Chapter 93: Observation Haki and a Reward
At the base of the Twin Capes lighthouse, the crew was sprawled out on the grass, panting heavily.
"Phew, we're saved…"
The moment the melody of "Binks's Brew" had echoed through the dome, Laboon had finally quieted down. The crew had seized the opportunity to escape his stomach and return to the open sea.
Nami crouched in front of Laboon and explained Brook's situation in detail.
Laboon's eyes widened. He looked at Nami, then looked around, until his gaze met Crocus's and he seemed to confirm that it was true.
"Wooooo—"
He let out a long, mournful cry, then dove into the water. He was going to swim with all his might into the depths of the Grand Line to find the friend he had been waiting for for nearly fifty years…
"Wait, Laboon!" Crocus quickly stopped him. "Give me some time to pack! I'll leave with you right away!"
"Huh?" Nami said, looking aggrieved. "I thought you and Laboon were going to join us."
Our ship is short a doctor. Might as well try to trick him into joining!
"What nonsense are you talking about? I have my own boat!" Crocus said, facepalming. "Little girl, we've only just met. It's a bit of a stretch to be acting so reluctant to part! Besides, Laboon is heading straight for the Florian Triangle. That's a different route from yours. Does he look like he's in any mood to wait for you?"
That was true. Nami pouted, knowing she couldn't fool the old man. She sniffled, and her tears instantly vanished, her emotions under perfect control.
Crocus couldn't bear to look at her. He turned away, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Speaking of which, the Florian Triangle that the young man Shane had mentioned… wasn't that the territory of one of the Seven Warlords, Gecko Moria?
Could it be that Brook was trapped there because Moria had stolen his shadow? That seemed to be the only possibility.
That complicated things.
His old bones might not be up to the task. The old man frowned, then went into his hut and rummaged around, finally taking out a slightly trembling piece of paper.
"Is that… a Vivre Card?" Nami asked, leaning in curiously. "I've read about them, but this is the first time I've seen one. Mister, whose is it?"
"He retired many years ago. Let's not mention him," Crocus said, shaking his head. "Anyway, he's a very powerful fellow. I'll have to go find him first. It's been a while since we've seen each other. We can catch up, and I can see if he's willing to help."
If he was willing to lend a hand, they should be able to get Brook's shadow back without a problem.
But the old man still had one question.
Where had that music come from?
Could it be… that there was a ghost floating around in Laboon's stomach?
"Oh, you mean this," Shane said, holding up a conch-like object. "It's a Tone Dial I picked up two years ago. It probably fell from a Sky Island. It has a few songs stored in it, including 'Binks's Brew.'"
"So it was you!!!" The old man nearly fell over. "Why didn't you say so earlier?! I really thought there was a ghost! The thought of living with one for so long without knowing… I almost had a heart attack!"
"You didn't ask," Shane said, rolling his eyes and putting the conch away.
Of course, he hadn't "picked it up." He had bought it from the marketplace a few years ago for 100 points.
—It looked like a Tone Dial, but it was actually a limited edition One Piece-themed MP3 player.
It had hundreds of thousands of songs in its library, and its built-in speakers were incredibly powerful. When Shane had tested it on the mountaintop, the maximum volume had scared the entire village of Cocoyasi into thinking there was an earthquake, and everyone had run out of their houses in a panic.
When he first got it, Shane would listen to it for a while after a long day of training to relax.
This time, in a moment of inspiration during the emergency, he had found "Binks's Brew" in the music library.
He had figured that the melody Brook had played for Laboon before they parted would probably be enough to calm him down.
If it hadn't worked, well, he would have just played the next song on his playlist, the "LOVE Theme from TIGA," as a send-off for Laboon.
Don't ask. Just say it's Sky Island technology. If Enel can build a spaceship and fly to the moon, what's a little gadget like this?
He crouched by the sea and stroked Laboon. The giant whale seemed to know that he was the one who had found out where Brook was, and it floated there obediently, letting him pet it.
