Iron Whiskers gently swayed as it sliced through the sea's eerie, cresting waves. Ryu didn't really know when it happened, seeing as he was eating his lunch with Yoruichi, but when he returned to the ship's upper deck he discovered that they had entered a rather intriguing part of the sea.
This was an area where the water was as dark and the waves were... Unsettling? Ryu wasn't sure if that was the right word. The sun that stood high in the sky not a moment ago was but a memory, as a shroud of eerie black fog enveloped the surroundings.
Ryu tipped his head back, a low whistle of admiration trickling from his lips as he surveyed the enigmatic expanse before them. "Well, if this isn't the most atmospheric sea I've ever seen."
Yoruichi, leaning elegantly against the ship's railings, nodded with a devilish grin twisting her lips. Her golden eyes shimmered under the ghostly light, contrasting the gloomy sea below. "No kidding, it's like another universe entirely. What do you say, Ryu - think there's an island tucked away somewhere?"
Ryu shot her a sidelong glance, his grin echoing hers. "Probably. My money's on a creepy vampire island."
Laughing, Yoruichi teased, "Zombie resort, that's my guess. Wanna make it interesting? Loser makes breakfast in bed."
Ryu gave her a mock pout, "I was just making conversation..."
"But the wager's on. I like my eggs sunny side up, by the way," she winked. In a flash, Yoruichi vanished, only to reappear moments later atop the ship's mast, the thick fog swirling around her as she scanned for any sign of land.
Their sight may have been hindered by the dense fog, but their hearing was still intact. The melodic notes of a piano reverberated through the eerie atmosphere, a jarring contrast to their surroundings. The music was cheerful, unnervingly so.
Perched on the mast, Yoruichi called down, "Are we seriously hearing a pianist in this creepy place?"
Ryu shrugged nonchalantly, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Sounds like it. The dude's got skills, though. Let's go say hi."
Following the pianist's call, Ryu steered their ship, slicing through the fog as Yoruichi kept a vigilant eye from above. The two silently enjoyed the music as they slowly followed its trail.
As they drew closer, an eerie sight materialized from the fog. A ghostly ship, once grand, now a decaying specter, stranded in the middle of the sea. Its towering masts stood broken, like the skeletal remains of a long-dead beast, its once-vibrant sails now tattered remnants whispering stories of the glory that was.
The ship's decaying timbers groaned under the weight of the silent sea, a haunting reminder of a bygone era. The deck, splintered and worn, was littered with forgotten loot and corroded cannonballs. Oddly enough, a grand piano sat in the midst of it all, bearly touched by time's cruel hand.
And there, perched on the piano stool, was the source of the music - a skeleton. Its bony fingers glided over the keys with a grace that defied its ghastly appearance. As their ship drifted nearer, the skeleton seemed to sense their presence, standing up and turning towards them.
The eerie figure before them was an incredibly tall skeleton standing around 2.5 meters (around 8 feet), draped in what could only be described as the tattered remnants of an old attire.
A shredded coat clung to his skeletal frame, its faded lining still holding a hint of its former yellow-orange glory. A frayed blue cravat fluttered around the skeletal neck, a silent testament to a bygone era of elegance.
The skeleton wore ripped and tattered black pants that did nothing to hide the bones inside of them. Unlike the skeleton's elegant coat, the pants were simple and plain, serving as a contradiction in the attire.
One of the skeleton's hands clutched a worn cane, its purple covering peeling to reveal the wood beneath it. The entire ensemble, despite being decades weathered, still held some charm.
The skeleton, despite lacking any skin or flesh, boasted an extravagantly bushy afro, with a small top hat perched precariously atop the mass of hair.
The skeleton's skull turned towards them, and with an exaggerated bow, the skeleton gestured grandly towards his ship, inviting them aboard with an unmistakable flourish.
Yoruichi and Ryu, unbelievably curious at this point, decided to engage. They dropped their anchor and hopped onto the ruined ship's frail deck.
"Ah, company at last!" The skeleton exclaimed, his empty eye sockets somehow managing to express his joy. "I'm rattled with excitement, Yohohoho!"
Ryu groaned at the pun, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. Yoruichi, however, burst into laughter.
Ryu shot a glance at Yoruichi, who was busy giggling, before taking the initiative. "So, it's weird for a first question but I gotta ask, how did you turn into a skeleton? Do you have a unique Devil Fruit or something," he inquired.
"And how'd you end up stuck here?" Yoruichi added, wiping away a tear of laughter from her eye, her grin still firmly in place.
The skeleton straightened, placing a bony hand against his chin as if to seem thoughtful. "Ah, the tales I could tell, my friends! But let's start with introductions. My name is Brook! As for my existence, you could say I have a backbone for survival, Yohohoho!" Brook answered before erupting into laughter.
"Is that so?" Ryu smiled at Brook's antics. "But what about this ship? What happened here?"
"Oh, the ship..." Brook began, pausing for a moment as if the memory weighed on him. Then, he seemed to shake off the sadness, launching into another terrible pun. "You could say, we're in the same boat - stuck here with no body to keep us company! Yohohoho!"
Yoruichi snorted, and even Ryu found himself chuckling at Brook's joke. "Alright, that one was good, I'll give you that," Ryu conceded, shaking her head. "But really, how'd you end up as a one-man crew on a ghost ship?"
"Well, my friend," the Brook replied, his tone turning more serious. "It's a long, winding, and tragic tale... but would you care for a tune while I tell it?"
"Sure, sounds good," Ryu said as he leaned against the ship's broken mast while Yoruichi lay down on the piano's cover.
---
As Brook caressed the old piano keys, sending beautiful melodies rippling through the foggy air, the skeletal musician began to weave a tale of camaraderie, adventure, dreams, and loss. His voice was light and vibrant, similar to the cheerful music he was playing, yet underlying each chuckle and pun was a note of enduring sadness.
Ryu, while accustomed to difficult stories from his own experience, couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Brook. A small smile tugged at his lips as he listened to Brook's tragic tale. Despite the obvious sorrow, there were resilience and hope in Brook's voice that were inspiring.
Beside him, Yoruichi was lounging leisurely on the piano cover as she absorbed Brook's story. Her infectious laughter erupted from time to time when Brook told a pun or joke, breaking the somber undertones of Brook's tale. Every so often, she would toss a comment or question at Brook, her vibrant personality cheering up the grim story.
"Man, you've had one hell of a journey," Ryu commented with an impressed tone.
Yoruichi, pushing herself off the piano, flashed a teasing grin at the skeleton. "You've sure got some backbone, Brook. And your music isn't half bad, either."
Brook, bowing with an exaggerated flourish, replied, "Why, thank you!"
"But that was some performance, you've been playing and storytelling for a couple of hours already. I'd say that requires payment. Right, Yoruichi?" Ryu asked with a wide smile.
"I think you're right! But the performance was so good I don't think money's going to cut it," Yoruichi agreed, mirroring Ryu's smile.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I haven't performed in decades, so this has been really enjoyable," Brook said with joy while waving his hand at the couple's offer.
"No, we insist. You said your shadow was taken away from you, right? We'll take care of it," Ryu smiled as he and Yoruichi jumped back to Iron Whiskers' upper deck.
"Do you know where to go?" Yoruichi raised a questioning eyebrow as she walked beside Ryu.
"Yeah, I got the relevant info from his memories, let's go cause Sengoku another headache," Ryu smirked as he took the ship's helm.