Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.

Thriller Bark Opening: Dead or Lie by TRUSTRICK (Danganronpa 3 OP)

(The opening score zooms in on an ominous cloudy sky as a massive gothic looking island looms over the Thousand Sunny as wisps of shadows cover everything.)

STAND UP...Mata boku o yanderu koe ga YES datte NO datte Kankei wa nai sa

(Each of the Straw Hats stood in a line, their shadows extending and morphing into unrecognizable shapes, becoming monstrous and waving.)

STARDUST! anadarake no geemu sukoaDEAD OR LIE! DEAD OR ALIVE?jiyuu wo mitakute

(The scene shifts to a decaying, aged pirate ship where a tall, well-dressed man with a black afro played a violin solemnly, before it turns to his face, revealing him to be a skeleton as ethereal wisps of light floated from his body.)

GO OUT!tozasareta yoru ni obiete watoumei na buki wo te ni ireteru LIAR
(Shadowy hands reach out, grasping at pitch black shadows of multiple people. Flashes of rotting, patched up zombies rushed towards people, with 4 individuals taking center stage: a gothic looking girl carrying a pink umbrella, a fanged scientist, a tall man with a lion muzzle stitched on, and the final man, a large devil-like individual stretching out the shadows before severing them with a pair of shears.)

nani no tame ni? nani wo mamoru?nanka IMMATURE!Uchikowasukono dangan de

(The same skeleton from earlier is being pulled in two different directions: Luffy in one arm and the devil man in the other. This is then eclipsed by a strange capsule crackling with energy, shrouded in black and white film, before the scene is promptly interrupted by a massive figure, shrouded in shadows with only his eyes glowing red raking 4 claw marks across the screen)

NEVER LAND!monokuro na hikari no nai sekai demoNEVER END! NEVER LAND?kokoro wa somaranai(A zoom out shot of the ship from the beginning is shown, with dark specters of shadows flying in a spiral. It then cuts to the Straw Hats facing off against the devil like man and another massive horned red demon, their faces determined.)

THE END OF WORLD! zetsubou ni wazuka na kibou nigirishimetafurueru yubi denerai sadametemirai wo sagase!
(Another massive curtain of shadows then loomed over the crowd, revealing crimson eyes and taking form. A blinding flash of blue light shows Gian's Full Transformation rushing forwards to meet the apparition, which has now taken form of a shadowed form of his Full Transformation. The final notes of the opening has bunch of flash cuts of a pirate crew from years past, finally culminating in a final shot of the slender afroed figure from before playing violin by a cliff.)

And that's the opening for this arc. From now on it'll be like this: every first chapter of a new arc will be an anime-like opening, while subsequent chapters will feature color spreads. Try to visualize what you will, now let's begin!

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

"If those old stories of the pair of flying Kaiju and those giant bugs are true… then somewhere down the line those bugs must've became the Meganulon we saw back at Skypiea, and either one of them or a descendent eventually became the Kaiju-Zoan that Ryugetsu ate. What we saw in Skypiea all but confirms that portion…" his muttering was low, his note taking rapid "Somewhere between that, my supposed Kaiju met with his and the rest is history…"

Gian blinked for a second, before letting out and audible groan and letting his head meet the wooden desk.

"…And that brings me back to where I started…"

It's been about 2 days since they've left Water 7 on their way towards Fishman Island, and when he's not socializing with the crew or spending time with Robin Gian has been confined to his study. Franky had really made it quite hospitable, it was quiet enough for him to focus yet the silence was not deafening enough to drive him mad. He dared say he even prefer it here than to the shared bunks the boys have.

With that in mind, he's been putting his word to good use. The little workroom provided a good environment to focus his data, and he's made a few rough sketches and charts of his findings. With the information at hand thus far, there would be something revealed sooner or later.

And after two days, he could proudly say that he's accomplished the grand total of jack squat.

"From what I know so far, Bagan claims to be the First Kaiju, the 8 Elemental Beasts were His creations, and the beast that my fruit bears its power from came sometimes in the 1000 years of Bagan's first imprisonment… this is roughly all countless years before the formation of the Founding Kingdoms and the Fall of Mu…" Gian mumbled to himself "And then the information just stops there. Steve Martin's book only mentions the reporting of Kaiju, he's probably found those around 150 years ago, so who knows how long those have been there."

He pursed his lips "And through all of this, there's so many holes in the timeline. Not to mention the report of some Kaiju being before the time of even Bagan, and the limited scope of information after that…" his thoughts began to wander "About the only set date I've got was the appearance of the first eater of the Goji-Goji no Mi 150 years ago, and it was after that that the other Kaiju-Zoans began to pop up… so somewhere between all that, the Kaiju somehow took the form of Devil Fruits… but there's so much information missing, not to mention there's also the Void Century Robin is looking into, that's sure to mess the timeline up further!"

He sighed again, musing to himself that this is probably something Robin has faced constantly. The progress of discovery halted by one roadblock after another and forced to alter her theories again and again, it's probably something she's familiar with.

"Now I know how she feels…"

Shaking the thought from his head, Gian leaned back onto the cot in the room. His focus was now on his left hand, his eyes taking notice as he opened and closed his fingers, small blue sparks of his power channeling through. Sitting up again, his Partial Transformation took over as he began to focus more intensely as waves of his blue Aura began to slowly swirl around him. It gathered at its own pace, slowly growing more intense before dissipating abruptly when he finally lost concentration, breaking his stupor with a series of gasps before finally giving himself a half-smile. It wasn't what he did before, but he held it for longer this time, and that was progress more than anything else.

