Of course, the Straw Hats were rather surprised to hear that this whale had been friends with pirates, even Luffy who the other four perceived as not being surprised whatsoever. Luffy studied Laboon the whale while the other four listened to Crocus intently as he told Laboon's story.

When Crocus was a young man, though was still the Keeper of the Capes, he had welcomed a very different caliber of pirate into the Grand Line regularly. There had been one crew that came from the South Blue, a traveling band of musicians called the Rumbar Pirates who stayed at Twin Capes for days longer than it took their Log Pose to set. They enjoyed Crocus' company too much.

But the first moments of their arrival had been rather tumultuous; setting aside the turbulent ride down Reverse Mountain, Crocus explained that once they touched down and were ready to celebrate their arrival in the Grand Line, they realized they had a tag along: A baby Island Whale that was mewing in celebration along with them. Their captain explained that this was a dear friend of theirs that they had rescued from whalers. In essence, the whale had joined their crew.

But Laboon, as they named him, grew up and got bigger. For the South Blue, he eventually reached a place where he could take care of himself. The pirates felt ready to depart for the Grand Line, so they did, giving a sorrowful goodbye and a pledge to return and find Laboon one day. Yet the whale felt as if he were a part of the Rumbar Pirates now, and he trailed them for days as they made their way to Reverse Mountain.

Even Crocus had agreed that the dangers in the Grand Line could still prove to be far too much for Laboon to handle. The Rumbar Pirates were beside themselves; only the First Mate was petitioning to just bring Laboon along as a loyal crewmate. They'd find some skilled shipwright to add an enclosed addition to their ship to keep him safer. There was no option for Laboon to just swim back to the South Blue. The Mountain's currents were too strong flowing back down, and the Calm Belt stood miles in between him and safety. The Sea Kings would devour him.

That had also contributed to them staying at Twin Capes, as the captain and First Mate talked with Crocus ad nauseum about a deal where Laboon could wait with Crocus at Twin Capes and grow strong. The First Mate was still opposed, but he begrudgingly agreed, and when the pirates were ready to depart, the farewell was all the more tearful. Crocus wept openly as he saw the bond between pirates and whale that he could not have anticipated.

"It was that day my estimation of pirates changed entirely. I know they meant their promise," Crocus explained from the comfort of his lounge seat, melancholy as he finished his tale.

"I guess Laboon wanted to stay with you, though," Sanji said warmly, glancing up at the whale's humongous eye.

"Well, we've grown close, of course, but not exactly. He still clamors for them to return over Reverse Mountain once again to take him away on adventures," Crocus said, taking his glasses off to polish them. He shook his head as he said bitterly, "They're dead. I sailed out with Laboon a while back with a crew that protected us. We investigated for them and heard from some old timers that they knew the Rumbar Pirates. They'd fallen in battle against stronger foes."

A silence descended upon the conversation as the other Straw Hats looked at Laboon in a different light. Even now, they realized his eyes were staring straight toward Reverse Mountain, waiting for some ship that would never come. "He doesn't understand . . . poor thing," Nami said as tears sprang to her eyes.

"He understands," Crocus corrected. "He was there and grew depressed for days. Then, he started to clamor again for them all the same. He's been in a state of disbelief for years now. He's adamant they're alive."

"It's okay, I do believe you," Luffy said. He turned to the other five. "He said he knows not all of his friends are dead."

"He says?" Zoro asked, confused as Crocus groaned from his island.

"Yes, he does, but . . . I mean, the odds are infinitesimally small," Crocus said. "Kids, welcome to the Grand Line." He said it rather dryly. "This is a dangerous place. If you can traverse these waters, and if the tumultuous weather doesn't sink you, and if your Poses take you to the right places, there are still dangerous foes around every corner." He reached under his seat where a bottle of rum waited for him. "Gold Roger made sure of that."
"That's so sad," Sanji finally said, leaning against the rail as he hung his head from the weight of that story - as well as the continued guilt that he was prepared to shoot this poor creature. Part of him was surprised he didn't want to see what whale was like, as it was one meat he had never cooked before, but he viewed Laboon as a full human.

Luffy can hear Laboon speaking? Usopp wondered, curious why no one else was more tuned in to that - especially Crocus. In truth, he'd noticed the strange glance Crocus had shot Luffy's way when he mentioned what Laboon had said, but he brushed right past it. What's going on here? Usopp had to wonder, curious if his radar should be going off for this strange doctor-plus-Keeper of the Capes who lived inside of a whale.

