Hey. Brook is black. He's black. His alias is literally Soul King. His LA actor is a black man. He's unequivocally inspired by black culture, music, and styles. One of the key defining features of his character design is a massive afro--a predominantly black hair texture. He. Is. Black.
It's not "artistic interpretation" to draw him with skin the color of paper. It's racist. End of the fucking story.
i like the idea of brook doing fan meet-and-greets. some people would worry that since he's a celebrity he'll be a huge asshole in real life but then they meet him and he's like "omg hiiiiiii i'm so glad you enjoyed the show :))))) i love your hair here have this autographed record for free :D thanks for your support i love you shine bright my beautiful little superstar :)))))"
brook really is one of the characters of all time. he’s a skeleton. he has an afro. he’s a distinguished gentleman. he’s a crazy old guy. he’s a lot more sane than you would expect based on what he went through. he tells terrible dad jokes. he accidentally became a cult leader at some point. he’s 90 years old. he’s a world famous musician. he has no idea what’s been going on in the world in the past half century. he’s a pervert who always politely asks for consent. he’s deeply tragic. he does stupid little bits to entertain himself. he can run on water like one of those lizards. he dresses like a drag performer. an insult from a child could make him cry. Beautiful
Hiii can I request Brook x goth reader 😓 hear me out.. I thought it would be such a cute idea like a goth girl and her skeleton I’m not really sure on a plot though but I’ve been sitting on this idea FOR WEEKS maybe it starts at thriller bark when he’s introduced and she thinks he’s SO cool and continues on over the arcs.. I’m not rlly sure how their romance would work tho he doesn’t have lips i guess that doesn’t matter tho🤔 I think their love would be like pure tho even tho he’s lowkey a pervert and would ask to see her panties all the time !!
Bones & Roses
brook × fem!goth!reader
a/n: trying to use canon events but changed a lot of things. it's the first time I write for brook and didn't know how to make it work so I hope I did a decent job anyway lmao
words count: 4.0k
tags: slow burn, comedy, this covers different arcs, fluff, light perv!brook
m.list || ao3 || ko-fi || requests list
The sea is dark, the air heavy. Everyone is quiet on the Sunny… until a strange voice drifts across the water.
“Yohohohoho…”
It’s eerie, hollow, almost ghostly. The crew stiffens.
“W-what was that?!” Usopp shakes, grabbing the rail.
“A spirit?” Chopper hides behind Nami “No, no, no!”
But your eyes shine. You lean over the rail, hands gripping it tight “THAT. WAS. BEAUTIFUL.”
Everyone whips their head at you.
“Beautiful??” Nami shouts “It was terrifying!”
You shake your head fast, black clothes and hair swaying with the motion “No, no, no. You don’t get it. It was like… spooky and sad and cool at the same time. That voice… it sounded like a soul calling!”
Luffy bursts into laughter, bouncing on his feet “Y/N gets it! I wanna see who it is!!”
Brook’s little ship floats by in the fog. A shadow stands tall on it, slender, with afro hair, holding a cane.
You and Luffy lean over the railing so far you almost topple in.
“A skeleton?!” you whisper, practically vibrating with joy “A singing skeleton?!”
The others just look horrified.
Once Brook’s ship drifts farther, Luffy spins around, eyes sparkling “We HAVE to go see him! Y/N, let’s go!!”
You nod so fast you might snap your neck “Yes. Yes. Yes. Immediately.”
Luffy grabs your hands and jumps in place, squealing “Skeleton! Skeleton! Skeleton!”
You don’t move, but you let him and just smile at him.
The crew stares.
Usopp frowns “Why can’t they just go alone if they want so badly?”
Nami and Chopper nod fast “Yeah! Good idea!”
Zoro sighs, crossing his arms “Are you sure you want those two to go alone?”
Everyone looks. You and Luffy are practically foaming at the mouth from excitement, eyes wild.
“…Ah.” Usopp gulps “Point taken.”
Zoro pulls out the sticks “Short straw goes with them.”
Sanji lights a cigarette, glaring “Tch. Fine.”
One by one, everyone picks. The shortest straws end up in Nami’s and Sanji’s hands.
Nami’s legs give up and she’s crying on the floor “Ugh, of course.”
