A/N: I'm back from my ORAS induced break... I was days ago, but there was a small pile of other fanfics I had to update... anyways enjoy this chapter...

Chapter 289: Promises Made 50 Years and 246 Chapters Ago

Luffy finally realized what happened and suddenly yelled out "Give me back my shadow!"

"It's been a solid minute…" muttered Ino.

Those that were kidnapped noticed they were missing they're shadows.

"Great…" sighed Sakura.

"So what happened?" asked Kiba.

"I don't' want to talk about it…" muttered Zoro, Sanji, Sasuke and Sakura.

"The gentle fist didn't work on the zombies." Sighed Hinata.

"What?" asked Naruto.

Hinata nodded.

"I tried using it but it didn't work on them." Said Hinata.

"It's probably because they don't have any internal organs to injure." Said Robin.

"Yeah." Said Hinata.

"Don't worry! The zombie that has your shadow can't fight either!" said Naruto.

"Really?" asked Hinata.

"It's true." Said Naruto.

Hinata smiled, hoping that t would be easy to take back her shadow.

"I just found out they took all the food!" yelled Luffy.

"What!" yelled Naruto.

"All that's left is dried bread and cheese!" said Luffy.

"No ramen!" yelled Naruto.

Luffy shook his head no.

"Nooooooo!" yelled Naruto.

Everyone but Sanji and Usopp sweat dropped. Both of them remembered that time when he fought the guy who made ramen with his nose.

"By the way I don't see Nami." Said Sanji.

Ino sighed knowing she had to be the barrier of bad news.

"What!" yelled Sanji as he began to yell at Usopp for this.

"You know me and Chopper were there too." Said Ino.

"Okay listen up! There's tow things we have to get back!" said Usopp.

"Meat! Nami and Shadow!" yelled Luffy.

"Let's not count the meat…" said Sasuke.

"Yeah…" sighed Usopp.

"There's something we have to tell you about what's going on with Nami…" said Ino.

They explained the whole merge things and after wards told them that they saw Sanji's and Luffy's zombie. Also a few other details were given to Ino's group… mainly…

"I can't believe that guy was a War Lord of the Sea." Said Usopp shivering.

"Yeah…" said Chopper.

"Don't worry… I double you have to face him…" said Kiba.

"I guess you didn't see my zombie." Said Naruto.

"But you have your shadow." Said Ino.

"Actually I don't…" said Naruto.

Ino looked at Naruto's shadow and noticed it wasn't his.

"It's Kyubi's, isn't it." Said Ino.

"That's right." Said Naruto, "When mine was stolen I'm able to sue Kyubi's. But now he's the one in control of my body while I possess it. Fu's the same."

"Naruto… why do you call him Kyubi?" asked Fu.

"Huh?" asked Naruto.

"You mean he never told his name?" asked Fu.

"His name?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah all of them have names…" said Fu.

"Though… some of them don't like telling them." Chomei told Fu.

"Oh that makes sense." Said Chomei.

"You have a name?" thought Naruto.

"Not telling." Responded Kyubi.

"Come on!" yelled Naruto out loud.

"Maybe we should get back on track." Said Franky with a sweat drop.

"So all we have to do is force the zombies to eat salt." Said Zoro, "And the shadows pop out."

"Wow, I can't believe you guys found a weakness." Said Usopp.

"Actually it was Brook." Said Kiba.

"Really?" asked Sakura surprised.

"Yeah, when we first met him I didn't disregarded him, but after today I realized he's a real man…" said Franky.

"Luffy, he won't join us until he fulfills a pact he made with a friend." Said Naruto, "But…"

"But what?" asked Luffy.

(Flashback)

"You my crew had a very important friend that we had to leave at the twin capes. We didn't do intentionally but rather out of necessity. We set sail promising our friend that when were done with our journey we would come back at all costs" Said Brook, "But we died in these waters leaving the promise unfulfilled and I was the only one to survive so it is my duty to keep that promise."

