I'm going to periodically update the cover image when they become relevant and match the arc they're in. Starting from 3D2Y, and from Dressrosa onward, the events and islands will be made up from my own mind. Of course I'm including Zou, but what happens on it will be of my own devising. The other thing I'm going to start doing is listing the songs that I imagine playing while these scenes are happening. If you'd like, go listen to them for effect. I did say I was going into Film Scoring, after all. Enjoy!

Thriller Bark

"Hey, Aaron!" I was asleep.

"H-Huh? What is it?"

"A new crew member joined us! He's a musician too! His name is Brook!" Luffy moved to the side, revealing a walking, talking skeleton.

"Pleased to meet you! YOHOHOHO!"

"What's up? Welcome to the crew, Brook." I laid my head back down on the counter.

"That was a really boring reaction, Aaron." Chopper pouted. "He's a living skeleton!"

"I noticed. I've seen stranger things."

"Guys, I'm going to make dinner." said Sanji.

"Alright." I responded, getting up.

X

"Hahahaha! Brook, you're great! I love having you travel with us!"

"Thank you, Luffy, but I'm afraid I have to reject that offer. I know I said I'd join, but I'm afraid I can't."

"Huh? Why not? You don't want to?"

"N-No, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I have a certain condition that prevents me from traveling outside of the Florian Triangle. You see, it's always dark near here so I'm able to stay. After I revived thanks to the devil fruit I ate, unfortunately my shadow got stolen from me."

'! His shadow got stolen? That sounds a lot like...'

"Your shadow was...stolen?" asked Luffy.

"Correct. A certain man possessing a devil fruit stole my shadow from me, and without it, I cannot travel into sunlight, otherwise I'd disintegrate. I've tried to get it back, but I'm afraid the man who stole it is too strong for me." My hand twitched and my grip tightened on the wine glass I was holding.

"We'll help you get it back!"

"Huh?! Really?!"

"Of course!"

"Hold it, Luffy!" Everyone became silent after finally hearing me speak up. I turned to the skeleton.

"Brook."

"Y-Yes?"

"The man who stole your shadow. Is his name Gekko Moriah?"

"Why yes, it is. How did you know?" My grip tightened more, and without realizing it, I unintentionally smashed the glass, making it go all over the floor and in my hand, making it start to bleed."

"Ah! Aaron! You're bleeding!" shouted Nami.

"What the hell?! You just shattered my glass!" yelled Sanji.

"Damned bastard! He's still making that godforsaken zombie army of his?!" I stepped out into the open. Everyone followed.

"Nami, are we still in the Florian Triangle?!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Good. Our next stop is Thriller Bark. I have a bit of business to take care of.

X

"We're here." said Nami. My eyes opened and closed a few times, but when I tried to stretch, I couldn't.

"Huh?" I looked around to find my hands and feet shackled in sea prism stone handcuffs that were tied to a chair.

"What the hell?!"

"Morning!" yelled Luffy happily.

"Don't 'Morning' me, you cheeky little bastard, what the hell's going on?!" Nami spoke up.

"Sorry, but we decided to have you stay on the ship while we go and fight."

"That makes no sense! I know him better than any of you do!"

"And your anger will once again get the better of you. It's best that you stay here this time." I flinched.

"Literally. You put me in sea prism stone handcuffs?"

"Otherwise, you'd just follow us in."

"Where did you even get these?"

"I picked them up in Water 7, as an emergency precaution to keep Luffy in check."

"Ha! Never figured you to be the bondage type, Nami." Her face became flushed, and she slammed her fist into my head.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Ow. Sorry."

X

"This is how you plan to become the Pirate King?! By having a zombie army fight FOR you?!"

"It's the best way! A Pirate King needs a giant and powerful crew by their side!"

"But the King himself has to be stronger than the rest of them put together! You don't have that strength. If someone defeats you, you'd just beg for mercy like a coward. A King looks into the faces of danger and death and accepts it! A King should be fearless!"

"Where are you going?!"

"I'm finished with you and your so-called army. That village shouldn't have been destroyed, let alone by the shadows of the citizens. If I ever hear about you and your powers again, I'll come back and kill you myself."

...

"Well?"

"He's not worth it. You don't need a second deranged madman, you already have Doflamingo for that. Moriah relies on the strength of others too much anyway. He's of no use to the Order."

I sighed, still locked up.

"Lady Perona!"

'Hm? What was that? Is someone else on the ship?' I used haki to break out of the handcuffs and put my ear to the door.

"Ahh!"

"No!"

"Save me!"

Then it became quiet. Too quiet. I opened the door and walked out, but never expected to find who I did. I closed the door.

"Fancy meeting you here...traitor." He whipped his head around.

"You...I thought you'd be off with the others."

"You thought wrong. Why are you here, Kuma?"

"I came to see how the battle was going, and I came to discuss something with Moriah as well."

"If you think you're going to talk Templar with him, you're mistaken. Akainu knows not to invite him into the Order."

