The Last Sentinel

Captain's Diary - Safety First Rule: After entering the dark matter channel, do not stare out the window for too long, as this can easily lead to "star-talking syndrome." Crew members should stay in their cabins and avoid looking out at the stars and the sea!

【Starry Talk Syndrome】, a common astrological syndrome, can be explained from a materialist medical perspective as follows: the chaotic flow of particles in dark matter channels disrupts the material balance of life itself, causing mutations in the most sensitive neurons in the brain, directly altering the person's personality, making them irritable, anxious, and prone to delirium.

A great uproar erupted aboard the Red Fist.

"My determination to spend money is absolute, even unto death! Give me 100 x 999!"

"I got the God-tier Guan Yu! Hahahaha!"

"I have endured hardship to fulfill the great cause of restoring the Han dynasty!"

"A heart full of passion repays a true friend; the sword draws the Azure Dragon to sweep across the heavens and earth!"

"Now that I know my former lord is still alive, and my achievements are complete, I shall return today!"

"What Guan seeks is nothing more than loyalty and righteousness."

"With heaven and earth as our witness, may our spirit govern the mountains and rivers, pierce the sun and moon, and illuminate a thousand autumns!"

"Loyalty and righteousness are pledged to my brother; I will risk my life for our country!"

"Who can truly share this sentiment throughout the ages? Only I know my own heart—hahahaha!"

Ayu, one of the three Liu brothers, was flushed and gesticulating wildly, as if he had gone mad.

Nearby, King Liu of Hanzhong, looking at his second brother's state, took a sip of wine with a sigh, "Third brother, how long has this been going on?"

Afei sighed, "It's been three hours. Is there no cure for this [star-talking syndrome]?"

Old Liu said, "The boss said the best treatment is to freeze him in a big block of ice, but unfortunately we don't have an ice cellar or a freezer on our ship."

Ah Fei said, "So we're just going to watch Second Brother continue acting like this, acting crazy?"

Old Liu said, "What else? The second brother is the same. He didn't play 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' properly, but after he had a little money, he insisted on playing this similar game, 'Three Kingdoms Kill.' Now look what's happened. Not only did he lose all the prize money the Alliance gave him in 'Three Kingdoms Kill,' but he also developed PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from it. He's gone crazy, but he still keeps talking about 'Three Kingdoms Kill's' 'dog cards' and 'card drawing'! It shows how deeply 'Three Kingdoms Kill' has damaged his soul!"

"Big brother, let's drink! As long as Second Brother doesn't hurt himself, a little madness is fine! But if Eighty Brother goes mad, that'll be a problem! Eighty Brother is a womanizer; if he goes mad, he'll just look for women. This ship is full of grown men; where are we going to find him married women?"

"That makes sense. Let's have a drink! Let Ah Yu keep going crazy; he'll tire himself out eventually."

Just as the two were drinking together, a loud boom shook the crew quarters, and a mechanical AI female voice rang out, "Warning! Unidentified spacecraft detected rapidly approaching us!"

"Warning! Unidentified spacecraft detected, accelerating towards our position!"

Upon hearing this, Old Liu hurriedly put on his coat. "Quick, to the captain's cabin! We've probably run into space pirates!"

At this very moment, inside the captain's cabin, red warning lights flashed incessantly. On the star map, within the hazy, dark matter river of the Grand Line, a distinct white-gold ship silhouette was steadily approaching, its distance constantly shrinking. The AI ​​countdown was a dazzling crimson.

"Ding! The enemy will arrive at our ship in ten minutes!"

"Ding! 9 minutes and 59 seconds!"

"Ding! 9 minutes and 58 seconds!"

"..."

Old Liu and his men rushed into the captain's cabin in a panic. Ye Feng, Brother Bashi, and Hua Xiaobai were all on high alert, staring at the unfamiliar ship on the star map.

The atmosphere in the captain's cabin was very oppressive. Everyone present was leaving Earth for the first time and coming to the universe for the first time. They knew nothing about the outside environment. In addition, A-Yu was suffering from "Star Talk Syndrome", which made the already short-handed situation even worse.

