Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Sometimes people destined for each other become bound by a golden string. The string is always illusory around your wrist, only you and your soulmate can see and touch it, and when you touch it, it makes a sound. You can always find each other if you follow the string.

And it all sounds magical and wonderful, but for Brook it's all in the past. He used to have such a string, but now there were chopped remains around the bones of his wrist. It had been with him for as long as he could remember, connecting him and his captain.

For the last seven years, six of which he had spent in this damned fog, the remnants of the string had been nothing but a sad reminder of the death of someone once dear to his heart. Not that he needed to be reminded, with his promise to the crew, it was hard to forget. And he would have continued to fidget aimlessly with the rest of the string, as if that would one day make it reach out to his captain again, but this morning a new one was wrapped around his wrist.

The new string was located just below the old one, it shone especially brightly in comparison with the other, which had long been tarnished. It stretched away into the fog, but that was the last thing Brook cared about at the time.

For a moment, he didn't believe it. But as soon as he realized that this was real, he could only get angry. It looked like a very bad joke from fate or whoever was responsible for it. It was clearly the last thing he needed right now. Not in this situation, not in this place, not at this time.

Absolutely everything about it made him mad. He can't get out of this damned fog, and there's Laboon waiting for him and his crew. Clearly, the last thing he needs to worry about right now is a string, a person he doesn't know, or how to find them. Also, at this moment, it felt like fate was calling him to forget about Yorki, which only made him more annoyed.

He allowed himself a good shout, no one would hear him anyway, and took out his anger on the nearest piece of furniture. After calming down a bit, he finally began to think more sensibly.

Why did the string appear only now? Most likely, this person was just born. Which clearly added to the absurdity of the situation. But more importantly, he'd just snapped at the baby, and the thought of that changed his anger to shame.

Suddenly, the string began to twitch randomly, ringing with every movement. The ringing reminded him of the reality of what was happening.

This started to make him angry again, but now he was just offended for this child. From infancy, to be tied to some living skeleton, which is very likely stuck in this fog with ends. He didn't want to be under any illusions, but if they ever met, it would be the biggest disappointment of this person's life. This could easily be considered the worst birthday present for both this mysterious child and his own.

He tried to live the rest of the day as usual, but his head was full of thoughts about it. And only in the evening, when he finally came to terms with what had happened, he dared to look in the direction where the string stretches.

It went somewhere far away in the fog, which was expected. It was hard to see, but the string seemed to go down into the sea. He would have assumed it was the tension, but his first string never behaved like that, completely refusing to follow the laws of physics until you touched it yourself. For a moment, he thought that the person might be drowning right now, but no matter how much he looked, the string didn't break.

He absolutely didn't know what to do with all of this. There was no point in continuing to be angry at this poor baby, it was clearly not their fault. Maybe they could become good friends someday, but there was no point in guessing about it.

He decided to do what he was best at. He pulled a string between his hand and elbow and began to play the first lullaby he could remember. He and Yorki used to do this a lot in the past – play music that only they could hear. But then it all ended so abruptly.

The memory of the past was bitter, but for the first time that day, it didn't seem so bad. Maybe someone will finally hear him.

In the Florian Triangle, there is frankly nothing to do, and the new string has become an incredible outlet.

For the last six years, Brook continued to play lullabies before going to bed, which quickly became a habit. Sometimes during the day, he would play some old songs that they liked to play as a crew or improvise if the mood allowed.

Sometimes he would forget himself completely and start playing Bink's Brew, waiting for someone to pick up the tune and they would continue as a duet. But no one joined in on his songs, he tried not to be too disappointed about it.

When he finished playing, he received only two short strokes on the string in response. His young friend's way of saying thank you, or so it seemed to him. At some point, his listener began to respond in this way to each of his songs. It was nice to know that you were being heard, and you weren't completely alone.

It wasn't until the last few days that this became a problem, at least in Brook's opinion. His friend began to respond with two strokes to the lullabies, which, of course, was polite and sweet, but made it clear that the child was trying to stay awake and listen to the end. This stubbornness was kind of funny, but it also meant that someone wasn't getting enough sleep.

Brook tried to solve this problem. He didn't see any other way but to stop playing so that his friend could get his sleep. But he gave it up on the first night. After twenty minutes of silence, at the usual hour, his string began to tinkle erratically. It looks like he just made his friend worry.

The string continued to tinkle until Brook answered and began to play. As soon as he finished playing the lullaby, he received the same two strokes on the string, followed by several shorter sounds. He couldn't understand what they were trying to say, so he could only hope that it reassured his friend.

Sometimes he could hear something other than those two strokes, but the sounds the string made at those moments were not pleasant. He had heard it from the Yorki’s string before, and more than once. Such sounds appeared when a person squeezed a string in his hand, holding on to it with all their strength. A dull, low hum, sometimes punctuated by shrill, sharp sounds. Whatever was going on at the other end, it was hardly a good thing, and it was only worrying. It didn't help that after that, no matter how hard Brook tried to make contact through the string, his friend just didn't say anything. He could only hope for the best.

Today was a special day.

He wasn't really in the mood to play anything, just sat on the deck and watched the fog, as if something might change in the landscape. Suddenly, his string began to play, his friend was trying to say something. It was not a low hum, the string rang properly, which was a good thing. Brook couldn't understand what his friend was trying to say, so he tried to listen very carefully.

When it suddenly dawned on him, he started to hear the melody. Very clumsy, with unnecessary movements and sounds, but his friend tried to play. And of all the songs Brook had ever played for him, he chose Bink's Brew. He must have played it too often lately.

Brook couldn't help but laugh, this was the last thing he'd expected. His friend's playing left a lot to be desired, the melody was hard to recognize, but none of that mattered. Whatever they were trying to say, it was clearly well-intentioned. No matter how clumsy they were playing, it gave off a nice warm feeling somewhere inside.

Brook only had to respond with two short punches.

   Thank you.

Jinbei was ten years old when he recognized the song.

The music came from one of the bars on his way to the orphanage. From the bar where humans usually stayed. And if humans were staying in the Fishman District, then they were pirates who weren't allowed on the island. And now these pirates were singing the song that the person connected to him by a string loved to play.

For as long as he can remember, his wrist has always been tightly wrapped with a golden string. And for as long as he can remember, it played something nice.

For a long time, he did not understand the meaning of all this, just continued to listen, sometimes accidentally hitting a string. When he was five years old, a caregiver at an orphanage whose name he didn't have time to remember noticed how he was trying to get out of a string. She also explained to him what it was. It was the first time he knew that he was bound to someone by fate.

He was so happy about it then. He finally had something of his own. Something he doesn't need to share with other kids. Something that he doesn't have to fight for, so that they don't take it away from him and break it. Someone who will always be there for him and won't leave him alone, won't leave him like his parents once did.

On the other side of the string was his special person and he couldn't stop thinking about it, the idea of meeting them one day didn't leave him. It wasn't hard to fall for the charm of his soulmate. Jinbei knew that they loved music and that they loved playing it on their string.

He didn't know how to respond to the care shown by his soulmate playing him lullabies every night. Or the way the string tinkled in a worried, disorderly way as he tightened it after another fight. The best he could think of was to send two strokes down the string instead of the words he wanted to say.