Sanji instantly perks up, swooning “To accompany my Nami and my Y/N to meet a creepy skeleton… ahhh, my destiny!”
Soon, the four of you climb aboard Brook’s tiny ship.
“Yohohohoho! Welcome, strangers!” The skeleton bows dramatically, cane in hand. His empty eyesockets somehow sparkle “Forgive me, I must say… what BEAUTIFUL ladies!”
Nami keeps on crying “No, we’re not…”
Brook steps closer to you, hand over his chest “Mademoiselle… so cool, so mysterious. My heart, though I have none, beats again when I see you. May I… kiss you?”
You freeze, eyes wide “I… uh…”
Your face burns. A skeleton is flirting with you?? Asking for a kiss?? Your goth heart is screaming yes, but your brain stalls.
Before you can even answer, BAM! Nami kicks him in the head “Pervert!!”
Brook flies on the floor with a laugh “Yohoho! Worth a try!”
You’re still stunned, lips parted, when suddenly, warm arms wrap around you from behind.
“Y/N!” Sanji presses his cheek to your hair, holding you back “Don’t even THINK about it! I know you’d say yes, you’d kiss that bony freak right now, wouldn’t you?! Over my dead body!”
You blink “…Sanji, I wasn’t even moving.”
He squeezes tighter “Doesn’t matter! I can feel it in my soul!!”
Brook groans from the deck “Yohoho… what interesting people”
You cover your face with your hands, torn between laughing and fainting at the whole situation.
The table is set… well, “set” is generous. Brook has only one place setting. One plate, one fork, one knife.
Nami glares at it “Only one?”
“Yohoho!” Brook claps his bony hands “I only ever cook for myself! Or… what’s left of myself!”
You sit down too, folding your hands neatly on your lap, studying the skeleton with wide eyes. He pours tea for everyone and moves with a strange elegance, bones rattling with every step.
He’s like death in a suit. You can’t take your eyes off him.
Sanji notices immediately. He leans over, whispering in your ear “Stop staring at him like he’s dessert, Y/N-chan. I’m right here.”
You elbow him lightly “Shut up, I’m just curious.”
Brook suddenly turns, pointing at you and Nami “Now then… before we eat—may I see your panties?”
BAM! Nami smashes a fist into his skull, sending it bouncing across the table.
“IDIOT!!” she screams.
Brook’s body calmly walks over, picks up his rolling head, and puts it back on “Yohoho! Always worth a try!”
You choke on a laugh, covering your mouth. He winks at you… well, you think it’s a wink, his empty sockets tilt in your direction.
Sanji practically combusts “STOP LOOKING AT HIM, Y/N-CHAN!! HE’S A WALKING BAG OF BONES!!”
But Brook doesn’t skip a beat. He sits, places a napkin on his lap, and folds his hands politely.
“Tell me, miss,” he says, tilting his skull at you, “are you always so radiant in the presence of the dead? Or is it just me?”
Your cheeks heat instantly “I—uh—I just like… spooky things.”
“Then I am most honored,” Brook replies smoothly “For what is spookier than a man who died, and yet, still wishes for tea with a beauty?”
You nearly faint.
Sanji grabs you by the shoulders, shaking “Y/N-chan!! Don’t fall for him! He doesn’t even have lips!!”
Brook taps his jaw thoughtfully “That is true. Yohoho. But love is deeper than lips, is it not?”
You blink. The joke is light, but something about the way he says it makes your chest ache.
Luffy slams the table, interrupting “SKELETON!! JOIN MY CREW!!”
Brook freezes. His hand trembles on the tablecloth.
For the first time tonight, his voice grows low “…I cannot.”
Everyone stops.
Brook’s bony fingers curl, and he stares down at his teacup “I… lost something precious. I cannot leave until I keep my promise.”
You lean forward, softening “A promise?”
Brook looks up. Empty sockets meet your gaze, but somehow, you feel the weight of his grief.
“Yes. To my nakama. My crew. We… sang together until the end. And I swore I’d meet them again.”
His voice trembles, but he laughs to cover it “Yohoho… forgive me. Dinner should be cheerful!”
But you can’t shake the heaviness in your chest. The others fall silent too.
