Sanji's gotten good at sensing them.

There are three bells on the wall, just out of reach, and they're labelled coffee, tea, or surprise me. Every time Sanji hears a bell, he would ask his invisible guest to wait, and brew it right on up.

He'd turn around for a moment and the drink's just empty. God, he wants them to enjoy it instead of rushing through it just to stay hidden.

Though the spirits can't be heard, they're capable of making themselves tangible to the right things. It's how they walk on the deck or throw things on Franky for fun.

A simple bell ring is easy for them, though sometimes, it's soft and subtle, like they can't reach it. Maybe not all of them can float?

(Sanji lowers it.)

By the third day of this new system, Sanji realizes something strange.

He's looking at five cups on the table.

Two coffees, a cup of tea, and two cups of blue soda with extra cream. A bell is ringing for another cup of coffee.

(How many Devil Fruit users did this ship have, again?)

He's about eighty-percent sure this isn't them asking for seconds. They usually put the cup on the counter if they want seconds, and the spoon over the rim if they're done.

He takes a drag of his cigarette.

Oh, so this ship is actually haunted a lot more than Sanji was previously aware.

Another bell rings for a cup of tea.

"Right, just give me a second, okay?"

And he doesn't think much of it. If these adoring little ghosts wanted a drink to start their day, who's he to stop them?

-

"Oh, what an adorable little lady you are," the skeleton turns to Zoro, bowing down low, suspiciously toward his sword. "May I see your--"

To everyone's surprise, Usopp launches from the other side of the deck, socking the stupid skeleton right in the face.

"HELL NO!" he yells, all fear from before lost to exasperation. His fist is raised and trembling with anger, ready to send another hit if necessary.

Usopp feels a pair of hands clutching at his side, like there's a figure now hiding behind him in the same way Chopper would do with him as a shield.

He can't see her, but he knows who it is so that's fine.

His actions surprise everyone, but not more than the fact that Brook apparently just asked Zoro if he could see his underwear. Sanji lets out a groaning noise.

Brook takes no offense to the sudden strike. He laughs his strange 'yohoho' once again, and stands up to continue his incredulous introduction.

Usopp, armed from top to bottom with garlic, crosses, and other spirit repellants, just looked around warily. He puts a hand down at his side and he's surprised when it connects to a soft little head.

(He's wearing so many ghost repellers, but this one touch means none of them work. That is just ironic.)

Brook just continues laughing, Luffy joining him in amused confusion.

"Hold on, skeleton! He can see!" Usopp freaks, reaching for Hana immediately, hustling her over from Robin's side like a frantic mother. "Heck. Hana, don't go near him. Don't."

Instead, after asking for Robin's, Brook turns to the (very empty) bench by the mast and asks, "and what a lovely lady you are. May I see your--"

This time, Sanji delivers the roundhouse kick.

"Absolutely not!" he yells. "Stop harassing our invisible ladies, you perverted skinless pile of bones!"

-

Turns out, Brook can't see the fruit spirits.

What he can see, however, is something Usopp cannot.

Like Ichimonji's little spirit (though Brook says it's something a little different).

Sometimes, Brook mentions the blonde lady he has never seen walk, and how she would read stories of colourful superheroes to a little child in her lap. What he doesn't mention is how he has never seen the child's face, but he recognizes the horns of a ram around their head, and the blue raincoat was quite a telling feature.

In the lonely mist of the Florian Triangle, he has never been truly alone.

It has just been quiet.

Very quiet, because they can bring their shape to the near shore, but never their voices. They seem to communicate somehow-- but never has Brook been able to participate. Conversations with them are always one-sided.

For a pirate that thrives on music, fanfare, and cacophony, life was hell. He's never been alone, but he's always been, so, so lonely.

This is a very crowded ship as well, and Brook is glad to know it.

-

"I hate this sea I hate this sea I hate this sea I hate this sea--"

"Oh come on, you handled the skeleton and a talking reindeer and a talking moss ball just fine, but you lose it at Yomi?" Hana teased him.

