The Grand Line, Twin Cape.
"Strange. Where did Crocus go?" Perona asked, floating around and scanning the area for the lighthouse keeper.
"Maybe he's inside Laboon's stomach," Robin mused, gently rubbing her chin. "I read there's an entire customized resort inside the whale's belly."
"Crocus?" "Laboon?" "...Stomach?!"
The newer crew members looked utterly bewildered. A customized resort inside a stomach? That sounded completely absurd.
"Laboon is an Island Whale, a species unique to the West Blue," Bardock explained. "Adult Island Whales are literally the size of small islands. When he was just a calf, Laboon followed a pirate crew of human friends all the way to this cape. But because the Grand Line was far too dangerous for a baby whale, his friends left him here in the care of the lighthouse keeper, Crocus. They promised they would reunite with him and continue their adventure together once they finished navigating the Grand Line. That was decades ago."
"Judging by the timeline, it seems that pirate crew is never coming back," Law deduced analytically.
"The crew faced immense hardships on their journey," Bardock continued, his tone turning solemn. "When they reached the Florian Triangle, they were ambushed and infected with a lethal poison by an enemy crew. Although they managed to defeat their attackers, their ship's doctor was the first to fall in battle. So they..."
Bardock trailed off. He didn't need to finish the sentence. Stranded in the fog, poisoned, and lacking a doctor—if they hadn't returned in decades, total annihilation was the only logical outcome.
However, Bardock suddenly smiled. "Actually, one of them did manage to cheat death thanks to a Devil Fruit ability. Unfortunately, the battle completely crippled their ship, leaving him stranded and unable to escape the Florian Triangle."
"A Devil Fruit that grants resurrection?!" The crew gasped, genuinely intrigued.
If they knew Brook had resurrected as a walking skeleton, their reactions would likely be far more entertaining. It always struck Bardock that the Revive-Revive Fruit didn't seem to manipulate Lineage Factors like standard fruits, but rather operated directly on the soul.
With Crocus temporarily absent, Bardock wasn't in any rush. The crew decided to set up camp at the base of the lighthouse, enjoying a hearty meal and some well-deserved rest.
During their meal, a pirate ship came crashing down Reverse Mountain, miraculously surviving the descent into the Grand Line. Unfortunately, they were traditional, violent pirates who arrogantly decided to attack the White Dragon crew.
Consequently, their Grand Line adventure concluded instantly. Their ship was blown to splinters and sunk before they even knew what hit them.
The commotion on the water, coupled with the blood and thrashing of the drowning pirates, swiftly attracted a pack of predators: a school of vicious, dog-headed Sea Beasts.
Bardock completely ignored the drowning men. These lawless scumbags lived purely to destroy; letting them live held zero value.
The Sea Beasts were enjoying their bloody feast when they suddenly let out a unified, terrified howl. Tucking their tails between their legs like frightened puppies, the massive creatures scrambled frantically away from the blood in the water.
"Oh, looks like he's back." Bardock set down his plate and stared at the churning sea.
Sure enough, a colossal shadow rapidly expanded beneath the surface. With a massive eruption of water, a gargantuan whale breached the surface.
The creature was so impossibly large that no pot in the world could ever hope to stew it.
"BWOOOOOOO!" Laboon unleashed a long, echoing bellow. His massive, intelligent eyes focused directly on Bardock and the crew. It was obvious the whale still recognized them.
Bardock shook his head, quickly tossing away the inappropriate thought of whale stew. "Long time no see, Laboon."
"BWOOOOOOO!" Laboon trumpeted again, seemingly offering a cheerful greeting.
A moment later, a heavy iron hatch on Laboon's massive head swung open, and Crocus climbed out. The old doctor spotted Bardock's crew immediately.
"Oh, it's you brats!" Crocus called out. "Did you manage to find Brook?"
"I haven't met him personally, but a friend of mine did," Bardock replied, referring to Gecko Moria. "Unfortunately, Brook firmly rejected my friend's invitation to join his crew. So, he should still be floating around somewhere in the Florian Triangle."
Having regained a significant portion of his former heroic spirit, Moria had once again established his base in the Florian Triangle to quietly amass power. During his operations, he encountered the skeletal musician. After Brook refused recruitment, Moria respected his choice; he didn't steal the skeleton's shadow this time, but he didn't offer any assistance off the ship, either.
"That's fantastic news! Did you hear that, Laboon? Brook is truly still alive!" Crocus shouted, his face lighting up with joy.
"Old Man Crocus," Bardock interjected seriously. "Has Laboon managed to awaken Haki yet? If he hasn't, I strongly advise against taking him to search for Brook yourselves. There are likely gargantuan, primordial Sea Kings lurking in those waters."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Crocus waved off the concern, swiftly changing the subject. "Come inside and let's chat. I saw your new bounty poster. What on earth happened there?"
"Stop right there," Bardock snapped, his eye twitching. "If you refuse to mention the bounty, we can remain good friends."
"Hahaha! Fair enough. Come on in, then, and tell me all about your adventures."
Crocus chuckled and led the way into his cozy quarters at the base of the Twin Towers.
The crew filed inside, settling in as they eagerly began recounting the thrilling highlights of their voyage across the Four Blues.