Chapter 2: A Stolen Shadow
Usopp and Chopper were freaking out and calling him vampire. Then they started freaking out over the fact that Brook also lacked a shadow.
"He's a vampire!" yelled Usopp.
"He's not a vampire! His shadow was stolen!" said Mami.
"Oh, so you know about my condition?" asked Brook.
Mami nodded.
"Back when I living on Corallo Island, I found some times ghost ships would drift from the Florian Triangle." Said Mami, "Or rather they appeared as ghost ship, there were people living on it, but most of the time they were in comas. Every single one of them have had their shadow stolen.
(Flashback)
Mami was picking up some new wanted posters from Captain Buckley when a Seaman recruit came running into the office.
"Captain Buckley! A ghost ship has appeared off the coast!" yelled the seaman recruit.
"Pirate, civilian or Marine?" asked Captain Buckley.
Pirates Sir." Answered the seaman recruit.
"I see... Has it been checked yet?" asked Captain Buckley.
"It hasn't." answered the seaman recruit.
Captain Buckley looked at Mami.
"Mami, I would like you and Amelia to check it just in case anyone's conscious." Said Captain Buckley, "If there's any wanted pirates on it you will get your payment."
"Okay…" answered Mami very confused.
Sometime later, Mami and Amelia were in a strange small boat was towing a tarp.
"These aren't usual ghost ships Mami." Explain Amelia, "This are ships who's crew's shadows have been stolen."
"Their shadows stolen?" asked Mami.
"They appear every once in a while." Said Amelia, "A person without a shadow also has no reflection. Not only that but if they go into the sun they dissolve. Which is why set up these tarps."
They got to the ghost ship the same time as other boat with Seaman recruits. Both Mami and Amelia checked the ships and found every single person unconscious.
Since they were all unconscious it was deemed necessary to tie up the pirates. As Mami did she very unlevered by the lack of shadows and reflections.
"Do you have any idea of who's doing this?" asked Mami.
"No idea." Answered Amelia, "Captain Buckley was asked to keep the culprits identity by the World Government. But whoever the culprit is he must be very powerful."
(End of Flashback)
"Everything she is correct." Said Brook, "My shadow was stolen years ago."
Brook told he once witnessed someone else who had their shadow stolen designate in sunlight and how lonely it was for him and how he had to way in the Florian Triangle all alone…
It should be noted it was in the most cheerful way possible.
"Stop being so cheery! Your life sucks." Said Sanji.
But Brook couldn't help laughing.
"What a wonderful day it has been. I met people." Said Brook.
They all looked at him with silence.
"In this dark ocean I didn't know when one day stopped and another began. All alone on a ship which I could not steer. I could only wait for decades and wait for waves to hit it. I felt so lonely. I was so lonely and scared I wanted to die. A very long life is something is a blessing! Rejoice everyone! If my tears had not dried long ago I would be crying tears of joy! You people mad me so happy!" Brook said with a joyous laugh.
Brook sighed.
"Luffy you made and offer for me to join this crew, it made me so happy." Said Brook, "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."
"What! Why!" yelled Luffy.
"IT's because his shadow is stolen." Said Mami, "Remember if he goes into direct sunlight he'll die."
"She is right." Said Brook.
"Don't be such a loner!" said Luffy, "Tell me who the guy is and I'll get your shadow back."
"I can't let you do that." Said Brook, "We just met so I can't let you die for me."
"That's not going to work on Luffy." Laughed Robin.
"What?" asked Brook.
"A few days ago, I tried to convince Luffy not to help me fight my personal enemy but Luffy joined anyways." Explained Mami.
"I'm sure the man who stole my shadow is much stronger then your enemy." Said Brook, "Besides I don't know if I can find him, again for the rest of my second life. Besides I'm resolved if I ever meet him again I will fight him myself."
Brook took out his violin.
"At any rate let us sing." Said Brook, "I am rather skilled In fact on my old ship I was the crew's musician."
This made Luffy sparkly eyed.
"Please join us!" he said.
"Great he's a musician." Sighed Nami.
"Is that a bad thing?" asked Franky.
"Trust me, it's the crew member he wants the most." Said Usopp.
Before Brook could start his song he screamed like a little girl, why?
