One Piece Volume 12 : And the Legend Began Chapter 103 Whale - Page 72 - Chapter 103 - Whale - Page 73 - Sanji: It's a FLOWER!!! Zoro: A flower?! Sanji: No, wait!! A person. Usopp: Who's THAT guy...? Crew: That old gramps killed the giant squid in one shot!! Is he just fishing, or did he save us? Squid: (drag...)(drag) - Page 74 - Man: (flip) Sanji: SAY something, dammit!!! Usopp: I-if you want a fight, you'll GET a fight!! We've got cannons, you know!! Man: Don't even think about it... or someone's gonna die. Sanji: ...And who would that be? Man: Me. Sanji: YOU?!! - Page 75 - Zoro: Hey, take it easy. Old man, I got questions. Who are you, and where are we? Sanji: Thinks he's a funny man, does he? Man: Isn't it proper manners to introduce yourself before you starting asking questions? Zoro: Uh... Yeah, I guess. Sorry. Man: My name is Crocus. I maintain the Twin Capes lighthouses. I'm 71 years old, Gemini, blood type AB. Zoro: Can I kill him now?!! Sanji: Hey, chill out. Crocus: You want to know where this is? First you dare barge into my one-man resort, then you start ordering me around. What does this look like, the stomach of a MOUSE?! - Page 76 - Usopp: So... we really DID get swallowed by the whale. Nami: What's gonna happen to us...?!! I don't want to be digested! Crocus: The exit's over there. Crew: You can LEAVE?!! Why does the whale's stomach have an exit? Plus... Nami: Why is there a door floating in the sky?!! Usopp: No... look carefully. The sky... The clouds... It's all a painting!! The inside of the whale's stomach has been entirely painted over!! Crocus: I like to have a good time. Usopp: What the hell are you DOING here?!! Zoro: Forget about him. The exit's over there; let's just go. Crew: What the-?!! - Page 77 - Crocus: There he goes again... Nami: Look at that!! It's not an island, it's a ship!! An iron ship!! Usopp: Then if we stay too long in these gastric juices, our ship's gonna dissolve!! Hey!! What's happening?! Explain!!! Crocus: This whale... ...Has started banging its head into the Red Line!!! Sanji & Zoro: What?!! Nami: Oh, right... The whale had huge scars on its forehead!! ...And it was bellowing up at the sky...!!! Usopp: What's that supposed to mean? Nami: He's in pain... - Page 78 - Whale: (OHHHH!!!) Usopp: Aha! So THAT'S the geezer's plan!!! He's trying to kill this whale from the inside! Crocus: Well, then... Usopp: What a horrible way to kill something...!! Zoro: Mystery solved? Let's get outta here. Waste any more time, and it's US who'll get dissolved. Sanji: I don't have anything against whaling, and I don't feel any particular duty to rescue this one. Let's split, people. - Page 79 - Luffy: What the-?!! (gong)(gong)(gong) What's going on?!! Aaaaahhh!! Man: So far so good for our infiltration... Ready, Miss Wednesday? The stomach is on the other side of this door, and most likely the geezer as well. We must obliterate him!!! [Mystery Man] [Mr. 9] Mr. 9: This is all for the whale's sake!!! [Mystery Woman] [Miss Wednesday] Miss Wednesday: Yes, Mr. 9, this whale is our town's sweet little honey. - Page 80 - Luffy: Aaahh, I'm getting dizzy!! What? A dead end?!! OW! Oof!! ...What's this, now? The ocean? A river? Looks like a waterway. Whoa, I'm slipping!!! Crew: Hey... We can't get to the exit, with the stomach this violent! If we don't do something now, our lives AND Luffy's will be in danger. I don't think he's here in the stomach. I saw him get thrown to the side of the whale's mouth!! - Page 81 - Usopp: Hey!! The old guy jumped in!! Crew: What's he doing?! He's gonna dissolve!!! Usopp: He's heading for the exit. Let's get out of here too, before the whale gets any more out of control. Sanji: Whoa!!! Zoro: We have to row our way out!! Hurry!!! - Page 82 - Mr. 9: Okay, Miss Wednesday? We'll open the door at "3-2-1-Baby." Careful, now!! Miss Wednesday: Roger, Mr. 9. Whenever you're ready. Luffy: Aaaahhh!!! I can't stop, I can't stop! Someone STOP ME!!! Miss Wednesday: What is that, Mr. 9...?! Mr. 9: I don't know, Miss Wednesday...!! Luffy: Aaaaahhhh!! Mr. 9 & Miss Wednesday: Aaaaahhhh!! - Page 83 - Mr. 9: Oh no, Miss Wednesday! It's a sea of gastric juices beneath us!! Miss Wednesday: Nooooooo!!! Zoro: Uh... Luffy...?! Luffy: What's up, guys? Everyone okay?! By the way, save me!! - Page 84 - Crew: Aside from Luffy, I saw another pair of weirdos...!! Mr. 9 & Miss Wednesday: Gasp! Gasp! Luffy: (blub blub) Usopp: Hey!! The old man's getting away!! Zoro: Forget about him. We gotta pull Luffy up first. Crocus: (splash) Whale: (OHHHHH) Crocus: {Stop, Laboon.