" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

3rd person POV:

Tararan: ... AH !!

Franky: It's not over yet ! He's still a zombie, even if you cut him, he'll just get up again !!

Tararan: You... Hmm ?! Wait... ?! I've seen you somewhere before...

Brook: Yohoho... Don't worry, I've already dealt with that.

Franky: Dealt with it ?

Brook: Zombies have a weak point, too !

Tararan: Ah... HAAAAA !!

Franky: What is that ?!

Brook: That is the "Soul" of a zombie... ! You can clearly see it coming out ! Well, please return to your master !!

Mice: GYAAAAAA !! Commanding officer Tararan !! Commanding officer !! The commanding officer was defeated !

Franky: You stopped him completely... What did you do ?!

Brook: I purified him.

Mice: Look !! It's definitely him... "The Hummer" !! The man who messed Thriller Bark five years ago !! We need to inform the master !!

Brook: Haaaa, this spider web is strong against brute force, but weak against fire.

Franky: That's true. It loosens up. But, Strawhat and the others were kidnapped !!

Robin: It seems that you know a lot about this island.

Brook: Yes, but... Where should I start? If they have already been caught, there is a high chance that we're already too late.

Franky: WHAAT ?! Too late, you say ?!

Brook: PL- Please, don't shout so much. My ears will start ringing !! But wait ! Since I'm a skeleton, I don't have ears !! YOHOHO !! Skull joke !!

Franky: NNNNNNNNGH !!

Robin: Stop it. he's already dead.

Brook: Anyways, please listen without fooling around.

Franky: GGGGGGGGHHH !!

Robin: Stop it. He's already dead.

Brook: Like I said before, there was a time when my ship's rudder didn't work, and I drifted all alone on the sea for dozens of years... As much as I wanted to escape from this "Devil's sea", the rudder was broken, so I was just drifting with the tides. Then, by chance, I arrived here 5 years ago. I was lured onto this Thriller Bark just like you ladies and gentlemen...

Brook: I, who wanted to get out of this "Florian Triangle" at any cost, went around this island thinking that maybe they had the parts to fix my rudder. But all I found were monsters and zombies. In the end, I was caught and brought to that building. What I saw inside was... A struggling dancer who had been caught before me, and.. A patched corpse they call "Puppet". When I looked up, a scary, big man appeared and... He pulled the man's shadow off of the floor ! And he cut it off !!

Franky: He cut of... His shadow... ?!

Brook: I would have doubted my eyes too... But I... DON'T HAVE EYES !!

Franky: Stop it, or I'll hit you, you bastard !!

Robin: You can hit him now.

Brook: I soon followed the same fate, but... The person whose shadow was taken fell, and his cut off shadow, was pushed into the motionless "Puppet". And then, for some reason... That "Puppet" who was supposed to be a corpse, all of a sudden started moving !!

Franky: What do you mean ?!

Brook: A "Shadow" is... "Another soul" that follows a person wherever he goes. It's the same for your shadows. Naturally... From the moment people are born until the moment they die, it's a soul that is supposed to continue following you, and never detach itself from you. The big man who can take shadows and make them follow him is... Shichibukai Gecko Moria !! He has eaten the "Kage Kage no mi" devil fruit !!

Franky: So a devil fruit, huh ?

Brook: If he puts the shadow into a corpse, a can create zombies. And he has Doctor Hogback, the genius surgeon, as his right arm... To make the living corpses even stronger. Using the doctor's abilities, he revives the bodies of legendary warriors from cemeteries all over the world. Several hundreds of these puppets are always kept in the research lab's freezer.

Robin: Dr.Hogback... Who would've believed that the famous doctor... Would be helping a pirate in such a place after he disappeared... ?

Franky: So... He can make the zombies move, but... It's not like he can bring the dead back to life.

Brook: That's right... The "Personality" and "Fighting abilities" are all that of the "Shadow's master", and the "Power" of the body depends on the physical strength of the puppet. If you combine a stronger body and shadow, you can create a stronger zombie soldier. So Moria wants the shadows of those with wanted posters quickly.

Robin: I see... So we're being targeted.

Brook: That's the story behind Thriller Bark. For Moria, the most useful thing about Zombies is probably that they are obedient.

Robin: Naturally, it's supposed to be harder to control a strong warrior.

Brook: Yes... If you only take the "Shadow" that has the same fighting abilities as the actual person, you have no need for the real thing, who probably won't listen to you. The ones who faint are immediately sent to drift out to sea.

Franky: Huh !! So it's bad for them...

Brook: It's fine ! We still have time. Now, I'll tell you my plan, so please believe me and act as I tell you to !

Franky: ... Ah ?! Believe you ?

Brook: GUAAAA !! SKULL SHOCK !! I can negotiate for the first time in dozens of years !! It's quite fuuuuuuuuuuuuun !!

Robin: We're listening, so please continue.

Brook: Okay.

