Crocus sighed slightly in frustration. "You know, my Observation Haki naturally detects your strength, which is certainly not weak. Besides, that attack you launched earlier to slow the ship using Armament Haki only confirmed what I told you.
To be honest, I know I can't be your opponent. A newcomer like you, among all the rookies in the Four Seas, there's certainly no one who can compare to you. It's truly terrifying. With that level of strength and knowledge of Haki, you can be considered a strong person even in the latter half of the Grand Line. Back to the point, it's impossible for me to beat you. After all, I'm just an elderly retired doctor, not an energetic young fighter like you."
"Also, the reason I don't want to fight you is that your murderous aura is too strong. If I fight you, I must be prepared to die."
Hearing Crocus's words, Rody felt slightly annoyed. "Heh... heh, you know you can't beat me, but you still look calm and confident. Are you sure I won't attack you and force you to fight me?"
...
Crocus was silent for a moment. He looked Rody in the eye without fear or apprehension and said slowly, "Hahaha, kid, I've naturally sensed that your fighting spirit has diminished. I know you won't attack me, so that's why I'm calm. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the way I am now."
"Tch, what a tiresome old man, forget it!" Rody said as he turned around and sat on a nearby rock with Nami on his lap. He hugged her slender waist and inhaled the deep citrus scent of the oranges she gave off to calm his anger. Just as this old bastard had said, he had lost the will to fight. Besides, his motto has always been: "If you attack me, I'll attack you." Unless I dislike you, I won't act against you. Every person he's killed before was because he disliked me or simply felt like it.
Naturally, he somewhat liked Crocus's character and this silly whale, so naturally, he didn't make a move.
At that moment, Bumblebee approached, his headlights flashing with curiosity. "Captain, that old man from earlier, who was he? Judging by his aura, he shouldn't be a simple person, right?"
Rody didn't answer; instead, it was Sebas Tian who did. "I've heard of this person. I heard the guardian of the Twin Capes is a seventy-year-old man. He usually sells Log Pose to merchant ships and pirates entering the Grand Line," Sebas Tian explained, then sighed and continued.
"But what I never thought was that this old man was so important. Being a former member of the Pirate King's crew is truly shocking."
At that moment, everyone nodded, but it was then that Leo realized something and asked in a curious tone, "Butler Sebastian Tian, you're a truly brilliant person. You know so many things, but how come you know so much?" "Have you ever been to the Grand Line?"
At that moment, Bumblebee and the others also looked at Sebastian Tian curiously. Even Rody was curious. You should know that in the East Blue, practically nothing is known about the Grand Line, except for a few people like Garp, Buggy the Clown, Arlong, and perhaps the Dadan Bandit.
But these people aren't all ordinary people. Forget Garp. This guy knows the Grand Line like the back of his hand. Buggy is almost the same, after all; he sailed with Roger's Pirates all over Paradise and the New World. Arlong, this fishman, was practically born in the Paradise of the Grand Line, so it's only natural that he knows a few things. And as for the Dadan Bandit, as Garp's good friend, she must know a thing or two about the Grand Line.
All these people aren't simple and have backgrounds, but what about Sebas? This old man is, in short, the butler of a small family, so he never thought someone like that would know anything about the Grand Line. He even knows about the Log Pose, which is really interesting.
"When I was the butler of the Bruce family, I handled all their business transactions, so I liked to read all kinds of sailing experiences to avoid being scammed. Naturally, all this accumulated knowledge will now serve Lord Rod, and it is my duty to fulfill my duties as a butler properly," Sebas Tian explained calmly.
"Wow, Butler Sebas, you're an amazing person x2!" Bumblebee and Leo exclaimed, giving each other a thumbs-up in praise.
"Butler Sebas, you're a very dedicated butler. It was a wise decision to bring you here," Nami praised him with a sigh. As they say, experience is key. At that moment, Nami understood the profound meaning of those words.
"Thank you, Mr. Bumblebee and Mr. Leo, for your praise. This is what I must do. I'm even more grateful to Lady Nami for taking me in. I will work harder to fulfill my duties as Butler and will not let Lady Nami or Lord Rody down," Sebas replied humbly, bowing to Rody and Nami.
"Uh... Butler Sebas, you've done a great job. There's no need to..." Nami tried to persuade Sebas to stop bowing.
But Roddy interrupted him and said, "Okay, Sebas, from now on, call Bumblebee and Jose by their names. No need to be so troublesome."
"But speaking of which, Captain, this old man isn't a simple lighthouse guard. He's the doctor on the Pirate King's ship. He accompanied Pirate King Roger throughout the Grand Line until he finally arrived at Laug Tale. You must have seen that legendary treasure, the One Piece, right?!"
"Yes... yes, Captain. This scruffy old man, despite his appearance, is actually the doctor on the Pirate King's ship." Leo and the others then remembered Rody's shocking words, so they began to gossip.
