As my companions went to work, I made my way back to the black pearl, and after greeting Doc Q and Bob with a light nod, and took a moment to finally get a good look at Laboon, who had already started bashing his head against the red line.
And let me tell you, no amount of preparations would make you ready to witness a giant whale bash its head against a similarly massive mountain range, causing the sea itself to tremble from the force of the impact.
"So this guy is still banging his head against the red-line...," Bob remarked as he made his way to stand beside me, gazing at Laboon's act of self-harm.
"I wonder why he's doing that?" Bob added as he turned to look at me with a meaningful look on his face which blatantly said; you seem to know everything, so explain.
I deadpanned, struggling to keep my eyes from twitching as I shrugged my shoulders while pointing towards the twin capes. "If anyone knows what's happening, then it should be the old twin capes keeper."
Bob raised an eyebrow in amusement at my answer while twirling his mustache. "Fair enough," he replied with a shrug of his own.
"Well, I'm going there to have a few words with the old keeper, so feel free to tag along if you're that curious," I remarked with a shrug as I turned around, launching myself into the air with Geppo.
"I'll pass," Bob replied in his usual carefree tone as he turned around and resumed lazing around the black pearl's deck.
...
I landed in front of the left lighthouse in the twin capes, smiling and waving my hand as I noticed Wilson and Laffite flying their way towards me.
"What are you up to, Johnny?" Wilson asked with a smirk as he landed in front of me, followed by Laffite, who nodded at me in greeting after landing with a curious expression on his face.
"Not much," I replied with a shrug. "I just want to have a few words with the old twin peaks keeper," I added while pointing towards an elderly man with a strange haircut who seemed to be ignoring our presence for the most part.
"Hmm? Is that geezer interesting?" Wilson asked as he turned to look at the elder, squinting his eyes as he did. "Well, that depends on whether you find an old crewmate of the pirate king interesting," I added with a shrug, causing both Wilson and Laffite to look at me with surprise.
"A companion of the pirate king?" Laffite remarked with a confused expression. "How is that even possible?" he questioned with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Didn't the marines catch the pirate king's crew along with the man himself?" Laffite concluded, alternating his gaze between Crocus and myself.
"The marines didn't cath the pirate king," I dramatically stated, spreading my arms apart and smirking at Wilson and Laffite's shocked expressions. "Gol D Roger, the pirate king, willingly surrendered to the marines."
"Why would he do such a thing?" Laffite asked with his eyes wide in shock. "Wait, pirates have a king?!" Wilson asked with an even more exaggerated shocked expression, causing me to burst out laughing.
"Maybe I'll tell you about some other time, Laffite," I remarked with a shrug, still chuckling slightly at Wilson's dumfounded expression at the revelation that pirates have a king.
I turned around and began walking towards Crocus with a smile on my face, feeling a mixture of expectations and excitement at meeting one of my favorite one-piece characters.
Crocus continued to read his newspaper while sitting on a garden chair, seemingly unaware of my presence until I was standing ten or so steps away from him.
The old doctor raised his head from the newspaper and looked at us with sharp eyes, his expression one of smoldering intensity, causing both Laffite and Wilson to go tense, frowning as they did.
'Here it comes.' I couldn't help grinning upon seeing Crocus' reaction as he slowly gave my companions a once over, inspecting us with his sharp pair of eyes.
I could basically hear the drums echoing in the surroundings as Crocus' eyes widened in focus, as if preparing to do something only for him to lower his head and resume reading the newspaper.
"Say something, you asshole!" Wilson exclaimed in frustration, and I could barely stop myself from laughing as Crocus raised his head, giving Wilson a bored look.
"Calm down, Wilson," Laffite said in a placating tone, putting his hand on Wilson's shoulder to calm the four-armed gorilla as he took a step forward.
"Greeting," Laffite remarked in his usual cheery, polite tone. "We've just arrived at the grand line, and we were hoping to get some information about the area," the navigator added while tipping his hat in Crocus' direction.
Crocus looked at Laffite, and his expression turned tense and dangerous again. "Don't you know it's impolite to ask someone for a favor without at least introducing yourself?" the old doctor remarked.
"Ah, but of course," Laffite replied with a chuckle. "I'm Laffite-" the navigator tried to introduce himself, only to be interrupted by Crocus.
"My name is Crocus, and I'm the keeper of the twin capes' lighthouses. I'm 69 years old. Gemini, Blood type B." Crocus began babbling, and I couldn't help it anymore as I started laughing while looking at Laffite, who had a constipated expression out of annoyance.
"Can I kill this man, captain?" Laffite asked with twitching eyes while clenching his cane and looking at the old doctor. "Calm down, will you? Don't you know how to appreciate a running gag?" I said while wiping tears from my face after laughing for a good half a minute.
"Oh, I see you're also a man of culture," Crocus exclaimed with an approving nod, grinning as he did. "At any rate, feel free to ask whatever you want," he added with a smile, putting away the newspaper.
"Sure, let me just call a buddy of mine first," I replied with a nod, taking out my transponder snail and calling Byron, instructing him to come over.