} - Page 85 - Crocus: {Stop hurting yourself.} There's only a little sedative left. I'll have to make more later... Laboon: (OHHHH...!!) Crocus: That wall separates the oceans. You'll never break through, no matter how long you hit it, Laboon!!! Laboon: (Ohhhh...)(blub blub) - Page 86 - Nami: The whale calmed down... Crew: Well? Who are you guys...?! Miss Wednesday: {M-Mr. 9, they're pirates!} Mr. 9: {I-I know, Miss Wednesday! I think they'll be understanding, though.} Crocus: For as long as I still draw breath, you will never lay a finger on Laboon!!! Luffy: Who's that guy? Usopp: He came back... - Page 87 - Miss Wednesday & Mr. 9: Heheheh... Ohh...? But once we're INSIDE the whale, It's only too easy to blast a hole in its stomach!!! You can't stop our whaling business!!! Crocus: Damn rogues...!!! Usopp: He jumped right into the path of those cannonballs!!! - Page 88 - Nami: Was he trying... to PROTECT the whale...?! Miss Wednesday: Ohohohohoho!! Cease your futile resistance!! Mr. 9: I'd like to see you protect him now!! This whale's gonna feed our village!!! Usopp: W-why did he do that?!! Nami: What's going on?!! Crocus: Damn...!!! Luffy: I did that because I felt like it!! - Page 89 - Crocus: This is called an island whale. It can only be found in West Blue. It's the largest species of whale in the world. This one's name is "Laboon." And these two are rogues from a nearby town... They want Laboon's meat. If they catch him, he'll make enough meat to feed their village for two or three years. But I'm not going to let that happen!! There is a reason why he keeps banging his head against the Red Line, and why he faces Reverse Mountain and bellows. One day, I was maintaining the lighthouses as I usually do, when a ship of jolly pirates came sailing down Reverse Mountain. Following their ship was a baby whale. That whale was Laboon. - Page 90 - Crocus: Apparently, Laboon had traveled with them in West Blue, but due to the danger of their next voyage, they tried to leave him behind. Island whales normally swim together in pods, but to Laboon, these pirates WERE his pod. They were moored at the capes for several months as they fixed their ship, so I got to know them rather well. And on the day they left, the captain turned to me and asked, "Could you watch over him for two or three years, until we come back?" "Once we've sailed around the world, we'll be back to get him." Laboon understood what they wanted, and has stayed here with me since. Laboon: (ohhhh...) - Page 91 - Nami: That's why he continues roaring... and rams his head into the wall? Crocus: Correct... And that was nearly 50 years ago... He still believes his friends will come back alive... Laboon: (BUOOOOOOO) - Page 92 - SBS Corner D: Here's a question. When do fanletters reach you, Oda-sensei? Every week? For instance, if I mailed one on November 1st, when does it fall into your hands? Please let me know. O: First of all, the letters everyone sends me are delivered to the Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department. There, people working part-time separate the letters according to author, and my manager sends me my letters once a week. So if you're lucky, it might even be the day it arrives at the editorial department. It's almost always within a week or two, though. D: You said in Volume 7 that when you're drawing characters' facial expressions, you make the same face. Do you do the same thing when you draw one of Nami's sexy faces? Do you make an "ooh-la-la" face? O: Of course. I'm famous with the local public for my sexy faces. They think I might be hotter than a magazine model queen. D: Yo! So, this is the first time we've talked, Ei-chan.(Ehehe!) I'm so EMBARRASED! Anyway, I have a question. Buggy the Clown can split himself in pieces, right? Which means he can also do it DOWN THERE, if you catch my drift... I can't get any more specific! Don't make me say it! Don't draw anything until you answer this question!! O: His penis can fly too. - Chapter 103 End -