Chapter 75 Laboon

A massive whale, ten times the size of a Sea King, loomed in the path of the powerful downward current. Its gigantic mouth, like a black hole, swallowed the surging sea, creating rapid currents around it.

"This sea is unbelievable! So, this is the Grand Line, huh? Just the entrance has a whale this big! Ahhh!" Luffy shouted in excitement.

"This is unbelievable. This might be the biggest whale in the world! Only a place like the Grand Line could have something like this. Maybe it's here I'll find the legendary All Blue," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Let me slice it up!" Zoro said, gripping the hilt of his swords. Ever since acquiring his new blades, he had been eager to test their sharpness.

"Hey, hey, hey! We're about to be swallowed by that thing! Aren't you guys the least bit concerned?!" Usopp shouted, his eyes wide in panic as he stared at the others, who seemed unnervingly calm.

"Moonlight!" Nami called, her gaze turning to the one she knew could help in this critical moment.

"Swoosh!" Without hesitation, Moonlight leaped into the sea.

"Dragon Sky Slash!" His form merged with his sword, and his body shot through the turbulent waters like an arrow. Riding the wild currents, he accelerated and, in an instant, was atop the whale's head. With his hand covered in Armament Haki, he gently pressed it against the whale's head.

"Ha!" Moonlight shouted as he unleashed a powerful surge of Haki directly into the whale's body.

"Roooaaaarrr!"

The whale let out a deafening sound, louder than a train horn but magnified a hundredfold. Its massive body rolled violently, causing the entire sea to churn in response. As it thrashed, a huge whirlpool, a hundred meters wide, formed around the whale.

Everything within the whirlpool was pulled into the creature's vast mouth, and the Going Merry, no bigger than an ant in this chaotic sea, was caught up in the force, helplessly dragged toward the whale's gaping maw.

"We're doomed!"

"Moonlight, what the hell did you just do?!"

"We're gonna be eaten!"

The crew shouted, glaring at Moonlight, their voices filled with frustration. They had been managing fine before, but the moment he intervened, everything escalated!

"Unless I slay it in one blow, a whale of this size will thrash. And why would I kill it? It hasn't wronged me. Still, since it's in my way, I won't let it go easily. Besides…"

"That's Laboon," Moonlight muttered with a faint smile.

Even though he had the power to slay the whale in a single strike, he refused to do so. Moonlight could show no mercy to enemies, but killing an innocent creature for being in the way? He wasn't that kind of man. He followed the Going Merry, as both were swallowed by the current into the whale's maw.

Meanwhile, inside the whale's belly, a small island floated. An old man, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops, was reclining on a beach chair, casually reading a newspaper while enjoying the sunlight.

Suddenly, the sea around the island began to shake violently. Even the sky above seemed to tremble.

"Here we go again," the old man muttered, setting his newspaper down as he looked at the trembling water. He seemed unfazed by the commotion, as if he had grown used to it over the years, and simply lay back in his chair.

However, moments later, four or five black figures plummeted from the sky, screaming as they fell toward him.

"Boom!"

The figures crash-landed, smashing into the small shack the old man had built, reducing it to rubble.

"Thud!"

The old man's newspaper dropped to the ground as he stared at the wreckage of his home.

"Is this… an island?"

"Where are we?"

"Am I… still alive?"

"Huh? There's some weird old guy here."

Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami groaned as they picked themselves up from the wreckage, looking around with confused expressions. Luffy was particularly intrigued as he laid eyes on the old man standing before them.

"Boom!" At that moment, the Going Merry fell from the sky and landed in the water with a huge splash.

"Merry!" The five cheered, delighted to see their ship safe and sound.

They rushed forward, but the old man stepped in their way, blocking their path with an unfriendly expression.

The old man's mood was far from pleasant. Anyone would be upset if their peaceful afternoon was interrupted, especially by strangers who had just destroyed their home. However, his expression changed when he saw the straw hat on Luffy's head. His eyes widened in recognition.

"That hat…"

A flood of memories surged within him, memories long buried.

Meanwhile, inside a long, narrow corridor within the whale, Moonlight continued to observe his surroundings curiously.

"So, this is inside Laboon, huh? It's already full of scars…" Moonlight muttered to himself.

Most whales live between 50 to 60 years, with female whales occasionally reaching 90 years. Though the Grand Line was a sea of wonders, not even it could defy the natural lifespan of creatures.

Laboon had been waiting for Brook for 50 years. Even if Laboon had the longevity of a female whale, it was now well past its prime, its body showing the signs of age.

"Is Crocus treating Laboon? I wonder how Luffy and the others are doing."

Moonlight sighed as he noticed the pipes embedded into Laboon's flesh, clearly signs of medical treatment.

He closed his eyes and activated his Observation Haki, extending his senses to find the others.

"As I thought, they're fine, and they've met Crocus. If he's seen that straw hat, he won't give them any trouble. Hmm, but what's this…"

Moonlight's senses picked up two unfamiliar presences deeper inside the whale's body.

"Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9?" he muttered.

At the same time, in another part of the whale's body, a man and a woman stood, looking around.

"Miss Wednesday, we finally made it inside this whale's body! Now we just need to find its heart and kill it. We'll have more than enough food to complete our mission," Mr. 9 said, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"That's right, Mr. 9. If we kill this giant whale and bring it back, we'll exceed our quota!" Miss Wednesday nodded, a determined look in her eyes. She had her own reasons for wanting to complete the mission, and it involved a man she needed to get closer to.

"Let's get started," they said in unison, exchanging confident smiles as they prepared to act.

"What do you think you're doing?" A cold voice suddenly interrupted them.

They froze, turning around to see a young man in black, a sword slung across his back, standing before them.

"Who are you?" Miss Wednesday demanded, her voice laced with hostility.

"It doesn't matter who he is! He heard our plans. We can't let him leave!" Mr. 9 growled, preparing for a fight.