Talking skeleton

It was a lazy day for most of the Straw Hats, compared to the eventful day they had just had. A call from Yonko Shanks himself! It was unbelievable. They were given a Den Den Mushi to keep in contact, but that wasn't the gift Red Haired meant. The perverted man had sent a copy of what Luffy thought was the Karma Suture. He wanted to read it, since Shanks had given it to him, but Robin snatched it up and told him to wait. It was no fair! Shanks had fun once more at Luffy's expense by sending "Rubbers for his Rubber Man." It was getting on Luffy's nerve that seemingly everyone knew what these gifts were.

"Yo! Usopp! I got something!" Luffy yelled, tugging on the line. "I think it's a shark!" Luffy called as Usopp ran, helping him pull. "Will it fit in the aquarium?!" He asked as he started to pull back, picturing the monster fish swimming around as they drank.

Franky, Robin, and Sanji were in the aquarium bar, admiring the beauty of the color fish as they sipped their drinks. A loud crash was heard as Franky finished boasting. A large shark had been dumped into the aquarium, shocking everyone but Robin. "A shark! Those morons…" Sanji yelled as he heard them crashing to go see the shark. Robin could have asked Luffy to pull it back out, but enjoyed the view of the "menacing" creature.

"You idiots! It ate all the other fish!" Sanji yelled, kicking Usopp across the head. He had make a promise not to kick Luffy…in front of Robin. "Is it that hard to understand?! Only fish that can live with each other stay in the aquarium!" He yelled, staring daggers at Luffy.

Luffy picked up the bloodied Usopp. "You heard him! We need to catch more sharks!" He yelled, dragging Usopp out to their fishing spot. "Idiot…" Sanji muttered as he lit a cigarette and sat down.

"Guys! I see something! I think it's a barrel!" Luffy and the rest heard. Making them stop and go out to see. Minutes later the barrel was hauled up and set in front of them. They read it and smiled.

"Looks like someone made an offering to the sea gods for safe voyage!" Nami called, eyes turning Beri. "So that means…"

"Gold would have made the barrel sink, Nami-san." Robin said, crushing Nami's dreams. "It's more likely a spiritual offering. Typically sake is offered."

Zoro then proceeded to draw his sword. "I could use some booze." He said, preparing to cut the top off.

"I wouldn't, Zoro-san. If getting one of these, you typically take the contents, and refill them to appease the sea gods."

Zoro scoffed, but Luffy jumped forward. "Let's see if it's meat!" He called before pulling off the top. He was thrown back as something launched into sky, burning bright red. "Aww… It's not meat." He said, looking back in the barrel and ignoring the light.

The others were too shocked to hit him for his stupidity. Staring at the flare that was launched into the sky, they looked at Robin, who knew the most about this.

"Well…it could have been a prank." She said, somberly. They knew what it meant. "Or we could have been targeted." She said, a smile forming on her face as she walked to Luffy, cheering him up from his lack-of-meat depression. She was about to take him to eat, but stopped as she saw Nami frozen in fear.

"A raging storm's coming! Five minutes!" She called, making everyone rush to their typical stations. Minutes into it, Nami was panicking. "This is too much! It's nothing but headwind!" Franky only smirked.

"Do you think so little of our ship?! Soldier Docking System!" He yelled, getting Usopp to prepare. "Channel 0! Cola Engine! Paddle Ship Sunny!" He called, launching the ship forward with the power of cola. It didn't take long with the new power before they escaped the deadly storm.

Celebratory screams were made by all of the Straw Hats, complimenting Nami and Franky for their skills. The mood was ended by the comment made by the least excited of them all, Zoro. "Hey guys, what's up with the sea? It's not suppose to be dark yet.." Zoro said, looking out at the rapidly darkening sea. His direction was shot, but he had a sense of time.

"Oh no, we can't be here yet!" Nami yelled, shaking at the knees. Causing the rest of the crew to look up.

Franky spoke up quickly as the fog rolled over them. "We're here alright. The legendary Florian Triangle." He said with a smirk, showing off his bravery.

"Oh cool! There must be mosnters here!" Luffy called, excited about adventure. The weaker Straw Hats trembled and shouted "Don't say that!"

He just laughed as Sanji told a horror story about the dangers of the Florian Triangle. He ended with a smirk and a "Yohoho!" Which was weird.

