Silence settled over the shore.
After Crocus agreed to tell the story, no one spoke.
Even the faint sounds of water inside Laboon seemed quieter.
Nami crossed her arms, trying to look composed.
Tashigi stood straight, her grip on her sword loosening slightly.
Kaya remained beside Kael, her expression gentle but attentive.
Crocus glanced at them.
Then his eyes moved to Kael.
"Before I start…"
He gestured toward the small house behind him.
"Do you want to come inside?"
"…Or will you keep listening from that far away?"
Tashigi frowned immediately.
"Huh? We can hear you clearly from he—"
"Alright."
Kael stepped forward without hesitation.
Nami blinked.
"What are you doing, Kael?!"
Kaya hesitated.
"Kael-san… I think Nami is right…"
"He might try to—"
Kael turned his head slightly.
His expression remained calm.
"Don't worry."
"He doesn't have any ill intentions."
There was no force in his voice.
No visible pressure.
Just quiet certainty.
The three women paused.
Kaya instinctively tried to sense something—but found nothing.
Her Observation Haki was still too weak for that.
Still—
They trusted Kael.
If he said it was safe—
Then it was.
Nami exhaled sharply.
"…Fine."
"But if something happens—"
She pointed at him.
"It's your fault."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Sure."
And just like that—
The Sylvarion Pirates followed Crocus into the house.
The interior was simple.
Books.
Medical equipment.
A table placed at the center.
They sat down.
Crocus stood near the window for a moment.
Then—
He began.
"A long time ago…"
His voice was steady.
But heavy.
"There was a small whale."
"A baby."
"He came from the West Blue."
Kaya's eyes softened instantly.
"A baby…?"
Crocus nodded.
"He followed a pirate crew all the way here."
Nami frowned.
"From another sea…?"
"That's insane."
Tashigi crossed her arms.
"…He must've been attached to them."
Crocus gave a small nod.
"The Rumbar Pirates."
"They were a cheerful group."
"They sang."
"They laughed."
"They treated that whale like one of their own."
Kaya smiled faintly.
"That sounds… nice."
Kael remained silent.
His gaze lowered slightly.
Crocus continued.
"But when they reached the Grand Line…"
"They had to leave him behind."
Kaya's smile faded.
"…Why?"
"The Grand Line is too dangerous."
"They knew he wouldn't survive."
Tashigi clenched her jaw slightly.
"…So they left him here."
Crocus nodded.
"They made a promise."
"That they would return."
Nami looked away slightly.
"…Of course they did."
"But they never came back."
Silence filled the room.
Kaya lowered her head.
"…That's cruel."
Crocus exhaled slowly.
"For years…"
"That whale waited."
"Every single day."
Kael's hands tightened slightly.
Crocus's voice grew heavier.
"And when they didn't return…"
"He started hitting his head against the Red Line."
Nami's eyes widened.
"…What?"
"To break it."
"To return to the West Blue."
"To find them again."
Tashigi's expression stiffened.
"That's…"
She couldn't finish.
Kaya covered her mouth slightly.
"…He really believed they would be there…"
Crocus nodded.
"For years."
"Decades."
"Those scars…"
"Are the result."
Silence.
No one spoke.
Even Kael—
Who already knew everything—
Felt a familiar bitterness settle in his chest.
The image of a lone whale, endlessly crashing against an immovable wall, replayed in his mind.
Waiting.
Believing.
Enduring.
Crocus finally sighed.
Then stood up slowly.
"…Looks like they abandoned their quest."
His voice carried quiet resignation.
"They probably panicked…"
"And fled through the Calm Belt."
He looked toward the distance.
"I believe…"
"…they forgot their promise."
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Painful.
Kaya lowered her gaze.
"…That's horrible…"
Tashigi frowned deeply.
"…No one should be left like that."
Nami didn't say anything.
But her expression had darkened.
Then—
A sound echoed.
Deep.
Resonating through the entire space.
A cry.
Laboon.
It wasn't violent.
It wasn't angry.
It was—
Defiant.
Crocus stiffened.
"…Laboon."
"Calm down."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"I don't want to believe it either, but—"
"You're wrong."
The voice cut through the room.
Clear.
Firm.
