The whale let out a cry of pain as, right before everyone's eyes, the bleeding scar on its head slowly began healing itself.
Before Leo could heal the entire wound—he was struck by a massive jet of water fired from Laboon's mouth, sending him crashing straight into the Red wall behind him.
"Stop, Laboon! He was healing you!" Crocus shouted.
The whale immediately calmed down, staring at the old man in confusion before gradually understanding his words.
It looked at the rippling water surface in its own reflection, only to notice its bleeding had stopped. It turned toward the boy who had just helped him, a tear the size of a ship has formed in the corner of its eye.
Leo coughed up mouthfuls of seawater before looking back at the gigantic whale, a creature larger than many Sea Kings and terrifying enough to be called a nightmare of the seas.
"So… what do you say, big guy? Will you come with me?" Leo asked between ragged breaths.
"Bwahhhhhaahhwww…!" (I will… Thank you for helping me…)
"Well, the healing will take time considering those dozens of gigantic old scars on your head… but I guess we've got all the time in the world."
Laboon stared at Leo with tear-filled eyes, though this time there was clear gratitude within them.
"I guess I'll be left lonely now, huh…" Crocus muttered quietly, lost in old memories.
"Well then… don't think I'll let you leave without giving you a proper farewell Laboon," he declared soon after.
And just like that, another celebration began this time with a rather unusual companion.
Night eventually fell, but the cheerful feast beside the bonfire continued without pause.
After Leo healed both himself and the others, everyone had finally recovered, and before long even Crocus stash of food and wine had been completely emptied by the group.
"I guess we'll be separating tomorrow?" Nami spoke to Nojiko softly.
"Yeah… let's see what awaits us in the future," Nojiko replied with a smiple smile.
"Guys… should we do it then?" Nami asked.
Usopp immediately rolled a large wine barrel into the center of the group.
Luffy: "I'm gonna become the Pirate King."
Zoro: "I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman."
Usopp: "I'm going to become a brave warrior of the sea."
Sanji: "I'm going to find the All Blue."
Nami: "I'm going to draw a map of the entire world."
Nojiko: "I want to help as many people as possible, just like Bell-mère did for me and Nami."
Laboon: "Bwahhhahhhhhahhhh!" (I will find my old friends and explore the world with my new friends!)
Unexpectedly Laboon also chimed in while Luffy laughed and explained the meaning of its roar, which resounded across the red line.
Leo: "I am going to…"
Leo spoke but hesitated briefly, realizing his dream sounded more like a declaration by a villain than anything noble like others but...
"Ah, screw it… here's my dream." Leo grinned. "I'm going to rule this world and everything beyond it. Grand Line… here we come."
At Leo's declaration, the entire group stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Well, I'm gonna become the freest man in the world, so your dream's never coming true," Luffy laughed loudly.
"And what do you mean by 'everything beyond'?" Usopp asked while patting Leo on the back.
"You seriously have the most uncertain dream out of all of us," Sanji added with a smirk.
In the distance, however, Crocus looked at Leo with an unusually strange gaze.
"We'll see," Leo replied calmly, knowing what the others didn't know.
Just like that, the night passed and a new day arrived.
Crocus retrieved his small metal boat from inside Laboon's stomach and tried explaining Laboon's diet and medications to Leo out of habit as a doctor, though it quickly became pointless considering Leo himself was practically a miraculous healer.
Soon, Luffy's group departed from Twin Cape with the Log Pose possessed by the twin assassins, leaving Leo's Shark Jet-Ski behind. Leo also received a Log Pose from Crocus, though unlike the Straw Hat Pirates, he had entirely different plans in mind.
"Goodbye, guys… let's meet again in the Grand Line, and stay safe!" countless shouts echoed from the departing back of the Going Merry.
"Let's meet again in the future everyone." Nojiko shouted.
"Best of luck… you guys are definitely gonna need it, don't forget to save the 100 million berries you owe me," Leo shouted back sarcastically toward Luffy's crew.
After bidding goodbye to the crew he had sailed with for so long, Leo turned toward Crocus in search of information.
"Hm… Twin Capes, I remember this place being called the graveyard of pirate ships in the past… but I don't see any wrecks around," Leo said, recalling one of his mother's old stories and a article in the newspaper.
"That was a long time ago. I'm surprised you've even heard of it," Crocus replied. "You're right though. Every ship from the four seas that wants to enter the Grand Line must pass through this narrow corridor, and more than seventy-five percent never make it through safely. You can't see the remains from here because they're all lying at the bottom of the sea."
Crocus' explanation made perfect sense, and Leo slowly turned toward Laboon with a crooked smile.
"Looks like it's time to get back to work, buddy. Bring those shipwrecks up to the surface… we're going to give you a transformation."
At Leo's words, Laboon happily dove beneath the sea before returning with massive pieces of wrecked ships holding inside his big mouth and dove again repeating the process dozens of times.
Most of the wreckage was unusable, but many pieces were still useful consisting of strange devices, unique ship bodies, and countless things Leo had never seen before—along with scattered treasures hidden among the remains.
"Well… isn't this our lucky day," Leo muttered while rubbing his hands together.
"What exactly are you planning to do with all that?" Crocus and Nojiko asked almost simultaneously.
Leo merely smiled.
Then, with a gentle touch against the pile of wreckage beneath his feet, the entire mountain of shipwrecks began to shake, twist and merge in a massive wooden tornado.