Chapter 80: A Man's Promise! A Strange Duo Appears
Inside Laboon's stomach, beneath that 'blue sky' filled with artificial traces.
"Hey! Old man!!"
Luffy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at Crocus, who was sitting on a lounge chair on the small island.
"Is there an exit here! We want to get out!"
"Idiot! What kind of dream are you talking about!"
Beside him, Usopp's face was covered in dark lines. He irritably smacked the back of Luffy's head and yelled:
"This is a whale's stomach! How can there be a door in a stomach! Are we supposed to wait for it to... poop us out?! I definitely don't want that!"
"The exit is right there."
Crocus put down the newspaper in his hand and calmly pointed with his finger.
He pointed to a massive iron door painted with a cloud pattern at the far end of this'sea.'
"..."
Usopp's jaw dropped, and his eyes nearly popped out.
"How is there actually one!! Is this a whale or a submarine?!"
"Hmph." Crocus pushed up his glasses and turned his gaze back to the newspaper in his hand.
"This isn't a rat's stomach. Since someone lives here, of course there has to be a door."
"Yosh! Great!"
Luffy cheered.
But he didn't immediately command everyone to set sail.
Instead, he suddenly ran to a corner of the deck and yanked up the half-broken mast that had snapped earlier.
"Gomu Gomu no—"
Luffy stepped back a few paces, his arms stretching back violently.
"...Rice Planting!!"
Under everyone's terrified gazes, Luffy actually rushed straight toward the exit of the stomach wall like a madman, holding that sharp broken mast.
After emerging, Luffy quickly climbed to the outside of Laboon's body—right onto Laboon's scar-covered head!
Splat!
Luffy mercilessly stabbed the mast into the unhealed wound on Laboon's head.
"ROAR!!!"
The intense pain instantly enraged the massive creature.
Laboon let out a furious roar, and its giant body began to thrash wildly, attempting to shake off this reckless little bug.
Inside the body, everyone began to 'go with the flow.'
"Caw, caw! The whale says: I'm going to eat you! Little bug!" Clay flew in the air, acting as the interpreter.
"Huh? How did Luffy make that whale so angry?" Usopp shouted while clutching the railing.
"Come on! Big guy!"
Luffy gripped Laboon's skin tightly, dodging its rolls while continuing his provocative attacks.
One man and one whale engaged in a seemingly senseless and fierce brawl at the entrance to the sea by the Red Line.
"What is that idiot Luffy doing!!" Zoro and Sanji cursed loudly, unable to stand steadily on the rocking ship.
Just as the battle reached its peak, with Laboon preparing a fatal blow and Luffy readying a punch.
"Stop!!"
Luffy suddenly held out his palm and shouted.
Laboon's giant eyes blinked in confusion, and its movements stopped accordingly.
"Huff... huff..."
Luffy panted heavily and pointed at Laboon with a serious expression.
"It's a draw! We can't settle this today!"
After saying that, under Laboon's puzzled gaze, he pulled a bucket of black paint from who-knows-where out of his pocket.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Luffy took a large brush and began to paint with broad, sweeping strokes on Laboon's scarred and battered forehead.
A moment later.
A crooked, ugly-cute Straw Hat Pirates emblem appeared on Laboon's head.
"Listen up! Whale!"
Luffy threw away the brush, stood before the emblem, and announced loudly to Laboon:
"This is our promise!!"
"Until we come back after circumnavigating the Grand Line, you aren't allowed to hit the Red Line anymore! You aren't allowed to knock this emblem off!"
Luffy grinned and gave a thumbs up.
"When that time comes, we'll settle our fight for good!!"
"Wooo..."
Laboon stared blankly at the human boy and the emblem painted over its wound.
That wasn't just ordinary graffiti.
It was a new promise, a new... reason to live.
"UUUUUUUUUU—!!!"
Two massive streams of tears gushed from Laboon's mountain-like eyes, sliding down its rough skin and kicking up monstrous waves.
It howled toward the sky, its voice no longer filled with sorrow, but with joy.
"Caw, caw! The whale says: I won't eat you anymore, you're a good bug."
...
"To celebrate Laboon making a new friend! And our entry into the Grand Line! Cheers!!"
