Both parties readily agreed to the suggestion, and soon they had all returned together to the dining area aboard the Black Star Pirates' ship.
Deuce looked at Brook with obvious bewilderment, but seeing that the others appeared completely at ease with their skeletal guest, he managed a welcoming gesture. "Please, have a seat. Let's talk properly."
"How wonderful! You're all so kind," Brook said with genuine warmth, noticing the dishes still remaining on the table from their interrupted meal. "Are you having dinner? I would be delighted to join you, if I may."
Kotatsu approached the newcomer cautiously, sniffing around Brook's bony legs with obvious curiosity. After a moment of investigation, the lynx glanced toward Skull with what could only be described as confusion before padding back to his usual spot at Jerry's feet.
Noticing Kotatsu's retreat, Brook didn't seem offended in the least. Instead, he found a napkin and tied it around his neck bone with practiced ease.
"I haven't seen a cat in quite some time," he mused pleasantly. "But first, I would very much like to eat something."
"You're certainly not shy about making yourself at home," Carina muttered, though she was already turning toward the galley to fetch fresh food for their unexpected guest.
Looking down at the rice and other dishes spread before him, Brook's voice took on a tone of deep emotion. "Rice! Proper food! I haven't enjoyed such a meal in decades."
He gestured to his skeletal frame with theatrical despair. "I've been living in a state of perpetual starvation, and my stomach has become completely flat—though I suppose I don't actually have a stomach anymore. Yohohoho!"
"Oh, that's hilarious!" Carrot giggled, clearly delighted by Brook's unique sense of humor.
Skull's eyes were practically glowing with excitement as he leaned forward eagerly. "How about you join our crew? Boss Jerry, would that be alright? Can we invite him to travel with us?"
Skull was obviously thrilled by the prospect, but he knew better than to make such invitations without consulting their captain first.
Seeing Skull's enthusiastic expression, Jerry had no objections and nodded approvingly. "That's fine by me, as long as Brook wants to come along."
Perhaps caught up in the warm atmosphere and good company, Brook agreed without hesitation. "Yohohoho! I would be honored to accept such a generous invitation!"
The ease with which Skull and Jerry extended the invitation, combined with Brook's immediate acceptance, left both Deuce and Carina looking somewhat stunned. Even Carrot seemed perfectly content with the arrangement, and Ace showed no signs of disagreement. Remembering Jerry's exceptional Observation Haki abilities, the crew trusted his judgment about new people.
"By the way, Brook," Jerry said as fresh food was served and everyone resumed eating, "why don't you tell us about your situation? What exactly happened to bring you to this state?"
Even though Jerry had a general understanding of Brook's circumstances, he wanted to hear the full story directly.
Ace rarely lifted his head from his impressive pile of food, but everyone else focused their attention on the skeleton musician.
Hearing the question, Brook began speaking while efficiently working his way through the meal before him—a sight that was both fascinating and slightly unsettling.
"Ah, my story," Brook began thoughtfully. "It's because I consumed the Revive-Revive Fruit, you see. The truth is... I actually died several decades ago."
"Wait, what do you mean? Could you explain that in more detail?" Deuce was no longer frightened, and he had already pulled out his notebook, eager to record this extraordinary tale.
"Of course! I'd be happy to elaborate," Brook said agreeably. "I used to be a pirate, sailing with my dear friends on many grand adventures. We shared countless memories together..."
His voice grew more somber as he continued. "Eventually, our journey brought us to this accursed sea region, where we encountered a tremendously powerful enemy. Our entire crew was annihilated in the battle."
Brook paused, seemingly lost in painful memories. "Naturally, I died alongside my comrades. However, that's when I discovered the true power of my Devil Fruit, which until then had seemed to do nothing except prevent me from swimming."
"The Revive-Revive Fruit allows the user's soul to be preserved and return to the world of the living—a second chance at life, if you will."
"Originally, I should have been able to resurrect immediately by returning my soul to my physical body. However..." Brook gestured helplessly at the fog-shrouded windows. "Because of the incredibly thick fog that perpetually blankets this sea, I became completely lost."
"My soul wandered aimlessly for an entire year before I finally managed to locate my original body. Unfortunately, by that time, it had decayed until only these bones remained."
Despite the tragic nature of his story, Brook managed to inject his characteristic humor. "I was so startled that I got goosebumps all over—though of course, I no longer have any skin to get goosebumps on. Yohohoho!"
After so many years had passed, Brook could speak about these events with remarkable composure and even find moments of levity in his tragedy.
"Wait, I have a question," Carrot interjected with innocent curiosity. "If you're just bones, why do you still have that afro? Shouldn't skeletons be bald?"
"Ah, that's because I have exceptionally thick hair with remarkably strong roots," Brook explained matter-of-factly.
Deuce, who had been expecting some profound mystical explanation, blinked several times and found himself somewhat speechless.
