A/N: My birthday is next week so expect the chapter after this one to be on Tuesday... either way... enjoy!
Chapter 276: Brook the Skeleton
It was time to introduced the crew to their newest crew mate… who is once again a walking, talking skeleton with an afro.
"As of today, I will be joining your crew." Said the skeleton, "Once dead and all bones my name is Brook… pleased to make your acquaintance."
The crew stared at the skeleton in shock.
"What the hell!" yelled Zoro, Franky and Kiba.
"This is all just a bad dream! This is a all a bad dream…" said Usopp.
"This was just the thing you were trying to prevent," said Sakura.
"Sorry…" said Nami and Sanji.
"Excuse me you two, but may I see your panties?" Brook asked to Robin and Isaribi.
Isaribi tried to attack him but Naruto held her back.
"You let that pervert join!" yelled Isaribi.
"Come on he's not that bad." Said Naruto.
"Luffy what is he?" asked Zoro.
"It's a walking talking skeleton…" said Gaara.
"Thank you Captain Obvious!" yelled Zoro.
"Isn't he funny." Said Luffy, "I had to make him join the crew."
"What were you guys doing! You went with him top prevent him from doing stupid thing!" yelled Zoro.
"Sorry." Said Nami and Sanji once again.
"I don't know, Luffy's a good judge of character, so I think he'll be a great member." Said Hinata.
"He said like give sentences before he asked." Said Nami.
Brook laughed, "Now, now why don't we all calm down and talk about it in a civilized manner. Let's on inside and have dinner. "
"You don't get to decide that!" yelled Sanji.
And so they went inside to have dinner where Sanji and Ino began to prepare the shark that Isaribi killed.
"What a wonderful dinning room and a fantastic kitchen to boot." Said Brook, "Whoever built it was amazing."
"Thank you, I built the ship myself." Said Franky, "You have quite and eye for detail."
"Don't complement him" said Sanji.
"I'm so looking forward to some good cooking, it's been decades since I had anything to eat. I lived everyday feeling my stomach shrink." Said Brook, "But of course I don't have a stomach! Yohoho! Skull joke!"
Luffy and Naruto laughed while everyone just stared blankly at the joke.
"I am a gentleman so I love this time to wait for dinner." Said Brook, then suddenly he started yelling like a child, "Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!"
"Shut up and wait quietly!" yelled Sanji.
"Excuse me head chef can I have a glass of milk with my dinner?" asked Brook.
"By the way Corbuckle." Said Luffy.
"My name is brook." Said Brook.
"How do you get "Corbuckle" from Brook?" asked Sasuke.
"Don't ask me." Said Kiba.
"And your name is…" said Brook to Luffy.
"Oh I'm Luffy." Said Luffy, "By way what are you."
"How did you even join if you two don't know about each other!" yelled Zoro.
"By the way your dog is very polite." said Brook to Kiba noticing Akamaru on his head.
"Thank you." Said Kiba.
"Are you sure I can't feed him?" asked Brook.
"I don't want to know what you mean…" said Kiba while Akamaru just stared at Brook, even he didn't want to get near the living skeleton.
"Don't worry, we'll get rid of the pervert later." Said Ino.
"Is that what Ino is focused on?" asked Zoro.
"Anyways Dinner is ready." Said Sanji.
"I'm so happy." Said Brook, "Now my hunger just seems so trivial."
He looked at Robin's plate.
"Excuse me miss can we switch? IT appears your portion is larger than mine." Said Brook.
"There's a enough for seconds so don't bum off Robin!" yelled Sanji.
During dinner, Isaribi made it a rule that no sharks in the fish tank (since matters of water were her expertise). Also a conversation did turn to Brook… turns out he ate the Revive Revive Fruit.
He told the story that he was once a pirate but his crew ran into a very powerful crew, he and his entire crew died when they got to Florian Triangle. Before he died, he just has the power to not swim, but when he died his real powers kicked in and he was able to return to his body but got lost along the way (which he claims due to the fog), and when his soul returned to his body it was nothing but a skeleton.
Also during this explanation, he burped and farted… just pointing that out…
"I don't think he knows this but that Fruit has more power than just that…" said Kyubi.
"Wait then he has a untapped power…" thought Naruto, "Then can you help him?"
"Sorry, but that's Nibi's thing… unless you run into Yugito anytime soon, it won't help… also I don't think telling him will help…" said Kyubi, "Besides, the rest of the crew will kick him out. Which is too bad, I like him."
"I've never seen a skeleton with hair." Said Zoro.
"I have really deep roots." Said Brook.
"Yes…" said Sakura sarcastically, "That is medically possible…"
"So you're not a ghost!" said Usopp, "because you don't look like it!"
Isaribi glared at Usopp.
