Chapter 25: Laboon

Once we fished Luffy and the two other guys out of the water/acid, things escalated quite quickly. Those two guys tried to shoot the whale open with their cannon guns but this weird old man with a flower on his head took both shots. Long story short, Luffy hit them, we tied them up on the old man's island-ship (his name, we found out, is Crocus) and we're trying to get answers out of them.

All we got was that they're trying to hunt this whale for its meat. If you can believe it, this monster actually has a name; Laboon. Apparently, he's a rare breed from the West Blue called an Island Whale; gee, I wonder where the name comes from?

We listen as Crocus explains that Laboon was actually friends with a group of pirates as a baby. When they came down Reverse Mountain, they decided to leave Laboon with Crocus while they went to explore the Grand Line. That makes sense; the Grand Line is supposed to be really dangerous and it would be difficult if not impossible to keep a defenseless baby whale safe. The pirates apparently promised Laboon that when their journey was complete, they would come back to him; that was the only way they could get him to stay here and not follow.

But fifty years have already passed and Laboon has gotten restless. I don't blame him; I don't think I could bear waiting fifty years! The constant anticipation and worry that your friends are miles away with no way to contact then and you have no idea if they're even still alive...that would drive anyone crazy. I gotta say, Laboon is one faithful friend; he's been waiting all this time and hasn't given up hope that they'll come back. That's one strong promise.

The figures in my head suddenly flash in my sight again, only this time a few of the smaller ones seem a bit more prominent. If my home is out there somewhere...are they still waiting for me? I don't know how long I've been gone so...do they think I'm even still alive? Do they have faith that I'll come back someday? Are any of my friends and family...even still around?

Crocus opens a door that leads out of Laboon's stomach (don't ask me how he managed to do that) and we're back out on the ocean. Thank Arceus!

I look at Usopp and notice that he seems a bit thoughtful. He glances down at me and looks up at Laboon, "What do you think Pika-chan?" he suddenly asks.

"Pika?"

"Fifty years? How could they leave Laboon alone for so long like that?"

"Idiot." Sanji scoffs. "This is the Grand Line, his friends are dead." Geez, don't sugarcoat it…

"I hate to say it, but that's probably true." Nami agrees. "Back when those pirates sailed the Grand Line it was uncharted territory; way more dangerous than it is today."

Usopp growls. "Why are you being so pessimistic, you don't know that!" he exclaims. "They could still come back for him! I mean, he's believed in that promise for all these years! That's a true bond!"

A true bond… I can't help but look at Sanji when he says that.

"Indeed." Crocus says. "But reality is a cruel thing." He turns away solemnly. "The truth is Laboon's cohorts abandoned their quest; they left the Grand Line." My eyes widen in horror; how could they do such a thing? They could've at least come back for poor Laboon; wasn't it ten times crueler to just abandon him without even a sign to let him know that they were alive?

A thought suddenly pops into my head: what if I were in Laboon's position? What if Luffy and Sanji and everyone had to leave me behind and I had to wait for them? Would I have the same faith as Laboon? Would I be able to wait over fifty years for them to come back without giving into the possible reality that they might be dead? ...Would Sanji and the others forget about me and just leave me?

I flinch as I feel Sanji's hand gently pat my head and scratch my ears. "So you're telling me these pirates were a bunch of cowards who cared more about saving their own asses than keeping a promise to a friend?" I feel his hand tense ever so slightly as I feel anger nearly radiate off him as he says the last part of that sentence. Was he thinking the same thing I was?

"How could they abandon such a loyal creature?" Usopp demands. "That's just beyond cruel!"

I clench my jaw as I stare at the ground. The more I think about it, I don't think I'd ever be as strong as Laboon if this happened to me. I mean...I already lost my memories of my family which to me is the equivalent of losing them...I don't know what I'd do if I lost any of my friends here.

"Why haven't you told Laboon any of this?" Nami asks.

