The crew looked before them at the menacing looking island, shrouded in fog and darkness, an eery feeling surrounding the whole place.

"A floating island?" Nami furrowed her brow. "But the log pose isn't reacting to it!" She looked down at said log pose, seeing it still pointing slightly downwards.

"Well, of course not. This island came all the way here from West Blue!" Brook stated. "What luck!" He then exclaimed. "Not only did I meet people, my dearest wish has also come true! Yohohoho!" The skeleton leaped forward, landing on the top point of the Sunny's mane. He turned towards the crew, tipping his top hat to them. "You must break through that gate behind you and escape this place! Whatever you do, don't land your anchor on the shore!" He warned. "Thank you for everything! I hope we meet again someday!"

"Hey! Brook, wait!" Luffy called out, the crew watching as the skeletal devil fruit eater jumped into the ocean. Much to their surprise, the skeleton didn't sink, but he was running atop the water!

"Luffy! We should do as he says and get out of here!" Nami suggested, though Luffy didn't respond, only looking at the navigator with a blissful smile.

"Huh? Did you say something?" He hummed.

"Of course. With a captain like him, we're never going to turn away from such an interesting place..." Y/n sighed.

"Wh-What kind of place is this anyway?!" Usopp cried out.

"Hey! Where is that ghost we just saw?! Is it still on the ship?!" Chopper exclaimed, looking around for any sign of the smiling apparition.

"No, it flew to the island. It probably lives there." Zoro answered, seemingly unbothered by everything around him.

"It might be hard to see because of the fog, but that wall around the gate that swallowed us seems to surround the whole island..." Robin pointed to said gate and wall.

"Oh, I get it! That's why that skeleton told us to get out as soon as possible!" Usopp sweat.

"Then does that mean this island is wandering the seas on purpose? What for?" Nami questioned.

"Does it matter?" Y/n hummed, leaning against the rail of the Sunny.

"It does because this idiot wants to go there!" Nami spat, fearful tears gathering in her eyes. "Suddenly I've caught the 'can't go on the island' disease right now!" She shuddered, sinking to her knees.

"Me too! Me too!" Chopper cried.

"Okay, stop the ship! We're getting off!" Luffy ignored his scared crew mates, grabbing a net and a cage, ready to head off and explore.

"Did you catch the 'go on an adventure' disease?!" Usopp spat.

"What are you going to do with a net and a cage?" Y/n asked, raising a brow.

"I'm gonna catch that ghost and keep it as a pet!" Luffy chimed.

"You're underestimating the danger of evil spirits!!" Usopp cried out.

"It could probably phase out of the cage anyway..." Y/n hummed.

"You know, you're really not helping anyone right now!" Usopp then turned his attention to y/n, who was apathetic about whether the crew entered or left the island.

"Either way, Brook's a part of our crew now, so I have to get him back." Luffy huffed. "Sanji! Get me a pirate bento!"

"Part of our crew?! No way!" Usopp held up his cross. "If we get a skeleton as a crew member, I won't be able to sleep at night!"

"I got the bentos!" Robin called out, smiling as she and Sanji exited the kitchen.

"Luffy, Franky! You two better protect Robin!" Sanji sneered, letting the archeologist leave his side.

"It's exciting to explore these unknown islands!" Franky grinned.

"What? Franky and Robin are going too?" Nami frowned.

"I love a good thrill." Robin chuckled.

"All right! We're going to use a boat to get on the island! But there's something great I haven't shown you guys yet!" Franky smirked. After a bit of explanation on the Thousand Sunny's dock system, Franky rotated the docks to channel 2. "If you have no intention of going on the island, try it out!" The channel opened up and out came a small boat. The sight made a small smile appear on y/n's face, the rest of the crew becoming more enthusiastic. "Dispatch! Shopping boat...Mini-Merry!"

"Ahhh! Merry!" Usopp cried out, Chopper joining him. Those two, along with Nami stepped into the four-seater paddleboat, which looked like a tiny version of their previous beloved ship, the Going Merry.

"Very thoughtful." Zoro hummed, a smile on his face as well.

"Franky you're awesome!!" Luffy cheered.

"All right! I'm the most awesome man this week too! Super!!" The cyborg struck his signature pose, basking in the praise of his crew mates.

"Nami and the others seem to be taking too long..." Sanji muttered, trying to spot the Mini-Merry through the thick fog.

"EEEEEEEEEK!!" A scream suddenly sounded, startling the crew.

"N-Nami! What's wrong?! Did something happen?!" Sanji called out, worried for the navigator.

