(The next Day)
The morning came and the crew start to wake up and prepare to leave after the breakfast. As always Luffy was the first to wake up as he dressed and leave the room to wait all of them for breakfast.
The crew start to gather for a breakfast quietly as all of them knew better how Luffy is appreciate the morning quiet. Luffy wanted to see what the people who rescued decide to do while he wait for Franky and the others to come here.
"Good morning Luffy!" Hana, Kinuko and the others said to him.
"Good morning guys! So, what is your answer?" Luffy ask them with a smile as the rest of his crew look at him with questioning eyes.
"If your proposition is still apply then will join you." They say to him earning a grin from Luffy and the others.
"Good, then let's have a breakfast and then we'll leave." Luffy say to them as they nod their heads.
After an hour or so they finished their breakfast while Franky and the others appear and they began to walk to the dock to aboard to the ships. As always Amaya was on her father's shoulder as now also Grace and Aisa, after what happen yesterday Luffy will make sure that he not leave his eyes off of his daughters.
They reach the docks and they start to aboard on the ships while Tom, Iceburg and others where here to farewell them and to wish to have a good journey. Hana and the others gasp as they saw Luffy's fleet and also Luffy's own ship.
"Guys welcome aboard to Elaina!" Luffy said as all of them smile and thank him.
The rest of crew help the new guys to settle as Luffy start to play with his daughters making everyone to smile.
"Luffy, can we talk?" Zoro ask him as Luffy nod his head and leave the girls with Robin.
Zoro and Luffy entered the meeting room and both of them sit down.
"How can I help you Zoro?" Luffy ask him with a smile.
"I accept it." Zoro say to him as Luffy look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"If your proposition about me become you second commander is still apply, then I accept it." Zoro say to him as Luffy smirk and nod his head.
"Good, let's announce it then." Luffy say to him as they exited the room and signaled to the others to stop what they doing.
"May I have your attention please?" Luffy say as all of them start gathered to the upper deck while the other ships start to surround Elaina to hear what Luffy will tell.
"From today on Zoro will be the second division commander, which means that he'll be responsible for all of you except from Kalifa, Blueno and Kaku and he'll lead to you to any attacks. Also that means that when Robin and I aren't here Zoro will be in charge." Luffy say to them as they began to congrats Zoro.
The new people soon find themselves very welcome there as everybody help them with anything they need. Especially Hana and Kinuko find that all of them are indeed a big and happy family and Luffy is not only a great captain but also a great man. Wherever they felt lonely or as an outsiders Luffy and the others were beside them to make them feel comfortable again, all of them start to feel warm and laugh forgetting their horrible and dark past.
After three days they reach a strange and fogy area that Luffy identified as the Florian Triangle.
"Something is not right…" Luffy murmured as he start to look to every direction tensed, something that didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"Guys, be on guard. Something is definitely off with this place." Luffy warn them as all of them nod their heads.
The fleet entered the fog with Elaina as always to lead the way, as they continue to sail the only thing that all of them can see is sea wreckage everywhere.
"What…what the hell is this?" Usopp, Yosaku, Johnny and Chopper ask as they look terrified.
"I hope not to be attacked by any ghost or zombie…" Robin said teasingly as the four of them yelp from fear making everyone else to laugh…Well at least until they start to hear something or someone to sing.
That's it for the four of them, the moment that they hear that something they instantly faint making Luffy to sigh and tell to Kaya and Muret to take care of them.
"Guys the voice is coming from there, let's see if someone need any help." Luffy say to them as he points forward to a huge gate.
And so all of them start to sailing to the direction Luffy pointed, after a while they start to landing but as they continue to walk the only thing they find is destruction everywhere.
"What the hell happen here?" Buggy and Alvida murmured.
"He was here…" Luffy say with a low and dangerous tone as he tight his fist making everyone look at him.
"Teach?" Zoro ask him worried about his friend and captain.
"Aye!" Luffy answer to him as he continue to walk.
After a few minutes they reach inland where the distraction was even greater than before, they found there some people lying on the ground and Luffy say to chopper and the others to check them if they are still alive.
"What kind of a monster is that Teach person?" Franky asked.
"I can answer that to you. Yohohoho." Someone said and all of them turn their heads only to see a standing skeleton.
