Episode 63: A Man's Promise, Luffy and the Whale Vow to Meet Again
Air Date: 2001-03-21
Opening: Believe (2nd Opening)
Ending: Run! Run! Run! (2nd Ending)
Manga Chapters: Chapter 103 (19-20/20), Chapter 104 (1-19/19), Chapter 105 (1-19/19)
Short Summary
Crocus explains that Laboon was friends with a band of pirates that went on an adventure to the Grand Line, promising to meet Laboon again after three years, but fifty years later they still did not return. Crocus leads the Straw Hats out of the whale, and Luffy engages in a fight with Laboon. He declares himself as Laboon's rival and pledges to meet him again after his adventure on the Grand Line. Nami finds her compass does not work so she gets a Log Pose, and Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday are brought along by the Straw Hats to Whiskey Peak as the Straw Hats bid farewell to Crocus and Laboon.
In-Depth Summary
The episode begins with Crocus explaining Laboon's story to the Straw Hats. A brief flashback shows a pirate ship with a young Laboon swimming alongside it, Crocus taking care of the nearby lighthouse. He sees the ship and Laboon and is surprised to see an Island Whale. Crocus is surprised to see that the pirates are like friends to the whale. When they leave, the pirates ask Crocus to watch Laboon for three years, until they return. After an emotional speech by the captain, the pirates set sail and Crocus watches over Laboon. The flashback ends and Crocus says that the pirates never did return, fifty years later. The Straw Hats are surprised to hear this. Later, the Going Merry along with Crocus' island sails up a large pipe inside Laboon. Crocus explains that he once ran a clinic, so Luffy asks to be their crew's doctor, but Crocus refuses. Crocus then explains that one can't treat an Island Whale from the outside when they get this big, and he cranks open the gate so that the Going Merry can exit the side of Laboon.
On the deck, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday awaken. The Straw Hats wonder about Laboon's waiting for fifty years, making Usopp angry at them being heartless. Crocus explains that the truth is cruel, since the pirates planned on leaving Laboon behind by heading into the Grand Line. Crocus explains that the Grand Line lacks logic as to wind, weather, and currents. Nami asks why Crocus hasn't told Laboon the truth about the pirates' leaving, but Crocus replies that he did tell the truth, but Laboon didn't believe him. A brief flashback shows how Crocus struggled to get Laboon to believe him, but Laboon would only bellow and refuse to hear it. Crocus explains that it was the first time that Laboon battered himself against the Red Line, and that is why there are so many scars on his head. He explains that Laboon is afraid of losing his reason to wait. Crocus explains that he won't allow Laboon to kill himself. Suddenly, Luffy breaks off the mast of the Going Merry and runs up the whale. He uses Gomu Gomu no Ikebana (the art of flower arranging) and drives the mast into Laboon's head. Laboon starts to wail in pain as the Straw Hats yell at what Luffy for what he did.
Laboon suddenly leaps into the air, driving himself into the rocks to get Luffy off of him. Laboon proceeds to attack Luffy repeatedly, but Luffy fights back. Luffy and Laboon trade blows and are at a standoff when Luffy says that he's pretty strong. He declares himself as Laboon's new rival, and that they will finish their fight after Luffy returns from his adventure on the Grand Line. This causes Laboon to cry, touched. Luffy paints a big Straw Hat symbol on Laboon's head as a sign of his promise. Nami then wonders what happened to Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, and they are floating in the water nearby. The duo decides to have a fresh start, since they can't return empty handed. Mr. 9 notices that his Log Pose is missing, and on the Going Merry, Luffy picks it up. Mr. 9 freaks out, and he spots Mr. 13 and Miss Friday, the Unluckies, coming toward them. The Unluckies drop a bomb on Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday.
At the lighthouse, Nami sits down and decides to plot a course for the Grand Line. Usopp fixes up the mast while Sanji starts to cook and Zoro starts to sleep. As Sanji offers Nami food, Nami says that her compass is broken since it just keeps spinning around. Crocus calls them stupid, and that the compass is not broken but rather that the islands of the Grand Line each have their own magnetic fields. He says that navigating the Grand Line will be impossible if they don't have a Log Pose. Luffy holds up the Log Pose he found, saying that Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday dropped it on their ship. Crocus explains that the Log Pose readjusts at each island of the Grand Line, and that they must follow one of the seven routes all the way to Raftel, the legendary island that only Gold Roger could reach alive. Sanji gets mad at Luffy for eating all the food, and as he kicks Luffy away, the Log Pose on Nami's wrist is accidentally smashed, so Nami kicks away Luffy and Sanji. Crocus says that he has another one they can use as thanks for helping him with Laboon. Luffy and Sanji find themselves lying on the ground near Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday, and bring them up to the others. The duo explains that they are from Whiskey Peak, and while they cannot say why they tried to kill Laboon, they beg for help. The duo sees that the Log Pose is broken, so they get angry, but Nami explains that they'll get another one from Crocus. Luffy then says that they should go to Whiskey Peak. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday ask who Luffy is, and Luffy replies that he will become Pirate King. At sunset, the Log Pose is set, and so the Straw Hats with two new people onboard are ready to go to Whiskey Peak. They say goodbye to Crocus and Laboon as they set sail, and Crocus remarks that they might be the pirates they were waiting for as the episode ends.
Mumbo230’s Notes
to be added later
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