Chapter 24: A Shadow User, But It's Not The Ten Shadows.
—OoOoO—
The Grand Line was a straight and vast ocean filled with mystery. New anomalies could occur at any time, and even decades of research could be instantly overturned by the region's illogical logic. The chaotic magnetic field suggested that numerous small yet powerful planetary cores lie hidden beneath the planet's mantle. Airflow in the atmosphere could also become chaotic. For example, this time, a sunny day quickly turned into a storm, followed by dense fog.
“Between the storm earlier and this fog, which one is natural and which one is artificial?” Maki asked, looking around, “Or are they both artificial because this really doesn’t make sense.”
Broken friendships have been rekindled. New relationships have been forged. Old friends and new companions had joined forces on a shared adventure. After two full days sailing from Water Seven at full speed, hoping to reach the Sabaody Archipelago, they find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere.
“It seems we’ve entered that ocean,” the spiky blue-haired man muttered.
"You mean the Florian Triangle, infamous for its mysterious ship disappearances? Is this the place?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette.
The Florian Triangle was a mysterious ocean stretching between Water Seven and Sabaody. Because almost no crew members had ever left the area alive, information about it was scarce. The limited number of expedition journals made rumours and facts difficult to discern. Despite that, many agree that the Florian Triangle was also known as a graveyard of ships.
Ignoring her companions, who were still discussing the myths of the ocean, Maki walked to the ship's edge. Part of her body jutted out, gazing out at the sea, its wild and powerful waves dancing.
'Florian Triangle. If I jump there, will I find my way home?'
Her reverie was shattered when the back of her collar was pulled forcefully, making her flinch instantly.
“Maki-chan!! What are you doing?! You're not trying to jump, are you?!!”
Nami shouted with a pale face filled with anger and worry.
“What are you thinking? You look like you’re about to commit suicide,” Luffy replied with an innocent expression.
'Huh? Did I?'
Maki glanced at each person on the ship and then noticed the confused looks directed at her. As such, the girl sighed and tilted her head back.
“I ain’t that stupid to jump there.”
“But you were stupid enough to jump into the ocean of Ennies Lobby,” Zoro quipped.
Maki frowned and looked at the guy quickly.
“That’s a different story, you know? If I knew how to beat her, I wouldn’t have resorted to such desperate measures,” she replied with a deep sigh. “But for this one, my world also has a place with such a myth. So, I was just wondering if there was something connecting this place to mine.”
Franky narrowed his eyes after hearing those words.
“Even though you told me you came from another world, hearing it like that still feels strange.”
“That aside, you already know that some things here and your world have similarities,” Robin suddenly entered the conversation, “But if you let your focus be diverted to unconfirmed rumours, you might just lose your insight into finding your way home.”
Lately, especially after Maki resorted to reckless means to end her fight with Stussy, Robin had occasionally shown a sterner side to the girl. It wasn’t like she constantly scolded her for even the smallest things. However, she would always sternly remind her when she committed reckless acts.
'I still remember how she gave me a long-life lesson after my speed had broken the sound barrier in training but I continued to push myself for three hours straight and almost made my lungs explode.'
While enjoying the ridiculous memory, the hairs on Maki's neck suddenly stood on end.
“Something’s coming.”
Along with the words she uttered, the girl immediately looked in the direction where her Kenbunshoku ability told her.
Hearing the warning, everyone on the ship immediately went on alert. Although Maki had already confirmed the direction of the incoming force, some members, like Usopp and Franky, who specialised in mid and long-range combat, glanced around to ensure nothing was ambushing them.
“Is that a dangerous threat, Maki-chan?” the blonde man asked.
To which the girl answered without diverting her attention.
“I ain’t sure, but this feeling… feels so familiar.”
This world wasn't hers, and she had only been here for about three weeks. While some of the laws of physics were similar to those in her world, everything here was a new experience for her. As such, when that familiar feeling crossed her mind, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with anything in this world.
A sensation when your prey was close enough, Maki couldn't possibly misinterpret that sensation after her experience being an active jujutsu sorcerer since she was eleven.
