Another full year passes by in the blink of an eye, and by this time, Shamrock is already established as a full-fledged doctor of the ship, as Crocus finally deemed him ready to handle patients entirely on his own.
At the beginning of this transition period, Crocus would still hover nearby to assist Shamrock in handling some of the more difficult cases, specifically during the times when Roger became clear of his own sickness and suddenly regained his energy.
When the Captain felt better, he often went on a rampage, fighting a lot of the rival pirate groups that were constantly challenging him for dominance over the seas, which also extended to the rest of the crew having to fight as well to keep up with their Captain.
These skirmishes resulted in a steady stream of injuries, ranging from simple cuts to deep saber wounds, and initially, Crocus watched Shamrock's hands like a hawk to ensure every stitch was perfect.
However, after seeing that Shamrock could handle it all on his own with a calmness that rivaled veteran doctors, Crocus then just relaxed his guard.
He stopped looking over Shamrock's shoulder and then focused more on what his original goal was in going on the ship of Roger in the first place, which is to find any news or traces of the rumbar Pirates and Brook.
In the Captain's quarters, the atmosphere was serious but friendly, as the leaders of the crew discussed the inevitable departure.
"Are you absolutely sure you are getting off at the next island? We could easily adjust our course and get you back to your original island at the Twin Capes if you want," Roger then said towards Crocus, his voice laced with a bit of concern.
Crocus shook his head while he discussed the terms of him leaving the Roger Pirates. The two years they had agreed upon were already up, and with Crocus deeming Shamrock worthy to take the mantle of the ship's doctor, there is no need for Crocus to stay here any longer and delay his own personal quest.
"Yes Crocus, you should at least let us get you back safely to your lighthouse. It is the least we could do after everything that you have done for us, keeping Roger alive this long," Rayleigh, who is sitting on the side of Roger then added, with Gyaban nodding in agreement alongside of them.
"It is not necessary, and you don't need to pay me back or go out of your way. Shamrock is a medical prodigy, and honestly, even without my intervention or guidance, he would have learned everything that I taught him, one way or the other," Crocus then said towards the three, his tone final but appreciative of the offer.
While Crocus, Roger, Rayleigh, and Gyaban continued to talk and discuss the logistics of the departure over drinks, the younger generation of the crew occupied themselves elsewhere.
Shamrock, Shanks, and Buggy are on their usual place on the deck, sitting in a circle as they are reading the current events on the sea in the latest batch of newspapers delivered by the News Coo.
"Another article about Whitebeard, even though it is us that kept making a ruckus and defeating crews left and right, they are always getting featured in the newspapers," Buggy couldn't help but complain loudly, as he crunched the paper in his hands.
He had been reading a lot of news about the current situation of the Whitebeard Pirates more and more lately, and it annoyed him that their rival crew was getting all the press coverage.
Shamrock looked up from his own section of the paper and adjusted his glasses.
"That is only fitting if you think about it logically. Whitebeard have a devil fruit that is so destructive, it has been dubbed to have the power to destroy the world, and in Whitebeard's hands? I have no doubt this is not an exaggeration in the slightest; he is called the World's Strongest Man for a reason," Shamrock then said towards Buggy calmly.
This statement caused Buggy and Shanks to react immediately with a strange look, as if Shamrock had just insulted them.
"What? That is clearly wrong, as there is no one stronger than Captain Roger," Shanks then said defensively, as he does not believe that there is anyone in the seas stronger than Roger, which Buggy agreed with wholeheartedly by nodding his head rapidly.
"Titles are just for exaggeration and selling newspapers, but it clearly shows how the World Government and the Marines are taking Whitebeard and his pirate crew seriously. After all, if you have this kind of reputation, you would attract a lot of attention from those wanting to make a name for themselves, which is why it is very important for you to have strength to back it up," Shamrock then said towards the two of them, trying to explain the politics of the bounties.
"It also says here that they have a newcomer who comes from the Land of Wano, the closed off border country, and apparently, he is a really wild man," Buggy then said, changing the subject as he continued to read off the details in the newspaper.
This piece of information, in turn, made Shamrock stop what he was doing immediately. He leaned over to look over the photo of the samurai printed in grainy black and white, which is without a doubt, Kozuki Oden, the most mocked character in One Piece discussions from his previous life.
'The foolish daimyo. It really sucks that Oden have his samurai pride but not the brain to match it. That lack of foresight made the people of the Wano Country suffer for more than twenty-five years, with the first five years spent on Oden running around the entirety of Wano naked and completely making a fool of himself just to save face,' Shamrock then thought to himself bitterly.
