Rocks D. Xebec?

Ah~

"I slept so well."

With his hands in his pockets, Xi Yan strolled leisurely out of the cabin, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Yohohoho!"

Good morning, Mr. Xi Yan!

When the skull saw him, it grinned and showed its teeth.

Under the shadows, the scene was actually quite...

Xi Yan:...

"Ah, good morning, Brook." Xi Yan glanced around, then looked at Brook and said, "You didn't sleep all night, did you?"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho, I've become a skeleton, so I don't need normal rest to recover my bodily functions anymore," Brook laughed.

Even without rest for a long time, he can still remain active, which is the power granted to him by the Revive-Revive Fruit).

Sometimes it's just out of habit that I sit down to rest.

"Is that so? Then Zoro should have it much easier from now on."

"What's the meaning?"

"That guy Zoro usually lives up there," Xi Yan said, pointing to the Crow's Nest high up. "He's basically the one on night watch."

"Now that you're helping, he can sleep a little longer."

As he spoke, Xi Yan sighed with emotion.

It has to be said that Zoro is really hardworking. Even though he only gets a few hours of sleep each day, he still maintains a high level of training.

That's probably why he's become so strong.

"Yoohoo! I'll do my best!" Brook laughed.

Ah~

"By the way, the weather is so nice today, I'll play one of my signature pieces."

"Your specialty... piece?"

Xi Yan glanced at the barely brightening sky, his lips twitching as he asked, "Now?"

"Are you sure?"

However, before he could even turn around, Brook's music had already started playing.

"Yohohoho~"

"Yo-ho yo-ho~"

"Yohohoho~"

"Yo-ho yo-ho~"

Xi Yan:???

Brook, you're likely to get beaten up if you do that.

"It's so noisy!"

Zoro opened the window and yelled, "What are you doing?!"

"That's right, can't we sleep a little longer this early in the morning?!"

"Damn Brook!"

Hearing his friends' voices, Brook didn't get angry at all; instead, he laughed even harder, as if... being scolded by his friends would make him happy.

"You rascal..."

Seeing Brook laughing so hard, Xi Yan felt somewhat helpless.

However, he could understand Brook. He had been alone for decades, and it was understandable that he was so excited to suddenly have a companion.

"Hey ho ho ho, Mr. Xi Yan, what do you think of my playing?"

"Hmm, very good, but..."

Xi Yan looked at Brook, who still hadn't stopped moving, and gave him a hesitant expression.

The next moment, the cabin Great Gate was opened, and two shoes flew out, hitting the two men hard on the head.

Brook:!!!

Xi Yan:...

"Damn it, let us sleep a little longer!" Nami roared, opening her shark-like mouth.

"Yo-ho-ho, I got it... Miss Nami is really rough..."

"None of your business!"

"Nami..." Xi Yan took off his shoes and looked at Nami speechlessly, saying, "Why do I have to get beaten up too?"

It's one thing to beat up Brook, but I'm just standing here, why should I get beaten up too?

"Hmph, who told you not to stop him?"

Nami snorted, then slammed the cabin door shut and turned back to her room, leaving Xi Yan bewildered in the wind.

"This... this works?"

Nami is really acting like a little tyrant.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Xi Yan, I..."

"Um?"

Xi Yan glanced at Brook with surprise, then waved his hand and said, "Ah... don't worry about it. Everyone messes things up sometimes. Just be more careful next time."

For some reason, he sensed that Brook seemed a little nervous. Was it because he hadn't spent much time with people in a while and was feeling unaccustomed to it?

"Squeak~"

The cabin door opened again, Sanji walked out with a helpless expression, saying, "They're all so energetic this early in the morning."

"Perhaps it's because I'm old?"

"How can you tell he's an old man?!" Sanji retorted.

He calls himself an old man? He's clearly just a skeleton.

Sanji, looking speechless, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, "Alright, I'm going to make breakfast now. What do you two want to eat?"

"Something lighter, please."

"And you?"

"I'm fine with anything," Brook laughed. "Of course, milk would be even better."

"Okay, I got it. Just wait."

Sanji waved his hand, walked down the stairs, and entered the restaurant to begin his work.

"Hooray! It feels so good to have food to eat every day..."

"Did you never eat before?"

"We simply don't have that kind of opportunity," Brook said helplessly. "I've been adrift at sea for decades."

A pirate ship that has lost its sails and rudder has no chance of leaving the Thriller Bark.

This meant he couldn't actively replenish his supplies and could only occasionally find some wrecked ships and get something from them.

This was also his main source of supplies.

"Then... you won't be hungry?"

"Of course I'll be hungry, but because of the Revive-Revive Fruit), I won't starve to death."

"That Devil Fruit is pretty powerful," Xi Yan remarked.

