Chapter 77: The Remnants of Ohara
Chapter 77: The Remnants of Ohara
The Twin Capes derive their name from the twin lighthouses that flank this entrance to the Grand Line.
The lighthouses stand on slightly shorter red earth terrain. Though shorter in comparison, they still towered over the Bad Omen, but below the lighthouses were climbable rope ladders.
The ship dropped anchor and moored alongside the cliff. Sag and his crew disembarked onto the lower land and climbed up the rope ladder.
Below the lighthouse stood a rectangular house. A flowery-shirted old man with a floral-patterned head was closing an umbrella by the door, and when he saw the visitors, he turned and locked eyes with Sag's group.
Then, silence.
Renitia furrowed her brows and stared back at the old man. After a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Bird-brain?"
The old man's pupils narrowed, and he glared at Renitia. His eyes seemed to exude solemnity and killing intent. That look made Renitia straighten up and place her hand on the small hammer at her back.
"I'm not a bird-brain. I'm just an old man," the old man finally spoke. "What's on my head is just a decoration."
"Who asked you!" Renitia exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, alright," Sag said, rubbing Renitia's pink-haired head. He turned to the old man and asked, "You're the lighthouse keeper of Twin Capes, right? I have some questions for you."
"Before you ask, isn't it customary to introduce yourself first?" The old man interrupted Sag. "It's impolite not to."
Sag tugged at his lips. "Alright, my name is—"
"Norton Sag. I've seen your bounty poster. Seven hundred million in the East Blue is quite a high bounty." The old man interrupted again.
A vein popped out on Sag's temple, and he rolled up his sleeves in anger. "Are you asking to die, you old coot!"
"Of course, I will die," the old man said, extending his hand to stop Sag from advancing. The solemnity and gravity in his eyes took the group aback.
"I," he said, pointing to himself, "am the one."
"It's you!" The pirates who had followed behind cried out in unison.
Renitia angrily pulled out her tool hammer, her fingers twisting the handle to extend and enlarge it. She raised her hands, ready to bring it down on his head, but Maryka and Lily held her back.
Sag gestured to the side, and Paru scurried over. He took out a cigar and held it out with both hands. After Sag took it, Paru lit a match and held it up for him to light the cigar.
Sag took a deep puff on the cigar, exhaling the smoke before speaking. "Old man, you—"
"My name is Crocus," the old man said.
"Huh?" Sag was taken aback.
"Crocus. I'm seventy-one years old, a Gemini, with AB-type blood. I like grilled giant squid," the old man continued.
"Why are you so surprised, Sag?" Renitia asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. It's just a strange feeling. Forget it, it's not important," Sag shook his head, laughing it off. He turned to Crocus and said, "Old man, are you really not afraid to die?"
"Men of the sea fear no death. I'm already seventy-one. I don't have much time left anyway," Crocus replied, putting away his umbrella and sitting on the bench. "Now, what brings a man like you to seek out a mere lighthouse keeper like me? And it looks like you're injured. Do you need medical attention? I have some tonics that can help with your recovery."
"A doctor?"
Sag paused again. Doctor, lighthouse keeper, and the name Crocus...
"It's you!" he exclaimed. "You were Roger's crewmate."
"Roger?"
The group behind him was taken aback.
"Gold Roger?" Maryka asked, opening her perpetually smiling eyes wide.
"The Pirate King?" Lily wondered aloud.
Akin and Aru's eyes lit up.
"It's Gol D. Roger, young lady," Crocus said, glancing at Maryka. His expression unchanged, he continued, "These days, pirates are collecting information from decades ago? But I'm just an old man now. Being a crewmate was a long time ago."
"That's not important," Sag said, stepping closer and reaching out. "Since you were the crewmate of the Pirate King, you must have Laughtale's Eternal Pose. Hand it over, and don't make me take it by force."
Although he had no interest in becoming the Pirate King in the way it was offered to him, Sag believed in the existence of the 'connected treasure'.
Why wouldn't he go for a treasure within reach?
"I don't have such a thing. If I did, I wouldn't be here as a lighthouse keeper. I would've been wanted by the government," Crocus shook his head. "Although I was Roger's crewmate, I was just the ship's doctor. I had no strength and no bounty."
"Huh? Does Laughtale really exist?" Renitia exclaimed. "I thought it was just a legend. Sag, he's just a weird old man now. Do you think he really has that Eternal Pose thing?"
"Hmm," Sag thought for a moment. "I feel like if his name has 'Cro' and 'cus' in it, he should have it."
"My name is Crocus, not 'Cro' and 'cus,'" Crocus said, giving them a once-over. "You don't seem to have a record pointer yourselves. Navigating the Grand Line without one is impossible. Unfortunately, I gave my last one to another pirate from the East Blue a few days ago. He's a contemporary of yours in terms of bounty."
