A PROMISE ON THE CAPE

Inside the giant whale Laboon, the Going Merry sails through a waterway surrounded by painted metal walls depicting a sky and a small island with a palm tree. Nami looks around in awe, saying, "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 a good time?" Crocus clarifies, "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. It's a hobby of mine as a doctor." He adds, "Not only that, I've got a few years under my belt working as a ship doctor too." Luffy's eyes light up with excitement as he asks, "A doctor!? Really!? Then join my crew as a doctor!" Crocus bluntly refuses, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm too old to be doing reckless things unlike you youths." Sanji leans on the railing and asks, "So you're a doctor, huh... and you're living inside a whale?" Crocus confirms, "That's right. With a whale this big, it's impossible to properly treat it from the outside." He then walks over to a large metal wheel and pulls a lever, announcing, "I'll open the gate now."

The massive metal gates of the whale's mouth open, and the Going Merry sails out, riding the rushing water. Luffy stands triumphantly on the ship's figurehead, throwing his arms up and cheering, "ALRIGHT! We're out! I can see the real sky at last!" Meanwhile, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday are thrown violently into the churning water alongside the ship. They flail around, coughing and sputtering. Mr. 9 yells, "UBAGH! Is this stomach acid!? Where are we!?" Mr. 9 looks around and realizes, "No, we appear to be in a real ocean, Ms. Wednesday." Miss Wednesday concludes, "We must've been knocked out by those pirates. Mr. 9!" On the deck of the Going Merry, Sanji looks down at them and asks, "What should we do with these two?" Zoro dismissively replies, "Just throw them over somewhere around here." Back inside the whale, Crocus stands on his metal island and presses a button, commanding the gates to "SHUT!"

In the water, Miss Wednesday points at the Straw Hats and asks, "So... who were you guys again?" Zoro angrily snaps back, "Shut up! It's none of your business!" Mr. 9 tells Miss Wednesday, "No wait, Miss Wednesday. Perhaps it is their business. As long as they're pirates, that is." Miss Wednesday agrees, telling Mr. 9, "True indeed, Mr. 9. Our organization may have some use for you." They both point dramatically at the crew and yell, "Prepare yourselves!" before swimming away rapidly. They call back, "Then we bid you good day until next time, you hillbilly pirates! And heed this, Crocus! That whale shall be ours for the taking soon enough!" Sanji swoons over Miss Wednesday, saying, "So her name is Ms. Wednesday? What a beautiful enigma, you are. Bye-bye, babe." Luffy looks confused, holding up a Log Pose he found, asking, "Huh? Did someone drop this or something?" Nami turns to Crocus and asks, "Are you sure about just letting them go? They'll be sure to come back for the whale again, you know." Crocus calmly replies, "Even if I didn't let them go, there'll be other rogues who'll come to take their places."

The massive black whale, Laboon, is seen from behind, floating calmly in the ocean near the lighthouse, facing the towering Red Line. Crocus notes, "But to think it's been waiting here for 50 years..." On the shore, Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy are sitting around a table. Sanji remarks, "Those pirates sure are taking a long time..." Zoro calls him out, "You idiot, this is the Grand Line." Sanji points out the grim reality: "They promised they'd be back in 2-3 years, yet they're still not back after 50 years... the answer's obvious." Crocus looks up at the towering lighthouse and states bluntly, "They're long dead by now. They won't come back no matter how long that whale waits...!"

Sanji gets angry at Crocus's bluntness, asking, "Why do you have to go and say such cold things!" Nami agrees, adding, "You can't say that for sure! They still might come back!" Sanji continues, "Can't you even appreciate such a moving story about a whale who still believes in his friends' promise..." Crocus, however, states firmly, "The truth is far more cruel, however. Those fellows left already." Usopp is shocked, stammering, "W... WHAT!?" Crocus clarifies, "Left from Grand Line, that is. I heard from a reliable source." Nami is horrified, realizing, "...So they just left the whale behind!? But that would mean they left Grand Line through Calm Belt...!" Crocus confirms, "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 any more chaotic..."

Crocus continues his explanation, describing the Grand Line: "A place where common sense fails to uphold... That place is this sea, the Grand Line, and it rules with fear over the faint-hearted." Sanji summarizes the grim situation: "So basically, those cowards were more concerned about their lives than keeping a promise, and thus left Grand Line to never return again..." Usopp is outraged, yelling, "So they just abandoned the whale behind!? Even though this whale never doubted them, and has been waiting here for over 50 years...! How could they be so cruel!?" Nami asks Crocus, "If that's the case, then why haven't you tried telling the whale the truth? This whale can understand human words, right!?" Crocus replies solemnly, "I have. I've told him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But he refuses to listen." He looks out at Laboon, remembering when he tried to speak to him, saying, "Laboon, I have something to say."

A flashback shows Crocus standing on the rocky shore, speaking to Laboon, who is floating calmly in the water. Crocus tells the whale, "It's about those pirates who entrusted you to me... It seems they've already left Grand Line..." He continues, "I know they were your good friends, and that you think they would've kept their promise no matter what... But they're not going to come back here ever again." Laboon's large eye widens in shock as the words sink in. The whale then erupts in a massive, anguished roar, "BUOOOHHHHH!", thrashing violently in the water and sending huge waves crashing against the shore.