One day, he tried to repeat his soulmate's favorite song, which they played most often during the day, and he got the same two strokes in response. Then he was incredibly happy that his gratitude was heard and understood.

His first disappointment was when, at the age of seven, he tried to follow the string. At first everything was fine, but soon he came out of the Fishman District and saw his string go up somewhere, into the darkness of the sea.

It went past the island, which made him think that his soulmate was somewhere far away on land. He didn't like it very much, but he stifled the feeling. After all, it could be another fishman who lives somewhere on the ship. The day improved quickly: he was able to talk to a large whale shark that he met on the way, and at night his soulmate again played a lullaby. Sometimes he wondered where the string was going, but each time he preferred to push the bad ideas away.

And so he did exactly until his second disappointment. On his way back to the orphanage from the dojo, following the usual route, he heard a song coming from a bar across the street. He didn't recognize the words, but he immediately recognized the melody. In disbelief, he checked the string that wasn't moving. He stopped and listened to the song, memorizing every word as a dark realization crept into his head.

He hadn't heard any fishmen or merfolk play the same songs as his soulmate. But now humans are playing their favorite tune. That and the string going to the surface meant only one thing – his soulmate was human.

And hearing this song from a bunch of pirates made him even more anxious. All the kids knew exactly what the pirates were doing, and many of the kids in the District had witnessed it. He and the other children of the orphanage also knew exactly what was going on with the pirates in the Fishman District. He hurried back, now he will have to change the route for a while, just to avoid seeing a disturbing picture after.

On his return, he retreated to his usual corner and plunged into his own dark thoughts, now that he couldn't ignore them like last time. He was too terrified of the possible outcome to think straight. If his soulmate is a pirate, then they definitely can't be a good person. And as luck would have it, at the same time as this thought, the string began to play. This time something new that he had not yet heard. He tried to ignore the sound, and his hand didn't go up to send the usual response after.

And the lack of response seemed to bother his soulmate, because they spent the rest of the day trying to say something over the tinkle of a string that Jinbei continued to diligently ignore. It was hard, his conscience was tormented, and he could not give the exact reason. It didn't seem right to be afraid of the person on the other side of the string, but for every doubt there was a terrible pirate story told by the caregivers.

It had plagued him until late at night, and it seemed to show. Because before going to bed, Aladine, his best friend, took him out of the common room and asked, "What's wrong with you today? Something happened?" He sounded as calm as ever, but he could tell he was worried.

Great, now his behavior has upset not only his soulmate, but also his friend. At this point, he was barely holding back the tears as Aladine led him away from the door so that they wouldn't be noticed by the caregivers or other children. Eventually, with difficulty and through tears, he explained to his friend what had happened.

"Is that all?" For some reason, Aladine looked relieved by the explanation.

This was definitely not the answer Jinbei expected from his friend. Still, he nodded, it was getting hard to speak. Aladine exhaled loudly, and his face took on a complex expression that made him look older.

"The land is full of people. What makes you think your soulmate is necessarily a pirate?"

It took Jinbei a moment to finally speak in response. "I heard a song from the pirates..."

"And? Maybe your soulmate also heard this song from the pirates."

Jinbei looked up at him, he finally stopped crying when he realized what Aladine was getting at.

"You don't have to be a pirate to learn how to play a song," Aladine clicked his tongue, but it didn't sound like he was angry with him in any way.

He was right, and it was an incredible relief for Jinbei. He even felt a little ashamed that he couldn't think of it on his own. He was very lucky to have someone as smart as Aladine around. After all, he was the first of them to learn to read.

"You're good, Jinbei," Aladine spoke again, much quieter this time and looked away. "You couldn't have been bounded to someone bad."

He didn't agree with that. Today, he made both his soulmate and his best friend worry, which clearly didn't make him any good. And that's just what he did today. But he didn't argue with that.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Now we have to get back to the room somehow..."

"That's where it goes," Jinbei pointed out to the sea.

He'd only been up on land a couple of times before, and only briefly, usually to get Arlong and his group back to the orphanage before the caregivers noticed. Today, for the first time in seventeen years, he saw exactly where his string went.

It was hardly anything special. The golden string stretched far out to sea, growing thinner and thinner towards the horizon until it was no longer visible. It didn't bring out any pleasant emotions, he had already prepared himself for this disappointment long ago. But somewhere deep inside, he felt a resentment that he tried to ignore with all his might. He has no right to resent his soulmate for being so far away.

"So it's a human after all," Arlong frowned, as if it were his own string.

"Just because they're on land doesn't mean they're human."

"Do you even believe that?"

No, Jinbei didn't believe that for a long time. The odds of his soulmate not being human were pretty damn slim. But the last thing he wanted right now was to hear something about it from a child. And even more from Arlong, who brought him here just for that.

He completely missed how his juniors found out about his soulmate. It seems that during his absence, the orphanage was discussing the golden strings and what it meant, and someone told them about the Jinbei string. Most likely it was Aladine, who could say this without thinking, so that the younger children would leave him alone.

This led Arlong and his friends to follow Jinbei everywhere and question him about his soulmate. Just to be finally left alone, he said that his soulmate was somewhere on land, but that only made things worse.

The younger ones tried to persuade him to come up to the surface and see where the string was going. This went on for several days, and it was even surprising that the children managed to keep their interest in it for so long. In the end, Jinbei just gave up. First of all, he didn't want them to go up to the surface without supervision, after all, it was the responsibility of older children to help caregivers with younger ones. And just a little bit, he really wanted to see where the golden string went.

And so he was now on the shore of Sabaodi with Arlong's group. Chew and Kuroobi looked a little disappointed, more like just how boring it was. Arlong was the most displeased of all, and Jinbei couldn't even guess why. After all, what did he even expect?

"What's wrong with that?" Hachi joined in, looking more puzzled and confused than disappointed, unlike the others.

"Humans are bad, Hachi!"

"I don't know. Ray-san is cool."

"Don't even start!"

Jinbei had no idea who they were talking about or why Arlong was bothered at all. And he frankly didn't want to know.

"That's it, you got what you wanted. Can we go back now?"

"No!" All four of them shouted in unison.

They started talking about Sabaody Park and how they wanted to see it. Jinbei frankly didn't want to deal with this, but leaving the younger ones behind wasn't an option either.

"Okay, all right, I get it! Go ahead. I'll be here to pick you up when I'm done with my business," the children around him began to cheer. "Just don't get caught!"

Jinbei didn't wait for any response from them, just turned away and walked closer to the water.

In recent years, he has become desperate. It seemed that he and his soulmate would never meet. And if they do, that person will definitely be disappointed. His soulmate was amazing, talented as hell, and incredibly empathetic, for someone who could only communicate with him with sounds through their string. Jinbei, on the other hand, only knew how to fight, there was nothing else behind his soul.

He began to search the sand carefully for shells, picking through and discarding any pebbles that got in the way. He had absolutely nothing to offer his soulmate, and it was foolish to think that simple seashells would be enough. But he kept looking anyway, wanting to do something for the person on the other side of the string, even if it was something so insignificant.

"Is this for your soulmate?"

Jinbei flinched in fright, certain that he was alone. Abruptly, he turned to find Hachi still standing on the beach. He was looking carefully at the small pile of seashells that Jinbei had collected. The others were long gone, though he could still see them in the distance.