Everyone was quiet after all this was deep stuff.

"It's probably been 50 years since we died." Said Brook.

"50 years?" asked Kiba.

"That's so long!" yelled Naruto, "He probably left by now."

"I have no right to assume he left. If but chance he still waiting. Still believing in that promise. How sad would he be right now? Still thinking we betrayed him. And yet still miserable in the same place." Said Brook.

The crew was once again quiet.

"The friend we promised to meet again is named Laboon." Said Brook.

Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru were surprised.

"Wait…" said Kiba.

Naruto on the other smiled.

Kyubi started giggling about something, but Naruto ignored it probably wasn't important.

"He was still a baby whale at the time and we couldn't take him on such a dangerous voyage. I'm sure he's very big by now." Explained Brook.

"You're friend is a whale." Said Franky.

"That's right." Said Brook, "I still believe he's waiting for us, I think he may belie he'll return with us playing our usual music."

"You sound like you care about Laboon a lot." Said Naruto with a grin.

"I do!" said Brook, "After all when a man makes a promise to return, he must return."

"I understand." Said Naruto, "But… I'm not the captain is… Luffy is… so you have to tell him the story."

"Naruto…" muttered Kiba.

"What?" asked Naruto innocently.

Kiba sighed relating Naruto was playing dumb… when Brook was gone he had to ask why… because it's clear Naruto was keeping it a secret.

(End of Flashback)

"Yep… Brook was a member of Laboon's crew." Said Naruto with a big smile.

That what joined before the Grand Line were all surprised. But in a happy way.

"So how do you know that whale?" asked Isaribi.

"We made the same promise." Said Hinata, "That we would come back to him…"

Luffy smiled then he began to laugh.

"He has to join now!" laughed Luffy.

"Wait there's something we need to discus." Said Naruto.

"What?" asked Luffy.

'Remember when we first got to the grand line Sasuke… a conversation we had." Said Naruto.

"What conversation…" said Sasuke, then he remembered.

(Flashback... from Chapter 43)

"I wish that Laboon's friends didn't abandon him…" said Hinata.

"But what if they did die…" said Naruto, "And one of them "survived"."

"What do you mean "survived"?" asked Sasuke.

"I mean one of them ate a devil fruit in hi life that allowed him to come back to life… but it took too long and now he's just a living skeleton…" explained Naruto.

Everyone stared at Naruto with sweat drops...

"The day find out it's true, I'll walk around naked for 24 hours…" said Sasuke, "That's a promise…"

"Fine then…" said Naruto with a smirk.

"For once I think I'm pulling for Naruto…" said Ino blushing.

"Me too…" said Sakura also blushing.

(End of Flashback)

"Why did that flashback seemed… polished somehow…" said Kyubi.

"I don't know…" responded Naruto.

Sasuke on the other hand stood there in shock.

"Oh yeah I remember that now." Said Ino.

"I know…" said Sakura.

"You can't back down you know." Said Zoro.

"I know…" said Sasuke, "But can I…"

"Yeah you can…" said Naruto, "We do need our shadows back after all."

Usopp and Kiba on the other hand though were scared… why?

"I can't believed he was right about that…" muttered Usopp.

"I know… what else can he be right about…" said Kiba.

""Either way! Brook is joining our crew! Is everyone up for that now?" asked Luffy.

There were no more arguments against letting Brook join.

"That's well and good! But we need to stop Nami's wedding!" yelled Sanji.

Zoro got off the ship.

"Where are you going?" asked Luffy.

"Isn't it obvious, we have one more shadow to get back." Said Zoro.

"All right! Prepare for the counterattack We're going to blow up Thriller Bark to bits!" cheered Luffy.

The rest of the crew cheered… not knowing that it was going to be harder than it seemed…

Next Time: The counterattack begins! What will happen in this fight now that they can use salt? Find out next time!