His other task was trying to figure out more on the depths of his power, of what more he could do with it. It may have been unpleasant, but Enies Lobby had been a moment of awakening for him, and his confrontations with Gylzar had opened his eyes up to more of his Kaiju-Zoan's abilities than ever before. Since leaving Water 7 he's been doing some more training and trying time and time again to try to replicate the amount of Aura he produced then, but so far he hasn't had much luck in that regards either.

It wasn't to say that he absolutely had no progress; he finds that he could call upon his Aura easier ever since the stint in Mu. His few attempts of trying to re-access the feats he pulled off at Enies Lobby had resulted in Aura being emitted at a higher quantity, but never to the scale of when he faced Gylzar where he could actively mold and control it. And it still seems that he needs to Partially Transform when trying to use it more actively.

Gian sighed; in the 8 years since he's known about his power, he never realized the depths of it all. And now that they're almost half way across the Grand Line, he'll need to understand it quickly lest the next battle he finds himself in ends differently.

"One step at a time, I suppose." he thought as he transformed back. Getting back to the table and closing his notebook, Gian decided it was enough work for one day.

"There's so much more Triton-senpai never told me, stuff I have to find out for myself. I used to think I had it down before, or at least I understood the basics, but it's clear I'm missing so much."

"Then again, trying to hone my powers through the years hasn't been exactly a cakewalk, it was only a year ago when I finally managed to Fully Transform without passing out. If there's still more to it, I bet it'll be even longer. I'll just have to keep at it, for the sake of everyone else."

Some time later:

"Luffy… that shark is going to eat every other fish we have in the tank!" Gian groaned as his captain's obliviousness to the rules of nature.

"But it's going to be so cool for us to have a shark as a pet!" the captain swooned.

The features of the Thousand Sunny were astounding; Franky clearly spared no expense when designing it. From their own quarters, the clean new bathing room and antique looking library, all to which the crew were quick to enjoy to their hearts content. The aquarium bar Gian, Robin, Sanji, Usopp and Luffy were in currently is just another example of the exemplary work. The large saltwater tank granted a view for relaxation like no other, and the younger boys were quick to begin filling it out with as much marine life as they could fish up.

"This is a serious imbalance of the natural order, you are going to cause a bloodbath and their deaths will be on your hands." The Kaiju-Zoan user sighed.

"Boo! Gian is so narrow minded." Usopp stuck his tongue out "Don't be so mean to the shark-AHHHH THE SHARK ATE ALL THE OTHER FISH!"

"I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THAT FOR 3 MINUTES NOW!"

"Great… I was going to cook some of those, now what are we going to have for dinner?" Sanji grumbled.

"I mean, the shark is bigger than everything else that was in there before." Gian pointed out again.

"SANJI! GUT THAT SHARK! WE'RE GOING TO EAT HIM IN THEIR PLACE!" Luffy cried, still weeping over his lost fish friends.

"Poor thing," Robin murmured "It survived the haul onto the ship only to meet its end at the tip of a knife."

Before any more could be done to try and prepare their potential dinner however, the sound of footsteps alerted them.

"You guys are going to want to see what I hauled out of the water, it was floating towards the ship and guess what it says on it?" Zoro came down from the lookout post and gestured them to the deck. Soon, the whole crew gathered outside to see the spectacle.

When everyone finally laid eyes on the drifting object Zoro pulled from the waves, they weren't sure what to think. It was a simple enough object: nothing more than a rickety wooden barrel with a tattered flag tied to it. There wasn't any land for miles, the barrel probably thrown from a passing ship.

"Look, whoever tossed it into the sea wrote 'treasure' on it." Franky noted. Nami eyes lit up, expectedly, upon hearing that.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Crack it open already!" everyone else was rightfully excited for the potential booty as well, until Robin suddenly noticed something's off.

"Wait, notice the writing on the flag." She pointed out to the roughly scrawled lines of ink.

"Sea God… I think it's an offering, a gift for the divine." Gian looked it over. The barrel was aged and covered in barnacles, but otherwise held fast.

"I'm guessing someone threw it overboard to pray for safe passage then." Sanji deduced.

"Maybe it's an offering of alcohol, I say we open it and drink it." Zoro grunted.

"Idiot! Do you want to be cursed?!" Usopp yelped.

"Tch, if any God comes between me and the booze they're getting cut open." Zoro scoffed back.

"That's blasphemy!"

"Look, it's not that big of a deal." Gian shrugged "If it really is an offering, we'll just put something in there as a replacement. The higher powers are appeased and Zoro can sin with the Devil's Liquid. Win-win."

"There you have it, now hurry up and open it so I can drink."

"I'll offer the Gods some milk!" Chopper declared.

"Are you sure that'll work?" Usopp was still uncertain.

"Let them come, it's not like we haven't faced worse before." Zoro complained "Besides, didn't Luffy already beat the crap out of God when we were in the sky?"

"I don't think that's supposed to count, but Zoro's got a point." Gian nodded "It can't be worse than just stealing treasure from other people." Only then was Usopp somewhat pacified.

"Ok! I'm opening it now!" Luffy declared "There's a crack! And-!"

