Allen hovered on the boundary between Chaos and order, his consciousness sinking into the depths of Sparks's memories.
Those weren't his memories, but rather the "imprint of civilization" carried by the concept of Sparks when it was born.
He saw it--
An ancient universe, so ancient that its origins are difficult to trace, far older than the Super Soldier Company universe or the One Piece world. The intelligent civilization there does not exist in material form, but lives in the layers of rules as a pure information structure. They call themselves " Weavers," capable of perceiving and fine-tuning the fundamental laws of the universe, maintaining stability for billions of years.
Until one day, the " Weavers " discovered a "crack" deep within the universe. What emerged from the crack was not matter or energy, but a conceptual contamination that negated all rules—the early infiltration of the Void Will.
The Weavers poured all their resources into trying to repair the rift. But they discovered that the essence of the Void Will was the Chaos Consciousness Side split off from the early universe, and it was originally one with the ordered consciousness represented by the Weavers. Forcibly repairing it would only lead to the complete collapse of the universe's structure.
The only solution is to restore the Chaos Consciousness Side its proper place and re-establish a balance with the orderly side.
However, the Chaos Consciousness Side, in its long period of division, has become distorted and insane, filled with an instinct for devouring and destruction. If it were to return directly, the universe would fall into permanent chaos.
So, the " Weavers " made their final choice.
They used the "rational consciousness" of the entire race as fuel and the last "hope and possibility" of civilization as the Spark to ignite a flame. This flame was neither pure order nor pure Chaos, but rather the delicate and fragile balance between reason and madness.
This is the true origin of the Sparks —the last Spark of civilization's rationality, reserved for itself in the face of absolute madness, and also the prototype of a "container" that can one day accept the return of Chaos to its rightful place.
The " Weavers " cast this Spark into the turbulent currents of time and space, hoping that at some point in the future, in some universe, it would find a suitable "carrier" to build a bridge between Chaos and order and complete their unfinished mission.
Then, the entire civilization was consumed by the flames and vanished into Void.
The final memory is of an aged and serene " Weavers " consciousness whispering to the flames:
[Those who come after... when you see these things, it means Chaos is approaching once again.]
[Do not be afraid of the contradictions within you... The opposition between order and Chaos is merely a facade. Their unity is the complete truth of the universe.]
[To become a bridge... is not a sacrifice... but an elevation.]
Balance... is the only true and eternal principle.
The memory ends.
Allen opened his eyes. The platinum in his left eye and the dark purple in his right eye were still distinct, but the confusion in his eyes had disappeared.
He understood.
He was neither chosen to "fight" against Chaos, nor was he tempted to "embrace" Chaos.
He was chosen to balance Chaos and order.
Sparks has never been pure. From its very inception, it has been a "critical state" between Chaos and order. It purifies corruption not because corruption is evil, but because corruption is a manifestation of the imbalance of Chaos and its erosion of order. What Sparks truly wants to do is to return Chaos to its rightful "place" and coexist harmoniously with order.
What the beings behind the Gate of the Void —that mad and thirsty Chaos Consciousness Side —truly yearn to reconnect with the Order through the bridge of the " Threshold Bearer," ending billions of years of division and suffering.
It has been mad for too long, forgetting how to connect "gently," leaving only the instinct to devour and plunder.
"So..." Allen murmured to himself, "What I need to do is not close the door... but... guide what's behind the door, through me, to find a way back to balance."
This is a mission that is more difficult and more dangerous than confrontation or sacrifice.
Top of the tower.
The Gate of the Void has been fully opened. Inside the gate is no longer churning energy, but a deep, ever-changing Sea of Concepts. In the depths of the sea, a vague yet vast outline of consciousness is rising—a manifestation of the Chaos Consciousness Side, a collection of countless contradictions, paradoxes, and insane thoughts.
It has no fixed form, but everyone can "feel" its existence. That feeling is like facing the irrational Abyss of the universe itself, making people instinctively tremble, feel disgusted, and go crazy.
Two Hand of the Void reached out from the door, grabbing at Allen. At the same time, the collective consciousness behind the door began to release an even stronger attraction, attempting to pull Allen, this " Threshold Bearer," into the door, using him as an "anchor point" and "channel" for its return to the real universe.
"Stop it!" Angel Yan charged towards the Hand of the Void first, unleashing a divine judgment with her Flame Sword!
But the moment the blade touched the Hand of the Void, it disintegrated into fragments of information—before that Sea of Concepts, even sacred codes seemed incredibly fragile.
"Our attack... ineffective!" Ge Xiaolun's Anti-Void domain attempted to deny the existence of the Hand of the Void, but the Void Engine returned a massive number of logical errors. "The target both exists and does not exist... Definition!"
Just when everyone was in despair, the Triangle Bodies Fleet arrived.
Three " Chaos Evolution" Triangle Bodies warships, ten times larger than conventional motherships, hovered outside the tower, having broken through the aftershocks of the Order Singularity. Their surfaces were covered with dark purple energy crystals, emanating an aura that was of the same origin as the Nether Abyss but more refined.
Hundreds of elite Triangle Bodies warriors poured out of the warship. They were no longer humanoid or standard Triangle Bodies shapes, but rather various twisted biological and mechanical hybrids, each with an energy reading close to god-like.
The largest of the three, its head a constantly rotating dark purple vortex, from which emerged a cold, compound eye. It made no sound, but a clear stream of information flowed directly into everyone's minds:
[ The Threshold Bearer... The Key to Ultimate Evolution... The Triangular Body Civilization... Receive.]
