Chapter 41 The Princess is Taken Inside the Whale's BellyCrocus slowly turned his head, his gaze icy as he looked at Sanji.
An oppressive atmosphere quickly spread across the Going Merry.
"If you want to fight, then bring it on, you bastard!"
Usopp shouted defiantly, scrambling to hide behind the cabin. "We have cannons here!"
Crocus's eyes widened, bloodshot, as he stared intently at Usopp. His deep, hoarse voice carried to everyone's ears:
"I advise you to stop. People will die."
Nami and Usopp turned pale and trembled, terrified by Crocus's terrifying aura.
Zoro frowned, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword.
Sanji, his face covered in cold sweat, forced a cold laugh, suppressing his fear: "Huh? Who are you saying will die, you bastard?"
Crocus answered confidently: "Me!"
Sanji nearly lost his balance and fell, inwardly roaring: ╯‵□)╯︵┻━┻!
"Damn it! So you were talking about yourself! You bastard!"
Zoro, standing nearby, also realized that the old man seemed to be just an ordinary person.
He quickly stopped Sanji, who was about to explode and kick him, and politely greeted Crocus.
"Ah, sir, could you please tell us who you are? And where is this place?"
Another suffocating silence ensued. Crocus slowly spoke: "Isn't it polite to state your name before asking someone a question?"
Zoro nodded awkwardly, suppressing his murderous intent: "Ah, indeed, sorry, my name is Roro..."
However, just as Zoro opened his mouth, Crocus's leisurely voice interrupted:
"My name is Crocus, I'm the lighthouse keeper at Twin Capes, 71 years old, Gemini, blood type AB..."
Zoro's forehead veins bulged: ╯‵□)╯︵┻━┻!
"Can I cut him down?!"
Sanji quickly restrained the frantic Zoro, comforting him, "Calm down! You must calm down! He's just an old man with a slightly impaired mind! We're the righteous Marines!"
Luffy, standing nearby, couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
This old man Crocus, with the most arrogant expression, utterly pathetic—he's a genius!
"You ask me where this is? You've trespassed into my private resort, and you dare to be so arrogant? Do you think this place is a rat's belly?"
Nami burst into tears upon hearing this: "So we really are inside a whale's stomach?"
Usopp, clutching his head, yelled, "I don't want to be digested into dust by the whale's stomach acid!"
But Crocus glared at him again, that same look that said, "I want to eat you alive!"
Zoro and Sanji exclaimed in unison, "That's enough! When will this end?!"
"Don't you guys think this recurring scene is hilarious?"
Everyone's inner screams: (╬￣皿￣)!! Are you putting on a comedy sketch, you bastard?!
"The exit is in that direction."
Crocus, seeing the group on the verge of collapse, pointed to a direction in the sky, where a massive iron gate appeared in their view.
The group wept with joy: "We can really get out!!"
Just then, everyone felt a violent tremor beneath their feet.
The green sea of gastric juices below surged with towering waves.
The Going Merry and the small island shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.
Crocas frowned, his expression turning grave: "It's happening again?"
"Damn it! What's going on?!"
Usopp clung tightly to the railing, screaming in terror.
Luffy then gave C.C. a wink, and as if on cue, C.C. rushed forward and hugged Luffy.
Sanji, standing nearby, was practically fuming with jealousy: "You bastard, what are you doing to C.C. in this chaos?!"
Luffy chuckled, completely ignoring Sanji, his arm instantly extending, grabbing a passageway above the stomach wall.
Crocas looked at Luffy strangely, wondering what the kid was planning to do.
"Can you feel it?"
Luffy turned to C.C. in his arms and asked.
C.C. nodded, placing her pale hand on the flesh of the whale Laboon.
The seagull-shaped emblem on her forehead, representing her superpower CODE, suddenly lit up.
CODE—an upgraded version of GEASS.
It possesses the incredible power of immortality and can transmit spiritual energy, allowing for deep communication with others on a spiritual level, and even granting others the power of GEASS.
As the holder of the CODE, C.C. instantly saw Laboon's childhood encounters and separations with Brook and the others upon contact.
"That's quite a touching story," C.C. said expressionlessly, her tone as flat as water.
Luffy rolled his eyes, thinking, "That poker face of yours doesn't look like you're moved at all."
C.C.'s millennia-long life had long since dulled her heart. If the system hadn't forcibly replaced Lelouch's experiences with Luffy's, C.C. probably wouldn't have even bothered to glance at Luffy.
"Transfer my consciousness to Laboon,"
Luffy said, grasping C.C.'s hand.
Instantly, the fact that Brook was still alive and striving to find his way home was transmitted to the whale Laboon through C.C.'s mental link, and Luffy solemnly promised to bring Brook to visit him another day.
The previously violently surging waves instantly calmed down, as if smoothed by an invisible hand.
