One Piece: In Search of Freedom [Book 1]

CH 12: A PROMISE BETWEEN A PIRATE AND A WHALE

Inherited will...

The tide of the times...

People's dreams...

These things cannot be stopped.

As long as people seek the answer of freedom, these things will never cease to be!

The Merry was docked beside the fake islands and the pirates got off to help the old man who lived here. Crocus had everything one would need to take care of all kinds of injuries and sickness. Though, considering he received two cannonballs to his gut, he wasn't too badly injured.

Plopping on his chair below the palm, Crocus breathed out, "I thank you for saving me, but... Why?" It wasn't like they knew each other and there were no benefits to be obtained. As the keeper of the lighthouse that greeted people into the Grand Line, he couldn't say he was used to such selfless help, less so from pirates.

But Luffy isn't exactly like most people. "I wasn't trying to save you. I just didn't like them for some reason."

"Some reason, you say?" [Name] glanced up at the idiot monkey who was climbing the palm as if it was the most interesting thing in this place.

Ignoring the captain, Nami asked, motioning to the tied-up and unconscious duo that Luffy had knocked out, "Say, who are these guys? What are you doing inside this whale?"

"They are thugs from a nearby town who are after whale meat. This whale is an island whale, normally found in the West Blue. It's the largest species of whales in the world. If they capture Laboon, his meat can feed their town for 2 to 3 years."

"Laboon?"

At the question, Crocus followed up, "It's the name of this whale... I won't allow them to have him. You know, there is a reason why Laboon keeps bashing himself against the Red Line and howling towards Reverse Mountain. He is... a whale with a human heart. And he's been devotedly waiting for a certain pirate group... for 50 long years..."

"50 years...? Most people wouldn't wait that long for anyone..." muttered [Name]. Although there are those rare cases of true love or when it comes to families, most people move on after waiting for a couple of years. By 50, very likely, they would have long forgotten about any past promises.

"Laboon is special..." Crocus's lips curled up into a sad smile that was shrouded with gloom, "I'll tell you... Laboon's story..."

50 years ago was when Crocus first met Laboon. Back then, the island whale, known as the largest species of whale in the world, was just a tiny little thing compared to his current size. But it was due to his small size that Laboon was able to jump from the West Blue to the Grand Line in pursuit of a crew of pirates that had managed to pass Reverse Mountain.

At that point in time, Gold Roger had not become King of the Pirates and it was still a long time before the Great Pirate Era began, but it wasn't rare for pirate crews to appear in Reverse Mountain from time to time.

One like the people who came with Laboon, the Rumbar Pirates, was a bit of an odd existence though. They were a nice group of fellows who just wanted to explore the whole of the Grand Line although there was no One Piece that they knew of. It was them who had somehow become friends with a little whale and they all sailed together throughout the West Blue.

But the Grand Line wasn't the same at all, danger appearing at every corner. They had tried to leave Laboon back in the West Blue, but the little one had followed them when they weren't paying attention. So, after spending a couple of months there to repair their ship, the crew partied all night and then entrusted Laboon to Crocus, promising to return from the other side of Reverse Mountain after taking one round trip around the world.