Seeing Leno whistling and his eyes drifting, Crocus's forehead twitched with dark lines. This scoundrel was clearly returning the favor for what he had said earlier.
Behind them, Nami and Kuina both covered their mouths to stifle their laughter—Leno's look could only mean one thing: he was about to pull another trick.
They knew him too well. When Leno acted like this, it usually meant the old man in front of him had something he wanted...
Still, they couldn't deny that this side of him was entertaining. He had power beyond imagination but never used it to bully others.
Sure, he could be shameless, unreasonable, even roguish at times, but that was part of his charm—the reason they'd all fallen for him, perhaps.
Crocus sighed helplessly. The shrewd brat had him in a bind this time, holding information he couldn't ignore. With a resigned breath, he said,
"I've spent years compiling all the strange illnesses I've encountered into books. I'll give you those, along with my old medical volumes and records."
He glared fiercely at the impudent youth in front of him and added,
"But if you're playing with me, you're dead, you damn brat!"
Slap!
Leno smacked his forehead as if he'd just remembered something. "Ah! I think I know where that guy is!"
"But you'd better prepare yourself," he said slyly. "He's alive—but he can't leave that place. Someone needs to save him."
"You little bastard! Stop talking in circles and just tell me where he is!"
Already irritated, Crocus roared, glaring furiously at Leno's teasing grin.
"Whoa, whoa, old man! Don't get so worked up. You're not young anymore— What if you get sick? Who's gonna rescue him then?"
"You…!"
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you!" Leno quickly raised his hands in surrender. "The one still alive is the musician Brook. He's trapped in the Florian Triangle."
Seeing Crocus's face turning red with anger, Leno hurried to explain before the old man exploded.
"He's stuck there because someone stole his shadow—looks like that bastard Moria did it."
After a stunned silence, Crocus released Leno's collar and turned toward the shore, whispering,
"After all these years… finally…"
He walked toward Laboon, eyes brimming with tears. "Laboon! Brook is alive! You didn't wait all these years for nothing!"
"Boooo!"
"Ohm!"
Laboon bellowed in pure joy, his massive body swaying, eyes shining with emotion.
He was happy—but everyone on the shore was not.
The deafening sound waves made their heads spin, and the next moment a massive wave crashed over them, leaving the entire group drenched.
It took a while for things to calm down. When Laboon finally stopped shaking the sea, Crocus trudged back toward the soaked, miserable crew.
"Come with me. Take what you came for."
Watching the old man who had been overjoyed moments ago now wearing the face of someone owed millions, Leno couldn't help rolling his eyes.
'This geezer's mood swings are something else…'
After hauling all the crates and books they needed, Crocus waved them off impatiently.
"You've got everything. Now get going!"
"Hey! You old man, your mood flips faster than a page in a book! Should've kept my mouth shut about Brook and let you keep waiting here forever!"
Leno was genuinely irritated now. If Crocus weren't such an old relic, he might've gotten a taste of 'electrotherapy.'
Thanks to Nojiko and Robin's calming words, Leno finally stomped back aboard, still fuming.
Hancock, however, shared his sentiment. To her, the old doctor was ungrateful. Leno had given him hope—he should've been grateful, not dismissive.
Once their ship set sail, Crocus stepped out from the lighthouse again, watching their departing silhouette with a solemn look.
"A new era is coming…" he murmured. "What kind of waves will this new wind stir across the seas…"
When the lighthouse was finally out of sight, Leno turned from the bow, grinning at Chopper and Kaya.
"So? That old man's books any good to you?"
"Doctor Crocus's medical records are incredibly valuable," Chopper said excitedly under the sun umbrella. Kaya nodded eagerly beside him. "They're going to help us a lot!"
The old doctor's collection was vast—some of the cases he'd recorded were things they'd never even heard of.
Leno chuckled. "That's good to hear."
Nojiko walked over, still looking a bit uneasy. "Al—Leno, honestly. Those books were his life's work. You just… took all of them."
She blushed as she said it. Watching Leno bully an elderly man still made her feel a bit guilty.
But Leno just pulled her gently into his arms and said earnestly,
"Listen, Nojiko. If those books just sit with him, they'll gather dust. But in our hands, we can spread that knowledge and use it to save people."
Resting his chin lightly atop her head, he gazed toward the horizon.
"Knowledge only has meaning when it's shared. We're helping him, really."
Robin, watering her flowers nearby, paused and looked up, her eyes softening in surprise.
She hadn't expected such insight from the usually playful man. Shaking her head with a quiet laugh, she watched him affectionately.
"You... don't move around! It's still broad daylight!"
Nojiko gasped as she suddenly felt his hands cover her chest.
It was broad daylight. Her face turned crimson as she grabbed his mischievous hands, glancing around in panic.
Everyone already knew about their relationship, but still—this was too much!
If he went any further, how could she ever face the others again?
Seeing her teary, pleading eyes, Leno finally took pity. He leaned down, kissed her gently, and let her go.
As Nojiko stumbled away in a flustered hurry, Leno couldn't help but grin wickedly.
Just then, a chill ran over him. He looked up—the once-clear sky had darkened, and snowflakes began to fall.