"What the…" The most of them said while Luffy and Amaya have stars in their eyes.
"Cool a living, talking skeleton!" Both of them said as the others start to sweat drop.
"Please join my family!" Luffy say to him as the others start to pale and protest.
"Yohohoho, it will be my honor. My name it's Brook by the way." The living-talking skeleton say to him making some of the crew to faint.
"Then welcome to our family Brook, now if you please can you tell me what exactly happen here?" Luffy say to him as they shake hands.
Brook start to tell his story about how his crew ended up here and all of them died while he returned to life because his devil fruit powers, then told him about Moria and how this man stole his shadow making impossible for him to escape and in the end told him that Blackbeard came and defeated Moria but then he decide to destroy everything and anyone that was there. Except from him and a girl that she's wounded and Brook protected her.
"I see, where is the girl?" Luffy ask him as he call Chopper and the three of them leave to see the girls condition.
Brook led them to where the girl is. She have light pink long hair and she wears a long black strapless dress with lavender frills, red high heeled boots and a big black top hat with white floral décor. She have also a pink bat tattoo on her left bicep.
Chopper told them to help him carry her to the ship's infirmary to treat her better and Luffy nod his head taking her on his arms as they start walk towards the ship.
They enter the infirmary and Chopper begin to examine the girl as the others waited outside of the infirmary as Chopper said to them.
After some minutes Chopper exited the infirmary and told them that the girl is generally fine and she only needs rest. All of them are happy to hear that although no one of them really knows her at all.
Luffy insist to wait inside the infirmary for the girl to wake up and to ask her what she wants to do. And indeed after some minutes the girl start to wake up slowly and look around the room panicked.
"Easy there, you're fine. My doctor said that you're alright and that you must rest." Luffy said to her as he stands near her.
"You're…you're Sir. Monkey. D. Luffy, the newest shichibukai. Aren't you?" The girl ask him as Luffy nod his head.
"Yes I am, can I ask your name miss?" Luffy ask her with a gentle tone and smile making her to blush.
"My…my name is Perona. Thank you for taking care of me." The young girl say to him as Luffy smile at her.
"Well don't think about it. It's the least I can do. Tell me then Miss Perona what you want to do from now on? I mean do you have a place to stay or to go?" Luffy ask her as she look at the floor with sad eyes.
"I was with Moria-sama but this man came and took him with him. I don't want to stay here because I'll be alone. I don't like to be alone." Perona say to him as tears start run down her cheeks.
Luffy hug her to comfort the young girl as he pat her on the back and tells her that everything will be ok.
"Listen Miss Perona, I'll try and free Moria if we meet with this guy who took him. Until then you're more than welcome to stay with me and my family. What do you say?" Luffy ask her with a gentle smile as the girl look at him with widen eyes.
"Are…are you sure about this? I mean I don't want to impose and you have absolutely no obligation to me." Perona start to say but Luffy didn't say anything. He only smile at her and kiss her on the forehead before he stand up and start to exit from the room.
"Tha…Thank you." Perona murmur blushing as Luffy nod his head and exit the room.
The others start to walk towards Luffy anxious to ask him if the girl has woke up and in what condition is she.
"She is fine, Perona from now in will travel with us so I want all of you to help her feel comfortable." Luffy say to them as they all nod their heads and smile.
Luffy and the others decide to give the bodies a properly burial, something that make a huge impression to Brook because no one of them known this people before.
After a while Perona decide to exit the infirmary to join the others despite Chopper's protest to rest.
Luffy start to introduce her to everyone and all of them where happy to see that the young girl is fine, Perona also thank them all and especially Brook when she find out that he protected her.
Zoro also find a sword and from what it seems it's one of the 21 O Wazamono grade swords like his other sword Wado Ichimonji. He found also that is a cursed sword and a bit heavy, but now he can keep his word and return the sword back to her really owner.
"Guys, set the sail we're leaving." Luffy say to them as all of them nod and start to aboard on the ships.
A/N: That's it guys, sorry that this chapter is so small but I didn't find a reason to write nothing else as I only wanted to just recruit Brook. Perona is just a bonus.
Until next time…Have Fun and Take Care!