Upon hearing Whitebeard's heavy warning—
Lucian Thorn's smile gradually faded. He met the confusion still lingering in Whitebeard's eyes and already knew the answer.
An older, more sinister power… filled with pure malice and control…
Imu.
Who else could it be but the one seated atop the Empty Throne, the one hiding at the highest point of the world's power?
It seemed that thirty-eight years ago in God Valley, Imu had already intervened in the war—by possessing one of the Five Elders and entering the battlefield personally.
"I understand, Pops."
Lucian nodded. That quiet but unshakable confidence finally eased the tension in both Whitebeard and Marco.
"Relax. You know my strength better than anyone."
He let out a light laugh, but that laugh carried the same storm-wielding arrogance that had shaken the world before.
"Whether it's the Five Elders or anything else that gets in my way—I'll crush it."
"Gurararara! Well said! That's my son!"
Though Lucian sounded confident as ever, Whitebeard could feel—he had listened. And that was enough.
"Alright, now that the serious talk's over..."
Lucian clapped his hands. The commanding aura evaporated, and the trickster was back again.
He strolled up to Marco with a wide grin, slapping him hard on the shoulder.
"Marco, for the next two years, my glorious legend as the guy who went into seclusion to discover the ultimate secret of the perfect cosmic pineapple hairstyle—totally depends on you and Pops to uphold!"
"Remember, this is a holy pilgrimage… a philosophical quest of follicular enlightenment. Please make sure everyone believes it!"
Marco's expression twitched violently.
At this point, he was seriously starting to suspect the real reason Lucian powered him up was so he could endure the pressure of covering for this ridiculous excuse.
"I... I'll try my best..." Marco muttered between clenched teeth.
"Excellent!"
Lucian gave him a satisfied thumbs-up.
"Now then, for the sake of secrecy, we'll do it the usual way—no flashy business. When night falls and the crew's asleep, we head to the island. I'll open the time portal from there."
Midnight.
A salty ocean breeze swept across the island where they had once crossed time.
Three figures appeared silently at its center:
Lucian Thorn, Whitebeard, and Marco.
Whitebeard stood with arms crossed like a silent war god, his shadow long and dark under the moonlight.
Marco stood quietly beside him, waiting for Lucian's next miracle.
"Well then, Pops. Marco."
Lucian stood in front of them, turned back with a final smile.
"Wait for me to come back."
As the words left his lips, his entire demeanor shifted.
The usual laziness and mischief vanished.
In its place—solemnity and resolve.
BOOM!
A mighty power exploded from within him, his aura soaring toward the heavens.
The air screamed.
The earth trembled.
Lucian's expression turned serious as he raised both hands toward the void in front of him.
"Time Tunnel—"
"God Valley!"
"Open!"
He tore the air with both hands—
And space itself began to split, forming the height of a door.
Lucian's will sank into the System.
"System! Activate all templates related to 'God Valley'—every old friend involved."
[Command Confirmed.]
[Legendary Templates — Activating...]
A glowing virtual panel, visible only to him, unfolded before his eyes.
One by one, familiar and legendary figures lit up, shining with brilliance:
[Legendary Template: Gol D. Roger][Legendary Template: Monkey D. Garp][Legendary Template: Edward Newgate][Legendary Template: Charlotte Linlin][Legendary Template: Silvers Rayleigh][Legendary Template: White-Haired Kaido]
...
Every legendary figure tangled with the God Valley incident—
Their avatars lit up at once.
An immeasurable force known as "Historical Anchor Energy" surged from the void, flooding into Lucian's body.
Rip!
The space before him was split wide open—not just by his hands, but by the combined force of the system's time-energy.
A massive black rift tore open.
But inside… was not the void.
It was a swirling, colossal vortex of pure golden light.
At its core, something grander than any miracle was emerging—something so vast that even gods would fall silent before it.
A door.
A giant golden door, forged from radiant metal.
It bore no decorations—
Only ancient, cryptic runes carved into its surface.
"BOOOOMMMMM"
A deep, sacred rumble shattered the silence.
The golden door tore itself free from the vortex and descended into the world.
But this door was nothing like before—
From within it surged an overwhelming aura from thirty-eight years ago:
Iron. Gunpowder. Arrogance. Power. Despair. Heroism.
The battlefield of legends.
Thud.
Marco nearly dropped to his knees.
Even the Undying Godflame within him felt like a flickering candle in the storm of this presence.
Even Whitebeard—who had fought in that battle—trembled and involuntarily took half a step back.
His face was filled with shock... and something close to awe.
They had seen Lucian open time-gates before.
But this—
This was different.
This was God Valley.
As the two watched in awe, the hundred-meter-tall golden gate creaked open—
Crrrrk—
Just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Lucian turned and smiled. The divine aura disappeared again—he was just that same lazy, carefree young man.
He waved one last time at Whitebeard and Marco, like he was just heading off on an ordinary trip.
"Don't forget, Marco! Tell them I'm out on a holy quest for the ultimate pineapple hairstyle!"
Then, without hesitation—
Lucian turned and stepped into the golden gate.
He walked into the storm of legends and hellfire.
And his figure—
Vanished, step by step,
Into the raging stream of time.