The Uproar on Ghost Island!
The Florian Triangle - The Ruins of the Rumbar Pirates
Thick fog rolled in, and the eerie sea resembled a gaping maw, swallowing any ships that dared to approach.
The decaying hull swayed with the waves, making a creaking sound, and the deck was already covered with moss and cracks.
Brook stood at the bow of the ship, his empty eye sockets scanning the strange group that called themselves the "Effort Pirates".
The tiny captain, wearing round-framed Glasses and standing about 1.6 meters tall, was pale-faced but trying his best to appear imposing.
A man wearing a red floral shirt and sporting a blue pompadour was smoking and grinning foolishly.
A burly man wearing a worn-out iron mask; a thin man with a yellow afro wearing a black suit;
The green-haired youth, with three swords tucked into his waistband but holding them with the hilts facing the wrong way, didn't resemble a swordsman at all.
Finally, there was one... a fox wearing a hat?
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke, his tone tinged with apology:
"Ano~ Because my shadow was stolen by the Shichibukai Gecko Moria, I can't walk in the sunlight..."
So I'm sorry, I can't get on your ship...
--Although in truth, my shadow had already returned long ago...
Brook silently added a sentence in his mind.
But faced with this group of guys who seemed "unreliable" no matter how you looked at them, he really couldn't bring himself to "get on board."
However, the little captain suddenly slammed his hand on the gunwale, his small eyes behind his round-framed Glasses glistening with tears and anger:
"What?! The Shichibukai actually did such a despicable and shameless thing?!"
He whirled around, raised his arms, and shouted, "Comrades! What is the motto of our 'Effort Pirates'?!"
"200 times the effort!!"
"Defeat all evil!!"
"Let the captain become the Pirate King!!"
The crew roared in unison, their voices causing the mist to churn.
The man in the red shirt with the pompadour exhaled a puff of smoke and grinned maliciously, "Especially... those guys who bully the weak!"
The masked giant waved his arms. "For Mr. Brook's freedom!!"
"Click!"
The green-haired man drew the wrong sword, embarrassed but still trying to hold on. "... Slay everything with this sword!"
Brook:...
(Hehehe... Did they misunderstand something...?)
He was about to explain, "Actually, my shadow has already—"
However, Captain Little Bean had already raised his hand high, pointing directly at Ghost Island in the distance, brimming with heroic spirit:
"Let's go!! Target—Gecko Moria!!"
"We must bring sunshine back to this Florian Triangle!!"
"Oh--!"
The crew shouted in unison, immediately turned the ship around, and clattered towards Ghost Island.
Brook stretched out his skeletal hand, about to shout "Wait a minute..."
But the dilapidated little boat had already disappeared into the fog, leaving only the echoing slogan, "200 times the effort, invincible!"
On the lonely deck, only Brook remained, the sea breeze blowing against his empty ribs.
He remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed, "Actually... my shadow returned a long time ago..."
The skeleton's lips twitched slightly. "But I have a feeling these people are definitely not the ones I'm waiting for..."
"YOHOHOHO~~"
On the wrecked ship, Brook gently stroked the Tone Dial in his arms, and a melodious tune slowly began to play.
"Although they are not the people I'm waiting for..."
"But this passion... reminds me of my former comrades..."
He raised his head and looked at the distant horizon, as if waiting for something.
The fog churned, Brook's helpless yet eerie laughter echoed through the Florian Triangle, becoming increasingly absurd.
Meanwhile, in the Florian Triangle - Ghost Island
The freezer room was chilly and damp.
The enormous body of Oars lay silently in the ice coffin, its muscles bulging and crisscrossed with stitches, like a sleeping behemoth.
Moria spread his arms wide, his sinister laughter echoing through the cryo-chamber. "Kishishishi! If only we could find a suitable shadow for this body..."
I'm one step closer to becoming the Pirate King!
Hogback excitedly pushed up his Glasses, his voice trembling. "Lord Moria! Oars's body has been perfectly restored! Once infused with a powerful shadow, he will be your most terrifying weapon!"
Perona, holding a parasol, floated in mid-air, sneering, "Hehe~ Looks terrifying."
Absalom stood with his arms crossed, his mane trembling slightly. "With Oars, the entire New World will tremble beneath your feet!"
Just as everyone was immersed in their invincible fantasy--
"Bang!!"
The door was suddenly kicked open!
Zombie Gro, Nien, and Bao stumbled in, so panicked they were about to snap their stitches!
"Captain! Something terrible has happened!!" Gro's voice was hoarse, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Nien suddenly knelt down. "A group of Pirates has landed on the island!!"
Bao's one eye darted around wildly as he spoke rapidly, "They just kept hacking at zombies they saw along the way! And they were yelling things like 'Keep trying! Keep fighting!' They were a bunch of lunatics!!"
The freezer compartment suddenly became quiet.
"... Pirates?"
Moria's massive body leaned forward, a hint of doubt appearing on his face before turning into a ferocious grin.
Perona covered her mouth and giggled, "What a rare guest! Pirates actually dare to deliver themselves to our doorstep?"
Hogback licked his lips, a mad glint in his eyes. "Lord Moria! It just so happens that you previously ordered that civilians not be harmed, and our shadow reserves are severely depleted..."
These stupid Pirates are practically divine experimental subjects!
Moria grinned widely, his shadow sweeping across the room like a tidal wave, his laughter sharp and piercing.
"Kishishishi!! Good! Go and capture them—see which shadow suits Oars!!"
Perona's voice drifted softly, her laughter chilling. "Hehe~ I hope it's not too weak, otherwise Oars won't be satisfied..."
Absalom's eyes narrowed, his fingers brushing against the weapon at his waist, his lion's mane bristling. "Let me go and deal with these fools first."
The freezer door slammed shut again, casting swirling shadows that seemed to foreshadow an impending farce.
Sabaody Archipelago
Waves lapped against the shores of the resin islands, and the Sabaody Archipelago glowed with a mesmerizing light under the night sky.
A Warship slowly entered the Harbor, Smoke billowing from its deck.
Smoker, Cigar dangling from his lips, arms crossed, gazed coldly.
"We've finally arrived."
Ace, Luffy, Nami, and Nojiko walked down the deck side by side, gazing at the familiar Tree Island scene before them.
Nami's gaze was complicated. "The Sabaody Archipelago..."
Ace narrowed his eyes, recalling the fierce battle of that year, and said in a low voice, "This is where the Whitebeard Remnants were annihilated."
Luffy blinked his eyes. "And that Kuma..."
He recalled the extreme oppression that Kuma had once given him, and couldn't help but clench his fists.
Nojiko sighed softly, "This place... once witnessed the end of an entire era."
Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke and said in a deep voice, "Stop spacing out! If headquarters' intelligence is correct, a large number of 'Supernovas' Pirates are gathering here."
His eyes were sharp, and the glow of his Cigar Flash in the night.
"Our mission this time is to wipe out these guys before they enter the New World!"