"Eat! Eat!"
At the dining table, everyone devoured the food in front of them at lightning speed, as if something terrible would happen if they slowed down.
"Yohohoho! This is truly wonderful!"
"What's wrong with you?" Usopp asked, staring at Brook. "You've been unusually excited since this morning."
"What happened?"
As he spoke, Usopp glanced at Jin. If he remembered correctly, Jin was always the first one awake. Maybe he knew something.
"I know!" Merry raised her small hand.
"Brook said he read the logbook last night!"
"That's right!"
Brook said excitedly, "I read about everyone's adventures! It was incredibly thrilling!"
"For you all, the events of Thriller Bark were hardly worth mentioning!"
"You resolved the rebellion in Alabasta!"
"You traveled to the legendary Sky Island!"
"You even fought the World Government in Water Seven and Enies Lobby, and not even a Buster Call could defeat you!"
"Reading all that made my heart feel like it was about to leap out of my chest!"
"Although… I don't have a heart. Yohohoho!"
The events recorded in that logbook filled Brook with excitement.
If only he had been there to experience those adventures with them.
"Now that you mention it, we really have gone through a lot," Usopp laughed.
"That's true," Nami said thoughtfully, resting her chin in her hand.
"I wonder what kind of adventures we'll have next."
"Starting today, you'll be written into the logbook too, Brook," Jin said with a grin.
"Exactly! That's what I wanted to say!"
Brook slapped the table enthusiastically.
"Since I've become everyone's companion, I must contribute as well!"
Everyone smiled.
They clearly understood Brook's feelings.
"Hey, Brook~"
Jin grinned.
"Let me give you a piece of advice."
"Mr. Jin, I'm listening."
"At our table… you must never let your guard down while eating."
"Understood! I'll stay fully alert!" Brook declared dramatically.
"If any enemy tries to attack us during—"
At that moment, Luffy suddenly said,
"That dish looks good! It's mine!"
"Eh?!"
Brook froze as Luffy grabbed the plate of food in front of him.
"So… that's what you meant by not letting my guard down…"
He had thought enemies might attack during meals.
But instead—
It was because Luffy might steal your food.
Brook looked at Luffy happily devouring the food and suddenly burst into laughter.
Although his meal had been stolen—
It meant Luffy treated him the same as everyone else.
No special treatment.
Just like a real crewmate.
When Luffy tried to steal Usopp's meat and got force-fed chili peppers, Brook laughed even harder.
"Yohohoho!"
"To become everyone's true companion as soon as possible, I'll work even harder!"
"Relax a little."
Sanji patted Brook on the shoulder and set another plate in front of him.
"Sit down and eat."
Sanji already knew Luffy's habits.
That was why he always prepared huge portions during meals.
He never worried about anyone going hungry.
And as for leftovers?
With Luffy around, even mountains of food would disappear.
"Yes! I will work hard at eating!"
"Yohohoho!"
Watching Brook quickly finish the new plate, Sanji smiled.
"That's more like it."
Soon—
Thanks to Luffy's efforts, not a single grain of rice remained on the table.
Everything had been eaten.
"Mr. Luffy really can eat…" Brook said in amazement.
Most of the food had gone into Luffy's stomach.
Everyone else had eaten only a small portion.
"Hahaha! That's because Sanji's cooking is delicious!" Luffy laughed.
Then he immediately ran outside.
The others gradually left the dining room as well to handle their own tasks.
"Mr. Sanji, let me help wash the dishes!" Brook volunteered.
"Oh? That'd help a lot!"
Sanji gave him a thumbs-up.
"Merry, let's go too," Jin said.
"I'll teach you something."
"And test what you learned before."
"The earlier lesson…"
Merry's eyes began to wander nervously.
Clearly, she hadn't been a very diligent student.
Jin narrowed his eyes.
"It seems our little Merry hasn't been studying very hard."
"Come on, let's see what you remember."
Watching Jin walk outside, Merry sighed helplessly.
She knew there was no escaping this test.
With a reluctant expression, she followed him onto the deck.
Jin pulled a small scroll from his ninja pouch.
With a clap of his hands—
It expanded into a large scroll.
He spread it out on the deck and sat down.
"Alright, kid."
"I already taught you how to make the Summoning Technique scroll."
"Draw the method you remember."