"Straw Hat?"
"The one with a three-hundred-million-berry bounty," Lily said.
"Do you have any extra Eternal Poses? If so, when will you get more?" Maryka asked. "Old man, if you do get more, how long will it take?"
"I don't know. Maybe a month, maybe half a year.
Crocus shook his head. "Without a Log Pose, I advise against sailing."
"Not sailing doesn't seem like an option anymore."
Lily turned to look at the sky; although it was clear, she narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing the faint breeze that ruffled her golden, wavy hair.
"Sag, there's a big wind coming."
"Let's go!"
Sag bit his lip, tossing away his half-smoked cigar as he turned to leave.
Without a Log Pose, there was no point in lingering, and he trusted Lily's judgment.
Theoretically, Lily was an excellent navigator; her lack of experience didn't diminish her talent. After gaining hands-on experience in the East Blue, she had proven that her theories were infallible.
"Huh? Even with the wind, my ship can handle it." Renitia still seemed unsure.
But soon, she understood why Sag had made such a hasty decision.
As they stepped onto the deck, the gentle breeze suddenly transformed into a powerful gust, capable of whipping up towering waves.
Whoosh!!
The massive wave lifted the Bad Omen like a tsunami, causing the ship to tilt dangerously to one side. The violent wind howled, pressing everyone on the deck to the ground and straining the ship even further.
At this intensity, even the engineers in the power room couldn't adjust the ship's balance; they could only control its speed. The raging wind and towering waves were beyond their control.
"What the hell?!"
Renitia's eyes widened as she dug her hands into the deck, veins popping out on her neck.
"My ship won't sink under these conditions, that's just cheating!"
Zzzz!
Electric sparks danced from her palms, spreading across the entire ship and infusing it with a surge of power that righted the listing vessel.
The towering wave propelled the Bad Omen forward, carrying it far away from the Twin Capes, while the howling wind continued to push the ship swiftly ahead.
Without sails or engine power, the ship sped away from the Twin Capes, disappearing from view, propelled solely by the wind and waves.
What was even more astonishing was that when the fierce wind and towering waves reached the Twin Capes, they seemed to encounter an invisible barrier. Aside from a few scattered raindrops, the land remained completely untouched.
"Caw! Caw!"
Even a news bird flew in from the other side, landing safely at the Twin Capes without a feather out of place.
"It's almost as if they're being specifically targeted."
Crocus watched the direction in which the ship had disappeared, tossing a coin into the box hanging from the news bird's chest before shaking his head. "Strange people."
He unfolded a newspaper and scanned it, his pupils narrowing.
"Why has it increased so much? Destroying a section of the Bridge Kingdom's bridge and robbing Loguetown... that shouldn't warrant such a high bounty."
He pursed his lips and sighed. "The sea is always so lively."
...
Marine Headquarters.
In an office adorned with a plaque that read "Justice Overlords the World."
Garp popped a rice cracker into his mouth, chewing as he burst into laughter. "Puahahaha! Are you trying to cover it up?"
"Garp!!!"
On the other side of the desk, a man with a long, curly mustache and round-framed glasses jumped to his feet, anger flashing in his eyes. "If it weren't for you! If you had captured him at the Bridge Kingdom, none of this would have happened!"
"Sengoku, don't blame me for this," Garp said, still laughing. "He escaped, but I did chase him! Puahahaha!"
"Shut up! You always do these bizarre things, and Sengoku and I have to clean up your messes! It takes a lot of effort, I tell you!"
Sengoku glared at Garp and snatched the bag of rice crackers from his hand, dumping its contents into his mouth.
"Hey! My rice crackers!" Garp cried, his mouth hanging open.
"Hmph!"
Sengoku tossed the bag aside and said, "Zeff can't catch him now, and while his asthma is a factor, it also shows how troublesome this guy is becoming! He's already destroyed four kingdoms, and his threat level far surpasses that of a rookie pirate. The increase in his bounty is unavoidable, and we must take him down before he enters the Grand Line!"
The hand he slammed on the desk landed on a wanted poster.
It was the same poster of Sag, laughing amidst the ruins and flames, but the bounty amount had changed.
"270 million? Even if Sengoku and I didn't catch him, that's a bit high for a rookie pirate, Puahahaha!" Garp scanned the poster and laughed heartily.
"No," Sengoku said, his expression turning solemn. "His escape after fighting the two of you is only one reason. There's another factor. We've received intelligence from the East Blue regarding Norton Sag."
Sengoku's tone turned grim as he continued, "He's a survivor of Ohara."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