"The talking moss ball is about three times less freaky!!"

Zoro chokes on his drink. "Who're you calling talking moss?!"

"Yomi, it's been a while!" Gomu is off on the other side, greeting their new friend.

When Usopp first sees Brook's fruit spirit on the deck of the ship, she had been tall and deformed. Her arms had been thin, wrinkly, and long-- her fingers claws of an ancient Baba Yaga-- and her fangs clicked, three rows of teeth encompassing a forked tongue, eyes black and red and gold and murderous.

She hissed, breaths deep and hollow-- and when her eyes met Usopp's completely petrified figure-- she grinned widely, and reached toward him.

A hollow, haunting breath down his neck—

Usopp had screamed so loud.

Thankfully, Hito had stepped in with an angry snarl. Hana stood before him, fierce-- and Yomi finally backs away, almost pouting.

(It took quite a while for anyone to coax Usopp out of his terrified ball.)

Yomi then slots on a mask-- white, with no holes for eyes-- and her body began to reform.

The next Usopp saw her, she was a little, almost cute, girl.

Yomi's contained form is smaller than the other fruit spirits on the ship, but she's wearing burial white robes complete with the triangular ghost hat around her head. She has a short head of black hair, framing a white porcelain mask with no inscriptions on it.

She doesn't take the mask off. Usopp is grateful.

She simply bows, and greets calmly. "It has certainly been a while," and Usopp shrinks further into the corner. "It is nice to meet you as well. Please call me Yomi."

Gomu is laughing, almost hysterically. Hana frowns, but she doesn't say anything.

There's a soft hand on his head, and Usopp isn't sure who's trying to console him. There are a lot of ghosts he can't see on the ship, so maybe it's one of them.

(And oh, little Ichimonji isn't beside him anymore. Maybe she went back to Zoro?)

Brook, after hearing the situation, apologizes for his fruit spirit, if only in hopes it could mean something. He's personally never known her, but many ghosts (actual ghosts) have spooked him similarly before. Nasty ones, those things.

He also admits that he's still bad with spooky things, despite living on a ship with them for years.

Usopp has found kindred, but it's a talking skeleton so he doesn't know how to feel about that.

But his fruit spirit is freakier than him, so maybe it's alright.

-

"Well, at least you're finally starting to look like you belong somewhere," Usopp turns mildly to Gomu as they approach Thriller Bark. "Why do you wear that, anyways?"

"Usopp, you don't just ask someone why they wear their clothes," Hana grimaces.

"Same reason for our forms," Gomu says, "familiarity! Hana and Hie were in Wano for a long time, a long time ago, so they're still wearing traditional kimono. Suna was Alabasta's national treasure for a while before his user died off-sea and it ended up with Crocodile who went back to Alabasta either way... well, it goes on like that."

"There's not really a difference, but Paramecians like to stand out, and Zoans tend to prefer to be comfortable, practical, or true to themselves," Hana says. And that makes sense, Hito's clothing is very simple, and the Giraffe fruit was in a onesie. Leopard and Wolf were in frilly, adorable dresses, and had the cheerful personality to match. "The Logias value their history very much. Which is why they tend to dress like their owners or siblings."

"That's why Mera and Moku dress like Big Brother Jiki!"

"Anyways, it all depends," Hana says. "That's why, you don't just ask why people wear their clothes, it's important to us."

Usopp is honestly baffled.

"Why is there so much importance to choosing clothing with you spirits?? Don't you guys ever get bored of the same clothes, at least?!"

The spirits don't need to change clothes at all, they don't get dirty and they aren't affected by the weather, but it felt natural to. Hana wears her hair differently every day, and occasionally she'd tie the sleeves of her clothes up and her skirt to her waist. Even Hito folds up his sleeves or puts on a new coat when he sees Sanji looking stylish here and then. He's stolen some hair gel before too, and Sanji's putting it on Usopp's bill.

