Seeing how tense the two were, Crocus was puzzled. He handed them the newspaper and said, "I don't care."
Unohana removed her hand from the hilt of the sword, her smiling expression returning.
"Thank you, Uncle," Shiraishi replied politely, taking the newspaper from his hand. It featured a prominent photograph of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The newspaper's story was to praise the hero's bravery in defeating pirates and protecting the people of Kingdom of Alabasta, while also glorifying the Seven Warlords of the Sea under the Crown system.
Shiraishi's focus was on a man walking past Crocodile, wearing brown sunglasses, with his long brown hair and slender figure occasionally peeking out from behind his hood.
Even without seeing his face, he could basically tell that this guy was Aizen.
The date on this newspaper... uh, why is it three days ago? He glanced at the date and looked quite annoyed. At this time, Aizen would most likely have left Alabasta.
Crocus replied irritably: Being inside Laboon's belly, it's already a blessing to have newspapers to read.
Luffy jumped over from the Going Merry, grinning, and asked, "Uncle, why does a whale have a sky inside its belly?"
"That must be a barrier," Retsu Unohana explained for Luffy, using her knowledge.
She admired this sunny, cheerful young man; his fearless gaze belonged only to the strong.
Crocus gave him a look that said, "What did you say?" and replied, "I drew it."
... Retsu Unohana pursed her lips. No wonder she couldn't detect the Spiritual Power fluctuations of the barrier; it was just a drawing.
Shiraishi wanted to laugh out loud, but a cold glare from her stopped him immediately. He asked, "Uncle, where can we get out?"
The exit was right there. Crocus reached out and touched a distant iron gate.
Usopp's eyes widened. So there was an exit!
Rumble!!
The violent shaking caused the Going Merry to rock violently. Nami, one of the cowardly duo, immediately screamed and grabbed the ship's railing. What was happening?!
"Has it begun? "Crocus said solemnly, his body swaying.
Luffy then realized that this was not an island, but an iron ship.
"What's starting?" Retsu Unohana asked, looking up but not noticing any powerful presence approaching.
Crocus said with a grave expression, "This whale has started ramming its head against the Red Line."
What?! Zoro and Sanji were shocked by this news. They had seen firsthand how vast the Red Line was.
Retsu Unohana recalled the whale; its forehead was covered in scars, and it had roared to the sky. Why did it crash into the Red Line?
Ohhhhh!! Laboon's roar echoed in my stomach, stirring up even bigger waves.
The massive body crashed heavily into the Red Line once again.
Could it be that this guy wants to kill Laboon inside his body?!
Nami suddenly realized something, covered her mouth with her hand, and her eyes were filled with shock. What a cruel method of whaling!
Alright, the mystery is solved, Mr. Shiraishi, Ms. Unohana, come back. If you stay here any longer, the ship will be melted by stomach acid.
Zoro shouted that he disliked this method of whaling, but he wouldn't say anything.
Compared to animals, the most important thing for humans is to be alive.
Although it is cruel, as a human being, he cannot only consider the ecology of whales and ignore the people who rely on whaling for their livelihood.
Ignoring their accusations, Crocus jumped directly from the ship into the stomach.
Hey, what's he trying to do? He'll melt!
Usopp looked completely surprised.
Luffy watched the Going Merry away, and exclaimed, "Gum-Gum!"
He flung his hands out and grabbed the ship's mast, engulfing both Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana.
Retsu Unohana briefly had this question in mind, but soon experienced Luffy -style boarding, being pushed directly towards the mast by a strong push.
Just before they were about to collide, she flipped over and easily avoided it, Luffy to crash into the mast alone. Haha, let's get closer to the exit first.
He looked up, a bright smile on his face.
"You better watch out for Ms. Unohana!" Sanji yelled. As a gentleman, he felt it was his duty to care about women.
Retsu Unohana smiled, then glanced at someone else, " Sanji is much more considerate than you."
Shiraishi laughed and said, "You'll be fine."
Brother, with such a strong surge of stomach acid, the boat can't get close at all. Do you have any ideas?
Nami immediately came over for help.