*POOM

The velocity of whatever launched out of the barrel was enough to send Luffy flat onto his butt, shocking everyone. The crew was instantly alert, but even then they were unprepared for the blinding flash of red light that erupted mere seconds later.

And then it was gone.

"What the hell just happened?!" Nami yelped.

"There's no treasure in the barrel at all…"Chopper looked glumly.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Franky grumbled.

"That looked like a flare…" Zoro mused "But if it was meant to signal a rescue, what was it doing out in the middle of the sea?"

"Maybe the ship got wrecked before they could use it." Gian noted "it fell in the water and it drifted away."

"Or it could just be a prank, someone did make it look like an offering to a sea god maybe they thought someone'd be stupid enough to actually believe it." Sanji suggested "That makes us the fools."

"That's likely, but it could be something else." Robin pondered "That flare was bright enough to be seen for miles, it could signal people to come to us."

"What are you suggesting?" Zoro frowned.

"I can't be certain, but this flare is maybe something that's used to target us. It could be a signal that'll lead someone right to us."

And that was enough to make everyone uncomfortable.

"I don't see anyone…" Chopper whimpered.

"We're in open water, at least we'll see them coming when they arrive." Sanji pointed out.

"We do need to move fast though," Nami alerted them "There's a storm brewing just in the direction we're going, we have to steer away from it. Turn the ship by ten degrees!"

"Then let's not dally, if Robin is correct, we now have a target on our backs." Gian noted.

Little did they know, that assumption would later prove to be true.

Later:

"I can't see anything!" Luffy groaned.

"That's weird, how did it get so foggy all of a sudden?" Gian wondered

"There's no wind either." Nami felt the air again "Thank god for those paddles you installed, Franky." As it turns out, Franky did more than just give the ship some nice rooms. The Sunny is looking to be quite the architectural marvel, if those mechanical waterwheels currently propelling the ship had anything to say. The cyborg gave her a thumbs up at the comment, staring proudly at his creation. The same mechanism was fruitful when they were trying to get out of the storm earlier.

"With these wheels, there's no sea that Sunny can't cross!" he boasted "Just keep on going!"

"Nami, what does the Log Pose say?" Gian questioned "We're not going off course, are we?"

The ginger navigator frowned as she observed the device on her wrist "The arrow is still pointed in the same direction as it was before, though that won't be much help if we can't see anything!"

Gian pursed his lips as he lit a ball of blue fire in his palm "This fog is so thick… hardly any light could penetrate it, we can't even see 5 feet into the distance!"

"If we hadn't seen the sky earlier, one could've sworn that it's nighttime right now." Zoro noted "This fog seems unnatural."

The crew carried along, slowly as to not accidently crash into anything, but the strange shroud did not seem to lift in the slightest. Gradually everyone became concerned.

"Ok, that's it." Sanji grunted "Something is definitely wrong here."

"This really is quite strange…" Robin murmered.

"Guys, I have a theory, but you're probably not going to like it." Franky sighed.

"That sounds ominous…" Chopper whimpered.

"Remember when Kokoro-baasan mentioned that we have to cross a certain sea in order to get to Fishman Island?"

"Wait… you're not saying that-?" Gian gasped.

"Yup, this is it. The Florian Triangle." Franky revealed "The sea where dozens of ships disappear in every year. We have to be extra vigilant now, or we'll end up as one of them."

"Oh, this is where the sea monsters show up, right?" Luffy quipped.

"Luffy, we're about to get lost…" Gian sighed.

"W-W-WHAT?!" Usopp yelped "A place where things vanish without a trace?!"

"Yup, hundreds of ships disappearing into thin air." Sanji muttered darkly "Most of the tales based around this place are simply urban legends, but they all have a hint of truth to them."

"W-What do you mean?" Sanji grinned at that; it was time for Usopp to get a taste of his own practical jokes.

"Those ships that disappear? Many say they're trapped within this sea, unable to ever leave. Even now, out there in the fog, the spectral remains of those lost forever to this mist still sail without destination, doomed to forever wander this forsaken place and hunting all that-"

"WAAAAAHHHH! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" the sniper cried "I'M GOING TO GET MY WARDING TALISMANS!"

"SAVE SOME FOR ME, USOPP!" Chopper followed him.

"You really wasted a whole ass match to make yourself look scarier?" Gian questioned.

"Hey, it did the job didn't it?" Sanji scoffed, putting out the matchstick he used.

"Why bother? You already look ugly enough to scare the wits out of people." Zoro scoffed.

"OI! NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION MOSSHEAD!" the cook whirled on him.

"In any case, does anyone have any lights?" Franky asked "Can't see a damn thing right now!"

"I think we have them in the storage, I'll go check." Gian told him before his gaze fell on Usopp and Chopper still scrambling around in fear.

"Are you two gonna be scared for the whole day?"

"WE HAVE TO WARD OFF THE SPIRITS!" the sniper cried.

"Oh geez, it's not that big of a deal!" he stopped the two with hand on each of their shoulders.

"Look, you're probably not going to believe me, but get this: ghost aren't real."

"How can you say that, Gian?" Chopper wept "Didn't you hear the stories?"

"And that's all they are, just stories!" the Kaiju-Zoan user replied "People made them up to scare people into finding a safer way to get across the sea without losing more ships to the Florian Triangle. And the stories of sea monsters? Probably some large animal or Sea King that ate a few people, it happens in just about every sea."

