"Yohohohoho, did Crocus send you to find me? Thank you so much!"
The tattered Barren and Ash's temporary vessel were docked side by side. When Brook learned of Ash and the crew's purpose, he removed his top hat from his afro and bowed like a gentleman.
"I never thought Laboon would grow so large. It still waits for us, but we're all dead. Though I still have one breath left, yohohohoho."
Youki, arms crossed and eyebrows raised, stared at the skeleton, utterly bewildered by Brook's strange humor. Leaning close to Ash, he whispered, "What's he laughing at?"
Ash replied indifferently, "Anyone left alone here for decades would probably lose their mind. It's understandable."
Youki nodded. "Alright, I guess that makes sense."
Ash knew that this Brook was not yet the Brook who would meet Monkey D. Luffy and the others seven years later, nor the Brook whose shadow Moriah would steal two years after. For decades, he had seen no living soul. His only companions were the dilapidated Barren, the bones of fallen comrades, and the endless fog. Anyone in that situation would be driven slightly mad.
"Ash, your fruit wine is ready."
Saff, busy in the kitchen all this time and unseen even when Ash and the others had invited Brook aboard, suddenly appeared, calling out.
"Yohohoho, I didn't expect a beautiful lady here! Miss, you are truly lovely!"
Saff froze, momentarily embarrassed. She had heard Brook's story from Ash, so the skeleton's sudden presence didn't startle her, but such compliments still made her blush.
"This… not really," she murmured, waving her hand.
Brook continued, "I love looking at beautiful women! But I'm a skeleton, so I don't have eyes, yohohohoho."
Ash propped his chin on his hand, internally groaning, Oh no, here it comes…
Brook leaned closer. "May I… see your panties?"
"WHAT?!" Kirk and Saff shouted in unison.
"Bang! Slap!"
A punch and a kick landed almost simultaneously on Brook, sending his top hat and a tooth flying. He dropped to his knees. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize a lady of your… stature… was only fifteen."
Saff: "What stature…?"
Kirk scowled. "What are you leering at, you stinking skeleton?"
Brook waved his hand defensively. "Ah, you misunderstand! I'm not leering—because I don't have eyes, yohoho… cough…"
Kirk flexed his knuckles and muttered to Ash, "Maybe we should just scatter him. He's already in this state anyway, and that whale Laboon probably wouldn't recognize him now."
Ash replied calmly, "He should still be recognizable, at least by that afro he stubbornly keeps even as a skeleton…"
Brook perked up. "…This young man understands me…"
Ash smirked. "And I know you also want to see that lady's panties, don't you?"
Ash turned to Kirk. "You should just let him be."
After some teasing, Ash finally brought up the main topic. "So… you've seen that huge, island-like Thriller Bark?"
Brook scratched his jawbone. "I have, actually. It's enormous, like a floating island, with walls around it…"
"What?" Ash asked, fists tightening.
"A wall… yes, a wall," Brook continued. "The front has a main gate shaped like a giant mouth. Ghosts float around it constantly—it's terrifying!"
Youki frowned. "Can you speak normally, without lowering your voice like that?"
Tsuki muttered, "It's even scarier when you say it like that."
Brook laughed nervously. "Sorry, I just can't help it when thinking about those creepy things."
Ash interjected. "Enough with the theatrics. Do you know its exact location?"
Brook shook his head. "This is the Devil's Triangle. How could I know precisely? I only saw it because it caused a huge commotion when passing through before, near the Barren."
"You mean… drift?" Youki asked, catching a key detail.
"Yes. The Barren's rudder broke decades ago. Otherwise, I would have left long ago, even if I were just a skeleton, yohohohoho."
Youki muttered, "I feel like punching him too."
Ash calmly said, "Just bear with it a little longer."
Brook added, "I noticed it because ghosts there have been floating nearby recently. The distance between us shouldn't be too far."
"Ghosts?" Youki laughed. "Looks like your new neighbor spotted you a long time ago, Brook."
Saff instinctively hugged her shoulders. "Um… Mr. Brook, the ghost you're talking about… is it that thing behind you?"
Everyone turned to see a massive transparent figure, shaped like a Teru Teru Bozu, floating between the two ships. The dense fog and its semi-transparency had made it almost invisible until now.
Brook and Tsuki shrieked, "Waaahhh! A ghost!"
Youki leapt up. "Holy cow! There really is something dirty!"
"Perona's oversized ghost?" Ash muttered, smiling. "It seems we've unknowingly arrived near Thriller Bark, or rather, Thriller Bark and the Barren were never far apart."
On the surface, Ash appeared unconcerned, but he was intrigued.
"Observation Haki can't even detect this?"
Ash rubbed his chin. "Maybe there's no hostility. Logically, if the ghost noticed us, Perona has too."
"Brother Youki, disperse the fog nearby and check our surroundings."
Youki jumped to the crow's nest. "Blowing it all away would consume too much stamina!"
"No need. Just clear the nearby sea fog," Ash replied.
Youki nodded and spread his hands. An invisible current of air surged outward, whipping the calm sea into turbulence and slowly dispersing the perpetual fog.
Kirk looked around. "Finally, some visibility. Hmm… is that the main gate Brook mentioned? Like a giant mouth?"
Everyone followed his gaze.
"Ugh… it's hideous!" Tsuki complained.
"Moriah's taste is terrible," Ash muttered. Secretly, he resolved that after completing the handover with Moriah, Thriller Bark would be thoroughly redecorated. At least, that grotesque main gate had to go.