"Hey look there….I see giant door!!" Ussop said getting everyone's attention and they all also looked at the door. Sanji's eyes twitch, "Oi oi, you gotta be shitting me….there is a fucking door inside a whale's stomach??" Crocus looked at them and then at the door, "If you want, you can use that door to get out of here…." But before anyone could respond, suddenly everything started to shake as if an earthquake has occurred. Everyone was holding onto something so that they wouldn't fall into stomach liquid.
"Oi oi…..what the hell is happening!!??" Ussop asked while holding onto the railing of the Ship with his dear life, but Crocus ignores them and looked around the raising turbulence, "So he's started again, has he…." Then he stood up and folded up his sleeves. "Oi old man, what the hell is happening!?" Nami asked while also tightly clenching at the railing too. Crocus looked at them, "This whale, has started bashing his head against the Redline again…!" all of them except Luffy were shocked, "WHAT!?"
"Now that he mentions it…I remember that whale's forehead was covered in scars…..and he was bellowing up at the sky!" Nami exclaimed, Ussop looked at her while sweating and a horrified expression is forming on his face as if he had just found out something, "D..don't tell me…." Nami nodded at him with a scowl on her face, "It means he's suffering…!" then she looked at Crocus, "He must be trying to kill this whale from the inside!" Zoro ignored Nami's comment, "Well, if the mystery's been solved, let's leave already. We'll be dissolved if we hang around any longer."
But then suddenly, there was another shockwave which caused everyone to hold on to something again. Meanwhile inside the one of the renovated corridor inside Laboon's body, two people can be seen walking while holding a bazooka each. "Alright, we've successfully managed to infiltrate this far inside! Listen up Miss Wednesday….beyond this door is the whale's stomach and that old man is probably inside as well. Our mission is to eliminate that geezer…!!" said the man with slick back orange hair adorned with a golden king's crown, he wore an elegant noble's suit with a red scarf wrapped around his neck.
The man looked at his partner, a beautiful and gorgeous women with sky blue hair tied in high ponytail. She wore white jeans short with golden belt, a tight blue shirt and on top of it a long white leather coat with fur at its collar, then the women spoke addressing to her orange haired partner, "Don't worry Mr. 9. Once that old man is dealt with, this Whale is our town's sweet honey." Then the two of them started walking towards Whale's stomach.
Back with the Strawhats, as Laboon was striking his head at the Redline…the turbulence is happening, "Hey Luffy, if this whale keeps on rampaging like this, it's going to hard to even reach the exit!" Zoro exclaimed, then suddenly Crocus jumped into the stomach acid, "AH!! THAT OLD MAN JUST JUMPED IN!! WHAT'S HE TRYING TO DO? HE'S GONNA GET HIMSELF DISSOLVED!" Nami panicked seeing Crocus jumping in, but then her attention was caught by Ussop's jaws hanging open, "H..hey guys….did you see that too, right!!??" Ussop suddenly asked which confused Nami, while Luffy, Zoro and Sanji were staring at the place where Crocus was a moment ago. "Did that old man just used Haki!??" Sanji asked while his cigarette fell from his mouth, Zoro just nodded at that. 'Heh….well I had some doubt about him using Haki, but it looks like he sure knows it…' Luffy thought.
As Crocus swam towards the exit panel, the shaking became more violent, Luffy seeing no other choice but to order the rest to row the ship because sailing towards the exit looked impossible. Back with the duo in the corridor with bazooka, they are now at the smaller door which is between them and Laboon's stomach, "Ok, Miss Wednesday. On the count of 3-2-1 baby, I'm opening the door….so don't lose your focus!!" the orange haired man said. "Copy that, Mr.9. Ready when you are." Said the blue haired women. Then the man took hold of the door's handle, "Ok…3-2-1----" but suddenly, Laboon again hit his head to the Redline, but this time very hard, which caused the whole corridor to tilt upside down and both the Mr.9 and Miss Wednesday lost their balance which cause them to flung out of the door in the air.
They screamed in panic which got the attention of Strawhats to them, they both splashed into stomach acid just near Going Merry, as they looked the group and plead for help. Ussop pointed at them, "There are two weirdos…!!" and Zoro also looked at them with neutral face, while Sanji seeing the blue haired women asking for help, he immediately threw his coat away jumped in to save her. Seeing this Zoro just clicked his tongue, by saving the blue haired women, the orange haired man came as buy one get one free offer.
On Crocus's side, he climbed up the ladder and entered the big chamber in hurry. 'Laboon….' He thought as he fast walk towards a big ass syringe filled with blue liquid, he then positioned the needle towards a open window from where a pink flesh can be visible, "Stop hurting yourself….." he then plunged the needle into the flesh and started to empty the blue liquid inside the flesh. After it was done, he looked at the empty barrels, "I don't have much sedatives left. Looks like I need to go make some more…." Then he looked above, "That wall before you separates the oceans of the world, you won't be able to bring it down even if you keep on bashing it until you die…!! So please….stop it Laboon." And as if the giant whale had heard Crocus, it stopped bashing his head and the sedative which Crocus just gave to Laboon started working.
