"Wow! This is quite something!"
What appeared at the Amazon Lily port wasn't any famous large ship, but a massive whale, its body the size of a small mountain.
This whale had various scars on its head, and someone had crudely painted a skull-and-crossbones mark on it.
Looking at the straw hat on the skull mark, it wasn't hard to guess who the culprit was.
After exclaiming about the bustling atmosphere of Amazon Lily, Crocus stood up and patted the humpback whale's head.
"Alright, Laboon, don't get too excited. If you keep this up, you'll scare them."
As the old man with hair blooming like a tropical flower said, Laboon's appearance had indeed caught the attention of the patrol unit around Amazon Lily.
In fact, it would be difficult for them to ignore it. As an Island Whale, Laboon's size far exceeded that of typical large ships. Even the Perfume Yuda would be just a flick of its tail.
The warriors of Amazon Lily were very brave. Even faced with such a behemoth, they didn't retreat but slowly surrounded it.
Fortunately, Crocus was holding an invitation that looked very familiar to them, which put the warriors at ease, and they took Crocus ashore to the island.
—As for Laboon?
It couldn't get too close to the coastline or it would run aground, so it was arranged to rest freely in the nearby waters.
This was the Calm Belt after all… the creatures in the sea were generally large, so Laboon would have no problem getting a good meal.
The female warriors politely escorted this mysterious old man onto Amazon Lily.
When Crocus first arrived, he didn't immediately see the newlywed couple. Instead, he heard a somewhat familiar voice call his name.
"Aha, isn't this Crocus? Long time no see."
Elder Nyon walked over, leaning on her serpent staff, looking at the equally aged lighthouse keeper.
"Oh… you're… Gloriosa?!"
Crocus looked at the tiny, shriveled old woman before him, somewhat incredulous.
After all, she looked vastly different from what he remembered.
If no one introduced them, perhaps few would know that these two elders reminiscing had once belonged to legendary pirate crews.
Crocus, the ship's doctor of the Roger Pirates, was even called the 'world's greatest doctor' by Silvers Rayleigh.
It was because of him that Gol D. Roger, despite being terminally ill, managed to hold on for so long, not only successfully conquering the Grand Line but also having time to make arrangements for his son and his crew.
And Elder Nyon, Gloriosa, was even more remarkable.
Who would have thought that this old woman was once a stunning beauty in her youth?
She had once been the captain of the Kuja Pirates, but later left and joined the even more powerful, monster-filled Rocks Pirates.
Strictly speaking, Gloriosa was even a senior of Big Mom and Kaido.
It wasn't strange that these two knew each other, though their acquaintance wasn't particularly deep.
Of course, living to this age, it was a rare and precious thing to see someone they knew, so both were filled with emotion.
"…You got here pretty fast. Didn't that kid Naruto just send out the invitations yesterday?"
Elder Nyon was a bit puzzled.
But Crocus quickly answered her question.
"It's because of Laboon… Its speed is faster than any ship you can imagine!"
"That Island Whale? Well, that makes sense."
Crocus's job as the lighthouse keeper at Twin Cape was essentially a leisurely retirement role, not even a real 'occupation', just a pastime for him. So there was nothing to delay him.
Even Rayleigh and Shakky had to arrange matters concerning their bar and underground information network before leaving, but Crocus didn't.
He didn't even need to pack any luggage. He just had Laboon swallow him, and he could ride this living 'bio-battleship' straight to Amazon Lily.
This way, he also avoided the various troubles of the Calm Belt. Anything bigger than Laboon couldn't swim faster than it, and anything faster than it could only become its prey. So, Crocus ended up being the most relaxed traveler.
"Alright, enough chat. Where's that brat Naruto? Take me to see him. I've brought a fine gift!"
Crocus said, winking meaningfully.
Elder Nyon didn't pick up on the implication and simply had someone lead the old ship doctor to Naruto's location.
When they arrived, Naruto was being measured and fitted by the royal tailors of Amazon Lily.
—After all, a height of over two meters, nearly three, wasn't exactly ordinary, and Naruto was their 'Queen'. There was no room for sloppiness in his wedding attire.
Seeing his old acquaintance, Naruto looked relieved. He whispered something to the two princesses who were 'supervising' him and then strode over towards Crocus.
"HAHAHAHA! Uncle Crocus, I never expected you to be the first one here!"
Naruto then scooped up the old man.
"You brat, you… ow ow ow ow! Let go!"
Crocus nearly had his words choked back into his throat. He barely managed to break free from Naruto's grip.
This old fellow, who could still swim comfortably in the sea, had almost been done in by Naruto's carelessly strong hug.
After a bit of commotion, Crocus began to size up Naruto as he was now.
"Hmm… not bad. You finally look like a proper man of the sea. Much better than the snot-nosed kid you were back then!"
Crocus was also over two meters tall, but he still had to raise his arm to pat Naruto's shoulder.
"Are you talking about something that happened ages ago…"
Naruto retorted helplessly, but a wave of warmth passed through him.
Back when he was on Roger's ship, besides Roger himself, the person he interacted with most was the ship doctor, Crocus.
It couldn't be helped. Given his training intensity back then, it was hard not to see the ship doctor often.
Because of this, Crocus was among the first to receive the invitation.
After they chatted for a while, Crocus suddenly slapped his forehead and pulled out a thick stack of papers from the bag behind him.
"What's this?"
"Your wedding gift."
Crocus opened the stack. Naruto saw that it was densely filled with various medicinal formulas, along with notes on where to find the rare ingredients and how to cultivate them.
"Huh?"
Seeing Naruto's confusion, Crocus flashed a knowing smile that any adult man would understand, pointing towards Naruto's lower abdomen.
"To replenish your strength. You've got guts, kid, marrying two beauties at once. Aren't you afraid of wearing yourself out?"
"These are prescriptions I collected during my travels. They can strengthen your body and also make it easier for your wives to conceive."
"Captain Roger used them back in the day. I guarantee they work."
Only then did Naruto understand. He initially tried to push the stack of papers away and refused with righteous indignation.
"What are you talking about? My body is plenty strong! I don't need this stuff!"
"Besides, I already have children with both Hancock and Stussy. One's already born, and the other is about four or five months along."
Hearing this, Crocus's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Then why aren't you letting go?"
Looking down, one of Naruto's hands was pushing away the 'mid-life miracle', while his other hand was holding onto it tightly.
"Uh… hehe…"
When a man reaches middle age, he inevitably seeks ways to bolster his vitality.
This was true even for Naruto, a noble Otsutsuki.
Especially since his two beloved wives were both exceptionally strong, and their needs in certain aspects weren't something an ordinary man could handle.
"…Take it."
"…Alright, thanks."