Afterwards, everyone went down to Crocus's artificial island, where he explained to them that the whale was of the largest species in the world called the Island Whale. In turn, he explained that some people were trying to kill it to take its meat, which is why he will protect it.
He also explained that she arrived at that place along with a pirate crew that left her, since the Grand Line was too dangerous, but they promised they would return when they traveled around the world.
"That's why she keeps roaring and hitting her head and forms a wall with her body," Nami told him.
"Because this was almost 50 years ago and she believes her friends are alive," Crocus said.
After learning Crocus's story, he began to guide them through the exit until they could get out to the sea.
"Yahoo! We're out!! It's the real sky!!" Luffy shouted.
"Hey, what do we do with these guys?" Oliver asked, holding onto Vivi and Mr. 9.
"Just throw them into the sea," Luffy told him.
Oliver obeyed and threw them into the sea, waking them up.
"AGH! What is this?!" Mr. 9 said.
"The gastric juice sea?!" Miss Wednesday asked.
"No! This is the real sea, Miss Wednesday!" the man told her upon realizing where they were.
"It seems we were knocked out by those pirates, Mr. 9!" the woman told him.
"So, who are you guys?" Luffy asked them.
"Shut up! This is none of your business!" the bounty hunter woman shouted at him.
"No, wait, Miss Wednesday. Don't you see they are pirates, our business is pirates," the man told her.
"You're right, Mr. 9. The organization will be very interested in them. Just wait!" the woman shouted at everyone. "Then we'll meet again, dirty pirates!"
"And you Crocus!! Someday we'll get your whale!!" the man shouted at him.
They quickly left the cape, leaving them behind.
The Straw Hats got off the ship to rest and to be able to repair the damage to Luffy's favorite seat, in addition to checking if the acidic sea damaged it.
"Does she really believe her friends will return after having been at this cape for 50 years?" Sanji asked.
"Those pirates sure have made her wait a long time," Luffy said, leaning back.
"Idiot, this is the Grand Line. Anyone who says they'll be back in 2 or 3 years won't be back in 50. That's ridiculous. They're dead, they won't return no matter how much she waits," Sanji told him pessimistically.
"How can you say such hopeless things, you bastard?!" Usopp shouted at him, angry at Sanji's words. "You don't know that! They will return!! It's a dramatic story about a whale that continues to believe in her friends' promise."
"But the truth is even crueler than you imagine."
Crocus's words made everyone listen attentively.
"They fled the Grand Line. It was all part of their plan."
"W-WHAT?!" Usopp said, incredulous at what he had just heard.
"And they left this whale behind?! But to escape they would have to cross the Calm Belt!" Nami shouted.
"Yes, and from then on it is unknown if they are dead or alive, but even if they were alive, they wouldn't return here by any means. Everything, the seasons, weather, ocean currents, and wind direction would make it impossible," Crocus said in a serious tone. "Common sense is something this sea doesn't have much of. The terror of the Grand Line instantly invades the hearts of the weak."
"And those weak of heart, before they thought about how much the promise meant to them, escaped the sea," Sanji said.
"You mean they just abandoned this whale?! And this poor whale has been here 50 years waiting because she believes they will come back for her?! It's despicable!" Usopp shouted, angry at those who abandoned the whale.
"If you know that, why haven't you told her? This whale can understand people when they speak, right?!" Nami asked him.
"I told her, I didn't leave anything out of the whole story, but she doesn't listen," Crocus said.
He told them that he had told her everything, but she started screaming so she wouldn't have to keep listening, and since that day she started looking at Reverse Mountain and howling, besides hitting her head against the Red Line as if she were asking them to return.
"Why does a whale wait even after being betrayed?" Sanji asked, not understanding. "Especially when there's nothing to wait for."
"Even if you keep telling her, she will keep waiting, she still doesn't believe they abandoned her or that they are dead. She continues waiting for that promise, plus I doubt she can leave," Oliver said. 'And in the end you were right. You are quite perceptive, Laboon'
"As you say, her place of origin is on the other side of the Red Line in the West Blue. It's too late for her to return, so all she wanted was to be friends with those she accompanied here," Crocus replied to him.
While they were talking, Luffy went to the Going Merry, ripping off the ship's mast, and started running toward Laboon, climbing her, which confused everyone.
"Okay, I made it to the top! This is where your new wound is, right?!" Luffy said, looking at Laboon's wound. "Gum-Gum Bouquet!!!"
He stretched his hands, holding the mast up to the sky to bring it down at high speed, stabbing it right where the whale had its wound.
"Isn't that the mast?" Zoro asked.
"The mast..." Sanji said, analyzing what was happening.
"Yeah, from our ship," Usopp said, seeing that it was.
Laboon didn't know what happened until she felt a great pain, so she started screaming and thrashing around everywhere.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!" everyone shouted, angry and scared.
"DON'T DESTROY THE SHIP!!" Usopp shouted, seeing how he damaged the ship.
Luffy was tossed from side to side until Laboon stopped angrily and went straight to crash against the Red Line to get that thing out of her head.
"It's coming this way!!" Zoro shouted, seeing how Laboon was going to crush them again.
"She's going to crush me!!" Usopp shouted, scared.
Everyone got out of the way so as not to be crushed.
Crocus was scared because he thought Laboon had killed Luffy.
"W-WHAT?! B-BOY?!" he asked, scared and ready to go stop Laboon.
"No, it's dangerous!! He's fine, he won't die if he gets crushed!" Nami told him, stopping Crocus.
Laboon screamed again because the headbutt she gave hurt, so she backed away.
"Hahaha, Idiot!" Luffy said, without any dangerous injuries, but with some scrapes.
Luffy stretched his arm to give her a strong punch in the eye, only to anger her even more and make her keep attacking.
At that moment, Laboon attacked him and threw him far away, making him crash into the lighthouse.
"Luffy! What do you think you're trying to do?!" Zoro asked, not knowing what his captain was doing.
Laboon was going to attack him again, but Luffy let out a loud shout.
"THIS IS A DRAW!!!"
What he shouted made Laboon stop her charge.
"I'm very strong, huh? Our battle isn't over yet. Someday we have to fight again! Your friends have died, but now I am your rival. When we finish sailing the Grand Line, I will come to see you."
Laboon was shedding tears of happiness.
"AND THEN WE WILL FIGHT AGAIN!!"
Laboon shouted again, but no longer out of sadness or anything bad, but because she was genuinely happy.
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