed the matter again.
"Help it," Jinbe said. "It retains its humanity even in its suffering, which is admirable."
"And we need control of the island," Nami, looking at the copied data. "With this, we might be able to contact Allen and the others, or provide them with support."
"Then it's settled." Luffy made the final decision. "How can I help you get rid of this?"
No. 173 walked to the center of the room, his body beginning to tremble violently. "My core... is in my chest cavity. There's a prototype of Void Engine implanted by Karl there; it's both the source of my power and the shackles that bind me to this form. Impacting it with sufficiently strong Order energy... will destroy it."
The dark purple energy on its body surface began to contract, revealing the center of its chest—where a fist-sized, pulsating dark purple crystal was embedded, with a complex mechanical structure visible inside.
"But the impact must be strong enough, and it must completely destroy everything in one go, otherwise the energy backlash will detonate the entire island." No. 173's voice began to weaken, "I can't hold on for much longer... Hurry!"
Zoro looked at Sanji: "Cooperate with me."
Sanji nodded and ignited the Diable Jambe on his right leg—this time, the flames weren't dark red, but a white-gold color infused with the properties of stellar energy.
" Three-Sword Style: Black Rope Dragon Twister!" Zoro unleashed three swords simultaneously, the strikes spinning into a raging tornado, each strike imbued with Armament Haki to its fullest extent.
" Diable Jambe - Sacred Barbecue Kick!" Sanji leaped into the air, platinum flames condensing into a giant firebird shape in the vacuum (there was air in the room), which swooped down with the kick.
Both attacks struck the dark purple crystal simultaneously!
Click--
Cracks have appeared on the crystal surface!
But that wasn't enough! A surge of violent Void energy erupted from within the crystal, attempting to repair the damage!
At that moment, No. 173 made a final effort—it injected all the "memory core" light points into the crack!
"For... Emily..." it uttered its daughter's name with its last breath.
The pure blue light clashed fiercely with the Void energy, causing the cracks to widen further!
" Gum-Gum-- " Luffy suddenly charged forward, his arms swelling to their limit, " Gigant Bazooka!!"
He slammed his fists together, smashing them heavily onto the crystal!
boom--!!!
The crystal shattered completely! A surge of violent Void energy erupted, but it was immediately enveloped and dissipated by Zoro's slash and Sanji's flames. No. 173's body began to disintegrate, turning from the edges into pure points of light.
Before it completely dissipated, a clear, relieved smile appeared on its face (if it could still be called a face).
"Thank you... you all..."
Then, it disappeared completely.
The console emitted a notification sound, "Subject No. 173's signal has disappeared. Highest control privileges have been automatically transferred to... An alien life form has been detected. Authentication is initiating."
A scanning beam swept over the group.
"The 'Order Affinity' trait was detected, Resistance to Chaos energy was detected, and the death warrant for Subject No. 173 was detected. Privilege granted: Temporary Controller. Validity: Until the subject leaves the island or is overridden by a higher authority."
The console is fully activated, and numerous interfaces unfold.
"We did it!" Chopper, feeling both sad and relieved.
"Now, let's quickly see how to use this to help Allen and the others!" Nami rushed to the control panel.
Robin quickly scanned the newly unlocked features. "There's a communication enhancement module! It can temporarily penetrate Chaos interference to send text messages! And... the island's defense system and stable field control system!"
"Can we get in touch with Dawn?" Usopp asked.
"Give it a try!" Franky started operating.
Meanwhile, the battle between the Dawn and the defeated divine body has reached a fever pitch.
The ship crash-landed on a metal platform outside the tower, surrounded by dozens of frenzied attacking divine entities. Angel Yan, Ge Xiaolun, Ge Xiaolun, Rena Liu Chuang, Zhao Xin, Qilin, along with the Angel Vanguard Squad and the Lieyang Generals, fought desperately to Resistance.
Each of these divine entities possesses unique abilities: some can Space: Folding, some can manipulate the flow of time, some can replicate enemy attacks, and some can absorb energy and convert it for their own use. What's more troublesome is that their attacks are all accompanied by strong Chaos pollution.
"We can't hold out much longer at this rate!" Ge Xiaolun cleaved open a divine body with his sword, but Chaos energy immediately surged from the wound to repair it. "They recover their energy too quickly in this area!"
Angel Yan's Holy Domain has been compressed to its minimum. " Karl is controlling the energy flow inside the tower! We must cut off the tower's support to them first!"
"But how do we get close to the tower?" Rena blasted away three divine bodies with a miniature flare, but more surged forward. "There are too many!"
Suddenly, all the divine bodies stopped moving at the same time.
Immediately afterwards, Dawn's communication system received a fragmented but barely audible message:
"... This is... the Straw Hat Pirates... on the Isolated Island of Order... We have gained control... Activating the ' Stability Anchor '... An Order Impact will occur in three minutes... Please prepare..."
It's Nami's voice!
"They're still alive!" Ge Xiaolun exclaimed with delight.
" Stability Anchor?" Angel Yan's eyes lit up. "Everyone, prepare to charge towards the tower in three minutes! That's our chance!"
Three minutes later.
From the direction of the isolated island, a pure white beam of light shot into the sky! The beam pierced through the Chaos energy sea, tearing open a brief "corridor of order" within the Nether Abyss!
All the failed divine bodies let out painful howls; the Chaos energy on their bodies became unstable under the impact of the order, and their movements became noticeably sluggish!
"Now! Charge!" Angel Yan charged forward first, her Flame Sword slashing towards the tower's entrance!
Ge Xiaolun, Rena, and others followed closely behind.
On the top floor of the tower, Karl watched the surveillance footage with a meaningful smile on his face.
"Finally... everyone's here."
He turned around and looked at the "door" behind him that was becoming clearer and clearer.
The aura leaking from the crack in the door... had already begun to cause the entire tower to tremble slightly.