"Tell him for me, Laboon... is still waiting for him."
As Crocus finished speaking, as if Laboon had heard the conversation between the two, a long, deep whale song suddenly echoed through the massive space where the steel platform was located.
Ryoma was slightly startled. He didn't understand how this gargantuan creature could hear the conversation of two tiny figures through layers of obstructions inside its own stomach.
Perhaps, this was the bond between partners that transcended time and space?
Crocus heard it too, and a complex smile appeared on his face—one of relief, but also of heartache.
He said nothing more, simply closing the wooden box on the table and pushing it toward Ryoma along with a slightly worn notebook.
"Take them, kid."
Ryoma reached out and took them, they felt slightly heavy in his hand.
He opened the wooden box to find an Alabasta eternal pose and another new log pose inside.
He then picked up the notebook and flipped it open. It contained detailed records of the basic theories and training methods of Haki, as well as the training experiences of predecessors.
This was the greatest harvest of his trip.
"Thank you." Ryoma said as he solemnly put the items away.
Crocus waved his hand and turned toward the massive iron gate leading outside, his back looking a bit lonely, yet more relaxed than before.
"Time to head out, the air in here doesn't smell very good."
Ryoma followed behind him, and the two of them, one after the other, passed through that special passage and were bathed once again in the bright sunlight of Twin Cape.
The sudden, blinding light caused Ryoma to subconsciously squint his eyes.
The sea breeze hit him with its salty, damp scent. The lighthouse stood tall, and the cliffs of the Red Line still loomed majestically over the horizon.
Ignoring Ryoma, Crocus walked straight to the shore, right up to the massive Laboon.
Laboon's exceptionally large head was resting quietly against the shore, its scarred skin looking shocking under the sunlight. Its massive eyes were currently staring unblinkingly at Crocus, no longer filled with the mania and despair of the past.
"Laboon..."
Crocus reached out, gently stroking its rough skin, and in a tone that was almost a murmur, he spoke to it once again about Brook and everything regarding the Rumbar Pirates.
He spoke very slowly and in great detail, repeating the news Ryoma had brought exactly as it was, over and over again.
In Laboon's pupils, it seemed as if starlight was reconverging. The light was faint at first, carrying a fragility born of hesitation and disbelief, but as Crocus spoke with firm and gentle words, the light gradually became clear and stable, finally turning into a bright galaxy of stars.
It did not let out an excited cry, nor did it ram its head against that wall of despair like it had every day for the past several decades. It simply watched Crocus quietly, letting out a long, low wail from deep within its throat that sounded like the earth itself sighing.
That sound contained many things. The joy of regaining what was lost, the heartache of a long wait, and even more so, a glimmer of infinite hope for the future.
Then, under Crocus's gratified gaze, Laboon's massive body slowly backed away and submerged once more into the blue sea, leaving only a large whirlpool on the surface.
Ryoma stood alone on the coastal rocks in the distance. Hearing Laboon's long wail from behind, which was completely different from before, a ripple of emotion stirred in his heart.
He looked back.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the lighthouse and the massive silhouette of the diving Laboon into a warm gold, while Crocus's tiny figure stood quietly beside them, forming a serene and harmonious painting.
This seems quite nice too.
Although he had only provided this news in advance for the purpose of a trade, making this wait of nearly half a century meaningful again...
Giving this promise, which should have only been fulfilled many years later, the possibility of an early resolution could be considered a fortunate thing.
Ryoma lowered his head and gripped the two cold poses and the thick notebook in his arms. With these, he had a clear direction and the confidence to protect himself in the first half of the Grand Line.
The training of Haki was urgent. Facing a Logia user like Kizaru, whom he couldn't even hit, was a disgusting experience.
He turned around, facing the boundless sea, ready to set out on his journey again, and then he remembered a very embarrassing problem.
His small boat had been blasted to pieces by Kizaru long before they reached Reverse Mountain.
"Tsk... what a miscalculation." Ryoma scratched his head helplessly.
He couldn't exactly go back and ask Crocus for a boat, could he?
That would be too embarrassing.
Whatever.
Ryoma took a deep breath and stomped his foot down.
Crack!
A layer of crystalline ice instantly spread out from the rock beneath his feet, paving a frost path across the sea.
He stepped onto the ice, his figure flickering a few times before turning into a small black dot and disappearing where the sea met the sky.
Meanwhile, in the waters not far from Twin Cape.
Massive peaks shaped like cacti towered over an island, forming a peculiar landscape at the entrance of the Grand Line.
On the largest of these cactus islands sat a town named Whiskey Peak.
At this moment, the town's harbor was filled with laughter and was extremely lively. Countless flags fluttered in the wind, and the townspeople enthusiastically welcomed every rookie pirate ship that arrived, offering them wine and food and holding grand welcome banquets.
However, beneath this facade of joy and harmony, a deadly murderous intent was hidden.
Whiskey Peak was actually an important stronghold under the Baroque Works. Almost all the "residents" here were skilled bounty hunters. Their mission was to round up these rookie pirates whose heads were clouded by wine and exchange them for high bounties.
At the top of the town's tallest cactus, on a hidden platform.
Two figures were looking down at the brightly lit carnival scene below.
One man was tall with an exaggerated yellow afro, wearing a pair of sunglasses on his nose and dangling a nearly finished cigar from his mouth.
Beside him was a blonde girl holding a small yellow parasol, wearing a cute dress with a sweet smile on her face.
These two were members of Baroque Works: Mr. 5, a user of the Paramecia-type Bomb-Bomb Fruit, and Miss Valentine, a user of the Paramecia-type Kilo-Kilo Fruit.
"Seriously, it's so noisy."
Mr. 5 impatiently flicked a booger bomb from his nostril, blowing a distant rock to pieces.
"What a boring mission, Mr. 5." Miss Valentine complained. "Why did boss want us to come to this kind of place ahead of time?"
"Mission? What bullshit mission!"
Mr. 5 snorted unhappily. "Boss had us come here early just to monitor and confirm an 'interesting guy.' He didn't even say specifically what we're supposed to do."
His tone was full of complaints about the orders from his superior. An an officer agent of the organization, being sent to do this kind of scout-like work made him feel underutilized.
"Exactly." Miss Valentine said slowly, twirling the parasol in her hand. "It's not interesting at all."
"But according to intelligence, it seems an incredible rookie has appeared in the East Blue recently, causing a huge stir in Loguetown."
"Shut up, Miss Valentine." Mr. 5 let out a disdainful sneer. "How incredible can he be? Could he possibly be stronger than us?"
Miss Valentine's smile became somewhat playful as she lightly tapped her chin with the tip of her umbrella.
"Who knows? But if this rookie really shows up here, let's give him a proper welcome."
She dragged out her words, her sweet smile seemingly hiding a dangerous meaning.
(End of Chapter)
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