"This is some waterway."
"I'm amazed you've managed to dig out such a big hole and live inside here. Is this another one of your ways of having a good time?"
Crocus was sitting in his chair while drifting down the waterway on his mini island, nothing but a tree to accompany him. The Going merry was just beside the floating island as they drifted down towards the exit.
"It's a hobby of mine as a doctor. Don't get the wrong idea. I may not look like much but I'm a real doctor. I even used to run a clinic at the Cape long ago."
"A clinic!?" Faythe popped up from behind Nami. her eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Not only that, I've got a few years under my belt working as a ship doctor too." Crocus chuckled under his breath.
"A doctor!? Really!? Then join my crew as a doctor!" Luffy laughed smiling. His grin never letting up.
"Stop talking nonsense. I'm too old to be dong reckless things unlike you youths." He yelled back, already climbing up the ladder onto the platform.
"So you're a doctor, huh... And your living inside a whale?" Nami leaned on the rails to chat with the man. Faythe jut leaned back on Nami's back tiredly.
"That's right. With a whale this big, It's impossible to properly treat it from the outside." He said turned a metal piece, "Ill open the gate now."
As those words left his mouth, The gate was pushed open at a slow pace. Though that didn't matter to Faythe as she leaped off the ship, much to Nami's complaints on watching her health.
The feeling of being contained, felt terrible to her. bringing back terrible memories of a certain cage. She pushed herself more up into the air, the winds escaping through her feathers. Once she thought she was high enough, she released her feathers, getting a better look at the sky, she reached her hand out, almost thinking she could grasp it. The wind was now fleeting her body as she felt, she was falling. Feathers now covering her arms and body, she twirled into a circular motion, spiraling down. Just a few inches from the water and she spread out her wings, the wind pulling her back. The feeling of flying exhilarated her. It made her feel like she could be free of the chains that were placed on her.
"We're out!! I CAN SEE THE SKY AT LAST!" Luffy's shout brought Faythe back to reality. Now swerving back, she glided back down to the ship as it sailed out of the whale's side.
"What should we do with these two?"
"Just throw them over somewhere around here."
As soon as the two people were thrown over, they woke up.
"UBAGH! Where are we?"
"Is this stomach acid!?"
"No, we appear to be in the real ocean, Ms. Wednesday." The crowned one huffed out in relief.
"We must've been knocked out by those pirates. Mr. 9!" The blue haired one exclaimed with a frown.
Luffy watched the whole interaction between the two while leaning over the rails, "So... Who were you guys again?"
Faythe snorted from her spot on Luffy's shoulder.
"SHUT UP! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Ms. Wednesday and Mr. 9 shouted at him.
"No wait, Miss Wednesday. Perhaps it is their business. As long as they're pirates, that is." Mr. 9 held up his hand in a weird motion, though it looked like his pinky was dislocated in an angle that isn't really good.
"True indeed, Mr. 9. Our organization may have some use for you." Ms. Wednesday pointed at us, "Prepare yourselves!"
"Then we bid you good day until next time, you hillbilly pirates!" Mr. 9 yells at the top of his lungs, while swimming away at full speed.
"And heed this, Crocus! That whale shall be ours for the taking soon enough!" Ms. Wednesday also yelled, while also swimming away at full speed.
"So her name is Ms. Wednesday? What a beautiful enigma, you are." Sanji sighed, watching the blue haired swim away off into the distant sun.
"What's a hillbilly?" Faythe muttered from beside Luffy. He picked up a strange bracelet thing, a glass globe-like sphere was covering a pin needle was was dangling by a short string.
"Huh? Did someone drop this or something?" Luffy looked at it more closely. Faythe drooped her head down to look at the needle.
"Is it a compass?" She said curiously. Not knowing if it was important or not.
"Ours now!" Luffy grinned.
/:/~***~/:/
"But to think its been waiting for 50 years..."
"Does it still believe it's friends will really return?"
We were all back on land, standing or sitting around the coast, where the lighthouses stood.
"Those Pirates sure are taking a long time..." Luffy was sitting around on a rock, his hands both on the back of his head.
