Chapter 2
Deadbones Brook
Turns out Luffy did the exact opposite.
"Yohohoho! A cheerful greeting!" Maxwell watched in abstract horror as Luffy, Sanji, Nami, and their new "guest" in tow.
They had brought the skeleton.
The skeleton saluted everyone by raising it's top hat, "Hello everyone! How do you do? Seems like my ship and I caused some trouble. I'm 'Deadbones' Brook! Nice to meet you!"
"ARE YOU JOKING!?" Franky and Zoro yelled at the returning party. Usopp and Chooper were stunned in pure horror, even with their "anti-spirit" gear.
Maxwell felt a migraine coming on, and rubbed his temple, "For the love of Andraste…"
Brook laughed, "Yohohoho! So harsh."
Chopper snapped out of his trance and raised the rosary around his neck, "IT'S A SKELETON!"
Usopp held up a string of prayer beads in a sort of half prayer, "There's no reason for a skeleton to talk, walk, or wear an afro! This is a dream, it's just a dream!"
"Really?" Chopper then sighed in relief, "I'm glad it's just a dream!"
"And what are we? Chopped liver?" Mordred asked from Maxwell's hip.
"OH MY GOSH! A TALKING SKULL!" Brook flinched back as he saw the glowing eye sockets.
"LIKE YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" Franky, Zoro, and Maxwell yelled back.
"BEGONE FOUL SPIRIT, BEGONE!" Usopp waved a crucifix in the other hand.
"Usopp! I already told you! Exorcism doesn't work like that!" Maxwell shouted a garland wearing sniper. Frankly, he looked ridiculous in the broad rim hat and cape. Especially with the war banner sticking out of his back.
Brook then noticed Robin, who had been silent till now, "Oh, hello young lady! Could you let me see your panties?"
Maxwell's head jerked back, looking at the skeleton, "What the f #$!?"
Nami threw a shoe at the so called gentleman, "Will you quit it, you perverted skeleton!"
"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro yelled, pointing at Brook, "What the hell is this guy!?"
Luffy had been laughing at how Brook had been interacting with the crew, "He's funny, so I made him out nakama."
Maxwell now looked at Luffy, "YOU WHAT!?"
"I WON'T ACCEPT THAT!" Zoro protested. He then rounded on Nami and Sanji, "And what the hell were you two doing!? You two went with him exactly to stop this sort of thing!"
They were at least apologetic, "We're ashamed…"
"Yohohoho! Well, it's not getting any warmer out here! Let's go inside the ship and have dinner!"
"THAT NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!" Franky, Zoro, Sanji, and Nami shouted back.
Zoro then looked at their resident spirit expert, "Max, a word?"
Maxwell walked over to Zoro as he gathered the others around a corner of the deck. Away from Luffy and the skeleton.
"Alright Max, what the hell do we do?" Zoro whispered as they all huddled together.
"What do we do? What the hell are we supposed to do!?" Maxwell shouted in a whisper, "Luffy invited that thing aboard and we can't exactly just overrule him on it!"
"Why not!?" Usopp asked. "We overrule him all the time! What makes this any different!?"
"There's a difference between keeping him out of the pantry and changing the dynamics of the entire crew!" Sanji scowled despite not wanting the skeleton aboard either.
"Did the skeleton do anything?" Maxwell asked, "Did it cast a spell, manifest an aura—anything like that?"
"I wish it did!" Nami complained. "But no, all it did was laugh, make jokes, and answer Luffy's questions. And don't even get me started on the whole panties thing!"
"Shit," Maxwell cursed. Then the mage looked down at his waist, "You guys sense anything?"
Mineive's cross guard began to glow, "Luffy's clean. There's nothing influencing him from this side of Fade. But that skeleton's not creating any disturbances in the flow of energy either. It's like he's not even a spirit!"
"That's impossi—!" Maxwell started to retort, but bit his lip to stop himself, "F #$."
This was the Grand Line. Anything was possible!
"Are you worried he's going to slit our throats in our sleep. Then raise us back from the dead to join him on his ship, slaving away as we roam the restless seas?" Robin asked.
"How can you say that with a straight face!?" Usopp demanded of their archeologist.
"I don't want to be raised from the dead!" Chopper nearly wailed.