Crocas stared in shock at the suddenly quiet Laboon, completely bewildered by what magic Luffy and C.C. had performed.
"How did you two do that?"
Crocas couldn't help but ask Luffy, his tone filled with disbelief.
You see, every time Laboon went berserk and crashed into the Red Line, I had to give it several large doses of sedatives just to barely stop it.
"That's a trade secret!" Luffy laughed.
He jumped back onto the deck of the Going Merry, still holding C.C.
Just then, a loud explosion rang out.
"Great, we've finally infiltrated here!"
A strange, somewhat effeminate voice rang out.
Everyone looked up and saw a blue-haired girl and a strange man wearing a crown carrying a cannon walking out of the door.
"We must complete this mission! Miss. Wednesday."
"That's right, Mr. 9. After all, this whale is enough food for our town for several years."
The blue-haired girl chimed in with a strange voice.
"And who are these two?"
Zoro on the ship was completely bewildered. Ever since Luffy tricked him into the whale's stomach, he had been in a state of mental overload.
"That's why I came to Laboon's stomach, of course."
Luffy smiled and waved to the blue-haired girl on the platform.
Nami, beside him, roared in frustration, "You threw us into the belly of a whale just to pick up girls?!"
"Haha, this isn't just any girl. She's the princess of the Alabasta Kingdom! If you manage to win her over, you'll have the wealth of the entire kingdom."
Nami's expression instantly changed, her mood shifting faster than flipping a book. She gave Luffy a thumbs up: "Go for it! I believe in you! Get married right now!"
Zoro and Sanji: "..."
"Your stance changed way too fast!!"
Meanwhile, Vivi in the stands suddenly looked at Luffy in terror, her mind reeling: How could my identity have been exposed?!
Mr. 9, standing nearby, looked at Luffy with a puzzled expression: "Alabasta? Is he saying you're a princess?"
Vivi shook her head frantically, "He must have mistaken me for someone else! How could I be a princess!"
Crocas also frowned at Luffy: "Are you with these two thugs who want to kill whales?"
Luffy smiled slightly: "To be precise, I want to be with them."
"Hey, Luffy, stop inviting all these weirdos onto the crew, you jerk! This beautiful young lady is one thing, but what's with that blond, lecherous guy next to her?"
Sanji angrily poked Luffy's head, clearly having no interest in male crew members.
Crocus stepped forward, blocking Luffy's path, and said, "As long as I have a breath left, I will never let you harm Laboon in the slightest!"
Vivi, already considering retreating, said to Mr. 9, "How about we come back another day? I feel these people are a bit difficult to deal with, Mr. 9."
"Even if you say that, we can't go back empty-handed. Killing this whale is our mission, Miss Wednesday."
Mr. 9 slowly hoisted his cannon onto his shoulder, turned to Crocus, and shouted, "You won't stop us from whaling today!"
"Whaling? So these guys want to hunt this whale for food?"
Nami and the others suddenly realized.
"Hey, Luffy, you want to invite someone like this to be our crew?"
Nami angrily poked Luffy's head.
"How could that be? He's just a gofer."
Luffy chuckled, and the next moment, under Mr. 9's horrified gaze, Luffy's arm instantly extended, grabbing the railing beside him, and he sprang to his side like a spring.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Mr. 9, sweating profusely, stared at Luffy, never expecting this guy to be a Devil Fruit user.
"You bounty hunters are so unprofessional," Luffy shook his head. "Once you join me, I'll give you a proper pre-job training."
Mr. 9 was shocked: "How could you…"
But before he could finish speaking, Luffy covered one eye with his hand, and a strange, seagull-shaped red light flashed in the other eye. The red light, as if alive, flew straight into Mr. 9's eye.
"In the name of Monkey D. Luffy, I hereby command! Submit to me!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Mr. 9 instantly knelt on one knee, his eyes burning with fanaticism as he looked at Luffy. Even if Luffy ordered him to die immediately, he would not hesitate for a moment.
This is Lelouch's Geass!
Absolute Domination!
Without a specific method to deactivate Geass, this command would accompany Mr. 9 for the rest of his life, etched into his soul!
This ability can be called a side-effect-free version of Kotoamatsukami.
It can also be called the pinnacle of hypnosis.
Back then, the second male lead, Suzaku Kururugi, was given a "survive" geass by the protagonist. Every time he faced certain death, Suzaku would unleash his body's maximum potential, unbeknownst to himself, to complete the command.
At this moment, Mr. 9 still retains his own consciousness, but Luffy has become his god. He will unconditionally obey any command Luffy gives.
Vivi, watching from the side, is terrified, trembling and backing away, clutching her body: "Don't come any closer!!"
Luffy looks at Vivi with a black line on his forehead: "Do I look that much like a bad guy?"
Vivi nods frantically, tears welling up in her eyes.
