"YOOHOHOHOHO!!" The skeleton raised its hat into the air. "It's such a pleasure to meet you! Hello and good day to you all. As of today, I'll be joining you on this ship as your newest crew member." (Y/N)'s jaw dropped with the skeleton's sheer existence. "Once dead and all bones, my name is Brook and I do hope we can get along!"
"Are you kidding me?! What the heck is this things?!!" (Y/N), Franky, Zoro and Usopp questioned their crew mates and style skeleton.
"Yohohoho! Oh my, what a tough crowd you are."
Luffy giggled at his crew's reaction as Sanji and Nami sighed in defeat. Brook walked up to the shaking (Y/N) and calm Robin. "My goodness and what lovely young women. Perhaps you would like to show me your panties?"
"HELL NO YOU PERVERTED SKELETON!" (Y/N) flew up a bit to smack Brook on his skull. Nami screamed at the skeleton to stop his sexual harassment as (Y/N) cowered behind Robin. "I-I touched it... it's real?!!"
"I'm not an 'it', I'm a him. Don't you recall? My name is Brook." Brook rubbed his skull a bit. (Y/N) shivered in fear from the skeleton talking to her.
Usopp put of a bunch of 'ghost gear', holding a cross up to the skeleton. "R-Remove yourself from this ship, you fiend! Submit to the holy power that I wield. Evil be gone! Evil be gone!!" The long nose slowly inched closer to Brook making the skeleton step back from his actions.
"It's working. Keep it up! You're awesome, Usopp!!" Chopper happily cheered on his crew mate. The long nose obviously accepted the compliment, claiming that he paid a lot of money for the 'ghost gear' and that it better work.
"Where is this evil creature?! I can't see it!!" Brook frantically looked around in fright.
"IT'S YOU, STUPID!!" Usopp, Chopper and (Y/N) angrily yelled at the skeleton making him shriek in fear.
Usopp whispered something over to Chopper making the little reindeer's eyes light up. "Oh it's a dream?! What a relief.. That's nice." Chopper fell on the ground, sighing peacefully.
Brook loomed over the doctor. "Uh.. excuse me? Hello. Hello? Good morning!" Chopper slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the skeleton for a second before screaming in absolute fear.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Zoro angrily yelled at the two before turning to Luffy. "What is this thing and why is it on our ship?!!"
"That's our new crew member! Isn't he funny?" Luffy smiled brightly at the swordsman.
"Who cares?!! He's not joining our crew!!" Zoro turned his anger to Nami and Sanji, scolding them for allowing Luffy to invite the skeleton on board.
(Y/N) peaked around Robin, looking at the scene before her. "He's like an angry father..."
"I know. It's fascinating." Robin said with a giggle before looking down at the shaking (Y/N). "Don't be scared (Y/N). Brook seems harmless enough."
"It's not that I think he's harmful, it's his existence that scares me..." (Y/N) has curiosity mixed with fear of the unknown in her eyes as she stared at the freely moving skeleton.
"Yohohoho! Now, now. Let's be civil, everyone!" Brook walked between the crew before stopping and turning to everyone. "Why don't we go inside? You can treat me to dinner!"
"YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT!!" Zoro, Nami, (Y/N) and Sanji screamed at the skeleton. Eventually everyone went into the dinning room and waiting for Sanji to serve dinner. (Y/N) cowered behind the kitchen counter, peaking her head over at the skeleton.
"(Y/N), why are you so frightened?" Sanji looked down at the (h/c) haired woman beside him. "I get he's a walking and talking skeleton, but you'll have to get over your fears eventually. It's not like you to be apart of the cowardly trio."
(Y/N) sighed before standing up to lean on the counter. "I just don't like spooky things like... him. I don't know why, but might flight instincts kick in before my fight when it comes to the supernatural. And I don't believe those three are cowards. They may scream in the face of danger, but they are strong in their own ways. I've seen them kick ass before."
"To answer your first question, bro. It's just because she's a big scaredy-cat." Franky laughed as he looked back to the two. "Ice for brains and I have scared her more times than I can remember, the face she makes every time is priceless!"
(Y/N) angrily blushed at the cyborg and was about to give a comeback when Sanji spoke up. "It's not very nice to frighten a lady.. If you ever scare her again..." (Y/N) looked over in shock from the shadows coving Sanji's eyes the cook roughly sliced the carrot he was cutting. 'Please don't tell me he's going to cause a scene..' Sanji looked back up with hearts in his eyes. "Please let me know so I can be there to hold her in my arms! Comforting a damsel in fear, soothing her worries. How romantic it will be..."
"You got it, brother." Franky laughed at the love-sick cooking day dreams.
(Y/N) was fuming with anger from the conversation before her, the two boy ended up with large bumps on their heads making them stop the conversation quickly. The (h/c) haired woman sighed and looked back towards the skeleton looking around the dinning room before sitting down on the table. Brook held his boney arms up in excitement. "Yohoho! What a spacious dinning room you got and such a splendid kitchen! A magnificent ship if I've even seen one! Yohohoho!" Luffy happily agreed with Brook as Franky spoke up with a cocky smile plastered on his face.
"Of course is it. It's the most super ship I've ever made! Those sockets look empty, but you've got a good eyes for quality."
"Franky. Don't get with the skeleton." Sanji scolded his crew mate while flipping food in a frying pan.
"Speaking of quality, I can't wait to try out your cooking." Brook hung his head lightly. "Since I was stuck on that dreary ghosts ship, it's been decades since I've eaten a proper meal. I felt my stomach shrink and shrink until I couldn't even tell the back of my belly from the front of my back anymore.. that was the sort of the miserable life I've lived. Let me tell you that's saying a lot since skeletons don't even have a proper back or stomach! Yohohoho! It's a skull joke!!"
"It's a skull joke, I get it!!" Luffy happily exclaimed, clapping his hands at the skeleton.
"Let me say. I am quite the gentleman, so I'm well versed in patiently waiting for my food. No matter how long it takes." Brook said calmly before Luffy and the skeleton started chanting for dinner. "My dear boy. Can I have a glass of milk? It's good for the bones, they say!!" Sanji was quick to scream that the skeleton to be quiet and wait.
Luffy happily turned to Brook. "By the way skeleton—"
"Sorry, but my name is Brook. Ah, but that reminds me. I know this is rude, but I don't believe I've ever caught your name."
"Oh me? My name is Luffy. So anyway, what are you?"
Zoro angrily turned to his captain. "YOU INVITED HIM TO JOIN THE CREW AND YOU JUST NOW ASK HIM THAT?!"
Soon after Sanji brought out a beautiful displayed dinner for everyone. "We can finish interrogating the skeleton later. For now, let's put all those octopi you caught to good use!" Luffy complimented Sanji's cooking before turning to Brook, telling the skeleton to happily dig in!
"Although, my stomach is empty... I think my heart has already been filled." Brook began to sob before turning to Robin. "I couldn't help but notice your portion is a bit large. Would you be interested in switching with me?"
The cook angrily yelled at the talking bones. "YOU CAN HAVE SECONDS! JUST LEAVE HER ALONE!!"
(Y/N) sighed as she watched her crew mates each. Franky looked over at the woman with a confused expression. "You're not going to eat, (Y/N)?"
"I don't know. I'm not really hungry right now..." Franky frowned at (Y/N)'s words as she spoke again. "I can't stop thinking about my mother ever since I heard that song... you remember what I told you guys today." Franky nodded his head, knowing now is not the time to continue that conversation.
Thought dinner, (Y/N) spent her time writing on her log book. 'I just can't grasp why my mother was the way she was. Maybe it was her status? To be honest with myself, I never got to learn about my mother or the family she was born in. I knew I have well known aunts and uncles on my mom's side, but I never asked nor did she ever tell me anything. I'm starting to fear who else is in my family's tree... Why don't I know anything about myself? I can't help feeling so lost right now.' (Y/N) broke from her frustrating thoughts when she heard Brook explaining his devil fruit.
"It's a complicated tale. The truth of the matter is, I actually did die already. Many years ago. The Revive-Revive fruit allows a person to be reanimated after they have died. Even among devil fruit powers, the ability to live two lives is indeed quite strange."
"So you're a revive man?!" Luffy questioned with excitement beaming from his eyes.
"So you're not immortal. It's more like you died once and it gave you a second chance at life." Franky explained and Brook quickly agreed with his statement.
"In sort, yes.. ah excuse me." (Y/N) cringed at Brook's burp. "As I said, it's complicated. But during my first life, if you will, I was a pirate just like you."
"That it explains the ship!" Luffy reminded the crew of the ghost ship Brook came from once more.
"That it does. Excuse me, again." The skeleton's fart made Sanji scream threats at him for his bad manners. Brook looked down at the table in front of him for a second before speaking again. "A long time ago, I was sailing with the rest of my crew through there accursed waters. Now, for the record, I had flesh and blood like anyone else back then. At any rate, we have the misfortune of running foul of a very powerful advisory. Soon the entire crew met its demise, of course, that included me as well... When I was alive, the revive-revive fruit did precious little. Other than rob me from my ability to swim. But on that fateful day, it's true power awaked as I laid dead!! My spirit returned from the netherworld and came to unite with this body of mine once again. Now.. if it had actually found my body as it intended, that would all be well and good. But, as you can see, the fog around here is quite thick so the matter became a bit complicated. In short, poor little soul Brook couldn't find his way back home. All in all, my spirit wandered through the foggy waters. Searching for my body for an entire year! Then at the end of its tragic journey, the two were reunited once again! Much to my souls dismay, by the time it found my body, there was nothing left but a miserable pile of bones! I was so shocked my eyes were as wide as dinner plates... Not that I have eyes to begin with! Yohohoho!!"
"Yo got lost, huh? So you're stupid just like Zoro!" Luffy giggled as the swordsman tried to shoot down his captain's claim. 'After the icey highway place, Capt' is right.' (Y/N) thought with a soft sigh.
"And so a walking, talking skeleton was born." Franky looked at the bones in disbelief. "Man. Those devil fruit powers can be pretty scary sometimes. Even though you're just bones, it still brought you back to life."
"Yeah, but it only does it once. Despite the fact that he still can't swim and he's stuck like this." Sanji added in. "Seems kinda like a crappy deal if you ask me."
Zoro pointed out the large afro on Brooks head. "Skeletons aren't supposed to have hair, are they? Especially not so much of it. Is that afro a wig or something?"
"No. My roots are just very strong." Brook started pressing his afro's sides back and forth. Usopp and Chopper held up their crosses to the bones as they questioned if Brook wasn't actually a ghost, but a human like the rest of the crew. "Oh heaven no. I hate ghost! If I saw one, I'll scream my longs out if I had any."
"See! I'm not the only one who hates ghost!!" (Y/N) held her hand up at the skeleton, looking over at Zoro.
"Yurei." Zoro held up her wanted poster he grabbed out of no where making the (h/c) haired woman walk over and snatch it out of his hand.
"You're a skeleton and you're afraid of ghost?" Nami questioned Brook as she walked up to him, holding up her mirror. "Have you tried looking in the mirror lately?"
Brook screamed in terror, begging for the woman to stop holding up the mirror. Usopp questioned his screams and looked at the mirrors. "Hey! Hold up?! What's going on here?!!"
"No.. why..." Chopper began to question as Usopp joined in. "Why can't we see you?! Why don't you show up in the mirror?!!"
(Y/N) looked at Brook in shock by the question. Everyone got ready to fight the skeleton except (Y/N). "WAIT!!" The (h/c) haired woman screamed at her crew mates making them all turn to look at her. The woman walked right up to Brook, looking holding up his boney arm and waving it around as she looked at the wall behind him. 'No shadow... so it's true?'
"What are you doing, (Y/N)?! Get away from him!! He's a vampire!!" Usopp and Chopper screamed for the woman's safety. "He's gonna drink her blood!!"
"No. Would you guys look!" (Y/N) pointed at the wall behind the two. "No shadow."
"AHHH you're right!! What kind of creature are you?!" Chopper looked at Brook in fear.
"Would you guys stop?!" (Y/N) angrily yelled at the boys as Brook sat down. The woman looked at the skeleton with sadness in her eyes. "I've only heard of it sailor stories about this... Did it happen to you?" The crew questioned (Y/N)'s words before turning back to the skeleton.
Brook didn't look at anyone while he spoke. "Yes... I suppose I should tell you the rest of my story about what happened when I was drifting in this evil sea, and the second tragedy I was forced to face. What I told you about becoming a skeleton is true, but the reason I don't have a shadow is a different matter entirely... To be continued."
"HOW 'BOUT YOU TELL US NOW?!" Sanji screamed at the bones, like some screaming at the end of a One Piece episod—.
"My shadow was stolen. Someone took If from me several years ago."
Usopp shouted in disbelief before Robin asked the questioned on everyone's mind. "But how?"
"I guess that's not anymore ridiculous than a talking skeleton, but it's still hard to swallow." Zoro looked at Brook in disbelief. "Could something like that really happen?"
"Yes. I'm afraid it can, and in addition to losing my reflection. Having my shadow stolen means I can no longer exist in the world of light."
"But you're still alive, right?" Luffy curiously questioned Brook.
"Yes. For now, at least. But only because I'm able to stay in this place with no sunlight. Although you can scarcely call it living. I am saved by the grace of the thick fog surrounding these seas."
"But what would happen if you were exposed to sunlight?" Robin questioned the skeleton.
"The stories I've heard consistent of people without shadows, burning from the sun's touch." (Y/N) looked at the skeleton with concern lingering in her eyes.
Brook looked up in front of him, at no one specifically as he spoke. "Yes.. If even a ray of sunlight touched this body, every inch that it fell upon... will be reduced to not but ash. A single step into the sun and in matter of moments every trace of my will be wiped from this world."
Shock ran across the room causing a deafening silence. "You'll be killed?!"
"Yes..." A shiver ran down (Y/N)'s whole body from Brook's answer. "I saw someone with the same curse as me lose his mind and run into the sunlight. And at last, his screamed went silent and nothing left but a pile of dust. It was so frightful I swear my soul practically left my body a second time. And just as the sunlight does not cast my shadow, my image can not be reflected in a mirror or captured in a photograph. You must forgive me for startling you, but I hope you can understand my reluctance to share this story. For as you see not only have all of my comrades been slain, I also live in a world without light!"
"Well I hate to say it, but you're life sure does suck." Sanji bluntly said.
"Even still, right now, I'm so happy to have it! On top of the afro, a big smile! The cheery, gentlemen skeleton Brook. Always a pleasure!" Brook happily exclaimed making Sanji question how the pile of bones could be so cheerful. "Yohohoho!! Yohohoho!!! What a wonderful day this has been! I've met other people! Buried in a heavy fog, even though I new decades have past, I couldn't tell when one day ended and another began. Unable to navigate or steer the ship, my companions long since dead, I could only drift aimlessly. And so I waited and waited as the waves rocked me back and forth. You can't even imagine how lonely I was all those years. Not just lonely, but scared! Wanting to die every single day! Even still, a long life is a blessing not a curse. You've made me so happy! Meeting such wonderful people gives my life meaning! Yohohoho! If I head but the eyes to shed them, I would be crying tears of happiness right now. I was happy beyond measure when you asked me to join your crew and I sincerely want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. However, I fear that I must decline your offer."
"WHAT?!! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!!" Luffy screamed in shock at the bones.
"As I mentioned to all of you just now, my shadow has been stolen from me and I am unable to come in contract with any sunlight. Lonely though I may be, for now I am able to survive thanks to the thick fog coving these seas. However, if I were to go on a journey with you.. it would only be a matter of time before I met my ultimate demise. Therefore, however unlikely it may be, I'll wait for the day my shadow can be restored. Make no bones about it. Yohohoho!!"
Luffy slammed his hands on the table before him. "I don't want to hear you make excuses like that! If you need your shadow back so bad then we'll get it back for you! You said someone stole it from you right? Who was it? Where can we find them??"
"Thank you. You truly are a kind person, aren't you? But for that reason, I'm afraid that I cannot tell you." Brook looked down at the Straw Hat captain, sadness lingering in his voice. (Y/N) shook her head in disbelief as Brook explained to Luffy his concerns about the crew throwing their life away if they tried to save his shadow.
"I'm sure the guy's tough and all, but give me a break. You got nothing to lose. Least you can do is tell us his name." Franky spoke up for his crew, but Brook shot down the cyborg.
The skeleton claimed he didn't know where to find the thief. "But I have decided, when and if I do reach him, I will fight him to the death for my shadow. I.. don't know when my second life will end, but I am willing to wait for him for the rest of my days."
(Y/N) frowned at the skeleton besides her before looking up at her crew. They all wore the same uneasy expression on their face as Brook turned and walked back a few steps. "But never mind all that. Why don't I play a song for you." The Straw Hats looked at him in confusion as he opened his instrument case behind him, taking out a violin. "I am skilled with a great many instruments you know! When I sailed the seas with my old crew, I was their musician."
Luffy's faced shined brightly with excitement making (Y/N) shield her eyes and walk back to Franky, sitting next to the cyborg as their captain explained the crew was needing a musician. "Yohoho! I haven't played music for anyone in years, but here it goes!" (Y/N) looked at Brook in confusion since the skeleton's bones began to rattle in fear. "AHHHHH g-g-GHOST!!"
(Y/N) looked up to see a ghost coming through the wall towards her crew. "AHHHHH" The (h/c) haired woman screamed and latched onto Franky's neck, not taking her eyes off the ghost as it loomed over the crew before leaving.
The ship began to shake making (Y/N) scream even move and tighten her grip on the cyborg. "(Y-Y/N)... y-you're chocking me!" Franky said as he tried to pull the frightened woman off him. (Y/N) loosened her grip, but didn't let go as she sobbed into Franky's shoulder. "I know you're scared, but we're gonna be fine." Franky placed his hand on (Y/N)'s back, calming the woman down.
(Y/N) let go of the cyborg, rubbing the goosebumps off her arms. "I hate it here."
"FRANKY THAT WAS MY JOB!!" Sanji furiously yelled over the counter.
Robin and Nami were giggling at the situation in front of them when Brook ran back into the kitchen. "Come to the rear of the ship! Hurry!!"
The Straw Hats quickly ran through Doctor Chopper's office to Sunny's rear. "What in the world is that?" Nami questioned in disbelief from what was in front of the Straw Hats.
Brook nervously turned to the captain. "Did you by and chance pick up a barrel from the waters on your way here?"
Luffy paused for a moment allowing his crew to remember the barrel from earlier. "Yeah, we did."
"It was a trap! You're all in great danger." Brook looked back at the scene in front of him. "Simply put, your ship has been targeted ever since you came here."
"You mean there's someone out there hunting us down?" Luffy looked back in front of him like Brook did. "And by the way, how did we run into that gate when our ship's not moving? Where the heck did that creepy island come from?"
"This is the ghost island that wonders through these seas." Brook's statement made (Y/N)'s body shake in fear. "They call it... Thriller Bark."