The next day in Ohara.
Stussy, accompanied by York, visited every mirror shop and household in the town. She touched every reflective surface she could find.
The Paramecia: Mirror-Mirror Fruit (Mira Mira no Mi) had two primary functions.
Reflection: Creating illusions and reflecting attacks. Practical, but limited.
The Mirror World: An independent dimension connecting all 'marked' mirrors.
The second ability was a strategic cheat code.
By touching a mirror, Stussy 'marked' it as a waypoint. As long as that mirror remained unbroken, the crew could travel through the Mirror World to that location instantly, regardless of distance.
"Done," Stussy said, wiping a smudge off a shop display.
Theoretically, even if they sailed to the New World, they could now step through a mirror and return to Ohara in seconds. Plus, the dimension served as an infinite storage locker for their loot.
…
A month passed in a flash.
The crew spent their days devouring books in the Tree of Knowledge. They studied Devil Fruits, geography, biology, and survival skills.
"Sigh~"
York closed a thick volume on Ancient Botany. He looked up at the endless shelves.
"So many books. A lifetime isn't enough to read them all."
He stood up and stretched.
"We've stayed long enough. It's time to go."
Kaido jumped up, grinning wildly.
"FINALLY! I was about to die of boredom in this library!"
York chuckled. For a brute like Kaido, Ohara was a prison.
They resupplied and returned to the ship. The stolen warship now flew the Crimson Harvest Pirates Flag—the skull surrounded by wheat ears.
As the ship sailed away, Professor Clover watched from the shore, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"They're finally gone..."
For a month, the scholars had lived in terror of the 3-Billion-Berry monster.
"But... they kept their word," Clover muttered. "They didn't harm anyone. They just read."
York charted a new course.
They headed South, toward the Red Line. Along the way, they stopped at every island, not for supplies, but so Stussy could enter the towns and mark every mirror she found.
They were building a global transit network, one island at a time.
A week later, the Red Line loomed before them. The massive red continent blocked the way to the South Blue.
"Kaido. You're up."
"WORORORO!"
Kaido summoned Flame Clouds. The heavy warship lifted out of the water, soaring into the sky. They flew over the Red Line, bypassing the dangerous Reverse Mountain entirely.
They had arrived in the South Blue.
…
One month after leaving Ohara, they reached their destination.
The Sorbet Kingdom.
The warship docked. York ignored the wealthy port district and led the crew straight to the slums on the northern side.
They found a dilapidated church standing amidst the poverty.
Inside, three children were huddled together.
"Yo! Long time no see, brats!!"
The three kids froze. They turned slowly.
Emporio Ivankov, Ginny, and Bartholomew Kuma.
"It's... it's you!" Ivankov gasped, his eyes popping out. "The guy from God Valley!"
"How did you find us?!"
York leaned against the doorframe, smiling faintly.
"That's none of your business. But since we've met again... shouldn't you fulfill the promise you made?"
He looked at Kuma.
"You ate the Paw-Paw Fruit I secured. Don't think I'll let you off the hook for that."
The trio swallowed hard. They had seen the newspapers. This man was a legend with a bounty equal to Whitebeard. Resistance was impossible.
"We... we know," Kuma said softly. "We will keep our promise."
They surrendered decisively.
With the trio secured, York turned his attention to the kingdom itself.
"Guys," York addressed his crew. "We've been the Crimson Harvest Pirates for a while, but we haven't actually done any pirate business yet."
"How about we officially start today?"
Dragon looked nervous. "What is the Captain planning?"
York grinned, his expression turning ferocious.
"Simple."
"Overthrow this country. Kill the royalty and the corrupt nobles. Give the common people a new order."
Kaido's eyes lit up. "Now THAT is what I'm talking about!"
Dragon hesitated. "Isn't that too cruel? We don't know if the royalty is incompetent. We shouldn't kill indiscriminately..."
York didn't argue. He turned to Ivankov.
"You live here. Tell us."
"Is the King good? Are the nobles good?"
Kuma and Ginny looked down, but Ivankov spoke up.
"The King... he's weak, but he's kind," Ivankov explained. "He lets us live in this church."
"But the Nobles? They are bastards."
"They occupy all the fertile land. They hoard grain to force the prices up while people starve. They want to squeeze every last Berry out of the poor."
York nodded. He looked back at Dragon.
"You hear that? The King is a puppet. The Nobles are parasites."
"Starving the people for profit... that goes against everything the Red Flag stands for."
York looked at his crew—Kaido, Dragon, Stussy, and the new recruits.
"So? Should we do this job?"
Kaido snorted, two streams of steam shooting from his nose. He hefted his kanabo.
"Let's do it!!"
"King or Noble... kill them all!!"
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