You whisper, almost to yourself “A skeleton who sings for his lost crew… That’s not scary at all. That’s cool.”
Brook stares at you for a long moment, his grin frozen, but this time, it feels softer.
Sanji hisses in your ear, panicking “Stop making goo-goo eyes at the skeleton, Y/N-chan!!”
But you ignore him. Because in this moment, you see Brook not as a joke, not as a pervert, not as just bones, but as someone carrying a heart-shaped hole inside his chest.
And you think… you’d like to fill it.
Thriller Bark is bigger than you imagined, dark towers, broken tombstones, eerie laughter in the distance.
“This is AMAZING,” you say, spinning slowly to take it all in “It’s like… a giant haunted castle. I could live here.”
“Y/N…” Nami grabs your wrist “You’re seriously insane. Do you want to get kidnapped?”
You just smile, slipping from her grip “Relax. I’ll just look around.”
“Hey, wait!”
But you’re already walking deeper into the mist. And this time, you’re not alone.
“Yohohoho! So, you’re really a fan, uh?” Brook falls into step beside you, cane clicking on the stones.
You grin at him “Of course. This place is beautiful. Creepy, sure—but in a good way.”
Brook chuckles “How rare. Usually I frighten people away.”
“Not me,” you say honestly “You’re like… the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
He stops walking. For a moment, his hollow eyes widen “…Coolest? Even though I’m nothing but bones?”
You nod, serious “Especially because you’re bones.”
Brook clutches his ribs dramatically “My heart—though I have none—is touched!”
You laugh, covering your mouth. He smiles at the sound, though it’s only in his voice, not his face.
The two of you wander past gravestones, twisted trees, and misty corridors. You keep asking questions “So, you play violin? Did you always wear suits? Can you, like, pop your head off whenever you want?”
Brook answers them all, joking in between. You listen intently, fascinated. For once, he doesn’t feel like a monster, he feels like a person being seen.
But soon, his voice turns heavier. He stops before a cracked tomb “…My shadow was stolen here. By Gecko Moria”
Your smile fades a little “Gecko Moria…”
Brook grips his cane “Until I get it back, I cannot fight in sunlight. I’ve tried… and failed. Many times.”
You look at him, serious now “But you keep trying?”
He nods slowly.
You walk ahead a few steps, then turn back with a grin “Then I’ll cheer for you until you win.”
Brook blinks “…Cheer? For me?”
“Of course,” you shrug “You’re my favorite skeleton.”
Silence. Then “Yohohoho! Your favorite?!” Brook doubles over, laughing until his bones rattle “Then I simply cannot lose!”
You laugh with him, the eerie mist echoing with your voices.
For the first time in decades, Brook doesn’t feel lonely.
The Sunny rocks gently under the moonlight. Most of the crew is asleep. Only the sound of the sea fills the air, until Brook’s violin joins it, soft and haunting.
You sit on the deck, knees pulled up, chin resting on them. Brook stands a little away, bow gliding across strings, notes drifting like ghosts.
“Beautiful…” you whisper.
Brook pauses, tilts his skull toward you “…The song?”
You shake your head “The way you play.”
If he had cheeks, they’d be red. Instead, he laughs, bones rattling “Yohoho! You flatter me too much, my dark rose.”
You roll your eyes, though your lips twitch “Stop calling me that.”
“Shall I stop?” His voice drops, a little softer “But it suits you.”
You hug your knees tighter “…Do whatever you want.”
Silence falls again, but it’s comfortable. You watch him, his suit jacket swaying with the breeze, his posture proud yet tired. A lonely elegance.
Your chest aches. Months of traveling together, talking, wandering dark corners of islands side by side, it all built into something heavier now. Something you can’t say out loud.
How do you tell a skeleton you like him?
Brook lowers the violin. He looks at you for a long moment. Inside, he feels the same ache. He wants to tell you too, he wants to say that your laugh makes the emptiness in his chest feel less hollow. But how could you ever love someone who doesn’t even have skin?
He clears his throat,or tries to “Yohoho… may I ask you something?”
You glance up “What is it?”
“…Why do you always stay up with me?”
You blink “Because your music’s too good to miss.”
Brook chuckles softly, but there’s a tremor in it.
Your heart squeezes. You look away, hiding your face.