Not only will he not starve to death, Brook can also eat and shed tears... Even though he's just a skeleton, he still has so many functions.

It must be said that the power of Devil Fruit is truly amazing.

'By the way... this guy's power comes from the Devil Fruit attached to his soul, right?'

If he encounters someone with abilities that target the soul, this guy might be at a disadvantage.

Hmm... no, that's not quite right either. Revive-Revive Fruit no Mi (Revive-Revive Fruit) is even more powerful, after all... this Devil Fruit has the word "Yomi" (Revive-Revive) in its name!

This might be even more advanced than things like the Spirit-Spirit Fruit, Soul-Soul Fruit, or Hollow-Hollow Fruit.

Thinking of this, Xi Yan asked, "Brook, when you were on the Thriller Bark, did you encounter that Ghost Woman?"

"A ghost... woman?"

Brook thought for a moment, realizing he hadn't asked anyone about panties in Moria's territory, so he shook his head and said, "I haven't encountered any."

"That's a real shame..."

Why do you say that?

"Because I'm curious whether your Revive-Revive Fruit) or her Hollow-Hollow Fruit) is more powerful."

"In a sense, you should belong to the same type."

"The same type?"

Brook was puzzled. His Devil Fruit had only revived him, so how could it be the same type?

If I remember correctly, Usopp said that the Ghost Woman had the ability to make people negative, but he didn't have a similar ability.

"You yourself said that you were in a soul state after regaining consciousness, and only later did you find your body and come back to life, right?"

"Yes."

"That settles it then," Xi Yan said, shrugging. "Your Devil Fruit ability must be hidden within your soul."

"Your skeletal body is most likely just a shell for your soul."

After speaking, Xi Yan paused for a moment, then stroked his chin and said, "Frankly speaking, I don't believe that this Devil Fruit, known as the ' Revive-Revive Fruit,' only has the ability to revive you."

"I suspect there might be something else waiting for you to uncover. You could try researching the soul; you might find something."

Watching Xi Yan earnestly analyze the fruit's abilities for him, Brook remarked with some admiration, "Mr. Xi Yan really knows a lot."

"Ah, it's just that I've seen too much."

The fact that Devil Fruit abilities need to be developed is evident in Luffy's case.

He really managed to make the most of an ordinary Gum-Gum Fruit.

What Second Gear or Gear Third... once used, its power is indeed great.

Brook's ability, which involves the soul, shouldn't only have resurrection as its sole power; otherwise, the term "Yellow Springs" would be meaningless.

"Okay, I'll try my best in the future!"

"Yohohoho~"

"I'm just giving you a suggestion; the final decision rests with you," Xi Yan said.

After saying that, Xi Yan glanced at the rising sun and asked, "Brook, did anything interesting happen in your time?"

"Something interesting?"

"For example...owning a great pirate or something." Xi Yan said, "I remember you saying that even the Pirate King Roger was a nobody in your eyes."

"Not at all... It's just that he wasn't famous yet in my time."

After speaking, Brook thought carefully for a moment and said, "But if I had to name one, I do know a rather powerful pirate."

"Oh?"

Tell me about it.

"That was a pirate named... Rocks D. Xebec."

When Brook mentioned this person, his skull-like face became noticeably serious. He said, "He was an extremely cruel pirate; countless cities were destroyed by him."

"But there's no denying that he's incredibly powerful, giving the Navy a real headache."

Brook felt a chill run down her spine when she recalled the news about that guy she had seen years ago.

Those were the real pirates—burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities!

Compared to them, the Straw Hat Pirates are more like adventurers than pirates!

Just like... they were back then.

"Rocks D. Xebec?"

A hint of doubt appeared in Xi Yan's eyes; he had never heard of this name before.

Logically speaking, someone who could surprise even Brook must be incredibly powerful, yet they left no trace... Were they killed by Roger on their way to the conquest?

It's not impossible that this is the case.

"Yeah, that's the only really powerful pirate I know," Brook nodded. "But what happened to him afterward, I don't know."

"After entering the Thriller Bark, I lost the ability to obtain intelligence."

In that godforsaken place, even News Bird rarely come here; you can't necessarily buy a newspaper even if you have money!

So he had no way of getting any new information and could only drift alone on the sea every day, waiting... for that vague and elusive hope.

Fortunately, he got his wish!

Yohohoho~

"Is that so...?"

Xi Yan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. They didn't even make it to the New World; they were killed in the Thriller Bark. It's normal that they knew relatively little.

Why would Mr. Xi Yan be interested in things from the past?

"I just want to learn more about this world," Xi Yan said.

Ultimately, there are still far too many unknowns in this world for him.

Brook didn't see anything wrong with it. There are many islands in this world, and it's normal for one or two islands to be isolated from the outside world. It's good to know what's going on.

