Well, I'm finally back~! I hope that you all enjoy and be sure to let me know what you think~!

"Oi! Franky! We're here!" calls Luffy, jogging ahead of the crew. "Give us the ship, and let's set sail!" They've gathered their things, they've left their temporary home, and they're ready to sail again. It's hard to say goodbye to a place that's been treating them so well but they can't linger! Fishman Island, and the New World awaits, after all! Rather than Franky, however, they're met at the ship by Iceburg. "Oh! Ice Pops! So, you're here! Where's Franky?"

"Unfortunately, he had somewhere he had to be," Iceburg, tells them. "But the ship is completed, so I'll show it to you in place of Franky. This ship is incredible! When I saw the blue-prints, I was amazed! It can, without a doubt, sail any sea! With a ship like this reaching the end of the world isn't just a dream! Here is Franky's message to you, Straw Hat!" Iceburg grasps the tarp tightly. "If you're going to be King of the Pirates someday..." Iceburg yanks the tarp off of the ship. "...board this King of Animals ship!" Everything about the ship is simply amazing. It's at least twice as big as the Merry, and, if what Franky said was true, created from wood capable of taking quite a bit of punishment. Everyone on the crew seems to find exactly what they were looking for in a ship, in this ship. All in all, none of them has a single complaint about it.

"Oi, Ice Pops! Where's Franky? We'd like to thank him!"

"Aah...well, it seems like he has no intention of meeting you guys again." Luffy cocks his head in confusion. "Straw Hat, you're planning to ask him to be your shipwright, aren't you?"

"Yeah! I've decided that he's going to be our shipwright!"

"He seems to be aware of that."

"So, he doesn't want to, then?"

"Just the opposite!" Iceburg laughs. "In fact, he's not sure that he could turn you down if you asked. That's why he went and hid...but his honest wish is to set sail with you guys. That he's entrusted this dream ship he's been planning for so long to you guys is proof of that. Honestly, he's just being stubborn if you ask me. But...if you truly intend to take him with you...then do whatever it takes!" Upon hearing his words, Luffy nods in understanding.

"Alright! Let's go...!"

Luffy, Sanji and Zoro have been gone for only a few minutes but the ruckus that's kicking off in the city can only be the result of fighting with Franky. Things come to a head, so to speak, when Franky himself suddenly comes crashing down several meters away from the ship. Except for his shirt, he's naked as the day he was born. Luffy drops out of the sky seconds later, landing on the railing of the ship with the cyborg's swim-suit clutched on his hand.

"Dahahahaha~!" laughs Run, staring Franky. "Been drinking, have we, Franky? Dahahahaha~!" In the distance, a group of Water 7 citizens shout at the man to put some pants on. Franky ignores them completely, shoving his sunglasses up calmly.

"Oi, Straw Hat," Franky calls. "How about giving me my swimsuit back?"

"Sure," Luffy agrees. "After you join our crew."

"Huh. You really think I'll join just because you stole my swimsuit?" Franky surprises them all by suddenly striking a pose, arms held over his head in his signature style. Clearly, the man has absolutely no shame in regards to his nudity. "Nothing should phase a man! He should always be comfortable and resourceful in his own skin! Like a lion that stands against any challenger!"

"Dahahahaha~! He's confident, at least!" Run laughs. "I prefer to sleep naked but I draw the line as strutting around in the buff."

"Waah! I totally underestimated him!" Luffy cries. "What a strong-willed guy!" Nami immediately smacks him in the back of the head.

"No! He's just a pervert!" Nami shouts.

"If it's alright to be a little rough, I can help," Robin tells them.

"Well...Ice Pops did say we would have to use force to persuade him," Luffy mutters. "So, I guess it's alright." Robin smiles a bit in response and crosses her arms in front of her calmly.

"Dos Fleurs." The red head narrows his eyes in response, a bad feeling settling in his gut as if by instinct. She's not...there's no way she would do that, right? She absolutely wouldn't do that to someone, right? "Grab!" Franky's eyes look as if they're going to pop right out of his head as she squeezes some very tender areas. Luffy, Run; every man within eyeshot, actually, feels a shudder race through them as if sympathizing with him.

"She grabbed them!"

"You're going to crush them!" Chopper screams.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Run shouts. "Urp! Oh...Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick by proxy! That's actually turning my stomach." Franky collapses onto the ground, thrashing about in pain.

