Orochimaru held Chopper, eating cake from the side, watching Usopp and Franky dance on the dining table with great interest. How did those two manage to be so perfectly in sync?
"Binks' Sake, delivered to your side, free as the sea breeze, the ocean is mine to roam."
A melodious tune drifted over. Brook sat at the piano, his fingers nimbly playing, singing the familiar "Binks' Sake."
Orochimaru swayed with Chopper in his arms. Music truly is magical, Orochimaru exclaimed again... The last time was because of Uta. He wondered how Shanks had handled it.
Music always touches people's hearts. The survivors laughed heartily, eating delicious food and dancing to the music. Nami happily clinked glasses with Lola, recounting her story with the wild boar Lola.
Luffy sprawled casually on the piano, his eyes fixed on Brook, his feet leisurely swinging to the music.
"I'm telling you... you'll become our Companion, right? Your shadow is back too, so you can sail even if the sun shines on you."
Brook's fingers gently brushed over the piano keys, then he slowly raised his head, looking at Luffy.
"My Companions and I have a promise. I have to fulfill that promise first, or I won't be a man."
Luffy smiled, "You mean Laboon, right? I know. I heard about it from Franky and the others."
"Ah... oh... yes... Laboon." A hint of surprise appeared on Brook's face; he clearly hadn't expected Luffy to already know about it.
Brook was about to tell Laboon's story when Luffy suddenly interrupted him. "So, Brook, we met Laboon at Reverse Mountain, really!" Luffy's words were full of excitement.
"Eh..." Brook looked at Luffy in astonishment, his mouth slightly agape, as if he couldn't believe his ears. His fingers hovered above the keys, stopping his playing, and the whole world seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Laboon has been there for fifty years, waiting for his Companions to return, so I was quite startled when I found out you were the survivor of that Pirate Crew."
Listening to this, Brook continued to play, though the rhythm was much slower.
"And you still remember the promise so well. Laboon will definitely be very happy to know... hehehe." Luffy laughed excitedly.
"Wait... wait a minute," Brook stammered, overwhelmed with excitement. "I'm so surprised, it's too sudden... You really met Laboon... After 50 years, is Laboon still waiting for us in that strait?"
"Yeah." Luffy sat up, cross-legged on the grand piano... a very strange posture. Luffy turned his head to look at Orochimaru, who was kneading Chopper, and couldn't help but complain, "Chopper isn't a pet!"
"Hey!! Orochimaru! Give me that thing of Laboon's!" Luffy didn't quite know how to say "photo" at the moment... anyway, it was some magical drawing... Orochimaru's mouth twitched, and he muttered to himself, "What is this situation? Summoning Orochimaru whenever there's something, do they think he's Dora-A-Snake or something? Seriously... I don't know who got them into this habit... it's too much."
Orochimaru rummaged through the system and put a frame on the photo. The frame spun and hit Luffy's face, with a sharp corner.
Luffy pulled out the frame, carefully handed it to Brook, then turned around with a shark-like face, roaring at Orochimaru: "You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
(ㅍ_ㅍ) "Accident."
Brook's hands trembled as he took the frame. It was a photo of a coastline, with a whale's head emerging from the water, a comical Straw Hat Pirates flag painted on it, smiling brightly at Sanji and Luffy, who were being kicked away by Nami. In the corner, a hand was secretly giving a peace sign.
Brook covered his face, tears flowing from his empty eye sockets, even though he no longer had eyes. "...So he's still there... still so spirited... That's wonderful... Ah... I've never been this happy before."
Brook played the piano, reminiscing about the past, his tempo gradually slowing. The others complained, telling Brook to play something more cheerful. Brook chuckled, "Just a moment."
Brook untied his bandage, lifted his skull, rummaged inside, and pulled out a soul king's conch.
Usopp and Sanji were dumbfounded, about to exclaim, then remembered something and quickly turned their heads... Sure enough, they saw Orochimaru, whose waist was held by Zoro, trying hard to come over... They breathed a sigh of relief.
(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ "Well done, Zoro!"
As the sound from the soul king's conch began, everyone sang and danced together joyfully.
Brook caressed the soul king's conch, his voice a little wistful, "Yohohoho... This song, sung with my Companions with all our lives, the last grand chorus of the Rumbar Pirate Crew... In this dark, foggy sea, alone for 50 years, I don't know how many times I've listened to it... Alone on this big ship, only this song made me feel life other than my own... But today, I have a new decision... I will seal this soul king's conch."
"Seal it!!" Brook lifted his skull again and put the soul king's conch back.
Usopp and Sanji's faces contorted at this sight (╯°Д°)╯"
"Stop it!! That's too dangerous to do!!"
"Eh???" Brook was a bit confused... Shouldn't they be surprised?... What's dangerous? "Don't worry... this is a normal skeleton structure."
The two fearfully held Brook down, blocking the intense gaze behind them. "Never do that again... You don't want to know what the danger is."
After some playful banter, Brook sighed, marveling at how good it was to be alive, and looked at Luffy, "Can I be your Companion?"
Luffy lay on his back on the grand piano, his posture getting stranger and stranger, looking at Brook, "You can, yes."
"Eh!!!! He joined so easily!" Sanji, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky were shocked, their eyes wide. Nami instantly transformed into the world-famous painting "The Scream." Robin let out a little laugh.
Zoro, on the other hand, looked utterly speechless at Orochimaru, who was hanging on his arm, instantly deflated and starting to'spit souls.' This snake couldn't always be so dramatic... He really deserved a beating.
"But still, welcome! Long live the musician!" Chopper, Luffy, Franky, Sanji, and Usopp surrounded Brook, tossing him high in the air. "Musician! The musician who died and is only bones! The long-awaited musician!"
As they tossed him, it turned into a sitcom. Nami sighed, "...Why do we always let these kinds of people join us?"
After everyone had a good romp, Brook suddenly became serious, pulling out a bounty poster and solemnly slapping it on the ground.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I apologize for the delay. I am Brook, who died and is only a pile of bones. I am a wanted man, commonly known as 'Humming' Brook, with a bounty of thirty-three million Berries.
I was once the Captain of a guard station in a certain kingdom, then acting Captain of the Rumbar Pirate Crew, a musician, and a swordsman.
From today onwards, I entrust my life to Captain Straw Hat Luffy. To avoid being a burden to everyone, I will put my old bones to good use and work hard!"
"Yosh! Another toast!!" Everyone gathered together, including the deflated Orochimaru. Zoro, who finally got a chance to drink, would never miss it.
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