"Is that a ship?" Chopper blurted out, his legs shaking as he saw the giant silhouette.
Despite being amidst the thick fog, the shadow was clearly visible. Its size grew as time passed, and its shape gradually became more visible.
“Come here, Ganesha.”
Maki extended her left hand to the side, and a short moment, a sword wrapped in cloth flew into her grasp. Not only her, but several of the crew also prepared by getting into their fighting stances.
"Yo-hohoho. Yo-hoho-ho. Yo-hohoho. Yo-hoho-ho."
It wasn't what they expected. Instead of an attack, the sound of singing came from the ship.
"Binkusu no sake wo. Todoke ni yuku yo. Umikaze namikase namimakase~."
It was a song with unique lyrics and a bright melody sung by an organ piano. The way the voice vibrated and echoed through the dense fog demonstrated the vocalist's strength and skill. The quality of the music alone was unmistakable. The composition of the lyrics and melody was flawless. However, the problem lay in the silhouette of a skeleton, seemingly singing and skilfully playing the piano, occasionally sipping a cup of tea.
“It’s a ghost!!!” Nami screamed and immediately hid behind Maki.
Just like the girl with short orange hair, Usopp and Chopper immediately ran to seek protection on that otherworldly girl.
“Don't listen to that singing!!” Chopper shouted with his little hands covering his ears, "He must be the ghost who trapped the sailors and took them to hell!!"
“Maki!! Do something!! You’re used to exorcising evil spirits, aren’t you?!!”
The girl in the ponytail peeked at the three losers hiding behind her back for a moment and turned her gaze back to the ghost ship.
"If this was in my world, I'd like to. But I ain’t even sure what that creature is."
“But doesn’t he look harmless?” muttered the man with the blue crest.
The figure might not be obvious, but the faint sunlight that penetrated the fog and the dim lights from the ship that illuminated it revealed a well-dressed skeleton with a fairly thick afro.
"Alright! I'll go up there!"
Luffy shouted, his hands raised in the air with excitement. His expression was radiant, and a broad smile spread across his face.
"Maki! You go with me!"
“No, I won't.”
The bespectacled girl's short reply stunned everyone, who stared at her questioningly. They thought she might be the most excited person they've ever been, having not seen anything remotely resembling anything from her world in so long.
Noticing how they were staring at her, Maki released a soft sigh as she relaxed her guard.
"Honestly, I don't sense any threat. However, if I go, my first impression of the creature might be heavily influenced by my experience as a sorcerer and cloud my judgment. So, I'll leave it to you."
“Wow, I don’t get it at all, but you’re really good at making simple things sound complicated,” Luffy said with an innocent face.
Which caused a twitch in her temple.
"My point is, if you think that thing's good to go, then so be it."
"Are you sure about leaving that to Luffy?" asked Zoro, who joined the conversation.
A flat face met another flat face. The two formidable warriors of opposite genders stared at each other. If anyone else were to witness the scene, they might think the two were engaged in a heated argument, judging by their stiff faces. However, it was simply that Maki and Zoro were born with that facial expression.
“Well, it doesn't have to be Luffy. Actually, everyone’s fine for me. But he's the captain, right? I'll trust his judgment.”
It was hard to explain and also not easy to prove. However, despite his silliness and chaos, Maki thought the straw hat boy was quite good at judging people. At least, everyone he gathered in his group shared values that didn’t conflict with her beliefs, making her confident that his judgment could be trusted.
“Though, I actually wanted to go too because the idea of treasure hunting on a ghost ship sounded interesting,” Maki said while pinching her chin.
Like an electric shock that shocked all the cells in her body, Nami's brain, which received the signal from those words, seemed to forget her fear. She immediately pulled Maki's hand and made her turn to look at her.
“Treasure?! What did you just say?! Treasure, right?!”
The enthusiastic question made Maki reflexively turn her head back.
“I mean, aren't ghost ships usually just some old ships abandoned by their owners? Maybe there’ll be some treasures or golds like in the pirate movies I used to watch.”
