To be in the hands of a higher being

Whose life outlasts us mortals

"The Gods are out to make fools of us all."

Chapter 1: A Strange Musician

It was three days after Luffy had been struck with that one stroke of brilliance when they docked at a harbor. By now, all thoughts of getting a new crewmember had been put out of his mind which was focused solely on one thing, "MEAT!"

Predictable as ever, straw hat captain dashed off into town before his crew could even decide on the time they would report back at the ship. Those still on the ship sighed in unison, taking a moment to once again, rethink the choice they made when they climbed aboard this ship.

Nami surveyed the area, it was a peaceful port town with cobbled pavements and white washed walls. The air was cool and damp, far differing from the hot and arid climate of Arabasta. Knowing that with the captain gone, she would have to take charge, she directed her gaze first at the cook, "Sanji, you will need to stock up on the ship's supplies. I suppose we could have lunch somewhere in town?"

The blonde cook nodded, "I'll look forward to trying this town's cuisine." He replied, jumping from the ship and already disappearing into the crowd.

"Wait, we haven't agreed what time to meet back at the ship!" But by the time she had called out, he had already left. Nami turned back to the crew, irritation shown clearly on her face, "The port master said that he leaves someone to watch the ships in this port, so none of us are required to look after the ship so-"

She was cut off in mid sentence when she realized that the reindeer and the long nosed man had already left the ship and like Sanji, disappearing into the crowd on the streets. Robin chuckled softly at the look of exasperation on the tangerine haired woman's face. She nodded to Nami, "I'm sure they'll all make their way back to the ship at their own time."

As the ebon haired lady disembarked, Nami turned to the last one left on the ship. He stood there, staring at her, with no real idea why he was still there. Seeing a small smile curved at her lips, his body tensed, feeling a sense of unease at this, "Zooroo," she cooed sweetly.

He found himself backing away from that smile. "What?" He asked, not liking the look on that devious woman's face in the least.

"Do you need some money? Lunch does require Beri after all, you know." Her smile widened at his unease. The green haired swordsman looked as though he was backed into a corner, and droplets of sweat were beginning to form on his brow.

'This woman's a witch,' was his first line of thought, 'I'd rather trade my soul to the devil,' was his second. He gulped before replying cautiously, but was cut off by the tangerine haired she-demon.

"You know, I wouldn't mind lending some money to you, free of interest." She began slowly, "However…" She left that line hanging.

His expression betrayed his skeptism and incredulous feelings towards her offer. "However what?" He asked sharply.

Nami looked up at him, twirling the long chunk of hair that always hung by the side of her face, "However…" she drawled, "You will have to provide me with your services for the rest of the day." In more literal terms, he would be her slave.

Zoro grimaced at her terms; he should have known there would be a catch to her sudden offer. Neither did he like her terms in particular, he struggled within himself over that idea. Finally, resigning himself to his fate, he assented to her deal, telling himself that it would be good training.

Her smile widened and she walked over to him, placing her hand lightly on his shoulder, "You can start by carrying me to the clothes shop over there." She told the poor swordsman who could feel the colour drain slowly from his face as he complied, putting the navigator over his shoulder as he jumped off the boat. He now had only one train of thought, 'Witch.'

In some other part of the peaceful city, Luffy was scaring the various citizens with his enormous appetite. Practically inhaling the food, it seemed as though this boy had not eaten in weeks. The chef himself looked worn out after having cooked all that food and he looked ready to give up, so long as it would get the bottomless pit out of his restaurant.

In a corner, a pair of almond shaped eyes watched the black haired captain as he scoffed down meal after meal that would have been enough to feed a family of five for a few days. A crescent-shaped whiteness appeared, this would seem to be teeth, "I found you."

Finally, it appeared that even his monstrous appetite had been sated and the chef practically collapsed in relief. It was all he could do to ask his patron who had eaten so much to pay for his meal. Imagine his shock and dismay when he realized.

