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"Rooaaar!"
Laboon let out another thunderous roar, as if it actually understood what Logan had just said. Its huge eyes turned toward him, round and curious.
"The Rumbar Pirates… someone's still alive?!" Crocus was completely stunned.
He'd once used every connection he had to investigate what happened to them, but found nothing—no trace, no clue, nothing. Eventually, he had to give up.
"That's right," Logan said, nodding firmly. "But before I tell that story, Nami, Kaya—go heal Laboon's wounds first."
"Got it!" Nami quickly created a small island cloud and flew with Kaya to the front of Laboon's enormous head.
From above, the sight made both of them wince—Laboon's body was covered in a network of scars, old and new, and some of the fresher ones were still bleeding.
Kaya's eyes reddened. "It must've hurt so much…"
Nami guided the cloud closer until they were right beside Laboon's massive forehead. Kaya stretched out her small hands, her voice soft and soothing.
"It's okay, Laboon. It won't hurt anymore, I promise."
A gentle light flowed from Kaya's palms, enveloping one of the wounded spots on Laboon's head.
Laboon was simply too big—she had to heal him bit by bit.
But under her healing power, the torn flesh visibly began to knit back together until the wound completely vanished, leaving behind smooth skin that looked just like the rest of his body.
"This is…!"
Crocus suddenly stood up, his calm heart—steady for decades—finally stirred.
He stared in disbelief at the patch of perfectly healed skin.
"Kaya's a Devil Fruit user," Logan explained from the side.
Crocus nodded slowly. That made sense—only a Devil Fruit could produce such miraculous power.
After a pause, he suddenly asked, "Can her ability heal any disease?!"
"Yeah. Any kind of illness," Logan said, already guessing what was on Crocus's mind.
Crocus clenched his fists, nodding heavily. "If only I'd had that power back then… the captain wouldn't have died."
Logan didn't say anything. He understood all too well—Crocus still couldn't accept that a man like Roger had died of an incurable disease.
But life had no "what ifs."
(Roger surrendered to the Navy because of an illness—that's basically the truth.)
"Logan," Crocus said after a while, "can you stay here until Laboon is fully healed?"
Logan blinked. "Obviously. What else would we do?"
"It's just… that girl's stamina," Crocus said awkwardly. "Healing a creature this size could take days. I wouldn't want to delay your voyage."
Logan gave him a strange look. "Why don't you take another look?"
Puzzled, Crocus turned back toward Kaya.
She was still healing Laboon with all her strength, sweat beading on her forehead as she refused to slow down.
Then suddenly, a white glow surrounded her body.
In the next instant, Crocus's eyes went wide—Kaya's fatigue vanished completely. She looked energetic and refreshed, as if the exhaustion from just seconds ago had never happened.
"What the—?!"
For the first time in decades, the old doctor actually swore.
What kind of Devil Fruit was this?! It even erased the side effects on the user's body?!
"Heh…" Crocus gave a wry smile. "Guess I've been out of touch with the world for too long."
"Logan, tell me more about the Rumbar Pirates," he said, settling down again.
Laboon let out a soft, rumbling hum of agreement, clearly eager to hear too.
Logan nodded and began to tell the story.
Over fifty years ago, the Rumbar Pirates had just entered the Grand Line. Fearing the dangers ahead, they decided to leave Laboon behind at Twin Cape to keep him safe.
They promised to return in three years and take him around the world.
But fate had other plans.
During their voyage, the captain fell ill and died. Later, the crew was ambushed in the Florian Triangle and wiped out.
Only Brook, who had eaten the Yomi Yomi no Mi, managed to bring his soul back to his body—though by then, his flesh had rotted away, leaving nothing but bones.
And even now, for various reasons, Brook was still trapped in the Florian Triangle, unable to escape.
When Logan finished the story, Laboon let out a deep, trembling roar—the sound was full of emotion.
So his friends hadn't abandoned him after all… they'd simply met with tragedy.
"Life is unpredictable," Crocus sighed. "Logan, there's one more thing—"
"You want me to tell Brook that Laboon's been waiting here for him, right?" Logan interrupted with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'll bring him back myself."
He had already marked the location of Twin Cape.
Once he reached the Florian Triangle, he could teleport Brook here instantly. It would take just one second.
"But won't that delay your journey?!" Crocus asked. He knew most pirates would never retrace their route before reaching their destination.
"I've got my ways," Logan said simply, waving it off.
"In that case… allow me to thank you in advance." Crocus bowed his head solemnly.
"By the way, I'm heading to Whiskey Peak next," Logan added. "You've got an Eternal Pose for it, right?"
"Of course. I'll grab it." Crocus went inside his hut and returned moments later with a compass-like device.
"This is the Eternal Pose to Whiskey Peak. Keep it safe—without it, you'll lose your bearings."
Logan took it without hesitation and turned to the girls. "I'll go give Kaya a hand. Once Laboon's all healed up, we'll set sail."
The girls nodded in agreement—that was exactly what they wanted too.
"…Huh?"
Logan suddenly paused, frowning toward the Going Merry's docking spot.
Someone was there.
A thief!
"....."