"Uh… I just meant he was a ghost." Said Usopp.
"I'm tired of being angry today… so I'll let you off." Said Isaribi.
"There's something going on isn't there?" asked Brook, "Also what happened to you, were you injured?"
'It doesn't matter." Said Isaribi.
"But back to your question about ghosts, no I can't stand them…" said Brook.
"Seriously?" asked Nami.
"Have you ever looked at your self in the mirror, I mean your appearance screams "I'm a ghost."" Said Kiba.
"Well…" said Brook.
"Here I have one!" said Nami taking out a mirror.
"Where was she keeping that?" asked Zoro.
"It's a girl thing." Laughed Ino.
"No mirrors!" yelled Brook.
Usopp and Chopper held Brook down so he would see himself in the mirror. However his reflection shocked them even more.
Why? Because he didn't have a reflection!
"What…" said Usopp.
"He's a vampire!" yelled Chopper.
"A vampire skeleton is possibly the most awesome thing ever…" said Kyubi.
Naruto sweat drop at this remark.
"Was it about a vampire Skelton would be awesome?" asked Kiba.
"How did you know?" asked Naruto.
"Because I'm thinking the same thing…" said Kiba.
"Scary…" muttered Naruto.
"Look he doesn't have a shadow either!" yelled Usopp.
The crew was silent.
However Brook just calmly sipped his tea.
"Really!" yelled Sakura.
"This isn't the time to be drinking tea!" yelled Sanji.
"I would need much more time to explained everything." Sighed Brook, "You see I wandered the seas for many years. In fact the reason I'm a skeleton and that I have no shadow are completely unrelated…"
He took a sip of his tea.
"To be continued…" Brook Said.
Next Time:
"Hey! Hey! Don't end the chapter like that!" yelled Kyubi, "You haven't been following the next times lately! Stick to the plan this time and have the whole question if he won't join the crew or not!"
Damn it… why does he have that ability peer through the 4th Wall.
Anyways…
"Tell the story now!" yelled Sanji.
Brook began to explain that his shadow was stolen. Now this wouldn't be so bad had someone without a shadow would designate in sunlight. Not only that but he could not be reflect and pictures and be taken of him.
"In other words I am being shunned by the light and all my friend are dead!" said Brook cheerfully.
"Why are you so cheery, your life sucks." Said Sanji.
After cracking a couple jokes he started laughing like crazy… thankfully he had a reason.
"This is such a wonderful day!" said Brook, "I've met people."
There was an silence in the room as the crew realized he was being honest.
"In this Dark Ocean and heavy fog I could tell where one day ended and the other began. All alone on a ship I couldn't steer or navigate. I could let the waves rock and ship back and forth. I felt very alone. I was so lonely and scared I wanted to die. A long life really is a blessing so everyone rejoice! If my tears had not dried long ago I would cry tears of happiness! You people made me so happy." Said Brook.
Luffy smiled at this.
"Luffy you said you wanted me to join, right?" asked Brook.
"That's right." Laughed Luffy.
"I was so happy when you made that offer but I'm afraid I must decline!" said Brook.
"What why!" yelled Luffy.
It's because of the area's fog isn't it?" asked Gaara.
Brook nodded.
"I would rather wait here for the day I get my shadow back…" Said Brook, "After all if I leave, sooner or later I will end up in the sunlight."
"Don't be such a loner!" yelled Luffy, "You said someone stole right? Well I'll be up the guy who stole it!"
"I will too!" said Naruto, "Kyubi actually likes him! And he doesn't like anyone!"
"That's not true… I like a lot of people… just few on ship this shop… and people you've met in the couple weeks…" said Kyubi.
""That's sweet of you to say that but we just met hours ago, I can't let you fight the man." Said Brook.
"Stop it." Said Sasuke.
"What why?" asked Naruto.
"It's clear it's something he has to do himself…" said Sasuke.
"He's right… I made vow that I would resolve this on my own… well if I was able to find him…" said Brook, "I don't' even know where to look…"
He then took out a violin.
"Let us not thing about that." Said Brook, "Let us sing in celebration of this chance encounter. I am rather skilled in many instruments, in fact back in the day I was my crew's musician."
"Come on join!" said Luffy with his eyes sparkling.
The crewmembers who knew Luffy's obsession with finding a musician face palmed.
Before Brook could start his song he saw something… something that made so terrified he screamed.
"There…" said Kyubi, "That's a good place to end the chapter… "
Yeah… fine…
Anyways little did they know what Brook saw was only the begging…
Next Time: They find themselves trapped in the HQ of the man who stole Brook's shadow and Brook leaves to get it back. However Luffy being Luffy wants to explore the HQ, however something happens! What is it? Find out next time!