"Its name is Laboon."
After injecting the emotionally agitated island whale with a special sedative, Crocus gently stroked Laboon's massive head, his weathered fingers tracing over the countless scars that told a story of decades of pain and determination.
"After learning that the Rumbar Pirates had disappeared without a trace, Laboon began ramming into the Red Line day after day, trying to smash through a tunnel to cross over and reach the New World to search for his friends."
"So pitiful... No wonder it has so many scars on its head."
Violet, Kozuki Hiyori, and Bonney were instantly moved by this tale of loyalty and waiting that had spanned half a century. The sheer devotion of this massive creature struck them like a physical blow to the heart.
Even the usually straightforward Ace and Zoro fell silent, their eyes downcast as they struggled with the weight of such unwavering dedication.
Sanji took a deep drag of his cigarette, letting the harsh smoke swirl in his lungs for a long moment before slowly exhaling, as if trying to release all the melancholy that had settled in his chest like a stone.
"I'll help you!"
Yamato rolled up her sleeves with characteristic enthusiasm and rushed to the shore, shouting energetically at Laboon's huge, sorrowful eyes.
"I'll teach you Armament Haki! Once you learn this technique, you won't get hurt ramming the Red Line anymore! And you can ram even faster and harder!"
Truly worthy of you, Kai thought with a mixture of admiration and exasperation.
Instead of thinking about taking Laboon over Reverse Mountain through conventional means, she actually planned to let the whale smash through a passage by its own power.
Kai's expression stiffened as the trace of sadness that had just welled up in his heart was instantly washed away by sheer disbelief.
"Whaaale..."
Unexpectedly, Laboon seemed to understand perfectly. Its massive tail slapped the water surface with tremendous force, creating splashes that reached high into the air like geysers. Its huge head nodded repeatedly as it made expectant calls that resonated across the water.
Seeing this enthusiastic response, Yamato's excitement exploded as she began gesturing animatedly to Laboon, explaining her methods for learning Haki with the passion of a dedicated teacher.
Kai was so shocked his eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets.
Good grief, one dared to teach and the other dared to learn. What kind of bizarre partnership was forming before his eyes?
"Well, this young lady is quite unique."
Even Crocus, who had weathered countless storms and seen all manner of extraordinary individuals, couldn't help but twitch his eye at the spectacle unfolding before him.
In Yamato, he seemed to glimpse the shadow of Roger from years past. Both possessed that same brand of cheerful unreliability that somehow made the impossible seem achievable.
Kai shook his head with resignation before speaking up. "Actually, I want to tell you that the Rumbar Pirates didn't all perish."
"What?!" Crocus jerked his head around so fast it was a miracle he didn't give himself whiplash. "Really?"
The last time he had heard any news about the Rumbar Pirates was when they entered the Calm Belt and vanished without a trace into that graveyard of ships and dreams.
When he had told Laboon that the Rumbar Pirates "had no news," it had been more of a kind comfort than anything else. In his heart, he had long believed they had perished in that sea of death where even the wind refused to blow.
"It's true."
Kai nodded solemnly, preparing to reveal a truth that had been buried for decades. "As far as I know, shortly after the Rumbar Pirates entered the Grand Line, Captain Yorki and a considerable portion of the crew contracted an extremely dangerous plague. To avoid contaminating his companions and dooming them all, Yorki made the painful decision to entrust the pirate crew to Brook and took those infected with the plague into the Calm Belt to face their fate."
Hearing Brook's name spoken aloud after so many years, Crocus immediately believed most of what Kai was telling him.
Without truly knowing the intimate details of the Rumbar Pirates' history, how could anyone in this modern era still remember that particular name?
Crocus leaned forward urgently. "Where did Brook and the others go after that?"
Kai didn't hide the truth, stating directly, "The Florian Triangle."
Crocus sucked in a sharp breath of understanding. "No wonder we never found any trace..."
The Florian Triangle was perpetually shrouded in thick, impenetrable fog that seemed to swallow light itself. Once ships entered that cursed region, they easily lost all sense of direction, with hundreds of vessels mysteriously disappearing there every year without leaving so much as debris behind.
He finally understood why Brook had vanished so completely, as if the sea itself had swallowed him whole.
"And now? Are they...?" Crocus's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor as he pressed for the answer he both needed and feared to hear.
"Almost completely wiped out, but Brook is still alive."
Kai shrugged with casual certainty and chuckled lightly. "He might actually be living quite well, all things considered. He's a Yomi-Yomi Fruit user, and due to some very special circumstances, he's currently surviving in skeletal form."
