[Tl/n: Don't worry, I'm not deleting anything. However, I've read some comments about how WN removes unofficial translations, so this is just a precaution.]
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The Devil's Triangle
This place, also known as the Dark Sea, is enveloped by dark, ominous clouds all year round, with no sunlight or clear direction. Even with a log pose, navigating through here is incredibly challenging.
Since it's a crucial route on the Grand Line, hundreds of ships vanish here each year.
"This place gives me the creeps... the Devil's Triangle," Nami murmured as she stared into the pitch-black sea where she could barely see her own hand, nervously checking the log pose in her hand.
"There are places like this in the Blue Sea?" Conis and Raki peered into the dark horizon with curiosity.
"Whoosh!" Raki extended her right hand, and flames from her Suzaku powers flickered to life.
"No luck, the fire doesn't pierce through. This is a truly magical sea," Raki remarked, observing the impenetrable gloom.
"Even the Observation Haki, enhanced by the power of the Thunder Fruit, seems hindered. Could this fog be blocking Devil Fruit abilities?" Nami wondered aloud, her right hand crackling with lightning as she moved it cautiously through the dense atmosphere.
"Well, it's one of the Grand Line's natural wonders after all," Ace said with a light-hearted smile.
"I've heard there are ghosts in this area," Robin added, her lips curving into a slight smirk.
"Ghosts?!" the girls yelped in unison, visibly shuddering.
Although they were all incredibly strong, the mere mention of ghosts stirred up a primal fear in them, a reminder of their more tender nature.
"That's just a legend," Nami said, forcing a smile, though there was a hint of unease in her voice.
"Oh? But I've heard that some people claim to have actually seen ghosts here. And if you do run into one... you might get torn to pieces," Robin teased, dragging her hand slowly across her lips for added effect.
"!!!"
Ace chuckled softly as he glanced down at Nami, Vivi, and Kaya, who were now clutching onto him.
Vivi and Kaya had each grabbed one of Ace's arms, pressing their heads nervously against his shoulders, while Nami clung tightly to his back, her face showing obvious fear.
Though they were powerful, they still had a deep-seated fear of ghosts.
Ace looked at them affectionately.
"Robin, don't say such creepy things so calmly!" Nami cried out, squeezing Ace even tighter.
"Sorry, sorry," Robin said, though it was clear from her chuckling that she wasn't really apologetic.
"Come on, ghosts aren't real! And Nami, you're so strong, how can you still be this scared?" Nojiko teased her sister.
"Yohohoho~Yohohoho~" A strange laugh suddenly echoed across the eerie sea, causing Nojiko's expression to stiffen.
"D-don't laugh like that on purpose, Ace!" Nami stammered, her voice shaky.
"That wasn't me. You're literally on my back, remember?" Ace said, amused at Nami's panicked state.
"N-no... that laugh... it's..." Nami slowly turned her head.
The girls, sensing something off, turned their heads as well.
"Yohohoho~ Yohohoho~ Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky! Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I wonder what you are!"
From the thick fog emerged a dilapidated pirate ship, sailing slowly toward the Merry, its hull battered and worn.
"Is... someone singing?" Conis whispered, her eyes wide with surprise.
Ace's gaze narrowed slightly. 'Brook,' he thought.
"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star~ How I wonder what you are~"
As the ship neared, the girls finally saw what was on board: a skeleton, with an afro, sitting at a tattered round wooden table, casually drinking tea.
Its jaw bobbed up and down as it sang the popular pirate tune, Bink's Sake.
The girls stared in disbelief. A singing skeleton?!
"Yohohoho, what luck! I've stumbled upon a new pirate ship," the skeleton said with a joyful laugh.
"Eek! A skeleton ghost!!" Nami screamed, sending electric shocks from her body in terror.
"Boom!" A massive thunderous blast followed, engulfing the skeleton, Brook, in lightning.
"Zap! Zap! Zap!" Brook shook, but despite the electricity coursing through his bony body, he continued making jokes.