"I have no money." Luffy repeated slowly for the poor man who appeared as though he was having a fit. A few other patrons beside them shook their heads in sympathy for the chef who looked as though he was ready to kill the straw hat, regardless of whether it would put him into jail or give him a bounty. Before he could perform the deed, a voice rang out from behind them.

"How much is the meal?"

The chef stood up, rubbing his hands, an eager smile on his face. Someone was here to foot the bill, and that was all that mattered to him. "You're this straw hat's friend?" He asked, "The meal he just ate cost about 50 000 Beri."

Luffy turned a grin on his face, "Is that you, Nami?" He paused, seeming to register that this female was not his navigator. After all, Nami did not go around wearing various shades of red chiffon, and while she most certainly wore a dress similar to the one this female donned in Arabasta, she had never worn so many bangles on her arms and this dress appeared to be slightly more, conservative.

Clothes aside, the female standing a few feet away did not have a figure that moulded particularly well into her clothes. She was certainly lean, but on the short side and was…flat-chested. She had a scattering of freckles over her button shaped nose, sun-streaked auburn hair short, layered heavily and barely parted at the right, a small braid hanging behind her ear. A lovely colour, but slightly coarse and not well looked after. The only thing that truly stood out from her otherwise ordinary look was her eyes. They were a deep shade of ruby and her irises were rimmed with gold, almond shaped with lashes sweeping over them.

The dusky haired female smiled, "Good sir, I am afraid that I do not have enough money to pay for this boy's meal, but if you would accept my measly offerings of 10 000 Beri and a performance, that is all I am able to give."

Luffy just smiled widely, not really questioning his luck or the motives of the woman. The chef on the other hand, did not appear to be so happy and he appeared to be getting slightly red in the face, most likely from agitation over the strange people who were appearing one by one in his restaurant.

"Fine!" He finally barked out, "Just get this brat out of my restaurant, I don't want to see hide or hair of him!"

The female simply smiled, emptying her coin pouch on the chef's hands. Tying the now empty piece of cloth at her left hip, she readjusted a wooden instrument that had been hanging from her hip all that while.

Drumming her fingers across it in a well practiced manner, her left hand pressed themselves against the strings while her right hand plucked at them. She began to sing, her feet drumming themselves against the floor in time to her beat.

"Yellow ashes scatter in the wind

That beats like a drum over my head

Just a moment in the raging wind

My feet are soaked through

I won't dry them

My eyes are sun-baked

I can't care less

I'll face the wind, headstrong."

Doing a two fuvettes in quick unison, she threw herself in mid air spinning before she landed. Seating herself on one of the tables, she continued her song that held so many before captivated.

"Arrogance is donned like a headscarf

The eye patched soaked through with tears

My hair whipping in the wind"

Her eyes were fixed directly on Luffy who only smiled cluelessly in return. Somewhere far off, a door could be heard opening.

"I've found my treasure

I've satisfied my desire

But does happiness await me on the shore?

That story starts over again."

Sometime before this, Zoro and Nami had entered, Nami perched on Zoro's back, a wide smirk on her face which began to fade as she heard the words of the song. Zoro himself was not listening; he dropped the bags he carried in his mouth on the floor with a small thump. Seeing this, the dancer leapt off her chair, singing.

"Warmth hides behind a cold visage

I hear your voice screaming

Watching you bend your head

As I stand on the ship's prow

The black wind blows at the flame

Outside the wind and the rain

That blue sky

Fortune beckons."

She closed her song with fast movement of her feet, whirling in flurry of red chiffon around the tables, ending beside the black haired captain. Only silence greeted the end of her song. For those who lived on the Grand Line, who saw the ocean dwellers come and go day by day. They understood fully its meaning of despair, of battling against the ocean itself.

The auburn haired singer glanced at the straw hat captain, "Well, I have paid your dues; I believe you owe me a favour, Monkey D. Luffy." Close to them, Zoro freed his hands, dropping the shopping bag and received a blow on his head from Nami.