The consequences of his suicidal ramming of Reverse Mountain were now apparent. Laboon felt a discomfort in his mouth, and with a smack of his lips, he spat out several loose teeth.
Shane's eyes were sharp. Seeing that no one was looking, he quickly grabbed the nearest tooth and sacrificed it.
[You have sacrificed the tooth of the island whale Laboon and received 400 points.]
That high? And it actually worked!
Shane was suddenly reminded of the Lord of the Coast and Mohmoo. Tsk, I should have sheared some wool from them before I let them go.
But their size and strength were nothing compared to Laboon's. They were barely a snack for him. Their parts probably wouldn't have been worth much anyway. And now that he was flush with points, he wasn't too concerned about it.
"Hey, mister! Mister!"
A commotion suddenly came from behind him. Shane turned to see Nojiko and Nami, who had finally remembered that this old man was the legendary figure who had traveled with Roger to Laugh Tale.
While he was packing his bags, they had flanked him, bombarding him with questions like a pair of curious children.
"Mister, where is Laugh Tale?"
"I don't remember."
"Does the One Piece really exist?"
"I suppose so."
"What kind of treasure did Roger bury there?"
"He didn't bury it, he found it."
"Ugh, dammit! I knew you'd give those kinds of answers! But you can at least tell us the truth about some of the less important gossip, right?"
"I can do that."
"The two things on Roger's face… were they a mustache or nose hairs?"
"…" A vein throbbed on Crocus's temple. "You're asking me that?! The old cook on your ship has pretty much the same thing! Why don't you just ask him?!"
"This is clearly a mustache, you damn old geezer!" Zeff's furious voice came from outside the hut. "Just because I forgot to put salt in your food the last time I was in the Grand Line, you're still holding a grudge?!"
…
Shane listened to the吵闹commotion and lay back down on the grass with a smile, leisurely crossing his legs and enjoying the view of Reverse Mountain above.
He waited until Crocus had finished packing and came to him, carrying a heavy bag.
"Young man Shane, although your crew is one of the most unreliable I've ever met—oh, except for that quiet girl with the black ponytail—you've done a great service for Laboon, and for me," the old man said seriously. "I don't like to be in debt to anyone. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Hmm, maybe there is," Shane said, thinking for a moment. "I'm a bit of a collector of memorabilia from legendary figures. Since you're a doctor, do you happen to have, uh… say, Roger's kidney, or Oden's oden, or something like that?"
"Of course not!"
Crocus's face darkened. Now he knew why the crew was the way they were. "I'm a proper doctor, not some back-alley quack who works with gangsters!"
And what the hell is 'Oden's oden' supposed to mean?!
"But your request isn't too difficult to fulfill," Crocus said, going back into his hut and rummaging around. He returned with a slightly worn straw hat. "Scopper Gaban visited me a couple of years ago and left his old hat behind. I probably won't get a chance to see him again, so you can have it."
Gaban?
One of Roger's right-hand men, on par with Rayleigh? The guy who stirred up a whole lot of trouble with just a toothpick?
What an unexpected windfall!
Shane's spirits lifted. He quickly sat up and took the hat.
"Of course, this little souvenir isn't enough to repay you. So, as a real reward, I'm willing to point out a hidden danger on your ship."
"A danger?"
Shane turned his head in confusion and looked at The Curtain Call.
What danger? It's perfectly fine. The Adam Wood is as good as they say. It's survived a trip over Reverse Mountain and a swim in Laboon's stomach, and it's still in perfect condition.
"I'm not talking about the ship. I'm talking about the person hiding on it," Crocus said, narrowing his eyes and staring at the ship. "At first, I thought he was one of your crewmates. But I just asked that little girl Nami, and she said there are only five of you and one dog, and you're all here. So, the one who has been on the ship this whole time can only be an enemy with ill intentions."
There's someone else on The Curtain Call?
Everyone was shocked. Ignoring Gin, who was barking angrily at Crocus, they all drew their weapons in an instant and surrounded the ship from all sides.
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you