Shiraishi spread his hands and said: What else can we do but slide it across?
Alright! Let's listen to our partner and start paddling!
Luffy with his hands on his hips.
Shiraishi retorted, "I never said I wanted to get on your ship."
Ignoring the Luffy, Luffy and Zoro began rowing the Going Merry with all their might, heading towards the exit. They had to get the ship out before the whales became even more frenzied.
Although the Going Merry is a sea vessel, Luffy and Zoro are both incredibly strong, so propelling the ship with oars is not a problem for them.
·······
Crocus swam to the stairs leading to the exit, popped his head out, and began to climb upwards, his expression grave.
Bang!
On a platform above the massive iron gate, a normal door was violently flung open, and two people rolled out.
Ahhhhhh~~~
I'm going to fall!
Thump, thump!
A man and a woman, dancing and leaping, plummeted down and fell into the whale's stomach acid.
He ignored it, his mind filled with worry.
If this continues, sooner or later, Laboon will pretend to be dead.
Crocus climbed up and pushed the last of the tranquilizer into Laboon's body. "Laboon, stop! That's a cliff that divides the world's oceans. You could bang your head against it your whole life and you still wouldn't be able to break it open."
Laboon didn't stop, but under the influence of the sedative, he was unable to continue moving.
The violent shaking gradually subsided, and the Going Merry drifted back to the iron ship.
Because they had to rescue two guys who had fallen into the water, Luffy, Shiraishi, and Retsu Unohana were left to watch the show, and no one rowed the boat at all.
Who are you?
Nami stood with her hands on her hips. At this moment, she wasn't as enthusiastic as she was later; at least she was properly dressed.
Shiraishi watched with interest. The blue-haired woman was clearly Vivi, and the man wearing the crown was probably just an extra.
I have absolutely no memory of this man.
The two were actually awake, but given that they were surrounded by pirates, they chose to pretend to be asleep.
Just then, Crocus's roar came from the small platform of the iron gate.
With me here, I will never let you hurt Laboon!
What's going on? Luffy looked completely bewildered, not understanding why the old man was suddenly shouting some passionate slogan.
Hehehe~~~
Hehehe~~~
Suddenly, the signature villainous laughter rang out, and the two who were pretending to be asleep jumped up very professionally and grabbed their rocket launchers.
The crowned Mr. 9 chuckled, "We're inside the whale's belly now. A simple attack will make a hole in its stomach!"
As they spoke, the two pulled the triggers, and two shells blasted towards the stomach wall next to Crocus.
Don't even think about it! You two scoundrels!
In the critical moment, Crocus suddenly leaped in front of the cannonball, and with two loud bangs, he landed amidst black smoke.
Hehehe, if you want to protect this whale, go ahead~~~
Haha, we're going to use it as our town's food supply.
Usopp, Nami, Zoro, Sanji were still influenced by their preconceived notions and were quite surprised by the old man's act of protecting the whale.
Thud! Thud!
Vivi and Mr. 9, dressed in their standard villainous attire, had barely struck a pose Luffy behind them, knocked them to the ground with a single punch each.
Luffy's lips curled down, and he said with a very displeased expression, "I couldn't help but beat them up."
While everyone else was focused on the two goofballs, only Shiraishi and Retsu Unohana glanced at Crocus had been blasted into the water and then climbed out.
They exchanged a glance, both revealing a knowing expression.
They tied Vivi and Mr. 9 up and threw them onto a ship shaped like a Hawaiian island. Luffy started climbing coconut trees Shiraishi and the others listened to stories.
This whale's name is Laboon, and its species is an island whale... Luffy defeats two men and women who intended to harm the whale, prompting Crocus to decide to reveal the whole story.
These two thugs were eyeing Laboon because its meat was enough to feed the entire town for several years.
I won't let them succeed, because Laboon isn't just my friend, he's also my partner in a deal with others.
The promise—just two simple words—carries the dreams and stories of countless people in the world of One Piece.
Crocus's eyes drifted back to the past. Many years ago, a group of pirates from the West Blue passed through this area. But they were less pirates and more like a musical troupe...