"Those were expensive! Treat them with better care!" She grinded as she slid off the well muscled back of the swordsman somewhat reluctantly.

The straw hat donning captain ignoring the singer grinned and greeted his two crew members, "Yo, Nami, Zoro! We've got a new member!" The singer raised an eyebrow at his complete lack of attention and her own mind began to drift as she scanned the couple who had come in during the middle of her song, not paying attention to their conversation in the slightest. A smile was curved at her lips.

Outside the singer's sphere of thought, Luffy was waving his hand towards her, "Nami, remember we wanted to get a musician for our ship? I found one!" Nami's expression betrayed her surprise as she looked at the singer.

"Firstly, you were the one who wanted that." She reminded their captain, "And did she even agree?" Zoro himself, seated himself at the bar, looking completely exhausted as he slumped forward on the table. Nami could only smirk at his lack of enthusiasm, "Big baby." She muttered under her breath.

Zoro was too tired to argue. Luffy pouted, assuming that Nami was talking to him, "Well, she's a great musician!" He argued back, with his strange logic. The red eyed girl came to herself to find a rubber arm wrapped around her waist, in contact with one of her bangles and a certain rubber captain looking as though his energy was being drained.

"As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat." The slender singer remarked suddenly, unwrapping the captain's arms from her waist, "As I was saying, you owe me a favour, I need to go to the island-" She was cut off by the straw hat pirate who had regained his energy.

"You're joining my crew!" He told her confidently. Nami on the other hand, had her eyes narrowed at the auburn haired female who looked mildly surprised at the decisiveness of the black haired captain.

"I fear you misunderstand my intentions," She began, only to be cut off.

"You're joining my crew." Luffy stated stubbornly, and the singer could only blink her expressive eyes in surprise. Nami left the two to argue it out, diverting her gaze as she walked over to Zoro. Prodding him in the shoulder, she discovered that he was asleep. Smiling, she placed an order both for him and herself, deciding to wake him up when the food came.

Somehow or other, the singer found herself smiling in amusement despite herself, at Luffy's refusal to accept a no. Surprising herself, she gave a small nod of assentment. "Great!" Luffy cheered at this, and he suddenly looked at her, "Hey, what's your name?"

Nami watched them and grimaced, it was just like Luffy to invite someone to join their crew without knowing anything about the person's nature and she stared at the dusky haired singer for a few moments longer, suspicion clearly written in her eyes. As the food arrived, she shook the worn out swordsman gently; large plates of linguine, meatballs and seafood were set on the counter.

Zoro awoke to the smell of all this and his eyes widened. A smirk curved at Nami's lips, "I can't have you falling asleep on me when we continue our trips later, now can I?" She stated innocently, watching the swordsman's expression with glee and crossed her legs as she dug into her own plate.

Zoro's face contorted at the reminder Nami gave him and he gave a low grunt, biting into his food. Jabbing a fork towards the singer, he asked, "Who'f s-e?" His mouth was full, and he spattered a bit of food over the table. He choked and coughed, Nami winced slightly.

"People call me Serliath." The red eyed singer replied simply, to both Zoro's and Luffy's questionings. She sat herself at a table nearby, watching the couple seated at the bar, lips curved.

Zoro's neck prickled at this, but before he could turn around to investigate, Luffy came into his vision, "I found our ship a musician Zoro!" He proclaimed cheerfully. When he had finally persuaded the rubber boy to bring the musician to the ship, he turned, but all he could see was the female strumming her strangely shaped instrument. Shrugging, he turned back and took a large gulp of food.

"The games have begun."

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Author's note: Fascinating, 56 hits and not a single comment. Don't you feel sorry for Zoro? I'm going more into detail about his shopping experience later, so give your suggestions if there's any shop you'd like him to visit in particular.

The song above is "Hai Dao" By Jolin Tsai. I just translated it. You can watch it on You Tube