'I always knew she was a money-hungry woman, but I never thought her love of money could overpower her fear,' Maki muttered.
“Then, I'll go with you, Luffy!”
Nami's declaration was greeted enthusiastically by her captain. Though he wasn't the first to respond.
“If Nami-san is coming, I’m coming too!” Sanji shouted loudly, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, Nami-san!”
“You better do it. Because you don’t have any use other than that,” Zoro said without even looking at the blonde.
That made him glare at the green-haired boy with his jaw chattering.
“You know, at least it's better than someone who can't even do anything without his sword, right, mister third-rate swordsman?”
As usual, the two started fighting over trivial matters that didn't exist. However, it was such a normal scene that everyone tolerated and completely ignored it.
“Nami, are you ready?” asked Luffy.
“I don't think I'll ever be ready for this, but I'm going for the treasure!”
—OoOoO—
Some people actually wanted to go to the ghost ship to experience it firsthand. However, aside from personal reasons, like Maki's, who didn't want her judgment biased by her experience as an exorcist, their own ship still needed to be guarded, especially in foggy conditions like the current one.
Luffy, Nami, and Sanji were delegated to monitor the condition of the haunted ship, which appeared to be inhabited by a ghost. While they were concerned that Luffy might do something unexpected there, they trusted Nami and Sanji, acting as his escorts, would take precautions if such happened.
The expected outcome of the expedition was to confirm the ship's status and send a signal if assistance was needed. However, they should have realised that with Luffy acting as the initiator, the outcome would inevitably be far from what was planned.
Standing in the kitchen doorway, Maki watched her colleagues gather around the dining table. However, that wasn't what surprised her. Instead, it was the skeleton among them.
“I went to the restroom to do some business for a moment, but can someone explain why that thing\s here?”
"Oh, Maki! There you are!" Luffy exclaimed, waving his hand, "He's Brook, and he's joining us from now on."
“That doesn't explain anything at all,” Maki replied.
Despite the black-haired boy's cheerful declaration, the kitchen was quite silent. Nami huddled in a corner, as if she had just faced a harsh reality. Meanwhile, her companion, Sanji, preferred to remain silent and serve everyone tea.
Not accepting an explanation from the person responsible for the situation, the girl shifted her gaze to another figure. More specifically, to the green-haired boy sitting at the head of the table.
“If you think I can explain what's going on in Luffy's head, you better throw that thought away.”
Zoro's answer didn't help, especially their silence, which only added to the confusion.
Therefore, Maki could only sigh as she closed her eyes. Her gaze fell on the living skeleton as she reopened them, then looked around the room again.
“I’m surprised you guys can sit so calmly with this suspicious creature,” Maki commented.
"But, weren't you the one who said you'd trust Luffy's judgment? I objected when he brought him onto the ship, though," Usopp retorted.
To which the short-haired girl added, "Sanji-kun and I tried to warn him, you know? But our captain won’t listen to anyone once he’s made up his mind.”
“Ah…, I see, I guess?”
Maki's evaluation of Luffy seemed to have changed slightly. She initially viewed him as a competent leader with a natural talent for igniting passion in others. His decision-making skills were also quite good. The choice to save Robin may have been driven by a sense of solidarity and kinship. However, his decision-making qualities were brilliantly demonstrated when he kicked Usopp out of the group when the long-nosed man insisted on continuing to use the Going Merry, which could sink the entire crew in the deep ocean.
However, his guts to make firm decisions also seemed to be a weakness when his selfishness kicks in.
“Please, let me introduce myself. My name is Brook. Nice to meet you, ladies and gentlemen.”
Everyone in the room turned their heads when they heard the skull speak. Even Usopp and Chopper, sitting on the edge of the room with Nami, turned their attention, trembling as they held out their crosses.
"I understand your confusion, and I came simply because of Luffy-san's invitation. But no need to worry, I am an exemplary person and live peacefully, even though I am just a dead body now! Yohohoho!"