Everyone froze at the laugh. Looking around for the source. It couldn't have been Sanji. They all scoured their surroundings, seeing largely destroyed ship floating nearby. They started to shake more when they saw what looked to be a skeleton. They let out a unified scream when the Skelton sipped some tea. "Ghost Ship!"

Slow down you idiot! We need to catch up" Nami said as she climbed up after them. Her and Sanji bringing up the rear as luffy climbed the ship, Robin in one arm comfortably. "Shishishi. Get Sanji to carry you Nami!" He called back as he made it on board. Waiting with Robin, who wanted to explore with Luffy. Sanji and Nami insisted they come to keep Luffy from doing something stupid. Even with Robin, she was too happy in a place like this. They finally made it up, spotting a strange sight. They were having tea with a Skelton! What the hell happened?!

"Yohoho! Thank you for not attacking me-" the Skelton said before he was hit with a staff. "Err...thank most of you" he changed the thank you before turning his a frightful chill down Nami's spine. "Do you want to give me brain damage? That wasn't nice" Brook said, causing Nami to shake nervously. "Though I suppose I don't have a brain anymore...Yohoho! Skull Jokes!" He laughed, getting applause from Luffy and Robin who were amused by his humor, however morbid it may be.

"What the hell is going on?!" Nami and Sanji yelled in unison, looking at the couple that undoubtedly started this nightmare.

Robin smiled and answered for Luffy. "This is Brook. He's a Skelton. Luffy invited him to join us." She loved the look on their faces at the last part. It made her giggle.

Moments later, after a brutal hit by the staff from Nami after Brook asked to see her panties, they were back on the Thousand Sunny. "You have a lot of questions to answer, demon!" Usopp yelled, holding out a cross to protect himself and Chopper. "W-what are you?" He asked, since everyone else was too shocked or calm to.

"Hmm... Well, as you can see. I'm Just Bones. Just Bones Brook" he said before sipping his tea. Thinking that covered everything.

"What the hell does that mean?!" Most cried out.

"Oh. Well, I suppose I could tell you... But it is a long and sad tale depicting my lonely life. The tragedies I've been through... The death I've experienced." He sipped his tea once more. "To be Continued" he said, intending on leaving them on a cliffhanger like a sadist.

"Just tell us you jerk!" They screamed out again.

"Oh. Okay. Well, let's start with why I'm a Skelton." He said as he stood, showing everyone his full body. "I am a Devil Fruit eater. I ate the Revive-Revive Fruit. While useless in life, it showed its true powers at my death. Letting me come back to try again. Sadly, my crew and I were long dead before it could work. Our ship drifted into this fog after we were killed, and my soul could not find my body. After tireless searching, my body was found. Like...this" he said, looking at his own hands.

"So you're a ghost?" Luffy asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Some people had similar thoughts in mind, but Luffy was able to ask for them.

"Heavens no! I'm terrified of ghosts!" Brook called, covering his eyesockets. "The thought of them makes my skin crawl...but I don't have skin! Yohoho! Skull Jokes!" He yelled in laughter, not able to see the approaching crew.

"Well look at yourself lunatic! You're a damn skeleton!" Usopp yelled before freezing in terror. "He..he doesn't have a reflection! O-or a shadow!" He yelled, launching himself backwards as he held up a cross. Everyone but Luffy and Robin branded some type of defense.

"Shishishi! Oh that. Brook got his shadow stolen!" Luffy yelled, surprising most of the crew.

"And if my assumptions are true, it was by Gekko Moriah." Robin added, shocking everyone but Luffy.

Brook started to shake. "Y-you know who took it? Oh no..You can't possibly..."

"Let's go beat him up!" Luffy yelled as he jumped on the table. "G-ghost!" He yelled, eyes bulging as he pointed at a cartoon-ish ghost seeping through the wall. Everyone froze as it watched them.

"Did...did you pick up a barrel by chance?" Brook asked after the ghost, to everyone's relief, flew away.

"Oh yeah...It didn't have meat!" Luffy yelled in anger, remembering the exploding fiery non-meat barrel.

"Than that means you were marked as sacrifice..." Brook said grimly, staring at them all. "By the Shichibukai Gekko Moriah." He took another sip from his shaking tea. "To Be Continued..."