LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 14: Meeting Brook!
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"Ah, another visitor, lost in this forsaken place? If you have no business here, I suggest you leave quickly!" A voice called out. Brook, his skeletal face stretched in a wide grin, had spotted Ian.
His macabre appearance would have sent shivers down the spine of any ordinary person. A living skeleton was a sight that defied all reason.
"My, my, another fellow with a rather… intimidating visage!" Brook's grin widened as he took in Ian's pale skin, the horned skull helmet, the distinct tear marks, and those eerie pale green eyes. He wasn't exactly a vision of beauty himself.
"Yohohoho! A kindred spirit, it seems!" He chuckled, relieved. The two of them, a demon and a skeleton, stood facing each other, their green and empty sockets locked in a silent exchange.
"..." Ian remained silent. He knew Brook's condition was the result of a Devil Fruit, while Brook assumed Ian was simply terrified by his skeletal form.
"No, I'm here to help you," Ian declared, stepping onto Brook's ship.
"I know you want to retrieve your shadow, and I know you want to return to Twin Capes and reunite with your only companion, the whale named Laboon," Ian said, taking a seat across from Brook.
The first statement didn't faze Brook. Everyone trapped in the Florian Triangle longed to retrieve their stolen shadows.
Without a shadow, they couldn't venture into the sunlight, a fate they desperately wished to escape.
However, the second statement left him stunned. Twin Capes and Laboon? That was over fifty years ago. It wasn't uncommon for pirates and adventurers passing through Twin Capes to have heard tales of their encounter, but those were mere legends. No one dared venture into the Florian Triangle to confirm their veracity.
"How astonishing! You know about those things? I'm so surprised, my jaw has dropped, and my eyes are about to pop out! Oh, wait… I have neither a jaw nor eyes!"
"..." Ian couldn't help but admire Brook's unwavering ability to maintain his eccentric humor, even in such dire circumstances.
"Laboon… is he alright?" Brook inquired, his concern for his long-lost companion outweighing his own predicament. Ian was the first person who had not only dared enter the Florian Triangle but also possessed knowledge of Laboon.
"He's doing… alright. He's grown as large as a mountain, and his belly could probably hold an entire ocean." Ian's voice, however, lacked any hint of joy.
"Really? But I can't see him! I long to see him again!" Brook's voice was filled with a mixture of hope and despair. However, Ian's next words extinguished any flicker of optimism that had ignited within him.
"But he still spends every day ramming his head against the Red Line, desperately trying to reunite with his friends. If Doctor Crocus hadn't been sedating him daily, he would have likely perished by now. I doubt he'll outlive you."
"He still believes you're alive…" Ian recounted the events he had witnessed through the anime, memories from his past life. While he hadn't passed through Twin Capes during his journey with the Marines, that didn't prevent him from sharing this information.
Before entering the Grand Line, the Rumbar Pirates, realizing the dangers that lay ahead, had left the young Laboon at Reverse Mountain, promising to return.
"When we've sailed around the world, we'll come back for you!" Those were their parting words. And so, Laboon, with tears in his eyes, stayed behind, waiting faithfully at the base of the Red Line. However… that wait had stretched on for over fifty years.
Driven by his longing to reunite with his friends, he had repeatedly rammed his head against the impenetrable Red Line, inflicting grievous injuries upon himself, his mournful cries echoing across the ocean. The colossal whale spent every day in agonizing anticipation, unaware that…
His friends had perished in the Grand Line decades ago. His wait was in vain, a cruel and unending cycle of hope and despair. Until he encountered Luffy, who challenged him to a duel and, upon winning, gave him a new reason to wait.
...
"When we've sailed around the world, I'll come back and duel you again!" Luffy urged Laboon to stop hurting himself and wait patiently for their return. He painted the Straw Hat Pirates' jolly roger on Laboon's head, a symbol of their promise and a reminder to avoid further self-harm.
...
His words mirrored those of the Rumbar Pirates, echoing through time, as if they were his original friends.
"Ah, Laboon…" Ian fell silent, his own heart heavy with sadness. Brook had collapsed onto the deck, sobbing uncontrollably. He wasn't a heartless killer. He was Laboon's friend, and Ian could sense the depth of his sorrow.
Brook looked up at Ian, his resolve renewed. He wiped away his tears and knelt before him, bowing his head deeply.
"I don't know your purpose, but I beg you to help me retrieve my shadow. Once I've reunited with my companion, I will pledge my life to your service, obeying your every command!" His voice was calm but resolute, unwavering in his determination.
He was unaware of Ian's true strength, but as a Devil Fruit user, he couldn't be weak.
He didn't need to defeat Moria directly. Defeating the powerful zombie who had been implanted with his shadow, or exploiting its weakness to salt, would suffice.
"I can do that. It's just a minor inconvenience. I was planning to confront Moria anyway. Your situation is merely a fortunate coincidence."
Ian's fusion rate had reached 30%. The abundance of souls in this place was overwhelming. Even before setting foot on Thriller Bark, he had absorbed numerous souls during his search for Brook.
