Her Wanderlust Odyssey

The Promise

"As you all know, Laboon is very large compared to a normal whale. He is one of the world's largest whales, called the island whale, which only lives in the West Blue. The scars on his head are from him constantly hitting himself against the Red Line."

"Why would he do something like that?!" Nami replied in shock.

"There's a reason why he does that and why he howls towards Reverse Mountain," Sakura grimaced.

"A reason?"

"Mhm, he's a whale with a human heart and he's been devotedly waiting for a certain pirate group... for 50 long years." Crocus faced the calmed whale.

"One day while I was on duty as the lighthouse keeper, some good-natured pirates came down Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line. A small whale also came in as if following them. That was Laboon. Turns out the pirates had been traveling with Laboon all that time, but they left him in the West Blue since the Grand Line is extremely dangerous. Although they did, he followed them. Island whales usually travel together in a pod, but I suspect Laboon felt that he was a member of that pirate group. Since their ship had broken down, they stayed at the cape for several months. So we became quite good friends. Because of that, on the day of their departure, their captain asked me for a favor. To take care of  Laboon for 2-3 years. He claimed that they'll go around the world and come back here. And so, they left Laboon with me."

"But that was 50 years ago..." Sakura finished.

"Laboon has been waiting for those guys for 50 years?" Usopp frowned.

"Is that why he continues to howl at the wall, hitting himself on it?" Nami concluded.

Sakura nodded.

"But 50 years? They sure are making him wait a long time..."

"Usopp you Idiot! This is the Grand Line. They're dead. No matter how long he waits, they won't come back." Sanji retorted.

"It's true that 50 years ago, the Grand Line was an uncharted sea more terrible and chaotic than it is now," Nami mentioned.

"Why are you all talking so hopeless?! You don't know that for sure yet! They might come back! Right?!" Usopp turned to Crocus and Sakura for an answer.

"That's possible, but reality is cruel Usopp. Flower pops here confirmed that they ran away from the Grand Line."

"Wait, don't tell me that they left him?!"

"They ran away from the Grand Line... does that mean that they went through the Calm Belt alive?" Nami asked.

"Even if they are alive, they'll probably never come back here. Seasons. Weather. Current. Wind direction. They are all random. Common sense is useless in the Grand Line. The terror of the Grand Line takes over weak minds in an instant," Crocus stated.

"So having weak minds, they ran away from this sea without keeping their promise in order to save their asses," Sanji grumbled.

"They abandoned this whale?! When he's been waiting for so long?! That's cruel!" Usopp yelled.

"If you know that, why haven't you told him? That whale can understand what people say, right?" Nami questioned.