"No one is getting raised from the dead!" Maxwell shouted. All them looked up and looked at Brook. The skeleton just waved. Then they all looked back at each other. Maxwell covered his mouth, nearly gripping his face, as he thought hard.
Franky crossed his over-enlarged arms, "Look, the way I see it, we need to decide how to treat this guy. Is he a threat? Or is this just going to be some weirdo?"
Maxwell closed his eyes, and took a breath…
"…We do what we always do. We roll along with Luffy's schemes until it either leaves, or bites us in the ass."
The others groaned. None were happy about. Maxwell wanted to hopefully, desperately, get rid of the walking corpse on their ship. But until the situation called for it, they all had to humour Luffy and play nice in the meantime. Maxwell had no idea how this skeleton was walking, or talking, but by Andraste, this was going to be tough. And even harder to ignore.
O O O
After they had all anchored down, everyone gathered in the Sunny's dinning hall.
"Oh, such a wonderful dining room! And the kitchen too!" Brook looked around in awe as they all say down around the dinner table. Luffy sat near Brook near the end of the table. Zoro and the girls took either side, but all kept one chair between them and Luffy's guest. Maxwell sat that the other end, fingers meshed together as he watched the skeleton. Chopper and Usopp sat on the couch, close to the window. It was beside the adult den den mushi they had, sitting on a cabinet. The two of them were holding up their crosses, not trusting the skeleton one bit. "This is an incredible ship, yohohoho!"
"That's right. I the SUPER Franky made this ship! You have good eyes, indeed."
"Don't be so friendly with him, Franky," Sanji admonished the cyborg from the kitchen. Franky had taken Brook's words as a complement. He had designed this ship too.
The kitchen was a five star professionally built kitchen with all the amenities. A giant sink, stove, oven, grill, deep-frier, countertop, dishwasher, serving counter, and even a refrigerator with an industrial lock on it. Sanji even had a compartment lift to send down drinks the the aquarium bar below. It was in the corner, inside the mast. Every surface was clean, pristine, and shiny. He kept good care of it.
"But it would be nice if we could start eating. It's been decades since I've had a proper meal…" the skeleton with a wig sighed wistfully, "Every day, I've been living with this pain, as though the skin of my back and belly were stuck together."
"But of course, I don't have skin on my back, or my belly! Yohohohoho! Skull-joke!"
Everyone around the table just sort of stayed silent. Well, except for Luffy. It wasn't the greatest joke, but Luffy had found it funny.
"Since I am a gentleman, 'I'll wait for the meal.' O I love how unconcerned that sounds… DINNER~!" Brook then started banging the table with a knife and fork, singing and calling out. "DINNER~!" Even Luffy joined him.
"SHUT UP AND WAIT QUIETLY!" Sanji shouted back. "I'M MAKING IT! Drink your milk in the meantime!"
Maxwell sighed into his own cup, filled with water. It was disturbing how well Luffy was getting along with the dressed up skeleton.
Luffy eventually calmed down though, "By the way, Koropokkuru—"
"It's Brook. Um…" The skeleton seemed to blink in realization, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't even know your name yet."
"I'm Luffy," their captain greeted. "By the way, what on earth are you?"
"YOU'RE ONLY THINKING OF THIS NOW!?" Zoro yelled at their captain.
"Zoro," Maxwell barked the swordsman. Zoro looked back at Maxwell and the two glared at each other. Maxwell shook his head, as if warning him not to take this any further. The swordsman gritted his teeth, but he relented, getting settled back in his chair.
"Let's postpone evicting the skeleton for a while. It's time to eat." Sanji came in with a tray, carrying plates of food for them all. From what Maxwell had been told, they were having shark tonight. It was a combination of shark fish steaks served with miso dressing, and a side bowl of shark fin soup.
"YAHOO!" Luffy cheered as the plate was placed in front of him. "Hey, Brook, eat as much as you want. Sanji's cooking is the best!"
"As much as I want?" Brook looked at the meal as if trembling, "I already feel so full. In my stomach. In my heart…!" Then he saw Robin's plate, "Oh, young lady, your steak seems a little bigger than mine. Would you like to trade?"
"YOU CAN HAVE MORE LATER! SO EAT YOUR OWN!" Sanji raged at the skeleton. Their cook might not let anyone starve if he can help it, but his priorities were still a bit skewed. Sanji likes does his very best for the ladies… And mostly the ladies.
