Under the lighthouse of Twin Cape.
Everyone lay scattered on the grass, gasping for breath.
"Phew, we're saved..."
When the melody of "Binks' Brew" echoed through the dome, Laboon finally gradually calmed down, and everyone seized the opportunity to escape from its belly and return to the open sea.
Nami crouched in front of Laboon and explained Brook's situation in detail.
Laboon widened its eyes, looking left and right at Nami, until it exchanged a glance with Crocus and confirmed the truth.
"Woo—"
It let out a long whine, then suddenly plunged into the water, determined to swim deep into the Grand Line in search of the companion it had been waiting for for nearly fifty years...
"Wait, Laboon!" Crocus hurriedly stopped it. "Give me some time to pack and prepare, I'll set off with you right away!"
"Huh?" Nami pouted, looking aggrieved. "I thought you and Laboon were going to come with us!"
The ship was short of a doctor, so she thought she'd try to trick the old man into joining them!
"What nonsense, I have my own ship!" Crocus facepalmed. "Little girl, we've just met, there's not much affection between us. Putting on such a reluctant act is too fake! Besides, Laboon is heading straight for the Florian Triangle, which is different from your route. Do you think it can wait for you?"
That was true. Nami pursed her lips, knowing she couldn't fool the old man. She sniffled, and the tears immediately disappeared, her emotions under perfect control.
Crocus couldn't bear to watch and turned away, stroking his chin in thought.
Speaking of which.
The Florian Triangle that Xiano mentioned earlier is now the territory of one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah, right?
Could it be that Brook was trapped there because Moriah had captured his shadow? That seemed to be the only possibility.
This was going to be a bit troublesome.
His old body might not be able to handle it. The old man frowned, thought for a moment, then went into the cabin and rummaged around, pulling out a slightly trembling piece of paper.
"Is this... a Vivrecard?" Nami curiously leaned in again. "I've read about it in books, but this is the first time I've seen one. Uncle, whose is it?"
"He's been retired for many years, so let's not mention him."
Crocus shook his head. "Anyway, he's a very powerful guy. I need to go find him first. It's been a while since we last met, so we can catch up and see if he can help."
If that person was willing to lend a hand, Brook's shadow should be able to be retrieved smoothly, right?
However, the old man still had one doubt.
Where did that commotion earlier come from?
Could it be... could there have been a ghost floating around in Laboon's belly?
"Oh, you mean that."
Xiano held up something that looked like a conch shell. "I found this Dial two years ago. It must have fallen from Skypiea. It has a few songs stored in it, including 'Binks' Brew.'"
"So it was you!!!" The old man nearly fell over. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I really thought there was a ghost! Thinking about how we've lived together for so many years without noticing, I almost had a heart attack!"
"You didn't ask."
Xiano rolled his eyes and put the Dial away.
This thing certainly wasn't something he picked up; it was something he bought from the mall a few years ago for 100 Points.
—It looked like an ordinary Sky Island Dial, but in reality, it was a limited-edition MP3 shaped like the Pirate King.
It had hundreds of thousands of songs preloaded for easy access, and its built-in speakers were incredibly powerful. When Xiano tested it at the mountaintop, the maximum volume was so loud that it made the entire Cocoyasi Village think an earthquake had struck, causing everyone to rush out of their houses in panic.
When he first bought it, Xiano would listen to it for a while after exhausting training sessions to relax and soothe his body.
This time, in a moment of urgency, he had a sudden flash of inspiration and searched the song library for Binks' Brew.
He figured that this melody, which Brook had played for Laboon before their parting, would most likely calm Laboon down first.
If it really didn't work, then there was nothing he could do. He'd just have to use the next song in the playlist, LOVE Theme from TIGA, to send Laboon off.
Don't ask how it works—it's Sky Island technology. If Enel could build a spaceship to take people to the moon, what's the big deal about this little gadget?
He crouched by the seaside, gently stroking Laboon. Laboon seemed to know that Xiano was the one who had found out about Brook's whereabouts, so he floated there obediently, letting Xiano pet him.