Clearly, they also learned about the significance of the " Threshold Bearer " through some channel (perhaps Karl's early revelation, or perhaps the deduction of collective consciousness) and believed that devouring Allen would allow the entire Triangular Body Civilization to evolve to an unprecedented level.
The elite warriors of the Triangle Bodies surged towards Allen like a tidal wave, creating a competition with the Hand of the Void!
"They want to take Allen!" Rena fired a stellar flare, blasting away the first few Triangle Bodies that charged forward, but more surged forward.
"Protect Allen!" Liu Chuang swung his axe and charged into the enemy ranks.
A three-way battle erupted at the top of the tower: the Allied Forces fought desperately to protect Allen, the Hand of the Void attempted to capture Allen, and the Triangle Bodies sought to capture Allen. Energy explosions, Rule Distortion, and mental shocks intertwined, bringing the entire space at the top of the tower to the brink of collapse.
Allen, meanwhile, hovered in the center of the battle, his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
In fact, he is doing something extremely dangerous—actively releasing his "critical state," allowing Sparks and Chaos energy to intertwine outside his body, forming a miniature, unstable Balance Field.
This Balance Field has a fatal attraction for both the Hand of the Void and the Triangle Bodies.
The Hand of the Void for the Balance Field. At the moment of contact, the Chaos energy in the Hand was partially "harmonized" by the Balance Field, causing a slight hesitation and confusion in its movement.
The Triangle Bodies Warriors attempted to devour the Balance Field, but the instant they touched it, their own Chaos energy began to purify itself— the Chaos within them was ignited by the Sparks in the Balance Field, beginning its transformation into order! This meant... they might lose their power, or even die!
" The Balance Field of the Threshold Bearer... can suppress the madness of Chaos, and also reverse Chaos erosion!" Angel Yan keenly perceived this, "He is using himself as... a 'purification node' and a 'stabilizing anchor'!"
But this is too dangerous. The Balance Field is extremely unstable, and Allen himself is on the verge of being swallowed by Chaos or assimilated by order at any moment. Moreover, he is actively attracting the attacks of the Hand of the Void and the Triangle Bodies, which is equivalent to making himself a live target.
" Allen! Wake up! What are you doing?!" Ge Xiaolun tried to rush over, but was blocked by two elite Triangle Bodies.
Just then, Allen finally opened his eyes.
His eyes had changed. The platinum in his left eye and the dark purple in his right eye remained the same, but deep within his gaze lay a divine quality, a mixture of compassion and resolute determination.
"Yan, Xiaolun, Rena, everyone..." His calm voice reached everyone's ears, "Listen to me. I will not be swallowed by the door, nor will I be captured by the Triangle Bodies."
I want to... walk through that door.
"What?!" Everyone was stunned.
"The Chaos consciousness behind the door has been in a frenzy for too long and is unable to regain its rationality on its own. But it yearns to return. If left unchecked, it will continue to attempt to force its way through, devouring the real universe and causing irreparable damage."
Allen looked at the open Gate of the Void, behind which the Sea of Concepts was churning.
"The only way is for someone to enter the door and become a 'rational guide' for the Chaos consciousness. Using the properties of the Balance Field, a 'fire of reason' can be ignited within its mad core, helping it relearn how to coexist with order."
"And that person has to be me."
"Because the Sparks within me was Spark for this very purpose."
His gaze swept over his comrades fighting desperately, over the wreckage of the Straw Hat Pirates' separation pod floating outside the tower (they had seen this through their remaining observation equipment), and over the direction of Earth in this universe.
"Don't worry. This is not a sacrifice. The ' Weavers ' civilization foresaw this day long ago. Their final 'rational template' and 'balance agreement' remain in the Sparks."
"Once I enter the gate and merge with the Chaos Consciousness Side, I will attempt to guide it to re-establish a balanced connection with the ordered consciousness (that is, the set of rules of our real universe)."
"This process could take a very long time... maybe a few years, maybe hundreds of years, maybe even longer."
"But if successful, the Void will no longer be a threat, but rather an integral part of the universe. Chaos and order will reach a dynamic equilibrium, the rules of the real universe will be more stable, and... new possibilities may even emerge."
He paused, his voice becoming even softer:
"This is my choice. And also the destiny of this Sparks."
So... please believe me. And please...
He looked in the direction of the Straw Hat Pirates's wreckage, as if he could see his companions' faces through space:
"Please tell Luffy, tell Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Robin, Chopper, Franky, Brook, Usopp, Jinbe..."
"I may not be able to go back for now. But I will come back. I definitely will."
Until then... take care of our world for me.
As soon as he finished speaking, Allen stopped Resistance the pull of the Hand of the Void.
He flew towards the open Gate of the Void on his own initiative.
The Balance Field left a trail of white-gold and dark purple behind him.
"No--!!!"
Angel Yan, Ge Xiaolun, Rena... all the Allied soldiers roared in despair, but they were tightly bound by the Triangle Bodies and unable to break free.
The elite Triangle Bodies were also frantically trying to intercept them, but the Balance Field prevented them from getting close.
The Hand of the Void gently enveloped Allen and pulled him into the doorway.
In the final moment before he was about to be swallowed by the Sea of Concepts, Allen turned around and gave everyone a calm yet resolute smile.
Then, the figure disappeared into the depths of the doorway.
The Gate of the Void began to slowly close after he entered.
The Sea of Concepts behind the door churned even more violently.
But faintly, one could sense that in the depths of that raging ocean... a faint yet resilient ray of rational light had appeared.
Like the first star to ignite in the dark universe.