Sanji generally claims what he gives the guys are leftovers and crap, but none of them really believed that. You wouldn't be able to tell it was crap just by tasting it, nor by looking at it. Sanji's creations just were just that good!
Everyone sat down and tucked in for the meal. Usopp had grabbed some mini tables for him and Chopper to eat at. Sanji sat at the island counter wth Franky, when his wasn't busy replacing Luffy's plate. Brook was definitely enjoying the meal, but it seemed like he had lost his—or never had any table manners.
Maxwell was still convinced Brook was a spirit of some kind. Though why the food didn't just splash through Brook's ribcage, and onto his pants, was beyond Maxwell. Spirits had never required physical sustenance before.
"So… Brook," Maxwell laid down his knife and fork together, finished his meal, "How did you come to be in this state?"
"Huh?" Brook was just about to have another glass of milk, "Ah, I suppose you mean how I became a skeleton? Well, I suppose it started when I ate the Yomi-Yomi Fruit."
Luffy tilited his head at the skeleton, "Yomi-Yomi Fruit?"
"A Devil Fruit, right?" Sanji suggested.
"That's right!" Brook nodded towards the chef, "The truth is I already died some decades ago!"
Sanji sweat-dropped, looking at the skeleton. "First, clean your face. How can you be so dirty after eating?" Brook had food stains all over his skull face and cravat.
"Oh! Good point!" Brook then took his napkin and wiped down his face.
Once that was presentable, Brook resumed his story, "In short, the Yomi-Yomi Fruit has the power of resurrection. I was promised that when I died, I could live a second life as a Revived Human. Oh, how wonderful that ability seemed at the time!" He used a toothpick to clean his teeth.
"You see I was a pirate in those old times—Oh, excuse me."
Brook had farted, sounding like a trumpet.
Maxwell's eye twitched, but he let the skeleton continue.
"On the ship you saw earlier, I came to this "Devil's Sea" along with my nakama. Oh, excuse me—*BURP!*"
Sanji looked at the skeleton unimpressed, "Want me to kick some manners into you?"
Brook had continued as if nothing had happened, "Unfortunately, we happened to engage with some frighteningly strong pirates and my entire crew was annihilated. Of course, I also died at that time… When I was alive, the ability the Yomi-Yomi Fruit gave me was an inability to swim. On that day, at last, the fruit's ability was activated."
Brook looked up as if he remembered some pearly gate, "My soul was returned from the afterlife! If I had returned to my body immediately I would have been resurrected. But, as you can see, there is a thick fog on this sea and I got lost. My soul wandered around this fog for an entire year before I finally found my ship! And by the time I found my own body, it was nothing but a pearly white skeleton! I was so surprised my eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets. And I didn't even have eyeballs! Yohohoho!"
"So you're as bad as Zoro when it comes to directions, huh?"
"Hey." Zoro glared back at Luffy for that comment.
Franky crossed his arms, "So that's how you became a talking skeleton! Being resurrected even though you were only clothes and bones seems like a dreadful power for a Devil Fruit to have."
"But you're still cursed, right?" Sanji asked. "Once the function of the fruit is fulfilled, the only ability you have is being unable to swim."
"Usually when your body rots away you also lose your hair… But you're a skeleton with an afro," Zoro points out.
"I have very strong roots," Brook nodded seriously, fluffing his hair.
"You… You've seen the afterlife?" Maxwell almost whispered. The mage was having a hard time wrapping his head around this fact. His soul had returned from death's embrace an took repossession of his former body. A Devil Fruit had that sort of power!? Revivification was impossible once the the soul was far enough from it's body! Had he seen the… the… Maxwell almost didn't want to think about it.
…But had he seen the Golden City?
"Wait! So are you a ghost or not!?" Usopp demanded of the skeleton, "Even if you were human, you don't look like one at all!"
"Oh I hope not! I really don't like ghosts! If I happen to see one, I'll scream!" Brook was touching his chin with both hands, with his response.
"Have you seen yourself in the mirror?" Nami had picked up a hand mirror she had left in the dining room a while back. Maxwell didn't remember why.
"GYAAAAAH!" Brook almost acted violently, shying away from the mirror. "Take that mirror away! Please!"
