Luffy and the crew were now resting at the lighthouse while Sanji is preparing some food for them and Crocus, "Crocus-san....is it true that you were the member of Pirate King's crew!!??" Nami asked suddenly getting everyone's attention, "Hmmm.....now that you mentioned it....." Ussop looked at Luffy who was leaning by the rock, "How in the hell do you know that, he is the member of Pirate King's crew!!??" Luffy looked at Ussop, "First thing first....it was the WorldGovernment who gave Gol D Roger the title of Pirate King after he and his crew found the last island where One Piece is....." then he looks Crocus, "Isn't it right old man..."
Crocus just chuckled at that, "They sure did gave us the legendary title...." then he took a sip from his juice, "But that idiot Captain of mine loved the 'Pirate King' added to his name." "So it was because of some idiots from WorldGovernment who can't keep somethings within themselves....'sigh' they sure are brainless." Sanji commented. "Well even if the WorldGovernment didn't gave Roger the title of Pirate King, other pirates and common folks were starting to call him that...." Crocus said.
Ussop then looked at Luffy, "Hey Luffy...." "Hmmm..." "What's the other thing you want to say!?" "Oh yea, the second thing....." then he looked at his crew, "Well except Sanji you all know about my meeting with Shanks...right!" Zoro, Ussop and Nami nodded in affirmation, while Sanji looked confused, "Oi, what the hell you're talking about...." "Well you see...." then Luffy told him about how he met Shanks ten years ago and his promise with him.
Sanji looked blankly at Luffy's grinning face, "So, we're going to this crazy ass adventure because of this...." and Luffy shamelessly nodded, "Yup....this and something more, but that talk still have to wait." Sanji sighed, "Well, I had already signed for this crazy stuff....no backing away." He said with a grin. Luffy too grinned back and then dropped a bomb shell on them, "By the way, Shanks was also the part of Roger pirates...." there was a pin drop silence while Luffy and Crocus were waiting was their reaction and then all of sudden, "NANIIIIIII.....???"
At their reaction, both Luffy and Crocus started to laugh loudly, "SHISHISHISHI.....you guys should had seen your face in the mirror....that was hilarious...." quickly Zoro and Sanji composed their face while Nami and Ussop were burning red with embarrassment, "SHUT UP...." they punched him on the head and left two huge bumps, "Owww, that hurts..." Crocus seeing this sweatdropped, 'Yup, just like Roger...' then after few minutes everything settled down, "Now I understand why Mihawk talked about Red Haired Shanks was his equal before he lost his dominant arm...." Zoro muttered, understanding why Luffy had told him to learn from the Pirate King....
"Enough of that...."Luffy looked at Crocus, "Old man, you told us that Laboon is waiting for his friends for 50 years....maybe something happened to them!!" suddenly Ussop slammed his hand on the table, "You idiot, why do you have to go and say such a thing!! You can't say that for sure!! They still might come back!!" Crocus sighed, "The truth is far more cruel, however." They all looked at him, "Those fellows left already. Left from Grandline, that is. I heard from a reliable source." This news shocked all of them except Luffy, "W...What!?" Ussop muttered.
"...So they just left Laboon behind!? But that would mean they left Grandline through Calmbelt...!" Nami nervously said, "Yes...that is why I do not know whether they survived or not. But even if they did survive, they would never dare to return here again....a place where the seasons, climate, currents and winds could not be more chaotic..." he then looked at them with serious gaze, "A place where common sense fails to uphold...that place is this sea, the Grandline and it rules with fear over the faint-hearted."
"So basically, those cowards were more concerned about their lives than keeping a promise, and thus left Grandline to never return again..." Sanji said with a sneer, while Ussop was in shock. "If that's the case, then why haven't you tried telling Laboon the truth? He can understand human words, right!?" Nami asked Crocus who looked dejected, "I have. I've told him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth....but he refuses to listen." He then looks Laboon, who is gazing at the sky, "Ever since then...Laboon has been bellowing at the Reverse Mountain, and bashing his head against the RedLine."
"This Whale's home is back in west blue, which is located on the other side of the Redline. It's too late for him to go back. That's why his only hope are the very friends he came along with here in the first place." Sanji then looked at the old man, "You know, as much as I feel sorry for this whale and all, you've also been betrayed by them if you think about it. So why don't you just leave the whale be already!?" Crocus just shook his head, "Look at the scars on his head....If he continues to recklessly bash his head against the wall, he'll definitely die. We've had an odd relationship but he's still my companion that I've lived with for over 50 years. I can't just stand by and watch him die...."
Silence permeated the surrounding, then suddenly Luffy stood up, "Yosh, alright then.....I had listened enough." He then started to walk towards Laboon while everyone looked at him with confusion, "What're you doing!!?" Zoro asked, but Luffy just grinned, "You know, the place I am from...there when a child didn't understand their parents words and still acted naughty, what does the parents do..." suddenly all of them has a bad feeling, "Wh..what do they do!!??" Ussop asked, then Luffy's grin turned devilish, "They bit beat the shit out of them..." and with that he jumped even higher than Laboon.
Luffy then activated his gear third, "GEAR THIRD....ELEPHANT SLAP" his right hand became like of a giant and with that giant hand, he slapped Laboon so hard that the whale flew few metres away and splashed into the water. The spectators were all silent at just what happened, then all of a sudden, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!??" but suddenly Laboon rose up from the water and looked at the descending Luffy with anger, he then headbutted Luffy and send him crashing at the Redline.
Zoro and Sanji looked at the direction Luffy crashed, "Oi Luffy....you alive!!" but instead of answering them, Luffy yelled at Laboon, "IT'S A TIE!!" everyone became confused at this, even Laboon, but Luffy ignored them and get up from the rubble and started to walk towards Laboon, "I'm pretty tough, eh?" Laboon confusedly look at Luffy with his big eyes, "Our fight has yet to be settled, so we must fight eachother again!" Luffy then stood infront of Laboon and touched his head and used Voice of All thing, "Your old friends may be dead, but I'm your new rival!! And once my crew sails around Grandline...we'll be sure to come back here to see you again." Laboon started to tear up by those words, "...And then we'll duke it out again!!" suddenly Laboon cried out towards the sky and Luffy can hear it with the help of Voice of All Thing, "FRIENDDDDDD"