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Crocus thinks Luffy and his crew are a bunch of reckless young fools when he first sees them. Still, after they chase the annoying whalers away, he explains why Laboon is hurting himself, and why he still takes care of the mountain whale, after all those decades.
Then... Luffy plants his own ship's mast into Laboon's head.
Crocus sees red when the young pirate attacks, then stares in disbelief as he quickly declares their match a draw, saying that they'll need a rematch later to settle who's the strongest.
Why does this sound like Roger and Newgate's friendly rivalry ?
As Luffy promises to come back soon, giving Laboon hope and a reason to avoid hitting the Red Line and hurting himself, Crocus smiles, feeling strangely at ease now with the young crew around. Full of gratitude, he tells their navigator how to use a Log Pose, and that all possible routes starting at Twin Cape converge into one. He purposefully avoids going into detail but he mentions that Laugh Tale is the last island of the Grand Line, the one where only the crew of the Pirate King went to.
Luffy declares with absolute certainty that he'll go there.
That determination, that smile... I'm sure there's more to it. Could it be...?
After the cook inadvertently destroys the Log Pose the small crew has in their possession, Crocus gives them his own one as thanks for helping Laboon. Once the Log Pose is set towards Whiskey Peak, he asks them if they're really fine with going there to get the stray whalers home, since there are so many paths to the end of the Grand Line and there's no way to change course once they're set.
Luffy easily dismisses the issue. "If we don't like it, we'll just sail around again."
I don't know many people who sailed around the world and came back to talk about it. This kid's something, really.
As the Straw Hats leave he wonders aloud, "Could that bunch be the pirates we've been waiting for all this time ? That boy has a strange air about him... Eh, Roger ?" Later on, it occurs to him that the straw hat that Luffy is wearing could be the one Shanks used to have...
That would be interesting. And he's a D., with a familiar name too... I'll keep reading the News Coo in case he goes big someday.
The newspaper recount the tales of a few rookies that chose different routes at the beginning of the Grand Line, rising to fame over the next months and earning the collective nickname of Worst Generation.
And Luffy does go big indeed : in less than a year his bounty rises tenfold, he declares war against World Government and destroys Enies Lobby.
One day, Laboon starts calling again, but this time he's turned towards the Grand Line and not Reserve Mountain. He also seems happier somehow, to the doctor's utmost relief.
Luffy keeps making regular appearances on the front page of the News Coo relating his outrageous feats.
Crocus laughs his heart out when he learns that he punched a Celestial Dragon, he knew the kid had guts but this is something else !
Only someone with willpower – and lack of self-preservation – like Roger's could have pulled that out.
His only worry is that the Straw Hat crew apparently went missing shortly afterwards.
Not so long after, the newspaper announces about the upcoming execution of Whitebeard's Second Division Commander.
Crocus always found strange that the old man left the position vacant for so long after Oden's departure from his crew, only to fill it with a young rookie.
He must have had some good reason for it.
Now the kid – Crocus supposes he's not much older than Luffy – is going to be executed in Marineford.
What is Sengoku thinking ? He knows Whitebeard won't let that slide.
Then a special issue of the News Coo explains in detail what happened at the Summit War of Marineford.
Crocus is beyond amazed that Luffy managed to break into Marineford – a feat he know for certain only Shiki managed to pull out before, and he was among the greatest pirates back in the days. He frowns as he reads the revelations on his family tree. Recalling one too many altercations between the Hero of the Marine and the Pirate King, he starts pondering whether it's a coincidence that so many people of the D. are powerfully troublesome, even when they're not blood-related.
So they're sworn brothers... I wonder how they met ?
As the article goes on he learns of Whitebeard's death, and sheds a few tears for Roger's greatest rival. And then a sudden nausea churns his gut as he learns Ace's birth name.
Roger... had a son ? How ? Why... ?
He rushes to the end of the cape and hurls.
