"Yohohoho, yohohoho" Brook hummed as he wandered through the woods. Brook was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, who were docking at a heavily forested island while waiting for their log pose to reset. They had decided to go exploring, as they usually do whenever they come across a new island, minus a certain green haired member of their crew who had absolutely no sense of direction, and the only way, Brook had discovered, to get him to the correct area was to give him false directions.
Brook chuckled at his discovery. "My heart goes out for the poor swordsman. Oh, but I'm dead so I don't have a heart. YOHOHOHO." He exclaimed the last bit. He had a habit of doing this, seeing as he was alone for several years to himself. He did not mind being on his own, but he would prefer someone to share his company with.
Brook noticed a clearing up ahead. "Huh? I wonder what this is." He entered the clearing to find that surrounding him was a set of trees, equal in height, width and colour. The only difference between the trees was a symbol carved on each of them. " A turkey, a tree, an egg and a" He stared at the last symbol. "A pumpkin." He recalled a tale that he heard at the bar of an island while he was alive. That island apparently had a celebration every year where people dressed up and went around asking for candy. Pumpkins were a major part of the festival.
"Hmm," he noticed a handle on the nose of the pumpkin. He reached out with a bony hand and pulled the handle. The pumpkin swung open as if it were a door. Behind it however, was absolute nothingness, just inky blackness. Brook stuck his head into the hole and shouted "EXCUSE ME, IS THERE ANYONE THERE!" He could hear absolutely nothing, not even his echo. "Hmm, I shouted at the top of my lungs but nothing happened." Brook put a hand to his chin and said "Oh, but I don't have lungs because I am dead. YOHOHOHOHO." After he had finished a gust of wind blew around him, sucking him into the hole.
"Ehh!" He yelled, grabbing the soil, trying not to get sucked into the hole. "Please I don't want to die!" He screamed tears coming from his eyes. "Even though I'm already dead. Yohohoooooooooo." He was sucked into the hole and began screaming. The hole closed and not a sound could be heard in the clearing.
"Oof." Brook landed with an audible 'thump' onto charred ground. He sat up and began shaking. "W-where am I?" He stood up and took his fish shaped guitar from off his back, preparing to use it as a means of defence if necessary. He heard a tune coming from ahead of his direction. "Where ever I am they have music, which is better than the last place I landed." He recalled being flung because of one Bartholomew Kuma, and ending up on an island where they believed he was the devil.
"When one is lost," Brook began plucking a tune on his guitar "Follow the music." He began to walk in the direction he believed the music was coming from. He could hear lyrics being sung "Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange." Brook strummed along with the tune. "Come with us an you will see, this our town of Halloween" Brook noticed a small house and entered it, expecting someone to reside, what he found was not exactly something he wanted to recall anytime soon.
The house was two storeys, but had a bed on the first floor, and from under the bed the words "I am the one hiding under your bed, teeth round sharp and eyes glowing red." Brook saw something matching the description underneath the bed and screamed, turning around to the stairs to see a being coming out from under it. "I am the one hiding under your stairs, fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair." The being picked a rather large spider off his head with his fingers that were actual snakes and made a bow of his hat towards Brook.
Brook ran out of the house screaming, making a Brook-shaped the hole in the door. Running into another house he was faced with a group of vampires singing "This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween." Causing him to run back out of the house. He came to a stop in a street and saw a man with two faces singing. "In this town, don't we love it now, everyone's waiting for the next surprise." He ran into an alley attempting to hide, only to hear the words "Round that corner man, hiding in the trash can something's waiting there to pounce and make you" Brook screamed as a being with a mouth that detached as it talked jumped out of a trash can "SCREAM!" A werewolf came up from a man hole shouting. "This is Halloween." Then several beings appeared from behind structures singing "Red and black and slimy green."
It seemed everywhere Brook went there was some form of monster. It wasn't until he heard the words "I am the who, when they call who's there," He turned to find a woman sitting upon a pedestal high upon a tower "I am the wind blowing through your hair." It was then Brook realised what he had to do. But as he began walking towards the woman a parade of people walked by, carrying what appeared to be a scarecrow upon a wooden horse. It was quite the shock when the scarecrow began moving and dancing on the horse.
The scarecrow swallowed a torch then jumped into a fountain. "In this town, we call home, everyone hail to the Pumpkin Song." The monsters then began a chorus of 'La's' as something that surprised Brook more than anything else that day happened. A skeleton began rising out of the fountain, wearing a striped suit. He appeared to be almost as tall as Brook. After the song ended Brook made his way to the skeleton.
The Skeleton did not notice until Brook tapped him and the shoulder. The Skeleton turned around, looking down, obviously excepting whoever tapped him to be shorter than him, as Brook noticed, he was the tallest one in the town. When he realised Brook wasn't shorter than him, his eye sockets travelled up to meet with Brook's sockets.