"I did, down to the last miserable detail." Crocus answers. Apparently, Laboon flat out refused to accept that they weren't coming back for him. That was when he started banging his head against the Red Line, as if by destroying that wall he'll be able to reunite with his friends again.

Poor Laboon… There's no way for him to go back to his home in the West Blue so his friends are all he has left. If he admits they're dead that means he's giving up on them. All he wants is to see them and live with them again. And Crocus is the only thing keeping Laboon alive through all this, by tending to the wounds he receives when he beats the Red Line.

All of a sudden we hear Luffy yelling out. We all turn to see him running up Laboon while carrying the main mast of the ship. Uh, Luffy? We kinda need that... We watch as he runs up to a fresh wound on Laboon's head and plunges the mast right into it. I visibly cringe; that's gotta hurt!

"Luffy, stop tearing up the ship!" Usopp yells. Suddenly, Laboon lets out a loud roar and begins thrashing in the water. I fall of the railing with a scream, my ears numbing once again. I feel someone pick me up to keep me from stumbling off the ship again while everyone yells for Luffy to stop.

The ship rocks wildly as Laboon takes a flying leap into the air and slams his head right onto the cape, throwing Luffy and the mast off. "The boy! He's dead!" Crocus yells.

"It'll take a lot more than that to kill Luffy!" Nami reassures him. You can say that again. Thankfully, Laboon stops roaring, allowing my hearing to reassess itself and we all watch as Luffy begins to fight Laboon.

"You want to let us in on your plan before you kill yourself?" Zoro demands.

Luffy is thrown against the lighthouse and Laboon begins to charge him. "It's a draw!" Laboon stops in his tracks and Luffy gets to his feet. "I'm stronger than I look, but I have a feeling you knew that already." he says with a grin. "I can tell when someone's itching to fight; you miss sparring with your old friends, don't you?" A smile slowly comes to my face as tears begin to form in the whale's eyes.

"How about this? After my friends and I travel the Grand Line, we'll come back for you; and you better be ready for a rematch!" Laboon raises his head and lets out a gentle call of happiness. Compared to his roar from earlier, this is soothing.

I shake my head to get my hearing back together and sit up in Usopp's arms (turns out he was the one who grabbed me earlier). We just made a promise to a whale… I'm sure this won't be the strangest thing we've ever done. At least this time, I'm certain that we're gonna keep our promise and come back to see Laboon.

There's no way we're gonna put him through that again.

Once everything has calmed down, Luffy paints a big skull on Laboon's head. He said it was a symbol of the promise he made to him. Geez, it always blows my mind whenever Luffy does something smart like this! Not only does it reassure Laboon even more of our keeping that promise but it also gives him a reason to not hit his head against the Red Line!

While Usopp starts repairing the mast, we notice that those two weird poacher guys had gotten away. Ah well, guess it's out of our hands now. I doubt that Laboon will let them kill him now that he's cheered up. I blink as a gleam of sunlight catches my eye and I look on the deck to see where it's coming from. There's something on the deck, like a bracelet.

I walk towards it and pick it up; it's...some sort of weird clock looking thing. It has a leather strap and a glass ball on top and inside is a needle like a compass. Only there's no directions written on the face like North, East or West. My curiosity grows as the red end of the needle is strictly facing one direction and refuses to change no matter how much I move. Did those poacher guys drop this? And what even is it?

I hear footsteps and turn to see Luffy coming towards me. He looks down at me and crouches down to look at the object I'm holding. "What's that?" he asks.

"Pika." I shrug.

He takes it and looks at it closely. "Huh, I don't know." he says. "Ah well." He puts it in his pocket and walks away. Maybe Nami will know something about it, but we can ask later. I think it's about lunchtime, isn't it?

I trot into the galley to see Sanji getting ready too. I jump onto the counter, catching his eye as he takes out his frying pans. Sanji takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, "Since we've just about entered the Grand Line, I say a special lunch is in order."