"Well... well, although I don't know what this so-called One Piece is, but seeing how surprised and excited everyone is, it must be something quite extraordinary to make you lose your composure when you talk about it." Bumblebee, seeing everyone's excited expressions, scratched his head, confused, not understanding what was so special about this so-called One Piece.
"Simply put, the One Piece, also known as the Great Secret Treasure, can be considered the greatest treasure in the world. It's the ultimate goal pursued by all pirates. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the reason most people set sail," Sebas patiently explained to Bumblebee.
"Well, I understand now. It's like the Matrix of Leadership, the most important treasure of Cyberton, the artifact that houses all the wisdom of the Primes of the past," Bumblebee said, punching his palm as if he understood everything.
"Although I'm not sure what the Matrix of Leadership you're referring to is, since you say it's your people's greatest treasure, it must certainly be a treasure similar to the One Piece," Sebas nodded, agreeing with Bumblebee's words.
At that moment, Nami, the most greedy of the group, heard the words "Treasure," "The World's Greatest Treasure," and "One Piece," and her eyes lit up, causing the symbol of the dances to appear in her pupils.
She tugged at Rody's clothes and shook him excitedly. "You heard him, Rody. Since this old man named Crocus knows where Laug Tale is, why don't we let him tell us directly? That way, we can possess Pirate King Roger's treasure and become filthy rich in the blink of an eye. After all, the Pirate King should be extremely rich, right? Hahaha..."
At that moment, hearing Nami's words, Crocus, who was listening and watching these children's interaction with interest, froze for a moment and remembered what had happened in Laug Tale.
At that moment, he felt a little embarrassed. After all, Crocus was certain they hadn't left any gold, jewels, or dances for Laug Tale. He coughed lightly and continued reading the newspaper.
"Yes, yes, Captain, why don't we let the old man tell us everything?"
"Yes, Captain, let's do it."
"That's the One Piece, Captain!" Leo and the others stared at Crocus with bright eyes, a terrifying fire burning in them.
Feeling the covetous stares of everyone, especially the orange-haired woman, Crocus felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Don't even think about it, brats. I won't tell you anything about the last island, Laug Tale." Crocus refused without thinking and looked at them. The only difference between their gazes was that Crocus's reflected an unbreakable will, as if he were willing to die if Rody and his group tried to force him.
Hearing Crocus's negative words, everyone felt extremely discouraged, especially Nami, who thought she was about to reach the top in one fell swoop, was the most dejected.
Hearing Crocus's refusal, Rody waved his hand dismissively. "Well, old man, don't worry about it. I'm not interested in the supposedly last Laug Tale Island, the supposed One Piece, and I'm certainly not interested in old men like you, who've lost their fighting spirit. Let us spend the night here. You must have plenty of rooms in those lighthouses, right? It shouldn't be a problem for you."
Crocus was about to say something when Rody interrupted him. "Oh, right, now that I remember, also give me a Pose Log and an Eternal Pose that have recorded Alabasta's magnetic field."
....
Crocus was speechless at the number of requests Rody made, but in the end, he didn't refuse. After all, just as Rody had said, he had everything Rody had mentioned, so it wasn't much for him.
"Captain, that's the great secret treasure. Are you just going to let him go like that?"
"Right, right, Rody, think about it carefully. That's the greatest treasure in the world. I don't know how much gold and Bailey are in there. Besides, this old man can't handle you. Do you really want to pass up such a good opportunity?" Nami said reluctantly, obviously very reluctant to let go of her beloved Laug Tale, or rather, her prized treasures.
Rody nodded indifferently, ending the discussion. "Hmm, of course I don't mind!"
"Ah, fine, darling, but you have to make it up to me. I gave up the chance to get the One Piece for you, you must remember that," Nami sighed, reluctantly giving in. She hugged Rody and said the last words flirtatiously.
"Well, didn't I tell you about Sky Island before? Just like I said, there are countless coins and jewels on it, and there's also an entire city made of gold. When we go, you can take as much as you want when the time comes," Rody said, stroking Nami's hair.
"Really? Jewels? A lot of gold coins? A city made of gold? Really? I thought you were lying to me back then!"
"Mmm, how could I lie to you? How dare you not believe me? I think I should punish you tonight." Rody gently pinched Nami's face as he whispered in her ear, making her blush furiously.
"Bad boy," Nami blushed and whispered. "We had just met, how could I believe you? Besides, who would dare believe what you said back then?"
"10,000 meters above sea level"
"Updraft?"
"No one would believe something like that!"
Seeing the dog food being thrown at him again, Crocus felt very dissatisfied and said, "Hey, young man, you really don't care at all about the feelings of an old man like me. But girl, what that young man says is true. Sky Island exists and it has a lot of gold, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot of gold."
"Uhhhh! Really?!" Nami exclaimed, deeply surprised. Seeing this, Crocus nodded solemnly.