The flashback continues with Crocus yelling desperately at Laboon, "LABOON! LISTEN TO WHAT I'M SAYING!" Laboon ignores him, continuing to roar loudly, "BUOOOHHHHH!" Crocus tries to repeat, "I said they've already l-" but Laboon's deafening cries drown him out. Crocus tries again, "Those pirates have already-" but Laboon roars even louder, "BUOOOHHHHH!" Crocus pleads with the whale, "I understand your feelings of denial! But you have to accept the truth...! Please listen to what I'm saying!" Laboon thrashes wildly in the sea, splashing massive amounts of water and roaring in distress, "BUOOHH! BUOOHH!" Crocus watches helplessly, shouting Laboon's name over the noise.

Laboon is shown roaring at the towering Red Line, "BUOOOHHHHH!" Crocus explains, "You... Ever since then..." Luffy is seen casually picking his nose while listening. Nami looks sad as Crocus continues, "Laboon has been bellowing at Reverse Mountain, and bashing his head against the Red Line." Crocus adds, "As if trying to stubbornly assert that his friends are beyond the wall, and that they'll return someday...! I've tried telling the truth many more times since then, but Laboon still refuses to accept the truth."

Sanji remarks on the tragedy of the whale, noting, "What a whale... he still keeps on waiting even after being betrayed... Even though there's no point in waiting anymore...!" Luffy, still picking his nose, says, "That's exactly it... It's because he'll lose all reason, that he refuses to listen. He's afraid of losing the meaning behind his waiting above all else." Crocus explains, "This whale's home is back in West Blue, which is located on the other side of Red Line. 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 points out, "...But 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 tells them, "Look at the scars on his head..."

Crocus explains, "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..." Suddenly, Luffy runs off, yelling loudly, "HOOOOHHHHHH!" Nami is confused, saying, "Huh?" Sanji wonders, "What's that idiot up to now? Take your eyes off him for one second and..." Luffy is seen running up the side of Laboon's massive body. He reaches the top and notices, "Alright, I've reached the top! Ah, there's a fresh wound!" Sanji guesses, "Maybe he just likes climbing things?" Luffy stretches his arms far back, preparing an attack, yelling "GOMU GOMU...."

Luffy grabs the Going Merry's main mast, ripping it completely off the ship, and yells "FLOWER ARRANGING!" He slams the broken mast directly into the fresh wound on Laboon's head. Blood spurts out from the impact. On the shore, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp watch in disbelief. Sanji asks, "Hey, is that a mast?" Zoro replies, "Yeah, I think it's our ship's..." Usopp confirms, "Yup, it's our main mast alright." Laboon's eye widens in shock, and he lets out a deafening, pained roar, "BUOOOHHHH!", with large tears streaming from his eye.

Laboon rears up in immense pain, roaring "BUOOOHHHHH!" as blood gushes from the wound where the mast is embedded. On the shore, Sanji, Nami, and Zoro scream in absolute terror, their jaws dropping as they yell, "WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?" and "HE DESTROYED OUR SHIP!" Meanwhile, Luffy is clinging tightly to the mast stuck in the thrashing whale, getting violently shaken around and yelling "AGHHHH! AGHHHH!"

Laboon, reeling from the pain, falls backward toward the lighthouse and the island. Nami, Sanji, and Zoro scream in panic, "AGHHHH! IT'S COMING THIS WAY! HE'S GOING TO CRASH DOWN HERE!" The massive body of the whale slams into the water right next to the island, creating a colossal splash and a massive shockwave that engulfs the area in water and debris.

Laboon continues to roar in anger and pain, "BUOOOHHHH!" Crocus yells at Luffy, warning him, "HEY! HEY KID! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!" Nami tells Crocus, "Don't worry about him, he won't die!" Luffy, still holding onto the mast, grins and laughs, calling Laboon a "YOU BIG DUMMY!" Laboon glares fiercely at Luffy and roars again. Luffy then pulls back his fist and punches Laboon directly in the eye, yelling "TAKE THIS!" Laboon thrashes violently, sending Luffy flying through the air. Usopp watches in confusion, wondering, "WHAT IS HE TRYING TO DO...?" Luffy crashes hard into the ground, grunting in pain, "GUH!"

Luffy sits up on the ground, dusting himself off, while Laboon roars at him, "BUOOOHHHH!" Sanji and Zoro watch, with Sanji demanding to know, "Luffy! Just what the hell are you doing!?" Laboon suddenly stops and stares intently at Luffy. Luffy points at the whale and declares loudly, "IT'S A TIE!" Laboon looks confused, blinking his large eye. Luffy grins widely, his face bruised but cheerful, and asks, "I'm pretty tough, eh?"

Luffy continues speaking to Laboon, declaring, "Our fight has yet to be settled, so we must fight each other again!" Laboon stares at him silently. Luffy smiles and says, "Your old friends may be dead, but I'm your new rival! And once my crew sails around Grand Line, we'll be sure to come back here to see you again." Laboon's large eye begins to well up with tears as he listens to Luffy's promise.

Luffy smiles broadly and shouts enthusiastically, "AND THEN WE'LL DUKE IT OUT AGAIN!" Nami, Zoro, Sanji, and Crocus watch him, all smiling warmly at his words. Laboon lets out a happy, emotional roar, "BUOOOHHHH!", with thick tears streaming down his face, finally finding a new reason to wait.

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