"Wait, so we're not going to see any sea monsters?" Luffy overheard, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Not the point, Luffy." Gian groaned "Now back on topic, the only thing that's dangerous right now is the fog that could conceal any sharp rocks or reefs! So I'm going to go get some more torches and hopefully that can light up the place enough for us to see better, or else we'll end up sunk."

"But what if the ghosts are already coming for us?"

"Usopp, I dare repeat, there are no ghosts! There will not be a ghost! And there will NEVER be-!"

"Yohohoho,Yohohoho~"

What drifted through the air was soft, but heard by all on the ship. Fleeting but striking, it was enough to alert everyone to attention.

"Hey, who's singing?" Luffy perked up.

Then the creaking of wood could be heard.

"Yohohoho, Yohohoho~"

"Uhhh… Gian…?"

"Yeah, Usopp?"

"Y-Y-You did say that ghosts aren't real, right?"

"I do remember making that statement, yes…" something was beginning to overshadow the Thousand Sunny, casting a shade across the ship. One by one the crew became alarmed as the

"T-T-THEN WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Gian couldn't respond to that; there was no need. Everyone saw it now, and how could they miss it?

"IT'S A GHOST SHIP!" everyone save for Robin reacted in shock and horror.

After all, when a decaying ship just casually floats out of the mist, what else are you supposed to believe? A massive schooner, many times larger than the Sunny, it's tattered sails and rotting wood creaked as the waves lapped against it.

"YOU SEE? WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!" Usopp bawled "THEY'VE COME OUT OF THE MIST TO DRAG US TO THE DEPTHS!"

"THEY'RE SINGING THE DIRGES OF THE CURSED!" Chopper cried "EVERYONE SHIELD YOUR EARS!"

"I honestly just made that story up…" Sanji stammered "But what is the explanation for this?!"

"L-Look, it's probably just a wrecked ship from not too long ago!" Gian tried to deny "Don't ships fall victim here every year? T-This is probably one of them?"

"Then what the hell is singing that song?" Nami asked.

"…Probably the wind?" Gian weakly shrugged "That vessel seems full of holes it could just-"

"Wait, there's someone on the ship!" Zoro barked.

"HUH?!"

As the ship drew closer, the Straw Hats could hear the voice getting louder as well. It was surprisingly soft-spoken and humming a rather familiar tune, a voice that belonged to any village elder that loves to pass songs of his youth. It was still foggy, but Zoro proved correct when there indeed seemed to be a slender shape perched atop the other ship's rotting deck.

"Bink's no Sake wo, Todoke no yuku yo. Umikaze kimakase namimakase…"

"I can see him!" Luffy called out "It's a person!"

"No, wait…" Robin frowned "There's something not right about-!"

Then the ship passed right beside them, and the apparition's true form was revealed momentarily, even though it shouldn't be possible.

"I-It's a-?!"

"Am I hallucinating, or did I just see a skeleton taking a sip from a tea cup…?" Gian choked out.

"I could've sworn it was singing too!" Franky confirmed "The song seems rather familiar as well."

"We're gonna die…!" Usopp whimpered.

"Franky, pull up alongside it!" Luffy ordered, a grin slowly forming on his lips as his curiosity for the unknown began to surface once more "We have to check it out!"

"WHYYYY?! WE SHOULD BE TURNING AROUND!" the sniper of the crew cried again.

"But look how dark and ominous it is!" Luffy protested "It's bound to have all kinds of cool things in it!"

"Luffy, I don't want to go anywhere near that!" Nami snapped "We don't know if there really is someone on that ship or not!"

"Yeah, listen to Nami!" Chopper begged "We'll be cursed by the undead!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to find a treasure ship earlier?" Luffy goaded "We all saw the skeleton too! I bet he's the guardian to a lot of treasure! We just have to convince him!"

"Well… it's true that old ships often have a lot hidden goods left behind…" Nami mumbled. She's terrified, that much was true, but the prospect to be many times richer is a siren that she could never resist. The thought of whatever treasures hidden on that decaying ship was enough to make up her mind, though she still did so with a bit of reluctance. Luffy saw that she'd more or less accepted his idea and snickered in glee, before hastily beginning the climb up the rope ladder located on the side of the ship.

"He doesn't even wait for anybody…" Sanji sighed "I better go with him so he doesn't run into trouble. Don't worry Nami-swannn, I'll protect you~!"

The rest of the crew watched as the trio ascended higher towards the ghostly vessel, concerned for their well-being.

"So that was one of the supposed haunted ships, huh?" Franky quipped "I still find it hard to believe."

"What else could it be?" Usopp shivered "We all saw it move! We all saw it sing!"

"Or, hear me out on this, it could be a trick of the fog. It probably is just some dude that died on the ship however long ago." Gian brushed it off.

"We saw it pass right by us!" Usopp shot back "How can there be a mistake in that?!"

"Regardless of that, it doesn't seem to be dangerous." Zoro pointed out "From what it looks like, it didn't seem to have any weapons."

"But what if it's some spirit that can suck the souls from us by just gazing in our direction?" Chopper whimpered.

"I'm getting more charms, I'm not taking any chances!" Usopp whimpered again.