Luffy glares at Vivi, then, amidst her piercing scream, scoops her up and jumps back onto the Going Merry.
"This is the princess you were talking about?"
Nami looked at Vivi with some suspicion. "She doesn't look like her at all."
Vivi, with her long ponytail pulled tightly by the hair tie, made her eyes slant upwards, making her look like Jessie from Team Rocket, with a sharp and mean face.
Without a word, Luffy ripped the hairband off Vivi's hair, instantly softening her previously harsh face into that of a charming and lovely young girl.
Vivi shrieked, "I'm really not a princess! You've mistaken me for someone else!"
Luffy's expression suddenly turned fierce: "Is that so? Then you're an illegal whaler? Then I'll arrest you and lock you up in Impel Down."
Upon hearing this, Vivi's eyes immediately welled up with tears, staring pitifully at Luffy like a frightened little rabbit.
"Damn it, don't scare such a cute lady!"
Sanji, protective of her, kicked her, only to be casually tossed aside by Luffy like a fly.
"Anyway, your identity is completely exposed. If you don't want to die, you'd better come with me to subdue Baroque Works... I mean, to rescue Alabasta!"
Vivi: "..."
After Vivi's resistance proved futile, she was shoved into the ship's hold like cargo.
Mr. 9 was sent back to Whiskey Hill by Luffy to report that Vivi had been captured.
When Nami heard Laboon's story of waiting for fifty years, she was moved to tears, using up an entire pack of tissues.
"Fifty years have passed. Those pirates must have died on the cruel Grand Line long ago, right?"
Usopp sighed, muttering sadly.
"Yes, and no," he said.
Luffy chuckled twice. "There's still a skeleton alive and well."
"Luffy! Don't be so cruel! Look how pitiful Laboon is!" Nami complained angrily to Luffy, feeling he had no compassion.
"Well, I'm just stating the facts."
Luffy shrugged. Even if he told them Brook was alive as a skeleton, they probably wouldn't believe him.
"How did you manage to calm Laboon down?"
Crocas looked at Laboon, who was excitedly spouting water on the surface of the sea, his eyes full of curiosity.
"I just told it Brook wasn't dead."
Luffy chuckled, looking relaxed.
Crocas asked in surprise, "Brook's pirate crew hasn't been heard from for 50 years. How did you know he wasn't dead?"
"I can read minds! For example, I know you were once the Pirate King's ship's doctor."
Luffy smiled at Crocus, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"What! This old man was the Pirate King's ship's doctor?!"
Everyone stared in astonishment at the unassuming old man before them, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor.
Crocus's eyes widened instantly, staring intently at Luffy: "How did you know... could it really be mind reading?!"
Luffy laughed heartily and waved at Crocus: "Don't worry, I'm tight-lipped. Laboon won't crash into the Red Line again!"
Then Luffy immediately led everyone back onto the Going Merry.
"Let's go, mission accomplished, let's set off!"
Crocus watched Luffy and the others depart, his eyes filled with admiration: "The new Marine Supernova? Commodore Monkey D. Luffy? What a mysterious man."
The newspaper in his hand slipped to the ground; it prominently displayed a photo of Luffy battling Marine Headquarters.
Luffy watched Laboon disappear from sight, stroking his chin with satisfaction. "This way, we don't need to damage the Going Merry's mainmast, and we can stop Laboon from crashing into the wall. Perfect."
Hearing Nami's scream, everyone rushed over.
Sanji approached, carrying a large platter of top-grade delicacies made with elephant scorpionfish.
Luffy grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth, explaining indistinctly as he chewed:
"Ah, nothing strange. All navigational common sense doesn't apply in the Grand Line. Compasses, which are used in the open sea, can't predict the strange magnetic fields of the Grand Line. The currents and winds are constantly changing."
"Then what do we do? If we don't have a way to determine our direction, aren't we going to be lost forever in this ocean?"
Nami's face turned extremely pale upon hearing this, as if she were witnessing the end of the world.
"What are you afraid of?" Luffy stuffed another large piece of meat into his mouth. "Don't we have the Log Pose that Vivi and the others brought? We can easily follow the course by using those. Just go ask Vivi for it."
This was one of the main reasons Luffy specifically went to Laboon's stomach to find Vivi.
"Oh, I see. You scared me to death! I thought we were going to starve to death at sea. I didn't expect you to be so reliable, Luffy."
Nami breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest in praise.
A weak voice came from the corner: "Um... the Log Pose that Mr. 9 and I brought, wasn't it taken by him when he went back to Whiskey Hill?"
Everyone froze instantly: "..."
"Oh no!!!"
"Quick! Turn back! See if we can get back to Twin Points!"
"No way! The currents and wind direction have completely changed! Our sailboat can't possibly go back against the wind!"
"Then start paddling! Don't just stand there!"
"We have no direction at all! Which way to paddle?!"
Vivi: "..."