Chapter 143

Brook truly fell in love.

Hearing this, the Straw Hat Pirates exchanged smiles.

Was it magnificent?

Yes.

But...

Their adventure has only just begun!

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45. Absorbing Soul Fire! Zombies? The more the merrier!

After learning part of the Straw Hat Pirates' adventure stories, Brook stated that his past life had been too simple!

"To become everyone's companion, I am deeply honored!" Brook said sincerely.

This pleased the Straw Hat Pirates greatly.

Who doesn't want to be praised?

Even Sima Di nodded in satisfaction, deciding to give everything to Brook later.

As an adventurer, if he praised his adventure as magnificent, then he was his good friend.

"However, how did I get news that the Rumbar Pirates escaped from the Calm Belt and returned to the West Sea?" Crocus asked in confusion.

His intelligence could not be wrong; that was news gathered by Luo Jie and Lei Li.

"Ah? Could it be..." Brook thought of something.

He glanced at Laboon,

The current Laboon was in a maiden state; although still young, she was someone capable of bearing pressure.

Immediately, he spoke in a low voice: "The news you heard... should concern Captain Yuchi. Captain Yuchi contracted a contagious virus; he chose to stay away from us to preserve the Rumbar Pirates, crossing the Calm Belt alone to return to the West Sea..."

So that was it!

Crocus realized, then his expression grew heavy.

Who would have thought that cheerful man would meet such an end...

Suffering from a contagious disease and crossing the Calm Belt alone left no second possibility for his fate.

"Captain Yuchi..." Laboon's voice carried a sob.

Seeing this, Brook quickly shifted the attention.

"Speaking of Crocus, you are truly amazing!" Brook said in an exaggerated tone: "To become the Pirate King's ship doctor just to sail out and find us! And even reached Laugh Tale? Really, I clearly remember inviting you and you refused us back then; if you had been there back then..."

As he spoke,

Brook depressed himself with his own words.

The reason for their total annihilation back then was that the ship doctor died in that battle.

Otherwise, they would have left behind seeds of hope; perhaps the Pirate King title would have been theirs!

The others watching also laughed.

How do you comfort others only to comfort yourself into depression?

But this matter cannot be smoothed over with a few words; they can only rely on time to heal themselves.

"Alright, we..."

"Ding-ling-ling—"

An urgent alarm echoed through the Going Merry, with red alarm lights flashing inside the dining room.

This was the "alarm device" installed by Franky; one button press would make the entire ship see the alarm.

Now that the entire Straw Hat crew is here, the one triggering the alarm can only be...

"It's Merry!"

"Something's wrong!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

Everyone rushed onto the deck in a swarm; what met their eyes was a ghost face with its mouth wide open, devouring the sea currents like the "Gate of Hell" and dragging the Going Merry into it.

One look told them nothing good would come of this.

If not for Merry's timely warning, they would have only realized it once they were swallowed inside.

"Hard to starboard! Dodge quickly!" Nami ordered.

Zoro and others were about to act when Sima Di glanced at Brook.

He made no move, as if hesitating, or as if he had made some decision.

"I say, Brook, isn't this strange thing the place that stole your shadow?" Sima Di pierced Brook's calculation.

Causing Brook to jump in surprise!

The others also reacted in succession; one look at Brook confirmed Sima Di was right.

"Since your shadow is inside, why didn't you say so?"

"If you don't reclaim your shadow, you cannot continue adventuring with us."

"Could it be that some people thought that as long as you didn't speak, we would just leave like this?"

"Joke! You are our companion; how could we just leave you like that!"

The Straw Hat Pirates' reproachful words left Brook somewhat at a loss.

"Everyone... we just met..."

"Enough!" Luffy cut in. "Forward! Let's go take back Brook's shadow!"

"Yes!"

The Going Merry did not turn aside; instead, it accelerated straight into the "Gate of Hell," and through the hazy black mist the outline of an island came into view.

"There's actually an island here? Granny Kokoro never mentioned anything like that." Nami said, puzzled.

Such crucial intel—Granny Kokoro couldn't possibly have left it out.

"It's not an island." Crocus shook his head. "This is an enormous island ship. If I'm not mistaken... it should belong to one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gekko Moriah—"

The Seven Warlords of the Sea?

This matter had suddenly become interesting.

The Straw Hat Pirates, who had already beaten the tar out of Crocodile, made clear: the Seven Warlords of the Sea were nothing special—they'd done it before.

"As far as I know, the moonlight... should... be... quite... interesting."

Everyone thought Crocus had changed, that he'd learned to share information.

But they were wrong.

Crocus only pointed out the danger ahead, without giving any specifics.

Just dangling it in front of them, leaving them anxious!

"Old man Crocus, if you're going to talk then talk it through—don't always stop halfway, you bastard!" Usopp complained.

"Exactly, always like this... leaves a person hanging." Nami's eyes crackled with sparks.

But those words carried a certain ambiguity, which made Sima Di steal a few extra glances at Nami...

Why did it feel like Nami hadn't been quite herself lately?

"Forget it!" Luffy leapt onto the lion-head figurehead and shouted, "Charge straight in and take back Brook's shadow!"

Very Luffy of a battle plan—just charge in headfirst.

However...

"As for battle plans, Luffy, you stay out of it." Nami said bluntly.

"Yeah, just let Di handle it." Usopp agreed.

"Di, it's your turn to shine." Zoro nodded.

The others were of one mind. Sima Di's wisdom and tactics were plain for all to see, and everyone trusted him completely.

As for Luffy's objection?

Nobody cared.