"Yohohoho, that lightning sure rattles my bones—though I've only got bones left!" Brook quipped as sparks flickered across his frame.
"Thud!" He collapsed onto the deck.
"Somebody get him some milk," Ace said with a chuckle, looking down at Brook, who had taken the attack full-on.
Though Nami hadn't used her full power, some of Brook's bones were shattered by the electric surge. The Thunder Fruit's power was undeniably overwhelming.
Realizing the skeleton could be hurt by Devil Fruit abilities, the girls began to recover from their initial shock.
If the skeleton was affected by Devil Fruit powers, it couldn't be a ghost—perhaps it was due to some Devil Fruit ability that he appeared this way.
——
Ace poured a bottle of milk into Brook's mouth as he appeared near him.
"Gulp! Gulp!" As Brook drank, his bones quickly mended themselves.
Ace wasn't surprised at all—after all, he had seen more bizarre things than this.
"Ah! I'm alive again! Thank you! I haven't had fresh milk in ages, yohohoho!" Brook exclaimed, standing up and bowing politely.
His gentlemanly manners left Nami feeling slightly embarrassed.
"So, this ghost you were talking about? Where is it? I've lived here for years and I've never seen one," Brook said, glancing around nervously.
Suddenly, Brook noticed everyone staring at him.
"W-wait... the ghost you meant... was me?!"
Brook pointed to himself in disbelief.
The girls couldn't help but smile at his oblivious nature. Somehow, the skeleton wasn't as scary anymore.
"I'm Brook, a musician. Nice to meet you, yohohoho!" Brook introduced himself with a flourish, bowing like a gentleman.
Strangely enough, he managed to hold back from making his usual inappropriate jokes in front of the ladies, likely still haunted by the memory of Nami's earlier lightning attack.
"Brook? That name sounds familiar," Nami said, her brow furrowing as she thought.
"Brook... could you be Brook from the Rumbar Pirates?!" Kaya exclaimed, her eyes widening in realization.
"Huh?!" Brook was stunned.
"How... how do you know about the Rumbar Pirates?" Brook asked urgently.
"My teacher, Crocus, told us about them. And about Laboon," Kaya replied, causing Brook's entire body to tremble.
"L-Laboon?! You... you've seen Laboon? How is he? Is he okay?" Brook's bones rattled as his emotions overflowed.
In his mind, he could see the image of the little whale.
"Of course. Laboon has grown as big as an island now and is waiting for you at Twin Capes," Ace said, gently patting Brook on the shoulder with a smile.
"He's been trying to break through the Red Line to find you, but we stopped him. He's safe and doing well," Kaya added with a warm smile.
"That's... that's wonderful. I'm so glad to hear it!" Brook looked up at the sky, tears streaming down his skeletal face as he thought of Laboon.
Forty years ago, the Rumbar Pirates were wiped out in the Devil's Triangle. After his death, Brook's Revive-Revive Fruit ability had brought his soul back from the afterlife, allowing him to live on.
In the foggy depths of the Devil's Triangle, Brook's body was eventually found, but only a pile of bones remained.
His musical performances, once filled with lively tunes, gradually dwindled from quartet to trio, then duet, until now... he was performing solo.
He was the only one left from his once proud crew.
"It's amazing that Laboon is still alive and well," Brook whispered, tears continuously streaming down his skeletal face. He tried wiping them away, but they wouldn't stop.
"Thank you, truly, for telling me this. This is the happiest day I've had in years," he said, raising his tear-streaked skull with gratitude.
The girls, after learning of Brook's story, no longer felt frightened by his skeletal appearance. Instead, they were deeply moved. Laboon's long wait had not been in vain.
"I really want to see Laboon again," Brook said with a touch of sadness, glancing at his feet. "But I can't leave here."
"Huh? Why not?" Nami asked, confused. The others also turned their attention to Brook's feet.
"Wait... you don't have a shadow!" Nami exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yes," Brook replied with a nod. "Without a shadow, I can't stand in sunlight. My shadow was stolen by a very dangerous man."
