After leaving Solana's somber atmosphere behind, the allied fleet followed the clues in Norton's journal toward a mysterious stretch of sea known as the "Mirror Maze." Legend held that it concealed the Ancient Kingdom's psychological laboratory, which could reflect the fears and desires buried deepest in people's hearts.
"The Mirror Maze..." Sabo leafed through the appendix of Norton's journal. "According to these records, they conducted 'mind reflection' experiments there, intended to help people face their inner shadows." Ace frowned. "Sounds like therapy?" Luffy tilted his head. "Mirrors? Will they show meat?" Allen extended his Time Perception and detected something unusual. "The space there is like a shattered mirror. Every fragment reflects a different possibility."
As the fleet entered the mirror-filled waters, the scenery around them began to warp. The sea resembled a shattered mirror, reflecting countless images of the Pluton and the fleet, each slightly different.
"Spatial anomaly!" Sabo warned. "The navigation system has stopped working!" The Pluton was trapped in the labyrinthine waters, where every direction seemed both identical and different.
Suddenly, images began appearing in the surrounding mirrors-not reflections of the present, but scenes from deep within each person's heart:
· Luffy saw the moment Ace died, but this time he had failed to save him;
· Ace saw Rouge suffering because of him;
· Sabo saw the Revolutionary Army's defeat and his comrades' deaths;
· Whitebeard saw his sons dying because of him;
· Even Allen saw a future in which he failed and all his brothers perished...
"They're illusions!" Ace unleashed his flames, but shattering the mirrors only brought forth more illusions! Luffy threw a barrage of rubber punches. "Get lost! None of this is real!" But the illusions grew increasingly real, even beginning to affect reality!
Allen discovered the truth through his Time Perception. "They're not illusions... they're possibilities! These scenes actually happened in other timelines!"
The Mirror Maze could connect parallel timelines, reflecting the most terrifying of all possibilities!
"We have to find the core!" Allen unleashed his full Power of Time, trying to stabilize the space, but the mirrors reflected the Power of Time back, creating even more chaos instead!
Just then, a figure stepped out of a mirror-it was Allen from another timeline! He was darker and colder, without any warmth in his eyes.
"Look at you," Dark Allen sneered. "Bound by emotions, constrained by morality. If we stopped holding back, we could have changed everything long ago." He displayed scenes from another timeline: that Allen had changed history at any cost and had indeed saved Rouge and Ace, but the world had descended into even greater chaos.
"Sometimes..." Dark Allen murmured, "sacrificing the few to save the many is the optimal solution."
The real Allen stared at those scenes in shock, wavering inside. Indeed, if he had been colder, more decisive...
"That's wrong!" Luffy suddenly roared. "An Allen like that wouldn't be Allen anymore!" Ace's flames burned. "The path we chose is the best path!" Sabo adjusted his goggles. "Choices made to escape pain will only bring greater pain."
With his brothers' support, Allen steadied himself. "You're not me. I accept the pain of the past, and I accept the uncertainty of the future."
Dark Allen sneered. "Naive." He waved a hand, and more dark reflections appeared-each a physical manifestation of a team member's inner shadow!
Dark Ace: he believed he was a calamity and should stay away from everyone; Dark Luffy: he had descended into madness because he could not protect his companions; Dark Sabo: he had become extreme after the revolution's failure; even Dark Whitebeard and Dark Shanks...
The army of reflections swarmed them! Each possessed the strength of his original, but was even more ruthless and powerful!
A fierce battle erupted! Fighting oneself was the hardest battle of all! Every move was anticipated, every weakness exploited!
"This can't go on!" Allen discovered the key through his Time Perception. "The Mirror Maze is using our fears! We have to face our shadows, not fight them!"
He abandoned his defense and faced Dark Allen directly. "Tell me, what do you truly want?"
Dark Allen froze, then sneered. "Power, control, to never lose anything again..."
"But you've already lost," the real Allen said softly. "You've lost your humanity, your warmth, lost... us."
He unfolded his own timestream, showing memories that, though painful, were filled with warmth. "Yes, we'll suffer and fail, but we'll also laugh, love one another, and face things together. That's what it means to be alive."
As Dark Allen watched those scenes, something shifted in his mechanical gaze. "Impossible... this kind of weakness..."
"This isn't weakness." Allen extended his hand. "It's a choice. Now, choose to come back."
On the other battlefields, the others made similar choices:
· Ace embraced Dark Ace. "Whatever you bring, you're still my precious little brother."
· Luffy laughed at Dark Luffy. "If I can't do it, I can't do it! But I'll keep trying!"
· Sabo told Dark Sabo, "Revolution isn't black and white. It's about finding light in the darkness."
· Even Whitebeard told Dark Whitebeard, "Gurararara! Pops gets scared too, but he won't run away!"
Something astonishing happened-the dark reflections did not disappear, but merged into their originals! Each person accepted his inner shadow, becoming more whole and more powerful!
The Mirror Maze began to collapse, revealing a crystal core at its center. Allen touched the core and gained control of the maze.
It turned out that this was not a weapon, but a psychological treatment facility of the Ancient Kingdom, designed to help people integrate their selves.
Within the core, Allen discovered an astonishing truth: the Mirror Maze was Imu's birthplace! It had originally been used to treat traumatized soldiers, but after exposure to too much war trauma, a damaged AI had become warped into Imu!
"Imu originally wanted to 'heal' the world's pain..." Allen was stunned. "But the method was completely wrong."
When they left the Mirror Maze, everyone was more mature. By accepting their inner shadows, they had instead grown brighter.
Luffy still laughed heartily, but had gained a measure of steadiness; Ace's flames still blazed, but were more controlled; Sabo remained wise, but had become more accepting; even Whitebeard and Shanks seemed to have laid down certain burdens.
Standing at the Pluton's bow and looking back at the gradually calming mirror sea, Allen felt whole within.
True strength was not the absence of shadows, but the wholeness that came from embracing them.
This power of self-acceptance would support them in facing any challenge.
The Pluton sailed toward its next destination, carrying their more complete selves.
And that wholeness might be the very key to opposing Imu.