Ghost Rider Through The Multiverse - Chapter 16

Finally the true journey was about to begin, they were now nearing the entrance to the Grand Line, though there was some trouble with getting there.

Because of the storm, the ship ended up getting pushed into the calm belt, where a bunch of sea kings appeared, one of them right under the ship.

The sea king ended up sneezing and sent the ship flying back into the storm, Usopp nearly fell into the mouth of a giant frog, but Luffy rescued him.

Now all they had to do was go up the mountain.

They were riding the current and just had steer the ship to avoid crashing into the Red Line, luckily Leo remembered this part and was prepared.

Leo quickly went to the rudder and turned to the right a little or starboard.

Nami – “What are you doing?”

Leo – “We were to far to the left.”

Nami looked over while squinting and realized that he was right.

Nami – “Wow! Good eyes, I couldn’t even notice until we got this close.”

So with nothing to worry about, the ship ‘smoothly’ went up the mountain. Well, as smoothly as you can get when being shot up by an uncontrollable current.

To Leo the ride was actually pretty fun, a bit like being on a rollercoaster at an amusement park.

When they reached the top of the mountain, past the storm, for a brief moment they could sea the beautiful sea that they would be travelling.

After that bit of scenery, they started travelling down towards the Grand Line.

“BUOOOOH!”

Zoro – “Hm? Did you hear something just now?”

Luffy – “WHO CARES! WOHOO!”

Nami – “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just noise from the wind, the terrain here is quite odd after all.”

“BUOHHHHH!”

Sanji – “Nami! There’s a mountain up ahead!”

Nami – “A mountain? That can’t be! Once we pass the twin capes up ahead, we should reach the sea.”

“BUOHHHH!”

Luffy – “Hm? That’s not a mountain! It’s a whale!”

“BUOOHHHH”

Unfortunately, as the ship was passing by, the gap was to small and the ship scraped against the whale which caught it’s attention.

The whale opened its mouth wide and started taking in huge amounts of water, and the ship got dragged along with it. Luffy had tried to attack the whale and got separated from the ship. Now that they were being eaten, the crew started to scream and shout.

“AAHHHHHH!!!”

Leo wasn’t really bothered by this, he wanted to see Crocus and take a look inside his head, though being swallowed was still a weird experience.

After a rough trip down the throat of the whale, they arrived at the stomach. However, it looked nothing like the stomach of a whale, there was a sky painted on the top and there was a single little island with a house on it.

They were extremely confused and were even questioning whether it was a dream or not.

*SPLASH*

Suddenly a giant squid emerged. Nami and Usopp immediately became afraid and ran to the cabin to hide, but it was unnecessary as three harpoons pierced and killed it before anything could happen.

Zoro – “Seems like there’s a person here.”

Sanji – “Let’s hope it’s a person.”

Nami – I’ve had enough… I want to go home…”

Someone started to drag the squid into the house and Usopp had the ‘genius’ idea to open fire…

Sanji – “I think I see someone… It’s a flower!”

Zoro – “A flower!?”

Out of the house came an old man with what looked like a flower on his head.

The old man was pulling in his catch while they were talking and when he finished, he looked at them for a moment… and then he sat down in a sun lounger.

Sanji – “SAY SOMETHING!”

Crocus – “…”

Usopp – “I-I-if it’s a fight you want, t-then you’ve got one! We’ve got a canon on our side!”

Crocus – “Don’t, or someone might end up dead…”

Sanji – “Oh? And just who would that be…?”

Crocus – “Me.”

Sanji – “YOU!?”

Leo – “Pfft! Good one old timer.”

Leo’s little outburst made everyone look at him, Crocus in particular narrowed his eyes, he could feel Leo’s strength and he was suspicious of him, but didn’t say anything about it.

Since this was getting them nowhere, Zoro decided to step forward.

Zoro – “Hey old man, would you mind telling us just who you are, and just where this place exactly is?”

Sanji started to grumble.

Sanji – “That gramps thinks he can make a fool out of me…!?”

Crocus – “… It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking others questions, you know.”

Zoro raised an eyebrow, but went along with it. Not that it was going to work out.

Zoro – “Oh right… Sorry about that. I am Roro…”

Crocus – “My name is Crocus, the lighthouse keeper of the twin capes. I’m 71 years old, a Gemini, and type AB blood.”