Hua Xiaobai looked at Ye Feng, who remained calm, his left index finger curled up, the knuckles gently tapping the armrest of the captain's seat.

Just then, a blurry, flickering light appeared on the projection screen.

The AI ​​projector said, "The other party has initiated a conversation with my spaceship. Do you want to accept it?"

Ye Feng said, "I have nothing to talk about with heretics. Refuse! Prepare for battle!"

Hua Xiaobai hurriedly said, "No! Boss, let's hear what they have to say first!"

Ye Feng glanced at Hua Xiaobai and changed his mind, saying, "Then let's connect!"

On the star map projection, a blurry mosaic image kept converging, followed by a phantom that looked very much like an octopus appearing in front of us.

When it appeared, it seemed a little dazed. Its eyes swept around the bridge, looking at the few people on board, and it hesitated before asking, "Who is your captain? I want to speak to your captain!"

At that moment, Ye Feng, sitting in the captain's seat, said, "I am the captain of this ship, so speak frankly!"

It glanced at the young human before it, seemingly disbelieving that Ye Feng was the captain, but still spoke up, "We are the Platinum Star privateer, belonging to the Shadow Trading Fleet under the Invincible Fleet of the Grand Line. We've come to do some business with you today!"

Ye Feng lost his appetite at the sight of the alien seafood, so he gave Hua Xiaobai a look, signaling her to start a conversation with him.

Hua Xiaobai stepped forward and said, "Are you doing business? We don't seem to know you!"

"Yes," it said, "I really don't recognize it, and this is the first time in my life I've encountered carbon-based life! But our captain really wants an item from your ship, and if you're willing to give it to us, we're willing to pay you a reward that will satisfy you."

Hua Xiaobai said, "Goods? This alien gentleman, you must be mistaken. Our ship is empty; there's no cargo on it."

The alien seafood laughed, its tentacles flying. "Oh, my friend, don't joke like that! Your news has spread throughout the entire Grand Line. Do you think you can keep it a secret any longer?"

Hua Xiaobai said, "Our news has spread throughout the Grand Line? I don't quite understand what you're talking about!"

The alien seafood raised its hand and produced a document. "Take a look, my friend!"

A pop-up message appears in front of everyone.

"[Breaking News] Breaking news from the Grand Line: A dark matter spaceship departing from the Orion Solar System carries the priceless treasure, the 'Heart of the Three-Body Problem.' The 'Heart of the Three-Body Problem' is a relic left behind by the Sabit Star Alliance after their expedition to the Centaur Nebula decades ago, where they defeated the Trisolaran Empire. Rumor has it that the 'Heart of the Three-Body Problem' can unlock civilization advancement, allowing a 2.0 civilization to quickly leapfrog between 3.0 and 4.0, and even reach 5.0! It's an extremely rare find!"

"This message is broadcast on a public channel and is open to all cargo ships in the Grand Line!"

The alien seafood pointed to the pop-up information guide, "Carbon-based life form friend, your civilization is still very weak, only a level 1.0 civilization. A treasure like the [Three-Body Heart] is far too early for a civilization like yours. If you are willing to hand over the [Three-Body Heart], I can provide you with a [2.0 Civilization Development Template]. This includes all the data for civilization advancement, whether it's materialistic technology or idealistic spirit, it can help your civilization quickly advance to 2.0!"

Hua Xiaobai looked somewhat confused, glancing at Ye Feng with an expression that seemed to ask, "Is the [Three-Body Heart] in your hands, boss?"

Ye Feng did not answer, but instead pressed the interrupt button, ending the call.

The alien seafood screamed wildly, "Bastards! You actually rejected the Platinum Star's goodwill!"

"Then let's wait for the war!"

"Five minutes to go, war is about to begin!"

"You bunch of trash from a low-level civilization, let me show you the power of the Platinum Star!"

"..."