"You idiot, this is the Grand Line." Sanji muttered, sitting on the edge of the table that stood outside, "They promised they'd be back in 2-3 years, yet they're still not back after 50 years..." He took out his cigar from his mouth, "The answer's obvious."
"They're long dead by now. They wont come back no matter how long that whale waits...!"
"Why do you have to go and say such cold things! You cant say that for sure! They might still come back! Cant you even appreciate such a moving story about a whale who still believes in his friends' promise...??" Usopp smacked his fist into the table.
"The truth is far more cruel, however."
Everyone's attention was now on the old man, who was sitting in his chair, facing the ocean away from everyone.
"Those fellows left already. Left from Grand Line that is. I heard from a reliable source." Crocus gazed down at his hand.
"...So they just left the whale behind!? But that would mean they left the Grand Line through Calm Belt...!" Nami shouted in disbelief.
"Yes..." Crocus crossed his arms together, "That is why I do not know whether or not they survived or not. But even if they did survive, they would never dare return here again... A place where seasons, climate, currents, and winds could be any more chaotic...," He finally looked up from the ground, "A place where common sense fails to uphold... That Place is this sea, the Grand Line, and it rules the fear over the faint-hearted."
Faythe felt shivers go down her spine at the thought of weather changing all suddenly. It wasn't out of fear or shock, but more out of excitement.
"So basically, those cowards were more concerned about their lives than keeping a promise," Sanji put out his cigar by smashing it into the wooden table, "And thus left Grand Line to never return."
"So they just abandoned the whale behind!?" Even though this whale never doubted them, AND HAS BEEN WAITING HERE FOR OVER 50 YEARS...! HOW COULD THEY BE SO CRUEL!?" Usopp shouted out in pure anger at what they discovered.
"If that's the case then why haven't you tried telling the Whale the truth!? This whale can understand human words, right!?" Nami tried to reason, glancing back at Faythe who was lazing around, some feathers scattered around her.
"I have. I've told him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But he refuses to listen."
"He wont listen?"
Crocus went ahead and told us about how he explained the truth to Laboon, but instead of listening to him, he cut him off by his yelling.
"Ever since then... Laboon has been bellowing at the Reverse Mountain. And bashing his head against the Red Line, as if trying to stubbornly assert that his friends are beyond the wall, and they'll return someday..! I've tried telling the truth many times since then, but Laboon refuses to accept the truth."
Faythe just sat there, listening, every now and then glancing at Laboon. Then scanning the expressions of her crewmates. Luffy and Zoro looked indifferent. Though with Luffy is always unpredictable.
"What a whale... He still keeps on waiting even after being betrayed..." Sanji had somehow gotten another cigar out, when no one noticed.
"Even though there's no point in waiting anymore...!" Usopp added, staring at the Whale in question.
"That's exactly it... It's because he'll lose all reason. That he refuses to listen. He's afraid of losing the meaning behind his waiting above all else." Crocus continued, "This whale's home is back in West Blue, which is located on the other side of Red Line. It's too late for him to go back. That's why his only hope, are the very friends he came along with here in the first place."
"...But you know, as much as I feel sorry for this whale and all, You've also been betrayed by them if you think about it. So why don't you just leave the whale already?" Sanji puffed his cigar, narrowing his eyes at the old man.
Crocus looked up at the whale, "Look at the scars on his head..."
And so we all did.
"If he continues to recklessly bash his head against the wall, he'll definitely die. We've had an odd relationship but he's still my companion that I've lived with for over 50 years. I cant just stand by and watch him die..." He explained solemn in his voice.
Faythe scanned around to get the looks of her crewmates, once she looked for her captain, she quickly went to cover her mouth. Holding back the loudest cackle she had to hold.
"UOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!" Luffy bellowed, Faythe watched her captain run up the whale's side at top speed. (Insert Spider-Man crawling) Carrying the ship's mast on his shoulder.
"Huh?" Nami sweat dropped.
"What's that idiot up to now?" Sanji looked at his captain, wondering if this was a good idea or nah.
