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Chapter 59: Crocus
🕑 Added 2025-09-05 10:28:53 +0000 UTCAt dawn the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the sea mist, the deck of the Oro Jackson was already alive with... vibrant moaning and groaning.
"Ugh... my head's killing me..."
"Water... somebody get me some water..."
"Where's that hangover cure Kyle mentioned? Bring it up here, quick!"
Nozdon clutched his splitting head, feeling like the rum he'd knocked back last night was throwing a party in his brain.
Shanks and Buggy, the two little brats who'd snuck some drinks, were sprawled flat on the deck, tongues hanging out, looking like their souls had completely left their bodies.
Kyle leaned against the ship's rail, watching this crew of hungover monsters, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Listen up, future rulers of the sea," he drawled, "we're looking for a ship's doctor precisely because we don't have one. Is that logic really so hard to grasp?"
Everyone: "..."
Fair point, but not by much.
"Get your acts together, you lazy bums!" Roger's booming voice echoed from the captain's quarters as he strode out, looking refreshed and energetic without a trace of hangover fatigue, though his complexion was a shade paler than usual. "Boys, hoist the sails! Our next stop—Twin Cape!"
"Yeah!"
Despite their bodies still protesting, at their captain's command, the crew immediately sprang into action. The Oro Jackson turned about and set sail, riding the wind and waves toward the starting point of the Grand Line.
Several days later, the magnificent Reverse Mountain loomed before them.
The Oro Jackson rode the special upward current into the clouds, then plunged down the opposite waterway, finally coming to rest steadily beneath the iconic lighthouse of Twin Cape.
This was where every pirate's dream began, and the very air was thick with the scent of adventure and legend.
"This is it," Rayleigh put away the sea chart and pointed to the lighthouse standing on the cape. "Crocus—the most skilled doctor on these seas."
"Gu ha ha ha! Leave it to me!"
Before the ship had completely stopped, Roger crouched down and launched himself skyward, soaring over dozens of meters of ocean. With a thunderous crash, he landed heavily on the clearing in front of the lighthouse, shaking the ground.
A peculiar old man in a floral shirt and glasses, his hair styled like a daisy, was watering his flower garden when this sudden commotion startled him, causing him to spill water everywhere.
"Hey! Old man!" Roger stood with his hands on his hips, flashing his pearly whites. "I've taken a liking to you! Come aboard my ship and be our doctor!"
The entire world seemed to fall silent.
On the Oro Jackson, Scopper Gaban choked on his drink and coughed up a storm. Shanks and Buggy gaped open-mouthed, their faces clearly saying, "You can do that?"
Kyle covered his face. He knew it would go like this.
Roger's dictionary apparently never contained the words "subtle" or "build-up."
The man called "old man"—Crocus—adjusted his glasses and looked Roger up and down with the expression one might use to regard an idiot. "What asylum did you escape from? Wait, you're... Gold Roger? Doesn't matter. I have no interest in becoming a pirate. Get off my flower garden, now."
Even with a multi-billion berry bounty pirate standing before him, his tone remained flat, carrying an unmistakable rejection.
"Don't be like that!" Roger paid no mind and strode forward to throw an arm around his shoulders. "Sailing with us would be a blast! There's booze, grub, and endless adventure!"
Just then, a long, sorrowful whale song echoed across the sky.
"Mooo—ooooo—"
Along with this cry, a massive shadow slowly rose from the waters beside the lighthouse.
Next, an enormous head covered in countless scars, as large as an island, burst through the surface, sending towering waves in all directions.
It was a whale of unimaginable size!
"Waaah! What is that monster?!" Buggy's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and the crew members all showed amazement.
Only Crocus's expression softened. He set down his watering can, walked to the shore, and gently stroked the giant whale's scarred skin, murmuring, "Laboon, right on time today... Just wait a little longer, they'll be back soon..."
Laboon let out a low whimper, nuzzling Crocus's palm with his head, as if seeking comfort.
Roger was also drawn by this massive whale, temporarily forgetting about his invitation.
