>it’s been stated that Roger was just starting out around the time Brook and them were making a name for themselves

The Rumbar Pirates met Crocus some 50 odd years before the start of the story. It'd stand to reason Crocus would have been a relatively young man then.

>and Crocus joins Roger’s crew well after Roger has become Pirate King

He doesn't, though. Think of Crocus as Luffy's Chopper; he tagged along with Roger almost from the start of his journey in order to stabilize his "illness" all the way until he became Pirate King. Again, he'd have been a pretty young man (comparable in age to Franky) while traveling the world. And it should also be noted that Roger wasn't the Pirate King for very long before disbanding his crew and sending Crocus packing back home.

>>31368

I was under the assumption that Roger's disease was something that came up later, not something he's had for a long while. The way they mention it when they go on about Roger's decision to turn himself in makes it seem like it sprung up out of nowhere and was the seal on his decision to go out with a bang.

>>31369
The whole reason for Roger's last voyage was because he knew his disease was terminal and he wanted to make his last years count. His death was just him deciding how he was going to die instead of letting the disease decide for him.

Crocus has been stated to be in his early-to-mid seventies. He's been taking care of Laboon since his twenties. He took a three-year break from that to go along with the Roger Pirates to stabilize Roger's disease when he was in his fifties.

>>31388
Must have been a long 3 years for Laboon.