Lookout for the Straw Hats!

Chapter 7: We escape Monstro 2.0's stomach

Crocus had led us all through the tunnel he made behind the huge door we saw earlier, taking us back to the actual surface. Still not used to being in a whale's stomach, full of artificial parts, but it's okay cause we're leaving now.

"This is some canal. Amazing this whale's still alive, with a hole like this in his body." I glanced over to Zoro, agreeing with him. It is amazing.

Sanji spoke to Crocus, who was floating on his little island in the lawn chair a little ways ahead of us. "I suppose you're responsible for this?"

"Just a doctor's playful mind..."

And what a playful mind indeed.

Luffy seemed to have forgotten Crocus fixed me up because when he said that, the rubber boy was more surprised than he should've been.

He talked about how he used to run a clinic on the cape, as well as being a ship's doctor long ago. Our captain jumped at the chance to ask him to join us, but the old man shut it down before Luffy could finish asking. The man spoke while climbing a ladder, heading towards the big door ahead of us.

"Don't be ridiculous. I no longer have that kind of energy. Exploring the seas is a young man's burden."

Sanji, then, asked the obvious.

"What kind of a doctor hollows out the inside of a whale..." He's got a point. It is very strange.

"Maybe it's part of the treatment."

Crocus confirmed Nami's idea, "The girl is right... With a creature of this size, it's virtually impossible to treat it from the outside. Therefore, I devised a more drastic solution. Here's the exit..."

The doors slowly opened, revealing the surface once again. Goodness! I never thought I would miss being lost at sea so much! I guess it beats living in a whale, though. Luffy seemed to share my sentiments because he began shouting how he missed the sky and the sea. I don't know where he gets all this energy from; it's exhausting.

I looked down at Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday and noticed the latter beginning to wake up. She didn't seem to notice me though, and woke her partner up, trying to sneak off without the others noticing.

I closed my eyes a bit, and a little pin materialized in my hand. I flicked it onto the man and let it catch on his crown. It's not an enormous bomb, so it won't kill them, but it'll be just enough to scare them once they've gotten away. That's what they get for thinking they can leave without any repercussions.

"Don't you think 50 years is a bit extreme? Those pirates sure know how to test someone's patience!"

Way to bring me back to the depressing whale story, Usopp. I was just starting to feel better too.

"Usopp, I thought we were past the sad whale story! I have a gentle heart and can't listen to this stuff without crying!" The sniper looked at me, apologizing frantically, but before I could tell him to stop, our cook said to him, "Idiot! Don't you get it? This is the Grand Line. His friends are dead. That whale can wait forever, but they won't be back."

A tear escaped my eye as my lip trembled, thinking about how sad the whale must be right now. "Oh, Y/n! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!" The chef panicked, but I wiped the stray tear away and reassured him I was alright.

He's not wrong. They most certainly are dead. It's just sad to hear.

Nami agreed with Sanji, believing that to be the most likely case. In a way, I could sort of relate to Laboon's pain. Thunder left and I thought for sure he'd be back, but I never saw him again. Being left behind is horrible and terribly sad, so I can't imagine waiting 50 years for someone to return.