Though Laboon has a sad backstory in One Piece, Crocus was there for much of the whale’s life. However, there were three years when he wasn’t.
The world of One Piece is home to various races and creatures. It brings many animals from real life into its narrative but also features original creations that befit the island they’re inhabiting. These wild animals even serve as a tool to help scale the dangers of the islands and the seas. But no matter the number of unique beasts in One Piece, perhaps the most popular one will always be the giant whale Laboon — especially given its backstory.
Having a sad origin story is a common occurrence in One Piece, and Laboon is no exception. The poor whale got separated from its pod but eventually found companions in the Rumbar Pirates, following them up the Reverse Mountain and into the Grand Line. But due to the whale’s size, the Rumbar Pirates had to leave it behind with Crocus. Laboon waited for them for decades, reluctant to believe they had already died. Fortunately, it always had Crocus by its side — at least, that’s what most fans thought.
One Piece’s Crocus Was Part of Gol D. Roger’s Crew
Crocus is one of the best doctors in One Piece, with his name even known by many pirates. One of the crews intrigued by his fame were the legendary Roger Pirates, who invited him to accompany their last voyage as their resident ship doctor. Crocus did eventually agree to join their journey not just to be part of history, but also to get hold of the Rumbar Pirates. After all, it was already way past their promised reunion date with Laboon.
The Roger Pirates’ final voyage, which ended after they reached Laugh Tale, took three years to accomplish. After that, Roger surrendered himself to the Marines and disbanded the Roger Pirates. The remaining members went their separate ways, with some going ahead and creating their own pirate crews. Crocus, however, returned to the lighthouse in Twin Cape and would then take care of Laboon for the upcoming years.
Laboon Was Alone for the Three Years Without Crocus
For the very same reason the Rumbar Pirates left Laboon in Crocus’ care, Crocus couldn’t take the whale along with the Roger Pirates. This is especially true as Laboon would have grown bigger at the time, making it more difficult for the whale to keep up with their ship. Crocus had also been living on his own with no apprentices or subordinates, so Laboon sadly must’ve been all alone for those three years. Fortunately, Reverse Mountain isn’t so accessible to pirates, so there wasn’t much danger to Laboon. Crocus may have also instructed the whale to hide in the depths to avoid any unnecessary danger.
Unlike the Rumbar Pirates, however, Crocus did eventually return; the Straw Hats meeting him at Twin Cape was One Piece‘s proof of that. While this certainly brought joy to Laboon, the news Crocus delivered wasn’t necessarily pleasant. After all, he hasn’t found any trace of the Rumbar Pirates. He can only assume the pirate crew either vanished or met their demise. That may be also when the colossal whale started banging its head on the mountain in grief and denial.
