Under the shocked gazes of the Rolling Pirates, the Explorer and the submarine slowly sailed out of the Devil's Triangle. Although they hadn't been in the sun for long, they all stretched out comfortably, as if seeing the sun for the first time in a while.
After setting their new course, Nami went to take a shower. The Log Pose was currently pointing straight down. She knew their next stop was Fish-Man Island, so she asked Ikki for advice. He assured her that they would first stop at an island to get the ship coated, so there was no need to worry.
Sanji returned to the kitchen to prepare ingredients, Chopper worked on medicines in the infirmary, Usopp tinkered with new gadgets in his workshop, and Franky took the helm. Meanwhile, Little 3, Jango, and Lili sat together, bragging and telling tall tales.
Zoro went to the exercise room for another workout, while Tashigi put away her broken swords and began maintaining the rest. Ikki and Luffy were fast asleep on the deck, Robin was engrossed in a book, and Marie was enjoying a cup of tea with some biscuits. Everything seemed perfectly peaceful.
Brook, being the newest member, didn't know what to do and seemed a bit awkward and restrained. He constantly felt the need to help everyone, which only made him feel more anxious.
Ikki, awakened by all the commotion, gestured for Brook to come closer. "Brook, do you know that I'm the Straw Hats' trainer?" he asked, motioning for Marie to pour Brook a cup of tea.
"Yohohoho," Brook replied, a bit nervously. "I heard from Usopp that Mr. Ikki is a fearsome instructor, but everyone is so strong because of your training."
"Don't be nervous. Just relax and be yourself," Ikki said, offering him the cup of tea. "Don't try to force yourself to do things. If you have nothing to do, just sit on the deck and drink tea like Marie. When you're truly needed, you'll naturally know what to do."
Brook took the tea and relaxed after a sip. He realized Ikki was right; he didn't have to overthink things. He could just be himself.
However, Ikki's tone suddenly changed. "But your strength is still a bit weak. I'll arrange some training for you later, so get ready to be put through the wringer!"
Brook took it all in stride. He was in a good mood now and felt at ease. Ikki then filled him in on the state of the world. Marie also gave Brook the ship's logbook and a photo album so he could catch up on what they had done.
Brook had been stuck in the Devil's Triangle for so long that he had no idea about the current power balance of the seas, the Warlords, the Four Emperors, the Marine Admirals, or the Summit War. After Ikki finished, Brook was completely dumbfounded.
He realized he had joined an incredible pirate crew, invited by a man known as one of the Five Emperors. He couldn't believe he was invited to join such an amazing group.
Ikki, however, didn't think it was a big deal that Luffy had personally invited Brook. Zoro had complained about it when Luffy invited Franky, saying it was a waste for a captain to do it personally, but Brook was different.
It wasn't because of his strange background or his unique combat skills, but because he was both a musician and Laboon's friend.
Luffy wanted a musician, and everyone was willing to be tolerant of Laboon's friend, so Luffy's invitation was completely normal. The crew didn't see any problem with it, not even Zoro.
But for Brook, it was all a bit overwhelming.
Afterward, Ikki taught Brook about the Marine Six Styles and Haki, emphasizing the importance of Haki. Brook's unique swordsmanship and his Revive-Revive Fruit ability meant that Ikki would have to carefully plan a special training regimen for him. The usual training methods wouldn't work.
"Mr. Ikki, do you want to give Franky and Brook a medicinal bath?" Chopper asked, coming out from the infirmary.
"No, I don't think that's necessary. They're both very different," Ikki said, shaking his head. "Franky is a cyborg and can only improve through modifications. With the Pacifistas as a reference, he can figure out how to get stronger himself."
He continued, "As for Brook, he's just bones now, and a medicinal bath is mainly for the flesh. It would be a huge waste to use a medicinal bath on only bones. We should just apply the medicine directly to him."
"Got it!" Chopper immediately went to prepare the medicine. Just to be safe, he also consulted with Law, since they had never used this method before and weren't sure how effective it would be.
Brook couldn't help but ask, "Um, what's a medicinal bath?"
Ikki patiently explained, "During our treasure hunt, we found an ancient recipe for a medicinal bath that can greatly strengthen a person's body. Everyone on this crew was able to get so much stronger because of those baths. But you're special, so we have to change the way we do things to strengthen your bones and make you more powerful."
"Oh, I see!" Brook replied, not really understanding what was about to happen.
What awaited him was a painful experience he would never forget.
Chopper and Law finished adjusting the ointment, then pinned Brook to the deck and quickly began applying it. Brook's screams echoed through the air. Ikki even put a Seastone bracelet on Brook to keep him from thrashing around.
Lying helpless on the deck, Brook couldn't even turn over and could only scream in agony. If he hadn't seen that his crewmates had no murderous intent, he would have thought they were trying to murder him.
Chopper shouted encouragement. "Brook, don't scream if you're a man! After you go through this seven times, you'll become incredibly strong!"
Seven times?! Brook's eyes would have rolled back if he had any. Just once was torture, but seven more times? The price of getting stronger was way too high!
The rest of the crew rushed out to see what was happening. After Chopper explained, they all calmed down and watched Brook's pained wailing with amusement.
Fortunately, Sanji had prepared a lot of ingredients, and they made sure Brook wouldn't go hungry. Moo Moo was also actively hunting in the sea, trying to catch food for the next few days.
After what felt like an eternity, Brook's pain finally subsided, and a powerful hunger took over. He had no time to complain and immediately began to gobble down the food.
Luffy, who had been woken up by the smell, was immediately held down on the deck by Ikki to prevent him from snatching the food. If Luffy had eaten all the food in one bite, Brook would have starved.
After a quick explanation, Luffy understood and promised not to steal Brook's food. But Ikki kept him pinned down anyway. He knew from experience that Luffy couldn't control himself, no matter what he said. He could promise not to steal the food, but his hands and mouth would always betray him.
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