“So, let me get this straight.
If we happen to run into the Rumbar Pirates, you want us to tell them that a whale named Laboon is still waiting for them here at Twin Cape, right?”
Sammy looked at the middle-aged lighthouse keeper standing before him, a strangely dressed man whose hair fanned out behind his head like a peacock’s tail.
After “collecting” thirty million Berries from the gangsters back in Departure Town, Sammy and his crew had received an exceptionally “warm” farewell from the local Marines.
Fortunately, the Swordfish was an excellent ship, and his crew had years of experience under their belts.
Despite the terrifying currents of Reverse Mountain, they made it through without any serious trouble and successfully reached Twin Cape—the gateway to the Grand Line.
Now they were speaking with Crocus, the lighthouse keeper stationed there.
“That’s right.” Crocus nodded, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the enormous figure not far away.
“If you come across the Rumbar Pirates, please tell them that Laboon is still here, waiting for them to return.”
Sammy fell silent for a moment.
Of course he already knew the truth.
The Rumbar Pirates had been wiped out long ago in the Florian Triangle.
But if he told Crocus that right now, what would happen?
Would this future doctor of the Pirate King still end up joining Roger’s crew?
And if Roger died earlier because he never found a capable doctor, what then?
What if he never reached Laugh Tale?
What if the Great Pirate Era never began?
Would history completely derail because of one careless sentence?
Could one tiny butterfly flap its wings and accidentally erase an entire era?
Sammy had absolutely no desire to find out.
So after carefully choosing his words, he tested the waters instead.
“Mr.
Crocus, I really admire Laboon for waiting this long.
But sailing all the way around the Grand Line…” Sammy hesitated.
“You know better than I do how dangerous that journey is.
It’s already been five years.
Haven’t you ever considered that they might have…”
Sammy drew a finger across his throat.
The meaning was obvious.
The easygoing smile Crocus usually wore slowly disappeared.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
He simply stared out across the sea, watching Laboon’s enormous body occasionally rise above the surface.
“I know.”
Crocus’s voice was quieter when he finally spoke.
“I know better than most what this sea can swallow.”
Then he turned toward Sammy.
“But sometimes, young man…waiting is the last thing the living have left to hold on to.”
His gaze returned to Laboon.
“Good news or bad, there has to be an ending someday.
If you hear anything about them during your voyage, and if you ever have the chance to come back here…”
Crocus gave him a faint smile.
“Please tell me.”
“All right.” Sammy shrugged.
“We’re not planning to sail all the way around the Grand Line anytime soon anyway.
We’ll probably spend quite a while exploring the first half.
If I hear anything, I’ll find a way to get the news back to you.”
“Oh-ho-ho!
Then you have my thanks.”
Crocus laughed, and the heaviness in the atmosphere gradually faded.
He soon changed the subject.
“So, which route are you planning to take from here?
I’ve collected quite a few sea charts and Log Poses over the years.
“Sea charts?” Sammy glanced back toward the Swordfish.
“We already spent a small fortune buying a bunch of those in the West Blue.”
Then he raised his voice.
“Hans!”
The navigator immediately came jogging down from the ship.
“Boss!
You called?”
“This is Mr.
Crocus, the lighthouse keeper of Twin Cape.
And this is Hans, my navigator.”
After briefly introducing the two, Sammy turned to Hans.
“Compare Mr.
Crocus’s charts with the ones we bought in the West Blue.
See if there are any major differences.
I want to make sure the information we paid for is actually reliable.”
“Yes, Boss!”
Hans accepted the charts from Crocus and carefully compared them with his own.
After studying them for a while, he nodded.
“Boss, the general geography and island markings are mostly the same.
Looks like the information we bought in the West Blue was pretty good.
These charts can fill in some of the gaps too.”
Sammy nodded in satisfaction.
“First time in the Grand Line.
Can’t be too careful,” he explained to Crocus.
“I’d rather verify the same information two or three times than find out it was wrong when we’re already in trouble.”
He glanced at the Log Pose.
“But we definitely need this.
Thanks.”
Sammy accepted it and examined the strange compass for a moment.
“As for our route…I don’t really have a strong preference.”
A hint of interest appeared in his eyes.
“But there is one island I want to see…
The Little Garden.”
Crocus raised an eyebrow.
“I’m curious about the place, so I figured we’d head there first.
We’re not in a hurry, and I have no intention of taking the shortest possible route.” Sammy grinned.
“We’ll wander around, visit whatever looks interesting, and explore the Grand Line at our own pace.”
“Little Garden, huh?”
Crocus thought for a moment.
“That island really is unlike most places in the Grand Line.
Its ecosystem has remained almost completely prehistoric.
Dinosaurs and ancient beasts are the true rulers there.”
He gave Sammy a meaningful look.
“For newcomers to the Grand Line, I wouldn’t exactly call it a friendly tourist destination.”
Before Sammy could answer, Hans jumped into the conversation with absolute confidence in his captain.
“No problem!”
He puffed out his chest proudly.
“Our boss is a major pirate with a bounty of sixty-nine million Berries!
Crocus looked at the proud navigator.
Then he looked at Sammy, who made no attempt to correct him and merely wore a slightly helpless smile.
Understanding dawned on Crocus’s face.
“Oh?
Sixty-nine million…”
He nodded slowly.
“Then it seems you really did make quite a name for yourselves in the West Blue.”
Crocus shrugged.
“All right.
If you’re that capable, I won’t waste time lecturing you.”
He raised one hand and pointed toward the sea.
“A Log Pose needs time to lock onto an island’s magnetic field.
If Little Garden is where you want to go, the most suitable next stop from here is Whisky Peak.”
Crocus continued, “Under normal sailing conditions, you should head there first.
You can replenish your supplies while your Log Pose records the magnetic field for the next island.”
“Whisky Peak?”
Sammy rubbed his chin.
“Sounds like my kind of place.”
He gave Crocus a casual wave.
“Thanks for the advice, Mr.
Lighthouse Keeper.
We’ve bothered you long enough.”
Sammy turned toward the Swordfish.
The crew had already finished their final preparations and were waiting for his command.
His grin widened.
“BOYS!”
Dozens of heads turned toward him.
“RAISE THE SAILS!”
Sammy thrust an arm toward the horizon.
“NEXT STOP…
THE WHISKY PEAK!”
“YEAHHHH!”
The crew’s excited roar rolled across the water.
Under their energetic shouts, the Swordfish slowly pulled away from the peaceful waters of Twin Cape.
Behind them, Laboon released a long, mournful whale song that echoed across the sea.
Sammy stood at the stern and looked back one last time.
The enormous island whale gradually shrank in the distance, along with the lone figure standing beneath the lighthouse.
Sammy lowered his gaze to the Log Pose in his hand and tightened his fingers around it.
A different wind brushed across his face now.
The wind of the Grand Line.
Sammy smiled.
At long last…
Their adventure on the Grand Line had truly begun.
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