He studies you. Your dark clothes, your calm gaze, your quiet smile. Not scared of him. Never once.
He thinks, if I still had a heart, it would be hers already.
But instead, he raises his violin again “Then… this next song is only for you.”
You don’t move, don’t breathe, afraid to break the moment.
You just listen, and neither of you says what you’re really thinking.
Chaos explodes in Sabaody. The crew scatters, screaming names into the smoke.
“BROOK!” you cry, sprinting through the broken plaza. He’s ahead of you, sword in hand, bones gleaming in the light of explosions.
He turns just in time to see a beam charging toward you “Y/N—!!”
He shoves you back, stepping in front. The blast strikes his chest, sending him skidding across the ground. Bones crack.
“BROOK!!” you scream, running to him. You grab his arm, trying to drag him up “We have to go! Please—get up!”
Brook coughs out a laugh, though he has no lungs “Yohoho… forgive me, my rose. I am not as strong as I wish.”
Tears sting your eyes. You don’t let go “Don’t say that! You’re the strongest I know!”
Another explosion rocks the grove. The Pacifista looms above. You throw yourself in front of Brook, arms spread “Then I’ll protect you!”
He stares at you in shock. Protect me?
Before either of you can move, light flashes. Kuma’s paw descends. A rush of pressure swallows the world. He hits Brook before you can even notice and suddenly, Brook is gone.
You hit the ground, alone.
“No… NO!” you scream, reaching for empty air. But the grove collapses around you, light swallowing you next.
Two Years Later
The world is different. Islands blur together. You fight, survive, train, but through it all, one thought anchors you.
Brook.
You admit it to yourself one night, staring at a moonlit sea.
“I love him.”
The words burn your throat, but you finally say them. Not a silly crush, not admiration… love. The way he plays under the stars, the way he makes even death laugh, the way he made you feel seen.
You clench your fists “When we meet again… I’ll confess.”
Even if he laughs. Even if he says no. You can’t carry it inside anymore.
Elsewhere
Crowds scream his name. Lights blaze on stage. Brook, now “Soul King”, bows dramatically as music dies away. The applause is deafening.
But when he returns to his dressing room, silence swallows him. He sits with his guitar, fingers hovering over the strings.
He thinks of you.
The way you stared at Thriller Bark in awe when you met. The way you sat up with him at night, listening to his music. The way you once stood between him and death itself.
Brook chuckles weakly to himself “Yohoho… I suppose I love her.”
The words echo in the empty room. They sound unreal, but true.
He lowers his head “But she deserves a man. Not a bag of bones.”
Still… he thinks of your smile. He holds his guitar close.
“…I will tell her.”
He braces himself for the rejection he’s sure will follow.
Two years. Two hearts. One secret.
Both waiting for the same reunion.
The Grove is loud, crowded, chaos everywhere. Marines run, people scream, but none of it matters.
Because across the plaza, you see him.
The afro, the suit, the violin case on his back. Taller somehow, brighter, surrounded by screaming fans calling “Soul King!! Soul King!!”
Your breath catches. Your legs almost give out.
“Brook…”
He freezes mid-step. Slowly, his skull tilts. Empty sockets meet your eyes across the noise.
For a second, neither of you move. Then…
“Y/N!” His voice cracks, louder than the crowd.
You stumble forward, shoving past people, heart hammering “Brook!”
And then you’re colliding into him, arms wrapping around cold ribs. His bones creak under the force, but he doesn’t care. He hugs you back, tighter than you thought possible, violin case digging into your shoulder.
“I thought you were gone…” you whisper, voice breaking.
“Yohoho…” His voice trembles, the laugh weak “I thought I’d never see you again.”
You pull back just enough to look at him. His empty sockets should feel hollow, but all you see is warmth. Two years of silence, loneliness, and longing crash together in this one moment.
Your throat burns. Say it. Tell him.
But your courage wavers. Instead, you smile shakily “You look… amazing. Soul King, huh?”
Brook chuckles, trying to play it cool “Yohoho! Just a silly title. Means nothing next to this moment.”
He wants to say it too. That he loves you. That for two years, he carried you in every song. But… how could you ever love a skeleton? He swallows the words, even though he has no throat.
Instead, he squeezes your hand “You have not changed, my rose. Still radiant as ever.”
