"Am I dreaming?"
Nami mumbled, her eyes full of tears as she grasped Shano's arm tightly. "Brother, I'm still alive, right? This isn't some scene you can only see after ascending to Heaven, is it?"
But how could there be another world inside a whale's stomach? It doesn't make sense!
"Hey, take a closer look..."
Shano pointed to the dome, attempting to clear things up for the crew. "Above us is a semicircular dome; the blue sky and white clouds are all fake, painted on."
The crew members followed his gaze.
Indeed, although the blue sky and white clouds looked very realistic, the clouds didn't move at all. Upon closer inspection, one could notice ink crease marks in some places.
"What about the ocean then?"
Kuina asked, stretching out her arms in confusion. "Such a vast sea, could it also be painted?"
"It's stomach acid."
A soft voice came from beside them.
Everyone turned their heads.
They just saw a small skiff leisurely drifting from the left, with an old man on it who shot them a blank look.
The old man's hair resembled petals, and he wore a flamboyant tropical shirt, carrying an enormous syringe over his shoulder that's taller and thicker than a person...
"Be careful not to fall off," the old man said. "Ordinary people won't last long inside here; they'll be corroded to bones."
"Hey, old man!"
Nami quickly called out. "Don't leave just yet, this is still the whale's stomach, right? But how did this place become like this, and how do we get out of here?!"
"So rude."
The old man stopped the skiff, frowning at Nami. "Who brought this kid here? Isn't it proper to introduce yourself before asking someone else's name?"
"Oh, that's true, sorry." Nami said, scratching her head in embarrassment. "My name is Na..."
"I am Crocus, the lighthouse keeper at Twin Cape, sixty-seven years old, blood type AB, Gemini," the old man responded calmly.
"You're the one with no manners!!"
Nami's temple veins bulged out as she roared angrily with sharp teeth, "At least let me finish speaking, you damn old man! Do you believe I'll burn off your feather-like hair?!"
Whoosh! As soon as she heated up, her orange hair burst into a ball of flaming orange flames, soaring and burning.
"Hmm? Devil Fruit?"
Crocus glanced surprisingly. "This kind of power can't be used casually; it could kill someone accidentally."
"Kill someone?"
Nami paused, instinctively retracting the flame. "Is there a side effect?"
"I meant it could kill me," Crocus pointed at himself.
"So it's you!!" Everyone laughed uproariously.
"No, old man."
Unable to bear it, Nami said angrily, "As the lighthouse keeper here, do you talk to everyone like this? There are many bad-tempered pirates inside. It's amazing that you've survived safely until now!"
"Ordinary pirates are nothing much."
Crocus glanced at Shano. "But when it comes to you, I'm actually a bit afraid; a great pirate with a bounty of 180 million Belly before even entering the Grand Line, that's one of a kind in decades."
"Pirates? We're not pirates; we're the Adventurer's Guild!"
Nami corrected him first, then looked at Shano with pride, laughing. "Brother, did you hear that! Your fame is really big now; even someone from the Grand Line is intimidated by you!"
"Listen to him blabbering."
Shano leaned against the railing, curiously observing Crocus:
"Such a legend who's been through countless great events in the past couldn't possibly be scared of me… by the way, don't you think his self-introduction sounds familiar? Roger's ship doctor was named this, you know."
Roger?
This old man, dressed in beach wear and sandals, seeming unremarkable, turns out to be the ship doctor on the Pirate King's ship?
Everyone froze, then exclaimed in surprise:
"Eh—?!"
"Does an unseen old geezer like me still have someone who remembers?"
Crocus looked surprisingly at Shano. "Over these years, all those pirates passing through here who shouted about inheriting Roger's will didn't recognize me. Well, except for two youngsters, but they've been acquainted for a long time, they don't count..."
He glanced up at the white flag fluttering on the mast. "Earlier you said you were adventurers, not pirates? Now I believe you."
Boom!
A dull crash against the mountains suddenly sounded once again from outside.
Accompanied by a mournful wail, the entire interior of the dome began to roar with wind, torrents of waves rushing.
"Almost delayed the main business."
Crocus shook his head and pointed at the gigantic syringe on his shoulder. "Follow me, I'll explain your doubts as I work."
...
Ka—
As the gigantic syringe pierced the pink flesh wall and the sedative inside was depleted, Laboon, crashing against the Red Earth Continent, gradually quieted down.
Originally turbulent with waves, the stomach now became calm and serene.
"...In short, since then it's been shouting at Inverted Mountain, constantly crashing against the Red Earth Continent, even though I've persuaded many times, Laboon still refuses to accept reality."
Crocus sets down the empty syringe and peacefully finishes the last part.
"...Boo hoo, no wonder its head has so many scars from desperately crashing, turned out it was longing to see its companions..."
The three emotionally sensitive girls were already on the verge of tears; even Zeff hid aside, lit a cigarette, and gazed wistfully at the artificial sky on the dome.
"Ah Yin." Nami hugged Silver Wolf's leg sorrowfully. "If we ever get forced to separate one day, would you also stay at Inverted Mountain, constantly crash the Red Earth Continent with your head? If that day ever comes, promise me, don't be so foolish."