Crocus

Kuta looked at Laboon, a red light flashing in his eyes. He could feel the sadness of the big guy in front of him.

"Kuta, why does this guy look like he's crying?"

Kuina tightened her grip on Kuta's hand.

"Pitiful?"

"I can't feel it at all!"

A-Tao stood up from the bow deck, dusted off non-existent Dust, straightened her hair, and then casually took a puff of her cigarette.

"You stupid pig, of course you can't sense it."

A-Luo extended two tentacles from its head and twitched.

"There is indeed a kind of..."

A sense of sadness, as if this guy had been waiting for someone, but that person never appeared.

As he spoke, he touched his chest, as if he were infected by Laboon's sadness.

Kuta turned to look at the people on the bow of the ship and asked.

Want to know why this guy is like this?

"Think."

Everyone answered in unison.

"If we want to, why don't we just ask someone who knows?"

"Who are you asking?"

"You'll find out soon enough, hahaha!"

Kuta laughed loudly, scanning the entire Twin Capes with his Observation Haki, but found no other presence.

"So it's inside Laboon's body."

He looked at Laboon in front of him, his eyes narrowing.

He unleashed his Conqueror's Haki instantly, intending to stun Laboon and force the old man out.

But when he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, Laboon not only didn't faint, but instead went Berserk.

It seems that Laboon also has a heart that is not afraid of anything!

Laboon took the aura emanating from Kuta as a provocation. It roared, then quickly lowered its head and inhaled deeply.

Then, to the horror of everyone on board, the Freedom, carried by the current, disappeared from Laboon's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Kuta, what are you doing!"

"We've been eaten by this guy!"

In the darkness, Ahua shouted loudly.

"Well! Let's eat it! My friends, our first adventure on the Grand Line begins!"

A red light flashed in Kuta's eyes; he had already sensed the presence ahead.

"Is it risky? I just hope I don't actually get digested."

A-Tao took a deep drag of her cigarette, and in the darkness, a single ray of light appeared.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

"How is that possible!"

"You'll see just how romantic this guy is in a bit."

Kuta looked ahead, his eyes filled with both anticipation and curiosity.

If waiting for someone for a full 50 years isn't a romantic thing...

Then nothing can be called romantic.

Just then, a bright light suddenly appeared ahead. The Freedom passed through the light and crashed into a dark green lake with a "bang".

Everyone experienced a momentary blindness, followed by an instant return to clear vision.

When they saw their surroundings, everyone looked shocked.

Chapter 2 Crocus

"No way! Weren't we swallowed by a whale?"

"How could this guy possibly have blue skies and white clouds inside his stomach?!"

"Am I dreaming?"

A-Luo looked around in shock and secretly pinched his thigh.

"Ouch!! That hurts."

"It's not a dream."

"Then what about all of this?!"

He looked around in confusion, then his eyes lit up.

"Look, isn't there an Island over there?"

"Hey! There really is an Island!"

All eyes followed the direction A-Luo was pointing.

In the distance, amidst the waves, an Island with only a single tree and a house was rapidly approaching them.

When they got closer to the island, they realized that it was not Island at all!

It was clearly a boat shaped like an Island.

"Hmm! Someone's there."

A burly, dark figure emerged from one of the houses on the Island.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an old man!

The old man was wearing a floral shirt, shorts, and slippers. Judging from his attire, he didn't seem to be in a dangerous place, but rather on vacation.

He stared at Kuta and the others with wide eyes and a furrowed brow, without saying a word, and slowly walked toward the only tree on the island.

The guy's gaze made Ahua Trio tense; they thought he was some kind of unparalleled expert.

That gaze was so intimidating!

The old man remained unmoved. Standing under the Coconut Tree, he plopped down in a deckchair, unfolded a newspaper, and began reading, ignoring Kuta and the others.

"Say something, you idiot!"

"Um!"

The old man stared wide-eyed at A-Tao.

A-Tao was startled by the guy's gaze, and her hand holding the cigarette trembled.

Then, enraged, he yelled, "You bastard, do you want to fight? Don't look at me like that!"

"Want to fight? People will die."

"Uh... who do you think will die?!"

"I."

"Oh, it was you!"

The old man glared and said loudly.

"You guys barged into someone's house without a word, and now you want to fight?"

"Also, people could really die if we start fighting, so please don't fight here. You'll be able to leave in a bit."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

Everyone bowed to the old man.

Ahua pushed up his glasses, stepped forward, and asked curiously.

"Old Man, can you tell us where we are?"

I remember we were eaten by a giant whale! How come it's the same here as outside?

"And who are you?!"

"Here?"

The old man thought for a moment, then stared at Ahua and said, "When asking someone's name, it's polite to give your own name first, isn't it?"

"Oh... that's true. My name is..."

Before Ahua could even speak, the Old Man spoke on his own.

"My name is 'Crocus,' I am the lighthouse keeper of Twin Capes, 69 years old, a Gemini, and of gender AB."

"Couldn't you wait until he finished speaking before you spoke?"

Ahua was furious when he saw the old man.

"Okay, calm down!"

A-Tao quickly pulled Ahua back.

The old man paused for a moment, then said, "If you want to know where this is, how dare you trespass on my private resort and speak so arrogantly!"

"Private resort?"

A-Luo looked up at the sky and glanced around.

"This sky seems unreal!"

"Yes! I drew that on."

"You don't think you're inside Nezumi's belly, do you?"

"So that means we really are inside the belly of a giant whale."

The old man nodded and affirmed, "Yes."

"We are currently inside Laboon's stomach."

"Laboon?"

"Laboon is the name of this whale."

At this moment, Kuina stepped forward, stared at Crocus, and asked, "Grandpa, why are you inside this whale's belly?"

"Me? Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm a doctor!"

"What?!"

"Oh, he's a doctor!"

"We thought you were hiding inside this whale to hunt it!"

Ahua Trio breathed a sigh of relief.

Kuina wasn't as dramatic as Ahua Trio. She looked at Crocus calmly and asked, "So, Grandpa, you're living inside this whale's body to heal its wounds?"

"Yes."

The old man turned his gaze to the distant sea and shouted, "It's coming!"

"What's coming?"

Everyone looked completely bewildered.

Just then, everyone heard a deafening scream, followed by a loud "bang," and the entire lake suddenly churned up, with towering waves.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Ahua Trio quickly pulled on the objects on the boat to prevent...

It was overturned by a giant wave.

Hearing Laboon's incessant mournful cries, a trace of sadness flashed in Kuta's eyes.