~Nicole~

"So what do you think?"Nami asked "I don't know what to think"Zoro said "Is this even real?"Sanji wondered, Usopp was just making incoherent noises as i looked around at the area, the i noticed seagulls "Cause i know what i saw and felt we were swallowed by a whale"Sanji said "Is this a dream?"Usopp asked "Yeah i'd say that's a fair guess"Zoro said "Look closer"i said pointing out the seagulls "It's just a mural"i said.

"Alright but what's with this island and the house?"Nami asked "Illusions?"Zoro wondered before a giant squid popped out of the water, Nami and Usopp promptly freaked out while Zoro, Sanji and i got ready to fight it but then three spears pierced it from behind, i didn't drop my guard however "Looks like someone's home"Zoro said "Let's hope they're human"Sanji said.

"I've had it you guys let's go"Nami whimpered "Giant squids, guys with harpoons and where's Luffy?"Usopp cried "Yeah where is he?"Nami asked, someone started walking out of the house "Whoa whoa we should fire our cannon there!"Usopp said "Hold your horses scardy cat, we don't know if they're an enemy"i said, the person started pulling the squid in and walked out "It's a"Sanji was cut off "Flower"Zoro finished off "Dummy it's a decoration, they're clearly human whoever they are"i said.

"Are you sure?"Usopp asked "That old man just killed a great king squid with one shot"Nami said "The question is why, was he trying to save us or is he just fishing?"Sanji asked, the old man started walking giving us this look, i grabbed Zoro's arm, not that i was scared or anything, the old man sat down in his lawn chair, i sighed a bit in relief, again i wasn't scared or anything "You gonna say anything?!"Sanji yelled at him.

"Hey you wanna fight?! We got cannons back here you bastard!"Usopp yelled all the way back from the cabin, the old man gave us that look again "You try it and someone's going to die"he said, "Yeah? And who's that?"Sanji asked, i had a feeling where this was going "Me of course"the old man said "Excuse me!"Sanji blew up at him, i snickered a bit, this old guy was totally harmless, i let go of Zoro as he walked forward "Who are you?"Zoro asked.

The old man gave us that look again "You've got some nerve stranger, it's only polite to introduce yourself before asking a question of someone you just met"the old man said "Alright fair enough i'll go first my name"Zoro was cut off though "If you must know my name is Crocus and i'm the lighthouse keeper of the Twin Capes, i'm seventy one and a half years old, Gemini" the old man said "I'll kill him i swear!"Zoro snapped drawing his sword, i held him back though "Calm down, he's just messing with you"i said.

The old man gave us that look again "Stop doing that!"the others yelled at him "What's wrong haven't you ever heard of a running gag?"the old man, rather Crocus as he had so kindly introduced himself, said "That was a gag?!"we yelled at him "The exit is over there"Crocus said pointing out the metal door that i sweat just appeared there "We can get out?!"we asked "So what's with the mural?"i asked "Call it a doctors playful mind"Crocus said "You're not making any sense you crazy old fool!"Usopp yelled at him "Easy don't let him get to you"Zoro said holding him back.

"Yeah just shut up"Sanji said "Nami if that is an exit then we need to get to it"Zoro said "Agreed" Nami said, the whole area started shaking just then however "Hey look! That's no island it's a ship and it has a metal bottom"i said spotting that "Yeah of course cause we're floating on a sea of gastric acid"Usopp said "That means a wooden ship won't last long"Sanji said "Hey! What's with this freaky whale?! Answer me old man!"Usopp yelled at Crocus.

"He's very angry, these after shocks are a result of him hitting his head against the Red Line" Crocus said "What?!"Zoro and Sanji asked "That explains the deep scars on the whales head and the deep howling"Nami said "Why is he doing that?"Usopp asked "It's because he's suffering, the poor thing!"i said frowning a bit "So what's the old man doing on the inside?"Usopp asked "More then likely he's killing the whale from the inside"Nami said "What?! I won't let him! You hear that old man! Hurt this poor creature any more and you're chopped meat!"i yelled over at him.

"Easy"Zoro said holding me back "Now how about we get out of this whale's belly before it digest us?"he asked "Yeah what we need to focus on is getting out of here"Sanji said but the waves kept coming "We're not gonna get anywhere if the waves keep surging like this! How can we escape if we can't even move?"Usopp asked "Our only choice is to paddle take the oars"Zoro said "Whatever it takes we have to find Luffy right away"Nami said "I saw him flying out of the whale's mouth, he should be outside"i said.