"Guys! Hurry up and come back! I want to ride the Mini-Merry too!" Luffy shouted.

"That's not it!! Why don't you worry about what happened to Nami?!" Sanji spat.

"There's also Usopp and Chopper on the boat..." Y/n muttered, growing a bit concerned herself.

"That scream...Maybe they fell victim to a ghost's curse..." Robin hummed, her dark thoughts making the crew sweat-drop. Suddenly, the Sunny's anchor dropped.

"Huh? The anchor moved on its own!" Luffy exclaimed.

"No one touched the anchor, did they?!"

"No way! I just made it! There's no way the gears got loose!"

"Either way, pull it up! The ship is gonna lose its balance!"

Before anyone could move to the anchor, their attention was directed to the sudden opening of the hatch behind them.

"The hatch moved on its own!"

"No one was even near it!"

"Huh..?" Luffy felt a tugging at his cheeks, the skin suddenly being pulled outwards by an unknown force.

"Luffy what are you doing? This is no time to be messing around!" Sanji chastised. Though Luffy quickly denied doing anything, his face being released, catching him off guard and throwing him off balance, the rubber man almost falling into the open hatch.

"Grrrrr..." Y/n's ears twitched at the sound of a low growl. She quickly unsheathed her rapier, lunging forward to knock away Zoro's sword, that had been thrown towards Luffy, who was trying to lift himself from the hatch.

"What's going on?" Y/n looked to Zoro, who looked to his other two swords in confusion.

"Sorry, my sword...moved on its own...!" Was the most the swordsman could say.

"Is there a ghost perhaps?" Franky had his head on a swivel, trying to catch anything suspicious. The rest of the crew tensed and on the lookout as well.

"There's definitely something here! That makes me even more worried about Nami and the others! You guys take care of what's on the ship!" Sanji climbed onto the rail of the ship before leaping off, intending on finding Nami's group, only to be caught on something unseen, his face smashing into the side of the ship, much to the surprise of the crew. "Hgeegh!" The cook was raised into the air by his ankles, by something that still couldn't be seen.

"Whoa! Sanji is floating!" Luffy exclaimed. The cook was suddenly thrown across the deck, and into the far wall.

"Urgh...What was that..?" Sanji groaned, wiping the blood from his head.

"You just said 'Hgeegh'." Zoro snorted.

"Shut up! I hope the same thing happens to you!" Sanji spat.

"Is it trying to keep us on the ship?" Y/n muttered, her knuckles turning white from gripping the hilt of her sword a bit harder. She then gasped as she was grabbed and pulled against the invisible being, her arms trapped at her sides. "Ugh!" She groaned as the being licked up her clavicle to her cheek.

"What's wrong, y/n-swan?!" Sanji looked to the goddess in slight panic.

"Something's...got me!" She struggled in it's grip.

"Grrrr!" The invisible being growled again.

"How dare you do that to her!" Sanji spat.

"Whoa!" Suddenly the waves beneath the Sunny grew restless, throwing everyone off balance. "Waves! Some weird waves from behind the wall! The ship is gonna get washed away!" Luffy exclaimed. Y/n exhaled deeply as she was finally released, groaning as she wiped away the slimy saliva of whatever creature had got her.

"Y/n-swan! Where'd the creature go?" Sanji ran over to y/n, looking over her to make sure she was okay.

"It's gone..." She wiped the last bit of saliva off of her.

"Hey 'Hgeegh'! Pull up the anchor! We can't move the ship right now!" Zoro called out.

"Who're you calling 'Hgeegh'?!" Sanji spat.

"Ahhh!" As the waves rolled violently beneath the ship, y/n was thrown over-board.

"Y/n!!" Luffy and the rest called out to her as she hit the water. Thinking fast, y/n opened the Pisces realm, the fins and gills aiding her in getting away from the swaying ship before it could crush her. Popping her head out of the water, y/n called out.

"I'm okay!" Her crew mates looked relieved to hear her voice. "I can't get close to the ship, it's too dangerous!"

"What will you do then?" Robin called out.

"I'll head to shore, try to find Nami and the others! I'll try to find you guys again once I find them!" Y/n answered.

"Okay! I trust you, y/n!" Luffy smiled. With approval from the captain, y/n began swimming to shore. Climbing onto solid ground, y/n squeezed out the water from her hair and clothes. Unfortunately, now she'd have to traverse through the chill night while damp.

"Where should I even start to look for them..?" She thought aloud to herself.

"AAAAAAAGH!!" She suddenly heard screams. It sounded like Nami, Usopp, and Chopper's voices.

"I'll start there." Y/n sighed, beginning towards the shrill screams.