My ears twitch and I smile in anticipation. "Pika?" 'You mean…?'

Sanji grins and I follow him down to the freezer in the galley and he opens the door. A familiar giant blue fish slides out along with the ice that's been keeping it fresh all this time. "Don't think we've forgotten about you, Elephant Bluefin Tuna."

"Pika pika!" I squeal. This is it! We're finally gonna cook it! I never thought I'd be this excited to cook something! I guess it helps that this is beauty is a rare gem and is supposed to be called a 'miracle food'. I seriously can't wait to taste it!

"I imagine you want in on this, right?" Sanji asks me.

"Pi pika pi!" I exclaim. 'Is that a trick question?'

Sanji nods. "Alright, if you can make a decent meal with Apis, lets see how well you can help me cook."

"Pika pikachu!" I cheer. Let's do this!

Sanji hauls the fish back up the galley and we get out all the necessary appliances and ingredients. Sanji lays out his array of knives and picks the best one suited for the job. "This guy has a lot of meat on it, so we'll have to make sure we don't leave anything behind."

Guess that means even the bones and guts are getting used; should've figured. At least Sanji makes all the disgusting bits taste awesome. Wait...he doesn't want to leave anything behind…? Does that mean-! I stare at him in shock; we're gonna cook the whole thing in one go?! Wouldn't it be smarter to save some of it? Especially considering that our captain is a greedy bottomless pit?

I know I said I was excited about cooking this thing, but this fish is a rarity! We won't be able to find another fish like this probably in our lifetime! I don't want this to be a one-time thing, I want it to last for as long as possible!

Sanji doesn't seem to take note of this and begins deboning the fish. Alright, since I know for a fact that this is going to come back and bite us in the ass, I'm going to do something about it! I glance back and see that the door to frozen storage is still open. I'm gonna have to be really quick here.

I wait until a Sanji slices off a few giant slices of meat and then, when he's not looking, I strike. I grab the meat, zoom to storage, throw it into the freezer, and zoom back. Rinse and repeat, until about a third of the fish is safely back in the freezer. I'd say that's about enough for a proper meal or two as long as we keep it away from Luffy.

Sanji and I start getting out the oil and spices when he looks at the meat he gathered. "Huh, I thought this thing had more meat on it…" I freeze and try my absolute hardest to keep a poker face. To my relief, Sanji just shrugs, "Oh well, must be my imagination."

Trust me Sanji, you're gonna thank me later. Plus, you're cooking the head too; honestly that's all you should be serving considering how big it is alone! Our crew is tiny, this whole fish should last us for a week at most! Now that that has been taken care of, I can finally focus on cooking.

I hand Sanji the spices he asks for and he eventually gives me a little bowl to mix the oil and spices together. I diligently stir, making the spices dissolve into the oily substance; I can already taste the flavor it's gonna bring.

"Knife." Sanji says. Without stopping, I flip the knife into the air with my foot and whack it with my tail. It sails through the air like a dart for a split second before Sanji catches it by the handle and starts cutting without missing a beat. Wow, we're more in sync than I thought!

Soon, the fish is roasted to perfection, with just the right amount of oil and spices to bring out the flavor. "Now for the test." Sanji says, holding two forks with a bit of the meat on the tinges.

I take my fork and we both place the meat in our mouths. My eyes widen and my ears perk up as flavor explodes in my mouth. I don't even know how to describe it. My teeth sink into the tender meat and I savor every moment; I'm almost sad when I have to swallow it. I squeal in absolute joy, placing my paws on my cheeks; that was the greatest experience ever!

"Now that's what I call a miracle food." Sanji says, a look of pure bliss on his face.

"Pikachu!" I never thought food could put me a good mood, but it happened! I am so glad I snuck those big pieces of fish back to the freezer! I want to relive that experience more than anything!