After thinking for a moment, Brook said, "Then I think you should communicate more with Miss Robin."

"She is a very knowledgeable lady."

Even though they haven't known each other for very long, Brook can tell just how terrifying Robin's knowledge is.

Especially in terms of history!

"Yes, that's true."

As a historian, Robin must know a lot; let's find an opportunity to talk to her.

Just then, Merry opened the hatch and ran out, jogging over to the two of them and saying, "What are you doing?"

"Yo ho ho ho, Mr. Xi Yan is having a pleasant chat with me right now~"

"Hmm." Xi Yan nodded, then squatted down and looked at Merry, saying, "Why aren't you sleeping anymore?"

I can't sleep.

Upon hearing this, Xi Yan immediately looked up and glanced at Brook, the meaning of which was clear: You had to play music so early in the morning, did you wake the little guy up?

Brook felt a little awkward under that look.

"I'll be more careful in the future."

"It's alright, I should be getting up at this time anyway," Merry said with a smile, not blaming Brook.

"Ah... this is simply an angel!" Brook exclaimed, clutching her heart. "My heart is about to jump out of my chest!"

"Even though I don't have a beating heart, yo ho ho ho~"

"Skull Joke!"

"Oh!"

"Skull Joke!"

Seeing the little guy raise his hands along with him, Brook smiled even more broadly.

No wonder everyone loves this little guy so much; he's an angel!

Just then, Nico Robin came out and stood at the doorway, smiling as she watched the group interact.

"Um?"

"Robin's awake too."

"Merry's awake, so naturally I'm awake too."

"Why?"

Xi Yan looked at Nico Robin with a puzzled expression. What did she mean by "Merry woke up, so she had to wake up too"?

"She slept here last night."

"Understood."

It's likely that the little guy pestered Robin to read him stories again in the middle of the night, and then fell asleep there after getting tired.

That makes perfect sense.

"Perfect timing, Robin, I need to ask you something."

"Speak."

Robin walked over, leaned against the wall, and said, "What do you want to know?"

"Um?"

Looking at Robin's smiling face, Xi Yan was stunned for a moment. That smile was so confident... as if the other person would definitely know the answer to the question he asked.

Unbeknownst to him, Xi Yan began to have the illusion that... the other party was an encyclopedia.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just asking if you know Rocks..."

"I've heard of it."

"You actually know that?!"

Xi Yan stared at Robin in shock; the other person really was an encyclopedia.

"I only know a little bit." Robin shook her head and said, "Back then... when Doctor Clover was discussing some history with me, he mentioned this pirate crew."

Perhaps fearing that Xi Yan wouldn't understand, Robin explained further, "Studying history is my hobby, and it's also the responsibility of us historians."

"These great pirates who existed decades ago are naturally part of history, so it's normal that we know some things about them."

If I remember correctly, that pirate crew was incredibly powerful!

Xi Yan and Brook exchanged a glance, then Xi Yan said, "Tell me about it."

"I don't know much either," Nico Robin said. "I only remember Doctor Clover saying that this pirate crew was an extremely powerful one, so powerful that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they suppressed an entire era."

"Then why didn't that guy become the Pirate King?"

"Because this pirate crew suddenly disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Brook exclaimed in shock. "Why?"

"This..." Robin hesitated for a moment before saying, "To be honest, even we don't know exactly what happened. We only know that something big seemed to have happened back then, but the World Government covered it up. Even we in Ohara have no way of getting information about it."

"But for the World Government to react like this..." Robin paused here, then narrowed her eyes and said, "It might be related to the Void Century."

Perhaps that so-called great pirate discovered some kind of truth, which is why he was silenced by the World Government.

Thinking of this, Nico Robin sighed.

The Straw Hat Pirates still have a long way to go.

Perhaps sensing Robin's emotions, Xi Yan said, "We are different from that so-called Rocks Pirates."

Upon hearing Xi Yan's words, Robin immediately looked at Xi Yan Xi Yan, who then gave her a thumbs-up and said:

"Don't forget, Luffy is going to become the Pirate King, and he will definitely surpass that Rocks!"

"And we will do everything we can to protect you, so... just do what you want to do."

Xi Yan knew very well what Nico Robin meant by the Void Century " of history.

After the battle at Judicial Island, Robin recounted her past, which naturally included the reason for the destruction of Ohara.

But... now that they're here, Robin can confidently and boldly do whatever she wants!

Seeing the smile on Xi Yan's face, Nico Robin also smiled.

"Um!"

"Although I don't know what you're talking about, I will fight to the death to protect Miss Robin, yo-ho-ho-ho!"

"Me too! Me too!"

"Alright, let's protect Robin together!"

"Profound!!"

Seeing this, Robin laughed even harder.

' Saul... if you could see this, you'd be happy for me too.'