"Oi, Robin!" Luffy shouts. "I want him to still be a man when he joins!"

"If you're telling us, pirates, to back off a treasure right in front of us, then you need to provide a good reason," Robin tells the man, ignoring his cries of pain. "Right?" Franky's pain tolerance is nothing to sneeze at apparently, as he seems to overcome the pain enough to face them.

"I-I already told you," Franky begins, grunting briefly in pain. "I want to stay on the island. I appreciate you guys. I really can't thank you enough, in fact! I want to go with you and lend a hand but there's something I still have to do here! That's why I gave you the ship as a gift! But I'm no longer a shipwright, and this is the last ship I'll ever build! It is a dream ship!"

"No, it isn't, Franky," Iceburg says. "At least not yet. Everything that you've been doing here is nothing but atonement. You're holding onto the regret that Tom was taken because of you. But on that same day, Tom forgave you and tried to guide you. You brought all those punks from the back-streets together, you called yourself a bounty-hunter and protected the city from looters...you did all of that to protect the city that Tom loved as your way of atoning for it.

"That's not why I did all of that!"

"You gave up building ships, something that you loved. You've suppressed your true self all this time. Are you going to continue living the rest of your life like this? Even if Tom forgives you, even if I forgive you...you just can't let it go. But isn't it about time...that you forgave yourself, Franky? Isn't it time for you to live your own dream?" A bag suddenly comes flying towards Franky, and lands right in front of him. The Franky Family screams that inside is everything that he'll need for his trip. Rather than accept it, he suddenly falls onto his back thrashing wildly from the pain.

"R-Robin, go easy on him!" Luffy whines. "You're going to turn him into a woman!" Robin chuckles a lowers her hands, but Franky continues his squirming on the ground. "Can't you...huh? You're not doing anything?"

"I only squeezed once," Robin assures him. "Just the first time. He's very sly to use it as an excuse to cry." Suddenly, Zoro and Sanji burst through the crowd and start sprinting towards the ship.

"Huh? Zoro! Sanji!"

"We've got trouble!" Sanji screams.

"It's your grandpa!" Zoro adds. "He's come back! He's at the opposite shore! He's come back to capture us!"

"Huh?!" Luffy grunts. "I thought he said he wasn't going to try to catch us?!"

"How should we know?! Just set the sail and lets- Franky?! Why don't you have your swimsuit on, yet?!" Luffy throws Franky's swimsuit back to him with a huge grin.

"Let's go, Franky! Come on board my ship!" Franky actually grins in response.

"Don't be so hasty, Straw Hat," Franky retorts. "Don't forget that you guys are amateurs who could only manage a few patch jobs. It's be a pity for such a beautiful ship to now have a proper shipwright on board to take care of her, ya know. I really don't have much choice but to help you lot out. So, I, Franky, will be your shipwright!" Saying that, he grabs his bag and leaps on board the ship. They weight anchor, set sail and begin drifting away from the scrap island. Even so, Nami and Chopper are worried. "Oi, Straw Hat, are you sure you don't have to wait for one more person?"

"I did wait. I tried to keep at least one person in our room at Galley-La so that it wouldn't ever be empty...

- - Several Day's Earlier - -

"Eh? Usopp is coming back?" Luffy demands, smiling broadly.

"Yeah," Sanji tells him. "He was by the seashore rehearsing how he'd rejoin us."

"Really?! So he really does want to come back, after all! Then, let's go get him!" Naturally, Nami, Chopper and Luffy are all for this, and immediately make for the door. Before they can reach it, however, Run slams his palm down on the table hard enough to make everyone jump slightly in surprise.

"No," Zoro tells them firmly. "Hell, no, as a matter of fact. No one is going to get him."

"Huh? What do you mean? He wants to come back!"

"Whatever happens, don't assume a subservient attitude towards him, Luffy. I'm not going to accept him back until he apologizes."

"Hey!" Nami begins. "Who are you to decide-"

"Nami, quiet," Run says, interrupting her. "Aah, I know that you want him to come back, Luffy. But above all things, a Captain must first command respect, and on a ship the Captain's word is law. If a crew doesn't respect their Captain, then they'll fall apart under pressure. Allowing Usopp to come back simply because that's what he wants is the same as allowing him to walk all over you, Luffy. I also understand that I haven't always held true to that but the first thing I did was apologize to our Captain properly afterwards."

