One Piece: Kaido's adopted son, starts with the Eight Gates Formation.

All five people fell silent.

The silence was heavy, so heavy that the air itself seemed to thicken.

They knew, of course, that the Spirit King was conscious. They knew, of course, that the Spirit King was suffering. But they chose not to think about it. Because if they did, they could no longer maintain this system. They could no longer continue to be "guardians." They could no longer continue to pretend that everything was for the stability and balance of the Three Realms.

A three-year-old (who looks three) child punctured their self-deception that had lasted for millions of years with a single hand.

"You guys are really bad." Lynn's tone wasn't angry or accusatory, but rather a very calm statement, as casual as saying "The weather is bad today."

But it was this casualness that made Hyosube Ichibei's heart skip a beat.

He looked down at the strawberry-flavored lollipop in his hand and suddenly felt that the lollipop was very bitter.

"Lord Spirit King..." Yizhou Tongsheng's eyes reddened.

She was the member of the Zero Division with the deepest connection to the Soul King. She modified the Soul King's body, enabling him to better fulfill his role as the cornerstone of the Three Realms. In other words—she was the one who performed the surgery.

"Why are you crying?" Lynn glanced at her. "What right do you have to cry?"

These words were like a slap in the face to Hikifune Kiryuu; her tears immediately dried, and her face turned deathly pale.

"You all have a share." Lynn's gaze swept over the five people. "The one who cut off his hand, the one who ripped out his heart, the one who nailed him here—you call this 'protecting the Three Realms'?"

Lynn rarely spoke so much. He was usually too lazy to speak, too lazy to explain, and too lazy to reason with others.

But this time is different.

The moment he touched the Spirit King, the pain truly pierced through his fingers. Although it was merely a slight ache for him, he disliked the sensation.

He doesn't like anything that makes him uncomfortable.

What made him uncomfortable was these five people—and the entire system they represented.

"I'm taking him with me," Lynn said.

This statement stunned everyone.

"No...no!" Hyosube Ichibei abruptly looked up, this was the first time he had shown genuine terror in front of Lynn. "The Soul King is the cornerstone of the three realms! If we take him away from here, the balance of the three realms will collapse! Soul Society, the Human World, Hueco Mundo—everything will be destroyed!"

"I know," Lynn said.

"You knew you still had to do this?!"

"I said I know," Lynn repeated, then tilted her head. "So I'm not going to just take it away. I'm not stupid."

Hyosube Ichibei's breath hitched.

"So what are you going to do?"

Lynn did not answer, but instead put his hand back into the barrier.

This time, he did not touch the Spirit King's torso, but instead placed his hand near the hollow area where the Spirit King's heart was missing.

The all-knowing and all-powerful eyeballs quietly activated.

In Lynn's vision, the Spirit King's "future" branched out into countless possibilities. Some futures saw the Spirit King completely liberated, leading to the collapse of the Three Realms. Some futures saw the Spirit King trapped here, enduring another million years of suffering. Some futures…

Lynn searched through countless possibilities, like an impatient child rummaging through a toy box looking for what he wanted.

"Got it."

He found it.

In one future branch of the story, the Spirit King's "function"—that is, the function of maintaining the balance of the three realms—was transferred to an artificial substitute. The Spirit King himself was released and regained his freedom.

And the creator of that artificial substitute—

It was him.

"I see." Lynn withdrew his hand and muttered to himself, "Just use the true Creator as a substitute and transfer the functions of the Foundation to it."

He spoke of it casually, as if it were as simple as "cooking a dish."

But Hyobu Ichibei's expression was beyond just "ugly".

"You want to... create an existence to replace the Spirit King?" His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together. "How is that possible—the Spirit King is the primordial king who existed before all other beings; his power underpins the foundation of the Three Realms—"