Under the lighthouse at Twin Cape.
Everyone lay sprawled on the grass, gasping for breath.
"Phew, we're saved..."
As the melody of "Binke's Fine Wine" echoed under the dome, Laboon finally began to calm down, giving everyone a chance to escape from its stomach and return to the sea outside.
Nami crouched in front of Laboon and explained everything about Brook to it.
Laboon widened its eyes, looking left and right at Nami, until it exchanged a look with Crocus and confirmed it was true.
"Moo—"
It raised its head and let out a long wail, then dived into the water, determined to swim desperately into the depths of the Grand Line, searching for the companion it had been waiting for nearly fifty years...
"Wait, Laboon!" Crocus hurried to stop it, "Give me some time to pack and prepare, and I'll depart with you right away!"
"Huh?" Nami said plaintively, "I thought you and Laboon were going to come with us?"
We happen to need a doctor on board; let's try to rope the old man in!
"What nonsense, old man has a ship!" Crocus held his forehead, "Little girl, we've just met, there's not much connection between us, acting like this is too fake! Besides, Laboon is headed straight for the Devil's Triangle, which isn't on your route. Do you think Laboon looks like it can wait for you?"
That's true. Nami pouted, knowing she couldn't fool the old man, sniffled, and her tears disappeared instantly, as if on command.
Crocus couldn't bear to look, turned his head, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Speaking of which.
The Devil's Triangle that young Shano mentioned, isn't it now the territory of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Moonlight Moriah?
Could it be that Brook was captured and had his shadow taken by Moriah, trapping him there? It seems like the only possibility.
This could be a bit troublesome.
With this old body of mine, I might not be able to handle it, the old man thought with a frown, rummaging through the small house and pulling out a slightly shaking piece of paper.
"Is this... a Life Card?" Nami curiously leaned over, "I've seen it in books, but this is my first time actually seeing one. Uncle, whose is it?"
"He's been retired for many years, so let's not mention it."
Crocus shook his head, "Anyway, he's a very formidable fellow. I need to find him first, and it's been many years since we've met. I'd like to catch up, and see if he can help."
If he's willing to lend a hand, Brook's shadow should be retrieved smoothly, right?
However, the old man still had a doubt.
Where did that noise come from just now?
Could it be there's a ghost drifting inside Laboon's belly?
"Oh, you mean this."
Shano raised something resembling a conch in his hand, "I picked up this Sound Shell two years ago, probably dropped from Sky Island, containing a few songs, among them Binke's Fine Wine."
"So it was you!!!" The old man nearly collapsed, "Why didn't you say so earlier? I really thought there was a ghost. Living together for so many years without noticing, it nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"You didn't ask."
Shano rolled his eyes and put away the conch.
Of course, he didn't pick it up; he bought it a few years ago for 100 points from the shop.
—— It looks like a Sky Island Sound Shell, but it's actually a Pirate King collectible limited-edition MP3.
It has hundreds of thousands of built-in songs for selection, and the built-in speakers are top-notch; when Shano tested it at the mountain top, its maximum volume startled everyone in Cocoyashi Village into thinking there was an earthquake, rushing out of their houses anxiously.
When he first bought it.
Shano would listen for a while after training when he was tired, to relax and soothe his body.
This time, when the situation was urgent, he quickly found "Binke's Fine Wine" in the music library.
He thought that this melody Brook played for Laboon before leaving would most likely calm Laboon down first.
If it really didn't work, there was no choice; he was ready to use the next song on the playlist, "LOVE Theme from TIGA," to see Laboon off.
Don't ask; just know it's Sky Island technology—even Enel could build a spaceship to fly to the moon, so what's this small thing?
He crouched by the sea and patted Laboon, which seemed to know that he was the one who found Brook's whereabouts, so it quietly floated there, letting him stroke it.
The consequence of banging against Inverted Mountain in a suicidal attempt was showing—Laboon felt a discomfort in its mouth, pressed its lips, and spat out several loose teeth.
