To celebrate Brook joining the crew, Robin once again prepared a lavish table of dishes.
At the large round table, the three of them sat side by side.
Luffy and Brook raised their glasses frequently, toasting each other with milk.
"Gulp, gulp, gulp... ahhh~!" Brook downed his drink like an old man enjoying a cold beer on a summer day. He exhaled contentedly after finishing a glass of premium milk Robin had carefully selected for Luffy from Sabaody Archipelago.
"I never expected you to share my love for milk, Luffy-san~" Brook said as he slammed his empty glass onto the table.
"Ahahaha, well, you gotta drink milk to grow taller, right?" Luffy replied, eating, drinking, and talking all at once, somehow managing to juggle the three without any trouble.
He turned to Robin with a grin. "Your cooking's getting better and better, Robin!"
Robin smiled gently. In that moment, all her hard work over the past few days felt worth it.
"Oh right, you mentioned earlier that Moria's still alive?" Luffy asked suddenly, remembering what Robin had told him.
At the mention of this, Robin's expression turned serious. "Yes. When I used my powers to scout the area, I discovered that Moria was on the brink of death. But his subordinates didn't give up. They've been treating him, and now he's out of immediate danger."
Even now, Robin found it hard to believe what she had seen. Hogback's precision in surgery was almost superhuman, he had taken the art of medicine to its limits.
"I see..." Luffy muttered, chewing thoughtfully.
"What should we do next, Luffy-san?" Brook asked, gently running his fingers along the handle of his cane.
Truthfully, he disliked violence and would rather flee than kill. But Moria's terrifying strength made him uneasy. He couldn't guess what Luffy would decide.
"Huh?" Luffy looked up at him, surprised. "Let's wait a few days. Once he wakes up, we'll go see him."
"W-Wake up? See who?" Brook asked, voice trembling slightly, clearly hoping Luffy would name anyone but Moria.
"Moria, obviously," Luffy mumbled through a mouthful of food.
Brook's hands shook slightly, and he exhaled deeply. In his mind, he thought, That's right... this man in front of me is a monster on par with Moria. If I'm sailing with him now, I guess I'd better change my mindset...
"By the way, Brook, why did you become a pirate?"
The meal was winding down, and Luffy figured that since there was nothing urgent to do tonight, and with a new crewmate on board, it was the perfect time to relax and get to know each other.
Brook suddenly fell silent, as if lost in deep memories.
After a while, he began, "Luffy-san, there's something I haven't told you."
He picked up his empty glass and stared into his reflection on its surface.
"I made a promise with someone... and if I don't keep it, I'm not worthy of calling myself a man."
The atmosphere grew heavy with melancholy.
"I was once a member of the Rumbar Pirates.
We set sail from the West Blue, carrying music and dreams. Our goal was to become the kind of pirate crew that could make even crying children smile.
While we were still in the West Blue, a young whale who had been separated from its pod started following us. We took him along on our journey, and he traveled with us through many seas. Everyone grew to love him.
To our surprise, he followed us all the way through Reverse Mountain, the gateway to the Grand Line, and entered the Grand Line with us."
Tears streamed from the hollow sockets of Brook's eyes, tears from his soul.
"But the Grand Line was far too dangerous. Laboon was still just a child. We couldn't let him continue on with us.
So, full of confidence, we made a promise to him.
We told him we'd cross the entire Grand Line and return to meet him again.
But, unfortunately..."
Brook's tears fell even more freely. Luffy and Robin quietly listened to his story.
Suddenly, Brook stood from his seat and dropped to one knee, bowing his head solemnly.
"Luffy-san, please allow me to reintroduce myself.
I am Brook, the skeleton who lives after death. I bear a bounty!
They call me 'Humming' Brook, with a bounty of 33 million berries!
I once led the royal guard of a kingdom. Later, I joined the Rumbar Pirates as acting captain, musician, and swordsman!
From this day forward, I will follow Captain Luffy's orders.
I hope, with your strength, Luffy-san...
I can return to Reverse Mountain. No matter Laboon's condition now, I want to go back to the place where we made our promise.
Luffy-san! Robin-san!
Please grant me this wish!"
As Brook knelt on the ground, Luffy and Robin exchanged a glance.
Then Luffy softly said, "Get up.
We might not have to wait long. Two years from now, I'll need to return to the East Blue to attend my brother's departure ceremony.
After that, we'll be entering the Grand Line again, from Reverse Mountain.
You'll have your chance to see him."
Luffy, remembering the original story, of course knew that Laboon was still there. This would be Brook's opportunity to reunite with him.
After he finished speaking, Luffy turned his attention to the Pokéball in his backpack, sinking into thought.
"...Yes, Luffy-san!" Brook rose slowly. Seeing Luffy and Robin's smiling faces, he gripped his cane tightly. For the first time in ages, he felt a renewed hope for life.
"Oh, right~" Robin, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke. "I once heard a rumor...
They say that near the entrance to the Grand Line, there's a giant whale that frequently rams into Reverse Mountain. Many ships entering the Grand Line have been damaged because of it."
"The old man who watches over the lighthouse there said... the whale's name is Laboon."
She smiled as she locked eyes with Brook's dark, hollow sockets.
Brook's entire body trembled. He whispered, "He's... still waiting for us?
Laboon... is that true?
Is he okay? He must've grown big by now..."
"He should be," Robin replied calmly. "I've heard that same story from several pirates just entering the Grand Line. They say he's a very strong fellow."
Brook bowed his head, covering his face with both hands. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his skeletal frame.
"I see... he's okay."
"Waaaahhh!"
Joy. Sorrow. Longing.
Fifty years' worth of buried emotions finally had an outlet.
Brook lifted off his skull cap and, from within his hollow cranium, pulled out a purple conch shell.
Holding the shell, he explained, "I bought this a long time ago from a merchant vessel. It's called a Tone Dial.
This magical thing can store sounds for playback later."
"It contains the voices of my fallen crewmates.
They wanted to use it to tell Laboon that we 'finished our journey happily.'"
He pressed the switch on the Tone Dial. A sweet, nostalgic melody flowed out.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho~ Yo-ho-ho-ho~"
"Yo-ho-ho-ho~ Yo-ho-ho-ho~"
"Bink's Sake~ Sailing 'cross the sea~"
"To be alive... truly is a blessing."
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