"If you really don't want to go see the damn park, then I'll bring you all back to the orphanage right now."

Hachi immediately ran off in the direction of his friends. Jinbei went back to what he was doing. He didn't mind his juniors, but sometimes they were just a little annoying.

He soon finished, thinking that what he found would be enough. They all returned to the orphanage without much trouble, and Jinbei hurried to hide the shells he found in his little box that he kept under his pillow. It was very unlikely that any of the children would want to steal them, but he didn't want to risk it.

Before dinner, Hachi came up to him again and silently held out his clenched fist. Jinbei, after a moment of thought, held out his hand in return and Hachi pressed something into his palm. After that, he ran off to his friends without saying anything.

Jinbei found a small shiny shell in his hand, a bright orange color.

Their exchange of string sounds could hardly be considered full-fledged communication. But even those little bits made Brook's loneliness better.

Their interaction remained the same. He would sometimes play something for his soulmate during the day. And he always played a lullaby before going to bed, which probably was pointless now, since his soulmate wasn't a child anymore.

He always got two strokes in return, no exceptions. Sometimes, he would hear those two beats for no reason when he wasn't playing anything. At first, he didn't understand why, and he still wasn't sure what it meant. But it seemed that they were trying to say thank you to him just like that, for no reason. And it always warmed something deep inside him.

The dull hum of a taut string didn't go away either. It seemed that over the years this only became more frequent. Sometimes the hum was accompanied by a cacophony of sounds. It seems that his soulmate was forced to fight, and lately more and more often.

Last year, his soulmate started playing a song on their string that Brook didn't know. His play was very clumsy at first, and it took Brook a while to figure out exactly what was going on. But over time, it got better, he played more confidently. When the song was repeated for several days, Brook finally realized that his soulmate was trying to practice.

And Brook couldn't help but support his friend in this. When he roughly understood the melody, he began to play it back. His soulmate immediately picked up the idea and began to repeat it after him. They played together for almost a month, and after each session, his soulmate responded with two short strokes. Once they sat there until late at night. It was clearly worth it, and his playing quickly improved, even though by the end of the month Brook was tired of the same song.

At one point, it just ended. His soulmate must have decided that this practice was enough. And even though the melody was starting to annoy him, it was fun and enjoyable for Brook to be a part of it. He was very upset when it stopped so suddenly.

But just recently, a year later, almost on the same day, his soulmate started practicing again. The melody was the same, but judging from their level of playing, they definitely needed to remember how to play it. Brook could only assume that his soulmate was preparing for some annual event. A holiday or maybe a festival. God, Brook missed the festivals.

He immediately joined his friend's practice. This obviously wouldn't last long, so he was determined to get everything out of this interaction.

And it also made him think. He hasn't played anything new in a long time. The closest thing to something new was this song, which he learned together with his soulmate.

And it finally gave him the courage to look at their old notes. The last time Brook touched them was when he got back to the ship. Back then, he didn't dare look through them, he immediately collected and hid them so that they wouldn't spoil over time. Only now did he take out the notes again.

Old notes, working out new songs, trying to write down notes of something they had only heard once – all of this brought back so many memories. Brook was still bitter about it, his grief and sorrow had not disappeared. But the memories of the old days and the warm feeling of nostalgia caused a quiet joyful thrill deep inside.

He came across an outline of a new song that he and Yorki had started together shortly before he came down with his illness. Yorki kept saying that they would finish it as soon as he got out of bed, but that never happened. The memory made a lump form in his throat, and he felt tears welling up inside his empty eye sockets.

Yorki really wanted to finish this song. And maybe it was time for Brook to fulfill his captain's wish. For the next few days, he busied himself with this, digging through his memories, constantly playing the unfinished melody in his attempts to reconstruct what was ready and continue working on the song.

Maybe soon he will be able to play something new for his soulmate, and maybe it will please Yorki, wherever he is right now.

Jinbei oversaw the official entry to the island, the capital port, as required by his position. Today was a surprisingly calm day, which was good news.

His string hadn't stopped playing for the last hour, it looked like his soulmate was also in a good mood. It was a tune he'd been playing for the past few days, sometimes changing a few notes or reworking whole sections as he went, but the overall outline remained the same. It looked like he was in the middle of something.

Suddenly, a strange thought came to him – how wonderful it would be if his soulmate really turned out to be a pirate. Then, sooner or later, he would have to pass through Fishman Island. The idea of meeting his soulmate, even in such a dubious way, reawakened a pleasant excitement that he was beginning to forget. Most likely, he would not hesitate to forgive his soulmate everything, a simple meeting would be enough for him, he still did not deserve more.

He began to spin this strange thought further, it was still the most interesting thing that was happening right now. First of all, he had doubts. Even if his soulmate turns out to be a pirate, Jinbei himself won't be any better off. The last few years have been hard, and he's not sure how many bad things he's done for his own survival in that time.

As soon as he turned eighteen, he was turned out of the orphanage. This day wasn't that bad, as on his previous birthdays his soulmate played all day. For a while, he was sheltered in a dojo where he studied karate. And from there, his life went downhill.

There aren't many options in the Fishman District, you'll always end up in some sort of crime story. After all, the authorities ignored this place for a reason. He took on any job, just to get some money to survive. He was hired as a bodyguard and courier, he participated in underground fights in the local arena, he worked as a bouncer. On several occasions, he even worked with Arlong, who formed his own pirate crew as soon as he left the orphanage. There were only crimes behind his soul. Fortunately, everything that happens in the Fishman District remains in the Fishman District.

But one day he met Tiger. And when he called Jinbei his brother, everything changed. Until that day, his loneliness was only brightened by the music of his soulmate. And while it was a relief on one side, on the other, he was still tormented by guilt and shame. He just needed someone to beat the crap out of him. And Tiger was the very person who finally helped him get out of this vicious circle.

"So, do you have a soulmate?" Tiger asked him once.

"Who hasn't Arlong told this to yet?" Tiger just laughed. "Yes, I have."

"That's great."

"Hardly," Jinbei didn't expect to say it out loud.

"Why would that be? Don't you like the person you're bound up with?" Tiger raised his eyebrows.

There was a moment of silence between them, and Jinbei wondered if he should even talk about it. He was ashamed of himself and admitting it out loud was doubly embarrassing. But maybe he can trust someone who called him brother so easily.

"No, that's not the point," he finally said. "I've been bound to a wonderful person, I'm sure of that. The problem is, I'm the asshole who doesn't deserve it."

"You're also a fool," Tiger interrupted abruptly.

"Yes, that too."

"I'd even say idiot."

"Yeah," In response, Jinbei received a blow to the head, after which he immediately grabbed the bruised spot. "Hey!"

"That's what I meant when I said you all needed to start thinking." Tiger slapped him again, but this time much more gently. "You make it sound like you can't fix it at all. You don't even argue with that."

"I've done too much-"

"Yes, and these crimes won't go away. But some of what you've done, you can still fix. You can still get better. Just because we all grew up in this District doesn't mean we're all lost people. So, pull yourself together, get this self-pity over with, and finally think with your head for a bit. I'm sure you'll find a way to improve. Especially when you have someone for." Tiger finished his speech and looked at him. "Are you crying in there?"

