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The old man had a grave, chilling air about him that made several members of the Straw Hats visibly nervous. They feared he might suddenly become violent and harm someone.
In this tense atmosphere, the old man did something unexpected—he sank into a recliner, picked up a newspaper, and began reading, completely ignoring the Straw Hats and their plans. His nonchalant behavior only added to the unease. He cast a sharp glare in their direction but said nothing, as though their presence barely registered.
Sanji, unable to suppress his irritation, snapped, "Hey! I'm talking to you, old man! Why don't you say something?"
At this, the old man lifted his gaze from the newspaper and stared directly at the Going Merry, his eyes radiating a ferocity that sent a shiver down the crew's spines.
Zoro instinctively placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, subtly pushing it from the sheath. His intuition screamed that this old man was dangerous.
Usopp, trembling but trying to appear brave, pointed a shaky finger at the old man and shouted, "I-I'm warning you! We have cannons! Come at us if you want to fight, you b*****d!"
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly at Usopp's outburst, his intensity making the sharpshooter falter. Usopp nearly collapsed under the pressure.
Ikki observed the old man carefully, his thoughts racing. 'Is he about to release Conqueror's Haki?' The possibility felt real—this old man exuded power.
Indeed, this wasn't just any old man. He was Crocus, the ship's doctor for the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
Hearing Usopp's bluster, Crocus finally broke his silence, his tone sharp but calm. "Stop your yapping. Someone could die."
The sudden statement made Usopp stagger back. Even Sanji's usual bravado wavered as cold sweat ran down his forehead. Like Zoro, Sanji could sense the sheer danger emanating from Crocus.
"Who do you think will die?" Sanji muttered, trying to sound unfazed.
Crocus replied immediately, "Me, of course."
Sanji: "..."
Zoro: "..."
The tension broke as Luffy suddenly burst into laughter. "Uncle, you're hilarious!"
Crocus shifted his attention to Luffy, or more precisely, to the straw hat perched atop his head. His gaze lingered, and for a moment, it seemed he was about to comment on it. But before he could speak, Laboon's massive body began to thrash violently, shaking the entire ship.
"Laboon!" Nami shouted. "What's going on?!"
Without hesitation, Crocus leapt into the whale's gastric juices and swam toward a large, iron gate embedded within the whale's insides.
"Wait a minute," Usopp stammered, eyes wide. "Why is there an iron gate inside a whale?!"
Nami, equally baffled but regaining her composure, added, "And what's with the painted sky and... this old man?"
She exhaled deeply and muttered, "But if there's a gate, that means we might be able to get out of here!"
"Shishishi! That's great!" Luffy laughed cheerfully. "I thought Laboon was gonna spit us out or something!"
While the crew debated, the chaos subsided. Laboon stopped thrashing, and Crocus vanished through the gate. Before the crew could react, two figures suddenly tumbled through a small door above the gate, splashing into the gastric juices below.
"Hey, don't just stand there!" Sanji barked. "Fish them out!"
Acting quickly, the crew rescued the two individuals and brought them aboard the Going Merry. As the strangers regained consciousness, they realized they had been saved by pirates.
"So, it's you villains!"
"As long as I draw breath, I won't let you hurt Laboon—not a single hair on him!"
The Straw Hats exchanged confused glances, then turned toward Crocus. But before anyone could ask, the strangers—revealed to be Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday—burst into obnoxious laughter.
"Oh-hohohohohohoho!" Their laughter echoed as they pulled out rocket launchers, aiming directly at the crew.
"Even if you say so, there's no way we can turn back now," Mr. 9 said with a sneer.
"Our mission is to kill this whale," Miss Wednesday added, her voice sharp. "You can't interfere with our whaling today."
Without hesitation, they raised their rocket launchers, pointing them at the walls of Laboon's stomach.
Just as they were about to fire, Psyduck waddled onto the scene, clucking loudly and drawing attention to itself. However, neither Mr. 9 nor Miss Wednesday paid it any mind; their focus remained solely on Laboon.
Meanwhile, Ikki stood to the side, holding a camera he'd seemingly conjured from nowhere, muttering under his breath as he aimed it at Princess Vivi, who was disguised as Miss Wednesday. "A duck, a pair of goofy villains... Why does this feel so familiar? Oh, right! If the duck was a cat, they'd be Team Rocket!"
He grinned to himself and snapped a picture. "A princess with such dark history—it's priceless!"
Vivi, who had been maintaining her Baroque Works persona, inwardly groaned. Pretending to be silly while working alongside Mr. 9 was exhausting, but necessary for her infiltration. Still, moments like this only made her miss her role as the calm and compassionate princess of Alabasta.
As Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday fired their rockets, the missiles arced through the air, aimed straight at Laboon's stomach lining.
"Boom! Boom!"
Before the shells could hit their target, Crocus leapt from the high platform, his body intercepting the explosion. The impact sent him plunging into the gastric juices below.
"Old man!" Nami shouted, startled.
Seeing Crocus fall, Mr. 9 threw his head back in laughter. "Oh-hohohohoho! Pointless resistance! You stopped one shot, but can you handle the next?"
Mr. Wednesday joined in, her laughter echoing. "Hohohoho! This whale will soon be food for our town!"
Psyduck tilted its head at the two, clucking in confusion. The scene seemed eerily familiar, as if it were straight out of a bizarre cartoon.
Crocus, now soaked but unyielding, climbed back onto the platform, his expression hardening. Though a doctor by trade, Crocus's strength was not to be underestimated. He rarely resorted to violence, but when someone endangered his patients—or crossed his bottom line—there was no room for mercy.
Just as Crocus prepared to act, Luffy stepped forward.
Without warning, the Straw Hat captain lunged at the pair, knocking them out with ease. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday collapsed in a heap, their rocket launchers clattering to the floor.
Luffy scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "I don't know why, but I just had to punch them!"
Under Crocus's guidance, the Going Merry finally exited Laboon's stomach through the giant gate on its walls. The crew found themselves at Twin Capes, where Crocus began explaining Laboon's story.
Laboon, the massive whale with a heart full of human emotions, had waited decades for the pirates who once befriended him—the Rumbar Pirates—to return. Moved by the tale, the Straw Hats sat in silence, absorbing the weight of it.
Luffy, however, had already made up his mind. He walked over to the Going Merry and began examining its mast.
"Wait a second, Luffy!" Ikki called out, quickly intervening.
Luffy turned, confused. "What is it?"
Ikki waved his hand, and a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty appeared in a puff of smoke. He handed it to Luffy, smirking. "If you're going to provoke Laboon, don't break the Merry. Use this instead!"
The crew looked at the bizarre statue in bewilderment, but Luffy simply grinned.
Laboon's destructive behavior stemmed from his desperation, his need for a promise to keep him going. Luffy's plan was simple: give Laboon a new promise. If the Rumbar Pirates couldn't fulfill their vow, then the Straw Hats would.