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"The Pirate King's doctor?! This strange old man?!" Everyone present, except Rowen, stared in disbelief.
"I never expected to encounter a young man like you on these seas," Crocus said, looking at Rowen with a complex expression. He had witnessed everything that just transpired.
This level of 'Disposition'—he had seen it once before, in another man. The same freedom, the same disregard for convention, the same overwhelming presence.
Looking at Rowen, who seemed to radiate light just by standing there, and at Nami and the others who trusted him unconditionally, Crocus felt a wave of emotion.
Roger—how many years has it been? Seeing such a powerfully charismatic young man, such a tight-knit group of comrades—it still brings you to mind.
A hint of tears welled in Crocus's eyes as he reminisced about his days with Roger and the crew.
"Old man! Were you really the Pirate King's doctor?!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Aye. Served as doctor for that fellow Roger for a few years. That man—insisted on conquering the Grand Line despite having an incurable disease—Just like you lot, always doing things recklessly," Crocus chuckled, reminiscing, speaking more freely than usual.
"Eh? The Pirate King conquered the Grand Line while having an incurable disease?! SUGEEE!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Old man! Tell me more stories about the Pirate King!" Luffy pleaded with a wide grin.
"Oh? You're that interested in the Pirate King?" Crocus smiled, looking at Luffy.
"Because I'm the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared passionately.
"Gonna be Pirate King, eh? Hahaha!" Crocus looked at Luffy and burst into hearty laughter.
If seeing Rowen reminded him of Roger through his Charisma and Presence...
Then seeing Luffy reminded him of Roger through his actions and personality.
This kid—his personality really was just like Roger's.
And...
Crocus glanced at Luffy's straw hat, his eyes flickering thoughtfully.
That hat... belonged to Roger.
Roger later gave it to Shanks, who was just an apprentice on their ship back then—now an Emperor himself.
And Shanks, passed this hat onto this boy?
Also—this young man's title was 'Sky Sovereign', wasn't it? Crocus recalled the epithet of their own vice-captain, Rayleigh.
'Dark King'—Silvers Rayleigh!
Though Crocus joined later, he had sailed with Roger and the others all the way to the final island, Laugh Tale. He knew about the three Ancient Weapons. This young man's title was clearly chosen to parallel Rayleigh's!
Plus, Crocus, living here at Twin Capes, spent most of his days reading newspapers. He had followed the news about Rowen and Monkey D. Luffy closely.
Possessing impressive Conqueror's Haki before even entering the Grand Line, clashing his Haki against Hawk-Eyes... this young man seemed to possess an even greater 'Disposition' for becoming a King.
Crocus looked at Rowen, his gaze filled with complex emotions.
Not to say this young man's Haki surpassed Rayleigh's—back in the day, the only one who could definitively overpower Rayleigh's Haki was Roger himself.
It was more—a feeling. The feeling of someone destined to be King. Or perhaps, ambition.
Having sailed with the Roger Pirates to Laugh Tale, even in old age, Crocus's judgment remained sharp.
This young man... powerful yet not ostentatious, ambitious yet not revealing.
"Old man! I have one question! Just one!" Usopp suddenly spoke up.
"Since you were on the Pirate King's crew... you must have seen it! That great treasure at the end! Is One Piece really—"
"USOPP!!!" Before Usopp could finish, Luffy roared furiously, cutting him off.
"!!!" Usopp fell flat on his backside, cold sweat breaking out as he stared fearfully at Luffy. He had never seen Luffy this angry before.
"I don't want to know where the treasure is! I don't even want to know if there is treasure! We don't know anything, but that's why everyone risks their lives to set sail! If we learn anything from this old man here, then I'll quit being a pirate! I refuse to go on a boring adventure!" Luffy yelled, his expression filled with righteous anger.
"Hmph." Rowen smiled, seeing this iconic scene play out earlier than expected.
"Usopp, on the path to becoming a brave warrior of the sea, you still have much to learn," Rowen commented, clapping Usopp on the shoulder.
"I-I get it! I won't ask again!" Usopp replied seriously, reflecting on his actions. "Please, definitely don't tell me! I've got the 'I'll-die-if-I-learn-about-One-Piece' disease!" Usopp clutched his chest dramatically, trying to diffuse the tension with humor.
"Hahaha!" Seeing Usopp bravely admit his mistake and try to lighten the mood, Rowen and the others laughed.
"Pirate King, eh? Maybe you really can do it," Crocus chuckled, looking fondly at Luffy. Seeing Luffy, it was like seeing his old friend again. It had been a long time since he felt this happy.