"Well, Laboon, don't worry, we're your friends now!" Luffy said, laying face down on the Merry's figurehead. He grinned and chuckled as he asked the question: "Why don't you just come with us? You're huge! You're the strongest out of the seven of us by a longshot. So join my crew! I'm off to become King of the Pirates!"

Crocus nearly gasped if Luffy's smile, Jolly Roger, and his D moniker hadn't already been the clues he needed already. That was just the final nail in the coffin. He smiled wide, bowing his head to mask it from the young kids. How many fools have you warned about the dangers of that dream? Of the One Piece? His words would not come out to try and dissuade the Straw Hats. They didn't even really seem like all that much to him; he was taller than any of them, and he had shrunk from age for the first time recently.

"Well, you've got a long road ahead of you, then," Crocus said, groaning as he swung his legs over the edge of his seat. "Shall we go ahead and go over the basics or do you want to come inside a whale's stomach for a second?"

Of course, Nami was a bit more concerned about what the Keeper of the Capes could hand over to the Straw Hats in terms of information. Yet Luffy sprang off the figurehead and excitedly declared, "Yes! Show us Laboon's stomach! That's so cool, we can actually fit you into a whale, Merry!" Luffy cried out as he ran to take the helm and steer them after Crocus' island.

As they entered the whale, each of the Straw Hats felt a certain anticipation as they entered. Luffy's was obvious, but Usopp felt more intrigue than he'd have ever expected to go into a whale's stomach. I guess I'd feel different if we were entering through the mouth, Usopp thought as they followed a metal tunnel through Laboon's body, so big that this passage did nothing of harm to his body.

"Wootz steel, tough enough to withstand the acid within an Island Whale. Same thing the underside of my island's made of," Crocus explained. "We can't stay here too long, though, because give it more than 45 minutes, and his stomach acid'll start to eat through your wood. We'll only hang out for a couple minutes, though," he said reassuringly as he noticed the Straw Hats grow uneasy about being digested by Laboon. He wiggled his rifle toward the lighting that was strung up along the sides of the tunnel. "I did that lighting, too."

Usopp then reflected on their journey over the Mountain, prepared to give the ship a full inspection once they left the whale, but feeling no structural difference from their fights against the massive wakes. He was grateful, though the words of the shipwrights were still there in his mind, deserving the Going Merry. You did it. I'll keep you safe, from stomach acid to enemy ships to the sea itself, Usopp said, placing a hand reassuringly on the figurehead as the Going Merry broke out into "open air" - Laboon's stomach.

"I did the paint job, too," Crocus explained, and the Straw Hats were shocked to see that this looked nothing like a stomach besides the oddly green water swirling about. It looked as if it were a stretch of sea; the stomach lining had been painted as if it were horizon lines of never ending sea and sky. A few birds were painted among the clouds, but besides there, there was no life depicted. The Straw Hats were a bit conflicted; they were glad Laboon had a carer, but the ethics of painting the inside of a whale was something they had never thought to consider before.

"Thanks for joining me," Crocus said as he went back into his house and grabbed a massive syringe, laying it out on his lounge seat as he steered toward Laboon's stomach lining. "I was just about to give him some medicine for his wound so it doesn't get infected when Laboon saw you all enter. Here ya go, buddy." Crocus lifted the syringe and jabbed it with all his might through Laboon's thick flesh, punching through successfully and pumping the medicine into his veins.

"His hide's too tough to do it outside, I guess," Zoro inferred from how hard Crocus had to act to administer the treatment to Laboon.

"Aye," Crocus explained as he more easily slid the needle from Laboon, tossing it aside to deal with later. "I developed this paint with a long term local anesthetic. It quells Laboon's anxiety some, as well as makes my shots imperceptible to him." The Straw Hats felt a little better about that explanation. "He's a good kid!" Crocus said as he sat at the lounge chair again. "I never had children myself, but." He waved his hands in the air and chuckled, letting that finish his sentence for him.

"So who were those people that shot Laboon last?" Luffy asked from the helm, more serious than the Straw Hats were used to him sounding.

"I don't know," Crocus groaned. "I never even saw a ship! By the time I came back out of Laboon to battle with them, they were gone."

"Or underwater," Luffy replied.

"I wish we'd have done something. I didn't realize those guys would be such villains," Nami said, recalling those last strange folks they saw riding Reverse Mountain before them. She shook her head. "We were gonna shoot him, too, before Luffy realized it was a whale and not a rock." Usopp and Sanji had a bit of muted anger at being called out like that openly.

