So, this is what you got from that ship?
"Bring back a skeleton?"
Nami and the others huddled in the back, trembling as they looked at the skeleton.
"Hahaha... Don't be so nervous, everyone. I'm Brook, the skeleton who's all gone after I died! Please take care of me!" Brook, the skeleton, took off his hat and said to everyone.
"It's... it really is a skeleton, and... it's alive!" Chopper lay on the ground, his eyes rolled back, tears glistening in his eyes.
Xia Chen, who was watching this scene from the side, couldn't help but smile.
Look how scared our adorable raccoon cat has become!
Usopp's legs trembled as he forcefully pointed the cross on his chest at the skull, shouting, "Evil spirits, begone! Evil spirits, begone!"
Brook was startled by his words and took a few steps back.
Usopp and Chopper, witnessing this scene, showed expressions of excitement.
"It really works, Usopp!"
"Nonsense, this is a complete set of equipment to ward off evil spirits. Even the King of Evil would have to think twice!" Usopp said proudly.
"Oh~~ Really? That's amazing!" Chopper's eyes lit up immediately, and he hid behind Usopp.
"Then Usopp, I'm counting on you to protect me!"
"Of course, of course!"
Meanwhile, Brook looked around with a worried expression and asked anxiously, "Where are the evil spirits? I'm a little scared!"
Usopp and Chopper: (•́へ•́╬)! Who else but you?
"Hahaha... this is really funny!"
"It seems that having you as my partner was indeed a good decision~"
"What?!!"
Upon hearing this, Nami and the other two instantly rushed to Luffy's side, grabbing his collar and shaking him vigorously.
"You've made him our partner? Who would agree to that! Can you please stop making decisions on your own every time?"
"What does it matter? Don't you guys find him interesting?" Luffy, a little puzzled.
Wouldn't a living, talking skull with an afro be interesting?
To his surprise, he was met with a roar from the three men.
"Who would find that funny? It's just terrifying!"
"Hey everyone, don't get excited!" Brook slowly walked to the hatch.
Let's go inside for a meal first to calm down.
"Why should you get to decide that?!"
--
"So, he's the Brook who turned into a skeleton that Xia Chen mentioned before?" Nami asked, tapping the table.
"Yes, that's me!"
"So... you became like this because of the Revive-Revive Fruit )?"
"Miss, you're absolutely right!"
"So this Revive-Revive Fruit) is pretty useless, right? It's only useful when you die, and the problem is you end up turning into a skeleton! I wouldn't even want a fruit like that if you gave it to me!"
"Um... actually, my transformation into a skeleton wasn't because of the fruit!"
"When I died, thanks to the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit), although my physical body died, my soul returned to the mortal world from the Underworld!"
"But as you can see, the Devil's Sea is shrouded in thick fog, and I can't find my ship at all."
"And by the time I found it, a year had already passed. You can imagine what my body would look like after a year."
Everyone: "Skeleton??"
"Yes! That's right!"
That's roughly what happened; it almost scared my eyes out!
"Even though I don't have eyeballs, yo ho ho ho ho~"
"So, are you a human or a ghost now?" Usopp's fear had subsided considerably, and he asked Brook.
I think I should be considered a skeleton!
Everyone:...
"Please don't talk to me about ghosts or anything like that, I'm terrified of those things!" Brook said fearfully.
"I see!" Usopp suddenly felt a connection with the skeleton in front of him, and for a moment he was no longer so afraid of Brook.
"Hahaha... I'm actually really afraid of ghosts, especially vampires, they're so scary!"
"But I've heard that vampires don't have shadows. You're just a skeleton, you should at least have one..."
Before Usopp could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed that something seemed to be missing from under Brook.
(⊙o⊙)...
"Ah!!!"
A piercing scream echoed throughout the entire Going Merry.
Inside the cabin, Usopp staggered back a few steps and stood trembling behind Xia Chen.
"You... you... you don't even have a shadow!"
"What!!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked down at Brook's feet, and just as Usopp had said, there was nothing there.
In an instant, the atmosphere on the scene became tense again, and Zoro even drew his sword halfway.
"Um..."
Seeing this, Brook remained silent for a moment, then slowly sat down and took a sip of coffee.
"Whew, that feels so good!"
(•́へ•́╬)!
"Is this the time for peace and quiet?" Sanji shouted angrily.
"I've been drifting on these seas for so long, so long that I don't even know exactly how many years!"
"Being a skeleton and not having a shadow are two completely different things. The reason I don't have a shadow is because a man took it away a few years ago!"
"It was taken away? Can a shadow be taken away?" Luffy, a little curious.
"Of course!" Brook nodded.
"And once the shadow is taken away, it cannot live in a sunny place; if it is exposed to sunlight..."
"What will happen?" Everyone swallowed hard.
"It will turn to ashes!"
!!!
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed expressions of shock.
"So... will I die?" Robin asked gravely.
"They've all turned to ashes, it would be strange if they were still alive!" Xia Chen said calmly.
"I once witnessed a person without a shadow turn to ashes in the sunlight; it was truly terrifying!" Brook said with lingering fear. Then he looked at Luffy.
That's why I said earlier that I can't leave this area!
"Without my shadow, I won't last long if I leave this fog-shrouded sea. So, I must stay here! Until I reclaim my shadow!"
"If we meet again on that day, and you're still willing to let me on board, I will definitely sail with you! We'll go back together to fulfill our promise to Laboon!"
"Ah! How could this be?" Luffy's face showed disappointment. But the next second, he seemed to have thought of something.
"Wait! Right, your shadow was stolen, can't we just go and get it back for you?"
"You..."
Hearing Luffy's words, Brook stared at him blankly, then said, "You really are a good person, but precisely because of that, I can't let you get into danger!"
"The man who stole my shadow is too powerful. How can I let you, whom I've just met, die for me?"
"So... who exactly is this person?" Robin asked.
"I'm sorry, I can't say..." Brook waved her hand.
"Moonlight Moria!"