Woohoo~
Laboon let out another deep, resonant cry. It was as if the massive whale had understood every word Leo had spoken.
His enormous, intelligent eyes fixed on Leo, a flicker of something beyond pain shining within them.
"Someone from the Rumbar Pirates is still alive? Is that true?!" Crocus's voice was thick with shock and disbelief. Over the decades, he had used his own connections to investigate, but every lead had turned cold. He had eventually been forced to accept the crew's total loss.
"It is," Leo confirmed with a firm nod. "But before I tell that story, Nami, Kaya—let's get Laboon healed up."
Nami didn't need to be told twice. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a small, sturdy patch of Island Cloud. She and Kaya stepped onto it, and it rose smoothly, carrying them up to hover directly in front of Laboon's head.
From their new vantage point, the extent of the damage was horrifyingly clear. Laboon's head and body were a crisscrossed tapestry of scars, some old and faded, others fresh and raw, still weeping blood where the skin had split against the unyielding Red Line.
Kaya's eyes welled with immediate tears. "Oh, you poor thing," she whispered, her voice trembling. "This must hurt so much."
Guiding the cloud closer until they were almost touching the whale's rough skin, Kaya reached out a small, gentle hand. "It's okay, Laboon," she cooed, her voice soft and reassuring. "This will make the pain go away. Just hold still."
A warm, soothing white light emanated from her palms, enveloping a large section of the wounded skin. The area was so vast she could only focus on one part at a time. Under the influence of the Heal-Heal Fruit's power, the angry, broken flesh began to knit together at a visible pace. The scars faded, and the raw wounds closed, leaving behind healthy, unblemished skin that matched the rest of Laboon's body.
"By the seas...!" Crocus shot to his feet, his usual gruff composure shattered. The sight of such instantaneous, miraculous healing sent a jolt through his system, stirring emotions he hadn't felt since his days on the Oro Jackson. He stared, dumbfounded, at the perfectly healed patch of skin.
"Kaya is a Devil Fruit user," Leo explained simply, seeing the old lighthouse keeper's astonishment.
Crocus nodded slowly, the pieces clicking into place. "I see... So that's it." His eyes then sharpened, a desperate hope flaring within them. "This power of hers... can it cure any disease? Any disease?!"
"Without exception," Leo affirmed, already knowing the painful memory that fueled the question.
"Good." Crocus said the word with a heavy, final weight. A wave of old regret washed over his face. "If I had possessed a power like that back then... my Captain wouldn't have had to die." He didn't need to say the name. The shadow of Gol D. Roger hung in the air between them.
Leo remained silent. There was nothing to say to an "if" that spanned decades.
(Author's Note: The common fan theory that Roger turned himself in because of an incurable illness fits neatly here and adds depth to Crocus's regret.)
"Leo," Crocus began, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. "Would it be possible... for you to stay until Laboon is fully healed? I know it's a great ask, but..."
He trailed off, looking at Kaya, who was already beginning to sweat from the exertion of healing such a colossal creature. "It's just... with the young lady's stamina, a complete healing would likely take several days. I don't want to impede your journey..."
Leo gave him a faint, knowing smile. "Crocus, take another look."
Puzzled, the old man turned his gaze back to Kaya. Just as he did, a soft white light—identical to her healing energy—washed over her from head to toe. Instantly, the fatigue vanished from her face. The sweat dried, and she straightened up, her expression refreshed and full of energy, ready to continue as if she'd just woken from a full night's sleep.
"WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL?!" Crocus blurted out, his jaw dropping. He was a man who had seen the wonders and horrors of the Grand Line, but this defied all logic. A power that could not only heal others but also erase the user's own fatigue? It was beyond broken.
He let out a short, self-deprecating laugh. "Heh. It seems I'm the one who's been living under a rock all these years."
"Leo," he said, composing himself. "Tell me about the Rumbar Pirates."
Woohoo~ Laboon echoed the request, his large eye fixed on Leo.
Nodding, Leo began to weave the tale. He spoke of the Rumbar Pirates' arrival at Reverse Mountain fifty years ago, their decision to leave the young Laboon behind for his own safety, and the promise to return in three years. He described their misfortunes: the captain succumbing to illness, the remaining crew being ambushed and wiped out by a rival pirate fleet in the treacherous Florian Triangle.
"But there was one survivor," Leo continued. "A musician named Brook, who had eaten the Revive-Revive Fruit. His soul returned to his body, but it had decayed to bones. He lives on, a living skeleton, trapped within the fog of the Florian Triangle, unable to fulfill the promise to his waiting friend."
WOOOHOOO!
A sound unlike any they had heard before erupted from Laboon. It wasn't a cry of pain, but one of profound, heart-wrenching relief. His partners hadn't abandoned him. They had fought to come back until the very end.
"The whims of fate are cruel," Crocus murmured, a deep sadness in his eyes for the long-dead crew.
"Leo, I have one more—" Crocus started.
"You want me to tell Brook that Laboon is still waiting for him when we reach the Florian Triangle," Leo finished for him. "Don't worry. I won't just give him a message. I'll bring him here myself."
Crocus's eyes widened. "But... the journey back... it would take you so far off course..."
"I have my methods," Leo said dismissively, not elaborating on the spatial coordinate he had already planted at the lighthouse. For him, it was a simple round trip.
"In that case... thank you." Crocus's gratitude was palpable and sincere. He then turned and hurried into his small hut, returning moments later with a small, navigational instrument. "Here. A permanent pointer for Whisky Peak. You'll need it to navigate from here. Don't lose it."
Leo took the Eternal Pose without ceremony. "Appreciated." He then looked at his crew. "I'm going to help Kaya. We'll set sail once Laboon is completely healed."
The women all nodded in agreement. Seeing the gentle whale's suffering had touched them all, and they were united in wanting to help.
Suddenly, Leo's head snapped toward where the Going Merry was anchored. His Observation Haki, constantly active on a subtle level, had pinged with an alert.
There was an intruder on their ship.
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T/N :
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