"Well, you used judgment. Laboon and I appreciate it," Crocus said. He smiled calmly at them from his relaxed position. "Ready to go?" He began leading the Straw Hats back out from the same tunnel they'd used to come in.

They made idle chit chat on their way back through the tunnel when their conversation was cut short by a great, muffled cry bellowing through Laboon as well as an explosion that rocked the whale from the inside. "What's going on?!" Sanji cried out, holding on tight as Laboon began writhing violently, rocking through the tunnel. Crocus stood up, rifle in hand. Despite the violent rocking, Crocus was steady footed on his bobbing island.

"More pirates! Or maybe poachers," Crocus said, walking to the rear of his island where a small panel was that he flipped up, pressing a button. It sent propellors running double time at the back of his island, and it began chugging ahead forward far faster than before. Crocus ran to a loop of rope looped next to his shack and whipped it over his head three times as he tossed it to the Merry. It caught the lip of her railing deftly, barely digging into the wood.

"Can that little island handle this?" Zoro wondered aloud as the rope unwound.

"Don't underestimate my inventions. They're modest, but they're strong," Crocus said as the rope stiffened out and the Merry jolted from the island's pull, steering them through the tunnel much quicker now.

"Who are the poachers?" Luffy asked Crocus, right next to him suddenly a few moments later. Crocus nearly shook out of his shoes, but he realized Luffy had shimmied down the hook line to where it was bolted into a stone weight on the island. Luffy hopped off of it, standing beside Crocus, not as surefooted as Crocus, but forcing himself to be.

"Don't do that without warning," Crocus said, reprimanding at first. "They're pirates, too, really, but they're either unambitious ones, or hungry ones, or just greedy ones. Island Whales fetch a high price anywhere in this world, dead or alive. Dead, though . . . they can be split into many parts." He grimaced at having to say it as the light of day outside was finally visible from the last curve of the tunnel.

The two vessels flew out from Laboon's stomach and Crocus quickly cut the propellors off. He raised his rifle at an approaching ship, quite large and flying a black flag. The ship already fired another cannon at Laboon. Crocus side-eyed Laboon, who waited dutifully on his stomach as he did whenever Crocus needed to come out. "We're out, Laboon! Dive!" Laboon roared mournfully as he plunged his head deep into the water, his tail whipping high and slapping down toward the approaching pirate ship, rocking it with a huge wave.

"Wait! What!" Usopp screamed, eyes wide as he studied the pirate ship approaching. He hadn't seen it since the last beginning to his adventure; what were the odds of meeting them again here?

Luffy stretched his neck out backwards and sent it springing forward, stretching out far across the water to stare down at the crew of this ship, who stared up at him with wide-eyes. "Devil Fruit powers?! The old man's got some friends, guys!"

The captain stood at the helm and bit his lips, grinding his teeth as he stared at the familiar straw hatted fool he'd held captive so many ages ago - the one who delivered Bellamy his first humiliation. What are they doing here?! What are the odds?! he thought, worried Luffy would lock eyes with him and deliver a menacing speech about how he would kill him.

"STOP SHOOTING AT MY FRIEND!" he screamed at the Bellamy Pirates as his head was forced to whip back to his body. Crocus held on to his body as his head whipped back into place so he wouldn't go flying off his little island.

The Keeper of the Capes studied Luffy up and down, narrowing his eyes. "Mighty interesting Devil Fruit you've got there, son."

"I ate the Gum Gum Fruit when I was a baby," Luffy said, gripping his fists together. "Save your ammo, old man! Get me over there and I'll deal with these unambitious poacher-pirates!"

"LUFFY!" Usopp cried from the Merry, leaning over the railing. The others were gathered around him, confused how they knew these people. "Don't you recognize that ship?! Those are the guys who attacked Syrup Village! Who had you tied up!"

The realization finally dawned on Luffy and his jaw dropped, smiling. "Oh, wow! I haven't seen them in forever."

On board the New World Carver, Bellamy questioned what to do here. The old man only had that rifle, and his island could be obliterated quickly if not for his quick helmsmanship aboard that strange vessel. Fighting the Straw Hat Guy again was not part of the equation; Bellamy had wanted to grow far stronger since his defeat at Luffy's hands. He'd been rescued by his smaller crew, and some had left, quaking at the power they could not hope to stand up against.

