Chapter 360: Gifts
Zane witnessed the potential of the "Glint-Glint Fruit," a Devil Fruit power originating from the world of *One Piece*.
Thinking of the Celestials brought to mind the divine shards left behind after the group's members perished.
And when Zane thought of divine shards, it was only natural for him to think about sharing this successful achievement with his companions.
*Swish!*
In an instant, Zane appeared amidst the group.
"Zane, remember how I told you I could survive in space for two years without food or water? Clearly, I was bluffing big time, and yet you actually believed it?"
Rocket clutched his deflated belly, looking at Zane with an aggrieved expression.
Zane glanced around at everyone. Even companions like Small Bone, Skynet, and Bastis, who were soul entities, seemed slightly off.
It was likely that, having grown accustomed to the vibrant and lively outside world, they found it hard to adjust to the eerie and somber environment of the "Divine Realm" after staying here for so long.
However, Zane was confident that once he presented the divine shards, their expressions would change dramatically.
He then approached a glowing, emerald sphere where Lorna resided. This time, unlike before, his arrival didn't cause any noticeable changes to the sphere.
It seemed Lorna had entered a deeper state of slumber.
Touching the faint cracks forming on the surface of the sphere, Zane recalled what Lorna had mentioned previously and calculated the time.
It wouldn't be long before Lorna emerged.
This window of time was perfect for Zane to gain a deeper understanding of the Watchers, the universe's earliest race.
Until he could fully trust them, Zane was unwilling to expose his companions to the Watchers.
Even though he knew the Watchers had likely already gathered extensive information on his companions, Zane's continued existence ensured no one could enter the "Divine Realm" at will—much less track down his comrades.
"Everyone, I've got something great for you. One for each of you!"
Zane retrieved five perfect divine shards from the [Kings Treasury]. Each shard had distinct auras, making them easy to distinguish.
He distributed them as planned to Skynet, Small Bone, Rocket, and Groot.
Bastis, however, was left staring at him with a forlorn expression, his glowing eyes gradually dimming.
"Whoa! Dude, I forgive you now. You actually managed to get your hands on so many divine shards. Be honest—what kind of epic stuff did you pull off out there?"
"Shit! Next time you're up to something big, I swear I won't miss it!"
Rocket held the softly glowing shard in his furry hands, his chatterbox nature in full swing.
Groot, clutching his shard, grew to an enormous size in his excitement, letting out deafening roars.
Skynet's eyes emitted streams of green light aimed at his shard as he seized the opportunity to analyze its properties.
Small Bone, being the most familiar with divine powers among the group, remained unusually quiet, though the flicker in his eyes betrayed his excitement.
Zane looked at them with satisfaction before grabbing Bastis by the scruff of her neck and softly saying:
"Next time, I'll pick one out especially for you. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of opportunities like this."
"For now, just silently play the role of their guardian."
"Meow…" Bastis licked her paw in acquiescence.
At this moment, Zane had already flashed out of the "Divine Realm."
He was confident that with the divine shards of the Celestials providing energy, combined with Bastis—whose strength was second only to Zane's—standing guard, the group would be perfectly safe.
Moreover, Zane had a hunch: this batch of companions absorbing the divine shards would transform into spheres similar to Lorna.
This made Zane eagerly anticipate the moment when he would reunite with them.
*Ding!*
Just then, the communicator left behind by the bald-headed Watcher leader emitted a soft chime and a flash of light.
"Honorable Mr. Zane, greetings. I am Mitlan, the Watcher you met earlier."
"I would like to invite you to visit the 'Exhibition Hall', where our Watcher race keeps an extensive collection of treasures."
"Would you be willing to join us?"
And so, Zane followed the large-headed Watcher, riding in a chess-piece-shaped carriage made of white jade.
*Swish!*
The carriage passed through a spatial rift, emerging in a bustling galactic region.
Traveling along black-and-white intersecting pathways, Zane noticed numerous planets floating nearby, each hosting batches of bald-headed individuals resembling the Watcher beside him.
At the forefront of each group, a leader adorned with a gleaming Watcher badge would step off the spaceships emerging from wormholes.
"Mr. Zane, what you see are other members of our Watcher race returning from their respective jurisdictions to report and compile their findings," the large-headed Watcher sitting next to him explained, noticing Zane's gaze.
"Some come from the universe you were previously in, while others hail from alternate dimensional universes."
"If anything significant is discovered, it will be reported to the 'Starlight Castle'."
Hearing this, Zane glanced at the Watcher's chest and noticed that the badge previously worn was now missing.
He asked, "What happened to your badge?"
"Oh… Mr. Zane, are you referring to the Watcher badge I was wearing when we first met?"
"It seems Mr. Zane is quite knowledgeable about our Watcher badges..."
The large-headed Watcher sitting beside Zane gave him a meaningful look.
Zane, unwilling to appear less imposing in front of the bald Watcher, had used quantum manipulation to adjust his height to match the Watcher's—perhaps even slightly taller.
From this perspective, the Watcher had to tilt his head slightly to meet Zane's gaze before continuing:
"The Watcher badge is used exclusively by team leaders sent out to monitor the dynamics of the 'Omniversal Cosmos'."
"So, once I returned, I handed it in."
Zane recalled the earlier scenes of various planets, where every Watcher team seemed to have one member wearing an Watcher badge.
"So, the Watcher badge isn't unique?"
"That's correct. Watcher badges can be mass-produced. However, their power comes from the 'Eye of Observation', a sacred artifact of our race."
"Without the energy supply from the Eye of Observation, even if someone else were to find one of our badges, it would quickly lose its function."
The Watcher fixed his gaze on the road ahead, explaining everything in one breath.
"I see... The 'Eye of Observation' must be their race's secret treasure," Zane murmured to himself. Still, he was surprised at how openly the Watcher shared such vital information.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zane decided to press further:
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