After Jerry finished systematically collecting most of the valuable items into his storage space, he turned back to the treasure-obsessed thief with mock sympathy.
"Alright, get up already. You'll get your fair share of everything."
But Carina remained draped protectively over the large chest, turning her head to glare at him with half-closed eyes. Her expression promised violence as she spoke through gritted teeth.
"I'm keeping watch over this one for now. If you even think about pocketing my portion, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your very short life!"
"Sure, sure. I promise I'll only use your share for the crew's benefit if you do something completely unreasonable," Jerry replied with obvious insincerity, employing what sounded like deliberately confusing logic.
The watching crew members had grown accustomed to Jerry's occasional nonsensical statements and observed the ongoing treasure dispute with amused interest. Ace in particular seemed to enjoy watching their newest crew member's dramatic reactions to Jerry's casual approach to wealth distribution.
"Hmph! Just... be careful with my stuff!" Carina warned, though she reluctantly moved aside so Jerry could collect the chest she had been guarding.
"I appreciate your concern for my well-being," Jerry replied with exaggerated formality, completely ignoring the implied threat as he made the final treasure chest disappear into his storage.
The collected wealth represented years of accumulated plunder from Moria's pirate operations. Thriller Bark had been stationed in the Florian Triangle for over eight years, and during that time, countless ships had entered the mysterious waters never to be seen again. Combined with whatever treasures Moria might have possessed before establishing his floating fortress, the total haul was indeed substantial.
"We should head outside," Jerry announced, his Observation Haki detecting multiple life signatures gathering in the courtyard. "Looks like we have quite a welcoming committee waiting for us."
"Yohohoho! That would be Lola and her alliance, I expect," Brook observed cheerfully, his mood dramatically improved now that his shadow had been restored.
At that moment, Deuce returned from his documentation efforts, rejoining the group as they prepared to leave Dr. Hogback's mansion. When everyone emerged into the courtyard, they found that the Victims' Alliance had indeed assembled—and had managed to capture the absent Dr. Hogback, who was now tied up and looking considerably less arrogant than during his earlier dinner party.
Captain Lola immediately rushed forward upon seeing the crew exit the building, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the male members of their group.
"Wow! So many handsome guys! Would any of you like to marry me?" she asked with her characteristic enthusiasm, apparently ready to propose to the entire crew simultaneously.
"Aha, well, that's very flattering, but maybe you should ask these guys instead," Jerry replied diplomatically, immediately deflecting the marriage proposals toward Deuce, Skull, and Ace.
The three men in question quickly began shaking their heads and waving their hands in polite but firm rejection, causing Jerry to grin at their obvious discomfort.
One of Lola's crew members, Brother Gyoro, hurried over to whisper urgently in her ear: "Big Sister, we're here to thank them for their help, not to recruit new husbands!"
"Though I suppose it was predictable that they'd all turn you down," he added with resignation, clearly familiar with this routine.
Once the marriage proposals had been properly deflected, Uncle Spohr stepped forward to address the more serious matter at hand. The elderly pirate cleared his throat formally before speaking.
"We want to express our sincere gratitude to all of you. Defeating Moria seemed impossible until you arrived, and now we can finally see sunlight again without fear!"
The other members of the Victims' Alliance quickly added their own expressions of thanks, their voices carrying genuine emotion after years of hopeless captivity.
"Yes! We never thought we'd live to see this day!"
"After so many years trapped here, we had almost given up hope entirely!"
"Thank you for giving us back our lives!"
Jerry raised his hand with a casual smile, clearly uncomfortable with the excessive praise. "Really, it's fine. We came here to help our friend Brook recover his shadow. Defeating Moria was just something that had to happen along the way."
The alliance members exchanged glances at Jerry's dismissive attitude. If they didn't know firsthand how terrifying Moria and his subordinates could be, they might have mistakenly believed that defeating one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was a simple afternoon's work.
Even accounting for the fact that some of Jerry's friends showed signs of injury—and that one of them was literally a walking skeleton—their casual approach to such a dangerous mission was genuinely impressive.
"Whether you see it as routine or not, your arrival was definitely the key to our salvation," Uncle Spohr insisted. "Please, let us show our gratitude properly. If there's anything we can do to help you, just name it."
The voices of the crowd echoed their leader's sentiment, creating a chorus of offers for assistance and service.
Jerry considered their words for a moment before responding with characteristic gentleness. "Well, it's getting pretty late. You should all get some rest and prepare to greet tomorrow's sunrise as free people."
The sincerity of Jerry's response, asking for nothing in return despite having risked his life for their freedom, moved many of the alliance members to visible emotion.
"Such a kind young man," one pirate murmured with obvious admiration.