"No," Jinbei immediately turned away.

At this moment, he was incredibly ashamed of himself. It wasn't any better than after that fight with Tiger. He'd thought about it a lot, but it was so much easier to just give up, go with the flow, and let the District swallow him up. Tiger was right, and he needed someone to tell him that. As much as he was ashamed at that moment, he also felt a certain sense of relief from some support.

He was about to say something back, but Tiger suddenly asked, "Your soulmate is somewhere on the surface, isn't they?"

"Did Arlong tell you everything?!" Tiger laughed again at his sudden outburst. "Yes."

"I'm going up to the surface soon. I can find your wonderful person."

"And how will you do that? You can't see other people's strings."

"Yes, so you can just show me which direction to go." And then I'll find your soulmate and tell them what kind of idiot they’re been bounded to in the first place."

"Hey!" Tiger laughed again. "Don't even think about it!"

Soon Tiger really went on another adventure of his own. Jinbei then joined the Ryugu army. For someone from the Fishman District, there weren't many options to go. But the army was clearly much better than some gang. And then he finally began to feel like he was doing something worthwhile.

He even participated in the annual festival several times. They did not have enough musicians, so they were ready to take any volunteers and tried to teach them something. It could hardly be said that he had learned anything, because he could only play this one song. But practicing with his soulmate was a very pleasant experience.

One of his colleagues called out to him. He had given up his post and now had some free time, so he just went back to the barracks.

There were only a few people here right now, Aladine was probably still on patrol. Out of habit, Jinbei reached deep into his nightstand, pulling out his box and checking it. Unlike at the orphanage, there had never been a case of someone stealing something from him, but he was still afraid of it. Moreover, it was all his possessions, as sad as it may sound.

The bracelet he'd made out of seashells for his soulmate was still there, next to the pearl bracelet he'd bought for himself with the first money he'd earned in the army. He ran his fingers carefully over the shells, relieved that they were still there. Perhaps one day he will have the opportunity to give it away.

At some point, their string rose above sea level and remained in this position most of the time. This had happened before, and sometimes Brook would see the string rise above the water. But it never lasted long, and the string would sink back into the sea again.

It always raised so many questions for him. He was only able to come up with two possible options. The first is that his soulmate lives on an underwater island, like Fishman Island, that was supposed to be somewhere under the Red Line. Which would also mean that most likely his soulmate isn't human. The second option is that his soulmate lives on a submarine. In his time, technology was extremely new and completely uncommon for ordinary people, but a lot could have changed during his isolation.

Whatever the answer, their string was now mostly on the surface. It hung just below the deck of his own ship. And slowly, but surely, the string changed its position. Perhaps his soulmate moved to live on some island on land. Or maybe they were on the ship right now.

The thought made Brook panic a little. If his soulmate went to the sea, then it is likely that they may want to find him. Being afraid of this seemed like something stupid, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.

Brook really wanted someone to get him out of this damned fog so that he could finally fulfill his promise to the crew and get back to Laboon. He'd been here for forty years, and of course he really wanted to be saved. But most of all, he wanted it to be anyone but his soulmate.

He often heard other people say that soulmates were meant for each other. They accept each other for who they are and complement each other. And his first time, it was like that.

But it was different with Yorki. They'd known each other for a very long time, and they'd been through a lot together. They could tell each other anything without any restrictions.

Just as importantly, Brook was still alive then. He had skin, he had a face. He didn't look like death. He could give Yorki warm touches, he could hug him, kiss him. Now he couldn't do any of that. Now he was a sad pile of bones that had been stripped of everything.

Now he had nothing. And he was so afraid of meeting his new soulmate. He was afraid to see the disappointment in this person's eyes, or worse, fear or disgust. Brook knew he wouldn't survive this, that it would break him. And he really didn't want to face it.

The string continued to move slowly eastward. Or where Brook assumed it was east. There was a sound – a message that his soulmate had been trying to send for the past few days. Brook was grateful that it finally took his mind off those dark thoughts. Now he could occupy himself with trying to decipher the message, even though he knew deep inside that he would soon be returning to the same sad thoughts.

The set of sounds was the same as all the days before. He did his best to understand it. His soulmate seems to have found some way to get the message across. And it would be awfully rude of Brook not to try to figure it out.

The message consisted of the usual string strokes mixed with two quick short strokes. It reminded him of something, he should know exactly what it was.

Stroke, dot, two short strokes, dash... Morse Code, of course. He should have known right away. Brook was even a little ashamed that he hadn't tried it first, that it had taken so long.

He searched his head, trying to remember the alphabet, the general standard of code. He immediately recalled the chants he had learned to memorize the letters.

Slowly but surely, he was able to decipher the message.

   Hello?

Jinbei stood at the helm, watching their string. He hadn't had the chance to notice it before, he had never stayed on land for long, but it seemed like the golden string was pointing in the same direction all the time. No matter how much he watched, his soulmate barely moved. Perhaps they lived on some island and never left it.

It was already a year and a half since Jinbei had followed Tiger out to sea. And it was a very eventful time. He couldn't take much of a break between clash with the Marines or the downright insane weather of the Grand Line, but he didn't dare complain. It felt like this was where he belonged, that this was where he was supposed to be.

In the first few months, he didn't have time for this, too many events at a time to think about it. But the longer he was on the surface of the sea, the more he thought about how he could meet his soulmate. He would have rushed to them right now if it wasn't for his duty to the crew, he couldn't just leave them like that.

It was a personal decision, Tiger didn't hold him back. One night, he even started talking about it. "No one will be offended if you go looking for them. I know how important they are to you. We can handle it without you," he said as they shared a drink.

Jinbei couldn't agree with that at the time. He was sure that he was much more needed here now. Besides, he couldn't even imagine what he was supposed to do when they met, which worried him just as much.

Nevertheless, he did not abandon the idea. He and some of his friends, like the whale sharks he knows. Some of them were ridiculously concerned about his personal life and seemed to already consider his soulmate part of their network. He once pointed out to them which way the string goes, and they were happy to go there. But, as expected, this did not lead to anything. It seemed that his sharks were more upset about it than he was.

His hand involuntarily reached for their string, and he sent the same message again that he had been repeating for the past few days. No matter how hard he tried to communicate, his soulmate didn't seem to understand the message. He couldn't really blame them for this. After all, he had only thought of it with someone else's help.

It was Aladine's idea to use Morse code and how to send the message. Well, it wasn't so much his idea as his own soulmate's.

"Have you tried sending something in Morse code?" Aladine suddenly asked one day.

This made Jinbei stop dead in his tracks. The sudden suggestion stunned him. The fact that he hadn't thought of it earlier made him angry with himself. They might have made contact long ago if Jinbei had thought of it sooner.

"No," he finally said, going over the possible outcomes in his head. "Do you think they knows that?"

"Maybe not. But what prevents you from at least checking it out?" Aladine shrugged. "My soulmate didn't know if I'd understand either, but she tried it and look where we are."

"Your soulmate? Since when? Why am I the last one to know?!" Jinbei got distracted from his thoughts.

"You're not the last one," Aladine looked away, his ears turning very red. "Actually, you're the first person I've told about this."