"That old guy just jumped in!"Nami said "Is he insane? The acid will eat him alive"Zoro said "Who cares, like you said we gotta focus on getting out of here"i said and went to get the oars, we put them in place and paddled over to the doors "Look guys Crocus just resurfaced"Usopp said "Forget about the old guy, our focus should be on opening these doors"Zoro said, just then Luffy came flying out.

"Luffy?"Zoro asked "Zoro! Is everyone okay?"Luffy asked "Yeah we're fine!"i called to him "So uhm i could use a hand!"Luffy said before going into the water "Looks like Luffy's not alone, who do you suppose those two weirdo's are?"Usopp asked "Where'd that old guy disappear to?" Nami asked "Forget him we need to safe Luffy"Right, in we go"i said putting my swords and pin on the side and jumping in and fishing Luffy out of the gastric acid.

Zoro helped me back up after pulling Luffy in "You reckless fool, you okay?"he asked "Yeah"i nodded, the burning did still sting a bit but i believed i was fine for the most part, those two weirdos that had flown in with him had come aboard as well, the whale made a noise "I don't claim to speak whale but it seems to have calmed down"Nami said "Seems that way"Zoro said, i picked my swords up and put them in their place at the side of my hip and secured the pin to one of them.

"Now we've saved your lives for the time being but you better talk and make it quick"Zoro said turning to the two weirdos who then whispered about something "You parasites are still here?"Crocus said appearing once again "I grow weary of this and for the last time as long i draw breath you will not lay a single harmful finger on Laboon"he said, huh maybe i had him pegged wrong.

"He's back again"Usopp muttered "Who's the old guy?"Luffy asked, the two weirdos laughed "You can't bully us into abounding our mission"The lady said "We were sent here to hunt this whale and that's exactly what we're going to do and this time we won't you let interfere"the guy said "We're about this whale a new blowhole, fire!"the guy yelled and the two shot cannonballs.

Crocus jumped in the way though protecting the whale the lady laughed obnoxiously, "You're defiance is pointless"she said and laughed some more "Go ahead waste your time but make no mistake that hulking beast will provide food for our town"the guy laughed, Luffy punched them both however "What was that for?"Usopp asked "I just wanted to hit them"Luffy said, i felt that though, i would of sliced them up if Luffy hadn't done that, i mean how dare they try hurt this beautiful whale.

We tied up the weirdos and got Crocus out of the gastric acid and got on the small artificial island with the old man's house "I thank you for saving my life though i must ask why did you do it?"Crocus asked "I wasn't trying to save you there's just something about those two i didn't like"Luffy said "Maybe the obnoxious laugh?"i suggested, he ignored me trying to climb the tree "Okay i think it's time we got some answers, who are these guys? And how did you end up inside this whale?"Nami asked the two weirdos.

"These two are thugs from a nearby town looking for whale meat, if they caught him Laboon could feed the towns people two or three years easy, all their concerned with is filling their fat greedy bellies"Crocus said "Let me at em' i'll slice them up and serve them up for the town, we'll see how they like that"i growled but Zoro continued to hold me back, "Laboon?"Nami asked "That's the whales name, he's an unique and magnificent creature, an island whale one of the largest species on earth, one that can only be found in the West Blue, i won't allow them to slaughter him for food, it's a shame he's stuck here so far away from his domain you see there's a reason he keeps hitting himself on the Red Line and howling at Reverse Mountain"Crocus said.

I paused in my attempt at slaughtering the two weirdo's but Zoro continued to hold me not that i minded that "There is?"Nami asked "Yes to put it one way inside Laboon's body beats the heart of a human, he has most impatiently awaited and is eternally devoted to a certain band of pirate, going on fifty long years now, all who have seen Laboon ask the same questions, why does he continuously hits his body against the Red Line? Why does he keep howling at Reverse Mountain, listen closely and i will reveal to you Laboon's tragic story"Crocus said and started telling us the story.

"One fine sunny day while i was fulfilling my duties as the light house keeper some good natured pirates came down reverse mountain, they were followed by a baby whale, spry and chipper, who i'd soon come to know to as the one and only Laboon, he had developed a bond with the pirates travelling with them for much of their journey but knowing the dangers of the Grand Line the pirates chose to leave Laboon behind in the West Blue but the stubborn little whale followed them anyway, Island Whales are social animals that travel together in family groups, i suspect that Laboon had come to feel that those pirates were his family.

The ware and tear on the pirates ship was quite severe so they stayed here for several months, in that time i too was able to forge a close relationship with them thus when the day of their departure finally arrived, the captain asked me for a favor to look after Laboon until him and his men were done with their journey, he promised to come back for Laboon i'm certain that's the only reason he stayed, that was fifty long years ago"Crocus said finishing his story.

