I'm no Looking Glass-One Piece-Chapter 31

Recap-“And he’s been earnestly waiting for a certain group of people for 50 years.”

“I was taking care of the lighthouse one day when a group of pirates came down from the Reverse Mountain and into the Grand Line. Swimming alongside their boat was a small whale. Island Whaled like him only inhabit the West Blue. It appeared Laboon had been with them for a while but they thought that they had left him behind in the West Blue. They were now facing the dangers of the Grand Line and didn’t want him to get hurt. But Laboon had followed them. Island Whales normally swim together with their nakama in a pod, but to Laboon these pirates were his nakama.

They remained anchored on this cape for a while so they could finish fixing their ship and after a while I became friendly with them. The, on the day they were ready to leave… They asked me to take care of him, saying that they didn’t want him hurt. They promised to come back within a few years, but they never came. That was 50 years ago.” Crocus finished.

“50 years? Laboon’s been waiting for 50 years?” Ussop asked.

“So that’s why he’s bellowing. And he’s ramming it to reach the other side of the wall?”

“Yes.” The man said.

Crocus had decided it was time to show you the way out so now there was a part of his island hitched to your boat and the two whalers were on your boat, still tied up, He led you through a gigantic tunnel until you reached a big door at the end! “This tunnel is huge. Surprising he’s still alive with such a big tunnel in him.” Sanji said.

“Here we go!” Crocus said from the side, cranking open a door in the side of Laboon!!

“WE’RE OUT!!!” Luffy yelled. “It’s the real sky!!!”

“But 50 whole years? Those lousy pirates sure are making him wait a long time…” Ussop said.

You mentally agreed with him, either these pirates were dead or had so mea-heartedly ditched Laboon. That wasn’t fair, to promise to come back and be gone for 50 years! “Idiot. This is the Grand Line, they’re probably dead.” Zoro said.

“I guess that shoes just how terrible and chaotic this unexplored ocean is going to get.” Nami said.

“You guys! How can you say such heartless things! They might still come back! Besides, it makes such a great story! A whale that holds on to the promise of his nakama! Isn’t that right ossan?”

“Yeah.” Crocus said. “But the truth is crueler than you can imagine. Those guys ran from the Grand Line.”

“No way…” Ussop said.

“Are you sure???” you asked.

“Even if they are still alive they would never come back here.” Crocus said. “The seasons, the currents, even the wind. The all go around in unpredictable patterns. Common logic is useless in The Grand Line.”

“Thos heartless jerks.” Sanji said. “They ran away without a thought for your life or their promise, packed up and hightailed it out of the ocean.” Sanji said.

“They just abandoned the whale?” Ussop said. “And he’s been waiting here for 50 years for them to come back?”

“But if you knew this, why haven’t you told him?’ Nami asked. “The whaled understands human speech right.

“I did tell him but he wouldn’t listen to me.” Crocus said, “That night Laboon faced the Reverse Mountain for the first time and bellowed. Then he began battering himself against the Grand Line. He just won’t listen to the truth.” You looked at Laboon sadly. He was waiting here for people that may never come back. They left the Grand Line, why would they come back? You were mad at these pirates, what good had they done? Been friends with him a while and then leave him stuck in the Grand Line??? “All he wished for was to continue being nakama with the men he followed here.”

“Y’know, this is a sad story but you weren’t betrayed. Why do you stay here as well?” Sanji asked.

“Look at those scars on his head, if he keeps ramming against the Red Line without a doubt he will die. We may have a strange relationship but it’s been 50 years. I’m not going to leave him now.” Crocus said.

Suddenly Luffy was running along the deck yelling, he broke off the mast and ran up the whale with it!! “What’s that moron doing now?” Sanji asked.

“You can’t take your eyes off of him for a second.” Zoro remarked.

Suddenly he slammed the mast into Laboon!!!! Laboon cried out in pain, swerving back and forth, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?” everyone yelled.

