Chapter 44: A Skeletal Surprise

The fog had grown so thick that it felt like a solid wall around the ship, cutting off their view of the ocean and sky entirely. Everything was cloaked in a gloomy gray, and the silence was deafening. Every creak of the ship's wood seemed to echo endlessly, amplifying the tension in the air.

Vulcan leaned against the railing, eyes squinting as he tried to make out anything beyond the thick mist. Smoker stood nearby, a cigarette between his lips, puffing out smoke that mingled with the fog. Hina kept a calm posture, but even she was eyeing the strange shapes in the mist suspiciously.

The crew had been on edge for hours, unsure of what was out there. But then, out of nowhere, a voice broke through the silence.

"Yohohohoho! What a fine day for sailing! I hope I'm not scaring you… though I suppose that's hard to avoid when you look like me! Yohohoho!"

Vulcan froze, his eyes widening as he scanned the mist for the source of the voice. That laughter had come from somewhere close, but there was no sign of anyone—or anything—on the ship.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Vulcan shouted, gripping his naginata tightly, though his tone had more curiosity than alarm.

Smoker blew out a puff of smoke, unimpressed. "Another one of those ghostly figures, maybe?"

"I don't know," Vulcan muttered, a grin slowly forming on his face. "But this one's got a sense of humor."

The fog shifted slightly, and a figure began to materialize in front of them. At first, it looked like just another shadow in the mist, but as it got closer, the figure's form became clearer. It was tall, thin—unnaturally thin—and wearing a flamboyant outfit, complete with a top hat and cane.

And then Vulcan saw it. The figure was a skeleton.

The skeletal figure strolled onto the deck of their ship as casually as if he'd been invited. "Ah, excuse me for the intrusion! You see, I've been rather lonely out here… well, for decades actually. Yohohoho! And now, I've found company at last!"

The entire crew went silent, eyes wide and jaws dropped. Even Hina was staring in disbelief. The recruits, on the other hand, were a mixture of shocked and… terrified.

"A skeleton…" one of the recruits whispered, his face pale. "He's walking… and talking…"

"Yohohoho! Yes, indeed! I may be just bones, but I still have plenty of life in me!" The skeleton tapped his head with his cane. "Ah, where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself! I am Brook, a musician, and it's a pleasure to meet you all! Though, I must say, I have no eyes, so I cannot see your faces. Yohohoho!"

Vulcan blinked, then broke into laughter. "A talking skeleton with jokes? I like you already."

Smoker rubbed the bridge of his nose, already exhausted by the strange situation. "Great. Just what we needed—a comedian skeleton."

Brook turned toward Smoker, the hollow eye sockets of his skull somehow managing to convey excitement. "Ah! I see you are a serious one! Well, you don't need to be afraid of me. I am just a humble man of music, though I must admit… I have a terrible habit of scaring people. Yohohoho!"

Vulcan grinned and stepped closer, intrigued by this new arrival. "Brook, huh? I'm Vulcan. So, what's a guy like you doing wandering around in this spooky place?"

Brook tilted his head, his skull cracking slightly as it moved. "Ah, well, that's a long and rather tragic story! You see, I've been dead for quite some time now. But thanks to the Revive-Revive Fruit that I ate, I was given a second life—though, as you can see, it came with a bit of a drawback. Yohohoho! I returned as a skeleton, without even a shred of muscle left! How embarrassing!"

The recruits exchanged nervous glances, not sure whether to laugh or scream.

Hina, however, raised an eyebrow. "You ate a Devil Fruit that brought you back to life?"

Brook nodded, his bony head rattling. "Yes! But I wandered into the Florian Triangle many years ago, and I've been trapped here ever since. I've been searching for my shadow, which was stolen from me by a terrible man—Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

At the mention of Moria's name, Smoker tensed. "Moria, huh? So that Warlord is responsible for this mess."

"Yes," Brook continued, his tone becoming more serious. "Moria uses the powers of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit to steal people's shadows and bring them to life as his undead servants. My shadow was taken, and now I wander in this fog, unable to step into the sunlight, lest I turn to ash!"

The recruits were now fully engrossed in Brook's story, fear and curiosity battling for dominance on their faces.

Vulcan crossed his arms, grinning. "Sounds like you've had a rough time, Brook. But tell me… how do you feel about joining us on this little adventure? We're hunting pirates and heading straight for the Florian Triangle's biggest mystery—Thriller Bark."

Brook's skull seemed to light up with excitement, his bony hands clapping together. "Join you, you say? Oh, that sounds absolutely thrilling! But… alas, I cannot leave until I retrieve my shadow. Otherwise, I'll be forced to live in the darkness forever! Yohohoho!"

Vulcan chuckled. "Well, then it sounds like we've got a common goal. You help us, and we'll help you get that shadow back."

Smoker, his cigarette now almost entirely smoked down, sighed. "This keeps getting better and better."

Hina glanced at Vulcan. "Hina thinks this skeleton might be useful… as strange as that sounds."

"Useful or not, he's in," Vulcan said with a grin, slapping Brook on the back—only to have his hand pass right through the bony frame.

Brook burst out laughing again. "Ah, sorry, I'm afraid I'm not very… solid! Yohohoho!"

After the initial surprise wore off, the crew gathered around Brook to hear more about the Florian Triangle. He told them about the ghost ships that wandered the area, crewed by shadows stolen by Moria. He spoke of the strange, fog-covered sea where ships disappeared without a trace and the eerie lights that flickered in the mist.

"And you've been here… for decades?" one of the recruits asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes! Many years, wandering these foggy waters. Though, I must say, the hardest part is being unable to see the ladies' panties! Yohohoho!"

The recruits blanched, and Hina shot Brook a withering glare.

"Yohoho! Ah, forgive me, I get carried away," Brook said, quickly bowing in apology.

Vulcan laughed loudly. "I like this guy! He's weird, but I like him."

Hina sighed, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Hina thinks this will be a long journey…"

As the crew discussed their next steps, they noticed the fog growing even thicker. The eerie creaking of wood echoed through the mist once again, this time louder and more insistent. The sound was different now—more deliberate.

Vulcan's grin faded as he looked toward the source of the noise. "Looks like we've got some company."

Brook tilted his head. "Ah, yes… the phantoms. You'll want to be careful. They aren't quite alive, but they're certainly dangerous."

Vulcan gripped his naginata tighter, excitement building once again. "Good. I was getting bored."

As the ghostly figures began to appear from the fog, Brook stood beside Vulcan, his bony fingers wrapped around his cane. "Yohohoho! I'm afraid I can't help much in a fight, but I'll cheer you on from the sidelines! And perhaps… play you a tune afterward?"

Vulcan chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "Deal. But first, let's deal with these phantoms."