A Pirate's Life For Me! We Need A Musician!

Part 2 of a 4 Part Saga

by Aoikami Sarah

Chapter Seven – More Songs On The Way To The Straights

A ship only a little larger than the Going Merry and about fifty times as elegant cruised along just far enough behind to keep an eye on its quarry. A large frogman took the telescope from his eye and bellowed to his captain.

"Pirates ahead! Straw Hat Jolly Roger!"

"Excellent!" Kerodo Clef replied. "Keep at this distance. That Rubberman is dangerous!"

"We gonna get 'em back, Boss?" another goon asked his employer.

"Oh yes. They'll pay for stealing my act and burning down my casino! What have they got against me, anyway?" he whined. "It's not fair!" His goons sobbed in agreement. Clef squinted in the bright sunshine. His tuxedo looked incredibly out of place on the high seas. "We should reach the Straights in three days. We've got to catch them before they clear the twin islands or Lilly Marlene-sama will have our heads!"

.X.

After dinner on their third day out of Largo Atoll, heading for the Straights of Crescendo, the Straw Hat crew gathered for the premier of four more songs. Nami was nervous, but proud and excited to sing her song. Harmony cranked up the music box and nodded to the master of ceremonies.

"Ok, guys. Prepare to be blown away by the Grand Line's latest pop idol!" Usopp announced. "Put your hands together for Nami!"

"Between the wind

I can still remember your strength,"

"Between the wind

Oboetei you kimi no tsuyosa wo,"

"Between the wind

I will send a letter with no address

My kiss changes into the connection of my message!"

"Between the wind

Atena no nai tegami wo okuru yo

Kiss wo kawarimi tsuteete my message!"

.:o:.From "Between the Wind" Nami character vocal song.:o:.

"I'm in love!" Sanji swooned.

"What else is new?" Zoro jabbed as he applauded.

"Make Zoro go next!" Sanji shouted.

"Oh, ok," Harmony agreed and shuffled the sheet music around. "We worked practically all day on this. Are you ready, Mr. Swordsman?"

"Wha…!" He looked ready to kill Sanji, but was defeated by Harmony's encouraging smile.

"Do you want to rehearse one more time?"

"My voice isn't any good, it won't matter."

"You just need confidence," she advised. "Think of it like you think of your bushido and you will excel."

Zoro blinked at her. "Oh. Ok."

"A flower under the moon, a tear drop

Sadness for someone is blown away…"

"Gekka no hana tsuyu no shizuku

Kanashimi wa ta ga tameni fuki areru..."

"They saw their dreams, the men who

Without a map hurry down their paths

This parting ship might be an illusion…

But the sure thing is here in front of us."

"Yume wo mita otoko tachi wa

Chizu ni nai michi wo isogu

Kono fune ga tadoritsuku no wa maboroshi datoshitemo...

Koko ni aru no wa tashika na mono."

.:o:.From "Eyes of Zoro" Zoro character vocal song.:o:.

Luffy shouted and whistled and carried on. "Woo! Zoro's song is so totally cool!"

The swordsman simply grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck as he resumed his place in the audience. His cheeks held a slight blush that was imperceptible in the dying light.

"Ok! Chopper you're up!"

"What!" he cried in alarm. "Me, already? Can't I go last?"

"No way, I'm going last!" Usopp argued, his knees shaking. "Because I am the headliner!"

"Bullshit, you've got stage fright," Zoro pointed out.

"That may be! But I'm still going last, right Miss Sairen?"

"That's probably best," she agreed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Your song has a bigger finish than the Doctor's."

"Oh, right. Sure," he laughed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Dr. Tony Tony Chopper singing his song, 'Present'!"

"A medicine that heals the heart

Even though you're happy,

You shed a tear without thinking"

"Kokoro ni kiku kusuri

Ureshii kuse ni

Omowazu borori"

"From me to you, from you to a friend

From one nakama to another, give presents!

Give presents! Wai wai!"

"Ore kara kimi e, kimi kara tomo e

Nakama kara nakama e, present wo okurou

Present wo okurou! Wai Wai!"

.:o:.From "Present" Tony Tony Chopper song.:o:.

"I think I'm dying of cute!" Nami squealed and hugged Chopper.

"You're dying! Do you need a Doctor? Oh, wait. I am a doctor."

Usopp cleared his throat. "Yes, yes. The little reindeer boy is very cute. But you haven't seen anything till the great Captain Usopp has rocked your socks off!"

Sanji held his hand over his eyes as if to shade the moonlight that shone down on them. "I'm looking, but I don't see anything," he teased.

"Get on with it!" Zoro cheered, raising a bottle of rum in the air for emphasis.

"There's a time when a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Like when his ship's been battered.

Without this girl, we won't get anywhere.

So I'm gonna fix her up!

King of Coveralls!"

"Otoko ni wa yaranakya naranai toki ga aru

Tatoeba fune ga yarareta toki sa

Koitsu ga inakucha hajimaranai

Dakara ore ga naosu made

King of Caba-o-ru!"

"That's the glorious path of a man!

That's a way of living.

People call me the Shadow Captain...

Captain Usopp!"

"Sore ga otoko no hanamichi!

Sore ga ikiru michi