"But, you being the Princess of Alabasta—that is quite surprising," Crocus added after laughing, turning his gaze towards Vivi.
"I apologize for the trouble I've caused," Vivi replied, no longer needing to pretend to be a Baroque Works agent, bowing deeply to Crocus.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about it! Carrying such a heavy burden... it hasn't been easy for you," Crocus waved dismissively, looking kindly at Vivi's youthful face.
"Say, old man! Since you were the Pirate King's doctor... wanna join my crew?" Luffy asked Crocus hopefully, grinning.
"Hahaha! Me, your ship's doctor? Forget it! These old bones can't keep up with you young 'uns anymore!" Crocus laughed heartily. 'Just like Roger... always inviting anyone he found interesting onto his crew.'
"Oh well. Okay then," Luffy accepted easily, grinning back.
Such a straightforward and cheerful personality... also like Roger. Crocus found himself liking Luffy more and more.
"However, if you need a doctor, you might try Drum Island. It's famous as a medical kingdom," Crocus suggested.
"Where's Drum Island?" Luffy looked towards Rowen and Nami.
"Drum Island is before Alabasta. It doesn't conflict with our route," Rowen replied with a smile.
In the original story, the Straw Hats only went to Drum Island because Nami fell critically ill after being bitten by ancient insects on Little Garden. Rowen, naturally, wouldn't allow that to happen this time.
With his System and awakened Observation Haki, preventing such an incident would be easy. Rowen had originally planned to suggest finding a doctor after Little Garden, but since Crocus brought it up now, it saved him the trouble.
Thinking of the adorable reindeer, Rowen couldn't help but smile. Especially considering the Devil Fruit Chopper ate: the Human-Human Fruit.
ll other known Human-Human fruits were Mythical Zoans... Only Chopper's was the base model, jokingly called the 'Commoner Form'.
"Shishishi! Then before we finally land in Alabasta, let's go find a doctor there first!" Luffy decided, remembering the doctor in Cocoyasi Village mentioning the importance of a ship's doctor for the crew's health during long voyages.
"Well then, let's get out of here first. Old man, you have a way to get us out, right?" Having settled their immediate course, Rowen looked towards Crocus with a smile.
Rowen had already checked Crocus's Traits. Just as Crocus implied, he possessed little combat strength now, being old and retired for many years.
Crocus was never primarily a fighter anyway; he only joined the Roger Pirates late in their journey to help manage Roger's illness for three years. While he was robust in his youth and participated in some battles, years of retirement had weakened his physique considerably. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let Vivi and Mr. 9 continuously harass Laboon.
The One Piece world's power system was unforgiving: advance or decline. To become the ultimate King, like conquering the Grand Line, one could only forge relentlessly forward!
"Follow me," Crocus instructed, leading the way.
Soon, under Crocus's guidance, the Going Merry sailed out of Laboon's stomach and back into the open sea.
"MOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Laboon suddenly let out a tremendous roar.
"Laboon! Calm down! If you keep ramming the Red Line, you'll kill yourself!" Crocus yelled urgently upon hearing Laboon's cry.
"Laboon? Is that the whale's name? Why is he ramming the Red Line?" Nami asked curiously.
"Yes. Laboon is an Island Whale, native only to the West Blue. As for why he rams the Red Line... it's because Laboon has human emotions," Crocus sighed.
Seeing the crew's curious gazes, Crocus recounted Laboon's story:
How Laboon met the Rumbar Pirates as a calf and became their companion; how the Rumbar Pirates entered the Grand Line, promising Laboon they would meet again here after circumnavigating the world; how they never returned...
Crocus himself had joined the Roger Pirates partly to inquire about the Rumbar Pirates' fate, only to learn they had supposedly fled the Grand Line...
When Crocus delivered this news, Laboon began ramming the Red Line in despair, trying to break through to find his friends, continuing until he was covered in scars...
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"So—he's an abandoned whale? Waiting has become meaningless?" Nami asked softly, looking sadly at Laboon's scarred body.
"No. Waiting hasn't lost its meaning," Rowen stated firmly, looking directly into Laboon's enormous eye.
"Eh? What do you mean, Rowen?" Usopp asked quickly, having felt sorry for Laboon.
"I don't know about the others... but one member of the Rumbar Pirates... was a user of the Revive-Revive Fruit, wasn't he?" Rowen asked, looking knowingly at Crocus.
"Y-Yes! His name was Brook! How did you know?!" Crocus stared, shocked.