As he recounted the story, Shiraishi, Retsu Unohana, and Luffy's crew also learned about it.
Their ship was damaged while entering the Grand Line, and they stayed here for a while, during which time we became friends.
Laboon was too young to go on the Grand Line with them, so they left Laboon here for me to raise for three or four years, with the agreement that I would come back to pick Laboon up after circling the Grand Line.
As a result, fifty years passed.
Fifty years? That means...
That's right, that pirate crew has been buried by the Grand Line.
Over the years, Laboon has grown from a small whale into a true island whale.
It was no longer able to swim upstream along the Grand Line back to the West Blue to verify whether its companions had returned home.
So that's why this giant whale named Laboon blocked the entrance to the Grand Line, constantly ramming the Red Line?
Well, the only thing I can do is to calm it down with medication.
Click click click.
During the conversation, the massive iron gate opened, revealing a waterway in front of the Going Merry.
Crocus said, "This connects to the outer sea. Once you get out, you'll be safe."
Wow, they actually built such a place inside a whale's belly, and it's amazing it still survived!
Faced with Nami's praise, the old man calmly replied, "Just take it as a doctor's playful remark, because Laboon is too huge, and it can only be treated from within."
Huh? You're a doctor?
Luffy has discovered a blind spot. Come join my ship as the ship's doctor!
Stop joking, this old man doesn't have the energy to mess around with you young people anymore.
As the final gate opened, the Going Merry slowly emerged from the belly of the whale Laboon.
As for the two men and women who intended to kill the whale...
What will they do?
Just leave it around here.
Thump, thump.
Ah! Stomach acid... no, this is seawater.
Vivi thumped twice, finally realizing something was wrong. Looking at the pirates on the ship, she gritted her teeth, her face filled with resentment. Damn pirates!
Luffy is standing by the railing, who exactly are you people?
"You're so long-winded, it's none of your business!" Vivi yelled.
No, if they are pirates, then it has something to do with our company's business.
That's true. Mr. 9. Vivi has no choice but to continue pretending, pointing at Luffy with her goofy persona, saying, "You just wait and see."
The next second, the two swam away with all their might. See you later, you country bumpkin pirates.
And you, Crocus, we will definitely take down this whale!
That blue-haired girl with a ponytail is truly a mysterious woman!
Sanji leaned against the ship's railing, his face full of infatuation.
Retsu Unohana glanced at Shiraishi and noticed that he was also looking at the blue-haired girl. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing, I just find them very interesting." Shiraishi smiled.
Vivi is a brave girl who goes undercover at Baroque Studio to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes for the sake of her country.
He only needs to watch from the sidelines to reach Alabasta.
Maybe we'll even get to see that Sand Crocodile.
Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has had his gender questioned online. Is he actually a gender-swapped individual?
You probably won't get an answer if you just ask directly.
While Shiraishi was pondering those questions, Luffy picked up something on the deck that resembled a watch. However, unlike a flat watch, it was a round glass sphere with a slightly trembling hand inside. What was it?
Crocus glanced at it and explained, "Oh, that's Log Pose. Many islands on the Grand Line have strong magnetic fields, so ordinary compasses are completely useless here. You need this special Log Pose to navigate. It records the magnetic force between islands and uses it to indicate the direction of the next island. Keep it; it won't do you any harm."
Upon hearing this, Nami quickly snatched the Log Pose from Luffy's hand, not daring to let him break it.
"You saved Laboon. If you don't mind, please come up and have a cup of hot tea. "Crocus pointed to the lighthouse at Twin Cape, wanting to invite them in.
"Okay," Luffy readily agreed.
The group went to a table outside the lighthouse to drink tea and chat about Laboon. Even Zoro, who was usually so stubborn, couldn't help but feel a sense of approval towards this whale that kept its promises.
Retsu Unohana looked up, glanced at it, and said, " Luffy dismantled the mainmast. Is that something you can just take apart like that?"
"Of course not. "Usopp waved his hand, glanced at the ship again, and thought, "Heh, they're really taking it apart? Why would they take it apart?"
Usopp, Zoro, Sanji, Nami all made shocked expressions that became memes.