Brook stared at Laboon in disbelief, then raced over. Laboon affectionately bumped his chest.
Leaning against the ship's railing with his sword in his arms, Barn smiled. "He came after all. Laboon, who watched over the Rumbar Pirates for fifty years, still ended up coming to the Twin Capes."
Barn nudged Fitz with a finger as Fitz looked in that direction.
"Go on if you want to, Fitz."
Fitz glanced down at Barn, then flew over to Laboon.
The Rumbar Pirates rested and refitted at the Twin Capes for half a month.
In the end, Brook persuaded Laboon to wait for them there, promising that they would return to see him after making a circuit of the Grand Line.
On the day they departed, Brook led every member of the Rumbar Pirates in bowing to Crocus.
"Please take care of Laboon, Mr. Crocus!" Brook said solemnly.
Crocus reached out and stroked the weeping Laboon's head, then nodded. "Leave him to me."
The ship set sail...
Every member of the Rumbar Pirates stood on deck with their backs to Laboon, their fists clenched tight and their heads bowed low, struggling to hold back their tears.
Laboon's cries still reached them. Brook could no longer bear it. He whipped around, tears pouring from his eyes, and shouted until his voice cracked, "Laboon! Wait for us!"
The others turned around too, cupping their hands around their mouths and shouting, "Laboon! Wait for us!"
Barn turned around as well. Though he could not see, the emotion moved him, and he smiled through his tears. Standing on Barn's head, Fitz wiped its eyes with its wings.
Laboon heard them and remembered. He let out a long cry that pierced the clouds, as though he were saying,
"I'll keep waiting, no matter how long it takes!"
This was a promise between men!
Two years had passed since the Rumbar Pirates entered the Grand Line.
Barn had grown remarkably fast over those two years. He was only twelve, yet he had already grown to the size of an adult and was nearly as tall as York. This twelve-year-old boy somehow had the body of a twenty-year-old.
Barn believed it was caused by the Life Fruit, whose powers even he barely understood.
Barn was acting strangely that day. He woke very late. When he opened his eyes, everything was still pitch-black, but by the clock, it was already noon.
Normally, he would have been sitting at the stern fishing by then.
Barn sat up, and Fitz flew over.
Strangely, Fitz landed on Barn's shoulder this time. Ever since Barn's head had become its exclusive perch, it had not landed on his shoulder for three whole years.
Curious, Barn tried to reach out and stroke Fitz, puzzled by its unusual behavior, but it pecked his hand away. Barn could feel Fitz watching him.
After a long while, Fitz studied Barn's face, pecked it a few more times, then flew up onto his head and stood straight, head raised and chest puffed out.
Fitz's rare display of affection left Barn bewildered. He did not dwell on it, simply treating it as Fitz's way of asking for attention.
Barn quickly dressed and walked out of the cabin.
"Brook! How come I haven't heard that weird laugh of yours today? So you sleep in too! Hahahaha..."
Barn did not hear the laughter he had expected from the pirates, nor did he hear Brook's indignant retort.
"Brook! York! Bullong! Mabu!"
Silence!
The eerie silence gave Barn a bad feeling, and it grew stronger by the moment.
"Could it be..."
Barn raced to York's captain's quarters and hammered on the door. "York! York! Get up!"
After a long while, York emerged from the captain's quarters. "What is it, Barn?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Though Barn could not see him, he could hear how weak York was, and he sensed an air of illness about him.
"Could it be?! No way. How could it happen so suddenly..."
Without another word to York, Barn immediately ran to the cabin of Mondo, the ship's doctor, shouting, "Mondo! Mondo! Get up, Mondo! Something's happened!"
Please don't let it be that! Barn thought anxiously.