Unlike other pirates, they were accompanied by a small whale named Laboon, who was their companion.
"Laboon! Why did you follow us! Didn't we agree that you'd stay in the West Blue and not come along?"
Finding that Laboon had followed them to the Grand Line, the group of pirates felt both angry and helpless.
They knew the Grand Line was an extremely dangerous place. Since Laboon was still a juvenile, they wouldn't be able to look after him properly if he traveled with them, and there was no telling when he might end up in a life-threatening situation.
So, before climbing Reverse Mountain, they specifically told Laboon not to follow and wait for them in the West Blue. They didn't expect that Laboon, out of deep affection for them, would still follow on his own accord.
"Since things have turned out this way, Laboon, wait here for us for a bit. The Grand Line really isn't suitable for you to venture into right now. So, we have a promise: in three years, after we've circled the world, we'll definitely come back here to find you."
"By then, you'll be all grown up and can continue the journey with us!"
With smiles on their faces, the pirates played their instruments and sang Laboon's favorite song to convince him to stay at Twin Cape. A joyful atmosphere lingered over the cape for a long time.
"Wooo!!!"
With tears in his eyes, Laboon reluctantly agreed. He prepared to grow big over those three years and wait to travel with his companions again.
"We're leaving! Laboon!"
"We're counting on you, Crocus! Please, take good care of this little guy!"
After resting at Twin Cape for several months and repairing their damaged hull, the pirates bid farewell to Laboon and Crocus, the lighthouse keeper, and officially entered the Grand Line.
"So, after that, Laboon lived with me, waiting for his companions to fulfill their promise and return for him."
On the small island, Crocus's gaze was deep, as if looking back fifty years through time.
"But after three years, those guys didn't arrive as promised. They broke their word."
"Back then, Laboon and I both thought something might have happened to them, preventing them from fulfilling the promise. We still believed they would come back for him one day."
"And just like that, another three years passed. Those guys still didn't come."
"By then, Laboon was fully grown. He was no longer a small whale the size of two people, but an adult whale much larger than a pirate ship. Even though his companions still hadn't arrived, he firmly believed they would return for him."
Goku and the other two had been completely immersed in the story told by Crocus. They smiled, frowned, and looked tense at various points.
"So, what happened after that? Did Laboon ever wait long enough for them to come back?"
Goku looked at Crocus with anticipation, hoping to hear the answer he wanted.
However, Crocus shook his head and gave him the opposite answer.
"No. Three years turned into another three, and many more three-year periods passed, yet Laboon never saw those guys again. Over twenty years ago, I entered the Grand Line to search for news of them, but I never heard a word."
Crocus spoke with a sentimental look.
"So, at that time, I deduced that those guys had likely already left the Grand Line and would never return to fulfill their promise to Laboon."
"I returned to Twin Cape and told Laboon my conclusion, but he couldn't accept it."
"He believes his companions are waiting for him on the other side of the Red Line, so he wants to go back."
"But by then, he could no longer pass through the canal as easily as he did when he was young. His body is far larger than the canal, so he can never return to the other side of the Red Line."
"As a result, he began ramming the Red Line, trying to smash a path through to the other side. The tremors you felt earlier were caused by him hitting the Red Line."
At this point, Crocus sighed.
"Sigh. This child has emotions just like a human and is incredibly pure-hearted. So even after fifty years, he refuses to give up. He rams the Red Line every now and then."
"But the Red Line isn't something he can just break. Every time he hits it, he suffers many injuries. To keep him from hurting himself, I inject him with a sedative whenever he starts ramming so he can calm down."
Hearing this, Goku and the others finally understood the full story. They understood why the whale was blocking the canal and facing the Red Line.
It turns out he was missing his companions on the other side.
Such sincere feelings!
"Hmph! Pirates are just a bunch of people who don't keep their promises. Laboon is so unlucky to have met guys like that!"
Nami was indignant over Laboon's plight.
After all, she had recently gone through an experience similar to Laboon's.
"You must have been accidentally swallowed by Laboon. Come on, I'll take you out."
After finishing the story, Crocus had no desire to chat further. He stood up and spoke to Goku's group.
"Ahaha, actually, it was because—Ow!"
Goku gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head, about to tell the real reason they were swallowed.
But before he could finish, he let out a cry of pain.
"Is that so! Well, thank you very much then!" Nami said with a broad smile, while her hand behind her back gave Goku a hard pinch.
Sanji was also quick-witted. Just as Goku was about to ask Nami why she pinched him, Sanji clamped a hand over Goku's mouth to stop him from speaking.
Damn it! Do you want us to never leave this place?!
Both of them roared inwardly.
If Crocus found out that Goku had wanted to eat Laboon, given his fifty-year-long deep friendship with the whale, the consequences would be terrifying!
Crocus looked at them suspiciously, not understanding what they were doing.
But he didn't ask further. Instead, after Goku and the others returned to the Dream Chaser, he operated the mechanism to make the island move, sliding it toward the massive iron gate.
He then opened the gate and led the way, letting Goku and the others follow him out of Laboon's body.
...
A short while later, when the real sunlight hit them, Nami closed her eyes and embraced the warmth, praising the sun.
"Finally out. As expected, this warm feeling is what real sunlight is like."
From Crocus's explanation, they knew that the blue sky and white clouds inside Laboon were just things he had painted himself, and the light came from lamps.
In other words, that so-called paradise was all fake.
Even that small island was just an artificial one created by Crocus.
"Hey, old-timer, come have a meal with us."
On Twin Cape, Sanji brought out the food he had prepared, planning to finish lunch there.
Crocus's nose twitched, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Just from the scent alone, I can tell these dishes must taste excellent. I didn't expect a young man like you to have such good culinary skills."
"Of course! Sanji is our chef, and an exceptionally skilled one from the East Blue!" Nami added, offering rare praise.
This immediately sent Sanji into a high.
"Aaaah!! Nami-san acknowledged me! This means the day she falls for me isn't far off!!"
Nami was left utterly speechless.
'I swear, if I ever say that again, I'll slap myself.'
Not far away, Goku was already munching on a grilled fish.
But this time, he wasn't as focused on eating as usual. Instead, he ate while gazing at Laboon, whose back was partially visible on the surface of the sea.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Just then, accompanied by the sound of waves, a pirate ship sped down the canal of Reverse Mountain and came to a halt in front of Twin Cape.
"Wahahahaha! The Grand Line! We've finally made it!"
"Huh! Boss, look! There are people over there!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]