Suddenly Laboon jumped up, nose-diving into the ground!!! “Hey boy!!!” Crocus yelled.

“It’s alright!” Nami yelled. “He won’t die even if he gets crushed!”

Suddenly Luffy was fighting the whale!!! The whale came all the way to where Luffy was, “It’s a draw!!” Luffy said. “Pretty strong ain’t I? We can fight again. Your nakama may be dead, but form now on I’m your rival! We’ll fight again once I’m back from sailing the Grand Line to decide who’s the strongest! I’ll be back! Then we’ll finish our fight!!”

You got it now, almost laughing with Luffy’s plan. The whale cried, tears dropping into the ocean. He bellowed into the air, and soon Luffy was painting on Laboon! It was sort of a match to your symbol on the sail, except you had painted that one because Luffy couldn’t. Luffy painted this one. It was lopsided and disproportionate but you were able to see it. “Very good! This is our Fight Promise! So until I get back don’t go hitting the wall and rubbing the mark off!” Luffy said.

The whale made a strange sound in response. You grinned, shaking your head as you set to fixing the mast. It was the only part of the ship you could fix so Ussop was doing the rest. You would have to encase the entire ship with glass to fix the rest and that wouldn’t let the ship float. If you just patched up, that wouldn’t fit right, you would need and iron casing around the wood before you could put glass there. Otherwise it would leak. The mast however, you didn’t have to worry about leaks. So you infused the glass with the wood, making sure the height difference was only about a centimeter but that it had a strong hold. ‘What’s this?’ You heard Luffy say when you were done.

Suddenly you heard Nami scream. “What is it Nami-san???” Sanji asked, holding a bunch of plates with the fish he had from Loguetown.

“The compass is broken!!!” she said as you climbed to where she was sitting on the cliff. “It won’t point in a single direction…”

You looked down and sure enough she was right, it was swirling around in circles! All of you were crowded there except Zoro when Crocus walked over, “So you five came here without any idea of what you were getting into. Are you trying to throw your lives away. What brazen stupidity. I told you, this ocean has no common logic to it. That compass isn’t broken.”

“Then…could it be a magnetic field?” Nami asked.

“That’s right.” Crocus said. “The islands here in The Grand Line are abundant with minerals. Causing a disruption in the magnetic field. What’s more is that the winds and currents are completely unpredictable. If you are a navigator you must realize how insurmountable this is.”

“You’re right, if we don’t have a way to tell direction then we’ll be doomed.” Nami said. “Thank you! That’s my bad!””

“Oi! How are we going to tell direction then?” Ussop asked.

“This is delicious!!” Luffy said from where he was eating the fish.

“WOULD YOU PLEASE BE QUIET FOR A SECOND!?” Nami yelled.

“But it’s really good!”

“Navigating the Grand Line will be impossible… if you don’t have a log pose.” Crocus said.

“Log pose? I’ve never heard of it.” Nami said.

“It’s a unique compass that memorizes the magnetic field.”

“A strange compass?”

“Yeah they have a distinct shape.”

“Like this??” Luffy asked holding up a band with a clear globe on it. It was set in an iron base like a watch and looked like it was meant to be around the wrist. In the middle of the globe was a needle that seemed to be pointing normally!

“Yeah, like that.” Crocus said. “If you don’t have a log pose navigating the Grand Line is impossible.”

“I see, but hold on a second.” Nami said. “Luffy? WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE ONE?!” Nami asked, punching him.

“Those two weirdos dropped it on the boat.” Luffy said.

“They did?”

“Why’d you punch me?”

“Felt like it? There are no markings on it…” Nami said.