Sanji balances two giant plates full of fish meat (still too much if you ask me...maybe I should've swiped more…), and we're heading back out to the lighthouse when Nami lets out a shriek. Oh Arceus, what now?

We all head back up to the cape (with the exception of Zoro who's sleeping...lazy bastard…) and Nami's gazing at her map and compass in horror. "The compass is broken! It just keeps spinning!" she cries. I jump onto the table and see that she's right. The compass is just spinning nonstop in a circle without any sign of stopping. It's like it has no idea which way is up anymore.

"Did you all come here to die?" We look up as Crocus comes towards us. "It seems none of you have the slightest idea how things work around here!" Well, don't keep us in suspense old man, what are we missing?

Apparently the Grand Line is surrounded by some kind of weird magnetic field that affects normal compasses; ours isn't broken, it's just useless here. I gnaw on a small piece of Bluefin along with Luffy (though in my defense I'm not trying to devour the whole head) as Crocus explains that nothing in the Grand Line is constant; not current, weather or anything.

In order to navigate through this hellish ocean we'll need something called a Log Pose. "You mean this thing?" Luffy asks with his mouth full, holding up the strange bracelet I found.

"Exactly. Only a fool would try to sail the Grand Line without one." Crocus confirms. Wow, lucky find!

Nami gives Luffy a hard punch. "Why didn't you tell me you had one of those Log things?!" she demands.

"Pika-chan found it, not me!" Luffy whines, pointing at me. Oh no, don't you drag me into this! "Those two weirdos must've dropped it!"

"Is that true, Pika-chan?" Nami asks me. I nod without hesitation and she seems to believe me.

"Why'd you hit me?" Luffy asks.

"Felt like it." Nami responds. Alright then… Nami examines the Log Pose and Crocus explains that the Log Pose records the level of magnetism on an island before resetting to a new route after a set period of time.

Basically, wherever the Log Pose points, that's where we have to go, no questions asked. And eventually, all the islands lead to an island called Raftel, the most mysterious island on the Grand Line, confirmed to exist by the King of the Pirates himself that no one else has ever been able to find. If anything, that's got to be where this One Piece is.

Luffy sighs in content, "Well, I'm satisfied; ready to head out?"

"I told you, that was for everyone!" Sanji yells.

"He...even ate the bones!" Usopp chokes in astonishment.

I sigh as I swallow my last bit of Bluefin and stare at the empty platters. I don't want to say 'I told you so', but I can't because you wouldn't understand a word. Good thing I was the only one to have a backup plan.

Sanji gets to his feet, anger blazing in his eyes. "You greedy, bottomless pit!" And he gives Luffy a hard kick to the stomach. Unfortunately, Sanji kicks him so hard Luffy flies past Nami, shattering the Log Pose.

Well, we're screwed.

I smartly cower behind the table, hoping to be spared Nami's wrath. It was nice knowing you Sanji…

One monster kick later, Crocus offers his own Log Pose, "It's the least I can do for helping Laboon." he says. Oh thank Arceus, we aren't screwed! Speaking of Laboon, he just dumped Sanji and Luffy back onto land; pretty coordinated for a whale. My ears perk up as I notice two others nearby. It's those whale hunters! I scowl at them and get into offensive stance if this gets ugly but Sanji helps the lady to her feet. Ugh…

"Hey," The guy wearing the crown speaks up. "We need a favor." I would shock them both right then and there, but Luffy decides to at least hear them out; fair enough I guess.

Long story short, they're stranded and need to get back to their home, an island called Whiskey Peak. Odd name. Speaking of odd names, their names are Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday. We've just entered the Grand Line and the weird is already off the charts! A giant whale with hallways and a river inside it, a compass that pretty much as a mind of its own, and now people named after numbers and days of the week; you could make trading cards out of all the weird stuff here!

Of course, we're wary to help them, considering they tried to kill Laboon and they can't tell us anything about who they are or who they work for. They may be on their hands and knees but my trust meter is pretty low for them right now.