It was a weird joke. Maki's straight face turned into an idiot with her mouth hanging open. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was rare to hear someone joke about their own dead body.
'A living skeleton with high intelligence. If that creature were in my world, it’d definitely be considered a cursed spirit with a threat level equivalent to special grade considering its ability to speak human language perfectly.'
Maki frowned with her gaze fixed on the creature.
'However, that's not all that bothers me. His soul, it's clearly no ordinary soul. In terms of soul presence, his is even stronger than Garp's. As if his attachment to the world is far stronger than death itself.'
"I don't really like saying this, and I know it's my job to tell Luffy off if he acts stupid," Sanji interrupted the conversation while carrying a large tray. "I had done my best, though. However, I also don’t think that a being with such good taste in tea and such a rare collection of his is someone with bad intentions.”
"You know that most of the invasions by powerful nations into small regions are due to their desire for natural resources, right? And that includes spices, coffee, sugar, and tea," Zoro said, finally voicing his opinion.
“That’s why I said I don’t really like to say it because my judgment is biased towards my preferences,” the blonde boy returned.
That was a bit of a surprise.
Or at least, that was what Maki thought. Sanji and Zoro were constantly engaging in silly arguments, as if they were elementary school kids trapped in the bodies of grown men. However, when matters come first, their common sense seemed somewhat functional.
“Can’t we sit down and listen to the story first?” Robin interrupted the discussion. “Isn’t that why we are gathered here?”
The woman with long black hair turned to the only figure standing in the doorway.
“Maki, sit down. You said earlier that you did not want your prejudices to cloud your judgment, right?”
The words were spoken softly, but their firmness silenced the girl. Her tongue felt numb, and her mouth pursed. Without further argument, she walked to one of the empty seats, specifically the one directly beside that skeleton.
“Shishishishi. Maki immediately fell silent and obeyed Robin’s words. It seems she’s the only one who can tame you.”
Sitting beside their guest, Luffy craned his head to look at the glasses-wearing girl. Even though she heard the taunts, Maki just closed her eyes with her arms crossed on her chest and her right leg folded over her left thigh. However, it was very clear that she was irritated by those words.
“Shut up, you moron.”
—OoOoO—
The seating arrangement at the dining table had been carefully executed. There would be no excess seats, and no one would feel left out. In fact, just in case, Sanji, as the kitchen manager, had prepared extra chairs in case guests arrived or new members were added. However, unlike usual, three empty chairs were at the dining table.
It wasn't as if the owners weren't present in the room. They were there. However, instead of taking their seats, they hunkered down in the corner, terrified of the anomalous entity. After hearing the tragedy behind the figure's rise from the dead, feelings of empathy, sympathy, and concern began to emerge.
Even though it was a heartbreaking story, Maki's attention wasn’t on that topic.
“So, the fruit you ate made you unable to cross over to the afterlife, and made your soul strong enough to linger in the mortal world?”
“In short, you can think of it like that, I guess,” the skeleton answered.
"Then, if I crush your bones, will you die for real? Or will they regenerate?" Maki asked emphatically.
Brook stared at the girl with an expression that was completely unreadable through his empty eye sockets.
“That… sounds so cruel. Besides, I am already dead. So, I am not sure if I can die again. Yohohoho!”
Satisfied with his silly joke, the skull stopped laughing and started sipping the warm tea.
“Even so, there were times when my bones were cracked after a fight, and they would heal immediately after I drank some milk.”
Maki frowned. Her head tilted up, staring at the figure taller than her, even though they were sitting. Her eyes narrowed, as if trying to scan the figure down to its very roots.
“Let me change the question then,” she said without looking away, “What about your soul? Was it this way from the beginning? No, that’s impossible, right? After all, your body rotted away, leaving only those bones behind after you died, while your soul left your body long before that. If anything, your soul should be the same as your body before you died, right?”
The questions Maki had been harbouring seemed to spill out like a flash flood. However, even with all of them, there was still one thing that truly piqued her interest.
"I ain’t an expert on this. However, why doesn't your physical form follow your soul's, but rather the opposite?"
