Nami put away her weather chart and looked at Ron thoughtfully, "You mean... we'll meet the owner of this whale?"
Ron smiled without answering, only gently patting Luffy's head, "You'll understand when you meet Dr. Crocus."
Zoro raised an eyebrow, "Crocus? Who? Does he use a sword?"
"No, he's an old ship's doctor," Ron explained.
Sanji lit a cigarette, deep in thought, "To even know something like this... the Captain's knowledge is truly omnipotent."
Luffy finally snapped out of his food fantasy, tilting his head to ask, "So this big fish is a friend's friend?"
"You could say that." Ron looked at the whale currently ramming the Red Line, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes, "Its name is Laboon, and it has been waiting here for its owner for fifty years."
Nami's eyes suddenly widened, "Wait! You said it's been ramming the Red Line? Doesn't that mean...?" She quickly unfolded her weather chart and indeed found that the currents in the nearby sea were somewhat turbulent.
As everyone was talking, Laboon let out another mournful cry, its sound shaking the Going Merry's mast.
Luffy suddenly became quiet, showing a rare serious expression, "It sounds... so sad."
Ron nodded, "It's waiting for a promise to be fulfilled."
...
When the Going Merry slowly sailed into the harbor of Reverse Mountain, the entire ship gleamed with dazzling golden light under the sun.
The figurehead, gilded railings, and jewel-decorated mast all showcased extreme luxury.
"Thump!"
Crocus, in the crow's nest, dropped his telescope to the ground. His eyes widened, and his jaw almost dislocated.
This knowledgeable former Pirate King's ship doctor, at this moment, was gaping like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
"What... what kind of ship is this?!" He rubbed his eyes, afraid he was seeing things, "I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've seen such an extravagant pirate ship!"
Even Roger's Oro Jackson back then wasn't so lavishly decorated.
Crocus even wondered if he was hallucinating—could those inlays on the ship's railings really be gold leaf?
The Going Merry docked gracefully, lowering its gangplank.
Crocus hurried over, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out in surprise, "Hey, hey, are you guys really proper pirates? You're not some royal family members out to experience life, are you?"
Luffy was the first to jump off the ship, his straw hat gently swaying in the sea breeze.
He grinned, "Hehe, old man, I'm a man who's going to be the Pirate King! Of course, I'm a proper pirate!"
Crocus's pupils slightly contracted the moment his gaze fell upon the straw hat.
A hint of understanding flashed in his age-worn eyes, and those dusty memories flooded back. Once upon a time, there was also a young man wearing a straw hat who stood before him and said the same thing.
"So that's it..." Crocus murmured softly, the surprise on his face gradually turning into a benevolent smile.
He reached out and patted Luffy's shoulder with such force that Luffy stumbled, "Young people chasing their dreams are always free!"
Ron slowly walked down the gangplank, his well-tailored suit making him look more like a nobleman than a pirate.
He politely bowed to Crocus, "I've heard much about you, Dr. Crocus."
"Oh?" Crocus raised his white eyebrows, "Young people nowadays still know this old man?"
Nami shook the weather chart in her hand and interjected, "We just saw Laboon!"
At the mention of Laboon, Crocus's eyes immediately softened, "That silly child..." He turned and pointed towards the cabin, "Since you're here, come in for a cup of tea. You can tell me how you managed to calm that stubborn one."
Just then, Usopp suddenly pointed at the cabin behind Crocus and exclaimed, "Wait! Is that on the roof...?"
Everyone followed the direction of his finger and saw a uniquely shaped giant compass placed prominently on the cabin roof, exactly like the Eternal Pose they had seen in Loguetown!
Crocus looked back, following everyone's gaze, and suddenly burst into laughter, "What? Interested in this?" He winked mysteriously, "This is a good thing that records all routes..."
"Forget it, old man, we're not interested." Luffy waved his hand casually, his expression under the straw hat indifferent, "Yesterday, I even crushed the Eternal Pose to Laugh Tale."
"Hahahaha!" Crocus laughed so hard he leaned back and forth, his beard trembling, "You little brat, you really know how to make up stories to amuse an old man!"
He wiped away tears of laughter, "Eternal Pose? That thing has been extinct for a long time, hasn't it? Let alone one that leads to the final island!"
Luffy merely shrugged, neither defending himself nor continuing the topic. He curiously looked around the desolate lighthouse and suddenly asked, "Old man, why are you staying in a place like this all by yourself?"
Crocus's smile gradually faded, and his gaze turned towards Laboon, who was still ramming the Red Line in the distance. The setting sun cast a long shadow of him, making him appear especially lonely.
"For a promise." The old man's voice deepened, "I'm helping Laboon wait for his family to return."
He slowly recounted the half-century-long promise:
Decades ago, a pirate crew from the West Blue brought young Laboon into the Grand Line. Because the whale couldn't cross Reverse Mountain, they promised to pick him up after circumnavigating the world.
"And this wait has lasted fifty years," Crocus shook his head, his wrinkles etched with the marks of time, "The Grand Line is full of dangers, and only a handful of pirate crews can complete a circumnavigation and return to the starting point."
He sighed, "After so long without returning, they've probably already..."
The sea breeze suddenly became biting, and Laboon's mournful cry echoed from afar, as if responding to the old man's words. Waves crashed against the shore, making a lonely sound.
Nami unconsciously clutched her clothes, tears streaming down her face. Laboon was too pitiful. Usopp sniffled beside her, holding back his tears, and even Zoro fell silent.
Only Luffy continued to look directly into Crocus's eyes, his gaze astonishingly clear.
"They will definitely come back!" Luffy suddenly shouted, his voice echoing through the strait, "A promise is a promise!"
Crocus was stunned for a moment, then showed a bitter smile, "It's good to be young... still able to believe so naively..."
"It's not naive!" Luffy pressed down on his straw hat, his red vest flapping in the sea breeze, "A promise must be kept, even to death!"
These words struck Crocus's heart like a heavy hammer!
The old man's eyes blurred for a moment, as if he saw another figure with a straw hat through Luffy. After a long pause, he said softly, "If only everyone thought like you..."
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