"Let's just say I have a special sense when it comes to Devil Fruits," Rowen offered vaguely.
"Oh, I see! So that's how you can steal other people's Devil Fruit powers!" Zoro exclaimed, having his own 'aha!' moment. The others nodded, accepting the explanation readily.
'Such supportive comrades!' Rowen smiled inwardly.
"Steal Devil Fruit powers?!" Crocus's pupils constricted sharply again, staring at Rowen in shock. This ability—he seemed to recall hearing something similar... from Roger and the others.
"Anyway, at the very least, that Revive-Revive Fruit user... is still somewhere in the Grand Line," Rowen stated confidently, gesturing towards the vast ocean, not elaborating further.
For Laboon, knowing Brook was still alive was far more meaningful than Luffy making a new promise. Overwriting a fifty-year wait with a new promise might offer temporary hope, but couldn't compare to the truth.
"Still in the Grand Line?! Impossible! I received definite intel that the Rumbar Pirates fled the Grand Line! Unless... something happened, causing only part of the crew to leave?" Crocus murmured disbelievingly.
But he didn't doubt Rowen's words. Why would a man of Rowen's caliber lie to an old man like him? Plus, Rowen instantly knowing about the Revive-Revive Fruit user, combined with the reactions of Rowen's crew... it couldn't be faked.
(Indeed, as Crocus suspected, the Rumbar Pirates encountered a plague; the captain led the infected away via the Calm Belt, leaving Brook as acting captain. Brook's remaining crew was later wiped out by enemies using poisoned weapons in the Florian Triangle, with only Brook reviving thanks to his fruit.)
"I see. So that's how it was—Laboon! They didn't abandon you!" Crocus exclaimed emotionally, tears welling up as he looked at Laboon.
"MOOOOOOOO!!!" Laboon cried out towards the sky, giant tears streaming from his enormous eyes.
"By the way. The Rumbar Pirates—you could call them a crew of musicians," Rowen added, smiling towards Luffy.
"MUSICIAN!" Luffy's eyes instantly lit up like stars. A musician had been his obsession from the start!
"That Revive-Revive Fruit user... he's a musician too?" Luffy asked excitedly.
"Yes. Brook is an excellent musician," Crocus confirmed with a nod.
"The power of the Revive-Revive Fruit allows the user to return to life once after death. Fifty years have passed... that user might now be—a living skeleton," Rowen added with a chuckle.
"A living skeleton musician! That's him! The musician I want!" Luffy, always fascinated by the strange and unusual, beamed, his eyes shining brightly.
"So... stop ramming the Red Line. We'll be responsible for bringing that man back. How about it? When we circle the world... we'll bring him back to see you, Laboon!" Rowen called out to the giant whale.
"Moooo!" Laboon cried out tearfully, seemingly understanding and agreeing.
"Just that isn't enough," Luffy suddenly declared, then dashed into the cabin, returning moments later with a bucket of paint.
Under Luffy's enthusiastic brushstrokes, a crooked version of the Straw Hat Jolly Roger was painted onto the front of Laboon's head—the part he used to ram the Red Line.
"This mark... is proof of our promise! Don't you dare damage this mark before we come back here!" Luffy declared with a wide grin.
"Moo!" Laboon replied affirmatively.
"Laboon... I'm so glad for you," Crocus smiled, relieved. Now Laboon wouldn't keep injuring himself against the Red Line.
Rowen and the others smiled too. Luffy might be unreliable most of the time, but at crucial moments, he could be surprisingly thoughtful.
"YOSH! Next stop, Alabasta! No wait! First, Drum Island to find a ship's doctor!" Luffy yelled, pumping his fist.
"Um... excuse me... Whether going to Alabasta or Drum Island... you first have to pass through our town—Whiskey Peak," Vivi interjected timidly, holding out a Log Pose.
"I remember! Rowen, you said the magnetic fields in the Grand Line are messed up, so normal compasses don't work! You need a special pointer... A Log Pose! Is this it?" Nami asked, staring intently at the device Vivi held.
"Exactly. To navigate to the next island in the Grand Line, you have to wait for the Log Pose to record the magnetic field of your current island. Only then will it point towards the next island," Rowen confirmed with a smile.
"You don't have a Log Pose? I have one here too; you can have it," Crocus offered generously.
"Set sail!" Nami exclaimed, fastening the Log Pose to her wrist, already feeling like a true Grand Line navigator.
"Let's go! To Whiskey Peak——" Rowen declared, looking out at the vast ocean ahead, a powerful smile gracing his features.
The campaign against Crocodile... begins now!
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