Chapter 269 Reunion after 40 years
In the fog-shrouded Florian Triangle sea area.
An ironclad pirate ship sailed alongside the island whale Laboon.
To be precise, the island whale Laboon led the way, while the pirate ship merely followed behind.
In this sea area with extremely low visibility, whale Laboon had become the guide for Sig and the others.
"The Rumbar Pirates' ship has been drifting here for decades, almost weathered into wreckage. It's one of the few ships still drifting in this sea, shouldn't be hard to find..."
Sig stood on the deck, muttering to Crocus while scanning the surroundings.
All around was a vast expanse of white fog, carrying an eerie tranquility.
The pirate ship followed whale Laboon, advancing through this quiet sea area.
His peripheral vision caught Baby-5 walking over.
"What's wrong, Baby-5?"
Seeing Baby-5 looking hesitant, Sig asked.
"Mr. Sig, can you call me Weapon from now on?"
Weapon?
"Is this a name you gave yourself?"
"Yes." Baby-5 nodded vigorously, a smile appearing on her small face.
"Because, Mr. Sig, didn't you need me to become your weapon?"
"From now on, I am Mr. Sig's Weapon."
Sig was silent for a moment, then ruffled her head.
Regardless, it was at least a decent-sounding name.
Much better than the terrible names Sig had painstakingly come up with, like Wǔbǎo (Five Treasures) or Wǔgēng (Fifth Watch).
However, Sig felt somewhat hesitant at this moment.
According to Sig's original plan, after rescuing Brook, he would implement his plan, abandon the identity of the Bandit King, and change his identity.
But what about this little girl who always needed him?
Sig scratched his head, feeling troubled.
Just then.
Whale Laboon, guiding the ship ahead, suddenly raised its head and let out a joyous cry.
Crocus, who had been lounging leisurely on a deck chair reading a book, immediately stood up.
"It's the ship!"
Crocus's eyes widened.
In the dense fog ahead, the faint silhouette of a sailing ship emerged.
The ship was severely damaged; its sails were tattered beyond recognition, the main mast was broken in two, and the hull had multiple breaches.
It looked exactly like a ghost ship.
Especially on the forecastle deck, there stood a tall skeleton dressed in a gentleman's suit with an afro, standing motionless like a statue.
"Brook?"
Crocus's voice trembled slightly, his fists subconsciously clenching.
Many years ago, his initial reason for joining the Roger Pirates was to search for the missing Rumbar Pirates.
However, despite sailing throughout the Grand Line with Roger, he couldn't find any trace of the Rumbar Pirates.
Crocus had been disheartened for many years, never expecting to see the skeletal Brook today.
Following Crocus's call, the statue-like tall skeleton suddenly moved, its skull clicking as it turned, its dark eye sockets looking over.
"Are you... Crocus from Twin Cape?"
"Yes, I've aged forty years, but you, having eaten the Yomi Yomi Fruit..."
Crocus suppressed his excitement, hesitating to speak further, and glanced back at Sig.
The situation was exactly as Sig had described!
At this moment, Brook seemed to suddenly realize something, turning his head again as if struck by lightning.
His hollow eye sockets stared silently at the island whale Laboon emerging through the fog.
The two gazed at each other silently, standing like statues in the vast white fog.
After a long while, Brook tremblingly reached out his skeletal hand.
And Laboon's mountain-like head gently moved closer, resting against his bony palm.
"It's been forty years, hasn't it... Laboon, you've grown up."
Brook's dark eye sockets gazed at the crisscrossing terrifying scars on Laboon's head.
"Although I don't know what happened to you... these years must have been hard."
Brook took off the gentleman's hat from his head, lifted his skullcap, and took out a Tone Dial from within.
This was the final ensemble performance of the Rumbar Pirates from 40 years ago, preserved using a Tone Dial from Skypiea.
"We, the Rumbar Pirates, never forgot our promise to you...."
The Tone Dial's switch was turned on.
The melody of "Binks' Sake" quietly flowed through this tranquil sea of fog.
"Yohohoho, Yohohoho~
Gather up all of the crew!
It's time to ship out Binks' brew!
Sea wind blows, to where? Who knows?
The waves will be our guide!..."
Amidst the melody unheard for forty years, the island whale Laboon raised its head high, letting out a joyous and resonant cry towards the sky, which traveled far through the fog.
Waterfalls of tears crashed onto the water surface, causing waves to ripple across the sea.
........
Half an hour later.
"This time, thank you very much, Mr. Crocus, and Mr. Sig."
Brook had come aboard the pirate ship's deck. He took off his gentleman's hat and bowed deeply to Crocus and Sig.
Tears flowed endlessly from his eye sockets, dripping onto the deck.
Sig, however, silently circled behind Brook and glanced down below him.
"Good... Brook's shadow is still there."
The shadow being present meant Brook hadn't encountered Moria yet, so Sig wouldn't have to deal with that Shichibukai.
Sig breathed a sigh of relief.
Perfect!
.........
At the same time.
In another direction of the Florian Triangle sea area.
On the world's largest pirate ship, Thriller Bark.
High up in the Gothic spire castle in the center of the ship's island, a window slammed open.
"So noisy."
A large head resembling a demon, with horns on either side of its forehead, poked out of the window, looking displeased towards the direction of the faint whale song.
He was the master of this island, or rather, this giant sailing ship, one of the Shichibukai, Gecko Moria.
"Who trespassed into the Florian Triangle sea area again? Eager to die?"
After speaking displeasedly, the demon-like man turned his head and gave an order:
"Absalom, set sail!"
...........
In another area within the fog.
Here, the fog was even denser than elsewhere, almost reaching the point where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.
Hundreds of meters above the sea surface, amidst the endless enveloping fog, a pair of giant eyes suddenly opened.
These giant eyes glowed red, the light like sharp blades piercing directly through the dense watery mist, scanning towards the far distance, the direction from which the whale song came.
Afterwards, this patch of fog seemed to come alive, slowly dancing.