But Gomu never changes. He's clumsy enough to get his clothes torn all on his own, and yet, he refuses to take it off while mending. He never changes, neither his socks not his hat nor a single button is ever out of place. That entire elaborate pierrot ensemble of a costume— It's sweltering just looking at him.

"No way!" Gomu sticks his tongue out at Usopp, hanging upside down from the mast. "If I took off these clothes, I wouldn't be Gomu anymore! Nuh-uh!"

Usopp sighs miserably. "Do you really want your entire identity to be in your eccentric clothing? You'll still be the silly stretchy Gomu even in a T-shirt and shorts, trust me. We will still recognize you."

Gomu only snickers. "Nah!"

Usopp rolls his eyes and leaves it at that.

-

Thriller Bark is... interesting, so to say.

Usopp decks out in garlic and crosses and talismans despite everyone's exasperated looks because hey, they're not the ones that have to deal with freaky Fridays every day.

And honestly, Thriller Bark made Yomi look pretty darn cute and harmless in comparison.

"Hito! Hito please don't leave us alone! PLEASE," Usopp wails, latching onto the unfortunately tangible-to-him devil fruit spirit. Nami is clinging onto Usopp and Chopper is clinging onto Nami. "You're our only hope! PLEASE."

Hito makes a soundless groan.

Usopp doesn't let it escape his notice that Hito walks, laboured not just with the weight on his left arm that was Usopp and crew, but also on his right feet where he seemed to be dragging through the ground with him as they advance.

Usopp's very comfortable not knowing what else ended up tagging along.

"Are we just leaving the Mini Merry there?" Chopper asks, a little sad.

"What can we do, we can't bring it along," Nami agrees, also upset.

Usopp glances at Hito, who's staring very firmly at the invisible article stuck to his foot. He makes a very pointed grimace at Usopp.

Usopp squints. Well you better bring it along, then!

Hito sighs longsufferingly and continues his miserable trek down the corridor of bones toward the gates of hell. Because why, oh why, did he have to be the only representation of sane humanity in this group?

-

"Hey, mister! You name is Usopp, right? Play with me, play with me!"

The kid in Hildon's carriage can't be seen by the others, and that immediately sets Usopp off. It's strange, because Hildon seems to have a fruit at first glance, bat wings and all— but the child spirit doesn't look anything like a bat.

Hito sighs miserably, standing in the carriage by the window since there was no space for him, and the child tugs at his clothes, to which Hito begrudgingly allows but glares warningly when he attempts to climb.

The boy beams toothily. His bangs draped over his gleaming red eyes— the clothing he's wearing seems old-fashioned, but also almost military. Like a uniform, complete with rusty badges, stained straps, but every piece in place.

When he giggles, realizing Usopp can see him, the tattoo on his cheek of an extra set of eyeballs with black sclera, seemed to squint a little in Usopp's direction.

"Hey, you're nice, you're so interesting!" he beams, twisting around playfully so he's doing a backward bridge off the carriage seats and cackling as he collapses. Then with the most childish smile in the world, "I wanna see the life slowly seep outta your eyes..."

He hollowly chuckles.

Usopp shrieks and lunges for Nami, who shrieks at him for startling her.

"I can't handle this anymore! This place is too freaky for me, I want to go back to the Sunny! PLEASE!"

-

Unfortunately, Usopp isn't free from creepy military kid just yet. When Hildon leaves them in a graveyard and they get run by zombies toward the mansion, the kid is there again, beside the creepy Doctor Hogback who Chopper respects dearly but Hito sneers at skeptically.

The child is smiling, and standing straight like a butler. His military costume is still prim and proper, but Usopp wonders if he's remembering the order of the buttons wrong, when the double-breasted suit seems to lace over the opposite direction for the sash to be worn on the other shoulder instead. The eyes tattooed under his actual eyes are closed, blinking to white irises instead— and ugh, Usopp wants to cry. He's so creepy.

