Chapter 98: A Man's Promise
"So, it's been that long."
After hearing Nicholas's words, Brook couldn't help but say.
Clearly, the Sea had undergone earth-shattering changes in the past decade.
"I didn't expect those little guys who were just starting out back then, Whitebeard, Shiki, Roger, to have become Great Pirate who dominate the Grand Line."
Originally, Nicholas wanted to comfort Brook with a few words, but after hearing Verse's words, the words of comfort got stuck in his throat. Indeed, if you were to talk about seniority on the Grand Line, this guy should be the most senior, right?
"Speaking of which, why did you go to Sea back then?" Sitting on a stool and casually flipping through a book about the customs and local conditions of the West Blue, Nicholas asked.
"Yohohohoho, becoming a brave Sea man is the dream of countless people. And there were many people going to Sea back then, you know, after all, the stories of Adventurer like Roland were widely spread across the Grand Line."
"Roland the Liar?" Hearing this name from Brook's mouth, Nicholas was immediately surprised. Roland was the admiral and botanist of the Lubneel Kingdom's expedition team in the North Blue more than 400 years ago, characterized by a large chestnut growing on his head. During his third Grand Line voyage, Roland and his Crew member came to Jaya Island to escape a storm, and happened to save the Shandia Tribe who were suffering from "tree fever". He also killed the 'God' of the Shandia Tribe's priests, ending the Shandia Tribe's traditional ritual of human sacrifice, and became good Friends at first sight with the "great Warrior" Calgara. Although Roland saved Shandia, he cut down the already infected and rotten trees without informing Shandia, in order to prevent tree fever from recurring and infecting the Shandia Tribe again. However, in the Shandia people's tradition, the souls of their ancestors would return with the sound of the bell in Shandora and attach themselves to these Trees. Roland cut down all of Shandia's "sacred Trees", which was misunderstood by the Shandia people as a sinner who violated tradition and Faith. After Calgara issued an expulsion order and drove them away, he learned the Reason for their tree felling from his Daughter Mousse. Not being able to see Roland off became something he regretted immensely. Calgara also made an Agreement with Roland to ring the Golden Bell every day to guide Roland to come again. After Roland returned to his country, he told the King about his experiences. Later, the King returned to Jaya Island with a large number of Soldier to search for Gold, but at this time Jaya Island had been washed up into the White Sea. Because he couldn't find the City of Gold and committed the crime of deceiving the King, Roland was executed and given the Title of Liar King. Afterwards, Roland the Liar became a character in Fairy Tale well-known in the North Blue, and the protagonist Roland is a fool and liar who often lies.
"That's just a Fairy Tale circulating in the North Blue. Those who have truly read Roland's Navigation Log all know what a respectable Navigator he was." This time, Brook didn't use his habitual yohohoho laugh, but said quite seriously. Afterwards, the two also chatted a lot, but it was obvious that most of the News that could be obtained from Brook was not very secret, after all, Brook was not a Great Pirate who was famous in the Grand Line back then, otherwise the Rumba Pirates would not have been completely annihilated in the Devil's Triangle. Brook hadn't even completed the first half of the Grand Line.
"Ah, Fish-Man Island? An Island located 10,000 meters below the Seabed? Are there really beautiful Mermaid and ugly Fishman there?" Brook seemed particularly interested in Fish-Man Island mentioned by Nicholas.
"Wouldn't you know if you have the chance to see it with your own eyes? Speaking of which, are some of the Bone on your body missing? And how do you make a sound without Vocal Cords?" Nicholas said, sizing up Brook. Although Brook looked like a Skeleton Man, upon closer inspection, it was obvious that some of the small Bone on Brook's body seemed to be missing.
*Crack*. Brook used his hand to snap his joint, and then a crisp sound of Bone breaking was heard.
"Eh?" Nicholas was stunned for a moment. Brook shook his left arm and said, "Yohohoho, actually, there aren't few, you know. Every one of my 206 Bone is staying in its proper place." Two seconds later, Brook, after resetting the Bone, looked at Nicholas.
"As for speaking, not having Vocal Cords is not a problem either, yohohoho!" Hearing the voice and seeing Brook's mouth closed, Nicholas pondered slightly and muttered to himself, "Revive-Revive Fruit, huh..." It seems that only Power acting on the soul can achieve this. In other words, the words Brook speaks are not emitted by vibrating air through Vocal Cords, but directly acting on the soul. In other words, if Brook doesn't want you to hear what he's saying, he can directly block you out, of course, he has to be able to control this Power, otherwise it would be like talking to everyone.
"Brook, are you willing to come aboard my Ship to continue your unfinished journey?"
"Eh?" Hearing Nicholas's sudden invitation, Brook was slightly stunned and asked in surprise, "You... what did you just say?" Nicholas smiled and said again, "Come to my Ship, carrying the regrets of all the Crew member of the Rumba Pirates to help them complete their unfinished voyage, how about it?"
"Ah?" Brook looked at Nicholas in surprise, who was extending an olive branch to him, and hesitated, "But, as you can see, I'm like this..."
"I don't care about such trivial matters. Giant Race, Longarm Tribe, Fish-man Tribe, Demon Person, Three-Eye Tribe, Mink Tribe, there are many incredible things on the Grand Line. A talking Skeleton Man is nothing, so, will you come?" Nicholas interrupted Brook again and issued the invitation again.
Such a sudden invitation made Brook a little flustered. The Dream that his Companion had not completed was indeed a very tempting Reason. But he also thought of the Agreement between the entire Rumba Pirates and Laboon, and his originally turbulent heart gradually calmed down.
"Thank you very much for your invitation, but I'm sorry, I have an Agreement that I must complete. When I complete the Agreement, if you are still willing to invite me to join, then I will definitely be willing."
"Agreement? Would you mind telling me about it? Maybe I can help you complete it." Nicholas knew very well what Brook's so-called Agreement was, but he couldn't show it, after all, only the Rumba Pirates and Crocus at Twin Capes knew about this.
Brook was silent for a moment upon hearing this. Facing Nicholas, who was willing to take him to complete the unfinished Dream of the other deceased Crew member of the Rumba Pirates, he didn't hesitate for too long and told him about the Agreement with Laboon.
Listening to Brook's narration, Nicholas looked calm. After Brook finished narrating, Nicholas then revealed Laboon's current situation. When Brook heard that Laboon had been constantly hitting the Red Line at Twin Capes trying to enter the Grand Line to find them, and had injured himself all over, he opened his mouth, and tears suddenly welled up in his empty eye sockets.
"Yohoho..." He couldn't restrain his emotions, not knowing whether it was happiness or heartache, he just laughed and cried at the same time. After all, they had agreed with Laboon that they would definitely return to Twin Capes in three years to take it on a trip together, but they had broken their Agreement, and it had been more than ten years.
"Yohohohoho, so Laboon has been waiting for everyone to return!" Nicholas silently watched Brook venting his emotions.
Nicholas waited until Brook's emotions calmed down slightly, then looked at Brook and said seriously, "Brook, if you want to go back to Twin Capes, I can help you now."
"..." Hearing Nicholas's words, Brook slowly closed his mouth, his empty black eye sockets facing Nicholas who was looking at him seriously, then shook his head and said seriously.
"A man never goes back on his word, and besides, I must... abide by my Agreement with Laboon and reunite with Laboon 'head-on'!"
(End of chapter)