"Fifty years?"Sanji asked "So Laboon has been waiting all this time for his friends to return?" Usopp asked "No wonder he's upset that kind of wait would drive anyone crazy"Nami said, i frowned a bit, i knew, i could tell from Crocus' expression, those pirates were long dead, anyway the old man finally lead us out of the whale's stomach through canals "This is some canal, it's amazing the whale's still alive with a hole in his body"Zoro said.

"I suppose you're responsible for this?"Sanji asked Crocus "Just a doctor's playful mind"the old man said "I doubt that, with an animal this big it's more practical to treat them from the inside"i said, Crocus chuckled a bit "You're a very keen observer"he said as we arrived at another door, Crocus opened it up and we sailed out from the side of the whale "Don't you think fifty years is a bit extreme?"Usopp asked "Those pirates sure know how to test someone's patience"he said "Idiot, don't you get it? This is the Grand Line, his friends are dead, that whale can wait forever they won't be back"Sanji said "Sad to say but that's probably true, back in the day the Grand Line was unknown territory a thousand times more dangerous then it is today"i said.

"Why are you all being so pessimistic? You don't know that they're dead, they could still come back for him come on have some sympathy will ya? I thought it was very touching, i mean a whale still believing a promise his friends made despite all these years it's a true bond right pops?"Usopp asked Crocus "Indeed but the lesson here is that reality is cruel, Laboon's cohorts aren't dead the truth is they abounded their quest, i learned that they turned tail and left the Grand Line"Crocus said.

"I don't believe it i mean why leave him like that?"Usopp asked, i don't know thinking about the story Crocus told us, it seemed to me like the pirates would never leave their friend and even if they are dead, who knows the world is a big place and Devil Fruits are full of mysteries, "You say they left the Grand Line? Do you know if they made it through the Calm Belt alive?"Nami asked Crocus "I can't claim to know exactly what became of them but i doubt they'll ever come back here again"Crocus said.

"Seasons, weather, currents, wind direction on the Grand Line these elements seem to defy the very laws of nature, common sense is useless and the terror of that fact can be quite over whelming"Crocus said "Well i wouldn't say that, you just need to expand your expectations and be ready for anything and you can think your way out of any situation logically"i said, Crocus chuckled a bit again "Anyway if i got this straight what you're saying is these pirates were a bunch of cowards who cared about saving their own asses then keeping a promise to a friend"Sanji said "Why would anyone abandon such a loyal creature? Just look at him, it's cruelty on a grand scale"Usopp said.

"That's just how some people are"i said with a bit of a shrug "If you've known all this why haven't you told Laboon? he can obviously communicate with you, he seems to understand humans quite well for a whale"Nami said, yeah that's cause all animals are much smarter then humans give them credit for "I did tell him down to the last miserable detail, but he wouldn't hear any of it and since then he started bashing himself on the Red Line and howling at Reverse Mountain, it's as if he believes that wall is what keeps his friends away and by braking it he can clear a path for their return"Crocus said.

"If that's the case why won't he just swim over it? He's clearly strong enough to swim against the current, right?"i asked Crocus "Perhaps but he still continues to bash away at the Red Line"he said "I admire his dedication"Sanji said "He never gave up on them"Usopp said "He refuses to believe me cause then he'd have to admit that it's over and that terrifies him more then anything, there's no way for him to go back to the West Blue so what we have is a paradox of tragic proportions, Laboon is a lost soul dying to live with his friends but won't stop killing himself to reach them"Crocus said.

"Still for all the grief those pirates put him through they did the same with you by saddling you with their burden"Sanji said pausing to take a drag of his cigarette "I mean you've done enough for Laboon, what about you?"Sanji asked "The scars on his hide are deep, those in his heart are even deeper, he needs someone to tend to his wounds and i'm all he's got, for years he's battered himself while i've patched him up a strange friendship but it works"Crocus said.

Luffy ran past us yelling "What the hell is that idiot up to?"Sanji wondered outloud "You gotta watch him every second"Zoro said, "We've been watching him and look what happens"Sanji said, Luffy struck Laboon with the mast "You think he's aware that's our mast?"Zoro asked "And now it's on top of a whale"Sanji said "Why did he do that?"Usopp asked with a sigh "Luffy! How dare you hurt Laboon!!! Get down here so i can cut you!"i yelled at him before the whale went crazy.

And for whatever reason Luffy was fighting Laboon back "You wanna let us in on your plan before you kill yourself?!"Zoro asked yelling at him "It's a draw"Luffy said as the whale was charging at him "I'm stronger then i look, i can always tell when someone's itching for a fight well if you wanna battle, i'll gladly give you one, your shipmates used to rough house with you right? Well i can rival anything they threw at ya, tell you want after me and my friends travel the Grand Line we'll come back here and find you, and then you better be ready for a rematch"Luffy said, Laboon cried from happiness.