It's strange, but Devil Fruit spirits have been weirder. Such tiny wardrobe changes are normal to them, and a blinking tattoo is far less scary than the existence of the spirits themselves.

But still, whose spirit is this?

-

The incident at the bath. It's really ridiculous.

He had been messing around with Chopper, guarding Nami's bath, when Usopp suddenly saw the fluttering of a curtain.

There was a window here in this hallway, but it was bolted closed.

And how did it take him so long so realize it had a curtain at all?

It's not until he takes a closer look that he notices him—

—the boy, a teenager, leaning upon the windowsill with sheets draped over him like an angel coming upon land. His hair was pure white, his eyes, so clear, they almost seemed like crystals.

If Usopp didn't stare intently at him, he seemed to phase into the fabric of his own clothing, and even when he did, the boy's movements were so easing, so gradual, he didn't even realize the boy had lifted his head to look at him until their eyes had fully met.

A tilt of the head.

A gentle smile.

Usopp snaps out of it.

"NAMI, SOMEONE'S IN THERE!"

He kicks the door open, but it's too late. They're unable to find the perpetrator in time, he escapes out the window even when Usopp blows all but the entire room out— and while Usopp got a very glorious look at Nami's brazenly naked body for the first time since Alabasta, the guilty sense of achievement he wanted to feel quickly ebbed away to his realization of just how long that man could have been in there.

(Usopp was the only one that could have noticed, and like an idiot, he ignored all the signs.)

There was already a curtain in here, but when Usopp glanced over, the boy was now in the bathroom window instead, and elusively—

—he vanishes, the sheets becoming one with the curtain, and his face wisping away in a blink, into the moonlight. The wind blew, and the angel had vanished.

"...invisibility..." Usopp breathes.

-

The child seems to be everywhere. They lose Hogback only to find Hildon again, and this time the child is snickering from the top of the fireplace, crouched down on his interesting perch and trying to startle Hito to no avail. When the child lunges, Hito simply shoves him in the face and the child goes toppling unceremoniously into the wall behind the fireplace, before cackling as he gets up.

He floats, upside down as he spins and tries to get any other reaction from Hito again— to no avail.

Usopp almost feels sorry for the poor child.

(Come to think of it, Hito wasn't particularly a fan of children, which was ironic considering how so many Zoan spirits were children. He didn't show any special adoration to Chopper other than the obligation of a spirit to his user, either.)

What bothered Usopp the most, however, was that despite how playful he was in the hall while Hildon was around, when Usopp, Nami, and Chopper snuck away and ended up at Hogback's laboratory—

—there the child spirit was again, calmly observing beside Hogback as he made his 'mario'nette to be revived next.

He glanced toward the door. His posture was straight, and he smiled.

How is that kid everywhere?

And then, the child snickered into his fist, before glancing away.

(Oh. Oh no... how didn't I realize this sooner?)

That's not the same spirit.

There are two of those boys, aren't there?

"Hi Usopp, will you play with me now?"

And the other is behind him now, accompanied by the zombie of a samurai that giggles in Brook's tune, stepping forward with the grace equivalent to Zoro.

"Ooh, that's nice!" the boy giggles. "I love it, that despair in your eyes! Nega-ti~ve!"

-

"No, the truth is... I really have so much trouble in this place, and it's not because I don't have a courageous bone in my body— yohoho! Though, I'm all bones, which is ironic!"

Franky carefully guides Robin's hand down when she lifts it up, ready to make sure no bones were left on— "wait. Wait, not yet, Nico Robin."

Brook sighs, after saving Franky and Robin from the Spider Monkey and giving them the zombies' weaknesses.

"Souls, you know... they wander. Many linger here, drawn to their bodies, and because of the thick fog, so many no longer know how to be anywhere else.. And many of them cry for the ability to pass on. It always saddens me. Sadness me, so so much... that it far outweighs the fear I may feel on this island."