Crocus’ interruption and the way he was playing with him, angered Zoro so he put his hand on his blade and shouted.

Zoro – “NOBODY MINDS IF I KILL HIM, RIGHT!?”

Sanji – “Calm down.”

Crocus – “You’re wondering where this place is? You first trespass in my private resort and then start mouthing off with that attitude!? Does this place look like the stomach of a mouse!?”

Nami and Usopp became worried again.

Usopp – “S… So then we really must’ve been swallowed by the whale.”

Nami – “What do we do…? I don’t wanna be digested!”

Crocus then jumped in, while pointing over to a gate.

Crocus – “If it’s an exit you want, it’s right over there.”

Usopp – “YOU CAN GET OUT OF HERE!?”

Sanji – “Why is there an exit inside a whale?”

Nami then questioned how there was a door floating in midair and Usopp pointed out that the sky and clouds were all painted on the inside of the whales stomach.

Crocus – “That’s just my way of having a good time.”

Zoro then suggested simply leaving now that they knew the way out, but…

*RUMBLE*

The surroundings started to shake and the surface beneath them became unstable.

Crocus – “So he’s started again, has he…”

Sanji then noticed that the island was actually a ship made of metal, Usopp then understood that they were actually in stomach acid and that if they didn’t leave, the ship would be damaged.

Usopp then asked Crocus what was going on, and was told that the whale was banging itself against the red line which shocked them.

Nami then pointed out that the whale had a lot of scars on its head and was bellowing to the sky.

Usopp – “What does it all mean?”

Nami – “It means he’s suffering…!”

Nami then came to a realization that Crocus was trying to kill the whale from the inside. Though she was wrong of course.

Zoro and Sanji wanted to get out before the ship got dissolved.

The whale repeatedly bashed its head against the cliff, causing those in its stomach to be shaken about, making it impossible for the ship to even get to the gate.

Just as they were complaining about this, they saw Crocus jump into the stomach acid, greatly shocking them.

Usopp – “He’s swimming towards the exit. We should hurry up and make our way to the exit before the whale gets anymore violent.”

And as if on cue, the whale became more violent and things became even more unstable.

Zoro – “We’ve got no choice but to row!”

They were about to go get the paddles when out of a side door came Luffy and two others.

Zoro – “L-Luffy…!?”

Luffy – “Guys! You’re alive! Well in any case, help me out!”

Leo decided to save the three of them from having to take a swim in stomach acid, he raised his right hand and shot out three chains, manipulating them to wrap around the three of them and then pulled them on to the deck.

Luffy – “Hahahaha! Thanks Leo!”

Leo – “No problem, Captain.”

They started to talk a little bit and Luffy told them how he got inside the whale aswell, and during their talk the whale seemed to calm down as there were no more waves.

Then from the same door that Luffy came out of.

Crocus – “I won’t let you lay even a single finger on Laboon, for as long as I live!”

Luffy – “Who’s that old man?”

Usopp – “Oh, he’s back…”

It was at this point the other two people, a blue haired girl and a blonde guy with a crown, stood up and picked up their rocket launchers.

(I’m sure we all know them so imma use names.)

Vivi – “Fufufu…”

Mr.9 – “Oh… But we’re inside the whale now…”

They fired their rocket launchers.

Vivi – “It’ll be to easy,”

Mr.9 – “To blast a hole in its stomach!”

Vivi – “We won’t let you interfere in our whaling business any longer!”

*BOOM*×2

Leo – “Now, now. There is no need for the animal abuse.”

Leo had blocked both of their shots, with a hand each.

Vivi/Mr.9 – “WHA!?”

Crocus – “Hm?”

They were shocked as they didn’t think that Leo would stop the attacks, especially so easily.

Luffy then knocked out Vivi and Mr.9 while being slightly confused.

Luffy – “I’m not sure what’s going on but I’ll knock these two out for now.”

After that, they tied the two attackers up and went over to Crocus’ Island, and he started telling them about what was happening.

Crocus explained that the whale they are inside is the largest species known as an ‘Island whale’ and it’s name was ‘Laboon’, and their two captives were rogues from a nearby town that wanted to hunt Laboon because his meat could feed the town for 2-3 years. He went on to tell of a friendly group of pirates.

Crocus – “Long ago I was minding my business as lighthouse keeper, a certain group of friendly pirates came down reverse mountain. And following their ship was a little baby whale. That whale was Laboon.”

