Chiga saw Brook still hesitating and asked,
"What's wrong? You don't want to see Laboon?"
Brook immediately shook his head like a rattle, quickly explaining to Chiga about his promise with Laboon — that he hadn't fulfilled it yet.
Chiga nodded after hearing this. He, too, remembered that promise: to circle the world.
Thinking about it, Chiga smiled. For someone like him, who possessed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, circling the world wasn't difficult at all.
After all, the Grand Line was equivalent to Earth's equator. One just needed to follow it around the planet.
Moreover, the pirate world's planet was actually smaller than Earth's — perhaps only a third or a quarter of its radius.
Although Chiga's speed wasn't at the speed of light, it was far beyond the speed of sound, and fulfilling this promise wouldn't be difficult for him.
With that thought, he looked at the dejected Brook and said,
"So that's it. Don't worry, I'll help you complete it."
"Huh?! Chiga-San, you…"
"No need to say more. Just go inside and wait for a bit."
Chiga cut off Brook's words, opening the Door-Door Space and motioning for him to enter.
Brook looked at Chiga's confident expression, and for the first time in years, hope ignited within him. He believed this mysterious Mr. Chiga might truly be able to help him fulfill his long-standing promise to Laboon.
He bowed deeply to Chiga and stepped into the Door-Door Space.
The moment Brook entered, Chiga's body turned into a dazzling purple bolt of lightning. A faint smile played on his lips as he muttered,
"Alright, let's go."
In the next instant, a deafening thunderclap echoed across the heavens as Chiga's figure disappeared.
The lightning dispersed the dark clouds above the ship, letting warm sunlight pour down over the vessel, wrapping the old ship in a gentle golden glow.
Then something astonishing happened: the ship itself seemed to stir to life, as though it sensed Brook's departure. It turned its bow slightly toward the direction where Chiga and Brook had vanished, as if bidding them farewell.
A small figure, cloaked in black, appeared at the bow. Slowly, he walked to the old piano where Brook had so often played and sat down, his fingers dancing across the keys to play Binks' Sake one final time on this ship.
The familiar, sorrowful tune drifted over Thriller Bark, filling the air with memories until the dark clouds gathered once more, eclipsing the sun — and the song came to an end.
As the final notes faded, the people departed.
The cloaked figure rose, gazing out at the sea and murmured softly,
"I'm sorry… I was truly useless. I left you alone here for so long. I'm glad you can finally reunite with Laboon. I… should disappear now. Be happy."
With those words, his body dissolved into shimmering particles of light and scattered across the deck. As he vanished, the old ship slowly began to sink.
If Chiga had seen this, he would've known the cloaked figure was the ship spirit born from this pirate ship — just like the Going Merry. Another quiet testament to the idea that all things have spirits.
At that moment, inside the Door-Door Space, Brook seemed to sense something. Tears welled in his hollow sockets as he let out a heart-wrenching roar,
"We're the ones who should apologize! Thank you for carrying us all this time! Thank you for everything!!!"
Hearing Brook's cry, Chiga quietly paused, allowing him to vent his sorrow until the tears ceased.
Chiga's soft murmur lingered in the air,
"So this… is what a bond feels like. It's a peculiar thing."
---
Grand Line, first half — Twin Capes.
Within a small lighthouse, Crocus — now approaching seventy — was performing his duties as a lighthouse keeper as he always did.
Outside, the crash of waves and the agonized bellows of a whale echoed across the sea.
Crocus showed no surprise at the crashing sounds. He sighed with a complicated expression and muttered,
"Has it started again?"
At the base of the Red Line, a massive whale was repeatedly smashing its head against the unforgiving rock face. Its scarred forehead bleeding, yet it refused to stop.
Laboon the whale — and it had been like this for decades.
Crocus gazed at Laboon's desperate, self-destructive actions without moving to stop him.
He knew all too well that trying to intervene would only enrage Laboon further.
"Sigh…"
Crocus let out a weary sigh and was just about to return to his room when a sudden thunderclap shattered the clear skies above.
He stiffened, frowning as he looked up.
A thunderclap in clear weather? Was a storm coming? If so, he couldn't let Laboon keep doing this. The seas turned lethal in bad weather, and while Laboon was a whale, he was still a mammal and needed to surface to breathe.
If a wave knocked him unconscious in these waters, it could be the end.
With that thought, Crocus steeled his resolve. Today, even if by force, he'd stop Laboon.
But just as he took a step forward, a voice called out behind him.
"Crocus, doctor of the Roger Pirates. I never thought you'd be content playing lighthouse keeper in a place like this."
"Who's there?!"
The instant his name and past were spoken, Crocus broke out in a cold sweat, spinning around.
There stood a man in a black cloak — and Crocus immediately recognized the face.
His expression changed dramatically as he exclaimed,
"Marine Admiral Kirin?!"
Chiga's reputation had long since spread across the seas. His unique Rinnegan made him instantly recognizable to veterans like Crocus.
In that moment, Crocus's muscles tensed. Not because he feared death, but for Laboon's sake.
Then, a strange quiet. The sounds of Laboon smashing against the cliff had ceased.
Laboon's silence sent a chill down Crocus's spine. Why did he stop so quickly today?
He instinctively looked toward Laboon, seeing the great whale floating calmly on the sea's surface, as though asleep.
Chiga spoke quietly,
"I put him to sleep for a while. He's exhausted."
Crocus gaped in disbelief.
"Even the feared Admiral Kirin cares about a whale?"
Chiga chuckled softly.
"Just curiosity."
Crocus straightened. "So… are you here to capture me? Or execute me on the spot?"
Chiga shook his head.
"You're fortunate. I'm not in a killing mood today. You've watched over this lighthouse and cared for Laboon for so long. I won't arrest you."
"Then… why are you here?"
Chiga waved a hand, cutting him off. Under Crocus's confused gaze, he opened a Door-Door Space, and Brook rushed out.
He didn't stop for even a second, leaping from the lighthouse toward the ocean like a madman, shouting,
"Laboon! I'm back!!!"
---
Well, in case you're unaware, sending Powerstones won't cost you a dime. So do me a favor and send some stones.