"I mean, it's just a skeleton." Gian mused "Seriously think about it, it's nothing more than a pile of bones! I bet it weighs 70 pounds dry underneath all that clothes."

"So, in the off chance that it does manage to find its way onto this ship, we'll just do what works before!" he declared with confidence "If any undead spectre even thinks about setting one foot aboard this ship, we'll show em just how the Straw Hat Pirates are not to be messed with!"

"Oh my, this sure seems to be a lively crowd!"

"…It's standing right behind me isn't it?" the shocked faces of everyone – minus Robin- confirmed it.

When Gian finally turned around to see the apparition, even he had to crane his head. The bony figure was a skyscraper compared to everyone else. Dressed in a dapper, if not very tattered, black one piece suit, the skeleton looked like he just walked out of a vaudeville show. It looked at the group with a big smile, or at least what looks like a smile on his eternally grinning face. Gian couldn't help himself but stumble back in surprise.

"It is nice to meet you all! Sorry for the fright earlier!"

"HOLY SHIT YOU ACTUALLY CAN TALK!" Gian pointed.

"My name is 'Dead Bones' Brook, Pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Brook's voice had a soft deposition fully of jolly energy, as if he lives to make people dance. Of course, this did not get through to everyone else.

"LUFFY WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" The remainder of the crew asked.

"CHOPPER! GET THE CHARMS!" Usopp screamed. "THE SKELETON WALKS AMONG US!"

"AAAAHHHHH IT'S COMING TO EAT US!" the deer followed.

"He's our new nakama! We just met on that ship!" The captain grinned.

"What?!" Gian whirled on him "It hasn't even been 10 minutes! I mean in hindsight I probably should've expected you to do something stupid like this but why?!"

"He's hilarious, you should've seen him!" Luffy laughed.

Zoro glowered at the two companions that went with him "You were supposed to be watching him! How did you let it end up like this?!"

"We tried… it happened so fast…" Was the disappointed reply.

"He is not joing our ship!" Zoro shouted again, but the captain didn't even notice as he fawned over the bony figure with merriment in his laughter.

"All right, think of the positives…" Gian mumbled to himself as he looked over the skeleton. "He knows how to dress, he knows good hair products if that Afro is anything to say…"

In the meantime, Brook observed the rest of the ship in wonder, before his eyeholes finally landed on someone in particular.

"Oh, hello young lady, I don't think we've met-"

"-Oh, and he's good at making friends too. That's another positive-"

"-will you show me your panties?"

Robin only blinked as the skeleton was knocked away by one backhand.

"I STAND CORRECTED! This guys has no positives!" Gian's eyes were flaming "He has failed his application!"

"Yohohoho! So much energy!" the skeleton chortled, seemly unfazed by his request.

"It seems captain-san attracts the most peculiar of characters." Robin shrugged.

"Anyway, I really enjoy your transport! Please do show me a bit more of it!"

"Oh! We have so many fun things on the Sunny!" Luffy grinned "First, we need to have dinner! I'm starving!"

"Indeed!" Brook responded "I am famished to the point that my stomach is deflating… but I don't have a stomach! YOHOHOHOHO!"

"It's dinnertime!" and the two raced off towards the dining room, acting as if they've known each other for years.

"…DON'T JUST DECIDE THINGS BY YOURSELF!" Sanji snapped before resigning himself to his fate. Everyone else could only blink slack jawed, unsure of what to do with the recent turn of events.

"…I do not like him," Gian seethed "I do not like him one bit."

Later:

Dinner was hectic; despite being nothing but bones, Brook seems to have quite a healthy appetite. The energy he and Luffy shared was palpable, and the two were acting as if they were close friends that have known each other for years despite just meeting.

"Where does he keep all that stuff?" Gian stared dumbfounded as he saw the skeleton wolf down more fried octopus "How does he even eat without organs? How does he even talk without vocal cords?!"

Over the course of supper the crew had gotten more exposure to the talking skeleton, and he certainly was something else. Brook was quite an eccentric fellow, his voice gentle yet seeming experienced. All throughout dinner the skeleton made various compliments on the food as well as cracking many Skull Jokes. It was a weird experience, the crew really didn't know what to make of it.

That's not saying that they think he's a bad person or anything, they could tell the bundle of bones was kind of wacky, but he seemed to be a nice guy. Franky warmed up to him rather fast when he received compliments on the ship, and while Usopp and Chopper were still scared of him they couldn't help but giggle at his antics at times. Gian found himself seeing the man in a new light, though he was still miffed about his earlier comments and the fact that, during dinner, Brook had made multiple attempts at Robin's food didn't help matters much. Despite this, he can tell Brook was overall rather decent. The only person still suspicious was Zoro, but his cautiousness was natural.

"Oh, I have not had such a wonderful meal in decades!" the skeleton burped as his appetite was finally sated "You really are a masterful chef, Sanji-san!"

"Thanks, though I'd appreciate it that next time you be a bit cleaner when you're eating…" the cook grumbled at the mess made.

"So what's your story? How are you able to move around?" Franky asked.

Brook wiped his mouth for a bit, before his tender voice became a bit more solemn.

"The truth is, I have been dead for almost 50 years." He explained "What you see right here is all that remains of me, and had the Yomi Yomi no Mi not preserve my soul, even this body would've been gone."

"You're a Devil Fruit user?" Gian raised an eyebrow "But you said you died, you surely don't have it anymore."

