Sing-Along
AuthenticAussie gave me the prompt "I've got one word for you: sing-along!" with ZoLu. It could be taken as romantic or platonic, depending on how you want to see it, but it's fluff all the way.
No spoilers for anything after they reach the Grand Line.
Normally being sent to cut firework would have made Zoro grumble the entire time, especially since it was the stupid cook who demanded he go. The swordsman was certain Sanji sent him out for no reason but to disturb his nap, since curly-brows had already set up a fire with a decent pile of firewood next to it.
But the lunch Sanji was making did smell delicious – not that Zoro would admit it aloud – and it was just easier to go get the stupid firewood then to get into another fight.
Not to mention, it was a beautiful day. They had landed on a spring island, not a cloud in the sky, and Zoro had already fought off five bounty hunters who had somehow gotten onto the ship this morning. They'd proven to be just enough of a challenge that he was still in a good mood.
Whistling, Zoro chose a tree and drew a sword. He considered just how much of it he needed to cut down, and decided that it was probably better to bring more than to be sent back in. After all, if Sanji tried to tell him it wasn't enough, he would have no choice but to tell him where he could shove that idea, and then he probably would end up missing out on whatever the chef was working on.
The huge tree fell easily. Zoro stepped onto the trunk, still whistling as he cut off the branches.
"Hey! I know that song!"
Zoro glanced over to see his captain walking forwards, his usual grin on his face.
"Oh. Hey, Luffy."
"I know that song!" Luffy repeated, grinning widely.
"Good for you."
"Could you sing it again?"
"I wasn't singing, I-" Zoro began, then decided that he couldn't be bothered to explain the distinction between whistling and singing. The swordsman shrugged, then started to whistle again.
Luffy stayed still for a moment, listening to the familiar tune, interwoven with the crack of wood as Zoro sheared through branches like they were water.
"I'm gonna follow my dreams, however crazy they seem, and I won't stop 'til I get there, you'll see!"
Zoro glanced around when Luffy's voice reached him. For a moment, the words didn't quite comprehend, before it occurred to him that it was the lyrics to the song.
Luffy mixed up words and he was out of tune but Zoro didn't care. The swordsman just liked hearing his captain's voice.
Luffy made it halfway through the verse when he realised he was singing alone. "Hey, why'd you stop?"
Zoro shrugged.
"Zoro, come on! Join in!" Luffy started to hum the song again.
"Why should I?"
"I've got just one word for you; sing-along!"
"…You know that's two words, Luffy."
"No, it's not! It's got that line thing between them – uh, what's it called again, Zoro?"
"Hyphen."
"Yeah, it's just one word with a high pen."
"Whatever. I'm not doing it."
"You were doing it before…" Luffy whined.
Zoro didn't falter. Luffy's face morphed into a childish pout. "Fine. I'll sing by myself then."
"Do what you want."
"You're all I need to have the strength to believe, believe in
Won-der-land! I'm gonna follow my dreams however crazy they seem, I'm gonna share them with you."
Luffy's voice filled the air again, cheery and as passionate as he was about anything. Zoro smiled slightly, glancing over.
Oh. Luffy was giving him puppy dog eyes.
Zoro cursed under his breath. He was known as Pirate Hunter Zoro, with a reputation that every pirate in the East Blue had learnt to fear by the time he had turned sixteen. He was going to become the greatest swordsman in the world. And he could never, ever resist giving in the moment his captain turned those eyes on him.
"You're all I want, together we can move on," Zoro mumbled. He wasn't technically singing, but Luffy's eyes lit up at the lyrics.
"Live how we want to!" Luffy shouted as Zoro muttered the words.
Zoro sighed, and then his voice took on a distinctly musical tone. "There is no limit to us, we have the power of love…"
Luffy's voice quieted just a little so that he could hear his crewmate. Zoro had the potential to be a decent singer, but he didn't care enough to put any effort into it.
The Straw Hat pirate thought it was one of the best sounds he'd ever heard.
