#354 - Chapter 354: First Meeting with Brooke
The atmosphere of Thriller Bark was unique and eerie, with a thick fog blanketing everything, making one feel as if they were in another world.
A sense of heavy oppression permeated the air.
However, Jin An didn't care about this at all, and instead, he was somewhat excitedly wanting to explore this place full of mystery.
He strolled along, carefully observing the surrounding environment.
The decaying wooden planks creaked slightly under his feet, surrounded by hollow, ghostly whispers.
The corners of Jin An's lips slightly raised as he marveled at the eerie atmosphere of this area, also contemplating how to find Brook's whereabouts.
"Brook..."
He softly muttered the name, a hint of curiosity rising in his heart.
This guy, known as the "Skeleton Musician," possessed a special soul and ability, able to revive from death even after becoming a skeleton.
And this ability was quite attractive to him.
Since this world had the existence of souls, then would there be such a thing as reincarnation?
Jin An advanced in the thick fog, feeling the surrounding gloomy aura.
Although Thriller Bark looked like a giant maze inside and out, with his powerful Observation Haki, he could clearly sense everything around him.
Every subtle fluctuation in the dark, every hidden aura, could not escape his perception.
He continued forward in the dark corners, silently pondering Brook's possible hiding place.
"If I were him, where would I choose to hide?"
Jin An pondered. He knew that Brook had a strange personality and had been wandering in this mist for many years, knowing everything about this place like the back of his hand.
Finding him might not be easy.
Suddenly, Jin An stopped.
He sensed a weak but ancient aura not far ahead, like a remnant that had crossed the years, carrying a trace of sorrow and loneliness.
The corners of Jin An's lips raised slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes - this aura was very similar to the rumored aura of Brook.
He approached the source of that aura silently, his footsteps as light as if he had merged into this mist.
As the distance narrowed, the ancient aura became clearer, seemingly accompanied by a burst of low琴声.
Jin An recognized that it was Brook's signature instrument - the sound of a violin.
Under the cover of the thick fog, Jin An finally arrived at a hidden corner, discovering the skeleton Brook who was playing the violin.
Brook sat on a broken wooden plank, his figure lonely but exceptionally stylish, the violin in his hand emitting a melodious and sorrowful melody under his manipulation.
That plaintive琴声 sounded particularly moving in the silent environment, as if telling an unknown sad story.
Jin An stood quietly to the side, not disturbing Brook's performance.
He could feel the loneliness and sadness deep in the skeleton's heart, this emotion coinciding with some hidden emotions in his own heart.
Brook's music created a resonance in Jin An in an instant, that sense of loneliness that transcended life and death, causing a complex emotion to surge in his heart.
"What an interesting fellow."
Jin An muttered softly to himself, with a hint of appreciation and curiosity in his eyes.
He knew that Brook was not just an ordinary skeleton, his soul and past were full of mystery and unknown power.
Finding him might be of great help to his future plans.
"It seems that today's exploration was not in vain."
A smile appeared on the corner of Jin An's lips, his eyes calmly looking at the other party.
He knew that what he needed to do next was to make this interesting skeleton his companion.
"......"
Brook's fingers slid deftly on the violin strings, emitting a melodious and sorrowful melody.
He was completely immersed in his own world of music, recalling the time he had spent with his companions.
Those scenes had been repeated countless times in his mind, and every time he recalled them now, he still felt endless loneliness and pain.
He had drifted to this island alone, filled with a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere, surrounded by wandering zombies.
Although he himself had become a skeleton, he still found it difficult to resonate with these zombies.
The zombies' empty eyes and strange movements made him feel inexplicably depressed and uncomfortable.
He had no choice but to stay away from them, playing the琴 alone in this silent corner, as if only in this way could he find a trace of comfort in his heart.
The琴声 echoed in the thick fog, as if conversing with this gloomy land.
Brook was so deeply moved that he was completely immersed in the music, his soul seemed to be floating in the琴声, returning to those vibrant years.
However, he did not realize that behind him, a figure was quietly approaching.
When the last note dissipated in the air, Brook slowly put down the violin, a trace of relieved sadness in his heart.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a burst of applause behind him, breaking the surrounding silence.
"What a moving piece of music."
A low and magnetic voice rang in his ears, Brook trembled violently, and all his bones couldn't help but shake slightly.
He quickly turned around and saw a tall figure standing not far away, with a faint smile on his face.
"Oh ho ho ho! When did you get here?"
Brook hurriedly stood up, the violin in his hand almost falling to the ground.
As a skeleton, he had not been in contact with humans for a long time. Suddenly seeing someone appear behind him really made him feel a burst of surprise and unease.
Jin An looked at Brook's panicked appearance, and couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement in his heart.
He didn't answer Brook's question immediately, but gently waved his hand, signaling the other party not to be nervous.
"Don't worry, I have no malice, I was just attracted by your music."
He said, his tone gentle and calm, as if comforting a frightened little animal.
Brook looked at Jin An's expression, and the tension in his heart gradually eased a little.
He carefully looked at the man in front of him, and found that the other party was wearing a naval admiral's uniform, with an unspeakable calmness and confidence in his eyes.
As a former pirate, although Brook was now a skeleton, he could still feel the other party's powerful aura.
"Ah, sir, my music is indeed good, but I'd rather know, when exactly did you get here?"
Brook scratched his head, although it was a skull, his movements still seemed a little awkward.
As he spoke, he tried to recall whether he had noticed anything during the performance, but no matter what, he couldn't recall any details of Jin An's approach.
Jin An smiled, with a hint of戏谑 in his tone:
"When you're in the zone, you wouldn't notice who came, would you? But I have to say, your music is indeed touching, making me unable to resist stopping to listen."
