Crocus

Crocus (クロッカス, Kurokkasu) is Laboon's caretaker and the overseer of the Lighthouse that guides ships coming down from Reverse Mountain into the Grand Line. Though he was a lighthouse keeper for most of his life, he spent three years as a doctor serving as a part of Gol D. Roger's crew.

Appearance
Crocus has a flower theme appearance based off the flower with same name, as seen with the petals around his head.

Abilities and Powers
As a doctor, Crocus possesses expert medical knowledge. This ability allowed him to help keep Gold Roger's health stable as he traveled with him across the Grand Line, and to have made it possible to install "routes" inside Laboon's body.

Crocus is also a capable of fighter. He tends to use harpoons as his choice of weapons. His strength alone is capable of defeating large sea creatures.

Meeting the Rumbar Pirates
Fifty years before the current storyline, Crocus met the Rumbar Pirates as they entered the Grand Line through Reverse Mountain from the West Blue. As he welcomed them, he noticed that a whale, Laboon, had followed them into the Grand Line. Seeing also that their ship was banged up from their journey into the Grand Line, Crocus agreed to allow them to stay in the Twin Lighthouse cape while repairs were made to their ship. As their ship was being repaired, Crocus got to know the pirates personally, practically their captain, Yorki, and a musician named Brook.

After three months of repairs and partying while they were being done, the Rumbar Pirates' ship was ready to set to sail again. Before parting ways, Crocus promised the pirates to take care of Laboon while they journeyed the Grand Line. Since the whale was too young then, they feared that Laboon wouldn't be able to face the dangers of the Grand Line and so entrusted Laboon to Crocus. Crocus agreed to watch over Laboon until the pirates came back from sailing around the world and coming back down the Reverse Mountain again. However despite the Rumbar Pirates promising to come back after two to three years later, Crocus didn't met them again at the promised time and waited much longer.

Voyage with Gold Roger
Twenty six years before the current storyline, Crocus met another group of pirates that came into the Grand Line through Reverse Mountain. These were the Jolly Roger Pirates and they hailed from the East Blue. Learning that their captain, Gol D. Roger, was suffering from an incurable disease, Crocus was asked by the pirates to join them as their doctor in order to help stabilize Roger's health as they journeyed the Grand Line. Wanting to find out about what happened to the Rumbar Pirates, Crocus accepted their offer and joined them.

For the next three years, Crocus journeyed as a member of the Gold Roger Pirates from the heights of Skypiea to the depths of Fishman Island. All the while, Crocus searched for an answer to what happened to the Rumbar Pirates as he kept Roger's health in check. As he searched, he found out from a report that stated that some of the Rumbar Pirates had tried to escape the Grand Line through the Calm Belt. Believing that the report meant the entire crew, Crocus believed that the Rumbar Pirates had fled the Grand Line in cowardice and broken their promise to return to Laboon.

After sailing around the world with Roger, Crocus left the crew as it was disbanded. Upon returning to the cape twenty three years before the current storyline, Crocus returned to his home in the entrance to the Grand Line and told Laboon what he learned in his travels. However, despite Crocus telling Laboon of what he believe happened to the Rumbar Pirates, the whale wouldn't believe him and started bashing against the Reverse Mountain in an attempt to rejoin his pirate comrades. Crocus, unable to stop Laboon from such a futile attempt, decided to heal the scars Laboon was creating in any way can as a doctor. Over the years as Crocus attempted to convince Laboon to stop, Crocus built an elaborate system of tunnels inside Laboon as the whale had grown too big for conventional medicines to work from the outside.

Seeing hope from another Man of D
Some twenty-three years later, Crocus met the Straw Hat Pirates after Laboon swallowed them, while Luffy came in through the main entrance on top. After amusingly defeating Miss Wednesday (later revealed to be Nefertari Vivi undercover) and Mr. 9 who came to kill the Laboon for whale meat, Crocus showed the way out to them, and explained Laboon's history. Saddened by this and intrigued at the same time, Luffy eased his loss the only way he knew how: by picking a fight with Laboon. Luffy declared it as a draw, and said while he may have lost his former nakama, but he has a rival in Luffy, and will return to finish their fight after they reach end of the Grand Line. As Laboon cried tears of joy, Crocus was glad for him, and mentioned Luffy's similarities with Gol D. Roger.

Current events (spoilers)
In Chapter 490, When Brook, the last survivor of the Rumbar Pirates announced he's joining the Straw Hats, Laboon gave out a triumphant wail as if to say he knows Brook is returning to him, Crocus noted Laboon is feeling much happier.

Translation and Dub Issues
Crocus was removed from the 4Kids Entertainment English dub version of the anime, along with the entire Laboon arc. To fill up the plot hole created by the 4kids dub about who explains to the Straw Hats how Log Poses and the Grand Line work since Crocus was taken out, the dub instead had Sanji do the explanations.

While 4kids filled in the plot hole created at the time, they however unfortunately created another plot hole by involving the removal of Crocus. Though it was not revealed at the time, by removing Crocus, 4kids removed an important piece in the story, which was Crocus being an important part of Gold Roger's crew.

Trivia

 * Crocus is 71 years old, a Gemini, and his blood type is AB.
 * He has a running gag where he glares fixedly, apparently activating a series of dramatic jump-cuts, for no real reason.