The Window Maker - (OCXCANON)

Chapter 20 (Journey to Grandline)

The old man screeched and flipped out of his chair on the ground as his newspaper floated in the air. He stuttered, "What the hell?!"

Her crewmates shouted her name but it came out a whisper to her. She raised an eyebrow at them but shook her head. She caught and gathered up the newspaper before rounding the chair to extend her hand. She grinned, "Sorry about that old timer. I couldn't hear a damn word you were saying over there. I'm Ki, by the way."

The old man stared at the woman for a moment before taking her hand. After he got to his feet, he cleared his throat, "I'm Crocus. I'm the lighthouse keeper."

Sanji shouted, "You better not harm a hair on her head you geezer!!"

Ki grinned, "Great, soo ughh what's up with your whale? Why- Why's it like this?" She gestured to the open sky and island.

Nami shrieked, "Wait a minute, if we've been eaten what's gonna happen to us?! I don't wanna be digested!!"

Crocus stood painfully still and stared out at the crew with his lips pressed into a menacing frown.

Ki raised an eyebrow, "Why are you doing that?"

He chuckled as her crewmates shouted angrily at him. The lighthouse keeper shrugged, "You ever heard of a running gag?"

Ki barely heard the annoyed shrieks from the Merry, "That was a gag?!" She cupped her hand to her ear but it didn't help catch the sound.

Crocus nonchalantly pointed off in the distance behind the Merry, "The exit is over there."

Ki squinted in the direction of his extended arm, "A door? What?"

Usopp yelled, "Somethings not right here! Wait! Look at the sky! Those seagulls, nothing's moving! They're painted on! It's a giant mural inside the whale's stomach."

Crocus nonchalantly answered, "Call it a doctor's playful mind."

Usopp snarled, "You're not making any sense you crazy old fool!!"

The island and the Merry were jostled wildly as the waves tossed them around. Ki stumbled but managed to right herself before she toppled over. She frowned, "What the hell?"

Sanji yelled, "Ah, great! What now?! Ki?! Are you alright?!"

Ki didn't respond and Crocus eyed her, "Are you ignoring that boy?"

Ki raised an eyebrow, "Hm? I didn't hear anything."

The lighthouse keeper took a step closer and spied the dried blood that trickled from her ear. He pointed, "What damaged your ears?"

Ki pointed up with a deadpan expression, "Your buddy. His cries ruptured my eardrums. I can barely hear anything over the constant ringing."

Sanji yelled again, "Ki! Get back to the ship! We gotta go!"

Usopp chimed in, "Hey! What's up with this freaky whale?! Answer me old man!"

Crocus drew his gaze to the fake sky, "He's very angry. These aftershocks are a result of him hitting his head against the Redline."

Ki's eyes widened, "He's throwing himself into the Redline? That explains the deep scars and the howling, but why?"

Nami cried out, "It's because he's suffering!"

Ki eyed the old man, 'It doesn't seem like he's hurting the whale. Almost like a mutualistic relationship... But something has the whale upset for sure,' She opened a portal under her and a new one on the Merry. Before she dropped through she turned to Crocus one last time, "Hey, have you seen a kid in a Straw Hat?"