Others stood firm with Bellamy and continued to sail with them as they roused to muster themselves as a proper pirate crew, finding rogues from all over the East Blue to add to their numbers. They'd plundered and pillaged and left before they could garner much infamy with the Navy and be stopped before their journey even began. Bellamy had cast aside the tradition of stopping at Roger's Scaffold.

Now there is no Roger's Scaffold, Bellamy thought, wondering why he felt like a hurt child as he reflected on the news they'd received in the paper about Straw Hat and his pirate group, who had become the most notorious crew in the East Blue and had apparently had a hand in the destruction that had taken part in Loguetown. Bellamy felt like he worked so hard, just to get nowhere. I got to the Grand Line first, but what do I have to show for it?

One of his new additions was his First Mate, Sarquiss, a no-nonsense swordsman who longed for grandeur and had taken to Bellamy as fast as he had to him. He knew not of the Straw Hats, as Bellamy and the first round of his crew had vowed never to bring up their defeat at his hands to anyone. "What are we waiting for, Captain? An enemy crew!" Bellamy then could tell Sarquiss had not readily tied this crew to the news story, as had the rest of the crew.

"Yeah, Cap, use your new Devil Fruit!"

That had been the most recent addition - as of that very day. That kindly traveler was weird, but he did give me a brand new power to try out, Bellamy thought, flexing his muscles. He'd tested it out briefly, but what better crash course than in a fight. What's rubber to the power of a spring?

Bellamy perched his leg up on the railing and declared to his crew, specifically to those who were scared to go toe to toe with Straw Hat again: "We're the Bellamy Pirates and we're going to carve up the New World, men! Let me defeat all these people with my new Devil Fruit and bag that whale for us all!"

The crew bellowed into a great war cry; Sarquiss drew his sword and raised it high. Their roars carried over the water as the New World Carver neared the Going Merry and Crocus' island.

"Who are these loudmouths?" Zoro grumbled, crossing his arms.

"I don't know. We should shut them up," Sanji replied, crossing his arms.

Bellamy stood on the railing with both his legs that suddenly coiled around themselves, turning into a massive spring that gained tension, binding tighter and tighter to the railing as the crew gave chants of "BELL-A-MY! BELL-A-MY!" around him, or else just laughed diabolically.

Bellamy sprang off the deck of the New World Carver, aimed straight at Luffy specifically. Take out the leader - the rest of these weaklings should die easily enough after that! The old man could probably take a hit over the head. And he could finally get some revenge on that long-nosed freak, who he saw on the deck of the ridiculous looking ship. Bellamy screamed as he brought both his fists back to club Luffy's skull together with it.

"Gum Gum Rifle!" Luffy cried, driving his arm back, coiling it around itself, and then swinging it forward straight into Bellamy's face, once again knocking him out in one hit. Bellamy's legs went back to normal as he sailed clear backward in an arc, slamming into the New World Carver's sail.

"Captain!" many of the crew cried as Sarquiss ran to the deck where Bellamy crumpled to the floor, unconscious. He dropped to his side, checking his pulse, then looked up with spittle flying out of his mouth as he stared at six folks on their weird little vessels. They've got Devil Fruits, too, though!

"Retreat! Forget this whale! If they can take the captain down that easily, we don't stand a chance!" Sarquiss was nearly crying as he rushed personally to the helm to whip it hard to port, sending them turning back for the open sea behind them.

"What? There's no way it was that easy," Nami said, incredulous and having expected some grand scale battle first thing upon their arrival in the Grand Line. And I thought it was taking longer than usual, she thought.

"Well, that's boring. Hey, Luffy, save some for the rest of us next time," Zoro yelled down at Luffy.

Usopp couldn't help but fall back on his back, laughing almost crazily to himself. "Good job, Luffy!" he said through intense laughter. "I can't believe that guy tried that against you!" he said, his voice going high pitched. Something about that still clear gap felt right for Usopp; suddenly, any grudge he still held for Bellamy for that was dissolved.

"Goodness gracious, thank you, son," Crocus said, clapping Luffy on the back. "They've been the most problematic poachers of them all recently. Maybe that'll show 'em good." He wiped sweat from his brow. "I tell ya the truth, though! If you guys hadn't been here, I don't think I could have stood up to a Devil Fruit like that! It'd probably only take a hit over the head to take me out."

Luffy laughed with Crocus and Usopp, clapping him on the back in return. "Come on, Corckus, we both know that's not true."

Crocus laughed harder, taking his glasses off and rubbing the nostalgic tears from his eyes before the others could see them. "It's Crocus, kid."

