"Oooooh~"
The moment the ship came to a stop, the giant whale eagerly swam over. Brook leaped straight from the bow and landed on Laboon's scarred head.
"Laboon, I've come to see you again!"
"Yohohohoho!"
Brook gently stroked Laboon's old wounds, his tone full of emotion. Although Laboon no longer rammed his head against the Red Line, the scars from the past could never heal on their own.
Watching a skeleton and a whale bouncing around together, everyone couldn't help but smile.
Nami stared at the island whale with her mouth wide open. She had seen Sea Kings before, but compared to this whale, those creatures were nothing.
White Ghost stepped forward and called out directly, "Hey, Laboon. Come here."
"Oooh~"
Laboon clearly knew White Ghost was Brook's savior. Without any hesitation, he moved closer and rubbed his huge head against him.
White Ghost chuckled. Golden flames appeared in his palm, and he thrust a hand into Laboon's body.
Brook's skull face lit up with joy. He knew exactly what his captain's ability could do.
Crocus, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes the moment he saw the golden flames in White Ghost's hand. But he didn't sense any danger from them, so he said nothing.
Besides, that man was Brook's captain now. Surely he wasn't going to kill a giant whale and turn it into drinking snacks.
As White Ghost continuously poured his crimson-gold flames into Laboon's body, the great whale let out a blissful roar toward the sky. Slowly, Brook watched in amazement as the injuries on Laboon's head began to heal.
"Laboon, the captain is healing you! Yohohoho!"
Overjoyed, Brook immediately pulled out his violin and began to play.
"Yohohoho, yohohoho, Binks' Sake—"
"Oooh! Ooooh!"
Laboon joined in as best he could, roaring along with Brook.
White Ghost's brow twitched, and he kicked the whale. "Don't move around."
"Oooh…"
Laboon immediately behaved. He knew this human was treating him, and he could clearly feel the scars on his head healing.
It didn't take long before every scar on the whale's head had completely disappeared.
Laboon happily rubbed his head against White Ghost. Fortunately, White Ghost was no ordinary man. Otherwise, one nudge from a creature this huge would have flattened a normal person.
White Ghost patted the whale, then turned to Crocus with a grin.
"Interested in having a banquet with us?"
Wearing his reading glasses, Crocus smiled after seeing Laboon's wounds fully healed.
"A big shot like you is inviting me. I wouldn't dare refuse."
White Ghost turned and shouted to his crew, "Banquet time, you bastards! We're celebrating our trip through the East Blue!"
Crackle!
Nami flashed to White Ghost's side in a burst of lightning, raised a hand, and cheered happily, "Banquet time!"
Crocus's eyelid twitched.
So it really is the Lightning Fruit?
That guy really didn't hold back. He gave such an overpowered Devil Fruit to a little girl?
Everyone got busy preparing. It was just a pity that there were no Sea Kings nearby. With Laboon's massive presence here, what Sea King would dare come close?
And besides, Crocus himself wasn't weak. He had once sailed and fought alongside Roger as the crew's doctor.
"Hahaha! Cheers!"
Once the food and drinks were laid out, everyone started eating and drinking. The feast continued all the way into the evening.
Off to the side, White Ghost and Crocus sat chatting.
White Ghost looked surprised. "So you really aren't one of them?"
Crocus nodded. "They invited me to join them. The condition was that they'd help me find him."
As he spoke, he pointed at Brook, who was still singing and dancing nearby.
White Ghost glanced over at Brook, who was hopping around like some trainee who'd practiced for two and a half years. "So what about now?"
Crocus shook his head. "I'm not on either side."
Then he glanced at White Ghost.
"Vice-Captain Rayleigh said you know about that person's existence, right?"
White Ghost nodded.
By now, he had already stopped caring.
Let them do whatever they wanted.
Those people had better not really think he was easy to bully. He had already dealt with one of them last time.
If he couldn't win, he'd run.
The Float-Float Fruit was in his hands. He refused to believe that if things truly turned into a life-and-death struggle, he couldn't rip a massive chunk off them.
Watching White Ghost's darkening, ever-shifting expression, Crocus guessed that what happened last time had truly pissed him off.
White Ghost took a huge gulp of wine. "Hah… I originally thought you were on their side. I was even thinking of having you pass along a message."
"Can I hear it?" Crocus asked curiously.
"What's there to hide? If they pull this kind of shit again, I won't mind telling those five old men about the people they've got hiding in plain sight."
A savage look spread across White Ghost's face.
"You don't mean Vice-Captain Rayleigh, do you?" Crocus's mouth twitched.
White Ghost shook his head. "Not that guy. I mean the ones standing out in the open under the light."
Then he looked at Crocus with a half-smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I already told you—I'm not one of them." Crocus's eyelid twitched.
"Tch."
Finding it boring, White Ghost turned to look at the sea, considering whether he should take a trip to Drum Island.
He wondered if Chopper had developed the Rumble Ball yet.
Judging by the timeline, after that quack doctor died, Chopper hadn't taken long to develop it after following Doctor Kureha. Maybe it was worth going to take a look.
White Ghost stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Just as everyone was enjoying the banquet, a commotion came from the entrance to the Grand Line. In the darkness of the night, a ship came charging into the Grand Line.
"Hm?"
Everyone turned to look.
What the hell was this?
After sensing the strength of the people aboard the pirate ship, everyone's mouths twitched.
With that level of strength, they still dared to climb Reverse Mountain in the middle of the night?
Then cursing came from the other side.
"Damn those Marines! Chasing us this hard in the middle of the night! We had no choice but to feel our way into the entrance in the dark!"
White Ghost's group saw a ragged-looking pirate captain standing on deck and ranting.
Some of the pirates were injured as well.
That group also noticed White Ghost and the others holding a banquet onshore.
One lackey pointed toward the Dragon Emperor, moored by the coast in the darkness.
"Captain, our ship's done for! But there's one over there!"
The pirate captain looked over. In the glow of the firelight, the Dragon Emperor looked mighty and imposing, and his eyes instantly lit up.
"Hahaha! Looks like fate still favors me. I never thought the moment I entered the Grand Line, it would prepare such a fine ride for me!"
As he spoke, the pirates raised their weapons and aimed them at White Ghost and the others on shore.
"Hey, you lot over there! Hand over your ship to me! Once I become the Pirate King, you'll be able to bask in my glory too!"
The moment the pirate captain finished speaking, he noticed Ilena and the others by the bonfire.
His eyes instantly turned into hearts.
"Yohohoho! There are beauties too! Boys, kill the men and leave the women alive. We'll use them to celebrate our entrance into the Grand Line!"
"Hahaha! Captain, you're amazing!"
The crew howled wildly. Even the injured pirates struggled back to their feet, eyes bloodshot as they stared over.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios