~Third~
Usopp, Chopper, Franky and Robin were running back to the Sunny, on the way Usopp and Chopper told the other two what they had seen "You said this thing's bigger then a giant then what is it? Some kind of monster?"Franky asked "Yeah, that huge crash and that crazy yelling came from the same creature in other words Luffy's zombie is going on a rampage"Usopp said.
The crew up some stairs and saw the Sunny "I see so that's the way this works huh, land right here on the island, take a little stroll through this gate and up the stairs, before you know it walk straight into the bosses room serving him your shadow on a silver platter"Franky said as Usopp caught up to the others.
They climbed down some ladder and onto the Sunny itself "Whoa i don't know what happened while we were gone but they totally wrecked the place!"Usopp called from the Sunny "This is the zombies work"Robin said examining the dirt trail left on the dock "Huh? Then do you think they're still here?"Chopper asked.
Stuff was littered literally everywhere on the Sunny's deck, it was a total mess "I wonder what they were trying to do?"Usopp asked "They tore through all our stuff, jokes on them we don't have anything worth taking"Franky said.
"I don't smell any zombies"Chopper said sniffing around "So you think the others are really here?"Usopp asked "Won't know till we look"Franky said and they started looking around the ship calling for their crewmates "Hey look! They're right up here in the dinning room all four of them!"Usopp called.
The others came up to the dining room "What the hell is this?"Franky asked seeing that their faces were stretched out with poles and clothing pins while they were sitting backwards in a chair, Luffy's, Sanji's and Nicole's hair was tied up in ridiculous bows while Zoro had a boot on his head "It's hard to look at"Robin said.
"Wake up already this isn't the time to be taking a nap come on"Usopp said shaking Luffy but nothing, Franky beat up the boys but didn't touch Nicole, the boys chairs were all smashed with bumbs on their heads as they were still asleep "Alright then step aside i'll use my bazooka"Franky said aiming at the boys.
"I have a more delicate solution"Usopp said stepping infront and took a deep breath "There's a beautiful lady sword master with a whole bunch of meat!"he yelled, that at least woke up the boys "Lady?"Sanji responded "With meat?"Luffy asked "And swords?"Zoro asked "You guys are hopeless!!"Chopper yelled.
"Now for the tricky part"Usopp said turning to Nicole who was still sleeping, everyone knew the terror that was waking up Nicole, unless it was some commotion or Zoro, there would be hell to pay, still Usopp gulped as he reached out gathering every ounce of courage he had as he shook Nicole even a little bit, the next thing anyone knew there was only a cloud of dust and a girlish scream.
~skip~
"That bastard!"Luffy yelled getting up and going to attack but Franky stopped him "Where's my shadow?!"Luffy asked "It ain't here idiot take a look at where you are"Franky told him, the four were still in a bit of a haze as they gathered their surroundings recognizing it to be the Sunny.
"This is"Luffy trailed off "Yeah the Sunny"Franky said "Wait but what are we doing back here all of the sudden?"Zoro asked before he noticed his shadow was gone "Oh crap it wasn't a dream after all was it, i really lost my shadow this feels weird"he said.
"You're telling me, i know you're right there but i'm hearing your 'voice' from elsewhere, this is so trippy"Nicole said "You guys this is and emergency someone came in and stole all our food while we were out!"Luffy said holding a big cheese wheel, probably the only food he could find.
"Now I'm mad!"Luffy said "The guy with a mouth full of grub is complaining that there's nothing to eat? I'm mad too but at least they left the dry food behind"Sanji said "Who cares about that stuff?! I need meat!"Luffy yelled.
"I screwed up"Zoro said before facepalming "How could i let this happen? I really let my guard down"he said "Hey, don't blame yourself"Nicole said taking his hand off his face trying to cheer him up with a smile, even though she blamed herself in much the same way.
"So where's Nami? She waiting outside or something?"Sanji said "About that"Usopp said his face swollen from the beat down Nicole gave him as he explained what happened to Nami, Sanji rushed over and grapped Usopp by the collar "You let some bastard kidnap my angel?! Why didn't you chase them to the ends of the world?!"Sanji asked a very prominent growl in his voice.
"It's not really our fault okay, this particular guy is kinda hard to catch you see"Usopp said trying to defend himself, scared of Sanji at this moment more then waking up Nicole "You tell me who he is and where i can find him, i'll hunt him down right now and bring her back or so help me i'll kick your ass to the moon!"Sanji said.
"Wait let me explain the situation here it's sorta complicated"Usopp said, Sanji huffed backing off for now "Okay so this is the deal you guys even if it kills us we have two big things we have to get back no matter what"Usopp said "Food and Nami, oh and our shadows too so that's three" Luffy said "Uh okay but i don't know if one of those belong on the list, food is great but let's focus on Nami and shadows for now"Usopp said and explained the whole situation.
