What Maude valued most about the Shadow-Shadow Fruit wasn't just its immense potential but also its remarkable versatility.
For instance, the synchronization between the original body and its shadow.
Due to this intrinsic connection, if the shadow extends, the original body can extend along with it.
With precise control, if Maude could enlarge his shadow, then in theory, his body should be able to grow proportionally as well.
Similarly, if he were to lose a limb, as long as he could mold the shadow into the shape of the lost limb, it might be possible to instantly regenerate it.
These were some of the latent abilities of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
Possible? Impossible?
Such distinctions were meaningless when it came to Devil Fruits.
Having been exposed to the principles of Nen from the Hunter x Hunter world, Maude deeply understood the importance of imagination and the power of conviction.
No matter how absurd a concept might sound, if one truly believed in it and accepted it as reality—
Then the impossible could become possible.
Before this, both Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit and Law's Op-Op Fruit had already demonstrated this principle to Maude.
However, rather than focusing solely on the future development of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Maude was currently more concerned with eliminating its weaknesses.
Temporarily suppressing those thoughts, he withdrew his shadow from Moria's corpse.
"Let's go. Time to meet our new friend."
The 'new friend' Maude referred to was, of course, Brook—the one who had just been thoroughly beaten by Philo's joint locks. And more importantly, he was the wielder of the Revive-Revive Fruit.
Among the Devil Fruits that Maude knew, there were very few connected to souls.
Brook's Revive-Revive Fruit was one, and Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit was another.
And now, with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit in his possession, Maude realized its nature was also inseparably linked to souls.
Being a transmigrator made him particularly sensitive to such things.
While Moria had been the primary target of this mission in the Florian Triangle, Maude had also considered seeking out Brook. However, he hadn't expected Brook to deliver himself right to them.
Maude, Lafitte, and Law made their way back to the first-floor hall.
Perona, who had vented her frustrations on Brook, had finally started to calm down. But the moment she saw Maude and Lafitte descending the stairs, her mood darkened again, like storm clouds rolling in.
As if by reflex, she averted her gaze and buried her face in her chest like an ostrich, trying to erase her presence.
Maude glanced at Perona.
It was no surprise that Lafitte had captured her.
How should he deal with her?
The simple and brutal option would be to kill her outright and extract the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.
Alternatively, he could control her completely by seizing her heart.
However…
Maude's gaze lowered slightly as he assessed Perona's frail body.
With such a weak physique, there was barely any combat potential worth cultivating.
On the other hand, the experience gained from her Devil Fruit abilities might be worth considering.
A fleeting trace of killing intent flashed in Maude's eyes.
Perona suddenly shivered, her heart sinking as she keenly felt Maude's gaze.
"Is this guy… staring at my chest???"
Her imagination ran wild, and her heart plummeted into despair.
Maude, unaware of Perona's exaggerated assumptions, shifted his attention to Brook after a brief glance.
He could deal with Perona at any time—her heart was already in his hands.
"Yohohoho, pardon my appearance."
Brook, covered in bruises with fractures distorting his skeletal frame, felt slightly embarrassed as he met Maude's gaze.
This was hardly the way he wanted to greet his savior.
Though, to be fair, he had brought this upon himself.
Maude studied Brook for a moment before chuckling. "Law, fix him up."
"…"
Law concealed the flicker of emotion in his eyes and silently activated his Op-Op Fruit, creating a spatial field that enveloped Brook.
With expert precision, he swiftly restored Brook's body to its original state.
"Yohohoho, what an amazing ability!"
Now fully healed, Brook spun in place a few times, reveling in his restored form.
Then, turning to Law, he gradually composed himself.
Though his skeletal face lacked flesh or expression, his change in demeanor was palpable to everyone in the room.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Brook. I came here specifically to express my gra—"
"No need for gratitude. Come with me instead."
"Eh?"
Brook blinked in confusion as Maude extended his hand toward him.
"What did you just say?"
Maude smiled. "Join my crew. What do you say?"
"Huh?"
Brook stared at Maude, stunned by the unexpected offer.
He hesitated. "But… as you can see, I—"
"We don't care about trivial things like that. So, are you in?"
Maude cut him off again, his outstretched hand unwavering.
The sudden invitation left Brook flustered, but then he remembered his promise to Laboon.
His wavering heart steadied.
"I truly appreciate the offer, but I must decline. I have a promise to fulfill."
"A promise? Mind sharing?"
Maude already knew what Brook's promise entailed, but he couldn't reveal that outright.
Brook fell silent for a moment.
Given that Maude was his benefactor, he didn't hesitate for long before recounting his vow to reunite with Laboon.
As Brook spoke, Maude remained impassive.
Lafitte and Jim, however, exchanged glances of realization, marveling at the strange twists of fate.
After nearly fifty years, the one Laboon had been waiting for was standing right in front of them.
Once Brook finished, Maude calmly revealed Laboon's current situation.
Brook stood frozen.
His jaw hung open, and from the depths of his empty eye sockets, tears began to stream forth.
"Yohohoho…"
He couldn't contain his emotions, laughing and crying at the same time—whether from joy or sorrow, even he wasn't sure.
Maude and the others watched silently as Brook let his feelings flow.
"Waaah! That poor little whale! Smashing his head against the Red Line for a promise with some weirdo… so tragic!"
Perona wept uncontrollably, utterly heartbroken for the whale that had waited fifty years.
Her crying spiraled out of control.
"Waaah!!!"
She sobbed as if the world were ending.
Most likely, her grief wasn't solely for Laboon but also fueled by her own predicament as a captive.
Her wailing became the loudest sound in the hall, prompting a cascade of floating question marks in the air.
"???"
Brook, his mouth agape, looked at Perona with a complicated expression.
Maude ignored her and refocused on Brook, speaking seriously. "Brook, if you want to return to Twin Cape, we can take you there now."
Brook closed his mouth, his empty sockets meeting Maude's unwavering gaze before he shook his head.
"A man does not turn back. I will reunite with Laboon as promised—by sailing the 'front route'!"
"Then join my crew," Maude said with a grin.
"Yohohoho, in that case, allow me to properly introduce myself!"
With that, Brook knelt on one knee and pulled out his tattered bounty poster, slamming it onto the floor.
Just as he was about to recite the traditional pirate initiation speech, a realization struck him.
"Ah."
He looked up at Maude and the others. "Wait… I don't even know your names yet."
"Hahaha."
Maude couldn't help but laugh.
Meanwhile, Perona's crying stopped abruptly.
What the hell?!
They invited him onto the crew without even exchanging names?
Just what kind of people are these?!
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