The most beloved lady // various x oc (One Piece)

Chapter 21

"...Oh, coca-" I went to say.

"No!" Franky yelled. "It isn't a drug!"

"Oh, it doesn't look like it." I mumbled as I poked it to see it isn't a powder.

"How many drugs have you had?" Franky asked me.

"Many!" I exclaimed. "You do know it wasn't by choice, right? I have seen people use the so-called good ones, even though they puke up a lot and then sometimes die from tomatoes."

"I would love to hear this story." Robin informed me.

"Not now!" Franky shouted.

"What is in the bags is salt, you throw it into the mouth of the zombies' and it pushes the shadow out of the body." Brook explained. "They were all made by the use of a devil fruit and salt holds the power of the sea, so it breaks the fusion between a fake soul and a body."

"But Brook, why are you so knowledgeable about the zombies on this island?" Robin asked.

"That had to do with when I lost my shadow five years ago...they sent me back to sea. I was able to turn back by the time I awoke." Brook explained and then told us how he came back and fought the zombie that holds his shadow. "I lost miserably, I fled scared for my life."

"No matter what, I did not want to die! I am the sole survivor of my ship! Someday I must pull out of the Devil's sea." Brook hissed and I could see how desperate he was, he might actually throw his life away this time.

"For them?" I grinned at him, and he loosened up and nodded. "I did the same kind of thing with leaving a place. I was the last one. I had a lot of help, so why don't you come with us?"

He patted my head. "You are kind, but I am done running. I have a promise to keep to my crew and until I defeat that man and recover my-" Brook flinched shocking us all.

"If you hesitate, you will die." I warned him as he was shivering.

"Well, you will have to excuse me. I'm in a hurry!" Brook exclaimed.

"No!" I hung onto one of his arms.

"Yeah, wait there! I have one last question." Franky spoke up.

Franky asked him what promise he had made to his crew and Brook told us about an old friend that they left behind. It was a whale called Laboon, he said he was with them for a long time but eventually had to say goodbye and promised to see him again.

I knew Franky would explode in tears from the story and he was doing well at holding it in. We needed to go back, and I could see Brook was really determined to go and fight.

I decided to let him go. "If you need to run, do it." I demanded Brook. "There's no shame in running away, you sometimes need to."

"Thank you." Brook nodded then just jumped away impressing me at the height of his jump.

We headed back at full speed, and I held up a tissue as I knew Franky was about to burst and he did. He took the tissue and wiped his tears. "I'm not crying, you dummy!" He exclaimed.

"What compelled you to ask him that?" Robin asked.

"Shut up!" He yelled. "I freaking love that skeleton!"