He recalls clear as day Roger mentioning that his son would find the One Piece, Rayleigh swatting his hand at him retorting that he didn't even have one, only to be told that he'd have one in the future. He remembers Roger telling them he was going to visit Newgate one last time. He recalls wondering why the kid held Oden's role after almost two decades that the Second Division went without a leader, and...
Everything falls into place all at once, and Crocus is sick to the bone that he understood too late. He retches again, angry and full of grief just like the day Roger sent the world into the Great Age of Pirates, and when his stomach is finally empty he wails at the sky.
The next special issue tells him that Luffy went back to Marineford to sound the Ox Bell, accompanied by a former Shichibukai and... Rayleigh !?
Crocus blinks at the picture in disbelief. He knows the significance of the bell, and the kid had the balls to ring it sixteen times...
Now I almost regret giving them my Log Pose. I wish I could pay a visit to Rayleigh... What in the name of fuck is going on ?
Unfortunately, nobody hears about Luffy or any of his crew for a long while.
Two years have passed since the Summit War, and Crocus is bored out of his skull. He was angry and sad when Sakazuki was appointed Fleet Admiral after Sengoku retired, happy to learn that Buggy rose to fame and became a Shichibukai, and then nothing eventful happened save for the occasional story of someone from the Worst Generation wreaking havoc somewhere. One or the other... but never the one he rooted for. He really hoped that Luffy would prove to be a formidable pirate, and he's kind of missing the front page articles about him. Crocus is growing concerned that Laboon will have his heart broken and hope shattered again if the straw-hatted rookie doesn't come back...
"Oi ! Crocus !"
The old doctor turns his head around, and frowns at the newcomer. He doesn't recognize them, though they seem to hail from Wano with the striped kimono they wear. They're not tall enough to be Oden, to his disappointment, but the unusual sight still piques his curiosity. When the visitor tilts his hat to reveal his face, the doctor's gaze lightens up in recognition and he widely grins. "Ah, Gaban ! Long time no see !!"
His former crewmate pulls a News Coo out of a sleeve and waves it high in the air. "You've got to read this ! And I've got juicy news, too..."
Crocus frowns, but welcomes Gaban nonetheless, intrigued by his words. As he approaches, the doctor remarks, "How many years has it been ? All your hair has gone white."
Gaban smirks and jabs back, "Shut up ! At least I still have more hair left than you."
"That's fair !" Crocus laughs. "Come here, I'll grab a drink", he tells him as he motions for the other to sit. Once back with a bottle and a couple of cups, he sits down and eagerly grabs the newspaper that Gaban hands him.
Gaban pours them drinks, suspiciously silent.
The Straw Hat crew has returned, says the headline.
Crocus feels a wide smile curving his lips. "Ooh, so you've been keeping tabs on them, too ?", he asks Gaban as he reads the rest of the front page, learning that they've all safely reunited in Sabaody Archipelago and left for Fish-Man Island after sending the groves into an uproar. As he reads a quick summary of the whole crew's bounties, tears well up in his eyes. "Oh, Laboon..." He turns to the whale proudly wearing a straw-hatted jolly roger on his head, untouched ever since Luffy came here. Tears stream down Crocus's face but hope fills his lungs as he says, "Laboon, look, it's incredible !!" He holds the newspaper out, pointing at the last bounty on the list. "That's Brook, he's in Luffy's crew now ! I'm so glad to know he's still alive !"
Laboon happily sings.
Crocus turns back to Gaban, roughly wipes his tears away and grabs his now full cup, holds it out to toast with his nakama. "To the new era, eh ?"
"Yup", Gaban smiles wide as he clinks his cup against the doctor's.
"Have you met the kid ? How did you know I'd be interested in his return ?"
Gaban laughs. "Ah, I told you I had juicy news ! It's been a while since I last saw you, so I'll tell you everything."
"By any means, please, do."
"So. I suppose you met Luffy when he went through there, right ?"
Crocus nods.
"He got his first bounty before then, after defeating three of the most wanted pirates in East Blue, including... Buggy."
