The Grand Line, within the Florian Triangle region.
This sea, perpetually shrouded in deep fog, was located in "Paradise," yet it was also one of the most mysterious and dangerous seas in the entire world.
Since ancient times, countless terrifying rumors had surrounded these waters.
One of the oldest legends claimed that this was a cursed sea, the dwelling place of ancient, cursed beings.
Another rumor spoke of terrifying giant beasts lurking within the mist, creatures that devoured everything in their path. There were also tales of ghost ships drifting through the fog, with the songs of the dead echoing from within.
In recent years, hundreds of ships have vanished in these waters every year. Their crews disappeared without a trace, while only empty vessels emerged from the fog.
In short, this was one of the most mysterious and horrifying places in the entire world.
And at this moment...
"Yo-hohoho~ Yo-hohoho~"
"Binks' sake~ delivered to your side~"
"Day after day~ in the twilight of dreams~"
"I can no longer see~ the figure waving goodbye~"
The deceased man named Brook sang atop a tattered ghost ship.
As he hummed, he carefully adjusted his suit and straightened the bowtie on his chest.
Though both the suit and bowtie were already worn beyond repair, just like his skeleton body that had long since turned into white bones, the traces of time could never truly be hidden.
Yet his movements remained meticulous.
Just like every time before, it was as though he were preparing for a rendezvous.
Just like every time before, it was possible he would die on that island.
Oh, wait, that didn't sound right...
"After all, I'm already dead! Yohohoho!"
He let out his distinctive laugh while casually picking up his cane sword with graceful elegance.
At that moment, however, a sudden gust of wind caused the ship to creak loudly and tilt slightly, nearly making Brook lose his balance.
"The sea breeze is really strong today, could it be wishing me luck in reclaiming my Shadow this time?"
Brook gracefully removed his ceremonial hat and bowed toward the wind.
"Well then, I'm setting off!"
'That was what he said.'
Even though he knew no one aboard this ship would answer him, his companions, and even the ship itself, had already died fifty years ago in the distant past.
Still, he habitually spoke to himself, just like he habitually let out that peculiar laugh.
It made the ship feel lively again, like it once had been.
It made him feel less lonely.
It made his heart feel warm.
"Oh, wait, I'm a skeleton, I don't even have a heart! Yohohoho!"
"Uh, sorry to interrupt your self-entertainment." A response suddenly echoed across the ghost ship, where no voice should have existed.
"A ghost?!" Brook instantly screamed, his eyes nearly popping out, oh wait, he didn't have eyeballs.
"Coming from someone like you, calling others ghosts feels rather strange."
The next moment, Brook noticed that someone was already standing near the broken helm of the ship.
The man wore a dragon-head mask and carried a bottle of cola along with a bag.
Inside the bag was steaming hot food.
"My name is Shinryu." The newcomer introduced himself while lifting the food and cola in his hands. "Sorry for the intrusion… would you like to enjoy a meal together?"
Brook: "..."
…
A few minutes later…
"Yohoho! Truly delicious, so this is what warm food tastes like? It's enough to bring my taste buds back to life! Oh wait..."
Brook, who had not eaten anything for fifty years, was devouring the food ravenously.
"You don't have a tongue."
Meanwhile, Shinryu did not eat. He merely took a sip of cola and casually completed Brook's skeleton joke for him.
"Exactly so, you really know your stuff, guest!"
"So then, what should I call you? When did you come aboard? How did I not notice?"
"Are you another victim trapped in these seas? Were you attacked, or did you suffer a shipwreck?"
Perhaps because he was a skeleton, Brook managed to continue talking smoothly even while stuffing himself with food, and it was obvious that he had already realized Shinryu meant no harm, so his tone had become quite relaxed; he was even somewhat chatty.
"Shinryu." Shinryu calmly repeated his name. "I didn't suffer a shipwreck. You could say I entered this place willingly... for certain purposes."
As he spoke, Shinryu looked toward Brook.
"Purposes?" Brook seemed puzzled.
"Yes. I came here to investigate some things, and also to retrieve something... Hmm, one of those things should be arriving very soon."