Everyone froze.
Kael stood up.
His gaze steady.
Locked onto Crocus.
"They never forgot their promise."
Silence.
Crocus frowned.
"…What do you mean, young man?"
"If they didn't forget…"
"Then why didn't they return?"
His voice rose slightly.
"It's been more than fifty years."
Tashigi turned toward Kael.
"Yes… Kael-san."
"What do you mean?"
Kaya's eyes searched his face.
"…You know something, don't you?"
Nami stepped forward.
"Yeah, don't just say things like that."
"Explain."
Even Laboon—
Though unseen—
Felt closer.
Its presence shifting.
Its heartbeat faster.
Hope.
Kael took a slow breath.
Then spoke.
Calm.
Measured.
"Fifty-two years ago…"
"All the members of the Rumbar Pirates…"
He paused.
"…died in the Florian Triangle."
Silence.
A deep, suffocating silence.
No one spoke.
Not a single word dared to break the stillness that had suddenly taken hold of the room.
Kael's statement lingered in the air like an invisible weight pressing down on everyone present.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Tashigi stood frozen in place.
Her body had gone stiff, her mind unable to process what she had just heard. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the hilt of her sword, as if grounding herself in something real.
Kaya's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something—
But no words came out.
Her breath caught somewhere in her throat, her chest rising and falling unevenly.
Nami didn't even blink.
Her eyes remained locked on Kael, wide and unshaken, as if refusing to accept what had just been said.
Even Crocus—
A man who had lived with this story for decades—
Said nothing.
His expression had completely stilled.
And Laboon…
For the first time—
Did not react.
No immediate cry.
No violent movement.
No trembling.
Nothing.
It was as if the entire world had paused.
As if time itself had hesitated.
Died…?
The word echoed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Laboon heard it.
He understood the meaning.
He understood the weight behind it.
But his mind—
Refused.
Refused to accept it.
No…
That's not right…
A faint tremor passed through his massive body.
Almost unnoticeable.
Yet unmistakable.
He wanted to get angry.
Wanted to lash out.
Wanted to deny it.
How dare this human say that…?
How dare he speak of them like that…?
His family.
His crew.
His promise.
Everything—
Reduced to a single, simple sentence.
He wanted to roar.
To scream.
To crush everything around him.
To reject those words with all his strength.
But…
Nothing came out.
His throat tightened.
His voice—gone.
Instead—
His massive body stilled completely.
And slowly—
Very slowly—
Tears began to gather in his eyes.
Large.
Heavy.
Unstoppable.
They clung to the edges for a brief moment—
Before falling.
He didn't understand.
Why couldn't he get angry?
Why couldn't he scream?
Why did his chest feel so heavy…?
Why did it hurt this much…?
Why did the truth feel so much worse than the lie he had held onto for decades?
Inside the house—
Kael exhaled quietly.
A slow, controlled breath.
Looking at the four people staring at him—
Wide-eyed.
Unmoving.
Shaken to their core—
He continued.
His voice remained calm.
Measured.
Steady.
Unwavering in the face of the storm he had just unleashed.
"The captain of the Rumbar Pirates…"
"Captain Yorki…"
"…and half of the crew contracted an incurable disease."
Crocus's fingers twitched.
A small movement.
Barely noticeable—
But it carried weight.
Kael noticed.
But did not stop.
Did not soften the truth.
"They had no choice but to stay behind on an island."
"The rest of the crew…"
"…continued under Brook's leadership."
Kaya's hands trembled slightly.
Her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress.
"…Brook…"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Fragile.
Kael gave a faint nod.
A quiet confirmation.
"But they didn't make it far."
"They were attacked."
"Enemies using poisoned weapons."
Nami's breathing hitched.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Her hand instinctively rose to her chest as if trying to steady her heartbeat.
"…Poison…?"
"There was no way to recover."
"No way to escape it."
Tashigi lowered her head.
Her bangs cast a shadow over her eyes.
Her grip on her sword tightened—
Knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Kael's eyes darkened slightly.
A flicker of something deeper passing through them.
"So they chose how they would die."
The silence deepened further.
Thicker.
Heavier.
Almost suffocating.
"They sang."
"Their favourite song."