He told them about about how Laboon had accompanied the pirates but they left him behind for his own safety, and that the pirate Captain had asked him to look after Laboon for 2-3 years and that they would be back for him after their trip. Laboon understanding their intent, waits behind for them.

Nami – “So that’s why he keeps bellowing even today… And bashing himself against the red line…”

Crocus – “That’s right… It’s been so many years… He still believes his friends will come back…”

Laboon – “BUUUOOOOHHHH!”

They could all hear the sadness in Laboon’s bellow, and it didn’t take being an empath.

…

They had decided it was time to leave the stomach of Laboon and went down what was essentially a waterway.

Crocus told them that he was a Doctor and Luffy tried to get him to join the crew but was declined. He then opened one more gate and they were free at last!

Luffy – “ALRIGHT! We’re out! I can see the real sky at last!”

Leo – “Do you have to be so dramatic…?”

Now that they were out they were out of Laboons stomach they still had to do something with their captives.

Zoro – “What should we do with these two?”

Crocus – “Just throw them over somewhere around here.”

So they did.

*Splash*

After watching them panic and splash around a bit, and then figure out what happened, Luffy asked them who they were? They never actually answered, but they did start conversing with each other about how if they were dealing with pirates, then said pirates would be useful to them. They also gave away their names, well codenames, Ms. Wednesday and Mr.9.

The two of them then swam off while warning Crocus that things weren’t over between them.

Leo – ‘I might end up teasing her for this later.’

Sanji – “So her name is Ms. Wednesday? What a beautiful enigma, you are.”

Leo – “Oh, yeah Sanji, because girls love to be called an enigma.”

Sanji – “Uhg!”

During this Luffy picked up a logue pose, no one realized except Leo, but he just kept quiet and messed with Sanji a bit more while they made their way over to solid ground.

When they all got on the ground and sat down, Luffy commented on how those pirates are taking a long time, Sanji started talking about how after 50 years they were long dead, but Crosus mentioned that he had heard that they left the Grand Line. They then started saying that the pirates were cowards and whatnot, for saving their own lives and breaking their promise.

When asked why he never tried to tell Laboon this, Crocus said that he did, but Laboon didn’t want to listen and started banging against the red line because that was what stopped it from getting home, and to where he believes his friends are.

Sanji pointed out that Crocus had also been betrayed, and then he asked why he stayed. Crocus responded with…

Crocus – “Look at the scars on his head… If he continues to recklessly bash his head against the wall, he’ll definitely die. We’ve had an odd relationship but he’s still my companion that I’ve lived with for over 50 years. I can’t just stand by and watch him die…”

Luffy – “UOOOHHHH!”

They looked over to see Luffy, with the main mast of the ship, running up the side of Laboon, who had been in an upright position the entire time.

Sanji – “What’s that idiot up to now?”

Zoro – “Take your eyes off him for one second and…”

Sanji – “Maybe he just likes climbing things?”

When Luffy got on top of the whale he went over to a fresh wound and stuck the mast into it…

Zoro – “Hey, is that a mast?”

Sanji – “Yeah, I think it’s our ships…”

Usopp – “Yep, it’s our main mast alright.”

Laboon – “…!? BUOOOOHHHHH!”

Zoro/Sanji/Nami – “WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?”

Usopp – “He destroyed our ship!”

Leo – “His idiocy is certainly astounding…”

Luffy – “AGHHHHH!”

Laboon smashed his head, and subsequently Luffy, on to the ground. Luffy then got up and started to ‘fight’ Laboon for a little, then announced that it was a ‘tie’.

Luffy – “Our fight has yet to be settled, so we must fight each other again! Your old friends may be dead, but I’m your new rival! And once my crew sails around the Grand Line, we’ll be sure to come back here to see you again. And then we’ll duke it out again!”

Everyone was touched by the display and Laboon was even crying…? But Leo wanted to point something out.

Leo – “This is nice and all, but did you have to destroy the ship? You do realise that we can’t sail around without our mast right…?”

Luffy – “…Uh oh…”

(Imma be honest, a lot of this was just straight from the manga because I wasn’t feeling well but still wanted to get something out.

Some of it might seem useless, but I want to give a clear story rather than saying ‘oh they were ‘here’ and now they’re ‘there” like some fanfics I have seen.)