As Shinryu spoke, the light screen reflected within his eyes clearly showed…
[Devil Fruit User "Brook" Detected]
[Confirmed Devil Fruit: Paramecia-type · Yomi-Yomi Fruit. Currently being analyzed and recorded into the "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia"]
[Devil Fruit Ability… After death, the soul can return from the "Underworld," granting one resurrection and powers related to the soul]
[Effects by Level]
[LV3: Obtain all standard Devil Fruit effects. After death, the soul may return to the world of the living and achieve a single resurrection. This ability can only be used once per soul. Requires 1,300,000,000 Beli to unlock]
[LV4: Deep Devil Fruit Development. Through the power of the soul, one can summon the "Chill of the Underworld." The underworld frost can freeze surrounding objects. Attacks imbued with this frost can damage and suppress soul-type beings. The user may also allow their soul to leave the body; once separated, the soul itself cannot be harmed. Requires 32,000,000,000 Beli to unlock]
[LV5: Devil Fruit Awakening · Lord of the Underworld. After the soul leaves the body, the user gains access to "Soul Vision." The user's soul can directly influence the surroundings, and all nearby souls without physical bodies will be devoured and sent to the Underworld. Each consumed soul temporarily grants the user all of the energy contained within that soul, greatly strengthening them. Subsequent attacks will also deal massively increased damage to spiritual entities. Requires 11 billion Beli to unlock]
[Analysis Progress: 12%]
That was right.
After learning that Big Mom was about to hold a Tea Party, and that her goal was to declare war against the Twelve Zodiac, Roy naturally had no intention of sitting around waiting for disaster to strike. He had already planted a wedge on Big Mom's side long ago.
At the same time, however, Roy also understood something clearly.
Big Mom's personality possessed enormous flaws, making her arguably the easiest Yonko to deal with.
But even so, she was still a Yonko, a "demonic god" who, as a mere child relying only on her monstrous talent, had slain a Giant hero and destroyed an entire Giant village.
When facing a monster like that, no amount of preparation could ever be considered excessive.
And coincidentally, Roy also knew something else.
Although the way she obtained it was rather bizarre, Big Mom truly was the user of the Soru Soru no Mi (Soul-Soul Fruit). She could extract souls and lifespans from other people, create special beings known as Homies, and utilize those souls and lifespans to unleash all sorts of abilities.
But the interesting thing was that although the ability possessed by the Brook before him, the Yomi-Yomi Fruit, could not compare to the Soul-Soul Fruit in terms of versatility...
When it came specifically to "suppressing souls," it was practically the perfect counter to the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Incidentally, this skeleton had become what he was today precisely because of the absurd resurrection effect of the Yomi-Yomi Fruit, and besides him, there were several other Devil Fruit users within the Florian Triangle that Roy needed quite badly.
That was why Shinryu had appeared here.
"Investigate? Retrieve something? Are you here treasure hunting?"
At this moment, after hearing Shinryu's answer, Brook was briefly stunned.
Because his ship had become impossible to steer due to age and damage, he had already drifted through the Florian Triangle for nearly fifty years.
During those fifty years, he had learned very little about the outside world.
A few years ago, a news-delivery seagull had accidentally wandered into these waters and delivered the wrong newspaper, allowing him to learn some recent events, but that was all.
Naturally, he had never heard of Shinryu or the "Twelve Zodiac."
Thus, Brook spoke to Shinryu with unusual seriousness:
"Sir Shinryu, I'm afraid I must warn you... if you came here seeking treasure, it would be best to abandon that idea."
"I've stayed in this sea for nearly fifty years... this place is dangerous. If possible, you should leave immediately, or your Shadow will also be stolen."
He deliberately lowered and stretched his voice, as though attempting to frighten Shinryu away.
"By that 'Warlord of the Sea,' Gecko Moria!"
But…
"Oh."
To Brook's surprise, Shinryu merely responded with a casual "Oh."
"Thanks for the warning."
Afterward, he completely ignored the topic of "leaving," glanced at the still-analyzing Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and then looked toward Brook.
"More importantly, Mr. Brook, tell me about your experiences."
