Free Web NovelChapter 35: Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Whoosh— Whoosh—
The sailboat raced downward, cutting through the waves.
Moooo—
Suddenly, a deafening cry echoed from the whale ahead, its massive head emerging from the mist.
Hearing the sound, Rorschach paused for a moment, then remembered Laboon from the original story.
"Was that a whale’s cry just now?" Nami asked, a bit confused.
"Yeah, that’s a whale from the West Blue. When you see it, you’ll find it really interesting," Rorschach said with a playful smile, looking forward to the girls’ reactions.
As the ship emerged from the mist, the magnificent sea unfolded before them.
Everyone smiled at the breathtaking view.
Then Nami suddenly noticed something wrong.
"There’s a huge rock right in front of the channel! Why didn’t you tell me about this?!" she shouted in panic.
"Hahaha, that’s not a rock," Rorschach laughed.
"Rock or not, use your ability to lift the ship! We’re going to crash at this speed!" Nami screamed in terror. The downhill momentum was too fast for her to control. If they hit it, they’d be finished.
Although she trusted Rorschach, the sudden shock had her panicking.
"Leave it to me."
Rorschach lifted the ship into the air and gently set it down in the sea near the lighthouse. Then he led the girls to the shore to rest.
"Whew, we’re safe," Nami said, wiping the sweat from her forehead, looking relieved.
"Hahaha, don’t be so nervous," Rorschach said as he hugged her and patted her head.
"You said that wasn’t a rock. Then what is it?" Nami asked curiously, looking at the massive object.
"It’s an island whale," Rorschach replied.
"An... island whale?"
Hearing his answer, the girls stared at the whale that looked like an entire island and were shocked into classic One Piece-style exaggerated expressions.
Of course, only Nami and Karina made the funny faces. Kaya and Nojiko were more composed, though their mouths were slightly open in surprise.
Creak.
"Hahaha, island whales are only found in the West Blue. This one was brought here by some pirate crew."
Rorschach then told them the story of Laboon the island whale.
Until a creaking sound interrupted him.
The lighthouse door opened, and an old man with a Mediterranean hairstyle, dressed like a Native American, stepped out.
"Oh? Are you new pirates entering the Grand Line? You actually know about Laboon," Crocus said in surprise as he looked at the group and their ship below.
He was impressed that they had managed to control the ship at such high speed without crashing into Laboon.
Of course, he didn’t know Rorschach had simply used the Float-Float Fruit to fly over. Otherwise, he would have recognized the ability immediately.
"No, we’re not pirates. We’re just an adventure crew passing through," Rorschach replied.
Crocus looked at the group in astonishment.
Adventurers these days were rare. And ones who weren’t pirates? Even rarer.
Over the many years he had guarded Twin Cape, he had seen all kinds of people — all driven by dreams, greed, or desire as they sailed into these seas.
But in this young man’s eyes, he saw only purity.
Perhaps he really was just an adventurer who set sail purely for the journey.
Thinking this, Crocus smiled.
"I see. The weather in the Grand Line is unpredictable. You should have a Log Pose ready, right?"
"We do," Nami said, pulling out a round sphere from her chest. Inside was the special compass used in the Grand Line.
"Then I wish you smooth sailing," Crocus said with a smile.
"Wait, Mr. Crocus," Rorschach called out.
"Yes, young man? Is there something else?"
Crocus looked at Rorschach curiously.
"There is one thing."
Rorschach jumped down from the ship and slowly drew his sword.
"I want to test the strength of a former crewmate of the Pirate King!"
Crocus’s eyes flashed with surprise, but he replied calmly:
"What former crewmate of the Pirate King? I’m just a lonely old lighthouse keeper who retired long ago. Young man, you must have the wrong person."
"Heh heh, there’s no use denying it. Old man Shiki told me everything about your identity as a Pirate King’s crewmate," Rorschach said with a slight smile.
The next moment—
He swung his sword and sent out a slash.
"Slash Wave!"
The sharp sword wave shot straight toward Crocus.
Crocus coated his foot in Armament Haki and kicked the slash away. freёwebnovel.com
"Golden Lion’s technique? You’re that guy Shiki’s successor!"
Crocus shouted in surprise.
"Eh?! Rorschach, you’re the Golden Lion’s successor?!" Nami and Karina exclaimed in shock before Rorschach could respond.
"Eh? You’ve been together this long and didn’t know?" Reiju looked at Rorschach strangely, as if questioning why he hadn’t told his crew this information.
"Hahaha, didn’t I mention it before? I lived on a deserted island for five years. Later, I found Old Man Shiki washed up on the shore."
"After saving him, I became his disciple and trained under him for two years. I only set sail after he passed away," Rorschach explained with a laugh.
"You never mentioned the second half at all! You only told us the first part!" the girls said angrily. They had been together for so long, yet Rorschach had hidden this from them.
"Hahaha, I was afraid Nami-chan would dislike it, so I didn’t bring it up," Rorschach said.
Hearing that it was for her sake, Nami felt touched. She knew she used to hate pirates, so he had hidden his connection.
"Hmph. No matter what your background is, don’t even think about shaking me off. Got it?" Nami said in a mix of anger and tsundere tone.
"Yes Yes" Rorschach laughed, then turned back to Crocus.
"I never thought that guy Shiki would die so quietly. How depressing," Crocus sighed. Then, seeing Rorschach’s eager expression, he quickly added:
"If you’re here to fight me, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I’m just a retired ship doctor. There are plenty of strong people in the Grand Line for you to spar with. My strength is no match for yours."
Crocus shook his head and raised his hands in surrender. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Sigh, with that attitude, I don’t even feel like fighting anymore," Rorschach sighed and sheathed his sword.
He had wanted to test the strength of a former Pirate King’s crewmate to see if they were all monsters.
But the old man had surrendered so straightforwardly.
"Hahaha, after all, I’m just a ship doctor, not good at fighting. That last slash already made my legs tremble. If we keep going, I’ll really die," Crocus said without any shame, laughing instead.
"Tch, how boring," Rorschach said. He jumped back onto the ship and called for Nami and the others to set sail.
The girls jumped aboard, and they set off again.
"Hehe, this sea is about to become even more chaotic."
"Who would have thought the Golden Lion’s successor would appear? With this kid’s personality, the Navy is going to have a real headache in the future. Hahahaha."
Crocus stood on the shore, watching the departing sailboat with a smile.
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