Crocus snorts a laugh. "So that's why Buggy was so pissed when I saw him here last. Still, that's pretty impressive for a rookie, Luffy was already that good even then ?"
"Yeah, apparently. At least that's what I gathered when I met Buggy after the war. I managed to convince him to drop the chase after the kid, because of his new position as a Shichibukai... You know how Buggy always wanted all the gold and jewels ? Didn't change one bit."
"Oh, well... He might not be a kid anymore, but deep down he's still the same."
"Still pretending that Shanks pisses him off for one or the other reason, too", Gaban chuckles.
"Oh ! Speaking of which, I've been wondering-"
"Yeah, Luffy's straw hat was his."
"I could have sworn..." Crocus sighs. "What's with that kid, anyway ?"
Gaban shrugs. "Ask Rayleigh. I went to Sabaody not long ago and learned through Shakky that after the war he trained Luffy, then went back to the Archipelago to coat their ship before their upcoming return. Oh, and said ship was built by one of Tom's apprentices, no less."
"Oh, is that so ? Well, fate works in mysterious ways... I'm glad I gave them my Log Pose, then."
"Do you know where they're headed ?"
"Laugh Tale."
Gaban opens wide eyes, glasses slightly slipping down his nose. "Ooh. Of course Rayleigh would want to train him, then. Do you think he's the one ?"
"Maybe. But there's still lots to do before then." Crocus squints. "Wano is still a closed country, as far as I know..."
"Hm, yeah. I wanted to pay Oden a visit, but..." He heavily sighs as he tilts his woven hat to obscure his face.
Crocus tilts his head to the side, heart suddenly tight as he tries to meet Gaban's gaze.
Gaban brings a hand to his face, roughly wiping a few tears. "I learned when I went there that Kaidou was ruling the land now. Oden's been executed years ago. I don't even know if Toki and the kids are still alive... so I'm not quite sure about the promise he made to open up the borders."
Crocus turns to stare at the sea. "What about the Minks ?"
"I could never get back to Zou without the Vivre Card. I have no idea... But you're right, there's still hope they'll be there."
Turning back to Gaban, Crocus smiles again. "If the kid has Roger's crazy luck, he'll run into them just like he ran into Shanks, Buggy and Rayleigh."
Gaban laughs. "True that. He did meet you, too. Let's hope he does, then."
"You know", Crocus points at Laboon behind him, "Luffy made a promise to come back here and settle a fight with Laboon once he'd traveled to Laugh Tale."
"Ooh ? Taking over the Rumbar Pirates' promise ?"
"Yeah, and Brook wasn't even with them back then. That kid's got a pure heart."
"That's good. He can't be the one otherwise", Gaban winks.
"Right", Crocus laughs.
"I should go back there and wait for them... A new crew that promises to shake the world, eh ? I'm eager to see that."
"So am I."
In the next week, yet another issue of the newspaper brings Crocus a new hope.
Luffy entered an alliance with another rookie from the Worst Generation, defeated a Shichibukai, not just anyone either – Crocus shakes a shudder away as he recalls the names of the founding families of World Government – and, while one of the Marine Admirals publicly apologized for the situation in Dressrosa, apparently the infamous rookie gathered a whole armada of underlings ready to fight alongside him if need be.
Crocus grins wide. "Ooh. He's really aiming for the top."
Within the following month, Linlin and Kaidou are defeated, Wano Country is free and led by a new shogun who looks awfully familiar... And Luffy looks happier than ever, now that's he's been granted the same title than Shanks and Buggy.
Crocus's smile widens, mirroring the one he discovers on Luffy's new wanted poster. "I'll be damned if he isn't Joy Boy." Crocus closes his eyes, throat suddenly tight, and exhales a shaky breath. "Oh, Roger, I wish you could see him..." He opens his eyes again and turns to Laboon with tears blurring his vision and a wide range of emotions bubbling in his chest. "Say, Laboon, everyone's dreams seems to converge this time... I can't wait for Luffy to reach Laugh Tale."
The mountain whale happily sings.