บท 85: Thriller Bark
They went back to the Thousand Sunny with Brook in tow.
Brook met with the rest of the crew and received various reactions. Fear, annoyance, fascination.
They went inside to have dinner, at Brook's suggestion. He told them his story of how he ended up as a skeleton on a ghost ship in the Florian Triangle. It was much to be expected, a pirate crew wiped out by another, only he survived due to the Revive Revive Fruit.
"In some ways you're quite lucky to have your body become bones before you could revive. If you had revived immediately, you would have died again soon after." Cherry commented.
"I suppose that's true, but the many years alone have been hard..." Brook replied.
"Why don't you have a shadow?" Serene asked, whilst looking under the table.
"Ah, well, that's another story. That has nothing to do with the current state of my body." Brook explained.
"I had my shadow snatched away from me by a certain man. Truthfully, as much as I'd like to join you fine people, I cannot leave this sea for fear that the sun with turn me to dust. First I must retrieve my shadow from that knave before I can ever leave." Brook spoke.
"We're friends now, so we can help you!" Luffy suggested.
"No, I cannot and will not ask that of you. I shan't even tell you his name. He is a powerful foe and I cannot ask you to risk your lives for my sake." Brook refused.
"Enough about such depressing things, how about a song? Not to toot my own horn, but I am quite the talented musician! Yohoho!" Brook said.
Cherry leapt out of her seat and drew her blade in a wide arc near the wall.
"WoooOOoOoO~" A ghostly apparition let out a sorrowful wale as it's head slipped off it body and slowly melted into the air until nothing of it remained.
"I knew it!" Cherry shouted triumphantly.
A loud rumbling was heard from outside. They all went outside to see what was happening and saw what looked like a large wall made to look like teeth.
"Oh dear! Look behind the ship! I fear we've been caught! Did you pick up an offering barrel in the sea, by chance?" Brook asked.
"AH, We did!" Luffy said.
"That was a trap I'm afraid, that ghost had been hiding inside and helping them track you." Brook explained. "This is what's known as the 'ghost island' that wanders this sea. Thriller Bark!"
"The log pose isn't responding to it though?" Nami was confused.
"No, this island was brought here all the way from West Blue. This is a fortuitous day, indeed! I've met new friends and now the chance for my revenge has been presented to me!" Brook said, then jumped up to the Sunny's figurehead. "I suggest you do your best to leave this place, perhaps one day we'll meet again further along the Grand Line. Goodbye, Yohoho!"
He leapt over the edge, then ran along the water's surface towards the spooky island.
"Well, you heard him, Luffy. Let's get out of here." Nami said.
Luffy turned around revealing a big smile that said he would do no such thing.
Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Merry, and Serene boarded the Mini-Merry that Franky had built and gave it a little test drive.
Cherry was preoccupied in observing the invisible fellow who had boarded their ship.
The unseen man went below deck to look around. When he found where they kept their treasure, he came back up top.
*Tap*
Cherry rested her sword on his shoulder. "Do you think just because I can't see you that I can't find you?"
"Huh? Cherry, who are you talking to? "Sanji asked.
"Will you reveal yourself or will I reveal you by force?" Cherry asked, a dangerous glint in her eye.
The invisible man, Absalom, kicked backward and made to run for it.
Unfortunately, his foot was caught in Cherry's free hand and he could no longer move.
*ZAP*
Absalom slumped to the ground after being thoroughly electrocuted, clearly visible for all the see.
"What the- Why does he look like that?" Sanji said, looking at the man who seemed to have animal parts stitched onto his body.
"Those 5 should have gotten back by now, do you think something happened?" Zoro asked.
"Maybe they've been killed by a ghost?" Robin said.
"Well, let's tied this guy up and go find them. Who knows what else is on this island." Cherry suggested.
...
Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Merry, and Serene.
"We fell quite the distance. We're lucky we aren't hurt." Usopp said.
They were in a deep moat they had fallen into when their boat accidentally crashed into its outer wall and tipped them over.
