Translator: PapaSmurf0700
This was it. Binks's Brew. The song that defined the unbreakable bond between Laboon and the Rumbar Pirates. As old friends met across a sea of decades, could any reunion be more profound?
In the hollows of Brook's eye sockets, the final, tragic performance replayed. A victorious battle won, only for the crew to be felled by an incurable poison. In their last moments, they played Binks's Brew one last time. It began as a chorus, then faded to a quartet, a trio, and finally, a haunting solo. Brook had heard, with his own ears, the sound of his friends falling, one by one, until he alone was left to play. Even resurrected, he was a vessel of unending loneliness.
But now—
"Yohohoho! The Rumbar Pirates! A duet! It begins!"
As Brook laughed, a joyous, rollicking melody poured from his violin. Hearing the familiar tune, Laboon bellowed excitedly, his deep, resonant cries perfectly matching the rhythm, just as they had all those years ago.
"Yo-hoho-ho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hoho-ho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Gather up all of the crew,
It's time to ship out Binks's Brew!
Sea wind blows, to where? Who knows?
The waves will be our guide!"
As the song swelled, Laboon closed his massive eyes, completely immersed in the happy memory. He didn't even notice the strange, ethereal aura beginning to radiate from the small skeleton on his head.
Brook, who had been adrift in solitude for decades, was now reunited with Laboon, playing their song once more. The overwhelming flood of emotion plunged him into a state of profound clarity, similar to the "enlightenment" Zoro had once experienced. At that moment, a desperate, impossible desire bloomed in his soul.
I want to hear you speak, Laboon.
I want to truly talk with you again.
Of the entire Rumbar Pirates, only the two of them remained. Brook had decades of unspoken words bottled up inside him with nowhere to let them out. As this powerful yearning consumed him, the words of Bai Ye, echoed in his mind.
"The full potential of the Revive-Revive Fruit? Not even Mr. Dragon knows its secrets."
"So few records exist? No wonder you came to me."
"To be honest, I'm not entirely certain how to develop its power. But I can tell you my understanding of the underworld."
"The Yellow Spring… is the gateway to the unseen world."
"The soul, untethered."
"And the soul communicates with the heart's true voice."
Hum!
In that state of pure epiphany, Brook's world dissolved. The familiar sights of the sea and sky vanished, replaced by an inky, pitch-black void. The temperature plummeted, a bone-chilling cold that pierced him to his very core, a sensation he hadn't felt since he'd had flesh.
He sensed something and turned. A shadowy figure coalesced in the darkness, glowing with a faint, spectral green light. To Brook's astonishment, the figure was a skeleton with a magnificent afro. At the same time, a voice echoed in the void—not through his ears, but directly in his soul.
"What a beautiful sound!"
"This is my favorite song!"
"My favorite person—"
"Brook!"
For the first time, Brook was feeling the true power of the underworld. The power of the soul.
-----
In the aftermath of the chaos, the Sabaody Archipelago, which should have been under strict Marine lockdown, had devolved into a lawless zone. Perhaps the Navy, tired of the Celestial Dragons' suicidal arrogance, had simply decided to let the island stew in its own mess.
And on that island, a fierce battle was underway.
Luffy, having come here alone, faced the man he had chosen as his master: Silvers Rayleigh.
Inside the Rainbow Mist, Luffy's Observation and Armament Haki had taken great leaps forward—he couldn't have developed Gear Fourth otherwise. Now, after five months of special training, he had reclaimed his wasted potential. To go further, he needed more than just raw practice.
Luffy had come to learn the ultimate skill: the application of Conqueror's Haki. He explained his reasoning to Rayleigh with simple, unwavering conviction.
"I'm going to find Laugh Tale with my friends. I'm going to become the King of the Pirates."
"But on the way, we're going to face stronger and stronger enemies. When that time comes, I have to be the one standing in front of my crew, ready to take down the most powerful foe."
"Because I'm their captain!"
"So please, Rayleigh… teach me how to be stronger!"
-----
On a small island within the Rainbow Mist, Zoro stood amidst a landscape of utter destruction.
"Armament: Full Body Hardening."
"Three-Sword Style Secret Skill: Asura: Nine-Blade Flash!"
With a deafening roar, nine terrifying slash attacks, each wrapped in a dark, demonic aura, tore through the sky. But Zoro wasn't satisfied. He dispelled the ghostly energy and his three-headed, six-armed Asura form, sitting down cross-legged.
"Still not enough," he muttered, his voice tight with frustration. "With only this much power, I still can't face an Admiral alone."
-----
Elsewhere, on Momoiro Island, the situation was… different.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NEVER, EVER LEARN NEWKAMA KENPO FROM YOU!"
"Just because you helped us at Marineford doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want with me, you bastard!"
Sanji was incandescent with rage. Emporio Ivankov, the Queen of the Kamabakka Kingdom, had suddenly appeared and made an outrageous proposal. He didn't want to know what "Newkama Kenpo" was. He didn't want to even think about it!
"Hee-haw!" Ivankov was completely unfazed by Sanji's fury, striking a proud pose. "Newkama Kenpo is perfect for you, candy-boy! Don't resist your destiny!"
"Destiny my foot!" Seeing Ivankov wink at him for the third time, Sanji was already plotting his escape. But in the next second, Ivankov's massive hands clamped down on him.
"V told you not to resist! Hee-haw!" Ivankov declared, grinning. "Besides, your Vice-Captain specifically asked Dragon-san to have me teach you our secret fighting style… and our secret recipes."
"So, you're not going anywhere, boy. Just relax and come with me, hee-haw!"
A moment later, Sanji's agonized screams echoed across the island.
"BAI YEEEEE! YOU BASTARD! I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!"
-----
While the Monster Trio underwent their brutal special training, the rest of the crew was hard at work.
Franky traveled to Karakuri Island, seeking lost technology related to the moon and the home of the brilliant Dr. Tsukimi.
Robin, with her unique ability to read the Poneglyphs, was welcomed as a guest of honor by the Spark Alliance.
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper each pursued their own paths of improvement.
And just like that, three months passed in the blink of an eye.