When they're sockets met there was on odd silence which was broken by Brook's question of "Aniki?" The skeletons face broke into an enormous grin. "Why you must be a cousin of mine," He threw a bony arm around Brooks neck "My name is Jack Skellington, what's yours." "My name is 'Only Bones' Brook. Yohohoho." He yelled into the air, causing a roar of celebration from the townsmonsters.
"I must say, you have a very good taste in music Jack." Brook complimented to his apparent cousin. "Oh, so you saw our little musical number, I thank you, we always try our best at Halloween." Brook nodded, assuming that Halloween was the name of the celebration that the island had. "Are you musically talented?" Jack asked.
Brook cracked a bony smile. "Must you ask." He pulled his violin from seemingly nowhere, seeing as he still had his guitar on his back. "This is a favourite of mine." He nudged Jack. "Yohohoho, yohohoho. Yohohoho, yohohoho, yohohoho, yohohoho." He sang, much to the amusement of Jack and the town. "Making a delivery, bringing it across the sea." He played his violin with amazing ability. Jack was attempting to join in to the best of his ability, and was doing quite well, but he just wasn't able to sing the Yohohoho, as well as Brook.
"Let blow the winds of fear, for the end of us is near." The song continued on without a single hesitation, until Brooks suit ripped. The seams of the jacket began ripping near his elbows. "AAAAAAAAHHHHH, MY SUIT!" There are few things in the world that can cause a man to scream, and a ripped suit most definitely is one. "Ahh, my suit has broken, and now it feels as though my heart will break. Oh, I don't have a heart. YOHOHOHO." His exclamation of joy was soon replaced with sobs over his suit.
"Do not worry cousin, we have the finest tailor in the entire world in this very town." He consoled his cousin. "We shall be back shortly everyone." He then brought Brook away from the fountain and into a nearby house. Inside was what appeared to be a large fireplace, sofa, and small kitchen in the back. "Wait here please." Jack told Brook, as he strode upstairs. Brook stood their awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Then it struck him. "45 degrees!" He placed his head against the wall of the house.
"Aaah, this is much better." Brook sighed in relief. "Now, how should I get home?" He racked his brains in an attempt to create an idea. Oh, but he doesn't have brains. Yohohoho. Oh wait, this is me. "Aha." Brook stood straight up from his 45 degrees position. "I need to only find the trees once more and then I shall be able to return to my crew. Yohohoho."
"Your who?" A voice from behind Brook asked. He turned to see Jack standing behind him, along with a girl who was stitched up in places. "AAAHHH ZOMBIE." Brook cried, cowering in fear. "Please don't eat my brains. Oh, I have no brains for you to eat. YOHOHOHO." He laughed, causing the zombie to give an uneasy glance towards Jack. "Brook, this is Sally, she is a tailor, and can help with your suit." Brook stopped laughing and became dead serious. Hehe dead.
"I implore of you Ms. Sally Please mend my suit." "I'm sure I can Mr. Brook." Sally replied "Ah, very good," He adjusted his boa "now, may I see your panties?" Brook asked, causing Sally to hit him over the head. "Yohohoho, you are just like Nami." He laughed, and then began crying. Jack took off Brooks jacket and handed it to Sally. "Tell me Brook, is this Nami, part of your crew."
Brook stopped crying and looked Jack straight in the eye, socket. "Yes, she is, there are nine people in my crew, including me. Tell me Jack, do you know what it's like to have something important stolen from you?" Jack thought for a bit, recalling an incident about a holiday mishap. "Yes, I suppose." Even though it wasn't him who was stolen from, but did the stealing. "Now, look down, and tell me what you see." Jack followed his instructions and looked down. "The floor?" Jack answered, but Brook shook his head. "My shadow?" He asked. "Yes, now imagine, if it was stolen from you, how you would feel." Jack wondered what he as on about. "I imagine I would feel quite upset." Brook nodded and agreed with him. "Now imagine if you were unable to see your reflection, or be able to go outside and see the sun."
Jack was fond of the sun, but Halloween didn't rely on the sun, it was more of a night time event . "I would be upset still, but just stay away from the sun." Brook nodded once more. "Now, what if you had made a promise to a friend, and the only way to fulfil that promise would be to get your shadow back." "I would get my shadow back." Jack replied. Brook nodded and a small tear left his eye socket. "And what if you were unable." Brook asked once more, his voice shaking. "I would be angry." Jack replied, thinking of one of the few times he got truly angry, a certain Oogie Boogie came to mind. "And what if," Brook sniffed "Someone helped you get it back." "I would be forever indebted to them." Jack replied, realising what he was on about.
"That is why, I joined that man's crew." "Who's crew?" Jack asked, but before Brook could reply, Sally piped up "Your suit is fixed." They turned around to see Sally holding out Brook's fully mended suit. "Thank you young seamstress and I apologise for my previous behaviour." Brook said, bowing low to the ground, almost low enough to look up her skirt.