"What's wrong?" Usopp wondered why Brook would have such a reaction and looked in the looking glass, "…Eh? Wait a moment!"
"What?" Chopper's curious had overcame his fear, and came to take a look. Then the little doctor saw it too.
Both of them were gobsmacked, grabbing hold of the skeleton, "The mirror…! Why aren't you reflected in the mirror!?"
"What!?" Maxwell stood up out of his chair, his hands hitting on the table.
"Really!?" Luffy quickly got out of his seat to take a look, "That's incredible!"
"IS HE… A VAMPIRE!?" Usopp immediately back up and held up his cross again.
This seemed to get a reaction out of everyone. Sanji and Franky were on their feet, almost ready to fight or flight. Zoro was up nearly after them with a hand on the hilt of one of his swords. Chopper was running around the other end of the hall in fright. Nami hid herself behind the table beside Maxwell. Even Robin had flinched!
Luffy just thought it was the coolest thing.
As for Maxwell…
"…What's a vampire?"
Everyone suddenly stopped looked at the first-mate, realizing Max was confused.
"…Seriously!?" Usopp almost shouted at the mage, "Your world had elves, dwarves, and demons. But you don't have vampires!?"
Maxwell looked up as if trying to remember, but shook his head, "…Yeah. I still don't know what that is."
"Ugh…!" Usopp wanted to look down in shame, but then he saw Brook's shoes. "Wait… Look carefully! You don't even have a shadow!" Usopp pointed down between Brook's feet.
Luffy saw it too, "WAH! It's true! What are you!?"
Maxwell and Zoro looked between one another, then back at Brook. Maxwell still had no idea what a vampire was, but even not having a shadow was unusual.
The skeleton had sat back down and took another sip out of the teacup it had brought.
"HOW CAN YOU BE THAT CALM!?" Sanji yelled at Brook.
"We're making a racket because of you!" Usopp was holding his crucifix with both hands now.
Brook lowed his cup, "I'll tell you this right now… It has been a long time since I began drifting on this sea… To long, almost… The story of how I became a skeleton, and why I lack a shadow are two completely unrelated things…"
…
…
…
"To be Continued…"
"TELL US EVERYTHING NOW DAMMIT!"
Sanji didn't appreciate Brook leaving them in suspense.
Brook crossed his legs and took another sip of tea.
"…Some years ago, a man snatched away my shadow…"
"Snatched away…?" Maxwell repeated after the skeleton. Another Devil Fruit user?
This also made Robin think of something, "Your shadow…?"
Zoro huffed, leaning on the table again, "You're a talking skeleton. It doesn't matter what you say. It won't surprise us anymore, right?" The swordsman looked around, gauging everyone's reactions.
"But it could," the skeleton responded.
"A shadow being stolen… It means that I cannot exist in a world of light. If my body is exposed to direct sunlight, then I will start to disappear. I once saw someone I met disappear under the sun. Right before my very eyes! It was a horrible sight for me, even though I was already a skeleton. I don't have a shadow that should be seen in the light. And since my body does not reflect light, I also cannot be seen in the mirror or any photograph. In short, mine is an existence rejected by the world, and my crew is all dead!"
Brook rose up out of his seat, "But I'm Deadbones Brook! Nice to meet you! Yohohohoho!"
"Why are you so cheerful?" Sanji looked at Brook with an annoyed expression, "Your life sucks."
"And even then, I'm still alive and kicking!" Brook announced. "As a skeleton, though. Yohohohoho!"
"WILL YOU QUIT IT!?" Sanji and Franky yelled. They were getting sick of the skull-jokes.
Still, the skeleton kept laughing, looking up, and his hands in the air.
"Hey, are you alright?" Usopp asked nervously. Maxwell's hand had slowly started to reach for his mace. This was either going to be rather pitiful or Brook was about to snap!
"Today was just so wonderful! I was able to meet new people!"
…
…
…
Everyone looked at Brook in stunned silence. The weight of that statement was heavier then it should of been.
"I couldn't tell the difference between today and tomorrow on this dark sea, with all its fog. All alone on a ship with a broken rudder. How many years I've been wandering! It's been so lonely!"
"Afraid and alone! So much that I wanted to die! And I've lived such a long time!"
"People are such a delight! For me you've been such a delight! Yohohoho!"