"After that, we'll move on to other sealing techniques."
She couldn't learn ninjutsu.
So sealing techniques were her only option.
But mastering those could still be extremely useful.
"Okay…"
Merry pouted and began drawing.
Her artistic skill…
Made Jin's eyelids twitch.
'Still too early for this…'
But it didn't matter.
Starting now was better than never.
As for wasted scrolls?
As long as he had materials, he could make as many as he wanted.
So he didn't mind.
"Clapping your hands and making a scroll appear… that's really an enviable ability," Chopper said.
Looking up, Jin saw Chopper approaching with some herbs.
"Drying herbs?"
"Yep. I found some pretty good ones."
Even though the environment at Thriller Bark was terrible—
Some rare herbs still grew there.
"I'll help."
"Okay!"
While helping Chopper lay out the herbs to dry, Merry's eyes darted around.
"No slacking off," Jin said without turning around.
Merry: …
"Got it…"
Jin knew exactly what she was thinking.
After all—
He used to pull the same tricks when Tsunade forced him to study.
Of course…
That had also earned him plenty of beatings.
"Hey, Jin," Chopper said.
"Yeah?"
"What was up with that Kuma guy?"
"He could have killed us, but instead he asked those strange questions twice."
"Was it some kind of weird hobby?"
"To be honest, I don't know," Jin admitted.
Kuma's behavior was strange.
It felt like…
He didn't really want to kill them.
Yet he hadn't held back when fighting.
Maybe it really was just some weird habit.
"Hey! Jin! Chopper! Come look!"
Luffy shouted.
"Franky's testing a new weapon!"
He ran over excitedly.
Jin and Chopper looked toward the bow.
Franky and Usopp were fiddling with a strange-looking cannon.
"What's that?"
"Oh!"
Franky gave a thumbs-up.
"This is my specially modified cannon!"
"Both its accuracy and power have improved!"
"That's right!" Usopp laughed proudly.
"With my sniping skills, this cannon will be unstoppable!"
Watching them prepare the cannon, Jin suddenly remembered something.
Back before entering the Grand Line—
Usopp had blown up a small reef with a cannon.
'Please don't blast two random people out of the ocean again…'
The thought made his expression slightly strange.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Brook asked eagerly.
"We need a barrel of cola," Franky said.
"Go get one."
"Understood!"
Brook happily returned carrying a large barrel.
"Just pour it in here," Franky instructed.
"Here?"
Brook poured the liquid inside.
"That should do it."
"Great! Now witness my cannon!"
"Usopp—fire!"
"Got it!"
Usopp stomped the pedal.
The cannon's pressure began rising rapidly.
Steam poured out.
"Fire!"
…
Nothing happened.
Only the sound of the cannon vibrating.
Usopp: ???
"What's going on?"
"Maybe the pressure's too low," Franky said.
"Push it to the maximum."
"Okay!"
Usopp increased the pressure.
The cannon began shaking violently.
Then—
BOOM!!
The cannon exploded.
A spray of liquid burst everywhere, splattering everyone nearby.
Jin: …
Covered in cola and brown liquid, Jin twitched.
"What the hell…"
Chopper licked a drop from his lip.
"…This isn't cola."
"It's salty."
"Salty?!"
Franky's eyes widened.
"BROOK!"
"Did you bring soy sauce instead of cola?!"
Brook looked at the barrel.
"…Oh."
"It does look like soy sauce."
"You idiot!"
Franky charged at him.
"I'm sorry!!"
Watching Franky chase Brook around the deck, Luffy laughed.
"He's hilarious!"
"Hilarious…"
Jin sighed.
"Chopper, your herbs need washing again."
"Forget the herbs."
Chopper pointed behind him.
"You should look at Merry."
"Huh?"
Jin turned around—
And burst out laughing.
Merry's once-clean dress was stained with soy sauce and cola.
Her face looked like a little paint palette.
Even the scroll on the ground had been soaked.
"Pfft…"
"Hahahaha!"
"Hmph! Stupid Jin!" Merry puffed her cheeks.
She was covered in sauce—
And he was laughing at her!
"Can't help it," Jin said.
"You look too funny."
Then he turned to Robin.
"Robin, take Merry to wash up."
Robin smiled.
"How did this happen?"