Matters related to souls weren't Maki's speciality. In fact, she only became able to see souls after Robin taught her many life lessons on Skypiea. That ultimately led her to accept everything about herself, including the past and background she hated. That made her open her eyes, and revealing her different self was a privilege that led to her enlightenment.
However, when it came to souls, Maki wasn't completely clueless. At least, with a cursed spirit named Mahito wreaking havoc everywhere with his unique abilities, she had some knowledge in the field from some information Yuuji and Nanami gathered.
“I… don’t really understand what you’re trying to say,” Brook said hesitantly.
The skeleton then turned its head, trying to seek an explanation from the girl's friends.
“Maki’s a bit weird, you know? She can see invisible things like souls,” Luffy exclaimed.
Maki's eyebrows twitched slightly when the boy called her weird. Of all people, he was the last person she wanted to hear calling her weird. That was if the living skeleton was no longer considered human. Regardless, whether it was Luffy or Brook, she didn't want to hear those words from someone she considered even weirder.
“Seeing souls, huh?” the skull muttered.
His empty eye sockets stared at the cup of tea in his hand, and he shook it gently to create small waves.
“Although I was not too sure at first, but I think I also can see souls,” Brook continued, surprising everyone in the room.
Right after he said that, he stared at Maki. The darkness in his empty eye sockets seemed to want to swallow her whole. A gripping feeling, emanating the horror of the afterlife and the coldness of death, pierced every cell in her body. However, instead of being intimidated, the girl grinned like a maniac.
"So, you can see the souls as well, huh? For a soul that refuses to go to the afterlife. Seriously, what are you? A Soul King from the Soul Society?"
“What is it? Supernatural things from your place again?” asked Franky, who had been silent the whole time.
Maki glanced at the burly man and just shrugged indifferently.
“No. It's just a reference to a famous piece of a fine literature.”
Meanwhile, Brook was still haunted by Luffy's statement that the girl beside him could see souls. It shocked him, of course. As someone rejected by the afterlife itself, he was only able to see the supernatural after death claimed him. However, right next to him was someone still bound by life, but able to see deep into death.
However, he had gotten a little carried away earlier. He hadn't meant to intimidate the girl, even though she wasn't bothered.
“Well, I don’t really understand the whole thing about the body taking the form of the soul thing,” Brook said, tilting his head to the ceiling, “However, I can do something like this.”
Brook set aside his tea and said, “Excuse me, and please don’t be too surprised later.”
Right after uttering those words, the undead creature collapsed and sprawled on the table. The Straw Hats stared in shock, their eyes wide open. However, that was nothing compared to what they witnessed next.
A green, glowing cloud of death smoke erupted from the skull's mouth. It rose, rising until it nearly touched the ceiling. In an instant, the plume of smoke began to take the shape of a skull, which now collapsed on the table, complete with its afro.
"It's a ghost! It's really a ghost, after all!!"
“Oh no!! Will our ship be cursed in the end?!”
Chopper screamed hysterically, followed by Nami's cries. No screams were heard from him, but Usopp had already fainted, standing still, his legs shaking violently.
Meanwhile, Luffy laughed with satisfaction when he saw the apparition.
“What the hell? What the hell is that? You’re so cool!! Hahahaha!”
“Hey, hey, hey, I’m not dreaming, am I?” Zoro muttered with a broken smile.
At the corner of the table, Robin watched the creature with narrowed eyes and pinched his chin.
“Could that be what is called the soul? But how can we see it?”
The jet-black haired woman muttered and turned her attention to the girl with glasses.
“What do you think, Maki?”
“Huh?”
The question made her jolt, bringing her back to her senses after being amazed by the manifestation.
“I… ain't sure about this. I'm really confused right now,” the girl replied.
The soul couldn’t be seen with the naked eye and couldn’t exist without a physical vessel. That was what Maki understood after much trial and error. But had her understanding been wrong all this time? Was the reality she had always seen not the true reality? What part of her theory was flawed and needed to be corrected? These questions, and many more, continued to flood her mind.