"This fruit is a bit different from most Devil Fruits. Apparently its true potential only unlocks when I'm dead. My soul remained anchored in this world when my body passed on, and I had been lost to the fogs until I've managed to return to my body." Brook explained "Unfortunately, because of the fog here I ended up getting lost for an entire year, and once I did find my body again this skeleton was all that was left. "

"That's kind of unfortunate, though it does explain how you're still able to move." Gian nodded.

"Yes, my soul is the only thing powering this body at the moment."

"But your hair still remains?" Zoro questioned "Even though that should've decayed as well?"

"Ah, I guess I just have very strong roots!" Brook chuckled, running his skeletal hand through his afro.

"So you're not a ghost?" Usopp asked hopefully.

"Nope, in fact I strongly dislike ghosts."

"Really? You? Have you looked into a mirror lately?" Nami scoffed at that, and did exactly that.

"AHHHH! KEEP THAT AWAY FROM ME!" it was then that the rather soft-spoken skeleton suddenly reacted in terror, almost bolting from the chair.

"Whoa, what's the-HUH?!" Usopp's eyes popped open as the truth was revealed.

"Y-You don't have a reflection…!" Nami stammered.

"HE'S A VAMPIRE SKELETON!" Chopper cried.

"Oi, he doesn't have a shadow either!" Sanji pointed out.

"Brook, just what are you?!" Gian demanded "Just why is everything about you so weird?"

They then heard Brook sigh as he got up from his chair.

"I suppose I couldn't hide it forever. Do not fear, my skeleton body and my lack of a shadow are two separate events. However, what caused me to lose my shadow wasn't exactly a pleasant experience..."

Brook took a sip of tea before he spoke again.

"…That will be explained next time."

"TELL US NOW!" everyone yelled in his face.

"The truth is, my shadow was taken from me. There is a powerful man out there, a master of shadows. If it's anywhere, then it would most likely still be with him."

"That's rather ominous." Robin noted.

"It goes beyond that." Brook continued "Without a shadow, I cannot exist in a world of light. If I am ever exposed to light, then my body will burn up and cease to exist. Because of that, I also no longer have a reflection or cast a shadow, for light rejects my very being as it is right now."

Everyone blinked as the skeleton stood up and bowed "This has been 'Dead Bones' Brook speaking, you've been a great audience thank you very much!"

"HOW ARE YOU SO HAPPY AFTER YOU SAID ALL THAT?!" the group-minus Robin- snapped again "THAT WAS SO DEPRESSING!"

"That may be so, but right now I am never happier to be alive! Oh, though I'm actually dead! YOHOHOHHO!"

"How is anyone supposed to take you seriously?!" Gian facepalmed.

"Regardless, it's true. Meeting you all has been a blessing for me. I have been stuck within this sea of fog for 50 years, you're the first group of people I've talked to! I've been so lonely!"

"It's because of that reason that I must respectfully decline your invitation to become your nakama, Luffy-san." Luffy's smile dropped when he heard that "I appreciate the gesture, but I have ties to this place."

"What? Why?"

"You've seen it already, my shadow was stolen from me. If I were to leave with you all, my body would perish the moment I'm exposed to sunlight. I must get my shadow back first."

"Then we'll help you!" Luffy declared "You're in trouble, we can all see that. Tell us who did this to you!"

"You are very kind, Luffy-san." Brook replied "But this is something I must face myself, I cannot put the life of someone I've just met in danger for my sake." But before Luffy can protest, they suddenly felt the ship lurch.

"What was that?" Sanji barked. Everyone was immediately concerned, with Gian and Franky giving each other a look before running up onto the deck.

"Franky?" Gian called out "Does Sunny have an auto-pilot installed or is the ship moving on its own?"

"I turned the paddles off a long time ago." The cyborg replied, also in shock. But no one could deny it; at this point the Sunny was seemingly being dragged forwards, even though nothing could be seen.

"Oh no… you didn't happen to pick up anything while you were travelling, did you?" Brook suddenly spoke with concern.

"We didn't- wait, we did!" Nami's eyes widened "That barrel Zoro fished out of the sea!"

"Oh dear, then it appears it has found you."

"F-F-Found?" Usopp choked out.

"There's something in the fog!" Robin suddenly pointed.

Looming out of the murkiness, the crew could see multiple dark shapes in the distance. Squinting his eyes, Luffy could just make out the form of-

"That looks like a castle…" the rubber boy mumbled.

"We have to turn the ship around!" Gian ordered. But it seems nothing else could be done. A loud thud behind them made them turn back to see what appears to be a massive floodgate closing down, blocking them through massive walls that stretched into the fog.

"Alright, what is going on here?!" Zoro snapped. Brook simply took another sip of his tea.

"When you picked up that barrel, the signal it sent out was what drew it to you. 5 years ago I had the same encounter, and it was only through luck that I managed to escape it."

"What? What is this?" Gian asked.

"This" Brook gestured around "is the island ship, Thriller Bark. Or as you will soon find out it has another name: The Ghost Island."

Elsewhere:

Light hardly penetrated the laboratory, and perhaps it was better off that way. What little light available showed a single man sitting at a work bench, hunched over in his work completely focused.

It took the opening of a pair of doors to finally get his attention.

"Dr. Hogback," a grating voice surrounded the air, making the man turn with a smile "Make haste with that next batch. Our guest have arrived!"

