Chapter 34: A Reality Check for the Monster Trio
Climbing a mountain in a boat.
This was a first, even for Apollo.
Leaning against the cabin, he admired the rapidly receding scenery while aimlessly pondering. I remember that after leaving Loguetown in the anime, there was a filler arc about Warship Island and the Thousand Year Dragons, but it seems this world doesn't have it.
So, this isn't entirely the anime world. There was also evidence before that it wasn't entirely the manga's storyline either.
Perhaps the truth of this world is a new reality derived from a blend of both.
As he was thinking, the ship rushed to the top of the mountain.
They were already out of the storm's range, and the golden sunlight shone directly down. The ocean currents collided with the rocks, spraying large amounts of mist that, under the sunlight, transformed into numerous rainbows, appearing dreamlike and illusory.
Upon reaching the summit, the Going Merry tipped over the edge and flowed downstream, picking up incredible speed.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Strange sounds echoed in everyone's ears—like the howling of wind or the crying of a beast.
"No! It looks like there's something ahead!" Usopp was the first to notice something was wrong through his goggles.
Sanji, who was standing on the upper deck, also saw it and said hesitantly, "It looks like... a mountain! A black mountain!"
"How is that possible?! After the Twin Capes, it should be an endless ocean!"
Nami had just retorted when she saw the huge dark shadow blocking their path ahead, her eyes widening in shock.
Soon, they realized it wasn't a mountain. It was a black whale.
Because of its enormous size, it looked like a mountain peak rising from the sea.
"Is that Laboon?"
Apollo had excellent eyesight and clearly saw the crisscrossing scars on its head. They looked terrifying in the anime, but in reality, they were even more shocking and heartbreaking.
The others didn't have the presence of mind to notice these details because, at this rate, the Going Merry was going to crash head-on into the whale.
Zoro quickly discovered that the exit wasn't completely blocked; the gap on the left was wide enough for the ship to pass through. Unfortunately, on the swift ocean currents, with the rudder broken, they couldn't change course at all.
Eventually, Luffy had a flash of inspiration and came up with the idea of slowing down by firing the cannon, but they still couldn't stop completely. The figurehead—Luffy's "special seat"—snapped off upon impact.
This enraged Luffy, who furiously punched the whale, Laboon, right in the eye.
The pained Laboon swallowed the Merry in one gulp, with only Luffy escaping by using his Gomu Gomu no Mi abilities to bounce off.
Apollo knew what was happening and didn't intervene.
Inside Laboon, there was a world of its own.
The stomach acid was like a vast green lake, with a small island in the middle. On the island stood a house, and an old man with a flower-petal hairstyle sat beside it in a beach chair.
He introduced himself as Crocus, the lighthouse keeper and a doctor.
The subsequent events were largely consistent with the original story.
Luffy entered the whale's body through another entrance, and two suspicious figures—Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday—made their official appearance. Their goal was to hunt down Laboon to use as food for their town, Whiskey Peak.
After Luffy knocked them out, everyone learned Laboon's tragic story from Crocus.
This was a whale that had waited for its pirate companions for over fifty years because of a promise.
While the others were busy processing this, Apollo approached Crocus alone.
"Mr. Crocus, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
The others didn't know, but he did: this unassuming old man was the ship doctor of the Roger Pirates and had once been to Laugh Tale.
Crocus said casually, "Young man, please speak freely."
Apollo lowered his voice. "I'm very curious... exactly what illness did Roger have that made even a man of his strength not long for this world?"
Crocus's expression froze. He looked at Apollo sharply, his playful demeanor vanishing. "How do you know about that?"
Apollo's smile remained unchanged. "Just by chance."
Crocus stared at his face for a few seconds, attempting to read him, then gradually regained his composure. "Those are all things of the past. It's better not to mention them."
"Then..." Apollo was about to ask more.
But he was interrupted by Crocus before he could speak.
"Young man, if you want to know something, go find it yourself. One day, you will arrive there and find the answer."
"Alright."
Apollo said no more.
Crocus was unwilling to tell him, and he couldn't force the old man to speak. Moreover, even if he tried, he might not succeed against a former member of the Roger Pirates.
Soon after, Luffy and Laboon made a new promise of a duel, giving the whale a reason to live. The crew also accepted the request of Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday to take them back to their town, Whiskey Peak.
On the deck.
Nami stood beside Apollo, arms crossed, looking at Vivi (disguised as Ms. Wednesday) with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Are you infatuated with her because she's pretty again? I'm warning you, she's a bad woman!"
She keenly noticed that Apollo's gaze toward the bluenette was a bit different—like he knew something.
Apollo's lips curved slightly. "I think she looks like a brave and kind girl."
"You infatuated idiot! I think you're blinded by beauty!" Nami gave him a disdainful look, then turned away, not wanting to talk to him.
However, she soon lost interest in petty jealousies.
The first lesson of the Grand Line began.
One moment it was scorching summer, the next it was snowing heavily. Suddenly appearing icebergs, unpredictable sea winds, and chaotic currents.
The ever-changing environment quickly exhausted everyone. Near the entrance of the Grand Line, the magnetic fields were in chaos, creating extreme weather conditions.
Only after passing through this initial section did things gradually stabilize.
After handling the crisis, Apollo gathered everyone on the deck.
"Let's talk about your strength."
His gaze swept over everyone. "How do you think your strength holds up?"
Luffy grinned. "I'm very strong!"
Zoro and Sanji didn't speak but both showed confident smiles.
Nami and Usopp... were automatically ignored for this conversation.
Apollo smiled and said mercilessly, "Very confident! But the reality is cruel. You haven't even stepped through the threshold of a true powerhouse. You're just a bunch of rookies who don't know their place!"
He glanced at Zoro. "I think Zoro has already experienced this reality check."
Zoro's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively touching the scar on his chest. Luffy and Sanji's expressions also became serious.
"Apollo, what you said is too harsh. Actually, Luffy and the others are very strong," Nami said, feeling the atmosphere was too heavy and trying to lighten it.
Usopp didn't dare to speak, desperately trying to reduce his presence. Mr. 9 and Ms. Wednesday huddled in a corner, trembling at the tension.
"I know exactly how strong they are."
Apollo did not accept Nami's intervention. He did this on purpose. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get through their thick skulls.
He pointed at Zoro. "You've sparred with Mihawk and should have felt the gap. But I'm telling you, he is infinitely stronger than even what you experienced. Remember the analogy I told you? Mihawk is a ten-thousand-meter peak, and you are, at most, a hundred-meter hill right now!"
After addressing Zoro, he pointed at Sanji. "Do you remember Luffy's situation on the execution platform? You couldn't even break through the encirclement to solve that small problem. What right do you have to think you're strong?"
Finally, Apollo pointed at Luffy. "In Loguetown, you fought that Marine Captain, Smoker, right?"
"If no one had saved you then, you would have either died or been thrown into Impel Down. Either way, it would mean your dream of becoming the Pirate King was shattered!"
"He is a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user, immune to all normal physical attacks. Have you thought about how you'll deal with him when you face him again? Or the next Logia user? Because in this sea, they are common."
Luffy fell silent, his hat shading his eyes.
Luffy will definitely become the Pirate King?
In the manga, perhaps. But in this real world...
Not necessarily!
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