"We can give him a good talking to once he comes back but-"

"No," Zoro says again. "It's good that he wants to come back...but if he tries to beat around the bush and not take any responsibility for his actions then we'll leave him behind on this island." Sanji heaves a heavy sigh and nods in the affirmative.

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with them on this," Sanji announces.

"It'll be difficult for us to trust someone who would leave the crew so impulsively," Run adds. "If the first words out of Usopp's mouth are a heart-felt apology, then that's good! I'm all for forgiving and forgetting. But if he tries to make excuses...then there's no place for him in the crew, anymore..."

- - Present Day - -

"I waited for him all this time but he didn't come," Luffy says leaking out a fake chuckle. "This is his answer, I guess. I'm sure...I'm sure that he'll have a fun life. He probably won't stop being a pirate so I'm sure we'll meet him on the sea somewhere!" Though Luffy says that and continues laughing, they can tell that he isn't being serious. Cannonballs suddenly strike the sea around them, causing the ship to pitch and yaw on the waves.

"Shit!" Franky exclaims. "It's the Navy! They found us!"

"Grandpa?!"

"Oi, Luffy!" echos a voice through a loud speaker. "Can you hear me?! It's Grandpa! If you can hear me, say something!"

"Gramps, what are you doing?!" Luffy grips the railing of the ship, staring at the man and his ship in the distance. They Navy ship sails quickly in their direction, intending to intercept them before they can get away. "You said that you weren't going to capture us!"

"Aah, well, a lot of things have happened! Sorry, but I've gotta send you to the bottom of the sea! I'm not doing this as an apology or something, but I'm going to fight all of you by myself!" One of the Marines on the ship approaches Garp, and hands the man a cannonball. "Meteor...Fist!" The cannonball sails by them, striking the shore and exploding.

"Dahahahaha~! I forgot how strong the old man was!" laughs Run.

"Who are you calling 'old' brat?! I'm gonna give you a scolding that your father should have!"

"Aah. Oh. Oh, he's being serious! Everyone, pack your shit we need to go!"

"He threw that with is bare hands!" Sanji exclaims.

"He threw that faster than a cannon fires one!" Zoro adds, drawing two swords. "It's not like he's chucking a baseball or something!"

"We've gotta go now!" Run shouts, moving to the stern of the ship with Robin, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Franky. "We don't have a choice!" The ship turns away from the shore, making for open sea while they deflect cannonballs away from their new ship.

"He's here!" Chopper suddenly cries, running to the stern with the others. In the distance, they watch as he runs towards the shore. He spews excuses the whole time he's running, calling out for them. But none of them respond. They need to hear some simple words. "He's calling!"

"Is he?" Luffy asks.

"Can't hear a thing."

"Is that the wind?"

"GUYS! I'M SORRY!" They all look to the shore at the man. "I'm sorry for being bullheaded! Please, let me come back!" Luffy wastes no time in stretching an arm out towards the shore. Usopp grabs his hand, and yanks him back to the ship. As soon as he's safely on board, Franky calls for them to furl the sails. Deciding to take his advice, they quickly do this. As soon as it done, Zoro and Run drop back down to the deck below.

"Sure this is a good idea?" Zoro questions them.

"Have a little faith in the ship," Franky assures him.

"Alright!" Run says with a grin. "I'm eager to see what this ship can do!"

"Not yet. We still haven't named the ship, yet."

"I don't mean to rush you but our window of escape is rapidly shrinking, Franky."

"Absolutely not! Do you really want to depart on an unnamed ship?" Luffy immediately began picking random names, much to Usopp's irritation and almost everyone else's amusement. "Actually, the shipwrights came up with a name all of their own if you're interested. The Thousand Sunny."

"Yeah!" Luffy cheers. "I like it! The Thousand Sunny!"

"It's decided, then," Run adds. "Now, Franky, do you want to do whatever it was you were planning?"

"Fine, fine," Franky mutters. "You'd all better take one last look at Water 7! Because in a second, it's going to be completely out of sight!" Luffy laughs and jumps up onto the railing of the Sunny to face off with Garp and the Marines chasing them.

