In the first half of the Grand Line, within the Florian's Triangle...
This sea region is perpetually shrouded in darkness. Strange shadows flicker across the mist, and hundreds of ships go missing here every year.
From one of the ships drifting aimlessly in this cursed zone, a song echoed faintly:
"Yo ho ho ho~ Yo ho ho ho~"
The singing was decent enough, but in such a deserted and eerie place, it carried a chilling, unsettling tone.
Crackle!
A flash of purple lightning suddenly burst through the gloomy sky, coalescing into the form of Kaito.
Hearing the song in the air, a faint smile curled on Kaito's lips.
"It's Binks' Sake. Found you, Brook."
That's right—Kaito had come here for one reason: to find Brook and obtain the Revive-Revive Fruit from him.
To Kaito, the Revive-Revive Fruit was a top-tier Devil Fruit. Among soul-related abilities, it stood at the pinnacle—perhaps even surpassing Big Mom's Soul Fruit.
The anime clearly showed how the Revive-Revive Fruit naturally suppressed the Soul-Soul Fruit. The difference in power was obvious.
But beyond that, Kaito saw boundless potential in the Revive-Revive Fruit.
Namely, the ability to establish a connection with the underworld—and even tap into its power.
The world of One Piece does indeed contain an actual underworld. In Brook's memories, it was shown that after his death, his soul briefly lingered in that realm.
If one could reach the underworld, then they could contact departed souls—perhaps even bring them back from the realm of the dead!
Although Brook hadn't displayed such an ability in the anime, Kaito firmly believed it was possible.
After all, he possessed the Rinnegan. If he combined the powers of the Human Path with the Revive-Revive Fruit, he refused to believe he couldn't pull a few souls out of the underworld.
He wondered whether the underworld in One Piece had a Shinigami. If so, that spirit better behave, or Kaito would show him whether the King of Hell or the God of Death reigned supreme.
Resolved, Kaito immediately activated the Heaven's Net to search for Brook's location across the Florian's Triangle.
It didn't take long before Brook's position showed up within the web.
Kaito glanced in the direction, then once again vanished in a flash of lightning.
...
On a dilapidated deck, Brook sat gracefully at a piano, playing a melody with refined poise.
Suddenly, a thunderclap roared overhead, and Brook's fingers halted.
He looked up with his empty eye sockets and muttered,
"Is it going to rain? Looks like today's performance ends here."
He stood, preparing to head below deck to avoid the rain—only to freeze on the spot the moment he turned around.
Because standing before him was a living person.
Brook had been stuck in this ghost-infested sea for nearly fifty years. Other than the occasional fish leaping from the sea, he hadn't seen another living creature—not to mention a human being.
Even worse, Brook himself no longer qualified as "alive." In the mirror, all he saw was a skeleton. He had almost forgotten what he used to look like when he was still living.
So, faced with the sudden appearance of a living, breathing person, Brook was momentarily in disbelief. He instinctively rubbed his eyes—but of course, his eye sockets were empty. There was nothing to rub.
Unable to help himself, he stared at the stranger's eyes. But those eyes were unlike anything he remembered—concentric rings, like fathomless whirlpools.
Brook wondered,
"Do people's eyes look like this nowadays?"
Of course, he was overthinking it. Had he walked the world outside, he would know that only one man on these seas had such eyes.
It was Kaito.
He had hoped to hear the famous "Binks' Sake" from the anime performed live. But unfortunately, his thunderous arrival had startled Brook mid-performance.
Looking at Brook, Kaito chuckled and said,
"That was a nice tune. Binks' Sake, right?"
"Ah-re?"
Brook blinked—figuratively—and was stunned. How did this man know the name of that song? Had it become popular in the outside world?
While Brook was still lost in thought, Kaito stepped closer.
He eyed Brook's skeletal frame carefully, but his gaze lingered especially on the skeleton's dense afro.
Kaito couldn't help but think,
He's all bones, yet his hair is still this thick. On Earth, this would make all the bald guys cry!
That thought made Kaito's expression turn a bit strange.
Brook, of course, had no idea what Kaito was thinking. After his moment of dazed confusion, his heart filled with joy at finally seeing another living person.
Even with just bones for a face, he somehow managed to form a delighted expression—something that made Kaito roll his eyes inwardly once again.
"Good sir, it's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Brook!"
Brook's excitement was palpable. Kaito ended his inner monologue and responded politely,
"Nice to meet you. I'm Uchiha Kaito."
"Uchiha? What an unfamiliar surname! Yo ho ho ho ho!"
Brook laughed heartily. His humor threshold was low after decades of isolation, and even the smallest novelty brought him genuine joy.
Kaito understood. Given Brook's life, he didn't mind the eccentricity—in fact, he patiently waited for Brook to finish laughing.
After a moment, Brook realized how rude he was being. Embarrassed, he quickly added,
"Ah, how impolite of me. It's just… it's been so long since I've seen anyone alive..."
Kaito waved his hand casually and said,
"No worries. I understand."
"You're a kind man, Kaito-san. But I'm curious—you're not at all frightened by my appearance?"
Brook found it very strange. Most people would be terrified of a living, talking skeleton. But Kaito's calmness seemed... expected.
Kaito didn't explain. After all, he couldn't exactly say, I've seen you in the anime—you're supposed to look like this.
He brushed the topic aside with a few vague words, then went straight to the point.
"Brook, I've come to ask something from you."
"Ask something?"
Brook's skull tilted with a confused expression. He patted himself all over, wondering what he could possibly have that this Kaito wanted enough to come to such a cursed place.
But no matter how he searched, all he found were hard bones and his beloved cane. Nothing else.
That made him feel a bit ashamed. Kaito was an extremely rare guest in this desolate sea. To disappoint him would be a grave misstep.
Hesitantly, he said,
"I'm sorry, Kaito-san, but... I don't think I have anything I can give you."
Kaito shook his head and looked at him seriously.
"What I want is your Revive-Revive Fruit."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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