Seeing Aladine so embarrassed was something completely new. But Jinbei didn't comment on that, just yet.

"Have you met before?"

"Of course, not" Aladine finally looked at him again. "When would I have made it?"

"But you figured out how to communicate?"

"She figured it out. Terrorized me with signals until I realized what it meant. She's very smart." Realizing what he had just said, his entire face turned a deep red. "And she also likes to talk incessantly."

Jinbei couldn't help but laugh, which clearly made Aladine blush even more.

"You just have to introduce us. I need to know the woman who makes you blush like that."

"I'm going to throw something at you!" Jinbei only laughed harder at that. "Do you even know the general code?"

"No," he finally calmed down. "Just what we used on Ryugu."

Then Aladine just nodded in response and tried to turn the conversation in a different direction. But Jinbei kept coming back to the subject of Aladine's soulmate, which only infuriated him, and he threw the first thing he found in his pockets at him after all. However, that evening, he gave Jinbei notes on the general Morse code standard. So, he busied himself with studying.

His knowledge was still quite shallow. The common language was much like Ryugu, but he was very doubtful about his knowledge. He typed slowly, hesitantly, but no matter what, he kept doing it.

Jinbei still didn't know what to say to his soulmate first. The fact that they still hadn't responded to the message gave him time to think, but he didn't come up with anything.

He repeated the message again, if he didn't get a reply, it would be the last message for today. It probably didn't make sense to repeat that signal anymore, it didn't seem like his soulmate understood what he was trying to say.

After a short pause, his string rang again. This time his soulmate was trying to answer. He recognized the pattern immediately, they tried to answer him in the same manner as he had a minute earlier. The string twitched fast in time with the signal. Too fast, even. He could pick out individual letters, but the whole sentence was transmitted so fast that he couldn't understand the whole thing. It even made him panic.

He reached for the string and held it in his hand to make it stop ringing. Then, still slowly and carefully, he tried to type a message back.

   Please slow down.

Lately, Brook has noticed that sometimes he just laughs like a complete idiot. He could only blame his soulmate for this.

This new way of communicating made his life, or death, so much better. He didn't feel so alone now. Brook was just a little annoyed that he hadn't thought of it himself, so much time had been wasted.

The messages he received were always slow to type, but now his soulmate was delivering them much more confidently than at the beginning. He used a lot of abbreviations and sometimes got the letters mixed up. Once Brook received a message that he couldn't decipher, it sounded like his soulmate had mixed up the languages. But he didn't dare complain, he was just happy with any communication. If necessary, he will find a way to understand.

During this time, he learned a lot about his soulmate, especially compared to all the years before. His soulmate's name is Jinbei. Now he is on a pirate ship with his crew, who are also his family, or at least he always called them brothers. Most of the time, his messages were about what stupidity these same brothers had done, but it didn't seem like he was angry with them in any way. Jinbei was too shy to talk about himself, or so it seemed to Brook. Usually, when asked about this, he answered that there was nothing interesting in his past at all.

Which Brook was willing to argue with, he wanted to know every little thing. Once he was able to communicate more clearly, he was happy to hear about anything. He felt some kind of greed for these messages, and he wasn't ashamed of it.

It still didn't seem like enough. There were so many things he wanted to tell, ask, and listen to, but the format of the messages severely limited their communication.

For the first time in a long time, he even thought that he wouldn't mind if Jinbei took him out of the Florian Triangle, but each time he immediately dismissed the idea. Brook was still afraid to tell him where he was or what exactly had happened to him. He was still afraid that it would turn away from him the only living person he had now.

He and Aladine were very similar types, there was no other way Jinbei could describe it. Just like Aladine's mysterious soulmate, Brook was smart and very talkative.

As soon as Brook understood the code, he immediately joined in with special enthusiasm. Jinbei started receiving messages from his soulmate on a regular basis. Sometimes he even wondered how stupid it was for him to worry so much about how to start a conversation, their communication was so easy to develop.

Brook was clearly doing a good job of typing messages, much better than he was. But sometimes his messages were too fast, which made it hard to understand what they were about. But it seemed that Brook was just really happy to talk. Thanks to this, his own skill improved, but sometimes Jinbei still couldn't keep up with his soulmate.

Jinbei was getting a little uncomfortable with how much Brook knew. He always answered his questions if he didn't understand something that usually happened on the surface. He also gave advice when asked. This and his musical talent made it clear that Brook was an extremely capable and interesting person. Someone who clearly deserves a soulmate better than Jinbei, but he always kept his insecurities to himself.

Their conversation was still full of music, Brook continued to play on their string whenever he was in the mood. But now they could discuss it somehow. And it looked like Brook was really looking forward to getting a response to everything he was playing. And if Jinbei wasn't too busy, he always tried to respond.

Brook loved to talk and always answered his questions. But the exception was when Jinbei tried to find out where he was now. Usually, Brook would change the subject immediately or not answer at all, ignoring the question. But Jinbei didn't give up trying to find out, especially when Brook sent unsettling obscure messages.

Koala soon joined their crew. This gave them a specific direction and purpose, although it will obviously not last long.

"What are we going to do after we get to Foolshout?" Jinbei asked after another discussion about the route.

"I don't know. Just get back to what we used to do maybe," Tiger shrugged lazily. "Any ideas?"

This day was no different for him. Still the same fog, still the same empty ship. Today, only their golden string was acting strange.

In the morning, they exchanged messages, Jinbei said his good morning, and he was silent for the rest of the day. Soon after noon, the string began to twitch madly, then stopped, then again randomly ringing.

He received no response to his attempts to contact him. This had happened before, Jinbei and his crew often got into fights with the Marines. But he always responded after the battle, usually starting with an apology.

But this time, the frenzied cacophony was followed by nothing but a low, hollow hum. It was a sound Brook should have been used to by now, but it always felt like a blow, no matter whose string it was.

The hum continued into the night. Brook kept trying to get in touch with Jinbei, sending the same message over and over again.

Finally, the string trembled. Jinbei tried to reply, but the string was shaking so much that it was hard to understand the message. For a while, it was a relief for Brook that the hum stopped, and a clear sound appeared. But then he could make out the words.

   Tiger's dead, Arlong's been taken.

If Brook had a heart, it would definitely break right now. Their relationship had been relatively short, but he was well aware of how much his brothers meant to Jinbei. And he certainly would never want his soulmate to suffer such a big loss.

He was immediately reminded of the night Yorki had died. Overwhelming sadness, burning pain in the wrist, and utter devastation afterward. He wouldn't want to go through that again. And he certainly didn't want Jinbei to go through this alone.

At this point, he was even angry with himself for refusing to tell his soulmate where he was. Jinbei might be disappointed with his current appearance, but at least this way he could be around. That way, Brook could make sure he wasn't alone in such a difficult moment. He could at least hug him.

But right now, there was nothing he could do about it or change what had happened. He could only do what he was best at.

He played the requiem all night.

In response, he received only two strokes on the string.

After Tiger's death, it was hard for them. Jinbei took on the role of captain because someone had to do it, someone had to make sure they got out of this situation.

So many things had happened to him at that moment, and he was so wrapped up in his new duties that he couldn't remember much of what happened after that. He couldn't remember how they'd spent Tiger's funeral. All he could barely remember was the tune Brook had played that day, but even that memory wasn't entirely certain.