"We don't wanna live ordinary lives!" Luffy joined in again at full volume, grinning broadly.
Zoro grinned back.
"We have a chance to live in paradise – believe in Won-der-land!" both pirates shouted together. Zoro held the final note for longer than Luffy did, but when he realised his captain dropped out he immediately followed suit.
All in all, the song had been messy, slightly out of sync and Luffy had mixed up words. But neither cared.
"Awesome! You wanna do another?" Luffy asked, bouncing on the heels of his feet.
"Maybe later." Zoro nudged the felled tree trunk with his foot. "Do you want to help me get this back down to the ship?"
"The ship? Why do we need a tree?" Luffy cocked his head to the side curiously.
Zoro made a dismissive gesture. "Stupid cook asked for firewood."
"Oh. Okay, sure." Luffy shrugged. He walked forwards and grabbed the half closest to where Zoro had cut. "Let's go!"
Zoro took a few steps to the side, crouching down and helping Luffy pick up the tree.
It was far from the biggest tree they'd ever seen, but still at least a meter in diameter and seven long. The two boys carrying it didn't even strain as they started to walk.
"Uh, Zoro? Don't we need to go that way?" Luffy pointed to the left of where Zoro was leading. The captain had been certain that was the way they'd come through, something that was confirmed when Zoro agreeably followed the direction. "Hey, can we sing again now?"
Zoro grimaced. "Sing what?"
"I dunno. What do you want to sing?"
"I don't."
"Please?"
Sigh. "Fine."
"Awesome!" Luffy was silent for a minute, thinking. "Okay, I got one."
"Then what is it?"
There was a second of silence, as Luffy gathered his thoughts, and then he started to sing, loudly and confidently.
"It's alright! Now let's move forwards, with the sun always in our hearts!"
Zoro glanced around at the younger pirate following behind him. Luffy grinned broadly, gesturing for him to join in.
"As power passes through our clasped hands, let's grab hold of all of our wishes."
Zoro wasn't as confident as his captain, for the sole reason he didn't know the song as well. Still, he knew enough to join in after a moment.
"Working together, let's ride the giant waves. Let's hurry towards the excitement – listen, there's the starting signal."
The two were still singing as they reached the beach again. They were only a few metres away from where the ship was anchored, which was probably due to the smell of lunch working as an excellent direction.
Luffy dropped the tree trunk immediately, running over to eat. "Hey, Sanji! Is it done yet?!"
"No, it's – Luffy that is uncooked meat you will get salmonella."
"But it tastes good!"
Zoro rolled his eyes, dragging the tree. It was heavier without Luffy's help, but it was simple enough to pull it to where Sanji was cooking. "Here's the stupid firewood."
"Thanks, moss-head," Sanji replied distractedly, trying to both stop skewers from burning and his captain from getting ill from uncooked food.
Zoro shrugged, and went to sit against a tree, revelling in the warmth. He closed his eyes, his head leaning back against the trunk.
After a moment he opened one eye again. Luffy was sitting next to him, cheerfully chewing on the mildly burnt skewer Sanji had traded him for leaving him alone. "We didn't finish the other song, you know."
"Yeah. I know." Zoro yawned.
"Can we finish it after lunch?" Luffy asked lightly, discarding the empty skewer stick. He was willing to do it now, but he had also discovered that Zoro grew increasingly cranky if he was dragged out of sleep.
Zoro closed his eyes again. "Yeah. Sure."
"Cool."
Luffy got to his feet again as Zoro started to drift off to sleep.
As he slipped into unconsciousness, he could still hear the commotion going on as Luffy begged Sanji for more food, much to the cook's displeasure. In between pleading, Luffy was happily humming the familiar tune of 'Believe in Wonderland'.
The song still playing in his head, Zoro smiled as he fell asleep.
The songs they're singing is the English dub for 'Believe in Wonderland' (2nd title sequence) and the English subs for 'Kokoro no Chizu' (5th title sequence).