Anyway we docked the ship near the shore so Usopp could start fixing it as Luffy drew our mark on Laboon, while that was going on Zoro insisted i get checked by Crocus for having swam in gastric acid, of course i put up a fight just to annoy him but eventually i agreed, i wanted to show him how his stubborn tendency to ignore wounds really worries me but i guess i'm not as stubborn as him.

"Are you and that swordsman together in some way?"Crocus asked as he was checking me "No! Ugh why does everyone ask that?"i asked "Maybe because it seems like you two are already a couple"Crocus said "Well we are not, we're just friends"i said "You sound sad when you say that"he said, i sighed a bit "It's complicated, i do have thoughts and feelings like that about him, it's just that, there isn't always ugh"i sighed dropping it not finding the right words "It's just that you're playing relationship chicken and you're both too proud to see who will dodge first"Crocus said.

I thought about what he said, it made perfect sense, though fat chance i'm going to give in first, "You're good to go"Crocus said after a while "Thank you"i said and gave him a smile putting my shirt back on and walking out Zoro immediately walked over to me "What he say?"he asked "I'm good to go"i smiled at him "Good"he smiled back, "Hey not bad!"Luffy said apparently done with his painting even though it looked terrible "Consider this a symbol of my promise to come do battle with you"Luffy said "Of course it's a rush paint job so you'll have to be careful and avoid hitting your head or you'll rub it off understand?"Luffy asked, Laboon made a noise as if to say yes "Good whale"Luffy said grinning.

Zoro went back to the ship for his nap while i chatted with Laboon and even hugged the huge whale to the best of my abilities, i just loved animals, anyway then i heard Nami screaming which scared Laboon off "What's up Nami? You're nail broke or something?"i teasingly asked going over since Laboon had left, she gave me a look "The compass is broken"she said and looking at it the needle was going around in circles.

"Oh there's nothing wrong with it"i said "What do you mean? It's spinning around like crazy" Nami said "That's cause conventional compasses like that don't work on the Grand Line"i said "And why is that?"Nami asked, i went to answer when Crocus stepped in "Because we are surrounded by a powerful magnetic field, the islands here have magnetic minerals which cause all sorts of abnormalities, also the winds and currents lack constancy in their patterns as a navigator i'm sure you can appreciate this delema"he said.

"In laymen's terms each island has their own unique magnetic signature"i said "It seems you know a thing or two about the Grand Line"Crocus remarked "Oh yeah, i've been all over the Grand Line while growing up"i said "So you grew up here?"Crocus asked "Mostly"I shrugged "So anyway how do we tell direction?"Nami asked bringing the focus back on the topic at hand "With a log pose"i said "Log pose, i've never heard of it"Nami said "It's a specially designed compass that can record levels of magnetism"Crocus said "Is it strange looking?"Luffy asked.

"Why yes it does have an odd shape"Crocus said "Something like this?"Luffy asked holding up a log pose, where'd he get that "Yes exactly, only a fool would attempt to travel the Grand Line without one"Crocus said "I see, excuse me"Nami said before punching Luffy "Why didn't you tell me you have one of those log things?!"she asked "I found it on the deck just laying there, those two weirdo's must have dropped it"Luffy said "Why'd you hit me?"he asked "Felt like it"Nami said "Oh"Luffy said.

Nami took the log pose "Wait there isn't a dial face on this thing"Nami said "You don't need one, it's a special brand of magnetism that runs through the Grand Line islands, complete with it's own set of rules that makes it possible to get around, by recording the level of magnetism between two islands you can chart a route from one island to the next, the log pose method is really the only choice since the magnetism here presents huge problems to conventional navigation, as it turns out Reverse Mountain is a great starting point, it produces seven levels of magnetism but it doesn't matter which one you chose to start with eventually they all will form back together into one route and the island at the end of that route is Raftel, a place of mystery, it's very existence only confirmed by the King of the Pirates Gold Roger himself"Crocus said.

"That's it that's where the One Piece is hidden"Usopp said grinning excitedly "That's the most prominent theory but no one has ever reached Raftel since"Crocus said "Don't worry we'll know soon enough"Luffy said, i decided to walk off right then and over to the ship where Zoro was still napping, i shook his shoulder a bit "Zoro?"i called but he wasn't waking up, i got a thought and put my swords to the side and leaned on his chest going for a nap of my own.

(A/N: I decided to try a longer chapter partially for the hell of it and to see how my fingers fared while writing it, i don't think i'll be doing too many of these)