Leo hadn't forgotten about his Shark Jet-Ski either and attached it to the deck as part of the final preparations before sailing.
He looked at the log pose direction… Although he had no intention of following the Log Pose which pointed at the next island whiskey peak, it was still useful for determining directions across the Grand Line.
"You might already be the best shipwright, healer, inventor, and helmsman in the world thanks to your Devil Fruit," Crocus said like a responsible elder giving final advice. "But find yourself a reliable crew. Don't try carrying everything alone just because you can."
"Thanks, old man. I'll remember that." Leo nodded before suddenly asking, "By the way, when we visited your hut earlier, I noticed a picture of you with the Pirate King, Gold D. Roger. Was that just a passing coincidence… or were you actually part of his crew?"
Even Nojiko looked shocked at the observation and listened attentively.
"You're quite observant, aren't you?" Crocus chuckled softly. "Yeah. I joined their ship as a doctor for a few months while they helped me search for Laboon's old crew. Why do you ask?"
"Did you travel to Laugh Tale with him too?" Leo asked, genuine curiosity shining in his eyes.
"I did." Crocus studied him carefully. "Do you want to know about One Piece?"
"No. I'll find it myself," Leo replied, refusing. "But when I do, I want to come back here and listen to stories about your adventures. I had a great time here, old man… don't die too soon."
For a brief moment, Crocus was reminded of Roger himself though unlike Roger's childish recklessness, Leo felt strangely mature and prepared for his journey ahead.
"You don't even want confirmation whether it's real or not?" Crocus asked with amusement. "You brats really do trust the dying words of pirates too easily."
"Oh, I already know it's real," Leo answered confidently recalling Omni-Kings themselves have confirmed One Piece existed.
"Hm… I see. You're not sailing blindly toward that ridiculous dream of yours." Crocus smiled faintly. "Well then, I'll be rooting for you from here."
"I asked about it because I'm kind of a ship collector too," Leo admitted. "So I wanted to know what happened to Roger's famous ship, the Oro Jackson."
At the unexpected question, Crocus eyes widened slightly in shock and remembrance as old memories surfaced within them.
"I don't know what became of it," he answered quietly. "But Shakky and Rayleigh… they might know something. You can probably find them at the Sabaody Archipelago."
By then, Leo had already finished the final adjustments, firmly binding the giant deck structure onto Laboon's head.
"Bwahhhhhhhhh…!!!" (It looks good… I like it.)
"Of course you like it," Leo snorted. "I had to make a ridiculous number of adjustments just to make it to your preference. But this is only the starter. We'll eventually build a proper pirate ship too and store it inside your stomach. I just need the right materials first."
Nojiko also jumped onto the grassy deck Leo had created using soil and plant life gathered from the sea surface.
"But what about things like a bath, separate rooms, and everything else, Captain?" Nojiko asked mischievously. "I doubt you're planning to spend the entire journey ahead sleeping on the deck…"
"Oh, don't worry… I'm a responsible captain. All those needs will be solved by tomorrow," Leo declared confidently while giving Crocus a suspicious smile.
"Brat… I told you about the nearby Holiday Island thinking you'd go there to relax, but your intentions suddenly don't seem very pure to me," Crocus said warily.
"Oh, nothing much," Leo replied casually. "We are going there to relax… but if we end up liking the place, I might just steal it for myself. Now that we've got the big guy with us, stealing an island or two shouldn't really be a problem, right Laboon? Hahaha…"
"Bwahhhhhh…!!!" (Yeah! Let's go steal our first island!)
"Brat, stop corrupting my innocent Laboon!" Crocus shouted furiously. "And Laboon, you idiot! Nobody goes around stealing islands on the sea, so stop listening to him!" Then he pointed toward Nojiko.
"You there, girl! Put some sense into those two!"
"Well, Mr. Crocus… we will need proper amenities for our future pirate journey, won't we?" Nojiko replied while covering half her lips mischievously. "And honestly… stealing an island doesn't sound like such a bad start. Hehe."
Crocus stared at the departing group with widened eyes, silently wondering what kind of monstrosity he had just unleashed upon the seas.
***
Laboon was already familiar with the route to the nearby Holiday Island since he had accompanied Crocus there many times before, though he usually stayed hidden beneath the sea. Because of that, Leo and Nojiko simply relied on him to guide the way.
"Bwahhhhhaahhhhh!" (I want to show you something… we're going underwater.)
Nojiko walked toward the helm that had remained motionless until now and inserted the pentagram-shaped key into its center.
The helm had its uses whenever the crew needed to guide Laboon in a specific direction, but for now, the giant whale himself was leading the way.
The next second, thick layers of transparent reinforced glass rose around the deck from beneath the railings while the heavy sound of turning gears echoed from below.
"We're ready, Laboon!" Nojiko shouted.
The giant whale immediately dove into the sea, dragging the deck structure along at terrifying speed. Water slammed violently against the glass walls slowing the whale, yet the reinforced shield didn't budge in the slightest.
"Damn it… this is going to take some time getting used to," Nojiko muttered nervously.
They had already tested the glass after leaving Twin Cape, but the sheer pressure and crashing water noise still frightened her every single time.
Meanwhile, Leo stood calmly beside the railing with one hand pressed against the glass shield, constantly sensing its limits through his ability.
"Eight hundred… one thousand… twelve hundred…" Leo quietly counted as Laboon continued diving deeper and deeper beneath the ocean.
The surrounding sea gradually darkened as even the afternoon sunlight struggled to penetrate the depths. Eventually, the lanterns around the deck automatically lit up, casting warm light across the endless underwater darkness surrounding them.
"Bwahhhhhhhhaahhhhh!"
Laboon let out a childish yet threatening roar toward the incoming Sea Kings. Most of the creatures fled the moment they saw the gigantic whale whose size dwarfed even theirs, though a few brave ones still attacked him.
Those unfortunate Sea Kings were quickly ripped apart by Laboon's enormous jaws and monstrous teeth becoming his afternoon lunch.
Laboon himself suffered a few wounds during the clashes, but he ignored the pain completely. It was his first true adventure in fifty years, and he wanted to proudly show his favorite humans the discovery he had made not long ago.
Then, at nearly Two thousand meters beneath sea level, illuminated faintly by the deck's lantern light, something massive finally emerged into view.
A colossal ruined wall nearly two hundred meters tall stretched across the ocean floor, surrounding what appeared to be an entire ruined city.
The ruins extended for at least a mile, possibly far more but the murky water and dim lighting made it impossible to see the full scale clearly as Laboon slowly circled above it.
"Bwahhhhhhahhhh Bbwhahahhhhhhhh!"
(I found this place one day after losing my way back to the lighthouse. Some ferocious Sea Kings chased me into the depths, so I hid within these ruins)