"No wonder Big Sister Lola wanted to propose! I'm starting to consider it myself!" declared a large, bearded crew member.
"You ridiculous hairy giant, what are you dreaming about?" another alliance member retorted, causing scattered laughter among the group.
Brother Gyoro gestured toward the bound Dr. Hogback, who remained tied up and abandoned in a corner of the courtyard. "What should we do about this one?"
Jerry shrugged indifferently. "Handle him however you think is appropriate. He's your problem now."
After checking with his crew members and receiving no objections to this arrangement, Jerry began moving toward their ship. Brook was now carrying Ryoma's former weapon, the legendary black blade Shusui, while their newly acquired treasure was safely stored away. There didn't seem to be anything else the alliance could provide that they currently needed.
"Well then, we should be going," Jerry announced, and the crew began saying their farewells.
They left the alliance members still celebrating their newfound freedom with enthusiastic cheers and impromptu dancing. The island itself was in poor condition after Moria's devastating attacks had cracked it nearly in half, and there wasn't enough food available for a proper victory feast anyway. Nobody wanted to hold a party in a graveyard surrounded by mansion ruins.
Once they were back aboard their ship, Deuce's curiosity finally got the better of him. He had picked up fragments of Brook's story during their earlier conversations and wanted to hear the complete tale.
"Brook, what were those dreams and promises you mentioned earlier? I'd like to understand the full story if you're willing to share it."
Though Brook's skeletal face was incapable of normal expressions, his posture and voice clearly conveyed deep nostalgia as he began recounting his past.
"Speaking of that... I feel terrible about what I've put Laboon through all these years."
"Labrador?" Jerry interjected with obvious confusion.
"Jerry, please don't interrupt with random tangents. Brook's in a serious mood right now, and we'd all like to hear his story properly. And Brook, please don't let him derail your narrative."
"Ah, yes, of course. Let me continue," Brook said, refocusing on his memories.
Brook then related his complete history—from his service as a kingdom guard to his eventual recruitment into the Rumbar Pirates, their journey into the Grand Line, and the tragic plague that had claimed his entire crew. His voice grew increasingly melancholy as he described the loss of his friends and his decades of isolation on the ghost ship.
"We were simply too weak at the time," Brook concluded with obvious regret. "We failed to achieve our original dream of reaching the end of the Grand Line, and more importantly, I failed to keep my promise to return to Twin Capes and reunite with Laboon after we had sailed around the world."
His skeletal form seemed to radiate determination as his emotions intensified. "As the only survivor of that adventure, I have an obligation to go back there and tell Laboon what happened to us—that we didn't abandon our promise willingly."
Brook abandoned his earlier melancholy entirely, clenching his bony fists and shouting with passionate conviction.
"I don't know if Laboon is still there, still waiting for us after all these years, but some promises can never be dismissed with a simple 'Sorry, we're all dead now!'"
"That's why I've spent all this time trying to repair my old ship, hoping against hope that someday I could make the journey back to Twin Capes and see Laboon again!"
The heartfelt declaration left Deuce, Ace, Skull, and the others in contemplative silence. Finally, Jerry scratched his head thoughtfully before speaking.
"About that... Laboon is definitely still there at Twin Capes, and he's still waiting for you. Though I should mention he's been ramming his head against the Red Line pretty regularly."
Jerry's expression grew more serious as he continued. "I think he's trying to break through the continent so he can search for you, but all he's accomplishing is covering himself with scars and injuries."
"What?! Really? He's... he's still there?" Brook grabbed Jerry's shoulders excitedly, his voice filled with hope and disbelief. But when he processed the information about Laboon's self-destructive behavior, his excitement immediately transformed into guilt and anguish.
"Oh no... what have I done to him? All this time, he's been hurting himself because of my broken promise!"
Deuce, Ace, and Skull suddenly recalled their own encounter with the massive island whale when they had first entered the Grand Line via Reverse Mountain. At the time, they had simply been curious about the enormous creature's strange behavior without understanding its significance.
Now, finally learning the meaning behind Laboon's actions, they felt genuine happiness for both Brook and the whale, knowing that a reunion was finally possible.
However, Deuce raised a practical concern, his brow furrowing as he considered the logistics. "It's amazing that Laboon has waited for you for nearly fifty years, but there's one problem I can see. You're just a skeleton now—will Laboon even recognize you after all this time and such a dramatic change?"
Brook's skull somehow managed to radiate pure joy and hope as he responded to the question.
"I've thought about exactly that problem, which is why I've been so careful to preserve my afro all these years!" He patted his distinctive hairstyle proudly. "When I see Laboon again, we'll sing our old songs together and share some Binks' Sake. Combined with this unmistakable hairstyle, I'm absolutely certain he'll recognize me!"