Update: 10/20/2016
Chapter 4: Song of the Night
Liara's father was an exceptional cook. She could recall being a young girl and hurrying to the table when dinner was announced, drool already gathering at the tip of her mouth. He never failed to amaze his wife and daughter with new recipes that were chock full of fresh ingredients and spices. For the longest time, Liara had thought her father to be the best chef in the world.
Boy, was she ever wrong.
Sanji stood at the head of the protracted dining table, placing down broad circular platters that were covered in food, along with tall glasses of wine, lemonade, tea, or whatever else anybody desired to drink at the moment. He took great care in preparing the ladies' dishes, making sure the portions were large and neatly decorated. The smell immediately intoxicated Liara's senses as the chef gracefully placed a plate covered with grilled fish and slices of garlic bread baked in butter in front of her. Next to that came a bowl of chopped onion soup that had the tiniest hint of basil and cheese visible, and a miniature plate of salad with shredded cheese, baked croutons, diced onions, small pieces of bacon, and chunks of fresh grilled chicken. Liara's eyes widened, the hunger pains in her stomach growing even more at the phenomenal sight.
"Please enjoy, my sweet Liara." Sanji gave a slight bow as he backed away to grab more plates.
Luffy sat on the opposite side of the table, a pout planted firmly on his lips. "No fair Sanji! How come the girls always eat first?"
Feeling a little guilty, Liara handed Luffy a slice of her bread, which he greedily grabbed after shouting his thanks. Nami shook her head and sighed as she bit into a piece of the salad.
"Don't do that, Liara. He actually ends up trying to eat all of our food. He's the reason we have a lock on our fridge," the Navigator warned before sending her Captain a death glare and continuing to eat her food. Taking Nami's warning to heart, Liara decided to also begin eating.
The food was amazing. The textures were heavenly, the taste even better. Nami was right, of course, about Luffy trying to steal everybody's food. His hand would stretch forward in an attempt to snatch more bread or fish or whatever else his rubbery, greedy hands could grab. Eventually Usopp grew sick of his food being taken and attempted to stab Luffy's fingers with his fork, causing an argument to start. Liara grew concerned at first, but when she noticed that everybody else continued to eat like the occurrence was normal, she decided to also go along with it.
Once dinner was finished, she stood up and began gathering her silverware and dishware. She walked over to the sink, only to have everything taken out of her grasp by Sanji, who gave her a pleasant smile. "Thank you my sweet. However, please don't trouble yourself in helping. I do this every night, so go ahead and relax." Liara had always helped when it came to cleaning up, so she was a bit surprised at not having to do anything. Still, she nodded her head in appreciation and thanked him for the meal before returning to join the others at the table.
Robin, who was taking quiet sips from a steaming cup of coffee, leaned forward and propped her arms up on the table. "Miss Liara, might I ask where you are from and where you are going?"
Everybody in the room quieted down and focused on their guest. Liara supposed that the least she could do for them was give them an explanation, especially after finding her in such a state in the middle of the ocean. She intertwined her fingers together and placed them on the table, her eyes glued down towards her hands for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "I'm from Rosiv Island, which is a small island that not many know of. I have a dream that I want to make come true, but my parents were so against it that I ran away. The small boat I bought was caught in a storm and set on fire after being struck by lightning." At this, Liara nervously glanced up, knowing that she had to full-well tell them the truth. "My parents are Marine Admirals."
For a moment, nobody said anything. Looks were exchanged, and eyebrows were raised. With every passing second her nerves grew more and more restless as she mentally prepared herself for being thrown overboard. The silence was interrupted when Luffy suddenly burst out laughing. "Oi! Really? Do they know Garp, my grandpa?"
Liara was astounded. She'd expected dirty looks and to even be kicked off the ship, but nobody seemed upset. The fact that Luffy was laughing and didn't seem a bit angry greatly calmed her nerves. "You guys aren't even upset? I don't want you attacked or hurt if my parents try to find me."
Franky suddenly jumped on the table and struck a pose, banging his massive metallic forearms against each other. "Are you kidding? The Sunny-Go can outrun any ship, and has SUPA-cannons to boot! I say bring them on!"
Zoro also gave a grunt in approval, his hands placed confidently on the sheaths of his swords. Chopper and Usopp pumped their fists/hooves in the air while shouting out an enthusiastic "Yeah!" Robin nodded her head in approval and took another sip of her coffee.
Brook strummed happily on his guitar. "Yohoho! My heart pounds in excitement, though I have no heart!" Sanji continued gathering everybody's dirty dishes, but he too was smirking.
