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Chapter 83 - C82: Promise

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After eating and drinking their fill, Satori and his companions—being kind-hearted—shared a significant portion of their food and drinks with the yellow-haired middle-aged man and his group. They then prepared to hoist the sails, leave Twin Capes, and officially embark on their journey into the Grand Line.

"Waaah! Thank you! Thank you! You are the best people we've ever met!" The yellow-haired man and his brothers were once again reduced to tears, snot streaming down their faces. Their hearts were heavy with guilt; they had tried to rob these people, yet they had been met with forgiveness and generosity. They secretly swore to reform and follow the example of Satori's crew, even making dark oaths about being "stabbed through the heart" if they ever committed another bad deed.

"Alright, alright, just stay here with Old Man Crocus," Nami said with a wave of her hand. "When the opportunity arises and the current reverses, hurry home and reunite with your families."

"Hehe, you guys must be good people from now on!" Satori added, grinning as he held the back of his head. He was genuinely happy to see them turning over a new leaf.

"I wish you a safe journey back to your hometown," Sanji said concisely, lighting a cigarette as the smoke drifted into the sea breeze.

On the Dream Chaser, Nami told Satori to raise the sails, but Satori didn't comply immediately. Instead, he hurried to the side of the ship and shouted into the distance:

"Hey! Laboon—!"

Splash! Splash! Laboon, who was gradually recovering from the effects of the tranquilizer, poked its massive head out of the water and looked at him. Nami and Sanji were puzzled, wondering why Satori was calling the giant whale. On Twin Capes, Crocus also looked over, his calm eyes silently observing.

Under everyone's gaze, Satori cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Laboon!!! I believe your companions definitely aren't dead!!! And they definitely haven't forgotten you!!! Shall I help you find them?!!!"

Splash! Splash! Splash! Half of Laboon's mountain-sized body emerged from the sea, bringing its eye right up to the Dream Chaser.

"Woo—?!" It seemed to be asking: Are you telling the truth?

"It's true!! I will definitely help you find them!! And I'll bring them back to see you!!" Satori shouted, a brilliant, confident smile on his face.

"Woo—!!" Laboon's voice was filled with a new, vibrant excitement. Its tail slapped the water in joy, sending massive splashes into the air. The ship swayed violently with the wake, but Satori stood steady like an old pine tree.

"Then Laboon!! You can't keep hitting the Red Line and hurting yourself!! You must protect yourself!! Only then can you wait for your companions to come see you!!"

"Woo!! Woo!!" Laboon nodded in a very human-like manner, promising to listen.

Watching this, Crocus felt a slight sting in the corners of his eyes. A gentle smile appeared on his face. He didn't logically believe Laboon would ever see those pirates again, but Satori's confidence was infectious. For the first time in fifty years, a spark of real hope bloomed at Twin Capes.

Whoosh! Whoosh! After the promise was made, Satori skillfully raised the sails, and the strong wind propelled the Dream Chaser forward.

"Laboon!! See you again then!!" Satori, wrapped around the mast, waved.

"Woo!!!" (Goodbye!)

"Old Man! Everyone! We're saying goodbye too!" Satori waved at Crocus and the farmers.

"Goodbye!! May you have a smooth journey!!" the yellow-haired man and his brothers shouted back at the top of their lungs until the ship became a speck on the horizon.

After sailing some distance, once Twin Capes was no longer visible, Nami delivered a "Duang" punch to Satori's head.

"Satori! Do you know what you were just saying? Those people have been gone for fifty years! Fifty years!" she roared irritably. "Even if they weren't killed by the sea, they probably died of old age! You're promising to find a group of people who are likely just bones!"

She hadn't stopped him in front of Laboon, but now she felt he needed a reality check.

"But you only said 'possibly,' so they might be alive too," Satori argued, rubbing his head. "Besides, I was going to find people anyway, so what's wrong with helping Laboon find his friends?"

"That's an extremely, extremely small possibility!" Nami was exasperated. "Alright, even if they are alive... how are you going to find them? Do you know what they look like? Do you know their names?"

Satori froze. After a few seconds of being stunned, his eyes widened. "Oh! I forgot to ask those questions! Nami! Should we turn back and ask?"

Duang!!

Nami gave him another punch. "How can we go back! We're already on the route! We don't have a permanent Log Pose for Twin Capes! We can only go forward to the next island now!"

Satori rubbed his head and mumbled: "I know, I know... if we can't go back, we can't go back. But we still have to find them. I think they must still be alive, and they must still remember Laboon."

His eyes were firm. His logic wasn't based on deep consideration; it was simple: he wanted to help a friend, so he would.

"Alright, fine, you're the Captain anyway," Nami sighed, relenting. She knew that when Satori made a serious decision in his heart, he wouldn't budge. As his companion, the only thing left to do was support him.

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