Musician: Chapter 2—Drummerman: The New Nakama!
"Ooooh, my stomach hurts…" Luffy was lying on the deck, holding his middle. He hadn't had a scrap of meat for three days.
Sanji was annoyed. "It's your own fault for leaving without the meat!" he said.
"But you're the cook! You're supposed to worry about the food!" Luffy shot back. "Why do you think I brought you along with me in the first place?" Luffy was getting ticked off.
"How did I get such an idiot for a captain?" Sanji yelled out to anyone that could hear. He stood facing Luffy, staring threateningly.
Luffy thought for a second, and calmed down. "Um… you wanted to find All Blue… and I beat up Don Krieg… and I liked you, so I asked you to-"
"I know how!" yelled Sanji.
"Then why did you ask me?" asked Luffy, confused. Sometimes, he just couldn't understand Sanji…
Suddenly, blood started raining down onto the deck. It stuck in Sanji's hair, and got in Luffy's eyes.
"What the crap?" exclaimed Sanji. "What the heck is this?" Blood continued to rain down.
"Look," said Luffy. He was pointing at the sky. Two huge birds were falling towards the Going Merry. Their heads were severed from their bodies. With a thud, they landed on deck, spewing blood all over everything. Luffy looked at them wide-eyed. "MEAT!"
Sanji looked around. "What in…?" He saw Drummerman up in the crow's nest, just as a drum stick blade flew down and landed back in Drummerman's hand. "Hmm…"
Luffy was dancing around on the bloody deck. He was doing the "meat dance." He was happy.
"All done!" said Usopp. He was proud of his newest creation, a shiny, new drum set. "How did a musician forget to bring his instrument?" he asked Drummerman.
"Actually, I've never really had my own set before today," Drummerman said. "I've never even played with a band."
"What?" Usopp was confused. "Then why are you named Drummerman?"
"Well, it all started one day, when I was sitting at a bar and drinking my fiftieth beer of the evening. Someone threw a grenade through the window. It exploded. Everyone died in the explosion except for me. In the chaos, a broken glass bottle flew through the air and sank deep into my brain. From then on, I was Drummerman."
Drummerman had told his tale with such sincerity, Usopp almost believed him. "Is this guy for real?" thought Usopp, without commenting back. He was strangely quiet as he helped bring the drums out onto the deck…
"PIRATES, WE'RE PIRATES!" sang Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy. Drummerman was playing a song for them on the new drum set. For someone who had never had his own set, he played really well. The rhythms took form, and created a fun, whimsical song that was perfect for dancing.
"Wow, Drummerman, you're a really good musician," said Luffy. "PIRATE DANCE!" Usopp and Chopper joined in.
Zoro angrily butted in, as usual. "Luffy, out of all the musicians you could find, why did you have to get a drummer? Dangit! I'm trying to get some rest!"
Chopper had some drum sticks stuck up his nose. "Drummerman is great, Zoro! This is fun!" He ran around the deck looking funny; Luffy and Usopp laughed at him. "Look, I'm an elephant! Hahaha!"
Robin and Nami were standing on the bridge, talking. "Robin, what do you think of him: Drummerman, I mean." Nami seemed concerned about something.
"He's a very nice person, Nami. He seems to be getting along with the Captain and the guys," said Robin. But she seemed doubtful of her own words. She wasn't smiling.
"I don't know, Robin. Something isn't right… I have a feeling that we've made a big mistake…" Nami took a bite from her tangerine. A drop of orange juice fell from her lips onto the deck.
After a huge feast, night had fallen. Luffy was snoring in his hammock. In fact, all the men were sleeping… except one. Drummerman was standing, staring at Luffy. Luffy was so peaceful, so content. Why couldn't Drummerman be like that? What did Luffy have that he didn't? A flame was in Drummerman's eyes: a flame that could never be quenched.
End Chapter 2