In truth, he already knew Brook's story inside and out. Asking now was simply a way to pass the time while the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia finished its analysis.
Brook: "..."
'What was going on?'
Could it be that the newspaper delivered by that stray seagull years ago had been wrong? It clearly said that the Warlords of the Sea were supposed to be famous across the seas!
Still, despite his confusion, Brook had no intention of hiding anything.
"As for me... I used to be a pirate."
He spoke honestly.
After all, Shinryu had brought him food, and Brook naturally intended to repay that kindness.
Moreover, for someone as lonely as him, having someone to whom he could tell his story was naturally something he welcomed.
And so, Brook began telling Shinryu about his past.
Including his former identity as a member of the Rumbar Pirates, how their ship had been destroyed after encountering another pirate crew within these waters, and how the dense fog had delayed his resurrection for an entire year, ultimately leaving him as nothing but a skeleton...
Having gone so long without speaking to another person, his desire to talk was overwhelming, and he spoke extremely quickly.
[Devil Fruit analysis complete. Obtained "Yomi-Yomi Fruit" LV1]
And so, just as Shinryu heard that notification in his mind, he also happened to hear Brook say:
"It was probably around thirty years ago... I encountered a pirate here. I still remember that guy, his name was 'Rocks.'"
"Excuse me!?"
Shinryu, who had already been preparing to end the conversation, instantly froze.
"Who did you say?"
"Rocks."
Brook repeated the name once more.
"I remember Captain Yorki mentioning him before. Back in our era, he was just a rookie pirate who had only recently set sail and gained a little fame in the West Blue."
"But by the time I met him here, he was already terrifyingly strong... He seemed injured and was wrapped in heavy bandages, yet he still dared to enter the Florian Triangle on nothing but a tiny wooden raft."
As he spoke, Brook recalled the events of that time. It had happened more than ten years after he first began drifting through the Florian Triangle.
Back then, he had spotted a figure in the fog.
Before that, Brook would occasionally encounter other ships at sea.
But nearly every vessel instinctively avoided his "ghost ship," and the few curious people who approached would flee in terror the moment they saw him, the "Skeleton Captain."
That man, however, had been different.
"Oh? A corpse talking? No... this feeling, you're actually alive?"
"Even though you're already just bones. How fascinating."
He had no proper ship at all, only an unbelievably crude little raft. Even now, Brook still found it difficult to understand how such a thing could possibly sail across the dangerous seas.
Any storm, or even a single giant wave, should have been enough to overturn it.
In fact, Brook had directly asked him that very question back then.
And the other man had answered…
"Hahaha! Isn't that what being a pirate is all about?"
"If you don't even have the courage to face the sea alone, then how are you supposed to conquer the world?"
The response sounded utterly illogical, but Brook could hear within those words a kind of grand and boundless ambition that he himself could never fully comprehend.
That was why, even after so many years, his impression of that man had never faded in the slightest.
"And then?"
At this moment, Shinryu continued in a low voice.
"And then? Well, he asked me a few questions. I begged him to take me out of here... I still had to fulfill the promise I made with my companions."
Brook sounded somewhat regretful as he said this.
"But he refused."
Yes, Brook naturally wanted to leave this place. Every second of every day, he wanted to escape.
He still had a promise he absolutely had to fulfill.
So even if the other man's vessel had been nothing more than a raft, he had been willing to take the risk.
However,
"A promise, huh... That truly is an important reason."
Rocks D. Xebec had clearly placed great value on promises.
"If it were before, for someone like you who treasures promises so much, I definitely would've invited you to join my pirate crew."
"But not now."
The Rocks of that time had also seemed somewhat regretful.
"I, too, have a promise that I absolutely must fulfill."
After saying that, he left.
But before departing, he left behind some of his food and water, even though Brook had failed to provide any useful information and had clearly stated that he could survive without food or water.
"This is payment for asking directions. I usually don't pay people, but you're a fairly interesting fellow."
He laughed loudly.
"Keep waiting, skeleton! A free soul will never remain trapped inside a narrow cage forever... The day will come when you leave this place!"
And upon hearing all this, Shinryu's expression became even more solemn.