Meanwhile, Kyle used the moment when everyone's attention was captured by the giant whale—Laboon—to slip away from the deck unnoticed.
He quietly circled to the other side of the lighthouse and leaned against the wall, waiting.
A moment later, after comforting Laboon, Crocus brushed off Roger with a few words and turned to head back to the lighthouse. Upon turning around, he found a black-haired, golden-eyed young man watching him with an enigmatic smile.
Crocus frowned. When had this kid gotten here? He was certain there had been no one there just moments ago.
"Need something? I already told you—I have no interest in pirates!" His tone remained unfriendly.
"No rush," Kyle's gaze drifted past his shoulder toward the massive figure on the water. "What a stubborn whale. It's waiting for its companions, isn't it?"
Crocus's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and his eyes behind the glasses sharpened. "That's none of your business."
"Of course it's none of my business," Kyle smiled, his expression carrying a hint of mystery. "I just happen to know some things... about a group of cheerful musicians. I believe they were called... the Rumbar Pirates?"
"!"
Crocus spun around and stared hard at Kyle, his previously calm face showing shock for the first time. "How could you possibly know?!"
It had been decades since he'd heard that name from an outsider!
"The sea carries many things," Kyle raised his hand, invisible ripples seeming to swirl around his fingertips. "Sounds, light, memories... if you know how to 'listen.'"
Kyle was obviously bluffing, but these mystical words, combined with his golden eyes that seemed to see through everything, still shook Crocus to his core.
"They... what happened to them?" Crocus's voice trembled uncontrollably.
He had waited too long and wondered too much. Countless nights, he had imagined what misfortunes those companions might have faced.
"I don't know everything," Kyle shook his head frankly—this was the most crucial part of his plan. "I only 'heard' some scattered fragments. I know they entered the Grand Line, faced many difficulties, but they kept moving toward a promised place."
He looked at Crocus and cast the bait that the man couldn't refuse.
"Our captain—you've seen him. He's a hopeless fool, but also a man destined to sail to the world's end."
"Join our crew, Mr. Crocus. We need your medical skills. In exchange, we'll take you to the end of this route." Kyle's voice was full of temptation.
"Only by reaching the final destination can you find the complete answer about the Rumbar Pirates. For your own sake, and for that big guy who's still foolishly waiting."
Crocus fell silent.
The sea breeze ruffled his pink bandana as he turned to look at Laboon on the water.
The poor thing was still ramming its head against the Red Line, making dull thuds, as if venting endless longing and sorrow.
On one side was a promise he'd kept for decades; on the other was perhaps the only chance to solve all the mysteries and free both Laboon and himself.
After a long while, he let out a long sigh, as if releasing a thousand-pound burden.
"One condition," he looked back at Kyle with unwavering determination. "I want your captain to personally promise he'll help me find out what happened to the Rumbar Pirates."
"Deal." Kyle's lips curved into a smile that said 'plan successful.'
When Crocus returned to the ship carrying his medical bag alongside Kyle, Roger was still there fighting the good fight against thin air.
"Hey! Roger!" Kyle called out.
Roger turned around, saw Crocus, and his eyes lit up. "Oh! Old man! Finally came to your senses?"
Crocus ignored the nickname and walked straight up to him, saying solemnly, "I can board your ship and become your doctor, but you must agree to one condition."
"Oh? Let's hear it!"
"Help me find the final fate of the 'Rumbar Pirates.'"
Roger paused, then burst into hearty laughter, pounding his chest with his fist.
"Gu ha ha ha! That's all? I promise you! As long as something happened on these seas, there's no answer that Gold D. Roger can't find!" His laughter was bold and full of unshakeable confidence. "Welcome aboard, Crocus!"
With Roger's hearty promise echoing around them, Crocus took one last look at the still-wailing Laboon, his expression complex.
"Wait for me, Laboon. This time, I'll definitely bring back answers!"
Crocus bid farewell to Laboon, turned around, and resolutely stepped onto the deck of the Oro Jackson.