On Going Merry, after saving the two idiots, Luffy ordered Zoro to tied them up and cut their bazookas. Zoro did what was told while Sanji protested to not tie up the blue haired women but Zoro ignores him. The now captors are terrified seeing Zoro cuts down the bazookas into small pieces so fast that they were not able to comprehend. Soon Laboon's shaking was also stopped which caused Nami and Ussop to relax, "The whale seems to have calmed down…." Nami stated, while Ussop looked at the two strangers, "Well? Just who exactly are you guys..!?"
The blue haired women slowly leaned into her partner's ear and whispered, "M…Mr.9, these people are pirates." "I…I can also see that Miss Wednesday, and we can't do anything about it…" Seeing them trying to be sneaky while all of the others can hear them made Nami's brow twitch. Then suddenly they heard door slammed open, they all looked at Crocus who is looking at the two captors, "It's you guys again, I won't let you lay even a single finger on Laboon…."
Seeing the old man, both Mr.9 and Miss Wednesday started to sweat and squirm in their bindings. Crocus looked at them all tied up and then looks at Luffy, "Thanks for capturing them, they were really pain in the ass…" he then gestured them to bring their ship near the resort. Soon they docked the ship near the resort and they all exit the ship with their captors. Crocus sat on his beach chair and then sighed, "This whale is an island whale, found normally in west blue. It's the largest species of whale in the world. This one's name is Laboon." Then he looked at the whale assaulter, "And these two are rouges from nearby town…their goal is to hunt Laboon, because the meat from Laboon can feed their town for 2-3 years."
All the Strawhats were listening tentatively as Crocus continued, "But I won't allow that!! As for why Laboon keeps bashing his head against the Redline and bellows while facing Reverse mountain…there's a reason for all that too." Then he looked at Strawhats and told them that, 50 years ago a pirate crew came down the Reverse mountain while a baby Laboon following behind them. He told them how the that pirate crew had befriended baby Laboon and how Laboon was accompanying the pirates on their journey, but the pirate captain knew how dangerous Grandline is and that Laboon is still a baby and it could be dangerous for him. So they made a deal with Crocus to keep watch over Laboon until they return from their adventure.
"The captain had said, 'Once we've sailed around the world, we'll come back for him no matter what.' Understanding their intent, Laboon patiently waited for them here." There was silence as everyone was comprehending what Crocus had told them now, "So that's why he keeps on bellowing even today…and bashing himself against Redline…." Crocus took off his glasses and then closed his eyes in tiredness, "That's right…Its' been over 50 years since then and he still believe his friends will come back…"
The Strawhats with the help of Crocus were exiting Laboon's stomach by a all metal build waterway. "I'm amazed you've managed to dig out such a big hole and live inside here….Is this another one of your ways of having good time!!?" Zoro asked while looking at the metal build pathway inside a living thing. Crocus who was with them said, "It's a hobby of mine as a doctor. Don't get the wrong idea, I may not look like much but I'm a real doctor. I even used to run a clinic at the Cape long ago….Not only that, I got a few years under my belt working as a ship doctor too."
They were all amazed at that, "So my guess was right…!!" all of them looked at Luffy with confusion at his remark, "You are Crocus of the Roger Pirates….aren't ya!!??" the Strawhats were all surprised at hearing 'Roger Pirates' and they all looked at the old man who started to chuckle at that, "Well, it looks like that Red haired brat did told you about us…." Luffy just shook his head, "He didn't…..the only thing he told me was his adventures of younger days with all of you and a little bit of history of you guys…" Crocus kept his smile and eyes glazed a little bit, "Those times were sure something…." Then he shook his head and saw that they were approaching the giant metal gate which is separating them from outside world.
He then stood up and climbed up the ladder and then pulled the lever down to open the gate. Soon the gate opened and they all left the Whale. The Going Merry is now sailing on real water, "What should we do with these two?" Ussop asked pointing at their captives, Zoro shrugged, "Just throw them over somewhere around here." Ussop nodded and threw the two off the ship into the sea, "Hey be more gentle with the lady…." Sanji retorted.
"Arg….where are we!?? Is this stomach acid!?" the orange haired man cried out in panic, "Settle down Mr.9…this is real ocean." Then the blue haired women looked at the Strawhats with distain, "They must have knocked us over….!!" Nami then leaned and looked at them, "So….who are you idiots again??" "SHUT UP! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!" the blue haired women yelled. Then her partner patted her shoulder, "No wait Miss Wednesday, perhaps it is their business…as long as they're pirates, that is." At this the blue haired women smirked, "True indeed Mr.9, our organization may have some use for you….prepare yourselves!!"
They then started to swim away as fast as possible, "Then we bid you good day…until next time!" said Mr.9 and with that they were gone, while Sanji sighed looking at the disappearing blue haired women, "So her name is Miss. Wednesday? What a beautiful enigma you are." But Luffy patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, we will encounter her soon…." Then he took out a log pose from his pocket, "As long as I have this." Sanji looked at the wired compass, "Huh!! What's that??" but Luffy did not answer him and pocketed the log pose and told them to dock the ship near the lighthouse.