Wano is one of the stories that made Shamrock's past life cry, especially with the tragic story of Tama and the starvation of the people. Seeing Oden's face now, knowing he was frolicking at sea while Orochi plotted, was frustrating.
'Maybe this could be prevented. If I play my cards right, things could change,' Shamrock then added to his thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
But before he could continue thinking of plans and ways to help Oden or intervene in the future timeline, the door to the Captain's quarters where Roger, Rayleigh, Gyaban, and Crocus who had been discussing the specifics of Crocus leaving, suddenly swung open with a loud bang.
Shamrock, who then looked at the entire facial expressions of the three senior members, knew immediately that there is something going on. The air felt heavy, but before he could further escalate his thinking into worry, Crocus then finally stepped forward and announced something to the gathered crew on the deck.
"I will be leaving the Roger Pirates," Crocus then said loudly, his voice carrying over the wind and the waves.
He then started to explain his reasons for leaving, talking about his promise to the Rumbar Pirates and his time limit.
When Crocus was explaining his situation, Buggy and Shanks both looked over at Shamrock with concern, as they knew that Shamrock is much closer to Crocus than any other members of the crew due to their mentor and student relationship.
"Are you okay, Shamrock?" Shanks and Buggy then asked in unison, expecting him to be upset.
But instead of a sad answer or tears, they got a small, calm smile from Shamrock, as it was something that the two of them did not expect to come from Shamrock at a moment like this.
Shamrock then started walking towards Crocus, who is still explaining his reasons on leaving to the rest of the crew.
When he arrived in front of the tall doctor, it made Crocus stop talking mid-sentence, as he then turned to look down over towards Shamrock. Shamrock then proceeded to hug Crocus around the waist.
"Be very careful on your journey, alright? You tend to make other people angry with your staring gags. We may appreciate your jokes here on the ship, but that does not mean anyone else on the sea would understand them," Shamrock just then said.
Despite being physically a nine-year-old child, he had a mind that has been through a lot of goodbyes in his previous life.
Plus, he had always known for a fact that Crocus would one day leave them, as it was the agreement between him and Roger from the start, and Shamrock also knew that there is someone, a whale specifically, waiting for Crocus at the Red Line.
The entire day was then spent on a massive farewell feast for Crocus. The atmosphere was loud and rowdy, with Roger, Crocus, Rayleigh, and Gyaban drinking so heavily that they practically emptied the ship's storage.
Despite only numbering four people in their main drinking circle, they had finished the entire stash of alcohols that could have lasted the entire Roger Pirates an entire month.
They sang songs, danced on the tables, and retold stories of the past two years until late into the night.
When the next morning came, the Oro Jackson then docked on the nearest inhabited island.
The morning mist was still thick as they all dropped off Crocus, who still has a massive headache from the heavy drinking the night before. He stood on the dock with his medical bag, waving at the ship.
Not once had Shamrock said his goodbyes towards Crocus during the actual departure.
When Crocus finally unboards and walks away, Shanks and Buggy turned towards Shamrock.
Shamrock was just simply waving his hand casually towards Crocus's retreating figure, while Buggy and Shanks are crying their eyes out beside him.
Despite not being as close with Crocus as Shamrock was, they also have their own relationship with the old doctor.
In fact, everyone on the Roger Pirates except for Shamrock is the one that is not crying, as even the tough combatants were shedding manly tears.
"See you later," Shamrock just said with a smile, his voice barely a whisper, while the others are still crying their eyes out as they all shouted their tearful and heartfelt goodbyes to the doctor.
This lack of emotion made Shanks and Buggy turn towards Shamrock with confusion, wiping snot from their faces.
"You just said a quick goodbye like it was nothing," Shanks then said towards Shamrock, sniffling.
Buggy just nodded along, still with a few tears on his eyes, looking at Shamrock like he was heartless.
"Yes, is that strange?" Shamrock then asked towards Shanks, tilting his head.
"Not really, but with your personality, and your closeness with Crocus, I thought you would at least cry or even shed a tear on your goodbye. You guys spent every day together in the infirmary," Shanks then said, trying to understand.
"Yeah, but I am sure that as we continue to go on an adventure, we will meet each other again. The sea is vast, but it is also small for people like us. Tearful goodbyes are not really my style," Shamrock then said, smiling.
He looked out at the horizon as his long hair fluttered due to the wind picking up. The Oro Jackson started sailing once again, moving away quickly to not let anyone know that Crocus became associated with them, protecting their former doctor one last time.
"After all," Shamrock added, turning back to his friends, "It would be embarrassing if we see each other again, so I prefer to just say see you later."