Nami placed a hand on Liara's left shoulder. "See, you have nothing to worry about. We've taken on countless enemies, so defeating a few more marines won't be a problem. Besides, maybe your parents will come to their senses."
Liara doubted it, but wishful thinking never hurt. She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you everyone. I mean it."
Once the cheering had settled down, Robin decided to continue with another question."So, might I ask what your dream is?"
Liara glanced from side to side so she could see everybody's faces, trying to make a mental judgement on whether they would take her seriously or not. "I want to find Fantasia Island."
"Ahh, I've heard of that place," Nami murmured as she propped an elbow on the table and placed her chin on her palm. "My mother used to tell me stories about it when I was a child. It does sound like a beautiful island"
"I too, have heard of it," Robin chimed in. " Apparently it's a moving island that allows only those with pure souls to enter."
"Cool!" Luffy excitedly shouted as he jumped on the table besides Franky. "Let's find it!"
Once again, Liara found herself dumbfounded by their reactions. "You seriously aren't laughing at me? My parents did." Her cerulean eyes wistfully glowed.
"Liara, as long as you believe in your dream, then that's all that matters, right?" Sanji puffed out smoke and stuck his hands in his pants' pockets. "I have a dream to find the All Blue, and I've been laughed at countless times because of it. I know that it's out there though, and as long as I think it's real, then that's what's really important."
Everybody around the table nodded in agreement, and Liara found herself filled with more hope than ever before. "You're right. Thank you."
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Night came not too long after dinner was over. It was decided that Nami and Liara would share a bed until Franky built a new one. As far as Liara knew, she was going to be with the crew for a little while, at least until she figured out what to do. Nobody seemed annoyed or irritated with her, so she figured that staying longer couldn't hurt. In fact, they practically insisted on it.
Most of the crew had already fallen asleep, and although Liara tried, she found herself tossing and turning and staring up at the ceiling. Robin's bed remained empty, and upon noticing was informed by Nami that the Archaeologist was probably in the library reading again.
"She does it every night," Nami had said before turning off her bedside lamp. "Most of the time she doesn't go to sleep until well after midnight."
Liara eyed the clock that was placed on the bedside table. Around eleven, and still not even a hint of feeling tired. Perhaps some night air would help? She quietly got out of bed and tiptoed over to the door. Glancing back at Nami's sleeping figure, she sighed with relief that she hadn't woken the Navigator up. She carefully turned the door knob and opened the door, closing it quietly behind her before walking through the narrow hallway and up the compact staircase.
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The night atmosphere was pleasant, with a pitch-black sky that was splattered with stars and a bulbous full moon. She walked over to one of the railings and looked out, feeling tiny and in awe when she saw how dark and extensive the sea was. She was so caught up with what was in front of her that she didn't even hear the sound of footsteps coming up from behind her.
"Ahh, I didn't think you would still be up."
She quickly turned around and saw only Brook, whose bones seemed to glow in the darkness. The skeleton raised his hat politely before setting it back down on his afro. "Can't sleep?"
She shook her head and looked back toward the ocean. "I feel a little exhausted, but I can't keep my eyes shut. You?"
The skeleton walked forward so he was standing next to her, his boney fingers lightly covering the top of the railing. "Night watch. Tonight is my shift. Besides, skeletons don't really need to sleep."
"I see."
There was somewhat of an awkward silence between the two, though it wasn't really unpleasant. A moment passed before Liara looked up at Brook, a bit of curiosity getting the better of her. "How are you a skeleton and moving?" She bit her lip the moment the words left her mouth, hoping she wasn't being rude.
Luckily, Brook only chuckled, clearly not offended. "I ate the Revive-Revive fruit, which is a Devil Fruit that allows one to come back from the dead. After death, the soul must find the body to become alive again. Unfortunately, by the time I found mine everything had decayed except for my hair and most of the clothes I was wearing."
"Why did it take you so long?" she asked, feeling rather intrigued.
"It's very difficult to navigate through the fog of the Florian Triangle. I'm lucky I was even able to find my body. Unfortunately, I was the only one alive. My crew and I were killed by poison arrows." His jaw seemed to form a grin. "We were a musical pirate group. All we did was sing, dance and play music. Before we all died, we sang our favorite song together for the last time. I recorded it so I can play it back for my friend Laboon when we see him, and I keep this afro so he'll recognize me."
"Who is Laboon?" A part of Liara felt guilty for prying into the skeleton's business, but she couldn't help but wonder about his past. She was a naturally curious person, and knew the questions would only continue to bug her if she didn't at least attempt to ask.
