It had been more than fifty years since they had seen each other, but he knew his friend would know exactly who he was, and why he was there. When the Soul King departed his ship to join with the Strawhat Pirates, he knew for a fact he would find a way to see him, and here he was, back at the Twin Capes, right where the Rumbar Pirates had left behind one of the most important members of their crew. Throughout his journeys with his friends, Brook thought of things to say, ways he could greet his friend; but now that he was here, ready to see him again, all of them slipped his mind.
As was expected, Brook was the first to leave the ship. Long before the anchor was loosed, he was off the deck and skuttling across the water, making his way to Crocus' lighthouse. As he ran over the waves, he thought once again about how to greet his friend.
'Laboon! I came back for you.'
'I'm sorry we died. I promise we did not intend to.'
'What have you done all these years waiting for us?'
None of the phrases seemed to stick correctly, and before he had chosen one, he was already back on solid ground. His vision trailed up the lighthouse, now in front of him, and he felt as if tears would begin falling from his eye sockets. If he had lips, he would be grinning in anticipation of seeing the whale again. Lost in his thoughts, Brook did not notice the old man approaching him. There was something familiar about him, but at first the skeleton could not quite place what it was. That was, until he was greeted by the older version of a very familiar voice.
The greeting was not one that he had expected, as Laboon was not the first topic of conversation. Brook could see very clearly on the lined, aged face in front of him that something was wrong.
"Where is he?" The only words he could manage to get out, and it was that. He cursed himself internally, thinking there should have been something else to say. Crocus showed nothing but understanding, however, and led the skeleton to the other side of the cape.
Not far off was an all too familiar blue mass. Laboon. What was he doing? Was he okay? Brook gave the thought no more consideration and simply rushed to the blue mass of whale, half lying in the sand at the edge of the water. Something really was wrong.
A skeletal hand rested against the blubbery mass and a single tear fell from the socket where Brook's eye had once sat. He could feel his friend dying beneath that hand. A low bellow came from the whale, causing the tears to stream.
Reaching into his coat with his free hand, Brook pulled out a sound dial and rested it on the whale gently. When he pulled the cord, there was no hesitation before the voices of men long since gone began to play through the speaker.
"Yohohoho yohohoho"
The song played on, and a few more noises came from the whale, a deeper version of the chirps he would give to the music as a calf.
"Sing a song and play along for all the oceans wide
After all is said and done, you'll end up a skeleton
So spread your tale from dawn til dusk upon these foamy seas
Yohohoho yohohoho"
As the song faded, so did the deep chirps which accompanied it. The dial went silent and Brook heard one last faint chirp. As life faded from the whale's eyes, Brook leaned his skull against him and just held on.
He had done what he'd set out to do. He had brought Laboon his favorite song one last time.