"Grandpa!" Luffy bellows. "And Coby and...I was glad I got to see you after such a long time! We're gonna run away with all our might now!" Rather than just let them go, Garp pulls out a gigantic ball and chain...which he promptly throws at them.

"Here we go! Coup de...Burst!" They go sailing out from under the iron ball, actually lifting off the sea and into the sky. Franky appears back on the deck, approaching them with a smile. "It consumes three barrels of cola to let us fly a single kilometer. There's nothing the Merry could do that the Sunny can't. If this ship breaks down, I'll fix it perfectly! The Sunny will carry on the Merry's brave spirit! From now on, rely on me for this ships repairs and weapons!" After they were safely away from the Navy, they decided it was time for a party.

"Alright! Let's have a toast! To Robin and Usopp who came back to us...and our new friend Franky...and to our new ship, The Thousand Sunny! Cheers...!"

So, with Water 7 left firmly behind them they could do nothing but turn their minds towards Fishman island, their next destination. Several days pass slowly, with the crew enjoying the features of the Sunny to it's fullest. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper have been spending a great deal of time catching fish to throw in the Sunny's aquarium while Franky has been couped up in his workshop below deck.

"Hm," Run grunts, staring at the chess board. "There's a way out of this, I know it." What had started off as a playful game of chess had turned into a great number of sound defeats on Run's part. Now, again, he finds himself on the losing end of only a minutes long game.

"You're getting better, I'll admit that," Robin tells him. "But don't forget our deal, Run." He grins from ear to ear as he moves his Knight, one of his few remaining pieces. "Mm, I see you're determined to make me work for it." Robin promptly moves her rook and takes his knight.

"I'm just playing hard to get." He regards the board for several long moments before finally sighing and reaching out to knock over his king. "But I suppose not hard enough. It's my loss." Robin giggles while Run slumps back in his chair, defeated. "Alright...I guess it's time to honor our deal." The red head stands and crosses the aquarium bar to take a seat on one of the benches. "Ready for you foot rub?" She stands and approaches, stopping in front of him before raising a foot and placing it on the cushion between his legs.

"You should at least take my heels off for me first." He grins, hands gliding up her leg slowly before gently lifting her foot to remove her heel, and allowing it to clatter to the floor. A hand lands on his shoulder as she shifts, offering him her other leg. The red head is far more daring this time, hands landing on her thigh first, and she gives his shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaning over him to whisper in his ear. "Mm, careful...I'm not wearing panties today."

"My, my...don't tell me you were planning this all along, Nico Robin." Run leans in, pressing a kiss against the inside of her knee. "What WILL I do with you?" Her hand travels to the back of his head, entangling in crimson locks as he slowly trails kisses up her thigh. A loud commotion from the deck outside briefly gives the red head pause before he continues on. One hand comes up to grasp the outside of her thigh while the other slides up her hip before circling around and resting on her lower back.

"Mm, we should probably-"

"Shh. We can be missed. This is your reward, after all."

"Oi! Robin, Run, come out here!" calls a muffled voice from the deck. "We found something really cool!" Robin feels a finger tapping against her thigh for a moment; whether in irritation or anticipation she couldn't hazard a guess. The sound of running footsteps briefly proceeds the door to the room being thrown wide open, and Run lifts his head, staring over Robin's thigh at the now cherry red faces of Franky, Nami, Luffy and Usopp...all four of whom are sporting nosebleeds to match.

"Ahem...occupied." The door slams loudly as Robin giggles, fingers massaging the red head's scalp. "I guess that's our cue." After some careful readjustments, and a bit of redressing the two eventually join the rest of the crew on the main deck to a number of flushed faces and a fierce glare from Sanji. A large barrel occupies the center of the deck with a large red flag emblazoned with 'Offering to the Sea God' waving high above it.

"Really?" Nami finally says. "In the aquarium?! Don't you have any decency, Run?!"

"Yeah!" adds Sanji quickly. "Just how could you take care of poor Robin like that?!"

"Aah, not to split hairs," begins Run. "But I'm pretty certain I was about to be taken advantage of...and I'm ok with that, thanks for asking." Silence follows his words for several long seconds before Robin finally clears her throat and steps forward.

"I see you've found a drifting barrel," Robin says with a smile. "Someone made an offering to the god of the sea in the hopes of a safe voyage. It's meant to be a gift to a god."