Brook glanced out towards the dark sea; Liara followed his gaze and watched as the gentle black waves rolled slowly and licked the sides of the anchored ship.
"He is a friend to the Rumbar Pirates, the crew I belonged to before I joined the Straw Hats. He is a whale who was only a baby when we first found him. He seemed to love listening to us play, and for some reason he and I were especially close. However, we wanted to go to the Grand Line, and Laboon was still such a small whale at the time that we didn't want to endanger him. We promised him we'd meet him again, and 52 years later, he is still waiting for me, or so I've been informed." He looked at the young woman next to him, expecting her to be startled over the fact that he was friends with a whale. Much to his surprise, he found her looking up at him with a gentle smile on her face.
"What a wonderful and strong bond you two have," Liara sighed. "I admire that quite a lot. I've never had a friendship like that before." She continued to smile, but her eyes were filled with sadness. Brook stared at her for a moment before reaching out and placing his hand gently on her shoulder. The move was startling at first; his bones didn't feel cold, but warm and gentle. There was a certain firmness and strength involved in his touch, almost as if muscle was placed around his bones. It was a move that would've freaked out a lot of people, but Liara found herself appreciating his gesture.
"You can have that bond with us. If you want to stay with us, we can travel all over the world together, and maybe we'll even find your island along the way."
"I'm seriously considering it. You're all so wonderful." She glanced away shyly. "Thank you."
Silence once again enveloped around them, and Liara felt herself starting to succumb to the desire for rest. She was about to excuse herself when she heard a low voice singing.
"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"
She rapidly blinked and slowly turned her head.
"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"
She looked at Brook, her lips parted in surprise.
"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo"
"Yo-hohoho, Yohohohoo."
His voice was quite memorizing.
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
Following the sea breeze! Riding on the waves!
Far across the salty depths! The merry evening sun!
The birds sing as they draw circles in the sky ! "
The song seemed like it should be a jubilant one, but Liara could feel sadness laced within it.
"Farewell to the harbor, To my old hometown
Lets all sing out with a Don! As the ship sets sail
Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray
As we all set sail to the ends of the sea"
The dismal melody made her heart ache. She had a feeling that this was last song he had shared with his crew.
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
We are pirates sailing through the Sea!
The waves are our pillows, The ship our roost
Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails"
"Now comes a storm through the far-off sky
Now the waves are dancing, Beat upon the drums
If you lose your nerve this breath could be your last
But if you just hold on, The morning sun will rise "
Brook lifted his head towards the celestial night sphere.
"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho"
This time, Liara hummed along.
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
Today, and tomorrow, our dreams through the night!
Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!
But don't look so down, For at night the moon will rise!"
"Going to deliver Binks' Sake!
Let's all sing it with a Don! A song of the waves
Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones
Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!"
"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho."
This time, they serenaded the final verses together.
Time seemed to hinder as the two new friends continued observing the watery surface around them ripple and dance around in an almost hypnotic way."You know, I love to sing," Brook admitted as he propped an elbow on the railing. "But I love it even more when somebody sings with me."
Feeling embarrassed that somebody had heard her voice, Liara hastily looked away with pink cheeks. She played with a few strands of her chestnut hair, twisting the curls around her finger tips. "I'm sorry if I was awful."
Brook laughed. "Yohohoho! Of course not! Actually, you have quite a lovely voice."
Feeling flattered, Liara gave him a large smile before yawning and turning away. "I think I'm sleepy now. Is it alright if I go to sleep?" This only seemed to amuse the skeleton.
"You're asking me? I may be 38, but I'm barely old enough to be your dad."
"Well, your age now, including the skeleton years, is 90 right? That makes you old enough to be my great-grandfather!" She burst out laughing as his bottom jaw nearly fell off in shock.
"I most certainly am not! Do you know any grandfathers that have magnificent hair like I do?" He fluffed the bottom of his curls. They both shared another laugh as Liara turned away and bid farewell to the undead musician. Just as she was about to descend down the stairs, she paused and turned around. "By the way," she began, "that song you sang was lovely. I'm sorry about what you went through, but I'm glad that your friends are able to live on through it. Thank you for sharing that memory with me. Good night." And with that, she ventured below deck, leaving him bewildered.
He hadn't expected that at all. His gaze once again swept back to the ocean, and as he vocalized the song faintly once again to himself, he realized that the bittersweet tone he'd had before had developed into a more cheerful tune. He knew that the melody was a way to keep his old nakama alive, but when Liara noticed it right away and found the notion to be more of a joyful one than a somber one, he found himself viewing the memory in more of a positive light.
For the first time in years, he was able to sing the ballad with high spirits.