Franky: ... Get back to the ship ? To the Thousand Sunny ?

Brook: That's right. The worst thing that could happen to your friends who have already been caught, is to have their shadows taken ! But even if they get their shadows taken, it's not like they'll die. Look, they would just be like me ! ... ... ... AH !! WAIT, I AM DEAD !!

Franky: That's a different story !! So, they won't die even if their shadows are taken.

Brook: That's how it is ! But the second it is taken, they lose consciousness and won't wake for two days. During that time, the strong ones are taken back to their ships and driven out of this Thriller Bark. Do you know the reason for that ?

Robin: So that the victims won't come back to the island to get their shadows back.

Brook: That's right !

Franky: Why not kill them while they're unconscious ?

Brook: They can't do that ! This part is important, so please listen carefully. The "Real body" and the "Shadow" might be separated, but they are still one flesh !! If the real body dies, the shadow dies as well. Meaning, the zombie loses his life at the same time !! So to prevent this, our enemies make sure that the real body is left alive. Because of that, even if the shadows of your friends are taken, they will definitely be left alive and sent back to the ship ! If you also become sacrifices, then that would be the worst situation ! If all the members have their shadows taken, they'll be sent adrift to wander at sea... !

Brook: The only thing we can do to make them open their eyes, is to look for a chance to retrieve their shadows !

Franky: I see... That is very logical.

Brook: Also, this is for you... This is the zombies' weak point. The proof is what you saw with the spider monkey a while ago.

Franky: Weak point... What is that ?

Brook: It's "Salt".

Franky: ... Salt ?! Shouldn't it be some charm to beat and purify evil beings or something ?

Brook: Well, if you say it like that... The zombies move through the powers of the devil's fruit, and since salt has the power of the "Sea", the flesh loses the binding it has with the fake soul.

Franky:, I see... So what that monkey spat from his mouth a while ago was the "Shadow" that he had inside him. For them to have such a weakness...

Brook: In conclusion, to beat a zombie, please stuff salt into their mouth ! That is the trick !! The trick, I say !!

Robin: But how did you become so knowledgeable about the zombies and this island ?

Brook: My shadow was taken from me five years ago. Of course, my ship was set adrift, but with my luck, I woke up while I was being sent back. I returned to the island and fought... the result was... A big loss !! I treasured my life, so I ran away... !! No matter what, I didn't want to die !! I stayed alive, alone on the ship. One day, I'll get out of this "Devil's sea"... I want to keep the promise I made... I ran because I treasured my life !! But surviving wasn't a solution to anything. That's why, this time... I won't run away anymore !! Until I win against this man and take my shadow back !!

Brook: ... So, I am sorry. i'm in a hurry, so I'll go on ahead. Take care.

Franky: Wait a minute !! There is one part, you left out of the story. Answer my question.

Franky: Huu... Hayy !!

Robin: Franky...

Franky: Hau !! What is it, you bastard ?! I'm not crying, moron !! Don't look this way ! Hau...

Robin: Why did you ask him such a question ?

Franky: Shut up, I did it on my own... hey, let's hurry up !! Haaa... Geez. Damn, I love that skeleton !! There's no one like him ! Shit-heads. Wooo...

Robin: Fufu... That's right.

Franky: So let me get this straight... That massive roar from earlier was Strawhat's zombie waking up ?

Usopp: Yes ! I couldn't believe that such a monster existed, but it was right there ! And just to make it worse, Nami was captured by the enemy !

Robin: let's hurry and get these four back...

Franky: here is the Thousand Sunny !! So they should've been transported here... And to think that if we were to go up, we could quickly get to the boss' room.

Usopp: It looks like the stairways are used to unload them... Hey ! It's been damaged quite a bit!

Robin: It's the zombies' doing. It's full of muddy foot-prints.

Chopper: Huh !! So there still might be more !!

Usopp: They were really brutal. It's not like there was much to take anymore...

Chopper: There are no zombies around, right ?

Robin: First, what about the essential ones ? They aren't around...

Chopper: Heeey, Luffy !! Y/n !! Zoro !! Sanji !!

Usopp: I found them !! They are in the dining room. All 4 of them !!

Usopp: They were completely decorated by the zombies... Funny how we can see which one struggled the most...

Chopper: They nailed him upside-down to the wall by his underwear... Now that's just cruel.

Usopp: HEY !! YOU GUYS, WAKE UP !! THERE'S NO TIME TO SLEEP !! THE SITUATION IS SERIOUS !! ... They won't wake up...

Franky: How do they have the nerve... ? It can't be helped, they'll just have to dodge the bazooka.

Usopp: No, I have an idea. "A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH SWORDS BROUGHT US MEAT ! WHAT A PUNNY SITUATION !!"

Sanji: ... Beautiful woman ?!

Zoro: ... Swords ?!

Luffy: ... Meat ?!

"... Punny ?!"

Chopper: ... Those guys are hopeless !