"If I'm not mistaken, he may have achieved something that many ambitious people have spent lifetimes pursuing... immortality."
Through a strange twist of fate and timing, Brook had accomplished what other Yomi-Yomi Fruit users throughout history had never managed. When he died and gained his one precious chance to return to life, instead of reviving immediately as most would, he waited until his flesh completely rotted away before his soul finally found its way back to animate his bones.
As long as his skeleton remained intact, death would never claim him again.
Moreover, the pirate world operated on the wonderfully convenient principle that milk could supplement calcium and repair damaged bones, no matter how severe the injury.
It was essentially exploiting a loophole in the natural order of life and death.
"I see."
After absorbing this revelation, Crocus found himself caught between laughter and tears, his emotions a complicated tangle. "I don't know whether this should be considered a blessing or a curse. Longevity can be its own form of torment."
But regardless of the philosophical implications, for Laboon, who had waited in desperate hope for decades, this was absolutely tremendous news that changed everything.
Crocus had almost resigned himself to the belief that he would spend the rest of his days accompanying Laboon in lifelong regret and mourning.
"Laboon! Laboon!"
Crocus rushed excitedly to the shore, his voice cracking with emotion as he shouted across the water. "Did you hear that? Brook isn't dead! You'll have your day of reunion after all!"
Laboon's massive eyes widened to their fullest extent, staring intently at Crocus as if desperately trying to determine whether the old man was playing some cruel joke on his battered heart.
After several long seconds of tense silence, the whale finally accepted that his lifelong friend wasn't lying to him.
"WHAAALE!"
A whale call containing decades of accumulated longing, grievance, despair, and the enormous joy now bursting forth like a dam breaking thundered across the water like divine lightning splitting the sky.
Laboon began flipping excitedly in the sea, his massive body creating towering waves that crashed against the shore with the force of tsunamis, instantly drenching Crocus from head to toe in salt spray.
"Whale! Whale!"
The great creature made a series of urgent, joyful calls that spoke of hope renewed, his huge tail slapping the water as he turned toward the open ocean and began diving toward the deep currents that would carry him toward the Florian Triangle.
Crocus wiped the seawater from his face, shouting with a voice that mixed laughter and tears in equal measure. "Wait, Laboon! Don't rush off like that! Do you even know where the Florian Triangle is located? Wait for me! I'll come with you!"
Most importantly, that mysterious region was now under the control of Warlord Gecko Moria, making it far more dangerous than simple navigation hazards.
"Whale..."
Laboon resurfaced with a pitiful yet urgent whimper that sounded remarkably like a massive puppy begging for permission, his huge eyes looking pleadingly at the old man who had been his only companion for so many lonely years.
Crocus patted the whale's scarred head with gentle affection. "Don't worry, old friend. This ancient man will definitely find a way to take you there safely! We'll go find that Brook fellow together, I promise you that!"
"Wait a moment."
Kai quickly spoke up to add an important detail that could mean the difference between reunion and tragedy. "There's one more complication you need to know about. Brook's shadow was cut away and stolen by Gecko Moria. If you can't defeat him and reclaim that shadow, Brook won't be able to survive in direct sunlight. Even if you manage to find him, you won't be able to bring him away from that place."
This revelation hit like a bucket of cold water on their excitement.
Crocus stroked his graying beard thoughtfully, his weathered face creased with difficulty as he considered their options.
With his old bones and diminished strength, dealing with small-time pirates and common threats was manageable, but defeating a Warlord-level opponent? He might as well dream of flying to the moon.
Ten or twenty years earlier, perhaps there would have been a realistic chance of success.
"Need help with that?"
The perpetually warm-hearted Yamato bounded over once again, patting her chest with supreme confidence. "I'm absolutely the best at fighting! I love a good challenge!"
"Thank you for your generous offer, young lady." Crocus shook his head politely, declining her enthusiastic suggestion with genuine gratitude. "But I couldn't possibly ask that of you."
Kai's group had only just met them after all. Having these strangers risk offending a dangerous Warlord for his purely personal matter really wouldn't be appropriate, no matter how kind their intentions.
"Don't worry about the details, though this old man may be past his prime now."
Crocus's weathered face broke into a meaningful smile that spoke of secrets and connections forged across decades of adventure. "But during those years drifting across these seas, I did manage to make quite a few powerful old friends. With them taking action on our behalf, this problem becomes much more manageable."
The promise in his voice suggested that the Roger Pirates' former ship doctor still had a few cards left to play in the grand game of piracy.