You made him feel alive again.

With Brook encountering the Straw Hats before they went to Thriller Bark, everyone was scared of him.

Although you didn’t blame them, you couldn’t help but feel a contrasting feeling.

He was a skeleton. Who wouldn't be afraid of a walking, talking skeleton?!

Besides Luffy, you were the only one who felt something else other than fear.

Curiosity.

It overwhelmed you as you took in the sight of this new member of the Straw Hats — one of the many wonders you would encounter while sailing in the New World.

When he was in your company, he felt like he had never eaten that devil fruit — he felt like the same person he had always been before he died.

After all, what was the point of eating that fruit if you were around him?

It all happened in a flash.

A fight that got too out of hand. All of you were heavily outnumbered, and you were ambushed and knocked unconscious in the scuffle, which led to the enemy taking you and holding you for ransom.

However, you knew they were cowards. They couldn’t prove anything, and you knew it.

None of them even noticed your disappearance until after the conflict was ended.

Everyone felt guilty. You were meant to have eachother's support during every fight, and they all — especially Brook — failed to keep that promise to you.

His change in attitude was so slow it almost went completely unnoticed by the crew. The music that was once so spirited, full of life and vigor — turned dreary with a sense of lost hope as he clutched his violin.

It was like Brook died a second time. Though nothing could be proven, he knew the truth.

You were out there somewhere.

Amidst the remains of embers and ash was where you stood in the middle of a deserted battlefield, on your knees as gravel and dust slipped through your fingers.

Not only did you fail to keep your promise to the Straw Hats — returning to them no matter the cost, but also to Brook — to always have each other's backs.

You had your back turned, clearly unable to take in everything that you had just witnessed.

It was too much to handle.

The blood rushing through your ears and heart pumping in your heart combined were loud enough to drown out any other noises you heard.

No amount of weights you lifted were remotely close to the amount of guilt and shame you bore on your shoulders now.

Smoke and dust filled your lungs as the sound of silence and faraway sizzles of soothing fires invaded your ears unholily.

Feeling the pain of your own heartfelt thoughts crash down on you like no attack ever could, finally allowing the tears to fall, you broke down.

Honestly, you wished you could’ve been anywhere else at that moment.

With the Straw Hats — Luffy and his antics — sparring with Zoro — cooking with Sanji — reading with Robin — shopping with Nami — stargazing with Chopper — working with Franky — even learning a thing or two from Jimbei.

But most of all, singing along to harmonic tunes and dancing along to synchronized beats with Brook. Those late night instrumentals and midnight blues that no one else seemed to understand.

Allowing yourself to get wrapped up in all the commotion inside your head, you didn’t even hear the sound of gravel and sud crunching beneath feet that weren’t yours.

The soft strum of a violin made your head snap up.

You’d recognize that tune anywhere.

Binks No Sake.

Just one note. One hum of that song was enough to bring you out of the stupor they found you in.

Not a word was said. Nothing had to be.

Slowly, he took a step towards you, your back turned to him as he looked at you with something far worse than anger — for not keeping your promise — and regret — for not keeping his.

Sorrow.

His boney fingers swayed effortlessly against the violin with every crunch of grime beneath his feet, the sound of the once comforting song now sounding less vigorous and more so soothing. Like pacifying a crying baby.

It was stretched out. Long, slow, and deliberate. He didn’t know what was going on in your head, but he had an idea.

"Come back to the Thousand Sunny," he finally said.