"Brook brought soy sauce for Franky's cannon," Chopper explained.
"And it exploded."
"I see."
Robin nodded knowingly.
She handed her watering can to Jin.
"Water the flowers for me."
"Leave it to me!" Brook suddenly said.
"I can help!"
Jin looked at the huge lump on Brook's head.
Franky must have punched him.
Still—
Something about Brook seemed off.
He looked…
Uneasy.
Robin noticed it too.
"Brook," she said gently.
"Why do you seem so nervous?"
"What are you afraid of?"
Brook fell silent.
His cheerful expression disappeared.
"Yes… I'm afraid," he admitted quietly.
"When Luffy invited me to join, I was incredibly happy."
"But…"
"Am I really good enough?"
"When we reach the New World, we'll face unimaginable enemies."
"What if instead of helping… I become a burden?"
"Will I be thrown off the ship?"
"And then…"
"I'll lose my companions again."
"And return to those lonely days…"
"I'm terrified of that."
Everyone finally understood.
Brook's strange behavior all morning—
Came from fear.
Fear that he wouldn't belong.
"Brook…"
Robin said softly.
"I used to feel the same way."
"You did?"
"Yes."
She gazed toward the distant sky.
"I once believed I wasn't worthy of being their companion."
"So I tried to sacrifice my life to protect them."
"I thought that was what a good companion should do."
"But they showed me I was wrong."
She looked at Chopper and Jin.
"They even defeated a Buster Call just to save this stubborn woman," Jin added with a grin.
Robin didn't mind the comment.
Instead, she smiled even brighter.
Back then—
She truly had been stubborn.
But it helped her understand what kind of people her companions were.
"Stubborn… woman…"
"Brook," Robin said gently.
"True friends don't make you worry about things like that."
"If you still don't know the answer…"
"Just ask Luffy."
"Do your best, Brook!" Merry cheered.
Robin smiled and walked away with her.
"Ask Luffy…"
Chopper nodded.
"I agree."
"When we first met Luffy, we all had our own problems."
"But somehow…"
"He always gives the right answer."
Brook hesitated.
"I… I'm not sure if I can…"
"HEY LUFFY! BROOK WANTS TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!"
"Eh?!"
Brook froze.
"Jin!!"
"What?!" Luffy ran over immediately.
"What's going on?"
He took a bite of meat while talking.
"Brook wants to ask you something," Jin said.
Brook's problem needed solving sooner rather than later.
After all—
He was already their companion.
Luffy blinked.
"What's up?"
Brook hesitated before asking,
"Luffy… is it really okay for me to join the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"Yeah."
"…Eh?"
"That was fast," Brook said.
"But I—"
"I've already accepted you."
"You can join."
"Brook."
"You're my nakama."
Brook froze.
For some reason—
That wide grin made him feel completely at ease.
'Because… I was accepted…'
"See?" Jin said.
"You can relax now."
Brook looked around.
Everyone on the deck was smiling at him.
At that moment—
His heart finally felt peaceful.
"…Yes."
"Everyone, please take care of me from now on!"
"Yeah!!"
Suddenly—
Jin jumped up.
He grabbed Luffy, Brook, and Chopper, then dragged them toward Franky and Usopp.
"Eh?!"
"Jin, what are you doing?!"
"To celebrate Brook overcoming his worries…"
"Let's all take a shower!"
"Hahaha! Sure! Let's—"
Before Usopp finished speaking—
A swirling whirlpool suddenly appeared on the deck.
Usopp's heart sank.
"…Don't tell me…"
BOOM!!
A massive water dragon burst upward and crashed down over them.
"WHOOOOSH!"
The torrent forced all six of them flat onto the deck.
"DAMN YOU, Jin!!"
Usopp screamed.
"WHO USES WATER RELEASE TO SHOWER?!"
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!"
As he raised his head to continue yelling—
A wave of water flooded into his mouth.
"GLUG GLUG—!"
"Hahaha!" Jin laughed.
"Isn't this fun?"
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed happily.
He felt completely relaxed.
"Jin! Make the water stronger!" Luffy shouted.
"Yeah!" Franky yelled.
"Today the SUPER me isn't afraid of a little water!"
"More water! More!"
"Got it!"
BOOM!!
"DAMN YOU Jin—GLUG GLUG—"
"Hahahaha!"
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