"I also was surprised the first time I did this. And, I am not sure if this has any practical use," Brook said in his soul form.
However, seeing some people still trembling in fear at the sight of his figure, the living skeleton decided to return his soul to the shell.
“Does your ghost form have anything to do with you not having a shadow?” Sanji blurted out a question.
“Oh, I am truly impressed by your observation, Sir Chef.”
Brook stepped out of his chair and stood directly under the light, demonstrating the absence of shadows that should follow every object wherever it goes.
“What? You really don’t have one?! Wait, could it be that you’re a vampire? Don’t tell me you don’t have a reflection in the mirror either?!” Ussop exclaimed.
The long-nosed guy was about to rush to get something, but stopped when Brook started explaining.
“I who rose from the dead and my lost shadow are two different things.”
“You mean, it was caused by another phenomenon that wasn’t part of your Devil Fruit’s effects?” Franky asked.
Maki frowned, as if she had just realised something.
"Come to think of it, didn't you just say that your bones sometimes crack after a fight? Does that have something to do with this?"
Brook didn't answer the question immediately. He remained silent momentarily, not touching the drink he was being served. His gaze was blank, but no one could tell or guess what he was thinking because his eye sockets were empty.
“Impressive. You guys pay so much attention to the little things like this, and it makes me so moved I almost cry. Though, I don't have any tears left. Yohohoho.”
A dead man's joke that sounded like a dad joke. However, the silly laughter faded away, replaced by a sombre atmosphere.
“While we are on this subject, first of all, I would like to say something.”
The skeleton looked at all the straw hat members one by one.
"Actually, I have been very lonely after wandering around the Florian Triangle for so many years. That was why, when you were willing to chat and have tea with me, and even invite me to join your group despite all the awkwardness, I felt so happy and touched."
Brook paused momentarily, taking in the complicated expressions of his interlocutor’s faces.
“However, with a heavy heart and full of regret, I must decline the generosity you offer.”
Brook bowed his head like a truly regretful old gentleman.
However, a slam of the table was immediately heard as Luffy stood up with anger written all over his face.
“What kind of nonsense is that?! Why did you reject us?!”
Everyone was shocked to hear the outburst and anger that the guy with the straw hat showed.
"Calm down, Luffy. Let him finish his words first," said Zoro.
Brook stared at the green-haired boy. It was hard to guess what the look meant, but he could feel genuine gratitude.
“I thank you for your understanding, Sir Swordsman.”
Along with those words, he turned his attention to Luffy.
"My shadow disappeared not simply because I am a ghost. Rather, someone stole it."
Hearing this explanation, Robin's eyebrows immediately furrowed.
“Someone stealing shadows? Could it be…” the woman muttered.
However, she kept that conclusion in her head and waited for further explanation from their guest.
“For now, I may seem fine without any significant effects,” Brook continued, wiggling his joints slightly. “However, that is only because this mist is protecting me. If I were exposed to even the slightest bit of sunlight, my body would be roasted to death. Though, I am actually already dead. Yohohoho.”
“You with your death jokes, seriously,” Maki commented with a sigh, “So, in other words, you refused to join because you can’t live under the sun without your shadow?”
"Yes, it is what it is. The person who stole my shadow is still in the Florian Triangle. That is why I cannot leave this place until I get my shadow back."
“And why are you so sure they’re still here?” Nami asked after remaining silent and frightened, “Hasn’t the Florian Triangle sunk many ships because of its strong magnetic field and thick fog?”
The question was actually quite reasonable, especially from a safety perspective. If someone could survive an ocean with such peculiar characteristics even among the other oceans of the Grand Line, it would be understandable for them to get out of there as soon as possible. Moreover, Nami didn’t see any benefit to living in such a place.
"Because by taking advantage of the natural conditions here, they can steal more shadows without having to make any effort."
“Then we just have to take back your shadow, right?” Luffy shouted, muscles bulging in anger, “Where are they? Are they strong? Just name them!”