After listening to the complete story, Carina visibly relaxed and added, "So you're not actually some kind of ghost?"
"Oh heavens no! I'm just as afraid of those supernatural entities as anyone else. Yohohoho!" Brook replied with obvious relief.
"But wait," Deuce said, his observational skills kicking in as he noticed something unusual. "If you're not a ghost, then why don't you have a shadow?"
Upon hearing this question, both Deuce and Carina suddenly realized that Brook indeed cast no shadow whatsoever. Under the cabin's lighting, they could clearly see that no dark outline appeared beneath the skeleton's form. Both of them screamed and instinctively took several steps backward.
Ace and the others noticed the missing shadow as well, but they remained calmly seated, showing only mild curiosity rather than fear.
Jerry glanced at the space beneath Brook's feet and under his arms, smiled knowingly, but said nothing.
"Oh no, no! That's an entirely separate matter," Brook said hastily, waving his bony hands in denial before launching into another explanation.
"That incident occurred several years ago. My ship's rudder had been severely damaged, leaving me unable to control my direction. I could only drift helplessly wherever the currents carried me."
"During one such period of aimless drifting, I accidentally arrived at a place called Thriller Bark, where a particularly unpleasant individual stole my shadow."
"Stole it?!" Deuce sat up straight, his writer's instincts sensing another fascinating story worth recording.
Skull, sitting nearby, appeared to be deep in thought. His extensive intelligence network wasn't just for show, after all. He ventured a tentative guess: "If someone can steal shadows, that sounds like it might be related to a specific Devil Fruit ability."
"Oh my! You know about such things?" Brook exclaimed in surprise, clearly impressed by Skull's deduction.
"Don't underestimate me!" Skull replied proudly, placing his hands on his hips. "I am, after all, an intelligence specialist!"
He continued with obvious satisfaction in his knowledge: "You must have encountered Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, correct?"
"Exactly right! That man possesses the ability to extract and cut away other people's shadows," Brook confirmed with a nod.
"Furthermore, anyone whose shadow has been stolen cannot survive exposure to sunlight. If direct sunlight touches them, they will be completely vaporized without a trace."
Brook's voice grew more serious as he recounted his observations. "I have personally witnessed people being struck by sunlight and disappearing instantly before my very eyes. It was absolutely horrifying and frightened me to my core—though I suppose I no longer have a core to be frightened to. Yohohoho!"
Deuce stopped writing and looked up with a grave expression. "That means, even if you wanted to leave this place, you're essentially trapped in this foggy sea to avoid being destroyed by sunlight."
Setting down his bowl and chopsticks, Brook gazed upward with a heavy sigh. "Precisely. I am nothing more than a lonely pile of bones, rejected by both the sun above and the sea below, having lost all my beloved friends."
"I cannot express how happy I am today to meet so many wonderful people with whom I can actually have a proper conversation."
"And of course, there are such lovely ladies present. It would be even more wonderful if I could perhaps admire their—"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT, YOU PERVERTED SKELETON!" Carina roared, cutting off his request before he could finish it.
Everyone was watching their familiar bickering with amused smiles when Brook's tone suddenly shifted to something much more melancholic.
"I have been drifting alone for decades in this sea where day and night are indistinguishable, where ghost ships appear without warning. The loneliness and fear have been... overwhelming."
"Sometimes, I've honestly considered simply throwing myself into the ocean to end this existence. But life isn't just about the present moment—there's still poetry and distant horizons to discover."
"For me, meeting all of you and being able to have such wonderful conversations has brought me more joy than I can express."
"If I still had eyes, I might very well be crying tears of happiness right now."
Despite his emotional words, Brook's next statement caught everyone off guard. "Yohohoho... I truly wish I could accept your generous invitation, but I'm afraid I must cruelly decline."
Skull was the first to react, jumping up with obvious distress. He couldn't understand why Brook would change his mind so suddenly.
"Why? You clearly accepted our invitation just moments ago!"
"Ah, that's because I lack a shadow and therefore cannot leave this fog-shrouded region," Brook explained sadly. "Besides, I've been training and growing stronger over these years, hoping that someday I might be able to reclaim what was stolen from me."
"Then why don't we help you get your shadow back?" Skull suggested enthusiastically.
Looking around and seeing that everyone else nodded in agreement with Skull's proposal, Brook spoke slowly, his voice filled with gratitude.
"No, you are all such good people that I cannot possibly ask you to take such risks on my behalf."
"Since you know he's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, you should understand just how incredibly powerful Gecko Moria is..."
Before Brook could finish his warning, Skull interrupted him and turned toward their captain.
"Boss Jerry, what do you think?"
"Don't worry about it, Brook," Jerry said with a confident smile, exchanging a meaningful glance with Ace. "He's just an oversized shut-in who's gotten lazy over the years. We'll help you get your shadow back."