Shano, quick-witted and nimble, seeing no one looking this way, unhesitatingly grabbed the nearest tooth and initiated a sacrifice.
[You've sacrificed Island Whale Laboon's tooth, gaining points 400]
So tall?
And it can actually be sacrificed!
Shano suddenly remembered the King of the Near Sea and MooMoo from back in the day. Tsk, should have taken advantage before letting them go.
However, those two were far inferior to Laboon in terms of size and combat strength, only enough to fit between Laboon's teeth. Probably didn't add up to much, and now, being well-off, they're not really missed.
"Hey, uncle! Uncle!"
A noisy sound suddenly came from behind, and Shano turned his head to look.
It was Nojiko and Nami, who finally remembered that the person they're talking to was the formidable guy who once followed Roger to Laugh Tale.
Seizing the opportunity while he was packing his luggage, they asked curiously, one on each side:
"Uncle, where exactly is Laugh Tale?"
"Don't remember."
"Does ONE PIECE really exist?"
"Sort of."
"What treasure did Roger bury back in the day?"
"It's not buried, it's found."
"Whoa, so annoying, really, knew you'd answer like this. But there must be some less important gossip you can truthfully share, right?"
"That I can do."
"Were those two tufts on Roger's face actually a mustache or nose hair?"
"..." Crocus's temple throbbed aggressively, "You need to ask me this! Isn't the old cook on your ship the same, just ask him!"
"Obviously it's a mustache okay! Where on earth has such thick nose hair, you senile old man!"
Zeff's thunderous voice came from outside, "It's just last time when we came to the Grand Line, I forgot to put salt in the dish I made for you, do you have to resent me until now?"
…
Shano listened to the noisy sound, smiled, and lay back down on the lawn, crossing his legs leisurely to enjoy the view of the Inverted Mountain above.
Until Crocus finished packing, carrying a heavy package, and approached him.
"Little Shano, although your crew is unreliable one by one, oh, except for the girl with the black ponytail who doesn't talk much, nonetheless, you've helped Laboon, and old me a great deal this time."
The old man said earnestly: "I don't like owing favors all the time, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Hmm, maybe there is."
Shano thought for a moment, "I actually quite enjoy collecting items from legendary figures as souvenirs. Uncle, since you're a ship doctor, do you have, uh… like Roger's kidney or Oden's oden or something?"
"Of course not!"
Crocus, with a darkened face, finally understood why the crew had such attitudes, "I'm a proper doctor, not one of those shady partnerships with gangsters!"
Also, what does Oden's oden even mean!
"However, your request is not difficult to satisfy."
Crocus rummaged inside for a while and handed over a somewhat worn straw hat, "Jabba visited me two years ago and left without his worn straw hat. Chances are we won't meet again, so I'll give this to you."
Jabba?
Roger's right-hand man, an equal to Rayleigh, the Jabba who stirs the big pot with a toothpick?
There's indeed an unexpected gain!
Shano perked up, quickly sat up from the lawn, and took the straw hat.
"Sure, this small souvenir doesn't fully repay the favor, so, I'm willing to point out a hidden risk on your ship as genuine payback."
"Risk?"
Shano turned his head with confusion, looking at the Endgame.
What risk, everything seems fine, Treasure Tree Adam lives up to its name, even after flipping over Inverted Mountain and dropping into Laboon's belly, it's still perfectly intact and safe.
"I'm not talking about the ship, but rather someone hidden aboard."
Crocus squinted, staring at the ship, "I originally thought that person was also your crew member, but earlier, I asked that Nami girl, you all have five people and one dog on board, altogether here. So, the one staying on the ship must be an adversary with ill intentions."
Another person on the Endgame?
Everyone was greatly shocked, not paying attention to Ah Yin who barked discontentedly at Crocus, they immediately drew weapons and surrounded the ship from all directions.