On the small island inside the stomach, an impromptu banquet was being held.
Relying on Clay's translation, Luffy had already become fast friends with Laboon.
Usopp poured fine wine into his mouth. "Man, how can Luffy chat so happily with just anyone?"
"Maybe it's because neither of them is very bright." Zoro put down his glass and made a rare joke.
"Oh? Then maybe you could become friends with that whale too." Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke slowly.
"Ha?! What did you say? You curly-brow!"
"moss-head!"
Tatsuya sighed and couldn't help but turn his head away. "A bunch of idiots."
On the other side, Crocus looked at the compass in his hand spinning wildly and was seriously explaining the common sense of the Grand Line to Nami.
"In these waters, an ordinary compass is useless."
Crocus explained:
"Special magnetic fields exist between the islands of the Grand Line; only a Log Pose can guide the way."
As he spoke, he tossed a special compass with a glass dome that was worn on the wrist to Nami.
"Take it, it's an old memento of mine. Without this, you won't be able to move an inch on this sea."
Nami scrambled to catch the Log Pose. Looking at the needle inside steadily pointing in a certain direction, a flicker of excitement flashed in her eyes.
"This is... a Log Pose!"
At this moment, the Straw Hat Pirates finally possessed the formal qualifications to sail the Grand Line.
...
Just as the banquet ended and everyone packed their things, preparing to leave Laboon's stomach and officially begin their journey.
"Hey—!! Help—!!"
Suddenly, two strange figures drifted over on the sea.
One was a man wearing a golden crown with the number '9' written on his cheeks, holding two metal bats.
The other was a young girl with long water-blue hair wearing peacock-patterned clothes, riding a big-billed duck (Spot-billed Duck) with a vacant expression.
"Is there anyone kind-hearted out there! We're going to drown!"
Although the two looked in a wretched state as they splashed in the water, as soon as they approached the going merry, they immediately showed a strong sense of purpose.
"Please save us!"
The man called Mr. 9 wiped the water from his face and pressed his hands together toward Luffy.
"We are travelers from nearby, but our ship sank in an accident! Could you give us a lift to our island—Whiskey Peak!"
"If you just take us back, we will definitely treat you well!" The blue-haired girl also put on a pitiful expression.
"Hahaha! That duck is so funny!"
Luffy leaned over the railing, pointing at the Spot-billed Duck 'Karoo' who was frantically drinking water, doubled over with laughter.
"It really looks like that old man (Crocus)! Hahaha! Fine! Come on up!"
"That's too reckless, Luffy!" Usopp complained.
"As long as they pay."
As soon as Nami heard about 'treatment' and potential rewards, she immediately switched to a smiling face and stepped forward to discuss the 'hitchhiking fee' with the blue-haired girl.
"Whiskey Peak? No problem, but we'll have to charge a little something for our trouble~"
On the other side of the deck.
Tatsuya leaned against the mast, fiddling with a Kunai in his hand.
When the strange duo boarded the ship, his gaze didn't linger long on the ridiculous Mr. 9.
Instead, it locked directly onto the blue-haired girl—'Miss Wednesday.'
Hum—
A faint red light flickered in the depths of his eyes.
Tatsuya watched the girl who, despite her efforts to disguise herself as a bounty hunter.
Still exuded a hint of a noble aura in her every movement, the corners of his mouth curling into a knowing smirk.
"Nefertari Vivi..."
He muttered the name in his heart.
"Is the prologue to the Alabasta Arc finally about to begin?"
"Seven Warlords of the Sea... Crocodile."
...
"Men! Full speed ahead!!"
With Luffy's command, the Going Merry, carrying the two 'uninvited guests,' slowly sailed out of the iron door of Laboon's stomach, bidding farewell to this giant gatekeeper and the old lighthouse keeper.
The sea breeze howled.
Ahead lay a vast and even more treacherous stretch of sea.
"Next stop! The island of wine and music—Whiskey Peak!!"
The two hitchhikers introduced enthusiastically.
However, Tatsuya just gave a light chuckle and closed his eyes as he watched the shifty eyes the two exchanged in secret.
Full of wine?
No.
That's a hunting ground full of bounty hunters.
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