"Ren-nii… it's so dark here…"
Weiwei clung tightly to Ren Takashi's arm as they ventured deeper into the dense, mist-covered stretch of the Florian Triangle. The girls huddled close, their instincts sharpened by Haki, yet even Observation Haki couldn't shake the natural dread born from a place this haunting.
"You don't need to worry," Ren said gently, casting a calm smile to soothe their unease. "With your current strength, nothing here can threaten you."
"Yohohohoho~"
"Yohohohoho~"
Suddenly, a melodic voice drifted through the mist, chilling yet beautiful, bringing the girls to a halt as their nerves tensed up once more.
"What was that?" Nami narrowed her eyes, her gaze piercing through the fog. Something was out there.
Ren nodded slightly and commanded the Ark Maxim to increase speed.
"Delivering Binks' Sake~"
The voice sang again, light and nostalgic.
"I had a lucky feeling today… finally met a new pirate crew!" the voice chuckled.
From the swirling fog emerged a tall, skeletal figure—Brook, his afro as distinct as ever.
"Ahhhh!!"
The girls all shrieked simultaneously, recognizing the infamous soul-bound skeleton. Thankfully, Ren had warned them in advance, or their fear might've gotten the better of them.
Brook straightened his posture and waved with an energetic grin.
"Yohohoho~ I am Brook! Pleased to meet all of you lovely ladies!"
But before he could continue—
BOOM!!
A crushing force slammed him into the deck.
The girls blinked. Ren stood over Brook, eyes sharp.
"If you have the guts to flirt again, I'll shatter every bone in your undead body."
Brook's skull twitched. His jaw hung open as if to reply… then shut tightly.
"I-I'll behave."
He nodded frantically. He had no pupils, but the panic in his voice was clear.
After a moment, he turned toward Ren, trying to mask his excitement with calm.
"L-Laboon… have you… seen him?"
Ren's expression softened. "Yes. Laboon has been waiting at Reverse Mountain."
"Indeed," Kaya added. "He's been longing for your return for decades. We saw the scars he still bears from crashing into the Red Line, searching for you."
Brook trembled. "You… really saw him?"
"Laboon has grown strong. He's over fifty meters long now," Ren explained gently. "He's been waiting for you to come back."
Tears might've flowed if Brook had tear ducts.
But then, his voice turned somber. "I want to see him. Truly, I do. But… I can't leave this place."
The girls looked confused.
"Why not?" Konis asked, concerned. "Are you worried Laboon won't recognize you?"
Ren stepped in. "It's because Moonlight Moria stole his shadow."
Brook nodded bitterly. "If I step into sunlight, I'll vanish. I can't leave the Triangle until I reclaim what was taken."
He looked up at the dark sky. "It's been fifty years. I wonder… will I ever walk under the sun again?"
Ren's eyes sharpened. "If we defeat Moria, your shadow will return."
Brook's jaw slackened. "Y-you intend to fight him…?"
"I promised Laboon I'd bring you back. That means restoring your shadow." Ren turned to Brook. "If you want it back—come with us."
Without hesitation, Brook leapt aboard the Ark Maxim.
He had waited far too long.
Elsewhere, at Thriller Bark—
A pair of giant steel doors opened. The mouth-like gateway of the monstrous ship-island yawned open as Ark Maxim sailed straight inside.
All around them, strange grave markers and twisted trees filled the landscape.
"Why are there so many graves?" Kaya whispered.
"Why do these animal corpses look... wrong?" Golden Week added.
Ren calmly explained as they passed through the eerie surroundings, gradually soothing the girls' unease.
Suddenly—
Wooooo…
Wooooo…
A dozen ghostly apparitions floated overhead.
"Perona…" Ren muttered, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Recall your ghosts before I punish you."
The ghosts hesitated… then vanished instantly.
Inside a pink, dollhouse-style castle bedroom—
Perona sat upright on her soft bed, face pale with panic.
"Ren's here?! In the Florian Triangle?!"
Just days ago, she had been gossiping about the infamous 3.8 billion bounty on his head. Now, that very man had entered their domain.
"No… he's just passing through… right?" she whispered, trying to calm herself.
But the fear lingered.
"I have to alert Moria-sama!"
Back aboard the Ark, Ren led the group through eerie corridors and twisted woods. Brook followed behind, filled with hope.
"Why would Moria live in a place like this?" Konis asked.
"He's a warlord," Ren replied. "They're all strange in their own way."
"Crocodile had secret factories. Moria lives in a haunted ship. What's next?" Nami groaned.
Suddenly—
"BOO!"
A loud voice echoed as a cloaked figure revealed himself: Absalom.
But before he could flee, Robin calmly called out, "Invisible? You must be Absalom—one of Moria's monsters."
Absalom's eyes widened.
He tried to run—but Doll appeared behind him like a ghost and punched him square in the face.
CRACK!
His jaw bent grotesquely, teeth flying. He slammed through dozens of gravestones before crashing to a halt.
Ren smirked. "Well done."
Brook stared in shock. "You just… one-shotted Absalom?"
"He's not that strong," Ren said calmly. "Let's keep moving."
Brook's heart—if he had one—would've been pounding.
"Laboon, wait for me… I'm coming home!"
Meanwhile, back in the castle—
Perona slammed a snail-phone receiver.
"Doctor Hogback! Stop eating, you idiot!"
"The 3.8 billion man is here! Call the zombie legion! Alert Moria-sama!!"