His voice softened—
Just a fraction.
Barely noticeable.
Yet enough to change the tone.
"Binks' Brew."
"And one by one…"
"…they died."
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The image those words created—
Was far too vivid.
Far too heavy.
Far too final.
"This…"
"…is what happened 52 years ago in the Florian Triangle."
Time seemed to stretch.
Moments passing slower than they should.
It took longer than it should have—
For the words to settle.
To be understood.
To sink in.
To be accepted.
Crocus's head slowly lowered.
His shoulders trembled.
At first, only slightly—
Then more visibly.
"You…"
His voice came out rough.
Uneven.
As if dragged through something sharp.
"You know Yorki…"
A pause.
Heavy.
"You know Brook…"
Another.
"And even that song…"
Slowly—
He lifted his head.
His face—
Broken.
Completely.
Eyes red.
Tears streaming freely down his face without restraint.
No composure.
No restraint.
Just raw, unfiltered emotion.
"You're really telling the truth… aren't you, Kael?!"
No one interrupted.
No one could.
The women were no different.
Tashigi kept her head lowered, her sword clenched tightly in her hand—
As if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.
Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes.
Kaya covered her mouth.
Her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried—
And failed—
To hold herself together.
Nami…
Didn't even try.
Tears streamed freely down her face.
Her body trembled.
Her breathing uneven.
"…That's not fair…"
Crocus wiped his face with his sleeve.
Tried to steady himself.
Tried to regain control.
But the emotions refused to settle.
Then he looked at Kael again.
Serious.
Searching.
Almost desperate.
"Kael…"
"Tell me honestly…"
"Just who are y—"
The world shook.
Violently.
The house trembled as if struck by something massive.
The ground beneath them shifted, unstable and wild.
Everyone lost their balance instantly.
"What—?!"
A sound followed.
Not just loud—
Overwhelming.
A cry.
But it didn't hit the ears.
It struck directly at the heart.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Pure pain.
Anyone who heard it—
Felt it.
The grief.
The despair.
The emptiness.
It wrapped around them.
Pressed against their chests.
Made breathing difficult.
It was suffocating.
"Laboon…!"
Crocus's voice cracked.
Outside—
The massive whale trembled.
Its enormous body shaking uncontrollably.
Its eyes burned red.
Tears poured endlessly.
He had heard everything.
Every word.
Every truth.
He tried to stay still.
Tried to endure.
Tried to hold on—
But he couldn't anymore.
The dam had broken.
With a deafening force—
He slammed his head against the Red Line.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Harder.
More violent.
More desperate.
"LABOON!! STOP!!"
Crocus struggled to stay on his feet.
"Your injuries will get worse!!"
Inside—
Chaos erupted.
The violent shaking made it nearly impossible to stand.
Kaya stumbled, losing her balance.
Nami slipped, her footing completely thrown off.
Tashigi braced herself against the wall, teeth clenched tightly.
Kael moved instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without even a moment of doubt.
He caught Nami before she could hit the ground—
His grip firm and steady.
At the same time, his other hand moved to support Kaya—
Stabilizing her before she fell.
"Tch—"
He clicked his tongue lightly.
His eyes scanning the room quickly.
Sharp.
Focused.
Making sure all three were stable.
"…Stay here."
His voice was calm.
Decisive.
Then—
He turned.
And moved.
Fast.
Without hesitation.
"Where are you going?!"
Nami's voice cut through the chaos.
"Kael-san, that's dangerous!"
Kaya's voice trembled.
"Young man, stop!!"
Crocus shouted.
"Don't go outside!!"
But Kael didn't slow down.
Didn't stop.
Didn't respond.
He stepped outside.
And the moment he did—
The full force of Laboon's grief hit him.
The air felt heavy.
Dense.
Almost suffocating.
The ground trembled beneath his feet with each violent impact.
Kael stood firm.
Unaffected.
Unshaken.
His gaze slowly lifted toward the massive whale.
Serious.
Focused.
"…Damn it."
"I should've known this would happen."
Another violent impact echoed.
The Red Line shook once more.
Kael exhaled slowly.
A controlled breath.
Then—
A faint smirk formed on his lips.
Calm.
Confident.
"…Looks like it's time to use that."