The sky gradually darkened, though in this thick fog, the difference between day and night was barely noticeable anyway.
This fog served as Gecko Moria's natural barrier, ensuring that those whose shadows he had stolen couldn't easily escape and wouldn't be killed by sunlight. After all, if the original owner of a shadow died, the corresponding zombie would also cease to function. That would be a tremendous loss for Moria.
Just as night fully set in and the crew was preparing to take turns keeping watch, Vivi let out a small sound of surprise. Manipulating the air currents, she carefully fished something up from the sea outside the ship's rail.
It was a barrel that looked quite old.
"What's this?"
Franky walked over curiously and tapped the lid.
The barrel was tightly sealed, with a small flag stuck into it. Written on the flag were a few blurry characters.
[Offering to the Sea God]
"What does that mean?"
"Is there treasure inside?" Usopp and Chopper, momentarily forgetting their fear, crowded around curiously.
Robin examined it briefly and said calmly, "It's a drift barrel an old custom. Sailors would pack offerings into a barrel, seal it, and set it adrift as a prayer to the Sea God for safe passage."
Nami knew a little about this too. "It should contain sake and some preserved food."
"What, so it's just an offering."
Usopp and Chopper deflated with disappointment. They had been hoping for a treasure map or some kind of loot.
But Zoro and Nika the two alcoholics perked up immediately and came over.
"If it's sake, let's drink it," Zoro said matter-of-factly.
"Great minds think alike." Nika licked her lips.
"Hey, you're going to be cursed! That's an offering to the Sea God!" Usopp tried to stop them.
Heaven above, earth below the world was full of superstitions about gods and spirits.
Usopp had already loaded up with all his anti-zombie gear.
Garlic, sticky rice, wooden swords, black dog's blood the works.
If they ran into zombies, the last thing they needed was to anger some deity on top of it all.
Better to believe than not!
Nami said, "Generally speaking, it's not forbidden to take the contents after saying a prayer."
Zoro snorted dismissively. "I never pray to gods."
Nika was even more direct, patting her flat chest. "I am a god!"
Nami added, "They say that sake which has been seasoned by the waves has a particularly rich flavor."
Zoro and Nika's eyes lit up instantly.
Luffy grinned. "The Sea God, huh? We'll gladly accept this snack!"
Zoro couldn't help but retort, "Sea God, my ass. I wonder who knocked out the god of Skypiea."
Just as Zoro reached out to open the barrel—
POP!
With a soft burst, the lid of the barrel flew open. An intensely blinding flash of light erupted from inside, illuminating the surrounding fog in an instant!
"GWAH, MY EYES!"
"A flash bomb?!"
The crew was caught off guard, dazzled by the sudden brightness, cries of surprise ringing out.
Robin was the first to adjust. Her expression darkened. "Not good—this is probably some kind of signal. Our position has been exposed!"
As if to confirm her words, a sound echoed from deep within the fog—the creak of old, weathered wood.
Creeak~
Creeak~
The crew forced themselves to look past the afterimages seared into their vision, turning toward the source of the sound.
There, in the fog off the Sunny's port bow, a battered, ancient ship was silently emerging from the mist.
Its masts were broken, its sails tattered. The hull was covered in damp mold and marine parasites, as if it had just been dredged up from the ocean floor.
In this fog-shrouded sea, the sudden appearance of such a derelict ship was terrifying in itself.
Gulp.
Nami had already buried her face against Luffy's neck, refusing to open her eyes. At this point, she didn't care about embarrassment!
"Ghost ship... there aren't actually ghosts, are there?"
As if to answer her, a voice drifted across from that ship, singing.
"Yo ho ho ho~ Yo ho ho ho~"
Everyone's hair stood on end. They snapped their heads toward the sound.
They called it a ghost ship. What did you expect?
"I-It's a ghost ship!" Usopp and Chopper clung to each other, terrified out of their wits.
Looking toward the source of the singing, they could faintly make out a strange figure standing by the ghost ship's rail dressed in a suit and top hat.
When it turned to face the Sunny, a collective gasp echoed across the deck.
It was a moving skeleton!
"Yo ho ho ho!"
The skeletal gentleman executed an elegant bow, his jaw clacking as he produced his distinctive laugh. "Good evening, my living friends! How touching this is though I have no eyes to shed tears with, yo ho ho ho..."
"Luffy, go kill it!"
Usopp brandished garlic in one hand and a cross in the other, aiming both at the skeleton's head.
"Even if you say that, I can't move." Luffy was covered in clinging crewmates. He had reasonable grounds to suspect Merry was just along for the ride—Nami was too scared to lift her head, while Merry peeked out from behind his back, staring with keen interest.
"My apologies, my apologies! It's been so long since I've seen living people. How rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself—I am Brook."
"The skeleton talked!" Chopper shrieked, latching onto Sanji's leg and shedding two streams of pitiful tears. "Make it go away!"
"Even if you say that... ah, Luffy's already over there." Sanji shook his leg in annoyance.
"There's nothing but ghost ships out here. It's terrifying!" Brook, clearly starved for living company, launched into a nonstop stream of chatter and even extended a warm invitation. "Come, come, let's go inside and chat!"
"How interesting—a skeleton with an afro is talking." Luffy's eyes lit up. With Nami and Merry still attached to him, he made his way onto the derelict ship.
"Stop talking!" Nami wailed, squirming against Luffy. She regretted coming to him now she should have known Luffy would head straight toward danger. She should have gone to Robin instead!
Just then, Robin's voice came from beside Luffy. "This skeleton is actually quite interesting."
Nami: "..."
Why do all of them like such weird things?!
Just then, Brook noticed Nami and Robin. He approached with solemn reverence. "What beautiful young ladies. May I—"
Before he could finish, Luffy's fist had already shot out.
SMACK.
Brook's skull was slammed hard against the ship's railing.
Nami realized the voice had stopped and timidly lifted her head, only to see Brook sent flying.
"You actually hit him?" Nami was stunned.
"Eh... I had a feeling something I didn't want to hear was about to come out of that skeleton's mouth."
Luffy shrugged. "Anyway, he's a skeleton, so he probably won't die."
Brook's eyes instantly became clear—if he'd had any to begin with.
***
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