Facing Laboon's overwhelming attack, Luffy grinned, without a trace of fear on his face.
"Hehehe! You fool!!" He didn't flinch, stretching his rubber arm back again!
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
Bang!
The punch landed squarely on Laboon's eye socket!
In response, Laboon's headbutt came down mercilessly, smashing Luffy hard into a shallow pit in the ground.
"Ugh..." Luffy lay sprawled on the ground, but his smile grew even brighter. He looked up at Laboon, who was panting from pain and anger, and shouted loudly:
"We're even!"
"Hey!! I'm strong, right?!"
Laboon: "Ooooh ooooh ooooh!!!"
"We haven't decided a winner yet! So we definitely have to fight again!!" Luffy struggled to his feet, pointed at Laboon, and declared with all his might:
"I know! Your companions are gone!"
"But it's okay! From now on, I'm your opponent!!"
He pressed down on the Mugiwara on his head, his smile incredibly dazzling and firm:
"After we circle the Grand Line once! We'll definitely come back here to see you again!"
"At that time, let's have another fight!!!"
"Boooooooom------!!!!!"
Laboon's cry changed, and hot tears streamed from its eyes.
It was no longer a cry of pain, nor pure anger. The sound pierced the clouds, as if fifty years of accumulated sadness and loneliness had finally found an outlet, and in this promise, transformed into a fervent anticipation that could be waited for.
On the shore, everyone, who had been shocked and angry, now fell silent, then looked at Luffy and Laboon with smiles.
Crocus watched the scene unfold, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his saffron-colored hair.
They all understood.
Luffy, in the most direct yet effective way he could think of, gave this whale, who had waited alone for half a century, a reason to live.
Giyu Tomioka was silent for a long time. He looked at Luffy, who was grinning carelessly after making a promise with Laboon, and then at the giant whale, which seemed to have found a new purpose. His eyes were filled with an incomprehensible shock.
Why?
Why could a hurtful battle, a seemingly childish declaration of war, be more effective than any gentle comfort or persuasion in dispelling Laboon's almost solidified sadness?
This man, who seemed only capable of silly smiles and fighting with his fists, his way of acting completely overturned Tomioka's past understanding.
For the first time, he felt so clearly that Monkey D. Luffy might be far more nuanced than he had imagined...
"Oh!" Luffy seemed to suddenly remember something, slapped his head, and ran back to the Going Merry.
He rummaged through the clutter on the deck for a while, then ran back carrying a large paintbrush still covered in wet paint.
"Hey! Luffy! What are you trying to do now!" Usopp's heart, which had just settled, tightened again.
Luffy chuckled, then in a few jumps, he was on Laboon's forehead, near the spot where he had just made his 'flower arrangement'.
He raised the giant brush and began to vigorously paint on Laboon's skin.
The paint twisted and extended, finally forming a crude but super-sized design—a skull wearing a Mugiwara.
"Excellent!"
Luffy was very pleased with his masterpiece. He stood in front of Laboon, pointed at the design, and loudly declared: "Look closely! This is our battle pact! It's the symbol of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Boo ooh ooh..."
"Before we return here!" Luffy's expression became unusually serious. He pointed forcefully at the painted symbol, "Don't you dare headbutt this symbol off again! This is a promise!!"
"Boo ooh!" Laboon's response was short and powerful, as if making a solemn vow.
This scene fell into everyone's eyes, and Nami couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head: "Honestly... using this method..."
At this moment, Sanji had returned to the Going Merry at some point and dragged a huge tuna from the kitchen.
He placed the fish heavily on a flat spot on the shore, clapped his hands, and said to everyone: "Alright, don't just stand there. Let's celebrate this moment. I've prepared this trunkfish for everyone. You must all be hungry after all that commotion."
"Yay! Meat! Let's party!!"
Luffy instantly shot back from Laboon's head, his eyes turning into stars.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the rare giant tuna. Tomioka's gaze also fell on the fish. A hint of focus, even a touch of nostalgia, flickered across his usually expressionless face.
This subtle change did not escape Sanji's eyes: "Huh?"
Sanji looked at Tomioka with some curiosity and chuckled, "Tomioka, could it be that you really like tuna?"
Caught off guard by the question, Tomioka paused slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed, but ultimately nodded honestly: "Mm... I used to eat it. It's just a bit nostalgic."
He paused, then added a request: "If possible, could you make some sashimi for me?"
"Hahahaha!" Sanji burst out laughing, as if he had discovered something interesting, "That's no problem at all! I didn't realize you liked it that way, Tomioka! No problem, just wait a bit!"
"Mm." Tomioka responded softly, as if in thanks.
His gaze shifted from Sanji and the fish to the bow of the Going Merry. There, Usopp was fretting over the broken ram's head figurehead.
He kept muttering: "That idiot Luffy... he ruined the ship like this! As expected, an unreliable Captain like him should be replaced by me, Usopp!"
Tomioka watched in silence for a while, then walked over voluntarily.
He squatted down and used his only left hand to help Usopp steady the broken ram's head.
"Ah! Thanks, Tomioka!" Usopp was pleasantly surprised and felt even more motivated, "You're great! Unlike a certain idiotic Captain who only knows how to destroy things!"
Tomioka didn't speak, just focused on the nails in his hand, listening to the clinking sound of the hammer.
In his ears, Luffy's shouts for meat from Sanji, Nami's murmuring as she stared at the compass in her hand, and Zoro's steady breathing as he dozed on the ship were all mixed together.
The sea breeze gently blew through Twin Cape, and Laboon floated quietly not far away, no longer crashing into the Red Line, only occasionally emitting a deep, contented hum.
Tomioka's movements slowed.
He suddenly felt that this moment... was very peaceful.
'It's really been a long time since I've had such a... noisy yet comfortable moment of leisure.'
'The last time I felt something similar was, I think, by the river when I was a child, watching other children play and fight...'
It was a warmth, named 'everyday life,' that the Giyu Tomioka who had frantically slain demons in the past had almost forgotten.