Your cheeks burn. You grip his bony fingers tighter, heart screaming. Say it! Confess!
But before you can…
“Y/N!! Brook!!” Luffy barrels into both of you, arms wrapping you in a crushing hug “You’re here! You’re both here!!”
The spell shatters. The crew gathers, laughing, crying, yelling over each other. The reunion swallows your secret.
You smile through it, tears slipping down your cheeks. Brook laughs, loud and musical, though his bones tremble.
Neither of you confess. Not yet.
But when your hand brushes his again in the chaos, neither of you let go.
Two years of silence. One reunion. And a love still waiting for words.
The Sunny is alive with laughter. Luffy’s voice echoes, mugs clash, Sanji cooks nonstop, Franky yells “SUUUPER!” until his throat’s raw. Everyone’s celebrating, drinking, singing, together again at last.
But you slip away.
The deck is quiet now, the sea black and endless. Above you, stars spill across the sky like glitter on velvet. You sit cross-legged, arms around your knees, staring up.
Two years. You waited. You survived. You came back. And yet… the words are still stuck in your chest.
Footsteps tap lightly on the wood. You don’t need to turn.
“Brook” you say softly.
He chuckles, cane tapping once “Yohoho… how did you know?”
“You’re the only one who creaks when you walk.”
He sits beside you, careful, folding his long legs. His bones glow faintly in the moonlight, and for a moment, he looks like he belongs among the stars.
You both sit in silence, listening to the waves.
Finally, Brook speaks. His voice is lower than usual, without its usual laughter “Y/N… may I tell you something?”
You glance at him “Of course.”
He rests his cane across his lap. His hands fidget, bones clicking together “These two years… you never left my mind. Not once.”
Your breath catches “Brook…”
He laughs softly, bitter “Yohoho… it is foolish, isn’t it? A skeleton, loving a living woman. What could I possibly give you? I cannot touch, cannot kiss, cannot even hold you without fear of breaking.”
You stare, heart hammering.
“But,” Brook continues, his voice trembling, “I must say it, even if you reject me. I love you, Y/N. From the moment you called me ‘cool’ instead of monster… my heart, though I have none, has belonged to you.”
He bows his skull, ashamed “Forgive me. I should not have burdened you with this. Please… forget I said anything.”
The sea roars in your ears. You sit frozen, staring at him. For so long, you imagined this moment, and now it’s real.
You whisper, “You idiot.”
Brook flinches “Eh?”
Tears prick your eyes. You laugh weakly, shaking your head “All this time, I thought I was the only one. I love you too, Brook. I just… I didn’t know how to say it. How could I tell a skeleton that I…”
“...that you what?” His voice is breathless.
You turn to him, smiling through tears “That I have feelings for him.”
Silence. The waves crash, stars burn, the world spins, but for you two, time stops.
Brook raises a hand, trembling. He doesn’t dare touch you, not yet “…You mean it?”
You nod firmly “Every word.”
His laugh breaks, raw and shaking “Yohoho… then tonight, I am the luckiest skeleton in the world.”
And though he has no lips, no flesh, no heartbeat, you lean closer, resting your forehead against his skull.
Your first embrace is quiet, imperfect, strange… and utterly perfect.
The sun rises slow over the Sunny. The crew stirs, groaning from last night’s celebration.
You’re still on deck, curled against Brook’s side, your forehead resting against his shoulder. His arm is carefully draped around you, as though even in sleep, he’s afraid you’ll vanish.
It’s quiet. Peaceful. Warm.
Until… “EH?!”
You jolt awake. Nami’s standing there, hair messy, holding a cup of coffee. She blinks once. Twice. Then “…What the hell am I looking at?”
You sit up fast, face burning “N-Nami! Wait—it’s not—”
“BROOK?!” Sanji’s voice explodes across the deck. He drops his pan with a clang, eyes bulging “You bone-headed bastard!! How dare you touch Y/N-chan in such a way!!”
Brook raises his hands quickly, panicking “Yohoho!! Nothing untoward happened, I swear on my violin!!”
Usopp runs in, eyes wide “WAIT—does this mean you two are—ARE YOU DATING?!”