"It's my fault for no paying attention... but you'll forgive me since I'm cute, right?" Nami stuck out her tongue.
"If there had been spikes down here, we'd be done for. Instead our fall was broken by these... skeletons..." Chopper said.
""HIIIIK!"" Chopper and Usopp squealed in terror.
"Stop screaming! We'll just find a way up and wait by the shore for the others to come pick us up." Nami said.
*Growl*
"It's a dog?" Usopp said.
"N-no it's got three heads! That's a Cerberus?!" Nami shouted.
They started to run as the three headed dog chased behind them.
"BAAH!" Merry didn't run, but charged towards it and slammed into it horns first.
The dog went flying and Merry stood triumphant.
"Wow, you did it Merry!" Chopper praised and clapped.
"It's standing back up." Serene observed.
Not only did it stand back up, it seemed completely unbothered and charged towards them once more. This time they really did run away. Eventually they found some stairs out of the moat and climbed a tree to escape the dog.
They tried to think of some way to get away from the three headed dog, but they were interrupted.
"Hello." A voice came from behind them.
"""Hiiik!""" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper screamed at the strange stitched up man who was hanging upside down behind them.
"I am Hildon. I saw that you were being chased by that wild dog. Perhaps you would like some assistance? You can await your friends at Hogback's mansion, if you like." Hildon offered.
Chopper's eyes sparkled at the name Hogback. Serene nearly frowned at the name.
They joined Hildon on his carriage, though serene hesitated to step on for a moment.
"Don't you think the horses looked a bit... strange? I couldn't quite make them out in the dark." Usopp said.
"There are many strange animals on this island, no need to worry about it. You'll be safe at Hogback's mansion until your friends arrive. Would you like some wine?" Hildon said.
"And maybe I'll get to meet Doctor Hogback!" Chopper said excitedly.
"Is he famous or something?" Nami asked.
"He's renowned in the world of medicine as a genius surgeon! He's performed operations that no other doctor has ever succeeded at! Unfortunately, he disappeared from the world one day..." Chopper admired.
Serene opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind. Nami noticed her odd behavior, but decided not to ask about it with a stranger around.
"It is THE Doctor Hogback, right?!" Chopper asked Hildon who replied in the affirmative.
Nami looked out the window and screamed, spilling her wine glass on Serene. "I saw something out there!"
"What? You're probably just seeing things because this place is so spooky. Let's look outside and see." Usopp sais skeptically, though he was really just hoping that was the case.
Looking outside, there were many stitched together animals and it seemed even the trees were alive and had faces. Rubbing their eyes and looking again, the strange sight was gone.
"Mr. Hildon, we need to go back right away! There were all sorts of monsters in the forest!" Nami exclaimed.
"Now, now. The fog tends to play tricks on the eyes, it was probably just a hallucination." Hildon tried to explain it away.
"Hmph, I know hallucinations beter than anyone and that was real! Take us back!" Serene said, seeming more relieved than before somehow.
"Very well. I'll tell the coachman to turn us around." Hildon shouted for the carriage to stop and stepped out.
Chopper was upset that he wouldn't get to meet Hogback.
"It's okay, Chopper! Hogback might be talented, but he's a selfish man. You're a much better doctor than he'll ever be, because you actually care about your patients." Serene tried to help him accept it.
"What do you mean?" Chopper asked, wiping his tears.
"Ah, well. Let's say I've received treatment from him before, a long time ago. Don't let his reputation fool you, he doesn't deserve to call himself a doctor." Serene gave him a sad smile.
Chopper wasn't sure if he could believe one of his idols was such a heartless person, but then he had never met the man whilst he had traveled with Serene for a couple months now.
"If you say so..." Chopper said meekly.
"Hey, haven't we been sitting still for too long? Why hasn't Hildon come back?" Usopp wondered aloud.
He peeked outside and found they were in a graveyard with no Hildon or horses in sight.
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