The doctor grinned as he went forwards to greet the figure, the dim light only highlighting his silhouette against the night sky. It was hard to make out his shape, but one could easily see devil-like horns and a terrifying grin.

"Fosfosfosfos! That means we have fresh shadows to implant!" Hogback noted with glee. The gothic looking surgeon seemed excited for what's to come. "I will make preparations at once!"

"Yes, and one of them will be the shadow of 'Straw Hat' Luffy! It is only fitting that his shadow will be for this body!"

"Indeed, there could be no one more suitable!" Hogback cackled before reaching the end of his lab. Pressing down on a level, the grating doors slid open as cold mist poured out. Within the chamber, a massive frozen corpse, horned and ghastly, was chained up. Its lifeless eyes no threat, but that will change soon.

"Congratulations Moria-sama!" the doctor praised "Your army will be gaining its most powerful piece!"

"Kishishishi!" the figured cloaked in shadows laughed "A powerful piece indeed, but if what I found after proves true, then not the most powerful!"

"Moria-sama! Are we really willing to try again?" Hogback asked as they continued to walk around the corpse. "Your ability needs flesh to work, that's why you've had me making zombies for you! Yet that specimen has-!"

"The time for my resurgence is almost upon us, Dr. Hogback. Our experimentation of it in the past proved futile, perhaps it is the limitation of my own powers, but this time I will be aiming to push it one last time. I didn't spend my time unearthing a secret that the World Government itself tries to hide just for me to not use it!"

"But we've tried in the past! It rejects every shadow transplanted, it decays all flesh that I've tried to attach!"

"But it will not reject this shadow, the shadow of someone who bores the same curse it once had! And it just so happens that 'Staw Hat' brought that shadow right to me!" the figure declared "If those documents prove true, then the power of this one can finally be awoken, and it will finally allow me to finally conquer the New World!" Finally reaching the far end of the lab, the duo peered at the large steel gate, a pale glow that seeped out from between the cracks.

Dr. Hogback said nothing except resigning to push another button. The steel doors hissed open, revealing a large glass coffin with nothing more than a skeleton within. A massive ogre-like skeleton that continuously emanates a dark aura…

A/N: After some time away, I'm pleased to announce that the Thriller Bark Arc has finally begun! It's overall a fun little adventure after what has transpired last time, and now we're back on track! Overall there's not much happening for the first chapter of the arc, mostly just how things went before. But I'll say right now that, although Thriller Bark started the same way, the climax of the arc will not quite be the same. I won't go into much detail yet, but expect that to be something else! Other than that, I actually don't have much to say this time! I was a bit busy for the last little bit, but I'm back for another chapter right now and hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner!

Responses to Reviews:

To 64thVanSull:

With them now known to be a whole group, the idea to change the bounties was there for a while. I probably should've highlighted it better, but every bounty from now on will also be a bit higher than in canon.

To Pinkflamingwarriorofjustice:

G: That plotline just keeps getting sidelined, doesn't?

Because it's not the time to reveal it, duh.

For sure, Gian will one day know who his sisters are. They're quite important people.

G: Not to mention most people already know who it could be.

To Xanxouz:

G: Let that muthafucka burn.

Oh, that won't be the only reveal I have planned.

To Chance Green G King:

It's getting a lot harder to find a place to put him with how Canon is going right now, but I'm definitely planning to use it at some point, I just need to figure out how.

To KaijuEmperor:

I mostly picked Varan due to an earlier chapter where I listed its connection to Bagan. Having one of the Yonko with a Kaiju related to history not well known yet was my idea, not to mention I already planned for Anguirus and Kong to make appearances in other ways.

And just to point out one more thing, the World Government does have multiple Kaiju-Zoans in its thrall, they're just not all with the Marines. All I can say is that Gylzar is not the only one under the submission of the World Government.

To The Storm Master 567:

We're a long ways off from then, but I'm glad it's got people thinking already!

G: If we get there, that is.

We will… :(

To MarauderPrime12:

G: History is determined by me.

It does not.

To Darkmaster100000:

I do, it's a not a big plan as of right now, but it's something I want to experiment with.

To Johnny Spectre:

Not quite a zombie, but you'll be getting a glimpse of what is to come here.

To Kaiju Avenger:

G: I like writing those entries.

Expect more journal entries later!

To ideamaster117:

I'm glad Macaron's design seems to be resonating well with people. Considering we won't be seeing much of them for a little while, I tried to make at least a good first impression!

To Romancer:

G: I… don't think you and I have the same idea about what's considered romantic…

I guess one could dream.

To Guest:

I'll be getting into more on how his appearance to look later on once the timeskip hits.

To Omegadramon2:

G: Hmmm, he's close with some of them.

You got some of those right. How about going back and noting the first letter of the names of each new Kaiju-Zoan user I've introduced? Then you could figure them out!

To RulersofEarth4vr:

Well, not quite. The things Vecelli said to Triton was more so based on their history together as part of rival crews. Around Marineford I hope to show more sides of him.

To BBQbaBBQ:

R: I got my face nearly caved in just a scene before…

G: Heh that was a nice punch.

With the fight with Gylzar ending, expect more of those. I didn't write in giant monsters to not have them tear ship up after all!

To Vansmoke:

Well, once you've gotten past all 80 something chapters, I hope you understand how I portrayed Kaiju-Zoans. After all, even in the series they've hardly fought on ships to begin with.