Could the dead feel a warm feeling in their chest? When their heart was gone and only their bones remained, was that throbbing still there? The overwhelming emotion of joy, how long has it been since Brook last felt it? When he arose from his eternal rest, he thought his days would only be filled with the cold winds of the dead. However, he was relieved to realise that his assumption was wrong.
“Sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood,” Maki suddenly blurted out, “But you should know that something’s approaching our ship.”
These words elicited mixed reactions. Some were wide-eyed at the prospect of another uninvited guest, though others, like Luffy, appeared relaxed. Others, like Zoro and Sanji, raised their eyebrows in alarm.
“Is that another ship, Maki-chan?” asked the blonde boy.
"No, it’s not. But I ain’t sure what it is, but it’s flying towards us."
Maki turned to the corner where she believed the uninvited guest had come.
“For now, it’s best if we act normal,” the bespectacled girl said again, “Pretend not to notice its arrival. Then, once it lands on the ship, we’ll ambush it quietly.”
"Oh, that sounds fun. I can't wait to try it," Luffy replied, punching his fist with a wide smile.
However, Nami put on a sour expression when she heard the declaration.
“You know what ambush means, right?”
“Of course! We just need to beat it as fast as possible, right?”
The short-haired girl immediately wiped her face with both hands. She had already given up even before it began, thinking the ambush plan would fail.
“It's here! It's coming.”
Maki's voice, soft but clearly audible to the crowd, plunged the room into silence. They might have been trying to act normal, but unease was beginning to creep in among some of the mentally weaker individuals. However, the majority of the group managed to maintain their composure. Despite their apparent indifference, they focused on the room's sole door and window.
Thorough preparations had been made to confront the intruder. Or at least, that was what they thought.
“Huh?!” Maki furrowed her brows.
“What’s wrong?” Robin asked.
“That thing doesn't go towards the door or the window.”
Maki kept her voice as quiet as possible, even though she was pretty surprised by the intruder's unexpected movement. Those words were clearly received by the people around her, but they stared at her in confusion, demanding further explanation. However, she seemed to ignore all the eyes focused on her and instead shifted her gaze, which had been watching the door, to the wooden wall directly above the cowardly trio.
Before she could give a warning, a fine white figure suddenly penetrated the wall, and their gazes met.
'Is that a shikigami?!'
A living skeleton whose existence resembled a vengeful spirit, and now a spectre whose presence resembled a shikigami. Maki was so stunned in less than an hour that her brain could barely process the situation.
“Kyaaa!!!”
“It's a freaking ghost!!”
“Doctor Kureha, pick me up!! I’m scared!!”
The screams of the cowardly trio made Maki flinch.
“Ganesha!”
She immediately stretched her left hand to the side, and the sword in the corner flew toward her. However, before the otherworldly girl could do anything, the creature disappeared, breaking through the wall again.
'Like hell I let you go!'
Maki immediately dashed for the exit, followed by Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji. Although shocked by the uninvited figure and its arrival and departure method, the four of them were quick enough to react.
Maki was pissed off since that thing managed to slip out, which made her hesitate to use Skywalk if the spectre flew towards the sea. However, her steps were forced to stop on the ship's deck when her eyes caught a silhouette of a giant object.
“Hey, why did you stop?!” Zoro asked.
There was no need to wait for a reply from that girl as he, along with Luffy and Sanji, immediately understood the reason as soon as they saw the same scenery.
“What the hell is that? An island? But Nami-san didn’t say anything about there being an island nearby,” Sanji muttered.
“Yohohoho. I did not think I would be so lucky today.”
The distinctive voice and laughter made the four of them turn around. Along with the remaining members, Brook exited the dining room.
“Do you know something?” Luffy asked.
However, the skeleton didn't reply to the question. Instead, he jumped onto the railing and turned to face the kind people who had agreed to host him at the simple tea party.
“Once again, I thank you for your hospitality and I am very grateful to have been able to spend time with you even if it was only for a moment,” the skeleton said, raising his hat respectfully and fidgeting with his cane slightly, “Please, try to break through the gate and don’t even think about lowering the anchor as this is a very dangerous ocean.”
