With the music still lingering in the air, the three of them chatted merrily.
They spoke of the Grand Line, of its food and scenery, and of their own methods of training…
Eventually, Luffy noticed that Robin was starting to look tired, and only then did he realize how late it had gotten.
In the ever-misty sea, it was impossible to tell whether the light above was from the sun or the moon.
After bidding each other goodnight, the three returned to their rooms.
The moment he stepped inside, Luffy suddenly felt re-energized.
It was time for the part he had been looking forward to the most.
Rubbing his hands together and stretching lazily, he whispered in his mind, "System, open Brook's stat panel."
[Affirmative, Host.]
A cold, mechanical voice responded.
Character: Brook
Talent Grade: SS（+）
Stamina: 306
Strength: 256
Agility: 687
Mental Power: 1076
"Huh?"
Seeing Brook's stats, Luffy fell into deep thought.
Brook's attributes were seriously lopsided. With an agility over 600, he'd be considered very strong even in the first half of the Grand Line.
But his Mental Power stat, over 1000, was truly astonishing. Very few in the world could match that level of Mental Power strength.
In terms of Mental Power alone, Brook was already at the world's top tier.
But with strength under 300 and stamina barely above that, he had virtually no qualifications to fight true powerhouses.
For a swordsman, that was… well, rather depressing.
"Maybe it's because Brook doesn't have muscles," Luffy speculated silently.
"Wait, that's it!"
Luffy suddenly clapped his palms together, his eyes wide with realization.
Brook didn't have a single muscle on his body. That meant all his current power must be coming from his Devil Fruit, probably by consuming Mental Power energy or some other unknown force that allowed him to function this way.
That same energy must be binding his bones and granting him strength.
Luffy began recalling the Brook of the future, who could channel the chilling aura of the Underworld, Yomi itself, for powerful attacks.
"So the Yomi Yomi no Mi's power isn't just about resurrection…"
"But what is the Yomi?" Luffy found himself asking for the first time.
If Devil Fruits are physical manifestations of the world's natural laws, then what does it mean for the Yomi to exist? If the Underworld can interact with this world, is it part of the same reality?
And if so, is the Yomi Fruit a kind of bridge between life and death?
When someone dies, their Devil Fruit reappears somewhere else in the world, proof that its powers can't pass into the afterlife.
Yet Brook can summon frost from the Yomi… meaning the Underworld must have some connection to this world.
Could the Yomi Yomi no Mi be the key link between the two realms?
In the future, Brook could influence people's emotions with music. Luffy figured that was just a result of immense Mental Power power, similar to how Haoshoku Haki can knock people out.
If that's true, then with a strong enough Mental Power, even someone without Conqueror's Haki might achieve similar effects.
Which led Luffy to wonder… What is Conqueror's Haki, really?
"System, about that plus sign next to Brook's talent grade… Does it mean he has a special talent for music?" Luffy asked, focusing mentally on the "+" next to Brook's stats.
[Replying to Host: No. That plus sign indicates Brook's unique gift in the domain of the soul.]
"The soul?" Luffy murmured, biting his finger thoughtfully.
Wait a second…
Devil Fruits almost never grant bonus talents like this.
As far as he knew, only the Great Tengu Fruit from Godia had a similar effect, but that was due to the fruit's special nature.
But Brook gained an entirely new talent through his fruit.
Come to think of it… Nami had a terrifying natural talent, enough to impress even a powerhouse like Shiki.
This only confirmed what Luffy had begun to suspect,
The Yomi Yomi no Mi was not simple.
Suddenly, his mind was overwhelmed with more questions than he could count.
Shaking his head hard, Luffy forced himself to stop.
There was no point in overthinking things like this. Not when he was still so weak.
The system once told him that his potential had no upper limit. Maybe, once he became strong enough, all these mysteries would solve themselves.
For now, the path forward was clear: Get stronger.
And the fastest way to do that… was through the system!
"System, initiate draw for Brook's exclusive item!"
[Confirmed.]
The prize wheel appeared once more before Luffy.
Because of everything Brook had made him consider, Luffy watched the wheel more carefully this time.
And to his shock, he recognized one of the prizes.
A western-style greatsword, radiating an eerie, blue frost.
He recognized it at a glance, it was identical to the replica he had back in his past life's bedroom:
Frostmourne.
Besides that, there was also a staff whose grip ended in a skull with a blood-red eye, making Luffy feel a twinge of unease.
Then there was a black tome with a skeletal motif, a golden skeleton, and a gemstone pulsing with black-blue light.
There were many other unfamiliar items, but those four radiated such powerful auras that they overshadowed even Frostmourne.
The wheel spun, the items rotating at dizzying speed. Eventually, the pointer slowed… and landed on the glowing gemstone.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Brook's exclusive item: Hogyoku.]
A row of question marks popped across Luffy's forehead.
Hogyoku!?
How could that be!?
If Luffy were to rank the exclusive items his crewmates had received so far, it would've gone:
Zanpakuto > Dragon Slayer Crystal > Varia Ring.
But now, with the sudden appearance of the Hogyoku… that ranking has been completely overturned.
If he included the Hogyoku, the list became:
Hogyoku >>> Zanpakuto.
The power level had jumped multiple tiers. Luffy was genuinely shocked.
Taking the gem out of his inventory, he examined the eerie stone in his hand.
[Hogyoku]: Originating from the "Bleach" universe; grants the user immortality. When the user's abilities hit a ceiling or their life is endangered, the Hogyoku forcibly evolves them to a higher dimensional state (has no self-awareness).
"Huh?" Luffy brought the gem closer, studying its sinister glow.
"No self-awareness? I remember the most terrifying thing about the Hogyoku was its ability to absorb and materialize one's innermost desires…
But if it lacks self-awareness, does that mean it can't do that? Or maybe it needs to be controlled?"
Luffy felt like he had burned more brain cells today than in an entire year.
"Enough! I'm done thinking!" he shouted at himself.
He returned the Hogyoku to his inventory.
Better to wait and see what happens when Brook actually uses it tomorrow...
==========
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