The oppressive pressure was something Kong Tai had felt before.
It was the first time he had unleashed his Black Hole energy.
At that time, he hadn't known what it was.
The second time he felt it was on Lamp Island. He had used his Black Hole energy then to instantly kill Cartes, tear through space, and glimpse the eyes of the Creator God.
Although the World Will had appeared then, it had been instantly affected by the Creator God's aura and frozen. Kong Tai hadn't thought much of it afterwards, so he hadn't paid it any mind.
The third time was when he had used his Spatial Blade to shatter Uranus's canon blast.
He didn't know why, but although that strike had broken the world's barrier, the collision of powers had occurred within this world. Despite its apparent exaggeration and might, it hadn't truly shattered the world's inherent rules. Or for some other reason, the World Will had descended, but only as a trace.
It was far weaker than the instance on Lamp Island, and not as potent as the current one. Though the present manifestation was subtle, it had genuinely pierced through the world, making it more tangible.
Kong Tai shook his head, retracting his Zhan Kong, and ceased his musings.
The World Will was, in essence, a defense mechanism.
When someone attempted to break the world's rules, it would naturally appear.
It possessed no emotion, merely the manifestation of the world's operating principles. In this world of magic and miracles, its manifestation, however, was slightly ostentatious.
Watching the black hole gradually fade before him, Kong Tai twirled his blade with a flourish and sheathed it.
Then, Kong Tai looked at Uta and smiled, "Alright, from now on, this passage will be the bridge connecting reality to Uta's world. As long as your singing exists, no matter who they are or where they are, they can choose to pass through this bridge to your Uta world. There, I believe you will undoubtedly give them an unprecedented experience, satisfaction, and happiness."
"Mhm!"
Uta's face was a little pale, but her excitement was evident.
Kong Tai's piercing of the world was tantamount to piercing Uta's world. The power that pierced the world had already damaged the world itself and summoned the World Will, let alone Uta.
However, this was unavoidable. Compared to the future gains, the slight damage now was negligible!
"Let's go! We'll cross over."
Kong Tai led the way, stepping through the void towards Shanks and the others who were waiting by the edge of the deep pit.
After handing Uta over to Shanks and the others, Kong Tai's figure vanished without a trace.
Don't be fooled by his seemingly unharmed appearance; that was not the case.
The battle with the Demon King, though seemingly effortless and concluded with just a few strikes, had consumed a significant amount of Kong Tai's stamina.
Coupled with his journey back from the depths of space and the act of piercing through reality and illusion, Kong Tai was, in fact, extremely fatigued.
Therefore, after entrusting Uta to Shanks, he didn't even bother to rendezvous with Kiana and the others. He immediately teleported back to the Freedom, collapsed heavily onto his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
…
The morning light gradually turned into high noon, and high noon in the sky shifted its course, eventually becoming the setting sun.
When the setting sun slanted through the corridor on the other side of the room, seeping into the room through the crack in the door and casting a long orange beam onto the floor, the young man lying on the ship opened his eyes.
The moment the young man stirred, a blue-haired girl sitting at the desk by the window, resting her head on her right hand and tilted towards the boy on the bed, also opened her eyes.
"Morning."
Looking at the girl, Kong Tai subconsciously raised his hand and greeted her.
"It is quite early."
Kiana straightened her back, her full head of blue hair rippling like a vast, blue sea, shimmering with a faint blue light under the setting sun.
Her clear eyes gazing at the young man, Kiana's lips curved into a playful smile, "The sun is almost setting."
"I was a bit tired, couldn't help it."
Kong Tai retracted his hand, rubbed his head, and rolled off the bed like a carp.
Standing up, he walked to the window and looked out at the sea sparkling with golden light in the distance, as if covered in countless shattered gold fragments. A look of genuine relief spread across Kong Tai's face.
No matter who it was, seeing such a magnificent view upon waking would surely uplift their spirits!
Gazing at the sea, the young man raised his hands and stretched lazily. Then, he turned around, leaning his back against the window. His hair, stirred by the gentle breeze from outside, rippled with streaks of silver light.
His azure pupils reflected the girl's figure, and Kong Tai asked, "Nothing significant happened after I left, right?"
"No."
Kiana shook her head, stood up from her chair, and walked to the young man's side. She leaned against the window, reaching out to tuck away her wind-tousled hair, and gazed at the distant sea, saying,
"I could tell that Uta had finally found her peace. Mr. Gordon, after the Demon King was defeated, also found solace. Shanks and the entire Red-Haired Pirates crew have also been reunited with their daughter. For all of them, this is perhaps the most perfect ending."
"That's good."
Kong Tai turned around and, like Kiana, leaned against the window. Then, he extended his right hand, palm facing down, and placed it on Kiana's silky blue hair, gently stroking it.
"By the way," tilting her head to look at the young man, Kong Tai continued, "What's going on with you and Shanks?"
"The moment I emerged, I sensed your battle intent."
"It's nothing much."
Under the gentle strokes of Kong Tai's palm, Kiana's eyes narrowed comfortably. She lowered her head, resting it on her arm, and said softly,
"Initially, I thought Shanks's sword was just an ordinary weapon. It wasn't until he showed the speed he possessed when he was worried about Uta that I realized he was also a great swordsman, and an exceptionally strong one at that."
"Uh~"
Hearing this, Kong Tai's movement paused, and he asked in surprise, "Shanks was always a swordsman, didn't I tell you?"
"No."
Opening her eyes, Kiana tilted her head, glanced at the young man beside her, and then lowered her head again. "If he hadn't revealed his instantaneous strength, I would never have known."
"Haha!!" Kong Tai chuckled awkwardly. "Perhaps I forgot!"
He lowered his hand, and like Kiana, rested his head on his arm, looking up at the distant sea. "That guy is a swordsman on par with Mihawk. Before he lost his left arm, Mihawk would often spar with him. But ever since Shanks left his arm in the East Blue, Mihawk hasn't sought him out for sparring."
"Being able to spar with Mihawk, no wonder he's so strong."
The "strength" she spoke of wasn't just his power, but the edge that instantly flashed when Shanks revealed his speed.
It was this edge that caught her attention, instilling in her the desire to spar with Shanks.
Thinking that she would be able to spar with Shanks tomorrow, a hint of satisfaction appeared on Kiana's face.
Fighting strong opponents was her lifelong pursuit.
She wanted to become stronger, much stronger, strong enough to truly stand by the side of the young man beside her.