Chapter 119: The Shadow Stealer

The kitchen dining room was full of laughter and joyful story telling, as well as the sounds of food and drink being consumed. "This is too delicious!" Brook cried, tears leaking from his eye sockets, "I haven't had food in decades!" Sanji looked horrified at that particular statement and began piling meat, seafood and rice onto Brook's plate. "Then eat as much as you want", the chef spoke, "everyone should eat a proper food at least once in their lives". Whilst Brook and Luffy ate their fill of food, Vivi walked over to Brook and held up just arm looking at his skeletonise body.

"So Brook," the Princess prodded. "How long have you been a skeleton, or...?" She trailed off. "Vivi..." Nami spluttered, "I'm sorry Brook, as much as we would like to know, we had agreed..." she frowned at Vivi, "that we would be subtle not completely overt". Brook smiled, as much as his skull could. "It's fine, you don't have to be be walking on eggshells for me. I'm well aware of what my appearance will have on others". "Still, we don't want you to feel like you have to relay too much, of you don't want to", Sanji interjected, walking forwards and tidying up the empty plates and dishes.

"Oh, heavens no. You've already done so much for me; giving me food and companionship in this, my life within the Florian Triangle", Brook replied. After a brief pause, he started up again retelling his life. "A long time ago, back when I was still alive, I was a pirates onboard that ship you all saw me on before. We called ourselves the Rumba Pirates, and we delighted in sailing the world bring the joys of music and theatre to those we met. And along the way I ate the Revive-Revive Fruit".

Sighing intently, Brook deflated looking out of the window towards the ruins of his past ship. "I used to be a general in the royal army for my home country in the West Blue and when I retired, me and my friends left to become pirates. We had many wonderful adventures, we sailed and explored so much of the Mew World. We had been sailing for the Paradise seas when bad luck befell us. First our caption fell due to contracting Typhus, so I stepped in for Captain Korkie. Yet, we were then attacked by rivals, in which the whole crew, including myself, were killed."

"So you're a Devil Fruit user?" Zoro asked, sheathing elucidator, and retuning it to his waist. "Indeed," the skeleton nodded. "When I was alive, my devil Fruit did precious little for me, save for stripping me of my ability to swim. But upon my death, the true worth of the Revive-Revive Fruit manifested, calling my soul back from beyond the grave." Heaving and gripping his cane, Brook continued his story. "Unfortunately, as I died within Florian Triangle and the fog around here is so thick, my returning soul got lost. So when my soul finally did return, my body was completely skeletonised".

Sensing the growing downturn of mood, Franky shook his head, "Geez, devil fruits are weird." "Indeed," Brook agreed as bowed his head to Suki, as she moved forward attempting to overcome her initial fear of him. "Still, even amongst Devil Fruits, the ability to live two lives is quite strange", Brook stated as he witnessed Robin's smile at his acquiescing to Suki. "So does this mean that you're not a ghost?" Chopper questioned hopefully, picking at his own salad, trying to put on a degree of courage that the little artist was now trying to.

"No I'm no ghost, just a devil fruit revived human who hates ghosts", Brook admitted.

"I'm not sure you can say that...," Vivi replied, taking a pocket mirror out of her bag. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? Your whole visage is a skeleton", the reaction she got was a sudden flailing of limbs as Brook backed away terror on his face. "Oh god! Please no mirrors!" Usopp, Zoro and Chopper all moved forwards all confused and alarmed by Brooks sudden fear of looking at himself, but when they saw the lack of a reflection in the mirror they all froze.

"What the hell!" Usopp screamed lifting his crucifix in front of him once more, ""Ahhh! Why don't you have a reflection?" Chopper was instantly transformed into his Kung fu point and glared at the skeleton, "he's a vampire!" Following the doctors outstretched hoof, the other straw hats all saw the lack of a shadow at Brooks feet. "He doesn't have a shadow!" Nami and Vivi yelled, bringing out clima-tact and sand powers respectively. The chaos was diffused by Robin calmly walking forwards and placing herself in between her fellow crew mates and Brook, he's not a vampire," she waved off skeptically as Zoro slowly began to once more draw his swords.

"He doesn't have fangs. Everyone knows vampires have fangs and wings. And besides the only known race of vampires died out centuries ago. The only form of vampirism in the world today is in the form of the vampire magic wielding wizard saint; Draculos Hyberion. Who by the way is all the way in Ishgar right now".

Setting down his teacup, Brook sighed and began further recantations. "What I told you before was true," Brook stated and looking at each member of the straw hats in turn, "why I lost my shadow is another story entirely. You see, my shadow was stolen from me several years ago, by a man wanting to create an army of zombies. And so I have been cursed to forever live in the darkness of this fog; unable to see the sun or any kind of light. For if even a single ray of light touches me, I'll be rendered into a pile of ash in mere seconds!"

"Stop being so damn poetic and eloquent!" Franky deadpanned, "super tell us what happened already". Everyone had now accepted that Brook was no vampire, and certainly wasn't a threat to them but now hearing his tale made their sympathy levels increase. "The man who took my shadow is more of a monster than a man. And without my shadow, I cannot exist in the world of light. And as a result I cannot he seen in a mirror or photograph", Brook spoke, "one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moria. He's the one who stole my shadow, and until I get my shadow back I'm doomed to never fulfil a long made promise..."

"Years ago, I witnesses a man afflicted with the same curse as I go mad and run into the sunlight. His dying screams still haunt me today." Brook recanted before he turned toward Luffy, as the rest of the crew dries their eyes. "Luffy..." he began, "I really am honoured and delighted that you would invite me to join your crew, but I'm afraid I must decline. My situation demands me to stay in the shadows and dark paces of the world to survive, as well as an old promise to a dear friend keeps me from wanting to join you". The look of confusion and disappointment of Luffy's face was almost priceless in its originality, and Nami had to take ahold of her boyfriends hand in an attempt to stop him from asking any further distressing questions.

"Some would claim that a long life is a curse, and to some extent I might agree with them. You see drifting on an uncontrollable ship with nothing to keep you company but the memories of your long-dead friends and crewmates, wanting to die every day but not having the courage to throw yourself overboard for decades. And yet, now I know that it was worth it. I've met wonderful people like you! And I still have a chance to return and fulfil our promise". Standing up and walking over to a wall of coat hooks, Brook took down a violin case he had brought with him.

"As thanks for everything you have done for me, I'll play you a song, anything you like..." Brook asked, lifting up to his chin and shoulder, and preparing to start playing chords, "my former crew were all musically inclined. In fact it was part of the sign up requirement, 'all Rumba Pirates must play at least one musical instrument'". However, the moment Brook was about to play, he fell backwards into the floor, pointing up at the wall behind the place where he had just been sitting. All eyes fell instantly upon the white face and translucent body of an astral projection. And almost everyone in the room cried out in fright, "G-g-g-ghost!"