Shortly after York's consciousness returned from the blinding, dual-toned inner world of his Devil Fruit Awakening, the Crimson Harvest Pirates prepared to descend to the Blue Sea.
Before they left Skypiea for Water 7, York called his companions for a secret strategy meeting.
To ensure absolute privacy, they gathered inside Stussy's Mirror World. Standing on the dimension's dark and light checkered floor were the ten core members of the crew: York, Gloriosa, Stussy, Shakky, Kaido, Dragon, Ivankov, Ginny, Kuma, and the toddler, Teach.
Although Teach was still incredibly young, York had brought him along. Children in this world—especially those with the 'D' initial—matured at terrifying rates. Teach had been two years old during the God Valley incident, and he could already comprehend basic truths. At this moment, the toddler sat quietly in the corner, his dark eyes brimming with a silent, surging hatred for the World Government.
York stood before his crew and got straight to the point.
"Our trip to Water 7 to recruit the MADS scientists and build our flagship will definitely be discovered by the Marines," York stated, completely discarding any wishful thinking. "And when they find us, they will launch a massive encirclement. We are looking at a Buster Call, at the very minimum."
The expressions of the crew collectively darkened.
Ivankov, who hadn't been present at the God Valley war, frowned. "Why? Is it just because of our bounties?"
"No," York chuckled, shaking his head gently. "It's primarily because of me."
York's grin widened into something sharp and dangerous. "You all know what my Happy-Happy Fruit does. Well, before we left God Valley... I managed to land a very harsh, inescapable blow on two of the Five Elder Stars, and the 'King of the World' who sits behind them."
The Mirror World fell dead silent.
Ivankov instantly snapped his mouth shut. Ginny's jaw dropped so hard her teeth ached.
"To be hit by the Captain's ability..." Ginny shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Eek... no wonder they want to obliterate us."
"WORORORO!"
Kaido threw his head back and roared with laughter, his massive body exuding a terrifying amount of fighting spirit. "Are we going to have another massive war like God Valley?! Count me in!"
York glanced at the towering Azure Dragon, then looked back at the women.
Gloriosa, Stussy, and Shakky all showed a flicker of deep concern in their eyes. None of them wanted to experience the apocalyptic tragedy of God Valley a second time. But as York met their gazes, that worry instantly hardened into unyielding determination. If they couldn't avoid the war, they were prepared to fight to the bitter end.
Dragon, however, looked profoundly conflicted.
He knew that if Water 7 became a second God Valley, his father, Garp, would absolutely be on the front lines. Dragon wasn't mentally prepared for a life-or-death showdown with his own flesh and blood.
Taking in everyone's expressions, York raised a hand.
"Relax. I'm not going to let you risk your lives in this battle."
"What?!" Gloriosa frowned, stepping forward.
"I plan to crush the Marine encirclement alone," York declared.
"Are you kidding me?" Gloriosa's tone rose with sudden anger. "Even if Rocks was your Captain, you don't have to imitate his suicidal arrogance! Didn't you personally tell us that the power of a unified crew is far stronger than an individual?!"
York smiled faintly. He reached out, gently taking Gloriosa's hands and cupping them in his own to soothe her temper.
"I'm not imitating Rocks. My strategic goals are completely different from his."
York paused, letting his gaze sweep over the crew. "My Devil Fruit has Awakened. I plan to give the Marines a harsh, unforgettable taste of that Awakened power."
"The goal this time isn't to slaughter experts like Garp and Admiral Sengoku. It's to send a message. I want them to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have the power to drag them all to hell with me!"
Gloriosa's delicate brows remained furrowed. "Fruit Awakening? Even if your Happy-Happy Fruit awakens, it just makes people irrevocably addicted to pleasure, right? Can the ability be applied once and last forever?"
Suddenly, Gloriosa's eyes widened. "Wait... if the ability truly applies a permanent, inescapable effect... then your Awakening is terrifying."
The rest of the crew paled as they imagined the scene. A power stronger than the base fruit, one that even Haki monsters like Garp and Sengoku couldn't resist. Once caught in it, they would never wake up from the pleasure...
Except for the brooding Teach, everyone shivered in unison.
"It's not exactly what you're guessing," York chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "My Awakening is... special. But the destructive outcome is roughly the same. If Garp and Sengoku aren't incredibly careful, there's a very real chance they could die by my hand."
Hearing that York possessed a trump card of that magnitude, the crew's heavy hearts finally eased.
Only Kaido exhaled a heavy, frustrated breath. "I want to fight too. Is it really not possible?"
"No," York shook his head. "My Awakening is an indiscriminate area-of-effect. It doesn't distinguish between friend and foe. Aside from myself, anyone standing on that battlefield will be taken down by it. You included."
Kaido inhaled deeply, two puffs of angry white steam shooting from his nostrils. But he knew York wasn't bluffing. He clenched his fists.
'I'm still not strong enough!' Kaido thought bitterly.
Present Time. Water 7.
The memory faded.
York sat cross-legged on a large piece of rubble in the shipyard. The massive Crimson Harvest flagship was long gone, safely hidden in the sky. Stussy, Ivankov, and the MADS scientists had retreated into the Mirror World.
Only Dragon remained.
York turned his head to look at the young revolutionary. "Dragon, you need to leave. With your Wind-Wind Fruit, you can reach a safe zone before I unleash it."
Dragon looked at York, his eyes filled with worry. "Captain..."
"Don't worry," York raised a hand, cutting him off. "If I wasn't absolutely confident, I wouldn't have stayed behind."
Seeing York's resolute attitude, Dragon gritted his teeth. He turned around and shouted at Garp, who was standing a hundred meters away, waiting for the Marine fleet to dock.
"OLD MAN! TELL THE FLEET TO RETREAT!!"
Garp looked over, his brow furrowing.
"Captain York is truly prepared for this!" Dragon yelled, his voice carrying over the wind. "I don't know exactly how he plans to deal with you, but if you don't retreat right now, you might all die here!"
Garp remained entirely unmoved. He crossed his massive arms.
"Brat! You're too naive if you think you can trick the Marines into retreating with a bluff!"
Seeing his father wouldn't budge, Dragon desperately turned to the veteran soldiers standing behind Garp—the uncles who had watched him grow up.
"Please! You have to leave!"
But the scarred veterans were just as resolute as their commander.
"It's our absolute duty to capture pirates, Dragon!" a sergeant called back.
"Even if we die doing it, that is the burden we signed up for!"
"Listen to your Captain, kid. Leave while you can!"
"Our target is York! You aren't on Admiral Sengoku's mandatory capture list yet! If you don't leave now, you'll be trapped!"
Dragon pleaded with them, but he couldn't persuade a single Marine to abandon their post. They stood tall, ready to face whatever the Lord of Corruption threw at them.
Dragon's eyes filled with an indescribable, agonizing complexity. He knew the unyielding stubbornness of the Marines, and he knew the absolute terror of York's power.
Finally, realizing his words were useless, Dragon lowered his head. With a heart full of heavy melancholy, his body twisted, transforming into a violent gust of wind, and he disappeared from the island.
The stage was finally set.
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