Because there was a ghost.
Then everything began to shake.
"Oh no…" said Brook running out of the galley.
He came back in telling everyone to look at the back of the ship.
"Please tell me you didn't find a drifting barrel?" asked Brook.
"We did." Said Luffy.
"That was a trap, from the second you opened it you've been in their sights." Said Brook.
"What do you mean?" asked Luffy.
That was when they noticed they were at the shore of an island.
"That wasn't there before!" yelled Luffy.
"It's the ghost island, Thriller Bark, an island that wanders the seas." Said Brook.
"A floating island? How come the Log Pose isn't pointing at it?" asked Nami.
"It comes from the West Blue." Explained Brook.
Brook looked at the island.
"What luck! Not only did I meet people! But my dearest wish has come true!" he explained with joy.
Jumped to the Lion's head like it was nothing.
"You must break through the gates! And whatever you don't land anchor on the shore." Said Brook, "I am overjoyed I met you today. Thank you for the meal! I will never forget it."
Brook proceeded to jump of the Lion's head.
"Wait! He ate a Devil Fruit!" said Luffy.
However thanks to the fact that Brook is all bones he was able to run across the water.
"All right!" said Nami taking charge, "Mami, Franky! You two are in charge with breaking down that gate like he said."
Mami nodded.
"I don't know." Said Franky.
"Why not?" asked Nami.
Franky pointed to Luffy's face, he had a big smile that sparkling.
Nami face palmed.
"Great… he wants to go on." Muttered Nami.
"Is like that a lot?" asked Mami.
"He is…" said Robin, "You should have seen him when he wanted to go Skypeia."
The crew of the Thousand Sunny got ready for the adventure to find Brook though only a few were going.
"Think about it Luffy. That building a bona fide Haunted House." Said Usopp pointing to a large mansion that was on the island.
"Don't worry I'll be careful." Said Luffy, "Especially when capturing one and making it into a pet."
"What are thinking!" yelled Usopp.
But Luffy ignored him, "Hey! Sanji I want some pirate lunch boxes!" yelled Luffy.
"I got them." said Robing coming out of the Galley.
"All right! Luffy! Franky! I want you two to make sure nothing happens to Robin or Mami!" said Sanji.
"You three are going?" asked Nami in shock.
"Well it's exciting to explore new islands." Said Franky.
"I love a good thrill." Robin laughed.
"I want to know who's the culprit is." Said Mami, "And this island is nothing compared to a Witch's Labyrinth."
"I don't know what you're talking about and something tells me I shouldn't." said Nami.
"We're going to use a boat to get to the island." Said Franky, "But there's something great I haven't shown you yet. The Solider Dock Channel 2."
Franky explained how the Hound Sunny had a thing called the Solider Dock System. There 5 channels, two of them being Channel 0 for the paddles. 1 had a boat that belonged to Nami while 3 had a shark shaped submarine.
"But I thought you said that Number 2 was empty." Said Usopp.
"I just said that to keep it a surprise." Said Franky, "Since you have no intron of going on the island you should try it out."
"Bring it on!" said Usopp.
The boat was unveiled, it was a small steam ship with a cute ram's head. Nami, Chopper and Usopp all were the first to ride it.
"I present to you! The Shopping Ship, the Mini Merry." Said Franky.
All but Franky and Mami were overjoyed at the sight of this boat.
"Very thoughtful." Said Zoro.
"With this ship I can go shipping all I want." Said Sanji.
"It's based on our original ship, the Going Merry." Said Robin, "She sank as we were escaping Enies Lobby."
"Oh." said Mami.
"Franky joined after she sank… even though he saw her, he never got a chance to ride her." Explained Robin.
"That's very sweet." Said Mami, "Or it would be if Franky wasn't bragging about it."
Indeed Franky was currently bragging how awesome his Solider Dock System was.
"They seem to be taking a long time…" said Sanji.
That was when they herd a crash and three screams.
And thanks the fog… they had no idea what just happened…
Next Time: With Nami, Chopper and Usopp missing. They have to search the island to find them. However there's more than strange ghosts they have to deal with, an invisible creature and zombies this isn't an ordinary island. What will happen? Find out next time!
