Luffy stepped forward and gently patted Brook's bony shoulder. Seeing the skeleton sink into sorrow, he said softly,
"There's no need to cry, Brook..."
"Isn't this… a good thing?"
"This is what you always wanted to see, isn't it?"
Brook's slender ivory hands slowly touched the ground as nameless tears continued to flow, down from his hollow eye sockets, down from that sorrowful soul.
"Thank you… thank you so much, Luffy-sama!!!"
A dream he once thought impossible had now been proven real.
A farewell that had seemed eternal had become a reunion he could reach for.
At that moment, all the emotions Brook had buried deep inside erupted uncontrollably.
Gratitude, relief, and joy, all of it melted together, spilling forth as tears.
In the past, even the slightest fantasy like this would be crushed instantly by the voice of denial inside him.
Because he didn't dare hope.
He feared… he trembled at the thought.
If it had all been an illusion, then the hope he clung to would become the blade that hurt him the most.
But now, the words from the one he trusted most had confirmed that those dreams were not false!
In the small garden of Brook's heart, a radiant sun rose into the sky, its warm light shining across the world beyond his sorrow, brighter and more beautiful than ever.
Luffy bent down slightly, helping the kneeling Brook to his feet.
"We're crewmates, aren't we?"
"Besides, this power you gained, it's mostly because of you!"
"And also…"
Luffy suddenly fell silent. A troubling thought crossed his mind, but seeing Brook's emotional face, he didn't dare speak it aloud.
No… it shouldn't be that.
After all, in the original timeline, Brook could already connect to the Underworld and draw power from it.
Let's hope everything goes smoothly, just as I expect.
As Luffy and Brook spoke in cryptic tones, Zoro blinked in confusion, watching the two talk back and forth without understanding a single word.
Finally, he turned to Luffy, his puzzled gaze clearly asking: What on earth are you two talking about?
Luffy, noticing Zoro's look, smiled faintly and nodded to show he understood.
After a while, once Brook had calmed down, Luffy spoke again,
"The Hōgyoku can grant people mysterious abilities."
"These abilities usually have a deep connection to the user's own thoughts and emotions."
He glanced at Brook, who was slowly standing again, and continued,
"Brook's desire to grow stronger made the Hōgyoku create the Four Sacred Beasts for him."
"So, if that same heart was filled with longing for his former crewmates…"
"Then it's likely that the ability the Hōgyoku granted him is…"
"The power to connect the Underworld and the living world!"
Zoro's hands began to tremble slightly. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"W… what do you mean!?"
But as he pieced together Luffy's words, a chilling possibility formed in his mind, and he demanded confirmation.
"Heh…"
Luffy smiled faintly, seeing Zoro's agitation, and said,
"Exactly what I said."
"It's possible that Brook has already mastered a way to connect our world with the world of the dead."
"W–Wait, wait, wait, wait!"
"The… Underworld?! Are you saying that actually exists?!"
Before Luffy could even finish, Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief. His entire view of reality was collapsing before him.
What made it worse, Brook stood there silently, nodding in agreement, without denying a single word.
That shock pierced straight through Zoro's mind, waves of emotion rising uncontrollably.
Could it be true…?
Something he'd never dared to imagine suddenly felt terrifyingly possible.
"It does exist," Luffy said firmly, looking Zoro in the eye.
"Brook's Devil Fruit allowed his soul to return from the path to the Underworld, he was resurrected because of it."
"And that memory is still perfectly clear to him."
"In other words, people do enter the Underworld after death!"
"Brook's crewmates passed away long ago…"
"But he can still sense their presence!"
"So, Zoro!!!"
"Anything is possible!!!"
Luffy's wide eyes shone as they met Zoro's stunned gaze.
It took a long moment before Zoro finally lowered his head and muttered softly,
"I… I see…"
At his waist, the spirit of his white blade trembled slightly, perhaps in joy, perhaps in sorrow.
He pressed a hand to his brow and tilted his head upward, as if to hide something,
but he couldn't stop the tear that slid silently down his cheek.
Like Brook moments ago, his emotions burst free all at once.
When there's no hope, people become strong.
But when hope does appear, that's when they're the most fragile.
Seeing both of them in this state, Luffy could only sigh helplessly.
Moments later, Zoro wiped his tears away roughly.
His emotions had finally settled. Only two faint trails remained on his cheeks, but the weakness in his eyes had vanished.
Yet deep within them, the image of that familiar, beautiful face still lingered, impossible to erase.
Zoro, ever proud and strong, never wanted anyone to see him like this.
Not even his captain. Not even his friends.
He buried his emotions deep inside, refusing to let them out again.
Luffy didn't push him, letting him calm down in his own way.
Once the air settled again, Luffy spoke up:
"Brook, do you know why Sanji ended up like that earlier?"
"When I was at the point where our world connected with that other dimension, I felt an incredibly powerful presence!"
Brook fell into deep thought again. After a while, he shook his head, replying with a puzzled tone,
"Even I'm not sure what happened to Mr. Sanji…"
"But I can guarantee, it wasn't caused by my power!"
"I don't know why, but ever since I summoned the Four Sacred Beasts, my control over the other dimension has grown much stronger."
"Yet no matter how much spiritual power I use, I still can't open the full passageway between the two worlds or see beyond the rift."
"And also…"
"As for what happened to Mr. Sanji, I keep feeling that the other side meant no harm…"
Brook suddenly looked up, the empty black sockets of his eyes fixed on Luffy.
"Luffy-sama, based on the feedback from the Four Sacred Beasts, it seems that the powerful being you sensed… isn't our enemy."
"Unfortunately, my strength is still too limited. I can't truly be of much help to you yet."
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