“WHAAAAAAT?!” Chopper’s little voice cracks, spinning in circles “When did this happen?! Did I miss it?!”
Zoro, leaning against the railing, barely opens one eye “…Tch. Knew it.”
Everyone turns “YOU KNEW?!”
Zoro smirks lazily “I’m just observant.”
Franky bursts onto the deck, flexing dramatically “OOOH, YEAH!! THIS IS SUUUPER!! A LOVE STORY BEYOND DEATH ITSELF!!”
Robin just smiles into her book “How romantic.”
“ROMANTIC MY ASS!” Sanji screams, grabbing Brook by the lapels “SHE’S SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME, NOT A SKELETON!!”
You yank Sanji back, glaring “Sanji, stop! I like him, okay?!”
The deck falls silent.
Brook freezes. The words hang in the air, louder than any shout.
Luffy suddenly beams, punching the sky “WOOOAH! Y/N and Brook are together?! THAT’S AWESOME!!” He throws his arms around both of you in a crushing hug “Now our crew has MUSIC and LOVE!!”
You and Brook laugh despite yourselves, both embarrassed like crazy.
The chaos explodes again, Sanji crying rivers, Usopp firing off questions, Chopper admiring you, Franky singing a love ballad on the spot…
But through it all, you and Brook stay close, hands brushing, secret smiles shared.
No more hiding. No more silence. Just you, him, and the wild, noisy family that will sail beside you.
Epilogue
The Sunny rocks under cannon fire. A ragtag pirate crew swarms aboard, shouting and swinging their weapons. The Strawhats, of course, are already tearing through them.
You stand beside Brook, arms crossed, perfectly calm. His sword gleams in the sun as he slices through anyone foolish enough to get close.
Then, one pirate staggers up the deck, eyes landing on you. He grins, greasy teeth showing “Well, well, hey there, goth girl… why don’t you ditch these clowns and come with us? You’d fit right in with our crew. Especially me.”
His men snicker. He nudges them with his elbow “Totally my type.”
You don’t even flinch. Your arms stay crossed, eyes cold.
Brook tilts his skull, silent for a long moment. Then “Yohohohoho!!”
The laugh rattles through the air, deep and eerie. The pirates jolt back “D-Did that skeleton just laugh?!”
Brook steps forward, cane tapping the deck. His voice sharpens, low and dangerous “She is my girl. Only I am allowed to see her panties.”
“BROOK!!” Nami’s furious voice cuts across the deck from the other side, mid-battle “NOW IS NOT THE TIME!!”
Brook only laughs louder “Yohohohoho!!”
You smirk, finally turning your head toward the trembling pirate “Yeah. What he said.”
The pirate’s face drains of color “D-Did he just— Did he just TALK?!”
“Wait… the skeleton wasn’t a prop?!” another shrieks.
“What the hell IS this crew?!”
But Brook doesn’t falter. His blade flashes once, twice, and the pirates collapse at his feet. He dusts off his sleeves with exaggerated flair and turns to you, straightening his tie.
“Forgive me, my love, I could not resist the chance to sound gallant.”
You chuckle, bumping his bony shoulder with yours “You sounded perfect.”
“Yohoho… my love,” he says, almost shy beneath the theatrics “Would I be terribly selfish to ask for a kiss? For victory, and for you not even having to lift a finger?”
You raise a brow, but your smile betrays you “You’re ridiculous.”
And before he can panic, you lean forward and press your lips softly against his teeth.
The enemy crew, still conscious enough to watch, all go pale.
“D-Did she just… kiss the skeleton?!” “No way, that thing wasn’t just TALKING… it’s dating?!” “What the HELL is this crew?!”
Brook freezes for half a heartbeat, then trembles like a live wire. His skull tilts up, hands pressed to his chest as he bursts into giddy laughter “Yohohohoho!! Ah, Y/N, you make these bones feel alive again!”
You roll your eyes, smirking, but your hand lingers on his arm “Don’t let it go to your skull.”
The terrified enemy pirates scream and throw themselves overboard, choosing the sea over whatever nightmare they just witnessed.
The Strawhats don’t even look up, they’ve seen this before. Brook is still laughing, high on both victory and love.
And you smile, knowing you wouldn’t trade this ridiculous, impossible skeleton for anyone else.
