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[TIOP] Chapter : 33
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 16:57:14 +0000 UTC"What did you do to my special seat?!" Luffy stood at the bow, stretched his arms, and struck the whale right in the eye.
'That idiot!' 'That idiot!' 'That idiot!'
"We're doomed!"
The rest of the crew watched in horror, their hearts sinking as Luffy—completely oblivious to the consequences—attacked the massive creature.
As expected, while the strike did no real damage, it had certainly caught the whale’s attention. Its enormous eye shifted downward, locking onto them.
"Run! It’s seen us!"
But instead of fleeing, Luffy shouted up at the creature, "Come on, you bastard!"
"Shut up!"
In unison, the crew delivered a forceful kick, finally silencing him.
Unfortunately, their fate had already been sealed. The whale, now aware of Merry’s presence, opened its gaping mouth and swallowed the ship whole. Only Luffy managed to escape, using his stretching ability to propel himself away, eventually climbing back in through the blowhole.
Inside, a surreal scene greeted the crew. Rather than darkness, they found themselves drifting on calm waters beneath a bright sky.
Sanji, still smoking, glanced around and asked, "So… what do you guys think? Because I’m pretty sure we just got swallowed by a whale."
Zoro, staring at the cabin before him—along with the sky and seagulls overhead—muttered, "If you ask me… This has got to be a dream."
From the inside, this place was no different from the open sea. If they hadn’t known they were inside a whale, they might have mistaken it for just another stretch of ocean.
After a series of unexpected events, Zoro and the others finally encountered the mysterious inhabitant of this strange domain—an old man with a flower on his head. He emerged from a small wooden cabin and, without a word, effortlessly dealt with the massive squid that had leapt from the depths.
"A flower? No… that’s a person." Sanji squinted, studying the peculiar old man as he stepped forward.
But the man paid them no mind. After dispatching the huge squid, he simply grabbed a newspaper, reclined in his chair outside the cabin, and began reading, completely ignoring the bewildered crew.
"Hey, jerk! You could at least say something!" Sanji fumed at the old man's indifference.
"If you’re looking for a fight, we do have cannons," Usopp added, though his trembling voice betrayed his lack of confidence.
The old man finally glanced up, his expression calm. "I wouldn’t recommend that. Someone might die."
Sanji raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And who exactly do you think would die?"
Without hesitation, the old man replied, "Me."
Sanji's face twitched. "You're talking about yourself?!"
The sheer absurdity of the response made him feel like he had just thrown a punch at thin air.
"Forget it. No need to get worked up," Zoro said, calmly stopping Sanji before turning to the old man with a friendly smile. "Sir, could you at least tell us who you are and where we are?"
The old man narrowed his eyes at Zoro and scoffed. "When you ask someone a question, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first? Isn’t that basic courtesy?"
"Fair enough. My name is—"
"My name is Crocus. I’m the keeper of the Cape Lighthouse. Seventy-one years old. Blood type AB. Gemini."
Before Zoro could finish, the old man cut him off and started introducing himself instead. Zoro’s eye twitched in frustration, and for a brief moment, he looked ready to draw his sword.
Despite the odd introduction, Sanji and the others gradually pieced together the truth. As expected, they were still inside the whale’s belly. Usopp, upon closer inspection, even realized that the "sky" above them was nothing more than a painted illusion.
However, their brief moment of understanding was soon interrupted as the calm waters inside the whale’s stomach began to tremble violently. According to Crocus, the whale—Laboon—was once again ramming into the Red Line.
At that moment, Luffy, along with Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, was sent tumbling into the acidic sea.
In the end, Sanji managed to rescue Luffy and the other two, while Crocus administered a sedative to calm the massive whale. However, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday attempted to kill Laboon, causing further chaos. Amidst the confusion, Crocus finally revealed the tragic reason behind Laboon’s relentless attempts to ram into the Red Line. He then guided them through a secret passage out of the whale’s belly, allowing them to emerge back into the open sea.