‘The islands dotting the Grand Line obey the rules created by magnetic fields. So in order to travel from island to island the Log Pose must readapt to the magnetic field t each island and it will point you in the right direction. The truth is there is no way to determine your exact position on this Sea. You are utterly dependant on your Log Pose to get you where you need to go. You must first choose one of the seven magnetic fields emanating from Reverse Mountain. But regardless of what route you take all the routes will join at the end of your journey on one island. And the name of the island at the end of that route is… Raftel, the final island of all of The Grand Line. In all of history the only person known to have confirmed its existence was the Pirate King. The island is legendary.”

“Raftel…So it has to be there! One piece!!” Ussop said.

“Who can tell? That legend is the most prominent of all… But not one other soul has reached there alive.” Crocus said.

“We’ll find out when we get there!’ Luffy said. Having finished off the fish, “Alright I’m full. Let’s set sail!” he said.

“You hogged it all for yourself??!!” Sanji yelled.

“Whoa even the bones.” Ussop said.

“The Log Pose huh?’ Nami asked, having attached it to her wrist, “This is truly precious. Our fate on sea is depending on it.”

“You shitty rubber man!!!” Sanji yelled. “I wanted Nami-san to be the one to eat it!!!” Sanji yelled, kicking Luffy.

Luffy fell back, breaking the Log Pose!!! “YOU TWO!!! GO SOAK YOUR HEADS!!!!” Nami yelled, kicking them towards the water.

“Don’t worry, I have another one you can have.” The old man said. “I owe you one for saving Laboon.”

You grinned, “Thank you Crocus.”

Sanji and Luffy came back then with the two people from earlier. Now they were begging you to do something… You weren’t exactly sure what… “Whiskey Peak huh? What is it?”

“It’s the town we live in! Erm… sir.” Mr. 9 said.

“Don’t you have your own ship?” Luffy asked.

“Sadly it was destroyed.”

“Wouldn’t you think that would be little too kind on our part Mr. 9? Considering you tired to kill the whale.”

“Who are you two?” you ask suspiciously.

“I am a King!” Mr. 9 said.

“Liar.” Nami said, pulling on his cheek.

“We cannot tell you that!” Miss Wednesday said.

“But all we want is to return to our town! We really didn’t want to do this underhanded work…”

“But please understand, secrecy is our company’s motto!”

“We really can’t tell you anything.”

“We are begging you kind people to help us!”

“Don’t listen to them, they are a couple of underhanded sleazebags and you can’t trust them with anything!” Crocus said.

“The thing is, we broke this Log Pose and don’t have another…” Nami said. “Are you sure you want to come with us?” Nami said.

“WHAT THAT WAS MY LOG POSE AND YOU BROKE IT?!!!!” Mr. 9 yelled, jumping up.

“You made us throw yourselves at your feet when you can’t even go anywhere!?”

“Oh but, Crocus-san is getting another.” Nami said calmly.

You chuckled at Nami’s cruelness as they threw themselves back onto the ground, “We throw ourselves on the mercy of your kindness!!”

You laughed full on now, “Then you truly are talking to the wrong person.” You say as Nami playfully glared at you.

“Sure you can come.” Luffy said, “It’s called Whiskey Peak?” he asked. “Let’s go!”

“Are you serious? We just met these guys and you’re gonna bring them along just like that!?” Ussop yelled.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about details like that.” Luffy said.

“But the only place you can decide your course from is here at the starting point.” Crocus said.

“It’s fine, if we don’t like it we’ll just try again.”

“I see.”

“Okay let’s get going.” Luffy said. “I’ve made my promise to the whale and now let’s go.” Luffy said, stretching.

“And just who are you?” Mr. 9 asked.

“Me? I’m the man who’s going to become the Pirate King!” Luffy said.

You spied the two laugh at the corner of your eyesight. I should watch these two… Lord knows that Luffy won’t. “Later Flower-ossan.” Luffy said as you were setting off. “Thanks for the Log Pose!”

“Sure. Now get goin’.”

“See ya! I’ll be back whale!! Set course to Whiskey Peak! Full speed ahead!!!” Luffy yelled.

“AYE!!!”

And so the real journey began....