"It's fine, it's not every day we get a visit from a relation of the Pumpkin King." Brook shot straight up at this. "You are the Pumpkin King?" He asked Jack, who nodded warily. "Yohohoho, I am the Soul King, we truly must be related." He exclaimed, grabbing Jack by the shoulder. "Oh yes this is most delightful, but now," He picked Brook's violin up off the ground. "I believe you have a song to finish."
Brook smiled in glee, but suddenly looked thoughtful. "If it is ok with you, I would like to sing a different song." Jack looked taken aback at this "But of course, it is not my decision." "Thank you, I fear my crew might be worrying about me, so I wish to enlist your help." Jack nodded, wondering how he got here in the first place. "Tell me," They walked out of the house and began walking towards the fountain. "do you know of a special set of trees?" Jack's eyes flashed back to when he discovered Christmas Town. "Yes, I believe I recall their location." "Good. Now," They had reached the fountain "I believe I have a song to play."
"People of the town of Halloween," Brook shouted, gaining the attention from everyone there "I am scared to death of you all, even though I'm already dead. Yohohoh!" The town cheered as they took it as a compliment. "Now I must be leaving soon, so I invite you all to come with me as I sing you the song of my captain." With that he whispered the next two words. "New World." He began strumming on his guitar.
"Oh Yeah!" He shouted, "Children!" "This is the tale of a hero." A small chorus of monsters joined in with "ooooo's" "The tale of a man who will become king." He sang with glee "There are no second chances in battle, yet he still stands firm," He paused for a minute "nothing but sandals on his feet!" Brook couldn't help but remember all the times he's had with his crew, new and old "Oh Yeah!" he shouted as he remembered, first meeting the crew, and Luffy being the only one who wasn't scared of him.
He remembered Zoro, and how he helped him retrieve his shadow. He remembered Sanji, who gave him the most splendid meal he's had in years. He remembered Usopp, who even though he was scared of him, helped him in the end. The same with Chopper, who tried to heal him after he was hurt, even though he was scared too. Nami, Robin and Franky, he couldn't remember much of what they did for him, but he shared good times with them all. He would often have tea with Robin, and after politely declining his usual request to see her panties they would talk about recent event, or a new book Robin had got, which Brook usually read after. Even Nami could tolerate Brook, after hitting him on his head after his question of panties, she usually asked him as to how he knew so much about so much, to which he replied, "Well, when one is dead for fifty years, you start to learn to keep your mind at bay." He was good friends with Franky, even though he wouldn't officially class him as a pervert, he was a good friend, and quite amazing with his new technology
"Come on baby!" He ended his memory and started singing again, he was in the forest, "Oh yeah." but it seemed cheerier now that he had music. "Those who reach for their dreams must worry." He played listening to the entire town cheering behind him as he led this parade. "At times their dreams seem much too far away."
"Only after you confront yourself will you truly succeed." He skipped a little while singing this bit. "He wants to hold a dream greater than any other." He sang as he noticed a small clearing up ahead. "but I've got a feeling that he can reach it anywaaaaaaaaaaaay" "Today is the day!" He sang, the townspeople copying his lyrics "We've waited long enough."
"Today is the day!" he saw a small bird on one of the trees "No more anticipation, we don't have to wait another night."
"Today is the day!" There was an egg beside it. "It's the greatest day!" "kick the broken clock." Beside it was a decorated tree. "For the New World." Beside that was the pumpkin door he came through. "For the New World." Beside it, was a symbol he could never forget "For the New World." he opened the door to the symbol. "The world will change!" He continued a guitar solo for a bit than shouted. "Once again!" There was then a small explosion as Brook was sucked back into the hole, a faint "Yohohoho." Could be heard coming from it.
Jack smiled, now he understood what his cousin meant. "That captain of his sounds similar to someone," Jack began, Sally being the only one listening. "It's on the tip of my tongue. Oh, I'm dead, so I don't have a tongue. Yohohoho." Jack instantly slapped his hand over his mouth, the entire town staring at him. "It was a tribute to my cousin." He said, shrugging his shoulders, and then slowly walking towards town, which became a sprint so as no one could ask any questions.
When Brook awoke he was back in the forest, but this time, he could sense it was his own forest, using the term loosely. He couldn't sense it in the same way Luffy, Zoro or Sanji could with Haki, it was just a gut feeling, oh, but he doesn't have any guts. Yohohoho. Wait, that was me. "OI BROOK WHERE ARE YOU!" A large yell cut through the silence of the forest. It was the man who saved his life. "LUFFY-SAN! I AM OVER HERE," He called running towards the voice "AND I HAVE A NEW SONG FOR YOU!" He couldn't wait to show Luffy the song he learned thanks to his trip. "Thank you cousin, now I can entertain my crew for even longer." He thought to himself.
"ALSO NAMI-SAN WILL YOU SHOW ME YOUR PAN-" Suddenly a rock came out of nowhere, hitting Brook right in the eye socket. –Back at the ship- "Thank you Usopp, that's 100 Beri of your debt."