Maxwell realized just how long this… being had been alone. Was it years? Had it been decades? How deep was Brooks despair?
"If I had tears, I could cry with happiness!"
Brook then looked at Luffy, "You invited me to be your nakama! I'm really glad. Thank you very much! …But the truth is, I should decline."
"EH!? WHAT!? WHY!?" Luffy balked at the skeletons rejection.
"Earlier, I told you that my shadow was stolen," Brook explained. "My body cannot live under the sun. Right now, I'm protected because of the fog on this devil's sea. Even if I could leave this sea with you, it would be just a matter of time before my body disappeared. I'd have to get back my shadow, which is still around here. I have to wait for that miracle day! Yohohohoho!"
"What are you saying? We're not strangers anymore!" Luffy slapped a hand on the table, "If that's the case, we'll get your shadow back! Tell me who stole it!l
Brook remained silent.
"Where is it!?" Luffy demanded.
"…You're a really good person," Brook replied. "I'm surprised, but I cannot tell you that. I only just met you. You shouldn't have to risk your life for me."
"Is the enemy so strong?" Franky asked, "It wouldn't hurt if you just tell us his name."
Brook shook his head, "No. I won't say it. And you can't make me! Yohohohoho!" He said it as a joke, but he was still serious. "I don't know if I will be able to see him before my second life ends. If I can do that, I've decided that I will fight him."
The skeleton then opened a case, one Maxwell realized he brought on the ship. In the box was a violin and bow.
"However, let's sing a song! In honour of the good encounter we had today!" Brook brought the violin to the crook of his neck, "I'm very proud of my abilities. I used to be a musician on my pirate ship."
"EH!? REALLY!?" Luffy looked at him starry eyed, "I'M BEGGING YOU, BE MY NAKAMA, YOU IDIOT!"
…A skeleton, who was a musician and a gentleman…
Maxwell rubbed his forehead, "Yeah, there's no way he's going to let him go…"
"Yohohoho! Let's have a cheerful sea shanty!" Brook exclaimed and brought the bow to his instrument. However, just as the skeleton was about to play, he paused.
Then he screamed in terror.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Hey, what's happening!?" Usopp watched as the skeleton fell over backwards.
"G-G-G-G—GHOST!" Brook screamed looking at the wall behind Maxwell.
"What!?" Maxwell spun around, looking up.
There in the top of the wall was a milky white ghost. It was unlike any spirit Maxwell had seen before. The ghost was permeable, sticking out of the wall. It looked like some child's sewn cloth doll, with cartoonishly drawn face. There were black button eyes and thick red liquorice lips.
The ship then began to shake, as if there were in the beginning of an earthquake. "What's that vibration!?" their swordsman looked around. The ghost had rose up and disappeared into the ceiling.
Brook scrambled to get up, "What's this!? Is this ship under surveillance already!?" The skeleton ran outside and burst through the door.
"Brook! What's going on!?" Luffy followed the skeleton out of the room. Maxwell and the others joined them outside.
"The forwards gate is already closed!" Brook exclaimed. They all looked to see some giant barrier, in the shape of a mouth, in front of them. Cartoon full lips and crooked domed teeth stood in the water, clenched together.
Maxwell could see some great chains and geared towers at either corner. It was part of a giant wooden barrier, like they were in some sort of fortress. "This is what caused the vibrations!?"
"This is the inside of the gate! That means…!" Brook ran towards the stern, "Look behind the ship, please!" They followed Brook, and were surprised at what they saw.
An island had appeared out of the mists. Gothic buildings and black forests could be seen beyond the ramparts surrounding the shore. It was as if they were gazing upon some ancient palace, now haunted by the mists of the Florian Triangle. More was hidden on that island, beyond the castle grounds. Enormous titanic black chains reached up and above where it was hidden by fog. Why they were connect to the water gate walls; Maxwell did not know.
Brook looked towards Luffy, "Did you happen to pick up a drifting barrel while sailing this ocean?"
Luffy blinks, "Uh yeah! We did!"
"That was a trap." Brook looked back towards the island, "This ship has been targeted ever since then."
"Targeted? What do you mean? We haven't even moved since we got here… Wait, why is there an island!?" Luffy just realized that they had just come across an island.
"This is the island that wanders through the Florian Triangle… The Ghost Island, Thriller Bark!"