"I'm not strong enough to grant all their wishes, nor can I actually bring anyone else back to life," Brook admits, "especially not if their body has been tampered into marios and are in such unrecognisable forms, they're unable to ever be connected to their souls again..."

Brook mourns, for every soul in this place.

But he's already got so much on his plate. He's not strong enough to even retrieve his own shadow, how could he dream of answering these fervent prayers from souls already long past the point of help?

Brook says. "But if I, the only one that can see them... the only one that understands how lonely it is... If I ignore their tears and pleas, then what does that make me?"

Brook cannot help them. He can purify the zombies, but unless Moria is defeated, Hogback is gone, marios will continue to be created.

But he has to try, doesn't he?

He may not know any of these souls, but as fellows that wandered the afterlife, they are kin, in a way. Brook cannot abandon them, even powerless as he is.

-

What Brook sees is neither the materialization of the mysterious fruits of the devil, nor the remnants of will in treasure objects such as famed swords and treasured ships.

What Brook sees is the souls of those that had once passed the point of life and returned to the surface only to spectate.

Why he could see the spirit of the little Mini Merry, however, he suspected it was because she, too, had been given a miraculous second lease of life. She is much more like Brook than she is like her soul brother, the Thousand Sunny.

Brook felt relieved, just a little, that he was not alone after all.

"I've come again, if you don't mind."

The samurai Ryuma is a fair and noble man, but he watches his own corpse move to Brook's beat, laugh with his tune, and he only watches on in amusement.

Ryuma cannot speak to Brook, their voices just don't cross the boundary, but he smiles warmly each time Brook visits.

I am so sorry, Brook wants to say, that my shadow marionettes your noble figure so shamelessly. That my shadow desecrates the will of the warrior you've lived to be, unable to shine just as bright, yet, wielding the precious sword that surpasses my right. It degrades you, your beloved country, and it insults the famed blade. I am so sorry.

But Ryuma, even as Brook is defeated, only gently offers his assurance in the pat of a shoulder.

Maybe he's telling him to have a bit more pride in himself. They were both once warriors, soldiers of their kingdoms. Sealed into the same body, maybe some parts of their souls aligned.

But Brook doesn't think he has the right to accept those words.

I abandoned my country for the call of the ocean. I don't deserve to be spoken in the same tongue as you.

He understands even more, after those words. Just how much he destroyed this samurai's pride and honour by marionetting his body and stealing such a treasured sword, only to use it for a style so unsuited to a Wano-hailed katana.

Ryuma may forgive him, but Brook may never forgive himself for being so weak. 

-

"Awh, no fair, you found Suke?" Gomu whines, when they reunite at the Sunny. "That's so niiiiice, no fair!!"

Hito rolls his eyes.

"You wouldn't understand, Hito!" Hana joins in, "Suke's soooo pretty! And he only shows himself once every thousand years!"

Hito grunts.

"What do you mean, his user's a shitbag? Someone's tarnishing our king Suke's name??" Gomu gasps, "I'm going to tell Giro!"

"Murder!" Hana cheers, uncharacteristically.

King, Usopp is baffled. Probably not literally. Gomu and Hana are probably just being simps. But that, in itself, is crazy enough.

Well...

"I guess he did look pretty darn enchanting..." Usopp murmurs.

And they converge on him.

"RIGHT?!"

Ah, he missed when they were acting like kids. He pats them on the head and feels all warm inside. They're very confused, but he appreciates them so much now.

"If I see another unhinged one of you guys today I am going to cry," Usopp says.

"What?! Why?? Who bullied Usopp?!" Gomu gawks, turning to Hito.

Hito grimaces, looking aside. Then, vaguely, he gestures in front of him, to the height of two figures only as tall as his waist.

Hana grimaces next.

Gomu, though, beams. "Ohh, you mean Horo and Horo? I saw them just now, that's nice! Let's go punch them, then!"

-

Gomu doesn't get to 'punch' the Horos, because Usopp gets it done first.