G: And FUCK Antman for creating Ultron!

There are like 4 iterations of them and the other ones aren't all that bad.

To PippinSqueaks:

Thank you, glad you've enjoyed it!

To .boy:

G: TALK TO THESE FOOLS!

HE DON'T MISS

To Story Artist:

M: Awe everyone likes me!

G: You're supposed to rhyme, stay in character.

M: Eat shit, I won't have any scenes for god knows how long let me enjoy myself.

M: But your praise has filled me with elation, I hope I can continue to live up to expectations!

…Good enough.

To The Question:

Overall, I think most of them have too much other things to worry about what Gian's doing so far. After Marineford though…

To Smash Up:

You hear that? Start adapting and not just attack!

G: …Yes dad

To Art Master 7:

I'll be sure to post about it next time!

To classicUSmonster:

You'll see some once we get to Saobody, though I will point out that not all of the Supernovas will be connected with a Kaiju-Zoan user, and those who will might not be getting them when we first meet them either.

To Te fiti heart:

I guess I forgot to mention it last chapter, my mistake.

The roles of the other 3 Kaiju-Zoan users within the Yonko's crews are as so:

Charlotte Macaron is the Minister of Molasses, The Island she governs holds something that will be revealed the closer we get to Whole Cake Island.

Vecelli is the interim Second Division Commander while Ace is gone hunting for Teach. Before Ace joined he actually was the Second Division commander until he decided to step down. After Ace joined he remained a part of it.

Triton helps with navigation and scouting in the Red Hair Pirates. He joined the crew sometimes after Yasopp did.

To PIZZASAURUS REX:

You'll have to wait and see! Let's just say the Full Transformation will undergo a bit of development later.

To nicorobinlove35:

You got a bit of what's coming during Thriller Bark at the end of this chapter, go ahead and take some guesses!

To Vergil Leonidas:

G: SHE'S BACK!

You have no idea how good it is to hear from you again! It's actually incredible that you've gone back and gave more constructive thoughts to everything. Considering back then we both had different standards on what we wanted for our stories, originally I think we were both fine with having our OCs be badass every once in a while and now we're both adding more elements to our stories that's taking things in more directions.

G: How is Vergil doing? I hope he's played lots of Animal Crossing!

Are you gonna get everyone involved in that? I thought the craze was over…

G: You're still playing at times, aren't you?

Touché. But it's good to see you again! Have fun catching up! I'd really like to hear what you think of the newer chapters!

G: Hear that people? We appreciate all reviews but this is what we'd like to see more of!

To Music Master:

If it ever comes out on Netflix I'll give it a watch!

G: Speaking of streaming services, you've CuriosityStream in the dust after you finished those dinosaur documentaries.

…I forgot what it was called…

Also I am definitely considering using Strike Back for an opening for one of the Arcs, I just have to find out which one.

To Kombat Instinct:

The crew dynamic will definitely be seen more and more, and not just from Robin. I really want this series to highlight the bonds between the Straw Hats, and I'm hoping to do that more towards the end of the timeskip.

To supermechaforce8:

The fruit being in Alabasta is a sign for things to come, that much is true. I won't say what yet, but you can start to guess!

To ManVSFood:

G: Uh, have you seen me eat?

This is something I've mentioned in the story a few times before. Gian after a Full Transformation could eat as much as Luffy easily.

To DragonYeti:

The reason I chose Varan in the end was because of something to do with its supposed title of Elemental Beast of Wind. This will be important to note later.

M: And what a bore, my presence last chapter you happened to ignore…

G: We're not doing tokenism here, don't worry about that.

For sure there will be more female Kaiju-Zoan users. It's actually helpful for me to make some, since it can help me write women characters better.

To Story Artist:

Oh goodie, more recommendations!

G: Maybe it's better if you'd actually go and read some of them.

To Fairy Law:

The thing about Vegapunk is that we still don't know much about him. I am planning for him to do something similar to what you said, but it's hard to do so if we don't know what his morals are.

But Kiryu will be unrelated to that. I have a plan to do him, but I still finalizing how that arc will go down without seeming out of place.

To adarshpradhan08:

G: Did…did you just want me to upstage my captain?

I can debate about a lot of things, but this one is strictly off the table.

Luffy is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, end of.

Even if this story is OC focused, it doesn't make his role any less important.

The same goes for just about every other Straw Hat. They're not accessories, they're a team. If you think any of them can be any less important, then you might want to recheck what series this is. Gian is still going to have the majority of the focus, but it doesn't make Luffy's role any less.

G: I want to be nice about this, but I really don't think we've been reading the same story…

To shitabrick:

On that note, I want to address this. I don't want to see any toxicity in my reviews. Please don't get into flame wars of any kind here, go and move it to PMs if you're really itching to go at each other. I really don't want to be limiting guest reviews so please be moderate about this.

G: we're trying to make a wholesome community here for all the children of the world.

You are easily the least wholesome person to ever be conceptualized.

To Monkey King:

G: Hey look, he knows your secret!

…ABORT!

To MrZupraS:

See Gian? You just posted cringe. You are going to lose subscriber.

G: HEY! I'll have you know that I am a true cringe memelord!

Yeah, keep thinking that.

And that'll be all this time, we'll see you again soon!

G: Bye and stay safe!