More than thirty years ago, Brook had encountered Rocks here?
Without question, this was something that had never happened in the original story.
And more importantly…
"Traveling on a tiny raft over thirty years ago?"
Shinryu naturally understood very well.
More than thirty years ago, Rocks had already been at the peak of his power.
At that time, he was the "World Overlord" openly confronting the World Government, the strongest pirate of an entire era.
At that time, the chances of him traveling alone to the Florian Triangle on a tiny raft were extremely low, after all, the Florian Triangle was located in "Paradise," and such actions would very likely have been discovered.
Thus, Shinryu arrived at an instinctive conclusion.
"Not over thirty years ago... but thirty-two years ago."
"The time Rocks came to this sea was the year after the God Valley Incident!"
"Besides going to Skypiea to leave me a message, he also came here?"
That was the most likely possibility.
So at this moment, Shinryu looked toward Brook.
"You said earlier that Rocks asked you for directions... What exactly did he ask?"
"Oh, about that..."
Brook recalled the memory for a moment after hearing the question.
"He asked me whether I had ever encountered a gigantic 'pirate ship' within this fog."
As he said this, his tone turned somewhat strange.
"A gigantic pirate ship?"
Hearing this, Shinryu frowned beneath his mask.
When speaking of enormous pirate ships within the Florian Triangle...
"Thriller Bark?"
Instinctively, Shinryu thought of this first, Thriller Bark, the island-sized ship belonging to the Warlord Gecko Moria.
It truly was an absurdly massive vessel.
But a moment later, Shinryu realized this guess was wrong.
After all, Moria had only arrived in the Florian Triangle a little over ten years ago. More than thirty years ago, he had not even become a pirate yet.
And in fact, Brook's next words immediately confirmed Shinryu's suspicion.
"At first, I thought he meant something like an island ship, but he said that vessel was far larger than even an island ship."
Brook scratched his afro.
He had seen Moria's island ship before, and its sheer size was already beyond shocking.
Something even larger than that...
Brook could not even imagine what such a thing would look like.
Shinryu: "..."
At those words, something surfaced in his mind.
It was the gigantic shadow that had appeared in the fog at the end of the original story arc, after the current Nika and his companions defeated Moria and departed from the Florian Triangle.
That shadow had been one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the original work.
And now, it seemed...
"That enormous shadow from the original story... was actually a pirate ship?"
Shinryu's thoughts raced wildly.
"If that's really true... then whose ship was it?"
But without question, the more he thought about it, the more questions emerged in his mind.
So in the end, he made a decision.
His understanding of the Florian Triangle was limited, and he could not unravel its mysteries on his own.
In that case, he would simply ask someone who knew far more about this sea.
"You're heading to find Moria now, right?"
He looked at Brook.
"Uh, yes... I'm going to reclaim my Shadow, wait, how did you know that..."
Brook answered halfway before suddenly freezing.
He had not even reached the part of the story where his Shadow was stolen.
"Just a guess."
Shinryu answered casually before standing up.
"Perfect timing. I was planning to find Moria myself anyway, let's go together."
"Go... together?"
Brook appeared even more stunned after hearing that.
Then he seemed to recall Shinryu's earlier words.
"You said you came to this sea to retrieve something. Is that thing with Moria?"
Shinryu nodded decisively.
Seeing this, Brook stopped asking questions.
"In that case, I've gone there several times before and figured out a hidden route for secretly infiltrating the place. If Sir Shinryu doesn't mind, you can sneak in together with me."
"Moria is an extremely dangerous man. It's best not to engage him head-on, otherwise your Shadow will also…"
Having another helper was naturally something Brook welcomed.
"Infiltrate?"
But before he could finish speaking, he heard Shinryu laugh.
At the same time, Brook saw Shinryu's body... begin to change.
His voice grew deep and heavy, like thunder echoing from the heavens.
And in the very next moment, right before Brook's eyes, he transformed into a legendary being from myth itself.
"The thing I want to retrieve, and the truth I want to investigate, can only be obtained by questioning Moria personally."
"Besides... I've never had the habit of sneaking around."
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395