In the real world, two days and nights passed in eerie stillness after Brook was sealed within the bone prison.
Luffy lay on the deck, bored out of his mind, thinking that Moria should have just about finished recovering by now.
He had borrowed two books from Robin to help pass the time, but they only barely staved off the monotony.
Finally, on the third day, a strange sound echoed from within the sinister bone cocoon that encased Brook.
The sound was faint, fragmented, yet enough to draw both Luffy and Robin's attention.
They couldn't help but approach, curiosity guiding their steps.
As they drew near, they began to distinguish melodies hidden within the noise, subtle, yet unmistakable.
Then suddenly, the music surged in strength. What began as a gentle, elegant tune transformed into a rousing, intense composition that stirred the blood. It was as if a symphony of war was being conducted within the cocoon, rousing even those outside to action.
The powerful score soared like the music of the divine, majestic and overwhelming, its sound like clouds rolling through the heavens in endless motion.
Even the sea responded. Waves rose and fell with the rhythm.
The wind gathered and twisted through the sky, dancing in time with the music.
Then, the tone shifted again. A deep, sorrowful melody drifted out, its beauty laced with melancholy.
The haunting drums carried an indescribable power that stirred the soul, plucking at invisible strings in the heart.
There was a subtle pull in the sound… as if it were trying to draw Luffy and Robin into another world entirely.
Fortunately, both of them had strong wills. Though dazed for a brief moment, they quickly broke free of the music's influence.
Still shaken, Robin hesitated before asking in a worried voice,
"Luffy... what was that just now?"
Luffy frowned.
This was his first time experiencing a mental assault like that. Even he felt somewhat disoriented.
He turned toward the bone cocoon encasing Brook and said with uncertainty,
"Maybe… it's some kind of new ability of Brook's? Just… not fully in his control yet."
It was the only explanation Luffy could think of.
"I see…" Robin nodded gently.
The two stood silently beside the bone prison, watching carefully, wary of any further change.
The strange concert didn't last long.
They waited in silence as the music evolved through countless variations, finally reaching its grand finale.
The final note rang out, reverberating with power, then faded away.
The ocean settled once again.
But the sky above turned heavier, grayer, more oppressive.
Amid the silence, Luffy suddenly noticed something.
A faint cracking sound.
"Crack."
A thin fracture had appeared at the top of the bone cocoon.
"Crack… snap…"
The fissure spread rapidly, forming a small opening. A chilling, malevolent aura leaked out from within.
The surrounding atmosphere thickened with gloom. Robin even felt a sudden chill run down her spine.
Pale green light glimmered from within the cocoon, casting eerie reflections. It was as if the place were haunted, souls drifting through the air.
With time, the cracks widened. Finally, a shard of bone broke free and fell to the ground.
That single piece seemed to trigger a domino effect. The entire cocoon began to fracture, splintering apart with sharp, brittle snaps that made the scalp tingle and teeth chatter.
Fragments of bone fell to the ground. When the breeze stirred, they broke into fine dust, drifting like ash through the air.
Then, boom!
An overwhelming force exploded outward, completely shattering the bone prison. It collapsed in a dazzling cascade of green light, dissolving into the sky like stardust.
As the cold light faded, what lay within was finally revealed.
Brook sat alone on a stone bench, unmoving.
He was focused, his skeletal eyes glowing faintly as he faced a ghostly bone piano.
Faint green light flickered in his sockets. His jet-black skeletal fingers trembled slightly on the keys, as if he were still trying to pull himself out of the trance the music had brought.
"BROOK!"
Luffy called out loudly, shattering the solemn stillness.
The chill in the air immediately dissipated, and warmth returned to the space around them.
Robin watched him closely, eyes full of curiosity.
Brook's once-black tuxedo was gone, replaced by a pale samurai-style robe.
From his sleeves extended inky-black bones, cold and solemn, like shadows cast by nightfall.
A faint cyan pattern spiraled from his fingertips, glowing with chilling light, radiating an icy aura that made the air prickle.
His exposed skull gleamed even brighter than before, pristine and smooth.
The old cracks and scars were gone. His cheekbones emitted a mysterious green glow, as if his soul was spilling outward, casting ghostly echoes onto the world.
Luffy's voice seemed to finally stir Brook.
He lifted his head slowly, glancing around in confusion, as if unsure whether this was still part of his Mental Power vision or the real world.
"Brook? Are you alright?" Luffy asked again, more softly this time.
Brook didn't answer right away. But Luffy already knew the answer.
Unseen by Brook or Robin, a translucent character status screen had appeared before Luffy's eyes:
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Name: Brook
Aptitude:SS(+)
Stamina: 800
Strength: 800
Agility: 1000
Mental Power: 1211
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Thanks to the power of the Hogyoku, Brook's stats had skyrocketed.
His stamina and strength had more than doubled. Agility hadn't quite doubled, but the increase was still massive.
Only his Mental Power remained unchanged.
"Strange… is the Hogyoku unable to affect the Mental Power stat? Or is there some other reason?" Luffy pondered silently.
All three numbers were eerily precise, no decimal points, no fluctuations.
That kind of symmetry was rare in real life. Could it be the Hogyoku's doing? A template it imposed?
The thought flashed through Luffy's mind but quickly faded.
He'd long accepted that if something couldn't be understood, there was no point dwelling on it.
Some answers were meant for a stronger future self.
With Brook's return, Luffy himself had grown stronger, by roughly one-sixth.
Not a huge leap, but every addition to the crew brought compounding gains. And more importantly, Luffy was still only twelve years old. His seventeen-year-old appearance was only due to the capsule system.
There was still plenty of time, for growth, for training, and for his companions to evolve.
All he had to do… was wait.
Finally, after Luffy called to him again, Brook's awareness fully returned.
He shook off the lingering haze and rejoined reality.
The bone piano suddenly ignited in a green flame.
As it burned, its shape twisted and changed, until it reformed into a bone staff identical to Brook's old sword cane, which floated gently to his waist and attached itself there.
Brook rose slowly to his feet.
His once-serious expression softened. A familiar, cheerful smile crept across his face, the light-hearted Brook had returned.
He stepped forward, then dropped to one knee before Luffy on the deck.
Lowering his skull in a solemn bow, his jaw parted slightly as a cold breath escaped his mouth.
From the depths of his soul came a solemn voice:
"Soul King, Brook."
"At your service, Captain."
==========
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