Chapter 24
Reverse Mountain (1)
The crew set sail once more, their ship cutting through the waves toward a new adventure, the wind pushing them steadily into the unknown.
During their journey, Laboon appeared before them…
the giant whale.
He was striking his head repeatedly, one collision after another, until it seemed as though the sea itself trembled with every impact. Laboon looked at the ship, then opened his enormous mouth—
and swallowed it whole.
Stunned silence fell over them.
Inside, everyone's eyes widened at the strange sight.
It was not merely the belly of a whale…
but an entire world.
A vast space, a sky above their heads, and a sea beneath their feet.
And before them…
a small house standing quietly, as though it did not belong to this madness.
Arthur stepped forward and raised his right hand.
The King of Weapons bracelet instantly transformed into the black battle sword.
The crew froze in place.
That transformation…
the massive black blade…
its power and appearance alone were enough to shock them.
Arthur was about to leap.
He had realized that the sky above them was not real, but merely a painting on the inner wall of the whale's stomach, and he intended to split it open with a single strike.
But before he could move—
A sharp, powerful voice echoed, "Stop, boy… and don't do it!"
Arthur halted immediately and lifted his head.
There was an elderly man, sitting on a wooden chair.
Silence spread.
Arthur opened the Eye of the Sky.
| Name: Crocus
| Level: 50
| Title: Legendary Doctor |
'Legendary Doctor?'
This was the first time he had seen such a description.
'Who is this man?
Why does he live inside a whale?
And why does the Eye of the Sky define him with that title?'
Questions piled up in Arthur's mind, but he quickly suppressed them and looked at Crocus calmly.
The ship approached the house.
Luffy stepped down first, followed by Zoro, then Arthur.
Sanji remained on the ship with Nami and Usopp.
Luffy spoke first. "Tell us, old man, why do you live inside this whale?"
Crocus cast Luffy a sharp glance, then his eyes fell upon the hat. He smiled calmly and replied in a steady voice, "I live here to treat him, as you have seen.
His body is far too large to treat from the outside…
so I chose to live inside."
Then Crocus began telling his story.
How he had received Laboon from strange pirates,
how the whale had been left alone,
how he continued to wait… and crash into the Red Line without cease.
The crew sat listening in silence.
There was a strange weight to the tale, something that pressed against the chest.
Suddenly—
The place began to tremble.
As though an earthquake had struck the whale's insides.
"W-What's happening?!"
Usopp cried in fear.
Crocus rose from his chair.
"As I said before…
I am treating this foolish whale.
He keeps ramming his head into the Red Line."
He jumped into the water without hesitation.
While Crocus injected the whale with an anesthetic to numb his body and make him stop striking his head, time passed in calm steadiness—until a tall door opened from the opposite side.
Two figures emerged—
a man and a woman.
They leapt forcefully and landed on the ship.
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening—
Crocus shouted from the water:
"As long as I am alive…
I will never let you touch Laboon!"
The strangers smiled.
Each raised a launcher,
and fired shells toward the whale's body from within.
Crocus immediately leapt and intercepted the shells with his own body.
"All this… just to protect the whale?"
Arthur thought.
He intended to move toward him,
but a loud laugh echoed behind him—
then another launch.
Arthur struck the ground beneath his foot and leapt high.
With his speed and strength, he reached the shells' trajectory before they could strike the whale's inner body.
He extended his hands—
He caught the first with his right hand,
and the second with his left.
That small smile…
never left his face.
In the past, the shells would have torn his body apart.
Now—
the most they could do was push him backward.
He stood in the air, holding both shells.
For a moment, he considered throwing them back at the fools' heads…
but refrained, so as not to damage the ship.
He landed calmly,
and threw the unexploded shells into the small sea below.
Then he immediately leapt and pulled the injured Crocus out of the water.
His injuries were painful…
but not fatal.
Crocus gripped Arthur's hand tightly. "Don't let them… kill Laboon… please."
Then his hand fell,
and he lost consciousness.
Arthur lifted his head.
In an instant—
He vanished.
He appeared before the man and woman at indescribable speed.
He raised his right hand and placed it upon the man's head.
He smiled… that gentle smile.
Then—
He pressed.
In a single motion, the man's head was driven into his own body.
He died instantly.
Arthur turned to the woman.
The girl was trembling in fear. Everything had happened within mere seconds. Just moments ago she had been laughing wickedly, wanting to kill the whale—and now her companion was dead, and she was next.
Her body shook with terror.
She retreated with all her strength,
then jumped off the ship, fleeing.
Arthur smiled,
and followed her.
Leaving behind…
a mutilated corpse beyond description.
Usopp and Nami looked at the body—
and vomited at the same time.
But Sanji…
Sanji burned with fury at Arthur's actions. He rushed forward quickly and stood before him.
"Don't you dare harm the lady, you bastard!"
he shouted, glaring at him angrily.
Zoro and Luffy heard the shouting
and leapt onto the ship.
Before their eyes…
was the mutilated corpse.
They looked at Arthur and noticed the explosive rage in his eyes.
That rage that could not easily be stopped…
yet Sanji now stood before him.
Luffy and Zoro understood what was happening without explanation.
Sanji does not fight women.
And he never accepts that anyone harms a woman, even if she is the enemy.
How could he stand and watch while Arthur tried to kill a girl before his eyes?
Of course, he would not.
Zoro glanced aside and noticed that the girl had emerged from the small sea and stood upon the island. She was muttering incomprehensible words, clutching her head between her arms, acting as though her mind was on the verge of collapse.
Luffy and Zoro stepped forward together and stood before Arthur.
Luffy spoke in a serious tone, looking directly at him:
"Stop, Arthur… let's understand what's happening here first."
Arthur smiled calmly, but the sharpness in his voice was unmistakable. "Understand what?
Those bastards tried to hunt Laboon and injured Crocus…
and he is now one step away from death."
He stepped closer, his voice growing colder:
"And you want me to talk with them?
Why the hell would I do that?
Crocus was lucky the shells didn't kill him.
If he had been just a little weaker…
his body would have shattered into a thousand pieces."
His voice rose for the first time:
"And do you know what they did when they saw his pain?
They laughed.
They laughed at him… and at his suffering.
And now you want to stop me?"
Silence fell.
Everyone understood Arthur's logic.
He was not wrong.
But even so…
Sanji could not accept the idea of killing a woman.
Arthur smiled suddenly, calmly.
Then he drew his right hand back—
And suddenly launched forward,
delivering a thunderous punch toward Sanji's face.
At the same instant, Zoro moved,
stepped in front of Sanji,
and took the punch directly to his face.
Arthur stepped back.
Zoro… remained standing.
Arthur raised his fist.
Blood flowed from Zoro's nose.
Zoro smiled, licked the blood from his lips, and said calmly,
"I understand why you're angry, Arthur…
I truly do.
But let's calm down a little.
Rushing won't help us."
Then his smile widened slightly as he added lightly,
"It seems you've gotten stronger… you bastard."
Arthur did not know how to deal with this stubborn companion.
He sighed quietly and smiled, giving Zoro a brief look.
After that, he turned away,
stepped down from the ship,
and walked toward Crocus—
and began tending to his wounded body.
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