Once they were outside, the crew unceremoniously tossed the captured troublemakers, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, overboard and let them drift away.
Upon reaching the lighthouse, Crocus gave Luffy and the others a brief but sobering explanation of the Grand Line’s dangers. When he realized they had entered these treacherous waters without so much as a Log Pose—let alone any proper preparations—he could barely contain his admiration (or was it ridicule?) for their reckless audacity.
However, after hearing Laboon’s story, Luffy impulsively challenged the whale to a promised duel, much to the horror of his crew. But when he painted the Straw Hat Pirates’ emblem on Laboon’s forehead, it became clear that an unspoken agreement had been reached—Laboon would no longer bash his head against the Red Line.
With that settled, the crew finally relaxed. Sanji, eager to make use of the rare elephant trunk tuna he had brought back from Loguetown, began preparing a grand meal. As they feasted, they listened to Crocus explain the fundamentals of sailing the Grand Line—completely forgetting that there was still an injured patient resting inside the cabin.
At last, Luffy and his crew took the Log Pose given to them by Crocus and, despite their initial reluctance, allowed Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday to rejoin them, as the pair eagerly invited them to Whiskey Peak. With that, their adventure on the Grand Line had officially begun.
However, the Grand Line's erratic weather nearly drove Nami to the brink of madness. One moment, the skies were clear and sunny; the next, heavy snow fell, followed by a violent storm. After enduring nature’s relentless onslaught, the crew was left utterly drained—except for Jack, who remained inside the cabin, and Zoro, who somehow managed to sleep undisturbed on the deck during all the chaos.
"Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday? Why do those names sound familiar?" Zoro muttered groggily, having just woken up. He sat in front of the two dubious guests, rubbing his chin in thought.
Before he could press further, Nami swiftly silenced him with a forceful strike, ensuring peace aboard the ship. Soon after, the crew finally reached their destination—Whiskey Peak, an island dominated by massive cacti.
"Thanks for the ride! We'll take our leave here," Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday announced cheerfully. Spotting land, they wasted no time diving into the sea and swimming toward shore.
Luffy and the others paid little attention to their sudden departure, far more intrigued by the first island they were about to explore. As their ship docked at the port, they were met with an enthusiastic welcome from the island’s residents, who showered them with cheers and hospitality.
However, beneath the warm reception lurked a hidden agenda—this seemingly friendly town was, in fact, a haven for bounty hunters. These people were members of Baroque Works, an organization under the infamous Crocodile, specializing in capturing and eliminating pirates.
The warm welcome Luffy and his crew received during the day was nothing more than a ruse, designed to lull them into a false sense of security so their enemies could strike under the cover of night. However, their plans did not escape Zoro’s keen intuition.
"My crew is exhausted. If you're looking for some fun, how about I entertain you instead?" Zoro smirked from his perch on the rooftop, addressing the bounty hunters who had been preparing for a sneak attack.
"Damn it, Mamamama! How did you figure it out?" A burly man with curly hair growled, his expression turning vicious.
"A while back, some group called Baroque-something tried to recruit me," Zoro said casually. "I turned them down, but I remember their members had strange codenames—just like yours. That’s why those two earlier stood out to me." He gestured toward Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday.
"If you know about our organization, then I can't let you leave here alive. Kill him!" the curly-haired man, Igaram, bellowed.
Zoro chuckled. "Heh, about a hundred of you, huh? That sounds like just the right number to warm up." His excitement grew as he prepared for battle.
Meanwhile, as the fight erupted, several Baroque Works lackeys sneaked aboard the Merry, hoping to plunder the ship. Given that Luffy had a bounty of 30 million, they assumed he and his crew must be carrying some serious loot.
However, as they made their way into the cabin, they were caught off guard by the sight of someone lying inside.
"What the hell? Someone's inside!" One of the henchmen stepped closer, glancing at the unconscious figure before scoffing. "Damn it, scared me for nothing!"
"Kill him quickly and then go find the treasure!" the other minion urged impatiently.
