L.O.J.S.H 234

Twin Capes 

"Gather up all of the crew...~" 

Crocus faintly smiled as he watched his skeletonized friend gently playing the violin in front of a softly swaying, cooing Laboon. He wiped the tear forming in his eye and sighed as he turned Laffite. 

"So, where is your captain? I'd hoped to thank him for fulfilling his promise so soon," Crocus said, smiling as he regarded the navigator. 

He'd never thought to see the day when Laboon would finally reunite with the Rumbar pirates, even though the only remaining member was a barely recognizable skeleton. 

To Crocus' and everyone's surprise, the giant whale had immediately recognized Brook with a single look at his afro. It took the combined efforts of everyone to stop him from sinking the Black Pearl and toppling the two lighthouses in his excitement. 

"Doing something dumb, I bet," Laffite replied in a troubled tone, shaking his head. He couldn't help but sigh, his cheerful smile cracking upon remembering how Johnny just up and left after saying a few words.

Crocus sent Laffite a curious look that asked him to elaborate.

"He heard something about an ambush waiting for us in Sabaody," Laffite replied, shaking his head in exasperation. "He instructed us to bring Brook back and took off to investigate on his own," he added, gesturing the side in dismay. 

Johnny had always been hotheaded and reckless, but not to this degree. It was the first time he acted in this manner, leaving Laffite and the other crewmates concerned and confused.

"It's good to be young," Crocus said with a light chuckle, earning a raised eyebrow from the navigator. "You should learn not to worry too much. You'll grow bald," he added, an amused smile tugging on his lips as he pointed at his own balding head, causing the navigator to smile. 

"I'm sure your captain has his own reasons," Crocus remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "And if he's in the Archipelago, there's even less need to worry. I happen to have a good drinking body-" he added, trying to dismiss Laffite's worries when Domino came, interrupting him.

"Hey! I heard you were a member of the pirate king's crew? Are you strong?" Domino exclaimed while pointing at Crocus. She sat down next to Laffite and scowled at the old doctor. 

"Don't you know it's rude to point at people's faces, little girl?" Crocus replied, sending Domino one of his infamous looks of smoldering intensity that sent shivers running down her spine. 

"Oh yeah? What you gon' do about it, old man?" Domino asked, narrowing her eyes. Her fingers twitched, and her blood circulation speed doubled, warming her body in preparation for a fight. 

"Nothing in particular. I was merely pointing it out," the old doctor blankly replied, leisurely picking an ear with his pinky and losing all intensity in his gaze, causing Domino to deflate immediately.

"Boring," Domino said, clicking her tongue. She scowled at Crocus one last time before standing up and leaving. 

"A charming young lady if I'd ever seen one," Crocus said with a chuckle as he watched Domino leaver. He turned to Laffite, giving an amused look and a raised eyebrow.

"She's just rough around the edges," Laffite replied, shrugging his shoulders. 

...

"This is the place..." I muttered under my breath as I floated in the air, staring at a deserted island. I gently floated down to the shore and made my way toward a distinctive large tree at the edge of the island's tree line. 

I carefully dug under the tree and retrieved the small chest tucked into the earth. I sighed as I opened the lid, and a purple-pinkish shined over my face. 

I quickly stored it in my inventory and sat on the ground, leaning on the tree and taking out my transponder snail. However, before I could dial a number, my observation haki flared, and I turned to glare at the shadows in the tree line, activating my conquerors haki. 

I shook my head and started dialing after hearing several whines of pain and frantic steps running in all directions as every creature lurking in the shadow began running for its life.

"Fukurou here- Chapapap," came Fukurou's voice from the transponder snail as the call connected, and the snail morphed to take the former agent's likeness. 

"You're still alive? Good," I said with a smile, nodding my head. I honestly had no idea if they'd survived or not, and it's good to know they'd managed even though I couldn't help them.

"We managed somehow. Do you need something- Chapapa?" Fukurou replied, his tone unusually calm as he spoke, causing me to raise an eyebrow, but I didn't have the time to worry about it. 

"I need a way to contact Big News Morga, the guy who owns The World Economy Newspaper," I explained, getting straight to the point. "Do you know where I can get started?" I continued after a second, leaving room for the former agent to think. 

"Do you perhaps not realize that every newspaper issue comes with a number you can use to contact the newspaper's owners -Chapapa?" Fukurou slowly asked after several seconds of silence, to which I paused. 

"Are you serious?" I asked, my eyes twitching as I felt the urge to kick something, and Fukurou's answer, that he was very sure, only deepened said impulse.

"Haah... anyway, I just need to do something before I can come and help you and Kumadori," I said, shaking my head to calm myself. "So hang in there until then," I calmly concluded. 

"There's no need- Chapapapa," Fukurou dismissively replied, making me raise an eyebrow in confusion. "We're doing fine- Chapapa," he added, his tone oddly confident. 

"Is that so? Take care then," I replied, shrugging my shoulder and hanging up the call, not bothering to think about it. If they were well, that's enough, and now I don't have to go over and help them myself, which is even better.

I took out today's newspaper from my inventory and opened it to take a look. I'd met a news coco while flying towards this deserted island and bought it from the courier bird. 

I had just paid for it and chucked it into my inventory without giving it a second look, which was a mistake, considering the front page I was currently looking at with twitching eyes. 

(NEW WARLORD OF THE SEA APPOINTED!)

I sighed as I read through the main article on the newspaper's front page, my eyes twitching as I looked at the picture of the bounty hunter who attacked us on the Twin capes just below the headline.

'Why am I not surprised...?'