I'm back! And now I have over a hundred followers! Wow. that is just amazing. I honestly never expected so many people would want to read this when I started it, but now I have over a hundred followers and almost a hundred favorites. Thank you all so much. I hope you continue to enjoy this adventure.

Joker #2

Across the street from the Gotham Concert Hall, Joker stood triumphantly, humming to himself. He grinned at his compatriots. "See there! It's perfect." He swept his arm in a grand gesture. "H.M.S. Pinafore, on tonight only. Now normally I wouldn't interfere with Gilbert and Sullivan, I mean they are classic, but I think this is just too good an opportunity to miss."

Leaning nonchalantly on his cane, Brook nodded. "While I have never heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, I agree that this would be a perfect venue for a SoulKing concert. Yo ho ho ho. What is the show about?"

"It's a comedic opera about social classes set aboard a Navy vessel. As you are a pirate, I thought it was appropriate," Joker explained.

"Gee boss, I didn't know you were so cultured," one of the goons said. Joker spun around to glare at him.

"Yo ho ho ho, how fitting! It tickles my funny bone." Brook laughed heartily before returning to business. "How do you plan to commandeer the performance?"

Joker just grinned and winked, not wanting to spoil the surprise. He led the way back around the place to the service entrance. While one of his goons forced the lock, the other handed out the machine guns. Brook watched with apparent curiosity. Joker wondered if had ever seen a weapon like this and wasn't insulted when the skeleton refused the gun they brought for him. They quickly made their way back stage and while they listened to the sailors sing, Joker explained the plan.

"First, I need you two to stand at the exits. No one leaves, understand?" The thugs nodded quickly. "Then I take the stage. I'll take control of the it and I'll mow down anyone who tries to interfere. Then once we are in charge, I will introduce the new star, you!"

"Sounds simple," Brook said carefully, clearly not convinced.

"What about the cops, boss?" Thug #1 asked. "And security?"

"That's why we have the guns, you buffoon," Joker snarled. He was not going to let anything mess with this plan. This was going to be a night to remember if he had to blow up the whole place. "Once we have our audience cornered, then we can set up the explosives at the doors. You two will keep watch for the coppers and warn them that if they try anything funny, it's kablowie."

Brook sighed and laid a hand on Joker's shoulder. "My friend," the skeleton said sadly, bending down so his skull was just inches from Joker's pale face. "I am a pirate, have been for two life times, so I am well acquainted with violence and death. Do not misunderstand me, I know these things have their place, but I am also a musician and member of Strawhat Luffy's crew. If you intend to murder," he said the word with a twist of distaste, "these good people who only want to enjoy a night of music, then, we have a problem."

Joker considered the skeleton. With no face to read, it was hard to tell what he was thinking, but clearly they were at an impasse. Joker never cared about the damage he caused, never thought of the lives he'd taken. But this pirate, this dead skeleton, did. The clown's first impulse was to be angry and offended by the man's words. How dare this stranger, this thing, tell him, Joker, clown prince of crime, how to conduct a caper! He'd smash the interloper, crush his bones to dust! But in a typical mood swing, he calmed down. Why not humor the pirate? He was a guest in Joker's city! People make allowances for guests all the time. In fact it was a challenge, how to take over and hold a whole concert hall with hundreds of people inside without killing anyone? Joker had never done that. Who knows, it might be fun.

"Fine," Joker said. "We'll try it a different way." He pointed at his henchmen, who were staring with wide eyes at Brook. "No killing, no Joker gas, no bombs. We'll take the stage like I said, then we'll have to convince them to stay. It might be a while to. We should set the stage for your performance, which means lights, props, smoke machines, the works. We should be able to use the local labor, but it will take time. Fear keeps people in their seats pretty well, but if I can't make an example out of somebody, you'll have to captivate them." He glared at the skeleton in challenge. "Can you do that?"

"Leave it to me," Brook said, relaxing. "I am a professional. I will have them eating out of my hand and begging for more." He threw his head back and laughed. "This sounds more like one of the captain's plans. I like it."

"I'd like to meet your captain," Joker mused.

"I'm sure you will. If word gets out about my show, I'm sure the rest of my crew will find their way here. They can't resist a good party," Brook promised.

Joker nodded gleefully. "Wonderful, in the meantime: Places people, we have a show to steal!"

The goons got in place easily; they had practice blocking exits for the Joker. Brook and Joker, trussed up the Admiral from the opera and at the cue, Joker took his place, wearing the costume they had stripped from the man. It took a second for everyone to figure out what was going on but when they did, the screaming started.