~

"I finally-what happened to you guys...?" Y/n raised a brow, seeing the coward trio panting and exhausted.

"Y/n?" They looked up to see the goddess approaching them. "Y/n!!" They all exclaimed, jumping up to squish her in a hug.

"Yes, that's me..." She pushed them off. "Like I said...what happened to you guys?"

"This place is terrifying!" Nami cried.

"There were ghosts and now zombies!" Usopp added on.

"Zombies...?" Y/n furrowed her brows, looking around. "Okay..?" She shrugged and decided not to ask about it any further. "And the zombies lead you to...this place?" She nodded towards the giant, menacing-looking mansion before them.

"I guess I get to meet Hogback after all! I can't wait!" Chopper gasped.

"Hogback?" Y/n tilted her head.

"I don't think any normal human lives on this island...It's gonna be a gamble." Nami sighed. The four of them stepped up to the front gate. "Excuse me! Is this the mansion of Dr. Hogback?!" Nami yelled out. "We're traveling pira-I mean, we're travelers!" There was no response.

"The gate's unlocked." Y/n muttered, the metal groaning loudly as the goddess pushed it open. The group pushed forward, walking up to the large entrance of the mansion.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Nami tried again. After no response she huffed. "What's with this mansion? The entrance is like a tunnel...I can see the courtyard on the other side..."

"Maybe no one's home." Usopp let out simply.

"I hope someone's home! There are zombies right behind us!" Nami frowned.

"There's a light." Y/n pointed down the tunnel. Approaching the light, the group found that it was some sort of spotlight, pointed at an old well.

"Welcome." Suddenly a woman was pulled up by the well's rope, startling the group. After getting over the initial shock, y/n saw that the woman held no expression, only staring at the group blankly, plates in her hands. The goddess also noticed the stitches all over the woman's body. "Plate one, plate two, plate three..." The woman suddenly started throwing the plates at the group, though upon further inspection, she was actually just throwing them at Usopp.

"Am I the only one she's aiming at?!" The sniper cried out, trying to dodge the plates.

"Yes, you may not enter the mansion." The woman admitted. "You three may enter." She pointed at Nami, Chopper, and y/n. "As for you, go away!" She started throwing plates at Usopp again.

"That's enough! Stop Cindry!" A voice called out. "We shall make an exception for him. Let him enter!"

"Who's that?" Usopp questioned.

"I'm sorry if I startled you! Please allow me to introduce myself!" The stranger stepped out of the door, placed next to the well. It was a wonder how y/n never noticed it before now. "I am the famous Dr. Hogback! The one they call a genius! Fo ho ho!" The man was...interesting...to say the least. Dressed in a shirt made entirely of fishnet stocking material, tight leather pants, and a fur cape that ended like a tailcoat. Not to mention the high heeled boots, and his vampire-esc teeth and complexion.

"Chopper, is the the guy you've been talking about?" Usopp sweat-dropped.

"Dr. Hogback! He's the real thing!" Chopper beamed, stars in his eyes. Y/n was still lost on who this stranger was.

"In any case, let's talk inside! I'll make a special exception and let all four of you in. Make yourselves at home." Cindry led them inside the mansion, Hogback smiling and watching as the group followed Cindry in.

"Yes! Welcome to my mansion!" The man and Cindry led them to what seemed to be the dining room. "You all look very tired and dusty from the road! What brings you here?" Hogback asked after everyone was seated.

"We were attacked by zombies, so we ran here to escape." Nami explained.

"What's up with this island? If you live here, you should know something!" Usopp exclaimed.

"So you were attacked. I'm surprised you made it here in one piece. Good for you." Hogback hummed. Y/n narrowed her eyes a bit at his attitude. Despite his smile, there was something off about his words. "To answer your question," Hogback turned to Usopp. "I live here because..I don't know what those creatures are either!"

"Doctor! So you live here to research the zombies?" Chopper looked at the man in awe.

"Correct! When you say the word 'zombie', ordinary people tremble with fear...But think of it in terms of reviving the dead! The eternal dream of humanity!" Hogback's smile grew larger. "Everyone has lost a loved one! Everyone has someone they wish would come back to life! But such ideas are heretical to the medical establishment! Those close-minded fools call it 'madness'! That's why I disappeared from society...To continue my research on this mysterious island!"

"S-so that's why!" Chopper gasped, standing up in his seat. "But if your research is successful...it will make thousands of people happy! I'm behind you all the way, Dr. Hogback!" Y/n furrowed her brows and placed her hand on Chopper's head.

