One Piece pirates salty life

Without any visible control, the Merry suddenly seemed to be drawn into the massive, gaping mouth of Laboon. The powerful force pulled the ship forward relentlessly, swallowing the vessel whole. Vivi and the other stowaway who had unexpectedly found themselves on board were caught up in the chaos, helplessly sucked in alongside everyone else.

After what felt like an eternity inside the whale's dark and narrow passage, a blinding light appeared at the end. The blackness slowly gave way to a surprising scene—a clear, bright sky stretched above, almost indistinguishable from the real world outside. The Straw Hat crew stared in stunned silence.

At the very center of this space was a small island, isolated and serene. Yet, on closer inspection, the sky and clouds above didn't look quite right—they were clearly painted, a carefully crafted illusion. Still, even a mere replica of such a sky was enough to shock anyone who had just emerged from the darkness inside a whale's belly.

Nami's eyes sparkled with pride as she looked around. "No wonder Leo looked so calm earlier... There's a place like this here!" she said, as if boasting that she had known all along.

Usopp, ever the skeptic, rubbed his eyes and asked in disbelief, "Is this real, or are we dreaming?"

Beside him, Sanji and Zoro nodded in agreement. Even the toughest fighters couldn't shake the feeling that they were trapped in a strange dream, especially after having been swallowed by a giant whale moments ago.

While they were still debating the surreal nature of their surroundings, Leo approached and roughly tied up Vivi and the other girl who had sneaked onto the Merry. He threw them down on the deck, his face unreadable.

The sudden appearance of these two newcomers surprised everyone. Where had they come from? What were they doing on the Merry?

Before anyone could ask, a harsh coughing sound came from the house on the island. The Merry's crew turned their attention to the door, which creaked open slowly.

Out stepped an old man, his clothes vibrant with colorful stripes and a distinctive red circle of petals painted on the back of his head. The sight was striking, almost surreal.

"That's a flower!" Sanji exclaimed, shocked at first.

Then he looked more carefully and corrected himself, "No, wait... it's a human."

The old man, whose name was Crocus, didn't say a word. Instead, he simply looked silently at the Straw Hats, his expression unreadable but serious.

"Say something, damn it!" Usopp shouted, unable to hold back his usual bravado. "If you wanna fight, bring it on! We've got cannons and we're not afraid to use them!"

The old man's silence was an insult in Usopp's eyes, pure disrespect that only fueled his anger.

Finally, Crocus spoke, his voice calm but sharp. "You'd better forget about it. Someone will die if you act recklessly."

Sanji clenched his fists, feeling the sting of that dismissal. "How dare you look down on us?" he snapped, ready to charge.

Zoro held Sanji back firmly. "Don't be so impulsive. Let me ask first."

He turned to Crocus. "Sir, where exactly are we? And who are you? Please tell us."

Crocus raised an eyebrow. "When you ask a question, isn't it polite to say your name first?"

Zoro scratched his head awkwardly, then nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. My name is..."

Before he could finish, Crocus interrupted with a lazy smile. "I am Crocus, keeper of the lighthouse at Gemini Cape."

Zoro grumbled, "Can I just cut him down?"

But before he could make a move, Leo stepped forward, his tone calm but commanding.

"Wait, Zoro. Let's show some respect to this elder. He's not just anyone."

Leo glanced at Crocus carefully. "More than twenty years ago, after the Pirate King Roger's final voyage, the Pirates disbanded. The ship's doctor from that crew was legendary."

Leo's words drew the attention of the entire crew.

"That outfit... it looks familiar," Leo added, nodding toward Crocus's colorful clothes.

"Are you... the Pirate King's ship doctor?" Leo asked directly.

The crew fell silent, eyes wide with astonishment.

Could it be true? Was this unassuming old man really a close companion of the Pirate King?

For a long moment, Crocus remained still. His identity had been hidden from the world for many years, and he hadn't expected to be recognized here—especially by a young man like Leo.

After studying Leo carefully, a faint smile broke across Crocus's face.

"So, you're the magician who's been stirring up trouble at sea recently," Crocus said, amused.

Leo nodded. "That's me. And yes, we're the Straw Hat Pirates. No wonder you recognized us."

Crocus's expression softened as he looked around at the crew.

"So, what is it you want from this old man?" he asked with a hint of challenge.

Leo stepped forward, his voice sincere. "I just want to ask if you still have the permanent pointers to Magnetic Drum Island and Alabasta."

Crocus considered this for a moment. "I do. It's not impossible to give them to you."

He patted his pockets, but didn't find what he was looking for.

"Ah, I remember now," Crocus said. "I left all the pointers next to the navigation lights at Gemini Cape."

Before he could explain further, the calm sea around them suddenly roared to life.

The peaceful waters turned into violent waves, stirred by the stomach acid of Laboon itself.

Vivi and the other tied-up girl nearly toppled over, but Leo reacted swiftly and kept them safe.

With a blur, Crocus disappeared, no doubt going to soothe Laboon with a sedative.

Luffy blinked, then turned to Vivi, puzzled. "Who are you? Why are you on my ship?"

Vivi bowed respectfully, afraid Luffy might be hostile.

"We're from Whisky Peak," she said quietly. "We came here to find food."

Then she lowered her head and added, "Please, can you take us to Whisky Peak?"

Luffy thought for a moment, then smiled. "Sure, we'll help you."

No one else objected. Even Leo was eager to visit Whisky Peak—to see Robin, who was always on his mind.

Once Crocus returned, the old man led Luffy and the crew through the waterway inside Laboon, just like the stories from the original novel.

As they traveled, Crocus told Laboon's story—the heart-wrenching tale of a whale waiting for his long-lost friends.

Moved, Luffy impulsively began to spar with Laboon, just as he had promised to fight the whale after sailing around the world for a week.

Leo couldn't help but think that if Luffy was any slower, he'd probably have been swallowed again.

But the question remained—could a rubber man like Luffy be digested at all?

Finally, Crocus took out three record pointers from the lighthouse and handed them to Nami, the navigator.

Two of these were the permanent pointers Leo had requested—essential tools for their journey ahead.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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