"Oh, I should mention that the Log Pose is broken." Nami speaks up. "Still want to ride with us?"

Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday spring to their feet. "You broke it?!" Mr. 9 demands. "That was mine, those things aren't cheap you know!"

"How long were you going to make us beg before you told us!" Ms. Wednesday demands.

Nami then breaks into a grin, "Oh, I forgot, Crocus lent us his Log Pose, sorry!" she teases, causing the two to drop back on all fours. I snicker as I watch them squirm; Nami really knows how to push the right buttons.

"It's fine, you can ride with us." We all turn to Luffy in shock.

"What?! Why would we take them anywhere?!" Usopp demands.

"It's fine." Luffy repeats. "Don't sweat the small stuff, we'll be fine."

"Are you certain?" Crocus asks. "Once you've set sail from here you'll be committed to that course."

Luffy smiles. "Hey, if we don't like it we'll just choose a different route next time." That doesn't sound like the most practical plan but it's better than having no plan, I guess. "Okay, let's get going!" Luffy says, getting to his feet. "Now that Laboon and I have an understanding, I can leave with a clear conscience." Well, better start now if we have to.

We all board the ship, wave goodbye to Crocus and Laboon, and we're on our way. I sit on the railing on the upper deck, gazing at the ocean before us. This is it! We've entered the Grand Line! We have everything we need, so it should be smooth sailing! The sky starts to turn pink as the sun sets; I wonder what Sanji's gonna whip up for dinner?

I enter the galley and see Sanji, but he's not cooking, he actually looks kinda down in the dumps. He's leaning against the counter, his head down and muttering sadly to himself. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about our Bluefin Tuna fiasco. "A miracle food...an Elephant Bluefin Tuna and our idiot captain goes and eats it all before my sweet Nami could have a taste…"

I smile in sympathy and trot over to him; time to brighten his day. I tug on his pant leg catching his attention and point towards the stairs. "Pika pi."

"What is it?" Sanji asks. I let go and gesture for him to follow. I lead him to the frozen storage grinning all the while, leaving Sanji quite confused. "What are we doing here?" he asks.

I look at him happily before lifting up the door. I peek inside to make sure it's still there and open it all the way. "Pikachu!" I say, spreading my arms happily as the large pieces of fish meat slide out slightly with the ice. Sanji stares at the sight and his cigarette drops to the floor as he takes in the meat and what it is. I cross my arms and glance between him and the fish, my cheeky smile still wide across my face. I think this may be the most useful thing I've ever done! In a practical sense anyway.

After what feels like an eternity, Sanji looks at me, finally having put the pieces together. "Did you...?"

"Pi pikachu!" I chirp proudly.

Sanji's look of astonishment slowly melts into a smile so bright it could light up the darkest ocean floor. He kneels down and gives me a rough pat with praise oozing out of the gesture. "You are the sneakiest little bastard I've ever met!"

"Pika!" I squeal with laughter, leaning into his touch.

"C'mere you little bandit!" Sanji suddenly picks me up and cradles me only to start scratching and tickling my belly. I laugh and squirm in his grasp before nuzzling him joyfully while he gives me a little hug, still giving me scratches.

So far, I'd say the start of our voyage has started on a pretty high note. We managed to help a whale overcome his depression, we got some first hand info on how to navigate this unknown ocean, and we managed to save a little miracle food for a rainy day!

I'm a little uneasy about what we'll face on the Grand Line now that we're actually here, but hopefully with all of us working together, it shouldn't be a problem. After all, we've overcome every challenge we've come across and now we just have to navigate through a dangerous ocean line that hardly anyone has survived.

What's the worst that can happen?

Ooooh Pika-chan, you are gonna eat those words... XD

Also, if you have a big rare fish to cook that you're probably going to get once in your lifetime and your captain is a rubber bottomless pit, SAVE THE DAMN THING!