"The reason life is not eternal is so that you may find meaning in the limited time you have..." Y/n narrowed her eyes at Hogback. "Messing with that will only bring trouble. You may think eternal life is great, but that's only because you think that eternity is spent stuck in a moment that you love. But it's not." Chopper's smile faded at y/n's words. He was conflicted. On one hand, he was enamored with Hogback, the man had been his idol for so long. But y/n's words had a sting of truth, especially because he knew that was speaking from experience.

"Dessert. Here's your pudding." Fortunately, Cindry was here to break the tension. She plopped the flan onto the table, no plates or anything.

"What the-Cindry-chan?! Can you at least put the flan on a plate?!" Dr. Hogback looked in shock at the dessert splattered on table before him. He could still feel y/n's gaze on him. It was a bit unnerving. He scoffed in his head. 'What does she know about eternal life?' He sneered.

"I wish all plates would disappear from the earth." Cindry's words brought Hogback out of his thoughts.

"W-Well, because of this, I make sure the tablecloth is washed to death, so you can rest assured that it's clean!" The man laughed sheepishly. Y/n finally tore her gaze away from Hogback, opting to watch, albeit in slight disgust, as Chopper and Usopp slurped up the food.

"I've prepared the bath." Cindry spoke up again. "You're all dirty, so you should wash yourselves before bed."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this...but did a weird skeleton come by here?" Usopp asked.

"A skeleton?" Hogback tensed a bit, though no one except y/n noticed it.

"Yeah. He has an afro, he's skinny, and he's in a really good mood for a skeleton..." Usopp listed off what he could remember about Brook. "Of course, it's weird enough that a skeleton is walking around and talking. Do you know anything about him?"

"N-No...Nothing..." Hogback shook his head. Y/n didn't believe him, but she decided to drop it. For now, that bath sounded real good.

~

Once Nami came out of the bathroom, y/n stepped in. She decided she'd wait for Nami to be finished before going in, seeing as it was more of a one-person bathroom. As she began washing off, she heard Nami and Usopp begin to talk.

"Once night falls, we're getting out of here." Nami stated.

"What?!" Usopp exclaimed. "What are you talking about?! The doctor said we could sleep here! Who knows what we'll run into if we go out there at night! We should stay right here until morning! Luffy will come and find us!"

"Sorry to tell you this, but I promised Luffy I'd grab you guys and go back to find them." Y/n sighed, her voice echoing a bit off the tile.

"But I don't want to go outside again!" Chopper whined.

"It's the same whether we go outside or stay here! Have you even looked at this mansion? Y/n, you've noticed too, haven't you?" Nami huffed.

"This place is crawling with zombies..." Y/n sneered, rinsing out her hair.

"Z-Z-Zombies?! Where?!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Chopper, but I don't trust Hogback. He's obviously lying about many things." Y/n finished rinsing off before stepping into the bath, sinking into the warm water.

"Y/n's right, we should just pretend to not know anything, and then sneak away while it's dark." Nami nodded.

"Grrrrll..." Y/n's eyes widened at the sound of a familiar growl. "Very smart. You girls are quite clever."

"What-?!" Y/n gasped as her wrists were caught in an invisible grip, her body being pulled out of the bath. "Ugh!" She was then pinned against the wall of the bath, a chill shooting down her spine from the feeling of cold tile hitting her warm skin.

"You're that girl from the ship! You're so cute! I knew I liked you...Now that I've seen more of you...I like you even more!" The invisible being purred in y/n's ear.

"Help-!" She tried to call out but the being held it's hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her.

"I'm going to make you my bride!"

"Y/n! What's wrong-WHOA!!" Usopp, Chopper, and Nami burst through the door, only to see y/n's full uncovered nakedness, pinned against the wall. "Thank you very much!!" Usopp bowed deeply to y/n, who just glared and blushed.

"Thank you very much??" Chopper turned to Usopp. At the risk of them seeing more, y/n kicked her leg to where she guessed the invisible man's weakness would be. She was in luck, hitting him right between the legs.

"Help me, you idiots! There's someone here!" Y/n gasped as the invisible man's hand fell off of her mouth.

"You're right! I can smell it!" Chopper gasped. Suddenly the window beside y/n opened up.

"He's escaping!"

"Take this! Exploding star!" Usopp drew back his slingshot, releasing the ammo once y/n got out of the way. After the dust settled, there were no more noises, at least not from the enemy.

"Shit..." Y/n cursed.

"Y/n, are you okay?" Nami questioned, wrapping y/n in a towel.

"It's too late. It heard everything we said." Y/n grit her teeth. "I don't think we'll be getting out of here that easily."