"Oh I've had ENOUGH of you brats!" Usopp snaps, once he realizes their power doesn't work on him. Sure they can freak him out, but after the day of hell he's been freaked out to his limit and unfortunately can't despair any further. "SIT DOWN!"

Perona freezes. "Huh?"

To Perona's view, her adorable little white ghosts had paused to listen to Usopp.

"You two, older brother, younger brother," Usopp points out, and the boys yelp. "Yes I can fucking tell the difference! Stop messing around! BEHAVE!"

And now they're hiding behind each other.

"...okay, that's freaky," older Horo says.

"No one's been able to do that before... not even Soru..." younger Horo whispers. "And he did it so quickly... you're so weird, Usopp..."

"Yomi did say he was fun to freak out, but she didn't say this."

"This isn't fun anymore."

"That's right! Who cares!" Older Horo yells, "you're still powerless before us, you can't command us!"

"I'm not scared of you!" clearly, younger Horo is much less able to hide a secret.

"NEGATIVE HOLLOW!!"

And then they charge through him both at once.

And promptly, they fall to their knees.

And sob.

"What the—" Perona yelps, because she may not see the boys, but she can see them as white intangible spirits. "DID YOU JUST BULLY MY NEGATIVE HOLLOWS, YOU LONGNOSED BASTARD?!"

Usopp winds around and shrieks. "YEAH I DID, YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BITCH?!"

-

Initially, amongst the other freakshows, Usopp doesn't notice the Kage-Kage no Mi until Hana points it out to him as they're fighting Oars.

Gomu is hissing.

"Die, you indignant substance!"

Gomu snarls at him, and it's honestly a little humorous to see the pierrot-dressed child seething at the taller, calmer, and kemptly-dressed man. He was also wearing a white clay mask that only stared back blankly in response.

Kage only pats Gomu's head in response, earning a sharp shriek. Gomu is then held by the head, away at arm's length. Gomu's arms furiously wave about but they're too short to reach.

"Forget it, Gomu, he's not going to fight you when Pika isn't around," Hana says. "You're wasting your energy."

"Coward! Yami would fight me!"

Kage only sighs. "Why would I want to fight you?" he says, and it's almost mockery, but more of confusion and reluctance. "I would win, anyways."

"YOU'RE PICKING A FIGHT BUT YOU'RE NOT TAKING IT??"

"Do you really want to fight me, Gomu? I don't have business with Gomu."

"Stop saying my name like it's an insult!"

"Then stop being an insult."

Usopp however, squeaks when the two Horos cling to either side of Yomi— who, despite being a tiny girl, is frowning up at him with a pursed lip.

"Hey."

That's a threat.

"They said you were bullying them?"

Low and cold.

Usopp, despite himself, despite his bravado, can only slowly, carefully, slink to his knees and plant his head on the ground.

"I sincerely apologize."

He still fucking hates this island he wants to go home—

-

Honestly, Usopp thoughts things were over.

The sun rose and their shadows were back. Luffy's unconscious, everyone's exhausted, but things were finally looking bright.

"Oh."

Behind him, a blonde boy. His clothing was layered, not quite Wanoan, not quite Alabatan— but they were colourful, gold and shimmering, bound to the sash around his head that seemed to prop the feline ears atop his head up just a little straighter.

He smiles, with a warmth, and his slender figure trails down the path with a grace not unlike Suke's, yet so dainty all the same.

"Huh?" Gomu looked up, from Luffy's side.

"Hi, everyone," the newcomer greets, sweetly.

"If it isn't Nikyu!" Hana says. There's no hostility in her voice— just genuine surprise, and a surprising amount of amiability from Hana. "What brings you?"

"Oh..." Yomi also doesn't sound so alarmed. "What a surprising guest."

Their calmness makes Usopp feel at ease. Surely, if the spirits weren't reacting with hostility, then this new spirit must be just as friendly as he looked. Gomu wasn't so cruel as to leave out something that could be a genuine danger to Luffy, he had standards too.