He soon received an invitation to join the ranks of the Warlords of the Sea. It seemed like a great opportunity to give his people their freedom back, to return home. So, he accepted the title and new commitments. But it didn't get any easier after that.

First, they freed Arlong and it only led to a completely ugly fight. After that, Arlong and his men left the crew. The worst part was that Jinbei understood perfectly well why Arlong was so angry with him. Of course, he was now on the same side as those who had killed Tiger, their brother. And it didn't make Jinbei feel good at all. He was tormented by this choice every time he thought about it for too long. But it still seemed like the best solution that could give their people freedom and help Otohime in her mission.

Jinbei tried to accept Arlong's anger, but deep inside, there was nothing he could do about this disappointment in his own brother and the fact that he absolutely didn't want to understand him and his choices. And there was also nothing he could do about this self -loathing that he sometimes felt when the night got too quiet.

He could only hope that he didn't regret this choice after all, and that he let Arlong leave so easily.

After they returned to their home island, even more people left the crew. But it was expected. In the end, that's why he became a Warlord, so that these people could live their lives in peace despite the stigma of being a slave. The fact that some of them chose to stay with him gave him a fragile hope that he was doing the right thing. And he was grateful for that.

But after Otohime's death, things only got worse. Unrest gripped the entire island, which for him was interrupted by sudden calls from the Marines. He and what little remains of their crew were in constant motion between the island and the next Marines mission. Jinbei didn't have much time to just stop and think.

But when he stopped, he would hear music. Throughout this crazy time, Brook was always there, though not physically. He continued to play his songs for him, sending messages about nothing and everything in the world. Even if it was only for a short time, it distracted Jinbei from the crazy pace of life he was in. He was finally able to relax for a moment while his soulmate talked about something.

On some days, the urge to escape was especially strong. Normally, he would just stand on the deck, staring at nothing, listening to Brook's music or the sound of the sea if Brook was silent at that moment. But several times he broke down.

And in all such cases, he found himself in front of a dense curtain of fog. Border of the Florian Triangle. After he received the title of Warlord, this place was closed to him as it was the territory of Gecko Moria. And knowing how insufferable Moria was, he could imagine what would happen if he was spotted here.

But it was here that their string led. For the first time, he assumed that his soulmate might be somewhere outside of Moria's territory, and the string was just leading him in a straight line, ignoring obstacles. But when the string led him to the same edge of the fog for the second and third time, he began to doubt it. No matter from which direction he came, the string still stretched somewhere in the thick fog.

It only made him worry. He still hoped Brook was anywhere but in the middle of the Florian Triangle. This doomed place is clearly the last thing he would wish on an enemy, much less his own soulmate.

It didn't help that Brook didn't want to tell him where he was. All his messages with questions were answered only by silence. Brook had once said that he was in a strange situation right now, that he was dealing with it, and that he was fine, but that hardly calmed Jinbei down.

Every time he returned from his failed escape back to the ship, Aladine met him with a strange look. He didn't say anything about it, just looked at him with concern and, it seemed to him, a certain amount of disappointment.

Brook had never been so glad to be back on his own ship. Especially after everything that's happened to him these days. Otherwise, he would be so upset that no one else could meet him here. But today was an exceptional day, he just wasn't up to it.

He collapsed on the old, darkened planks of the deck where he had been standing. He immediately curled up in himself, trying to stop himself from shivering violently, trying to hold back the tears.

It was the first time in forty-five years of being held captive by this damned fog that he had encountered people. Living people.

Around noon, something that looked like a gate suddenly appeared out of the fog. For a moment, Brook was sure he was hallucinating again, so he didn't do anything when the gate opened. But soon he found himself on the land, surrounded by a gloomy forest. It was only when he returned that he realized that it was an incredibly large ship.

Of course, once he was on the land, not even sure if this wasn't just another delusion, he immediately tried to find help. He was now fully aware of how stupid this was.

In the first place, he immediately came across the corpses. Living corpses. Perhaps it was hypocritical of him to be afraid of them, he was just as much a living corpse as they were. But at that moment, he didn't care, he could only move on in horror. In the end, he was still able to find living people in this strange land. Just to make sure that this encounter would be even worse than his run-in with the zombies.

Monstrous experiments on corpses and living, whose small number was still on this cursed land. And the ability of the captain's devil fruit, the actions of which he had become an unwelcome witness. Thriller Bark was really what you'd expect to see in a place as doomed as the Florian Triangle. It was foolish of Brook to hope that he could find help from those who had voluntarily disappeared into this damned fog.

Brook couldn't hold back the emotion anymore, he finally let it out with a flood of tears. He could clearly see the planks of the deck below him, but not his own shadow. There was no way he could get out of here now.

Even if he was ever washed ashore, which was already an incredibly small chance, the sun was now another barrier to him. He had seen what had happened to the unfortunate man. He saw his body instantly burst into flames and burn to a terrible cry of pain and the crackle of fire, turning to ash. For the first time in so many years, the fog of the Florian Triangle had cleared enough to show the sky, but at this moment, he couldn't leave the shadow of the buildings for fear of dying a second time.

He wasn't sure how he was able to get back to the ship. Nor did he notice that Thriller Bark Bay no longer surrounded him. Right now, he understood that he was just allowed to leave, after all, he would no longer be able to escape the fog, he was no longer a threat to them.

He could only give in to his feelings and cry out all his nonexistent eyes. He no longer had any chance to fulfill his promise, he would not be able to return to Laboon anymore.

He finally heard the sound, the string tinkling continuously for some time. It was only then that Brook noticed how tightly he was gripping the strings on his wrist, twisting both rings of strings on the bones of his hand convulsively. He was heartbroken, he was so tired, but he still found the strength to focus on the sound, listening to the message.

   What's going on? Brook, answer. Please.

The message continued, asking the same questions, begging Brook for an answer. But he didn't know what to say. All he could do was let go of the strings and try to catch his breath, collect his thoughts.

Jinbei only stopped transmitting for brief moments, which was surprising since he was usually so busy. In a way, the sound helped, it reminded him that he wasn't completely alone.

   It's all right.

Finally, Brook found the strength to at least lie. He wasn't sure how much of what had happened in Thriller Bark Jinbei had been able to hear. Nor did he know what it sounded like to his soulmate, that it made him so anxious. Did it sound as unsettling as the low hum he kept hearing from the string on Jinbei's side?

His answer was followed by silence. This brief moment felt disgustingly long. Brook began to wish he hadn't answered at all, he didn't want to stay in this silence.

   Why are you lying?

Finally, he got a message back. If he had his eyes, or any strength to do so, he would have rolled them up. Brook finally rolled onto his back, staring into the pitch-gray fog above him. His hand reached out to type in the answer.

   I'm not lying.

   Then what did I hear? Something happened, didn't it?

   I'm fine. I'll be fine.

It was true, or at least Brook was sure of it. Soon he would come to terms with that, just as he had with that damned fog. He might even find it funny. He should try to return to Thriller Bark, maybe he can get his shadow back. But what will he do after that? There are no other ways for him to leave this place.

   Where are you? I'll sail to you right away. I can pick you up-

"No! Anything but that!" Brook hadn't expected this reaction from himself, but then he was sitting up, shouting into the thick fog as if Jinbei could hear him.