"H-he's going to MARRY HER?!??! NO WAY IN HELL !!! LET ME AT HIM!!!"Sanji yelled with a literal explosion of fire "Wow this guy must be very brave if he wants to marry Nami and what's all this about me being a monster?! Why does my shadow get to do all the cool stuff?!"Luffy asked.
"So Usopp you guys already saw who or what has Sanji and Luffy shadows right?"Zoro asked "Yeah, oh wait a sec i almost forgot"Usopp said rushing off somewhere "Hey wait a sec you put someone's shadow in a zombie they act like that person right? I think i've seen your zombie Zoro"Luffy said "Oh yeah what kinda guy was he?"Zoro asked.
"Well he looked just like you but since he was wearing wooden clogs i could tell it wasn't you" Luffy said "So what about my shadow? Any ideas where it is? I remember seeing a female samurai corpse in Moria's room before he took my shadow"Nicole said "Na uh sorry, haven't seen anything like that"Luffy said shaking his head.
"So if we find this guy with the clogs, the dog penguin thing, the female samurai and Luffy's giant monster zombie all we gotta do is throw some salt in their mouths and we can get out shadows back is that it?"Zoro asked "Pretty much"Franky said.
Usopp got to work on something on his workshop bench "Nice job figuring out their weakness how'd you pull that one off?"Nicole asked "Save your thanks for the afro skeleton not only did he tell us how to defeat the zombies he also told us you'd be back here on the Sunny"Franky said.
"What? You ran into Brook again?"Luffy asked "Yeah, though i feel a little bad since i asked him a pretty cruel question"Franky said, Luffy hummed in confusion "Even though you wanted him to join the crew when i met the guy i didn't give him a fair shake, truth be told i barely even thought of him as human but once i took the time to talk to him for a second i found that he has a real character"Franky said.
"What i'm saying is, i was wrong, that skeleton's a real man, i should of said it but"Franky then went onto tell what happened earlier when him and Robin had a run in with Brook again about how him and his crew had to leave a dear friend behind, a whale named Laboon.
"So there you have it, the whole story"Franky said "Laboon"Luffy repeated, he recalled that name as did Usopp, Nicole, Zoro and Sanji "This is crazy what are the chances"Usopp said "I'll be damned"Sanji said, the others were confused "Oh right, you weren't with us then"Nicole said "We met that whale before, we know that promise"Luffy said.
"Hold on you know him? That's crazy how is that possible?"Franky asked "It was when we passed through to the Grand Line at the two capes, that damn giant whale was blocking the entrance"Sanji said, Nicole giggled a bit "We quite literally just ran into him"she said.
"Thanks to Luffy's idiotic temper Laboon swallowed the ship with us on board"Sanji said "What the whale ate you guys?"Chopper asked "And this is the same Laboon as Brooks?"Robin asked "Has to be there was an old lighthouse keeper that lived inside his gut and told us all about the whale"Sanji said "What?!"Chopper asked.
Luffy chuckled a bit "That flower head guy"he grinned recalling the old man "His name was Crocus you idiots"Nicole said "Not only did he go inside him, he took care of him and treated his wounds"Sanji said "What's a lighthouse guy know about wounds?"Franky asked "He was a ships doctor at some point"Nicole said.
"But how did the whale got so hurt he needed a doctor to treat him? What happened?"Chopper asked, Nicole frowned a bit "That's the sad bit, it was at the Red Line, grief drove him to keep bashing his head on the dividing wall, the grief from abandonment, he spent fifty years there believing his friends would return for him after their voyage"Sanji said.
"I couldn't believe it but somehow Luffy convinced him to stop braking through the wall like a damned idiot even now he's alive out there waiting at that cape for his friends to finally return" Sanji said "It's an incredible story, talk about true friends he kept his promise to them for more then half a century"Usopp said.
"And to think we met one of Laboon's friends by complete coincidence, wonder what that skeleton's doing right now"Zoro said 'I wonder if this is all really just a coincidence' Nicole thought, Franky wailed "I love that bonehead and his stupid whale!"he cried "Shut up!" Zoro, Sanji and Usopp yelled at him.
Luffy laughed "I'm so pumped guys! He's a musician, a talking skeleton, has an afro, does that yohoho thing and he was one of Laboon's best friends, even if i gotta force him to he's gonna join our crew, we got us a musician, any objections?"Luffy asked.
Robin laughed a bit "Would it really change your mind even if we did?"she asked "I want him to join the crew too, no question him and Laboon"Usopp said "Complete and total approval!" Franky cried "Same here!"Chopper said also crying "Before i can answer such a question i gotta put a stop to this shotgun wedding of Nami's!"Sanji said fire burning around him again.
Zoro and Nicole were already off the ship "Hey Zoro, Nicole, where're you going?"Luffy asked "We're going off to get started, you keep adding shadows got a lot we need to get back"Zoro said, Luffy grinned laughing a bit "Alright crew time to get serious! Prepare the counter attack we're gonna put Thriller Bark in a watery grave!"Luffy said and his crew cheered in agreement.