"So, we'll wait here overnight. Sounds fun!" Nami said. Crocus had just finished his run down of the Log Poses, using theirs from Zeff as an example. The time it took for Poses to set to Twin Capes' magnetic trail was twelve hours, so it would take some time yet still. The Straw Hats had agreed to just stay overnight and remain in Crocus' and Laboon's company. They were jolly company to keep for their first night in the Grand Line, even Laboon who came to hang out by the cape they were cooking out on.

"Here! Laboon! I made you something special," Sanji said, bestowing the entire East Blue tuna he had bought as a meal for Laboon. "Have you ever been to the East Blue? This is one of the best fish you can ever catch."

Laboon ate it in one whole bite, but he chewed it a while. Despite not cutting it up into filets, Sanji still seasoned and treated the fish as best he could for hours to get it cooked thoroughly and not dry it out. He had other filets that he was doing up for the others; Usopp and Crocus helped serve them out. Laboon teared up, having never tasted anything so delicious in his life. His eyes drifted to the Straw Hats' Jolly Roger.

"We've got this other Pose you might could help us out with," Sanji said. "It's bound in a frame of wood."

"That's an Eternal Pose," Crocus said as everyone sat down with a full plate of fish, smashed potatoes, and roasted veggies. "Show me after we eat."

Their meal was delicious and they enjoyed the sun as it began to set, casting great, deep oranges and purples across the sky. "What's that saying about red skies at night?" Zoro wondered as he finished his plate.

"There's no red. We'll be fine," Nami replied.

Luffy finished his plate first and ran back to the Merry to grab the Eternal Pose, bringing it back to Crocus once he had finished his plate, too. Crocus grumbled, nodding. "Yup. Strange, there's no destination plaque."

Luffy flipped it over to where the etching on the bottom was visible. "What's Jaya, then?"

Crocus' eyes narrowed and he bit his lip. Yet he had to decide quick or they would catch on, so he handed the Pose back to Luffy and said, "No idea. Don't know what a Jay-yuh is."

"Well, isn't that probably a destination on the Grand Line?" Sanji asked inquisitively, quite curious about this Pose since Yosaku and Johnny had discovered it.

"Probably! But there's lots of islands on the Grand Line," Crocus said, perhaps a bit too defensively.

"So, Crocus," Luffy said, uninterested in the Eternal Pose if Crocus had no information to give them. "You and Laboon should join my crew! I've always wanted a whale on the crew, and we still need a doctor."

He's always wanted a whale on the crew? Zoro thought to himself as Crocus scrunched his face up, looking between the five Straw Hats. "None of you are a doctor? Are you kidding?!" He groaned, taking his glasses off and rubbing his face. "Maybe you are unprepared. Dammit."

"No we're not! If we stayed in the East any longer, we never would have gotten here," Luffy said.

Crocus sighed through his nose. "Well, you're right there. Remind me in the morning to gather some medical supplies for you. At the least, you should be stocked up for some basic first aid and medicine."

"Thank you so much, Crocus," Nami said humbly, clasping her hands together as she leaned into the fire. "I was honestly expecting fight after fight once we got here. I didn't expect such a warm welcome."

"Well of course! That's been the role of the Keeper of the Capes for quite a many centuries," Crocus said with a laugh. "You're more than welcome. Don't let my words of worry dissuade you from anything, kids. I am worried - you lack a lot of the basics necessary for the Grand Line! But of all the crews I've seen pass through here, you all are my favorite since a long, long time."

"Well, then, join up with us and better our chances," Usopp said, trying to make it cocky but honestly wanting a doctor badly after all this talk of their unpreparedness.

"No, no," Crocus said. "My pirating days are over. But . . ." He looked toward Laboon now. "I won't speak for both of us."

Luffy stood, placing his hands on his hips. "Come on, Laboon! We'll find your crew if they're really out there! What do ya say? Want to be a pirate again?"

Laboon began to shed massive tears from his eyes, plopping into the sea with large, scoping ripples that splashed just up onto the shore of the cape they were on. He gave mournful coos out, not too loud to bust their ears this time, but still resonant within their chest. Luffy stared at him, listening the whole time. Though the other four Straw Hats were confused on what sort of communication was going on here, Crocus was weeping with Laboon by the end of his speech.

Luffy only smiled, crossing his arms and nodded. "Okay!"

ATB

New chapter early! I will be working all morning tomorrow - so enjoy and thank you as always!

Until next time

ATB