Now the string was clenched in his fist, which cut off the message, leaving only that nasty dull hum. He slowly unclenched his fist, the string resting on his palm without any movement or sound.

"No, please, don't," Brook wasn't sure why he was still talking. He could only stare straight ahead, silently begging his soulmate for something.

It wasn't such a bad idea in itself. The thought flashed through his mind that he should have asked for this years ago. He could have used Jinbei to at least get out of here. But he was so scared.

Along with Jinbei's offer to take him away, the image of that unfortunate shadowless man who had died in front of him immediately appeared. If Jinbei gets here, he'll be threatened by Moria. For some reason, Brook was just sure of the worst outcome, that his soulmate would also lose his shadow and be forced to hide in this damned fog. Or else things will get much worse and he will also die under the sun's rays.

Whatever happened, Brook knew he couldn't take it. He had already lost his soulmate, his dear captain, once before. Even now, he could still remember that feeling, that burning pain in his wrist, that scar left behind on his arm and somewhere deep in his soul. He couldn't bear it again. He didn't want this with all his nonexistent heart. It's better to never meet but know for sure that Jinbei won't be in any danger from this.

   Brook.

The string rang again. This time it seemed to him that the message was being typed more slowly than usual. He scolded every sound, listening to every vibration of the string.

    I'm going to-

   No. No need. Don't. Please.

Before he knew it, he started typing back. It took him a moment to notice how fast he was doing it. But at that moment, he didn't even think that it might be a problem, that Jinbei just wouldn't understand the message. Right now, he was certain that he needed to stop this supposed disaster.

   I'm fine. No need. I'll deal with it. Don’t come after me. No.

He only stopped when the string suddenly pulled taut, cutting off his message. For a moment, that low hum hung in the air again, the vibration of it making something inside Brook ache painfully.

   Good. I understood. If that's what you want, I won't come after you.

Brook finally let out a sigh of relief. It was still hard for him, but at least now he could put aside the idea that Jinbei was in danger. He could calm down a little.

   But what happened?

He couldn't muster the courage to answer that question. He just stared at their string, taking his time to type out an answer. Brook didn't even know how he was supposed to explain it. So, he focused on that emptiness inside and the dizziness that remained after that breakdown.

   Do you want me to stay? Do you need background noise?

Jinbei seemed to realize that he wasn't going to get an answer to his first question. And his new message sent a vague warmth somewhere deep inside. As always, he was so patient with Brook.

   Yes.

He typed slowly. He had no strength left, he was so tired.

"Please."

***

Jinbei always found the information he learned about soulmates quite contradictory. Maybe it was the difference in their cultures, or maybe the problem was translation. But along with all the romance associated with soulmates, there were always dark details. And he didn't know if that was true, or if he should have worried about it.

He didn't know how real this story about breaking the connection was, or if it was even possible. But no matter what the reason was – their connection or his personal perception – he felt something incredibly heavy that day. It's like a piece of his heart just broke off.

It all started a little earlier, a couple of days before. Their string began to tinkle, but there was no familiar pattern to it, it wasn't music. The golden string only fluttered randomly, making harsh sounds. Sometimes the sound was interrupted, but that didn't make it any easier, because instead of silence or some message, there was only a low hum.

Their string has never behaved like this. Not from Brook's side, at least. Jinbei never thought much of it until something out of the ordinary happened. Before that, he always heard something coherent from their string – music or a message. Even if Brook's messages sometimes made no sense and sounded so unsettling, it was nothing compared to the anxiety caused by this cacophony of sounds.

During these days, Jinbei simply couldn't find a place to rest, he couldn't focus on his work or the crew. Something was definitely wrong, and he was ready to snap at any moment. He didn't know how to help, and Brook ignored all his attempts to contact him. He must have been in such a tense situation that he just wasn't up to it. And that only bothered Jinbei more.

Jinbei was constantly on edge these days, lost in a dark stream of thoughts. He tried to guess what might be going on at the other end of the string, but of course that only made it worse. For every grim scenario, there was a darker option.

At one point, a simple question popped into his head – was this what every fight he fought sounded like to Brook? If that was the case, then he had caused him so much trouble with it, making him worry about himself. It was just another confirmation that he was the worst soulmate possible.

At one point, all the sounds stopped, the string froze. Just from the fact that the string was still intact and didn't break, Jinbei could tell that Brook was at least alive. It must be something that was happening, or has ended, or has temporarily subsided. Then Jinbei started sending messages continuously, trying to get some sort of response.

With that, he stepped out onto the deck, preparing to head out to sea at any second. He stopped at the railing when the answer finally came.

   It's all right.

This answer made him freeze in place, staring at the horizon where the night sky merged with the almost black water of the sea. The last thing he expected from the long-awaited answer was how angry it would make him.

His hand moved faster than his thoughts, immediately sending a message. He needed to know the answer, and he tried to get something out of Brook. But the reply message was again an obvious lie. By this point, he was desperate, the stress and this sudden outburst of anger exhausting. He was sure that he would only be able to calm down if Brook was in his line of sight, where he could definitely protect him.

   I can pick you up-

His message was immediately interrupted. The string tautened sharply, hitting his fingers painfully. There was that unbearable hum again. It made Jinbei freeze, his anger forgotten, only a vague tension left. He waited for some sort of response, but nothing came.

As the string slackened, once again floating shapelessly in the air, he typed another message. He tried to call out his name, but there was only silence. Then he repeated his intention, and just like that, he received a message.

Brook begged him. He begged him not to come any closer. And it made something inside Jinbei crack, break. Sure. Why did he even think Brook would want this? Why did he believe in himself so much that he could help in any way? He was barely able to handle his own responsibilities, his efforts were never enough. What did he expect?

Brook kept begging. The message was transmitted so fast that it was hard to understand. Jinbei could only pull a string, interrupting the sound. He didn't realize how hard it was to breathe until there was silence in the air. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

In this situation, he could only do what he knew best – shut up his own emotions, push it to the back of his mind, and ignore this heavy feeling. He had to act now, not be distracted by his own feelings.

He typed in a message. The promise to stay away was hard, but if that was what Brook wanted, he was willing to do it obediently. There was no answer, and no answer to his next question about what had happened. He silenced the nagging feeling again by asking another question.

   Do you want me to stay? Do you need background noise?

Do you need me? Do you still need this connection?

These were questions he didn't dare ask. He had no right to worry about himself now, especially when Brook clearly didn't need to.

Finally, the answer, a simple agreement, calmed him down a little. He started typing message after message, going through any topics he could find. As long as the silence didn't last too long. It lasted all night, and at one point he paused only to return to his quarters. A couple of times he even got some kind of response, Brook listened to him the whole time.

Soon, his fingers started to hurt tremendously, but he ignored it. He only stopped when his fingers were completely numb, and he no longer had a chance to send anything. By this time, it was already beginning to get light outside the window.

Then Jinbei went to see Aladine. He hoped that the man would quickly treat his injuries and he could get back to his message flow. As soon as he appeared on the doorstep of the infirmary, Aladine's face immediately changed, a rare restless look that you would never just see on him. Jinbei must have looked really bad at this moment.

