However, before the crew could recover from their thrilling climb-
Moooo-!!!!!!
A long, resonant call came from ahead.
Immediately afterward, a shadow... as massive as a mountain blocked every route ahead of the Going Merry!
It was a gigantic whale of unimaginable size!
Its island-sized head was covered in crisscrossing scars, and its enormous eyes gazed somewhat sorrowfully at the indestructible Red Line ahead.
"Aaaaaah! W-what kind of monster is that?!"
Usopp and Nami trembled in terror.
"Such... such a huge whale!"
Luffy's eyes, however, instantly turned into stars, brimming with curiosity.
Ye Chuan looked at Laboon before him and the Lighthouse Hut faintly visible atop its head, his brow furrowing slightly despite himself.
"What a pain... I only wanted to hitch a ride. How did I forget about this?"
Should I... cut this fellow down with one slash? After all, it's blocking the way.
The thought flashed through his mind for an instant before he rejected it himself.
"Forget it. There's no need to do something so pointless."
"And... if I remember correctly, that princess from Alabasta should be making her appearance here around this time..."
While Ye Chuan was thinking, Luffy gave a strange yell and leaped off the ship.
His small figure shot like a cannonball toward the giant whale's lake-sized eye, driving a vicious punch at it!
"Hey! Big guy! Get out of our way!"
However, faced with Luffy's provocative blow, Laboon merely opened its enormous maw, wide enough to swallow everything, slowly!
Whoooosh-!!!
An irresistible suction swept toward them!
"Aaaaaah-!!!"
The Going Merry and everyone aboard were swallowed into the gigantic whale's belly like toys!
A short while later, the Going Merry came to a stop on a relatively calm stretch of water.
Everything around them was dim, with only a faint light overhead.