"Well, we picked it up," Zoro announces, approaching the barrel at the same time as Run. "So, let's drink the booze ourselves."

"Dahahahaha~! I've heard these things are usually filled to the brim with good sake!" Run adds. "It'd be a waste just to toss it over board!" Everyone is all for it, gathering around the barrel while Run deftly unties the knots holding the lid on the barrel. He's barely moved the lid before a loud explosion sounds. He jerks back, raising a hand to shield his face as a flare streaks skyward. "Whoa! What was that?"

"A flare," Robin mutters. "I hope that was just a prank but...but someone may have been waiting for it. We may be being targeted now." Usopp and Chopper begin to panic as a result of this, and the little reindeer runs around the deck looking around for any incoming ships. Robin approaches the red head while this is going on. "Are you alright?"

"Aah, I'll live. Luckily I wasn't leaning over it or I might've caught it full in the face."

"Everyone! Take your positions!" Nami shouts, running up the stairs. "A storm will be here in five minutes!" They immediately get to work, and a huge thunder storm follows. The Sunny pitches and rolls on the massive waves, while lightning bolts streak the sky. "We're caught in a head wind! It's gonna blow us back!"

"Oi, does this ship really seem like that much of a push over?" Franky laughs. "Don't forget who built it!"

"Aah! That's right! Everyone! Take in the sails!" They scramble across the deck of the Sunny, quickly furling the sails under Nami's orders. Franky takes the helm with a huge grin, rotating one of the man dials and pulling a level quickly.

"Soldier Dock System, Channel Zero." On either side of the Sunny, a large paddle driven by a cola-powered engine, emerge. With incredible ease, the paddles begin pulling them forward, cutting through the wind and waves as if they aren't even there. They escape the storm with ease and find themselves in calmer, if far creepier, waters. Most of the crew stands at the edge of the Sunny, peering off towards the horizon hidden by the thick fog.

"It's broad daylight...but with all this fog and the clouds we can't even see the sun," Zoro complains.

"Do you think maybe we wandered into that sea?" Nami wonders, feeling slightly creeped out by the area. "Aah, I'm not ready for this!"

"Are we nearing Fishman Island?" Usopp asks.

"Most likely not," Run tells him. "If we were close we'd be seeing the Red Line...besides, we have to cross through 'haunted' waters first, Usopp." Franky grins, and turns to face all of them.

"That's right," Franky agrees. "Don't let your guard down. From the looks of things, we're already in those infamous waters...the Florian Triangle! These are mysterious waters were ships and their crews disappear without a trace every year." Luffy bursts out into laughter.

"We're in haunted waters now!" laughs Luffy.

"What the hell?!" Usopp demands. "All of you knew about this?!" Chopper clings to the red head's legs, shaking from head to toe in fear.

"That Granny from Water 7 told us! There's living skeleton's here!" Sanji strikes a match, and lights a cigarette calmly.

"Would you knock it off," Sanji mutters. "Don't frighten him anymore than he is. Look...the Florian Triangle is a place where more than one-hundred ships go missing every year. They say there are ghost-ships still carrying the dead in these waters!" Usopp breaks into a panic, claiming he needs to prepare himself by covering himself in 'anti-evil' stuff. Chopper panics as well, at least until Run reaches down and places a hand on the little reindeer's head.

"Relax, relax!" Run tells him. "Everything is gonna be fine, Chopper. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. Besides, it's all just a bunch of superstition." Singing suddenly reaches their ears, and all heads turn left and right looking for the noise. The source of the signing, it turns out, comes from a large, and beaten ship which slowly sails in their direction. "Although...I have been wrong before."

"GHOST SHIP!"

"Cover your ears!" Usopp demands. "It's an evil spirts sailor song! If you listen it'll drag you down with it!"

"Is someone aboard that ship?" Robin mutters in question, watching the galleon slowly pass. Run cracks his knuckles loudly, eyes narrowing to see through the thick fog. When he does see, however, causes him to cock his head slightly in confusion. Leaning against the railing of the large galleon...is a skeleton...a skeleton with an afro...that's singing. Everyone of the crew watches as the galleon passes, disappearing into the fog again. "Was that...?"

"It was a skeleton!" Luffy cries, eyes sparkling. "A skeleton was singing! It was a living skeleton!"

"Binks Sake," Run calls, staring in the direction it sailed. "I like that song."

