"Of course."
Brook's eyes lit up with excitement, and he was about to thank Adrian profusely.
But Adrian waved a hand.
"Please allow me a few more days to study you first."
"...Study me?"
"Yes. Study you."
Adrian nodded without explaining further.
At the sight, Brook's legs suddenly felt weak.
Yohohoho, Laboon, it looks like I'm about to be studied. Wait for me...
Adrian had not planned to stay long in the Florian Triangle. The conditions there were dreadful and hardly suited his tastes.
But after fusing the Reaper-Reaper Fruit and triggering Brook's dream quest, Adrian changed his plans.
Aside from Totto Land, nowhere on the seas was better suited to studying souls than this mist-filled region haunted by restless spirits and evil ghosts.
Once he had made up his mind, Adrian settled temporarily on Thriller Bark.
His days were spent studying Brook's soul, the capabilities of Soul Domination, and ways to develop Reaper Power.
In his spare time, Adrian also searched the small island that had once formed the heart of God Valley, but found nothing.
Several months passed in a flash.
More than half of Sea Circle Calendar year 1506 had gone by.
Studying souls proved far more complicated than Adrian had expected.
Fortunately, he finally found a way to solve the problem of Brook's "resurrection."
At its root, the answer lay in the Revive-Revive Fruit!
For anyone else—even Mother Carmel, the former Soul-Soul Fruit user—death would have meant the end. Resurrection would have been impossible!
But Brook was different!
Over the past several decades, the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit had seeped into every part of his soul.
Although the fruit's ability had now been taken from him, the residual Underworld Power in Brook's soul still helped sustain it.
Even if Adrian had not protected Brook's