"Perhaps, but I'm not here on business for the Order. Just for Fleet Admiral Sengoku."

"Hmph." My eyes moved to his shirt's design.

"What? What is it?"

"I find it interesting how different your badges of office can be. They can be as subtle as yours or as outright as Mihawk's. He wears his around his neck, but yours is imbued into your shirt design. Remove the circle from the crosshair, and move the edges together to form a cross."

"Do you also find it interesting that my orders from Sengoku include capturing you?"

"Not at all...Armament!" I flew at him with my arm hardened. He dodged it, took off his glove, and thrust his hand at me.

I knew better than to be caught by this trap. I couldn't afford to be sent away at this point. I teleported behind him, and chopped his neck, causing it to rip a little. Of course, there was no blood, since he was part cyborg now. He repaired just as quickly.

"You're holding back."

"Of course I am." I responded, cracking my knuckles.

"Why?"

"I don't know either. Let's change that." I lunged again and threw a wave of punches. He dodged them all.

"Do you hold back because you don't want to damage this ship? Or is it because...you still think of me as a friend and can't bring yourself to kill me?"

"SHUT UP!" I threw myself at him with fire and haki encasing my arm. He held his own hands out.

"That trick won't work on me-"

"Ursus Shock."

'What?! Damn it! He must have compressed it before the fight! That liar, he knew I was here all along!' Kuma's strongest air blast hit me straight in the stomach, sending me flying through trees with such force that I tore through them instantly, before a large explosion engulfed me. I fell forward, seeing Kuma walk off the ship before I blacked out, my body covered in blood.

X

"Ugh...my head." I slowly stood up, clutching my ribcage. I was still drenched in blood.

"Huh? It's...morning. How long was I out? Mm! I should go see what's happening with everyone else." I went towards the castle courtyard. After a while, I arrived, seeing everyone up and talking. I glanced around, and noticed Moriah and...a giant zombie? What was with that? Whatever, they were both down anyway. I stumbled towards them, before Chopper noticed me and ran up.

"Wh-What the hell happened to you?!"

"Grgh...long story. How is everyone?" We began walking back to the others.

"That's the strange part. We all passed out after fighting Oz and Moriah. Luffy beat them. When we woke up again, we all felt fine, and the only one really hurt was Zoro."

"...Damage Repulsion."

"What?"

"I know what happened. Let's see the others."

I stumbled over to the rest of them, clutching my ribs.

"Oh, Aaron. You got out of the cuffs, and OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" screamed Nami, noticing the blood seeping into my hands.

"I had an unfortunate run-in with an old friend, and from the looks of it, so did you." I replied, motioning to a bandaged Zoro. Sanji perked up.

"You know him?" he asked.

"Of course I do. He's one of the Templars, and he and I have a long history together...Chopper, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be healed as soon as possible. I think I'm bleeding out..."

"AH! R-RIGHT AWAY!" Chopper started to stitch and bandage my wounds as I sat down on a barrel.

"...How long until Zoro's awake?"

"Not for a while, why?" asked Luffy.

"...Just wondering."

"Aaron...what do you know about all this? And don't lie." asked Sanji.

"You know, don't you?"

"Yes. I found out." I sighed. By now, all of the other Straw Hats had gathered around and were confused as to what Sanji and I were talking about.

"The technique Kuma used is known as Damage Repulsion. He's able to extract the battle damage others have taken and inflict all of it on another."

"So Zoro..." started Nami.

"Took that hit for Luffy." finished Sanji.

"...What about you?" asked Robin.

"I'm afraid he caught me by surprise and hit me with his strongest technique, Ursus Shock."

"What does that do?" asked Luffy.

"It's an air compression blast." responded Zoro.

"! You're awake!" yelled Chopper. We all walked towards him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I've been better. Even Mihawk didn't injure me as much as this."

"True, but he left you with a scar. This will heal eventually...you know, Zoro...sorry guys, could you give us a minute alone?" Everyone reluctantly walked away from us.

"There's a reason why he chose you to receive all of that damage."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. If he wanted to kill Luffy, he could have easily done so. He was already unconscious after Oz, from what Chopper told me."

"What was the reason?"

"Don't tell the others, I'll tell them when the time is right. The Templars are focused on our crew specifically. They've already taken action, and that worries me."

"Why do you think they're after us?"

"I'm not surprised. After all, Luffy did defeat both Arlong and Crocodile, two of their prime candidates. But this is the second time they've fought you. The first time, Mihawk fought you on a whim, because you challenged him outright. But this time, Kuma made you take that damage specifically."

"What was the reason he chose me?"

"...Each Templar is normally assigned a target. They are supposed to pursue that target until either captured or killed. I have a feeling that Kuma has been assigned to you, which means that Luffy must also be the target of someone."

"Hey, are you guys done yet?" yelled Luffy. "We're going to party!"

"We should leave right after the party, Zoro. I don't like how this is playing out." He hummed in response.

"Did you hear me?!"

"Yes, I'm coming!"

End.