"Run! Let's go! Let's go right now! It really was a living skeleton!" Luffy is raring to go, and so is almost the whole crew. The only one's who don't want to go are Nami, Chopper and Usopp. When they see that they're going to be left alone, Zoro decides that they'll draw straws to see who goes with him...

"Why," Nami complains. "Why is it me?!" Nami, Sanji and Run had drawn the short straws, so they were to accompany their Captain onto the ghost ship to meet the skeleton.

"Dahahahaha~! Relax! I'm scarier than anything we'll find on here!" Run assures her, climbing beside her with a grin. "It was probably just a trick of the light."

"There is no light, idiot!"

"Aah...then maybe it really was a moving skeleton come to curse us all!" Her shrill scream nearly deafens the red head, who reaches a hand up to cover one of his ears. "Dahahahaha~! Someone's a little- ow!" Sanji drives a heel of one foot into the top of his head. "Didn't hurt, casanova!"

"Stop scaring Nami, idiot!" Sanji screams down at him. "Nami! Never fear! I'll protect you no matter what!" They continue their climbing up the rotted rope ladder...stopping only briefly when they spy the same skeleton from earlier peering over the railing of the galleon down at them. Nami screams in response, and tries to climb down but the red head forces her up regardless. They climb over the railing onto the deck of the ship were the afro'd skeleton is waiting for them, a cup of tea in hand.

"Good day to you!" the skeleton says. "Yohoho~! Sorry about earlier! Our eyes locked, but I wasn't able to give a proper greeting!" Nami stays hidden behind the red head while they all stare at the talking skeleton. "It was quite the start! I haven't seen people of flesh for decades now! Every ship I happen across seems to be a ghost ship! Come with me! Feel free to come right on in! Let's enjoy a nice leisurely conversation!"

"Well, I'll be damned," Run says with a grin. "It really was a talking skeleton. Huh."

"Why are you so calm about this, idiot?!" Nami screams at Run. "It's not normal! This is totally not normal!"

"Well, who's to say what's normal on the Grand Line?"

"Look! He's talking!" Luffy accuses, pointing at him. "It's a talking skeleton with an afro!"

"Hm? Oh, my!" He approaches a bit closer, looking towards Nami. "What a truly elegant lady! My eyes have scarcely beheld such a beautiful lady...that is if skeleton's had eyes! Yohoho~!" Run actually chuckles a bit as his tasteless jokes. "Ahem...may I see your panties?" Nami responds by kicking him in the head, throwing him straight down to the deck while Luffy and Run laugh. "That made my bones rattle...especially because I'm a skeleton! Yohoho~!" Luffy and Run laugh again, and watch as he stands.

"Say, do you poop?"

"There are a boat-load of questions we should ask before that!" Sanji screams.

"Yes, I poop," the skeleton tells them.

"Who cares?! More importantly, why are you alive and talking when you're just bones?! What the heck are you? What are you doing here? What happened on this ship? What's the story behind this sea?! Answer all of my questions, now!" Sanji fires off question after question at the skeleton, all of which seem to be fairly good.

"Hold on a moment! You...join my crew!" Luffy demands.

"Yeah, sure," the skeleton replies...

"Hello, everyone! I shall be imposing upon you for a bit! I'm the dead and skeletonized Brook!" Brook announces, tipping his top hat to the crew gathered in front of them. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Don't be stupid! What the heck are you?!" demands the rest of the crew.

"My, my, they're rather harsh!" Luffy and Run laugh in response and watch as the skeleton approaches Robin. "Goodness, aren't you a lovely lady? May I see your panties?"

"My, he's certainly forward," Robin giggles, watching as Nami bounces a shoe off his head. "But I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Usopp suddenly begins inching forward, a large cross held in his hand. Brook takes a single step back in confusion.

"It's working, Usopp!" Chopper cheers.

"Begone, evil spirit!" screams Usopp. "This has to be a dream! There's no way a skeleton could walk, talk and sing!"

"Wait, evil spirit?!" shrieks Brook. "W-Where?! Is in my hair?! Don't let it in my hair!"

"Oi, Luffy!" Zoro demands. "What the hell is with this guy?!"

"Isn't he funny? I had him join the crew!" Luffy tells him matter-of-factly.

"No! I won't allow it! Didn't you guys go with him to prevent this very thing?!"