"What's wrong, Usopp?"

It's Zoro that speaks up first, noticing Usopp staring confusedly in one direction even though the danger has passed.

This makes the crew straighten in alarm.

"Ah, no, it's... nothing..."

If someone's coming in this late... surely... they can only be here because they're on Moria's side... right?

"Don't worry. Nikyu's nice," Gomu says, warily. "Right?"

Nikyu toys with his fingers, laughing nervously. "Actually, about that... Would it be mean of me to say we're here to exterminate all of you?"

Usopp freezes.

Gomu laughs. "Funny, that was a good one, Nikyu!"

"You're never one for war, Nikyu, we all know that," Hana says, "much less are you dishonourable enough to target a crew downed like this. We're not falling for it for a second."

Hito huffs.

And Yomi nods.

Nikyu sighs fondly. "Right? I really do wonder why I'm always put in this situation."

Usopp backs away. And Zoro reaches for his sword.

Because the spirits may be laughing, but he can tell. He can tell that Nikyu— such gentle and kind features are never made for that cold, firm expression. That can only mean that he's dead serious.

"We need to go," Usopp says.

Nikyu's smile falls.

Usopp spins around, "we need to go back to the Sunny, NOW!"

It is Kuma that appears behind them all, but he speaks in time with Nikyu. He does not know it, only Usopp ears the haunting synchronicity, and that makes it so much worse.

"It's too late to run now."

-

So basically, Thriller Bark was awful, but somehow, they made it through everything, and after a long, extensive party, they're back on the road.

Now, with Brook in tow.

"Is it really okay? That 'Nikyu' you guys liked so much, they defeated all of us. That's not what you said about him."

Usopp talks to them from the mast, when the party continues on the Sunny.

Zoro sleeps by the deck. No one wants to tell Usopp what happened.

"And, so?"

The response is so cold, Usopp wonders if it was him who'd misunderstood all along. Did they not like Nikyu? Was he the one that thought so? They were so amiable— so, why? Why aren't they the least bit angry that Nikyu had nearly killed Zoro and nearly taken them all in only to mysteriously change his mind?

Why aren't they frustrated, that they don't know what Nikyu is even thinking?

"NIkyu isn't obligated to tell us anything," Gomu says. "Why would he be? He has his reasons."

"And you don't want to know?"

"Why should I?"

Usopp can't believe what he's hearing.

Gomu is apathetic to this. They'd nearly been wiped out and only survived by some miracle, but Gomu doesn't give a shit.

"Usopp, Nikyu isn't our enemy, and he's not an ally either," Gomu says. "Sometimes, he's in my way, and that's why, I have to kill his owner. Sometimes, I'm in his way, and he has to kill my owner. Do you really think this would have been the first time he erases me?"

Usopp is silent.

Do you really think this would have been the first time he erases me?

(Erases.)

The spirits don't die. But they get reborn, over and over, losing everything ont he way, returning to their fruits, returning to the cycle, played to the whims of humanity.

But the spirits, they wage their own wars, too.

"Don't be silly, Usopp. I've erased him more times than he's ever erased me. And I'll do it again, if Luffy wants me to," Gomu says. "He's the sweetest, most pacifistic guy I know. And that's probably why he's always in my way."

And yet, they still have to be at odds every once in a while.

Because that's just how it is.

"Our bond is thicker than blood, but it's also thinner than water," Gomu says. "We know more about each other than anything. But, we also would never hesitate to bring each other down for our own reasons."

They live for themselves.

And they don't have to cooperate.

They just do as they wish. They are not owed an explanation, nor do they desire one. It didn't matter if they adored each other, or hated each other— in battle anyone can be an enemy, and no one can be favoured, simply because the spirits' direction of battle inevitably follow the whims of their owners.

They're all so individualistic, and yet, their individuality does not matter in the world they live in.

Usopp can't help but feel so, so sad for these spirits, for the way they live, and for the way they've simply accepted to live like this.