As Aladine worked silently on his fingers, the silence between Jinbei's messages grew longer and longer. And at one point, he heard two short strokes on the string. Brook seemed to think that was the end, the last message. And this brief gratitude only cut deeper into this wound on the soul.

And it seemed to show, Aladine looked at him with a new degree of concern, something like panic flickering. He tried to start a conversation about it, but Jinbei immediately excused himself and left the infirmary. He returned to his quarters and could only collapse on the bed, finally allowing himself to fall asleep for the first time in these restless days.

Over the next couple of days, everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened. Brook was again sending a lot of messages about nothing. When he wasn't busy doing it, he was playing something. Jinbei once again listened carefully to everything he tried to say, replying whenever he could.

Jinbei never asked where Brook was again. He didn't offer to take him anymore. He gave up all his attempts to escape, no longer approaching the border of the Florian Triangle. This rejection hurt him. He wasn't ready to admit how much, but something inside him had broken that day. But he continued to stifle those emotions, trying to respect Brook's choice.

He had given up on his ideas of finding him, but sometimes he would find himself on the deck, watching the string stretch far beyond the horizon. Jinbei couldn't help but think about it, waiting for Brook to call him one day. But that never happened.

Sometimes Jinbei noticed how fast time was passing. And every time he noticed it, it made him uncomfortable.

His life had long since turned into an endless series of errands from the Marines. He returned to Ryugu only for a short time and usually spent most of his time in the palace, once again immersed in his work. Now he wasn't even sure he could call this place home, so rarely did he get the chance to just relax and walk the local streets.

Years passed in the blink of an eye. Perhaps if that day hadn't happened, if he hadn't received that rejection, he wouldn't have noticed how much time had passed.

He was so tired. He put in so much effort to keep moving on, to help his people, but it never seemed enough.

He wasn't sure how he was still holding up. To some extent, it was due to Brook, who continued to be around all these years. Brook never demanded anything from him, never expected anything from him, he just... Was there. Jinbei couldn't even imagine how much he needed it. He always wondered if Brook himself realized how much he was doing for him, even when he wasn't physically around.

In the last year, one loud event followed another. The first was Arlong's arrest, which Ace brought to him. The kid just wanted to show him his little brother's achievement by talking about it with great enthusiasm. But at that moment, Jinbei could barely hear him. The detailed article about already his younger brother's crimes captured all of his attention.

At that moment, he couldn't think because of the growing sense of guilt that filled his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Arlong has made many people suffer, ravaged more than one island. And worst of all, he'd betrayed everything Tiger believed in, and now he was just like all those slavers.

And it was all Jinbei's fault. He let him go, let him break out into East Blue, and spread terror for years. He, like Arlong, had let Tiger down by allowing this to happen. He'd let Otohime down again, it would hit Ryugu so hard and everything they were trying to achieve. And a little clarification about the Cocoyasi villagers and the former Arlong crew member made it clear that he had also let down Ace’s brother and his crew, whoever they were.

At one point, Ace snatched the newspaper out of his hands, which immediately brought him back to reality. The kid clearly noticed the change in mood, but politely ignored it, changing the subject. Jinbei was grateful for that, even though he couldn't completely get his mind off this growing sense of guilt and self-loathing.

That night, he couldn't sleep, even though he was exhausted by the feeling. Before he knew it, he was typing a message. He didn't know what answer he wanted, but he just needed Brook to say something, something to distract him.

   Brook, do you think I'm a good person?

   Oh right, the usual questions that arise at two in the morning.

The answer didn't take long and even made him chuckle softly. Now he was ashamed of himself that he had probably woken Brook up because of this stupid thing. He was about to start apologizing, but the string rang again.

   I don’t know what's eating you right now. I don't know what you're usually doing, either. But you're still a good person to me. You have no idea how much.

It made something deep inside Jinbei flutter. Something he hadn't felt in years. Now that he felt so stupid, he clearly should have been concerned about something else, not asking such idiotic questions. In response, he could only type two short strokes.

Soon the next loud event happened – the disclosure of the Crocodile criminal network and the subsequent major investigation within the ranks of the Marines. In a strange way, Ace's brother and his crew were involved again.

But that didn't bother Jinbei much at the time, the problem for him was what followed the arrest of his colleague. Endless checks from the Marines and a sudden shattered trust in him and his island. Now he had more work to do. After the events in Enies Lobby, things only got worse.

And every loud event in this disgustingly long year has led to this. Now he had a letter from the Marines in front of him. Another call to duty, another assignment. But this time, he couldn't complete it.

Ace was caught. He has now been sent to Impel Down, where he will await his execution. And the Marines wanted Jinbei on their side in the coming war with Whitebeard. They could call it whatever they wanted, but that didn't change the fact that it was going to be a war.

Jinbei joined a number of Warlords of the Sea to protect his people. Finally give them the freedom to return home. And now their home was under threat. Ryugu will be among the first victims of this coming war, even in the most positive outcome. Jinbei simply couldn't answer that call. He had already sacrificed his own interests and principles by trusting the Marines once. He had hoped that this way his island would be protected, but it was pointless now.

Jinbei couldn't carry out this order. So, he was determined to go against it, he had already made that decision. He sent word to his king, gave the final orders to his crew, and was ready to set out. But one last regret remained.

He never met his soulmate. Brook still hadn't called him, and he just hoped that he was doing well and that he could sort out his problems. And now Jinbei was going to sacrifice himself, give up his life just to somehow stop this war. In recent years, he had been thinking about death more and more often, he had long since come to terms with it, and now he was going to meet it halfway.

And now the only thing that made him hesitate was Brook. When he was little, he was sure that no one could take it away from him and break it. But now that there was too much at stake, he needed to sacrifice their bond. A connection he didn't want to part with.

Jinbei cherished what was between them very much. Even if it wasn't something that was complete, even if Brook didn't want to see him. He loved this connection. He treasured all those years of their strange interaction, keeping in mind all the minor details of those conversations. He wanted so badly to meet him one day, just to finally thank Brook for putting up with him all these years.

But now all that had to be put behind. It is very unlikely that he will be able to return from this alive. He didn't know what was going to happen after his death, what would happen to their bond. He could only hope that it would happen without Brook noticing, he didn't want to cause him any more trouble.

His hand went to their string again, and he paused for a moment, not daring to type a message. What was he supposed to say at that moment? But still, he touched the golden string.

   Brook?

There was a short melody in response – a joking way for his soulmate to say that he was listening to him. For some reason, that made Jinbei feel a little better. Maybe he just needed to hear him. He finally typed out what he wanted to say at that moment.

   I'm sorry.

There was a brief silence. Brook wasn't in a hurry to answer, and Jinbei wasn't expecting it. He was preparing to dive under the water when the string rang.

   For what?

He couldn't answer that. He wanted to apologize for everything he had done over the years. For all the inconvenience he'd caused Brook. There was so much he wanted to say, to beg for the forgiveness of the only person he could possibly trust this. But he couldn't tell all this just by the sounds of their string. Not when it's time for him to leave.

   I'm sorry.

He ignored all the sounds that followed, quickly sinking under the water and heading to meet the Marines. Maybe it was for the best that they never met. So, he could be sure that none of this was going to endanger Brook.

He really let him down by becoming his soulmate.