"Aah, lighten up, Zoro!" Run tells him with a grin. "He's just a talkin' skeleton!" Brook walks towards the door to the kitchen calmly, and then turns to face them.

"There's no need to get so worked up!" Brook laughs. "Come on! Let's go inside and have dinner!"

"That's not for you to decide!" Regardless, they all head inside and Sanji begins cooking dinner for them all immediately. Brook seems to be on cloud nine, enjoying the conversation and taking in the decor of the kitchen. The compliments only serve to stroke Franky's pride as a craftsman. Sanji finishes cooking dinner several minutes later, placing a huge number of dishes onto the table. Dinner goes by smoothly, or as smooth as it can with Brook attempting to swap plates with Robin on several occasions.

When they've finished eating, they decide it's time to ask Brook some questions. Naturally, they're curious as to HOW he's still walking and talking as nothing more than a skeleton. Brook explains to them that it's the result of eating the Revive-Revive Fruit. He and his crew were killed here in the Florian Triangle, and although he was spared death by the Devil Fruit, it took his soul so long to return to his body that when he'd finally found it, it was little more than a skeleton.

"So, why do you still have an afro?" Zoro questions him.

"I have very strong roots," Brook says.

"So, you're not a ghost then?" Usopp asks, still holding a cross in front of him.

"N-No! Of course not! If I saw a ghost, I would definitely scream!"

"Not a ghost? Have you seen yourself?!" Nami demands, thrusting out a small mirror in his direction. Brook panics as a result while Usopp and Chopper peer into the mirror...and their eyes slowly begin to widen. "What is it?"

"He...He doesn't have a reflection!" accuses Usopp. "It's a Vampire! A-Actually! Now that I look...he doesn't have a shadow either!" The crew tenses, ready for a fight any moment while Brook simply takes a seat. "Oi! Don't act all calm!"

"Allow me to explain," begins Brook. "A certain man stole my shadow some years ago. After having it taken from me, I'm no longer able to exist in the world of light. I'm only alive now because we're drifting in these foggy waters. But...if I were to be exposed to sunlight, then for sure my body was be completely destroyed. Your shadow stands on the ground when you stand in the light. Since I've no shadow, my body cannot reflect light and so I cannot cast a reflection, either. Put simply...the light itself rejects my very existance."

"That's...completely crazy," Run finally says. "Personally, I couldn't imagine living like that. I love to curl up in the sun for a nap."

"Aah, but I've scraped by! Scraped down to the bone, actually! I am the dead and skeletonized Brook! Yohoho!" When he finally calms himself down he faces them all again. "I'm glad that I've lived long enough to meet such wonderful people! If only I could shed tears of joy! Asking me to join your crew made me so happy...but I'm afraid I must decline!"

"Huh? Why?!" whines Luffy.

"As I said, my shadow was stolen. I cannot live under the sunlight, and am currently protected by the fog of this sea. If I accompanied you, it would only be a matter of time before my body was destroyed. So, I will wait here until the day I've reclaimed my shadow!"

"Don't be like that! If you need your shadow back, then we'll get it back for you! So, who was the guy who stole it?"

"Truly, you are a generous man...but I cannot tell you. I could not ask someone I've only just met to die for me!"

"So, this guy is strong, then," Run asserts. "Just give us his name."

"I'm afraid my lips are sealed, so to speak. Honestly, I've no idea where he's even at. I'm not even sure if I'll see him again before my second life ends. But if our paths cross again, I've decided that I'll fight him no matter what and reclaim my shadow. Putting such things aside...allow me to repay you all with a song! I was a musician on my old crew!"

"Aaah! You're a musician! A skeleton musician!" Luffy laughs. "C'mon! Join my crew already!" Before he can even begin, the man suddenly starts trembling. "What's wrong?"

"G...G...Ghost! It's a ghost!" The ship begins to shake violently, and they all go running out onto the deck to see what's going on. "Look! They've blocked the path in front! It's...the back of the gate! Follow me!" Brook runs to the back of the Sunny, and they all stare out across the open sea in confusion. "By any chance...did you pick up a floating barrel?" Luffy nods in the affirmative. "I knew it! It was a trap. They've been after your ship ever since then!"

"Why is there an island there?!"

"It's the ghost island that wanders the seas...Thriller Bark...!"