"Take your eyes off him for one second and..." Zoro finally spoke up after the whole depressing explanation.
"Maybe he likes climbing things?" Sanji tried to reason why their captain was running up the side of the whale.
Everyone was silent or adding a few thing as what they were watching until they saw what exactly Luffy was trying to do.
"GOMU GOMU....!" Luffy struck the mast right into a wound at the top of the whale's forehead, "FLOWER ARRANGING!"
Faythe started coughing at the choice of words, struggling to contain herself. she was on the ground now, hitting the ground with her fist. Nami glanced at Faythe liked she had lost her mind.
"Hey, is that a mast?" Zoro said quietly.
"Yeah, I think it's our ship's..." Sanji replied darkly.
"Yup, It's our main mast, alright..." Usopp added, his arms crossed as if he wasn't in reality.
It took a few seconds of silence before everyone came back to reality at what Luffy had just done. Though you could hear the quiet giggling, made by yours truly, Faythe. Though chaos soon followed suit in a matter of seconds as well.
"BUOOOOHHHHH!" Laboon started to wave his head around furiously, in all direction. Just trying to get the fricken Mast out of his forehead. Sending giant waves in all directions as well, "BUOOOHHHHH!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?" Everyone shouted out.
"He destroyed our ship!!" Usopp screeched.
At this point it was no return as Faythe had finally lost it. She was now on her back laughing her ass off.
Luffy was being slung around, his face showing that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Laboon looked at the mountain and furrowed his eyes. He aimed his forehead at the land in front of him.
"AGHHHHHH!"
"Its coming this way!"
"He's gonna crash it down here!!"
Smacking his forehead into the land, sent blood showering everywhere. Not gonna say it was Luffy's because he's basically made of rubber. So it must've been from the whale's, which isn't a good sign either.
"H-Hey! HEY KID!" Crocus shouted out like he just witnessed his companion commit a murder right in front of him.
"BUOOOOOOHHHH!" Laboon shot his head up instantly, leaving Luffy on the ground all stained in the whale's blood from his forehead. The mast in the wound had deepened due to smashing it into the ground, along with Luffy.
"Heh Heh." LUffy wiped some blood off his face, grinning like he always does, "You big dummy!" This comment only seemed to make the Whale more angry. Resulting in Luffy getting smacked in the side and being sent yards away.
"TAKE THIS!" Luffy shot his arm out, striking the whale's pupil. Going back o the same result as last time, being sent flying back. when he was flying back, he threw the wooden table at the whale, as he was whizzing by. Luffy stopped flying, when is back hit the lighthouse. The wooden table meeting impact on the whale's chin.
"What is he trying to do...?" Usopp said in utter confusion at the scene he was watching.
Luffy slid down the wall, he body leaning back weakly, breathing out heavy gasps.
"Luffy! Just what the hell are you doing!?" Zoro shouted at his captain, trying to get a hold on the situation.
Just as Laboon was about to strike again out of pure anger, Luffy shouted out in the loudest voice Faythe had ever heard. It scared her shitless, some feathers falling off in the process.
"ITS A TIE!"
Laboon froze in his spot at the statment.
Luffy looked straight at Laboon in the eye, "I'm pretty tough, eh?"
Laboon blinked confused.
"Our fight has yet to be settled. so we must fight eachother again! Your old friends may be dead, but I'm your new rival!"
The whale was quiet, as if listening intently. Probably paying attention when his friends were mentioned.
"And once my crew sails around Grand Line, We'll be sure to come back here to see you again."
Tears could be seen flooding the whale's eyes, now dripping down his face at the new goal in mind. It was probably the words he wanted to hear all these 50 years, he waited.
"AND THEN WE'LL DUKE IT OUT AGAIN!" Luffy added, his grin now smiling brightly, his laugh erupted the sad air.
At those words, Laboon now had something to look forward too. He had a goal. He didn't have a time to expect them. He didn't have to worry about his old ones, or give p on them either.
"BUOOOHHHHH!"
He Had A New Promise To Look Forward Too.
/:/~***~/:/
Word Count:(2377)