Joker loved the screaming, but he had to move this along. "Quiet!" he shouted and shot his weapon into the air. Silence fell instantly. "Don't bother to try to escape, it's useless." Someone in the front row whimpered. "But don't despair, I'm not planning on hurting any of you. Scout's honor," he said as he held up three fingers. "See I met a new friend tonight, he's from out of town and he has a healthy appreciation for the arts. So I say to myself, 'Joker, what can you offer this artiste?' and you know what I decided, folks?" He had been strolling along the stage but now he turned to the terrified row of sailors. "Well?" he asked one, getting right in the boy's face. Joker sighed in disappointment when the boy passed out, falling back like a log. He turned back to his captive audience. "Well, I decided to give him you, all of you." No one made a sound and Joker kept up his tirade. "He's a showman, a musician, and I wanted to give him an audience and you are that lucky audience." He laughed joyfully and threw his arms out to the side, spraying a stream of bullets into the wall, luckily without hitting any one. "Now, ladies and gentlemen of Gotham, I, the Clown Prince of Crime, present to you from the mysterious waters of the Grand Line." He paused to stage whisper conspiratorially, "Not that I know what that means." He laughed and a couple people giggled. "A pirate with no equal, a man who has lived twice, the one, the only: SOUL KING BROOK!"

At the introduction, the pirate walked on stage. "Hello, everybody!" he called. The room was quiet, not even a cricket chirped.

"Wow," Joker mused. "Tough crowd."

Brook laughed. "Yohohoho, it's as quiet as a grave yard. Give me a minute, I'll wake them up!" He started to strum on his guitar. A rousing beat came out that enticed people to start tapping their feet.

"Come on baby," Brook sang out. Joker clapped gleefully and went to the edge of the stage to entice the orchestra to join in the best they could.

"Bone to be wild,

Bone to be wild,

Bone, Bone, Bone, bone, bone

It's nonsense to become macho just to attract women," Brook sang and sighed into the next line and a girl in the front row, swooned.

"Soul King is mysterious,

he's nothing but bones!

Afro on the skull,

Girls love the contrast!

If you want to make out with her,

Got milk? Go milk!"

Within the minutes, Soul King Brook had the whole audience eating out of his boney hands. Joker laughed as people got up and started clapping and young girls swooned. Brook had been right, one song and they were glued to their seats. He turned to the chorus and actors from the opera.

"I need this stage set up for Soul King's concert!" he demanded. "And I want you to do that! I want lights, I want musicians, I want a fog machine and pyro-technics." He swung his gun at the assembled men. "Can you give me that?"

One of them, the man playing the main character, stepped forward. "If we do that, if we get the crew to help, will you let us go?"

"Let you go?" Joker laughed. "Are you crazy? I won't let you go! You have to stay for the show. Then you can go about your pointless boring lives, but tonight is about him." He pointed at Brook who was starting a second song. This one was slower, with a lot feeling. Joker thought it was called Bink's Brew. "Do we have an agreement?"

"Yes, sir!" the assembled men shouted.

Huh, Joker thought as they hurried backstage, a couple of them are women. No matter. He turned back to listen to Brook. He was good, very good.

When Brook finished his song, Joker stepped forward again. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked the room. A cheer answered him. "Wonderful! Well, I talked to the boys behind the curtain, and they agreed to help us put on a real show. But it will take a little while to set up. In the meantime, sit tight, call your friends, and put a couple dollars or diamonds in the hat my men will send around. Be generous."

He laughed and dragged the skeletal pirate with him back stage.

"Yohohoho, thank you, Joker," Brook said, slapping the clown on the shoulder. "That was wonderful."

"Just wait," Joker promised with a teasing grin. "After we have the stage set up, you can have the biggest show in town! People will be talking about this for years!"

"And no killing," Brook reminded him.

"Yes, yes, of course. I promised didn't I?" Joker waved off his concerns. "Let's go tell the hired help what you need. I'm getting shivers just thinking about it!"

"I'm getting goose bumps," Brook agreed. "But I have no skin. Skull Joke!"

They laughed uproariously as they made their way to the scurrying stage hands. This would really be a night to remember.

Authors Note:

HMS Pinafor is a real opera and one I recommend. Gilbert and Sullivan were geniuses and I still love Pirates of Penzance. But I thought it would be funnier to have pirates steal the show from a Navy opera than a pirate opera, so here we are. Also, the song Brook sings is Bone to be Wild from the anime, translation from OnePiece Wiki. I recommend listening to the whole thing. Thank you for reading.