Grand Line, Reverse Mountain.
Beneath the lighthouse, a lounge chair was placed, upon which lay an elderly man with a chrysanthemum-like hairstyle, leisurely fishing.
A small vessel moved at extreme speed, cutting across the sparkling sea surface as it rapidly approached the lighthouse at the foot of Reverse Mountain.
"Hmm? Who's there? Could it be pirates coming with designs on Laboon again?"
The old man was named Crocus, formerly the ship doctor of the Roger Pirates.
For many years, he had lived a reclusive life beneath this lighthouse, detached from worldly conflicts.
Accompanying him was a whale named Laboon.
Crocus deftly set down his fishing rod, snatched up a heavy crossbow from the ground beside his lounge chair, and aimed it at the approaching vessel.
"Hey! old-timer! Long time no see!"
Before the boat could get close, an excited shout rang out.
Crocus froze, unable to recognize whose voice it was.
"Who are you people? What's your purpose in coming here? If you're here to hunt whales, this old man won't go easy on you!"
Crocus raised the crossbow in his hands, his attitude firm and unyielding.
"It's me! Come on, old-timer, have you forgotten already? I'm Luffy! Laboon is my friend—we even made a promise to each other. Why would I ever hunt him?"
The boat quickly pulled up and docked beneath the cliff.
Soon, two figures—one male, one female—appeared on the modest deck.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The newcomers moved with agile grace, leaping directly onto the cliff over ten meters high. In the blink of an eye, they stood before Crocus.
The man wore a straw hat, with a scar shaped like the character "艹" under his eye.
He sported a red open-fronted mandarin jacket, revealing a bowl-sized X-shaped scar on his chest, his face lit up with a bright smile.
The woman wore a leather cap, a black leather jacket on top, light blue jeans below, and a pair of long double-breasted leather boots.
Her full chest strained against the jacket's collar, revealing a deep, snow-white cleavage.
Her long, slender legs filled out the jeans snugly, and the hem of her leather jacket couldn't conceal her perky, ample rear.
The newcomers were none other than Luffy and Robin.
Originally, Luffy had set out first from Santiago Island, heading toward the East Blue.
The Revolutionary Army's speedboat was astonishingly fast, traveling unimpeded along the way, and soon arrived at Sabaody Archipelago.
Luffy took the opportunity to visit Shakky at the Rip-off Bar.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to see Rayleigh.
According to Shakky, Rayleigh had boarded the Oro Jackson and traveled across the seas to search for former members of the Roger Pirates, with no telling when he might return.
After spending just half a day on Sabaody, Luffy was surprised to find Robin waiting for him.
The moment Robin saw him, tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a tight embrace, weeping for a long time.
This left Luffy somewhat at a loss.
He tried asking Robin if something had happened.
But he received no answer from her.
Robin only told him that Caesar was unbeatable and hoped Luffy would give up his feud with Caesar.
As for herself, she was willing to set aside her identity as a historian and accompany Luffy on adventures wherever he went.
If Luffy insists on opposing Caesar, then among the reunited crew in the future, Shirahoshi of Fish-Man Island must be recruited to the crew.
"So it's the Straw Hat Kid! What an esteemed guest, hahahaha! Last time we parted, you were still a passionate and naive young boy. Now you seem much more mature, with a real manly aura!"
Crocus dropped the crossbow in his hand and let out a hearty laugh.
Luffy grinned, showing his neat white teeth: "Uncle, you're plenty manly yourself, protecting Laboon all these years!"
Crocus became even happier and quickly pulled Luffy and Robin into the nearby lighthouse.
Inside the lighthouse was a small circular room containing only a single bed and a table.
Some pots, pans, and bowls were placed on the table, while several dried salted fish hung on the wall, swaying back and forth in the wind.
Crocus pulled out two small folding stools from under the bed and chuckled.
"I don't usually have visitors here. These stools were actually given to me by Rayleigh. By the way, did you come from Sabaody? Did you see Rayleigh?"
Luffy and Robin quickly took the stools without hesitation and sat down next to the bed.
Luffy shook his head, somewhat disappointed: "Shakky said he went somewhere else and doesn't know when he'll be back."
"Is that so? Actually, I just parted ways with him two days ago. He brought me back from Sabaody. I'm getting old and not suited to continue fulfilling Roger's last wish anymore, so I had to return to this Twin Cape."
As he spoke, Crocus began fiddling with the pots and pans on the table, preparing to cook a meal for Luffy and Robin.
Seeing this, Robin quickly stood up, smiling as she took the kitchen knife from his hand.
"Crocus-san, let me handle this. You sit down and rest, chat with Luffy for a while."
Crocus was momentarily surprised, then nodded with a smile: "I know you - you're Nico Robin, right? You're quite a fine woman with wide hips, perfect for bearing sons. The Straw Hat Kid is really lucky with women."
Robin was taken aback, her beautiful eyes widening slightly.
She hadn't expected the seemingly kind old man Crocus to suddenly say something like that.
Having been wanted with a 79 million berry bounty since she was eight years old, Robin had experienced all kinds of storms throughout her journey and had long trained her composure to remain calm in any situation.
But now, a faint blush of embarrassment appeared on her cheeks.
"I'm a doctor, and I never lie. Matters between men and women, continuing the family line - there's nothing to be shy about. Straw Hat Kid, listen carefully - only by experiencing that can you truly grow into a man. Look at you now, much more steady than before. Back then, you were just a reckless kid."
Crocus chuckled as he sat down beside Luffy, his words making even Luffy feel embarrassed.
Especially with Robin still present.
Half an hour later, using the fish Crocus had caught and some cured meat from the wall, Robin prepared several dishes and cooked rice on the stove.
"Ah, look at this! This Robin girl is really capable! Not only is she beautiful, but she's also a great cook and a historian to boot. Straw Hat Kid, you've really hit the jackpot."
Crocus helped Robin carry the food to the lighthouse entrance.
He then pulled out a jar of wine from under the bed and cheerfully poured a bowl each for Luffy and Robin.
"Here, try my aged liquor collection. Even when Rayleigh visited last time, I didn't share this with him. This is fine brew from the West Sea."
Luffy smiled wryly: "Old man, I don't drink alcohol. Do you have any juice?"
Crocus glared: "Juice? Don't be ridiculous! Is that something a real man drinks? I only have liquor here - no 'nice juice' for you."