Brook clenched his bony fists. "He's one of the Seven Shichibukai of the Sea, a Shadow-Shadow Fruit user—'Moonlight' Moria."
Ace looked at Brook calmly. "So, it was Moria."
"What?! There's a Warlord of the Sea here?!" Vivi's eyes widened in astonishment.
"That fruit's power..." Kaya murmured. "Isn't it the one Ace told us about?"
At that moment, Merry suddenly appeared before them.
"A ghost! A ghost!" Brook shouted, startled out of his wits.
"She is not a ghost. She is my ship's spirit, Merry," Ace said with a chuckle, introducing the little ship spirit. "Say hello, Merry."
"Hello!" Merry waved her tiny hand with a cute smile.
Brook breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew, you nearly scared me to death—though I only have bones left to scare, yo ho ho ho!"
After the laughter subsided, Kaya's face lit up. "Ace, remember you said that with the power of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Merry could fight alongside us?"
Ace nodded. "Yes, Merry, as a ship spirit, can temporarily leave the ship with the help of my field of comprehension. But the effect doesn't last very long. But if we had the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Merry could use its powers to become the most unique ship spirit."
The girls, their faces full of determination, lit up with excitement at the idea of giving Merry a new kind of freedom. Even Merry's little face was filled with eagerness to help her friends in battle.
"But it's not just the Shadow-Shadow Fruit that Moria has," Ace added with a smile. "There's another power I'm interested in... the Clear-Clear Fruit."
"The Clear-Clear Fruit?" Vivi blinked, confused.
Ace's eyes glimmered with intent. "Yes. If we acquire it, Tashigi could become a shadow swordsman, someone capable of great feats in the darkness, much like Shiryu of the Rain."
Ace's plan to empower Tashigi caused the girls to nod in approval. He then grinned mischievously. "Plus, the Clear-Clear Fruit has... other uses."
Kaya tilted her head, noticing Ace's strange expression. "Ace... why are you looking at us like that?"
"Uh, nothing!" Ace quickly turned away, chuckling. "Anyway, Brook, take us to find Moria."
Brook blinked in disbelief. "You're serious?! Moria's zombies are terrifying! I couldn't even get close to him, let alone defeat those creatures!"
Robin smiled slightly, her lips curling. "Moria's only a Shichibukai. Our captain here is strong enough to take on even a Marine Admiral."
"A Marine Admiral?!" Brook gasped, holding his head. The sheer power of a Marine Admiral was something he had only heard of, never witnessed.
Despite Brook's hesitation, he eventually led the Merry toward Moria's stronghold, the giant ship known as Thriller Bark.
---
Meanwhile, aboard Thriller Bark, a sinister figure chuckled darkly. His hair stood up like horns, and his body was stitched together with cross-shaped scars running down his face and neck. Dressed in gothic attire, his sharp, fang-filled grin widened as he spoke.
"Evacuate? Me? The great 'Moonlight' Moria, running away from some brat?"
Moria, one of the Seven Shichibukai of the Sea and the wielder of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, sneered. "They dare compare a brat to the Four Emperors? What a joke! No way some newcomer is taken seriously by the World Government."
"Moria-sama!" A panicked voice rang out as Perona, a gothic Lolita girl, floating in the air, entered the room.
"What is it, Perona? Is it more nonsense from the Marines about that kid, Portgas D. Ace?"
Perona's usually composed face was filled with fear. "No, it's more serious! The Marines have summoned all the Shichibukai! The Four Emperors, Shanks and Kaido, are heading for the Grand Line. Their target is none other than the Fifth Emperor, Portgas D. Ace! The Marines are preparing for war and ordered you to report to Mariejois immediately!"
Moria's cocky grin froze. Kaido?! Coming to the first half of the Grand Line... for that kid, Ace?!
Sweat dripped down his forehead.
But then it hit him—the boy was heading towards the Devil's Triangle, towards him.
Was Kaido coming for him next?