Crocus suddenly clenched his fists tightly, his pupils shrinking as he stared at Rojen.
"What is your relationship to Roger… with that surname?"
After a moment of silence, Crocus slowly loosened his hands and asked sharply.
"I'm his younger brother," Rojen replied with a smile.
The crew members were unsurprised by this scene. Rojen's identity could no longer be hidden. After the prison break, all his information had been laid bare for the entire world to know.
"Roger mentioned you before. I didn't expect that, in the end, you would walk down this path as well." Crocus said with a complicated expression on his face.
Those days he spent sailing alongside Roger were unforgettable, deeply engraved into his mind. He had been powerless to stop Roger's death, and the disbanding of the Roger Pirates had filled him with regret.
"I should at least walk the road he once walked." Rojen smiled.
That casually spoken sentence clearly revealed Rojen's ambition. Roger had walked that road and ultimately became the Pirate King. Did that mean this young man's goal was the very same throne?
"What spirit! And you're still so young."
After freezing for a moment, Crocus praised him.
He neither mocked him nor called him naïve. In this era, people with dreams were not to be underestimated.
Boom… rumble…
Outside, torrential rain poured down, thunder roaring heavily as if pounding against the heavens.
"Speaking of which, the young people entering the Grand Line these days are becoming more and more impressive." Crocus sighed.
"Oh? How so?" Rojen asked curiously.
"A few years ago, that fellow Doflamingo who entered the Grand Line was no ordinary man. And then there's Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma… as well as Crocodile."
As Crocus's gaze shifted, he suddenly noticed the quietly standing Crocodile. His eyes widened instantly.
"Crocodile?!"
"Why are you here?!"
He was truly shocked. When the Logia user Crocodile entered the Grand Line, he caused quite a storm. That was why Crocus recognized him so well.
But how could he be here?
"I'm now a member of Nether Soul. This is our captain." Crocodile pointed toward Rojen.
Surprise flashed through Crocus's eyes. He found it hard to believe.
"You're still so young, yet you managed to recruit Crocodile onto your pirate ship."
"He's actually pretty easy to talk to."
Rojen laughed.
The others rolled their eyes. On this entire ship, Crocodile was the hardest person to deal with.
"What about the others?"
Crocus swept his gaze across the crowd. When he saw Jason, Trens, Lordling, and the six Dragon-Elephant members, he paused slightly.
"Your companions… none of them are simple people."
Though he couldn't fully gauge their strength, he could see the light in their eyes, confidence and power radiating from them.
Only true powerhouses possessed such eyes.
"Oh, and I've also met Shanks. That kid has grown a lot, too!" Crocus said, bringing up Red-Haired Shanks.
"You've seen Shanks?" Rojen asked.
"That's right. He's gathered a group of companions, too, all strong fellows. From the look of it, they're no weaker than your crew! Hahaha!" Crocus laughed loudly.
Seeing a former trainee from Roger's ship grow into such a capable figure naturally made him happy.
"Shanks should have reached the New World by now, right?" Rojen asked doubtfully.
"Yeah. Judging by the timing, he should be about there." Crocus nodded.
A smile appeared on Rojen's face, and anticipation flickered in his eyes.
This era was an era of turmoil.
The Four Emperors had not yet been established; the situation was chaotic, a true age of disorder.
In such an age, heroes rose together, competing fiercely, and mighty sovereigns would inevitably emerge. He had not set sail particularly early, but neither was he late.
"I'm looking forward to meeting him." Rojen's eyes shone brightly.
"Haha, you may not necessarily be able to surpass that guy! He's the successor Roger personally acknowledged." Crocus said with a laugh.
"My path is one that no one can block." Rojen shook his head, his gaze unwavering.
He had long anticipated the hardships of this road, but he had never feared them, nor had he lost confidence. He firmly believed that one day he would stand atop the world and join the ranks of the strongest.
"Still, if you two ever meet, you'll definitely become good friends. Your personalities and ages are quite similar." Crocus added.
"I think so too. I believe he and I would be friends, not enemies." Rojen nodded with a smile.
The two of them had too many similarities. Both shared a direct connection to Roger, and that bond alone was enough to make them friends rather than rivals.
Moreover, Rojen understood the kind of person Shanks was. He possessed all the magnanimity, benevolence, and bearing of a true king. His heart was as vast as the sea. A man like that, optimistic and friendly, was someone with whom it was easy to become friends.
Outside, rain poured down in torrents, and thunder shook the heavens, but the people inside continued chatting enthusiastically.
From Crocus, Rojen obtained a great deal of useful information. Positioned at the entrance to the Grand Line, Crocus naturally had a clear understanding of all who passed through.
The storm lasted for about an hour. When the sun finally emerged, Twin Cape suddenly began to shake violently, and a thunderous sound left everyone puzzled.
"What's that sound?"
"It's Laboon."
Crocus shook his head and sighed.
The crew looked confused, but Crocus offered no explanation. Instead, he led everyone forward.
Twin Cape continued trembling as though a giant strongman were relentlessly hammering it with his fists. Even the ground quaked beneath them.
When the group arrived at the shore, they saw towering waves below, water crashing violently.
"What kind of creature is that? It's enormous!" Jason exclaimed in astonishment.
Laboon's immense body had stunned him. At a single glance, the portion of its body rising above the sea was already awe-inspiring, while the countless scars across its skin sent shivers through their hearts.
"A whale." Rojen said softly.
"A whale?!" The crew widened their eyes.
"How could there be a whale here?"
Generally speaking, whales lived in the deep sea. Although Twin Cape was technically part of the ocean, it definitely wasn't a deep-sea region. Finding a whale here left them greatly surprised.
"Would you like to hear Laboon's story?"
Crocus looked at Laboon, who was continuously smashing itself against the coastline, his expression complicated as he sighed.
The crew naturally nodded.
Rojen walked to the front, sat down cross-legged, and looked down upon the enormous whale below.
Crocus began telling Jason and the others about Laboon's story, its stubborn devotion to waiting for its friends and the tragedy of its circumstances.
The tale stirred everyone's sympathy. Several of the women had already begun crying, completely moved by the story.
"It's just too touching!"
Chaporos wept openly, tears and snot streaming down his face.
And while everyone was immersed in emotion, as Laboon continued crying out and ramming against Twin Cape, a voice suddenly reached its ears.
"LABOON."
(End Of This Chapter)
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