Seeing the corpse he treasured about to be destroyed, Moria finally couldn't hold back any longer and strode forward, trying to intervene.
The fury in his heart was on the verge of exploding—this was simply going too far!
Those bastards had come demanding shadows, and he had given them. But why did they have to destroy his personal collection as well?!
Did they really think he, Moria, was someone they could bully?!
Just as anxiety filled his heart and he prepared to rush in, a massive pink slash flew straight toward him.
With his eyes fixed only on the zombie, Moria never expected to be attacked.
Without any defense at all, he was sent flying on the spot. His bloated body shot back like a cannonball, smashing straight into his own castle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the entire castle shook violently, thunderous crashes echoing as smoke, dust, and rubble exploded outward.
Seeing this, old Rayleigh's mouth twitched hard.
That was careless!
The surprise came far too suddenly!
He had thought that stopping Leno would be enough to settle everything, never imagining that his crewmates were just as ruthless—swinging their swords at the drop of a hat!
If he was going to be around these people in the future, he'd have to think things through much more carefully.
Just as Rayleigh was still feeling speechless over the sudden turn of events, a disturbance beside him caught his attention.
The burning zombie suddenly opened its mouth, and a pitch-black shadow shot out, flying straight to Brook's feet.
"Eh?~~~"
Brook, who had been slumped on the ground, immediately sprang to his feet. He stretched his arms, kicked his legs, and even shook his head around without sparing it.
After a moment, as if he had finally confirmed something, he suddenly threw his head back and let out a long howl:
"It's back! My long-lost shadow has finally returned! Yohohoho..."
After howling, he began hopping back and forth, constantly comparing himself to the shadow on the ground.
"Look! It's moving exactly the same as me!!!"
"Yohohohoho..."
Rayleigh: ...
Leno: ...
Is this guy an idiot?!
Watching Brook leap around like a maniac, Leno actually understood how he felt.
Having a shadow that had been gone for years return to his body made him feel whole again. Getting this excited was only natural.
No longer bothering with him, Leno turned and motioned for Kuina to head back to the ship with him.
Now that everything was settled, there was no reason to stay in this hellhole any longer.
They quickly boarded the ship and flew away from the island. Just as the Gale was halfway out, a chorus of ghostly wails and furious curses echoed from the center of the island.
Hearing the shouting, everyone exchanged glances and burst into laughter at the same time, the mood aboard the ship instantly becoming lively.
Before long, they finally flew out of the Florian Triangle, and the ship once again sailed upon the open sea!
Just as everyone was marveling at what another beautiful day it was, an earth-shaking scream startled them all.
"Ahhhhhhh~!!"
"Sunlight! It's sunlight! So bright!" As he shouted, Brook suddenly collapsed stiffly onto the deck, his voice turning choked.
"So warm… I haven't seen sunlight in decades! I finally… I'm finally living under the sun again!"
This time, no one joked around. They simply watched quietly as Brook muttered to himself.
This guy had suffered far too much over these past decades. No one knew how he had managed to endure it all.
The atmosphere on the ship grew unusually quiet, even the wind blowing toward them seeming gentler.
After a long while, Crocus's serious voice broke the silence.
"Brook, what are you planning to do next? Go back?"
"Mr. Crocus, although I really want to see Laboon, we made a promise."
Brook sat up, fell silent for a moment, then spoke with firm resolve.
"Since it's a promise between companions, I'll definitely see it through!"
"After circling the Grand Line once, we'll meet again. When that time comes…"
"I see, so that's how it is~"
A glint flashed across Crocus's glasses. He found Brook's attitude acceptable enough, and the old man let out a quiet breath before continuing.
"I can't make this trip for nothing. Is there anything you want me to take to Laboon?"
"That I do!" As he spoke, Brook straightened up and grabbed a handful of his own hair, tugging upward lightly—his skull cap flipped open just like that!
He reached his other hand into his head and started rummaging around inside.
"!!!!!"
"So that's how you're built?!"
"Incredible~"
Th-this was unbelievable! He really put things inside his head!
This shocking maneuver left everyone staring with their mouths wide open, frozen in place.
This guy always pulled off astonishing feats. He truly couldn't be judged by common sense.
Meanwhile, Yamato, watching his exaggerated movements, stared with eyes shining in pure envy.
A moment later, Brook pulled a shell out of his skull and said,
"I bought this Sound Dial from a merchant ship long ago. It's a magical shell that can store sounds and play them back later."
"I know that—it's from Skypiea!" Yamato recognized it at once. There were plenty of them on the ship already.
"Eh? You know it too?"
"Not just me—we all know it!"
After glancing around, Yamato spoke casually. She hadn't even mentioned that her good buddy used to be the god of Skypiea.
"I see. I've kept this Sound Dial with me all this time, hoping that one day, when I met Laboon again, I could play it for him."
Holding the Sound Dial in both hands, Brook's voice grew gentle, as if he were lost in memories.
"What's recorded inside?"
"A song~" Brook paused briefly, then continued in a flat, emotionless tone. "It's the song my departed companions sang when they were alive. It's to tell Laboon that our joyful journey has come to an end."
After saying that, he looked at everyone and softly asked,
"May I play it now?"
"Of course!" Yamato answered immediately. Nami, Nojiko, and the others nodded as well.
"Then…"
Brook gently pressed the button, and lively, cheerful music instantly flowed out.
"Oh? Binks' Sake~ I haven't heard this in ages!!"
Rayleigh, who was drinking, paused mid-motion. Then he gulped down several more mouthfuls, the smile on his face gradually widening.
This song had been extremely popular decades ago. Almost everyone who went to sea knew it.
Listening to it, he couldn't help but recall his adventures with Roger back then.
Off in the distance, Robin, who had been enjoying the sea breeze, turned her head as well, a dazed look on her face.
"I thought it sounded familiar… I haven't heard it in so long~"
"Robin, you know this song too?"
Uta looked at her with curiosity. She had no memory of this song at all—it must have been an old one.
"Yes~ I heard it a very long time ago."
"A very long time ago…"
…
…