The consequences of Laboon's earlier rampage and self-harm were now apparent. Laboon felt uncomfortable in his mouth, pursed his lips, and plop—spat out several loose teeth.
Xiano, quick as lightning, took advantage of the fact that no one was looking and without hesitation picked up the nearest tooth, initiating a sacrifice.
[You have sacrificed Island Whale Laboon's tooth and gained 400 Points.]
So high?
And it really could be sacrificed!
Xiano suddenly remembered the King of the Near Sea and Moo-Moo from back then. Tsk, he should've taken some "wool" from them before letting them go.
However, those two were far inferior to Laboon in both size and strength—barely enough to fill Laboon's teeth. Combined, they probably wouldn't have yielded much. Now that he was well-off, he didn't really care anymore.
"Hey, Old Man! Old Man!"
Suddenly, a noisy voice came from behind. Xiano turned to look.
It was Nojiko and Nami, who had finally remembered that this guy was someone who had followed Roger to Laugh Tale—a truly formidable figure.
Taking advantage of the moment when he was packing his luggage, they flanked him like curious children and started asking questions:
"Old Man, where exactly is Laugh Tale?"
"I don't remember."
"Does ONE PIECE really exist?"
"Sort of."
"What treasure did Roger bury back then?"
"He didn't bury it; he found it."
"Ugh, you're so annoying! I knew you'd answer like that. Can't you at least tell us some unimportant gossip truthfully?"
"That I can do."
"Were those two things on Roger's face a mustache or nose hair?"
"…" Crocus's temple twitched. "Why are you asking me that? The old cook on your ship is pretty much the same—why don't you ask him?"
"This is clearly a mustache! There's no such thing as nose hair this thick, you old bastard!"
Outside, Zeff's furious voice rang out. "Was it really just because I forgot to put salt in the dish I made for you last time we were in the Grand Line? Do you really have to hold a grudge against me for this long?"
…
Xiano listened to the noisy chatter, smiling as he lay back down on the grass, leisurely crossing his legs and admiring the view of Reverse Mountain above.
It wasn't until Crocus finished packing, carrying a heavy bundle on his back, that he approached Xiano.
"Xiano, although your crew members are all quite unreliable—well, except for that quiet girl with the black ponytail—you've still done Laboon and me a great favor this time," the old man said seriously. "I'm not one to leave debts unpaid. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Hmm, maybe there is," Xiano thought for a moment. "I'm actually quite fond of collecting mementos from legendary figures. Since you're the ship's doctor, do you happen to have, uh… something like Roger's kidney or Oden's oden or something?"
"Of course not!" Crocus's face darkened, finally understanding why the crew members were the way they were. "I'm a proper doctor, not some shady character working with underworld gangs in a black clinic!"
And what on earth did he mean by Oden's oden?!
"However, your request isn't too hard to fulfill," Crocus said after a moment. He went inside and rummaged around for a while before returning with a somewhat tattered straw hat. "Gaban visited me a couple of years ago and forgot to take this old hat with him when he left. I doubt I'll see him again, so you can have it."
Gaban? One of Roger's right-hand men, on par with Rayleigh, the guy who could stir a cauldron with a toothpick?
This was an unexpected treasure!
Xiano's spirits lifted, and he quickly sat up from the grass, taking the hat.
"Of course, this little memento alone isn't enough to repay you. So, I'm also willing to point out a hidden risk on your ship as a proper thank-you."
"A risk?" Xiano turned back in confusion, looking at the Sunset.
What risk? The ship seemed perfectly fine. The Adam Treasure Tree lived up to its reputation—after climbing Reverse Mountain and even falling into Laboon's stomach, the ship was still intact and unharmed.
"It's not about the ship, but someone hiding on it," Crocus said, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the vessel. "At first, I thought that person was also one of your crew members. But after asking that girl named Nami, I learned there are only five people and a dog on board, and they're all here. So, the one who's been staying on the ship must be an enemy with ill intentions."
There's someone else on the Sunset?
Everyone was shocked. Ignoring Agin's furious barking at Crocus, they immediately drew their weapons and surrounded the ship from all directions.
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