Brook turned his body to face the silhouette of the island.
“If fate wills, we will meet again on the other side of the world.”
With that brief greeting, Brook jumped off the ship and sprinted on the sea surface.
“Hey, wait! You haven’t explained anything about the island yet!” Nami shouted.
However, her call was ignored once the figure had moved away from the ship, which made some of the people there quite angry at being ignored.
"I'm pretty sure that's the hideout of the people who stole his shadow. If not, I don't know of any other reason he'd be in such a hurry to go there," Maki said.
The bespectacled girl turned to look at Luffy.
“We're going there, aren't we?”
“Wait, Maki-chan! Why are you suddenly saying that?! You want to go home quickly, right? Then, we shouldn’t be wasting time here!!” Nami replied by shaking the girl’s shoulder.
“That living skeleton and spectre. I can’t sleep peacefully until I find out about these creatures that resemble the curse spirits in my world.”
Nami wanted to argue, but Luffy quickly preceded her.
“Besides, aren’t you guys annoyed to see him just reject our invitation?!”
"No, we don't. I'm sure it's just you," replied Ussop quickly.
However, Luffy didn't seem to care about it at all.
“And don't you smell a great adventure on that island? We're not leaving until we see what's inside!!”
Luffy's passionate declaration made several people sigh.
“Put that aside for a moment. Luffy, we don’t even know anything about what we’re about to face,” Usopp tried to change his captain’s mind.
The argument fell apart when Robin opened his mouth.
“Actually, maybe I have some clues.”
The words from the black-haired woman made everyone's attention turn towards her.
"A Devil Fruit user with the ability to steal shadows. He is not as well-known as his other peers, but I managed to get some information about him while working under Crocodile."
Nami's face immediately turned pale after hearing the explanation.
“Wait, don’t tell me the owner of this island is one of them?" the girl said tremblingly.
To which Robin gave a nod in response.
"Gecko Moria. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. It is said he lives in a remote hideout on his island-sized ship. However, I never imagined he have been operating in the Florian Triangle all this time," the woman continued.
“No way! So, he really is a Warlord?!” Usspo shouted hysterically.
This fear was understandable. Although they had successfully navigated numerous battles involving the World Government, continuously antagonising them in a short period of time would likely incur their wrath. Furthermore, the Seven Warlords of the Sea were no opponents to be underestimated. They might have been able to win against Crocodile, but everyone knew luck and the fact that he underestimated them played a significant role in their victory.
Therefore, trying another luck after just escaping the hell of Ennies Lobby a few days ago was a foolish act.
"I don't really know who this Gecko Moria is," Maki said nonchalantly. "However, if that man chooses to hide in the depths of the mist from the monsters that inhabit this world, I'm pretty sure he's not that strong. Or at least, he doesn't have the mentality of the strongest.”
The girl paused her words as she tapped the cloth-wrapped sword against her shoulder.
“No matter how powerful a Devil Fruit ability is, if the user is a coward, it’ll just be a pile of useless abilities.”
Robin smiled upon hearing that confidence. If she were her old self, she would have avoided conflict with big names for survival. However, these people gave her a tremendous moral strength that had long since been extinguished.
“I do not know how strong he is, but based on the information I have gathered, I would venture to conclude that Crocodile is at least a lot stronger,” the woman concluded her explanation.
A wide grin spread across Luffy's face. His round eyes sharpened, displaying unbridled confidence and excitement.
“Yosh, it's decided! Next stop is that island! We'll defeat that Greek Maryam and take back Brook's shadow!”
“It’s Gekko Moria, you moron,” Maki replied nonchalantly.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello, how are you, everyone? My country is entering a hot hot period since the sun is right above the equator, but I hope you're all doing well.
Anyway, I don't have much to say here. However, I just wanted to say that I expect this arc to be shorter than the previous ones because I'll be making some adjustments.
Well, there's nothing I really want to talk about. So, that's all from me. See you in two weeks.