"There's no need for pledges or servitude. While it might seem like a major favor to you, it's a trivial matter for me. Instead, why don't you play me a song? That song you played… Bink's Sake."
"But that will attract the zombies… Ah, I understand!" Brook stopped himself. Even when playing his violin, he kept the volume low to avoid attracting unwanted attention. However, the song he had in mind was their final performance as the Rumbar Pirates, a powerful melody that could fill an entire banquet hall.
But perhaps Ian's claims of effortlessly defeating Moria weren't entirely baseless. If he truly possessed such strength, it would save them a lot of trouble. After all, Brook's hopes had dwindled over the years.
If Ian wanted to embrace madness, he would gladly join him.
"Yohohoho…" Brook lifted his skull cap, revealing a Tone Dial, a shell that could record and play back sounds. He selected the recording of Bink's Sake and pressed play.
Tone Dials were technological marvels from Skypiea, capable of storing sounds. There were also Visual Dials, which could record images, similar in function to various Den Den Mushi. Other types of Dials included Light Dials for illumination, Flame Dials and Water Dials for cooking, Breath Dials and Jet Dials for transportation, and even Impact Dials, Flash Dials. For Combat!
Skypiea's inhabitants even possessed wings, despite being unable to fly. It was a unique and fascinating world, a parallel to the world of Fairy Tail, where magic was absent, but technology thrived.
Brook's skull and Nami's breasts were two of the most perplexing mysteries in the One Piece world. Brook's skull could apparently hold his violin and a Tone Dial, while Nami's cleavage could somehow accommodate her Clima-Tact and even rubbings of Poneglyphs, objects of considerable size.
They were veritable four-dimensional pockets, defying all logic and reason.
The music filled the air, its melody fragmented, each instrument fading away one by one as the song progressed. It was a somber and melancholic tune that could easily deter those lacking patience. However, Ian listened intently, his expression unchanging.
The Rumbar Pirates had encountered an enemy ship in the Florian Triangle and been attacked with poisoned weapons. Their doctor had succumbed to the poison first, and the remaining crew members, including Brook, had performed a final concert before succumbing to their fate.
Brook had been the last to die, witnessing the gradual demise of his comrades, the loneliness and fear of impending death weighing heavily upon him.
He had consumed the Yomi Yomi no Mi, the Revive-Revive Fruit, before his death, but its powers only activated upon his soul leaving his body. The Rumbar Pirates had entrusted him with recording their final song, Bink's Sake, to deliver to Laboon, their companion waiting for them at Twin Capes on the other side of the Grand Line. However, when his soul returned from the underworld and attempted to find his body, he became lost in the Florian Triangle's dense fog for an entire year. By the time he found his body, it had decomposed, leaving only a skeleton. This was the cruel reality of the Grand Line.
He was forced to live as a skeleton, burying the remains of his comrades, enduring decades of loneliness. Then, fate dealt him another cruel blow when he encountered Gecko Moria and had his shadow stolen.
He was too weak to resist, and so another decade passed, bringing his total time spent as a skeleton to nearly fifty years.
During that time, Ian had used his soul-sensing abilities to observe Brook's soul, noticing a peculiar anomaly. His soul was incredibly dense and ancient, yet its power was only slightly above that of an ordinary human. It was as if a rule was in place, preventing his soul from dissipating entirely. During his year-long search for his body, his soul had been steadily decaying, and Ian could tell that if he hadn't found his body in time, his soul would have completely vanished. However, upon returning to his body, the decay had stopped, granting him a form of immortality.
It was classified as a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, yet its effects resembled a time-related ability, a localized stasis that only affected him. He could still be easily defeated and even killed, and his powers only activated after his death.
Perona's Horo Horo no Mi, the Hollow-Hollow Fruit, also allowed her soul to leave her body, but it didn't grant her immortality. She didn't need to die for her powers to activate. Both Devil Fruits had their unique advantages. Perona's ghosts could be considered manifestations of her Devil Fruit's "devil."
Therefore, absorbing Brook's soul might be equivalent to absorbing the souls of over a dozen ordinary individuals and acquiring the ability to resurrect once after death. However, Ian wasn't concerned.
Once he was powerful enough, no one would be able to kill him. Besides, Hollows and Soul Reapers already possessed incredibly long lifespans, bordering on immortality.
"It seems they've arrived!" They turned towards the approaching figures. During their conversation, they had gradually drifted closer to Thriller Bark. As they passed through the massive, demonic gates and set foot on the island…
Hundreds of zombie soldiers surrounded them, their forms grotesque and unsettling. Some were bizarre amalgams of different animal features, while others retained a humanoid appearance, although none were truly human.
They were mostly animal and soldier zombies. There were no surprise zombies, as those were confined to Moria's mansion, lurking within paintings, carpets, and other decorations, waiting to frighten unsuspecting visitors.
Leading the zombie horde was a familiar figure, clad in a kimono, his hair tied in a topknot, a beautifully crafted katana, the Shusui, tucked into his sash. His identity was unmistakable. The legendary samurai from Wano Country.
Ryuma, the Dragon Slayer, and his prized possession, the Shusui, one of the 21 Great Grade swords…