Episode 384

"Brook's Hard Struggle - The Difficult Path of Becoming a True Comrade?" is the 384th episode of the One Piece anime.

Short Summary
After reading a journal of the Straw Hat Pirates' adventures, Brook tries his hardest to help everyone so he can be up to their level, helping out wherever he can. First, he goes to help Sanji in the kitchen, but drops the plates. Sanji catches them but has his hands full. Brook offers to bring Nami a cup of tea, although Sanji wanted to do it himself. As he brings it to Nami, he accidentally spills the tea over the map she was drawing. Disheartened, he goes to see Franky and Usopp who are building a weapon which runs on cola. He offers to help by filling the weapon with cola, but fills it with soy sauce instead, causing the weapon to explode. Chopper, while drying some plants in the sun, finds his work ruined by the soy; Usopp and Franky's work is lost; and Luffy is the only one who seems happy, since the soy makes the meat he's eating taste better. Finally, he goes to Zoro, but only disturbs him in his meditation. In the end, he speaks with Robin. She tells him that he should just be himself, and that he is as much a crew member as the others.

Long Summary
During a particularly calm night, Brook is on watch, manning the steering wheel while commenting how calm and quiet it is. He then begins to think about Laboon, and about his new companions, the Straw Hat Pirates. He recalls discovering a journal recounting the adventures and battles the Straw Hat Pirates have gone through. He vows that as long as he's their friend, he will act appropriately. The next morning, Brook wakes everyone up by singing Black Handkerchief of Happiness, much to everyone's annoyance.

Later that morning, the Straw Hat Crew are all sitting in the dining room. Brook's laughs grab everyone's attention and Chopper replies by saying Brook had read their Voyage Journal. Brook announces that since he has become their comrade, he does not feel like he has been of any help. Brook promises to work himself to the bone so that he can be their true comrade as soon as possible.

Later, Brook is washing dishes, while Sanji is preparing tea to serve Nami. Brook slips on the suds on the ground and begins to fall. The dishes he holds fly into the air, but Sanji catches them, leaving his arms, leg, and mouth full of dishes. Brook decides to deliver Nami's tea, much to Sanji's disappointment.

Brook goes to Nami to deliver her tea. When he arrives he watches her drawing a map, while she says she's catching up on her map drawing with this calm weather. Brook offers to refill her cup of tea, but doesn't notice when it overflows. Nami notices that he spilled the tea on her map, so Brook tries to clean up the map, but only manages to wipe away the ink on the map. Seeing Nami's fury, Brook rushes out of the room.

Luffy calls him over to see a new cannon developed by Franky and powered by cola. Franky takes him up on his offer and asks to fetch another barrel of cola. Brook gladly complies and picks up a random barrel and fills the cannon with it. Usopp and Franky target a nearby rock formation and attempt to fire, but the cannon explodes. It turns out the barrel Brook fetched was full of soy, not cola. An enraged Franky chases Brook down while Chopper is disappointed that he will have to wipe the plants he was drying.

Brook then notices Zoro training and decides to watch him training. At that point, Zoro puts down the weights he was using, and begins to meditate. Brook joins him, but before long, Brook interrupts Zoro's meditation irritating him.

Later on Brook sighs to himself, commenting that all he has done is be an inconvenience to everyone. Robin asks why Brook seems so unsettled lately and he questions if it really was "okay" for him to join the crew. Robin relates to Brook, in that she was always afraid that she wasn't suitable to be one of their crewmates. That is why she wanted to give up her life for their sakes, thinking that would be the most suitable way to have been with them. But now she knows that true friends aren't like that, and reassures that Brook will be fine as well. Just then, Luffy shows up, telling Brook it's time for lunch. Brook joins him and their crew.

Later on, Brook sits out on deck, enjoying a cup of tea, shortly before taking a nap. Brook begins to think about how long it has been since he's had an afternoon nap so comfortably. Back in the Florian Triangle, falling asleep would lead to him dreaming about being with his old crew and Laboon, where he'd be happy, only to wake up to a lonely and painful reality. But now, if he listens carefully, he can hear his new friends, all around him, doing their own thing.

That evening, while the sun was beginning to set, Brook plays Binks' Sake on his violin. Just then, the wind begins to pick up- it's time for them to continue onward to their next destination.

Anime Notes

 * Brook used "Black Handkerchief of Happiness" to wake everyone up, just like he did for his old crew, the Rumbar Pirates.
 * This is the last episode of the Spa Island Arc.

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Episodi 384 Brook Daifuntō! Shin no Nakama e no Michi Kewashi?