Chapter 21
Luffy had flop down in the sand in between Zoro and Brook 30 minutes ago, just looking up af the sky.
And the gods must really want the Big three of the worst generation to kill each other. Because somehow the Strawhat pirates, The kid pirate, and The heart Pirates all ended up on the same island. And get this, it’s gonna take a week and a half for each respective crew Log Pose the reset, and get the next coordinates to the next island. And this island is small as shit doesn’t matter where you go, you can always hear, and see each other. And currently all three pirate cruises are sat at the North beach of the Island. It’s like the universe decided to throw a little party for chaos.
“Luffy.” Zoro finally broke the silent from where he was sprawled out in the sand beside her. You’re our captain, do something to entertain.”
“Entertain yourselfs.” Luffy shot back instantly, but there was no heat nor bite to it.
Her eyes remained glued to the sky, the clouds above morphing into various shapes of animals and adventures she had yet to embark on. The warm sun kissed her tan skin, and the gentle sea breeze whispered secrets of distant lands into her ears.
“Come on Luffy!” Chopper, from wherever the hell, he was practically just appeared and flop down on her stomach. “Sing for us!” His eyes were wide with excitement, and Luffy couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm.
“Oh, are my ears deceiving me? Or, did somebody say our dear goddess Luffy is going to sing for us?” Sanji’s playful voice echoed from behind them, causing Luffy to roll her eyes. The sound of his footsteps grew louder as he approached, his face lighting up at the thought of hearing her sweet melodies.
Luffy pushed herself up to sitting, brushing off the sand from her clothes. “Alright, alright. If it’ll keep you lot quiet for a bit, I’ll do it!” She grinned, her dark brown almost black eyes sparkling with mischief.
Chopper squeals with excitement. And the kid pirates and heart Pirates will deny to their dying breath that that sound made them jump a little.
Kid scowls, watching the little reindeer jump up and down in an excitement that was palpable even from a distance. "What the hell is that thing's problem?" he grumbles, his arms folded over his bare chest.
Luffy huffs, “Chopper’s not a thing, Jaggie, he’s a reindeer!” She said loudly, sticking her tongue out at him, knowing he could hear her.
The air is filled with laughter from the Strawhat Pirates, and even a few of the Heart and Kid Pirates couldn’t help but snicker at the banter between the two.
Kid scowl deepens, “The fuck are you even doing? why is the… reindeer… screeching?” He says, his voice echoing through the beach.
“If you wanna find out then pay attention!” Luffy calls back to him, her voice carrying over the gentle waves of the sea. She stands up, brushing the last of the sand from her clothes, and stretches her arms wide. The Strawhat Pirates gather around her, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Sanji, ever the flirt, winks at her and leans against a palm tree, while Zoro sighs and sits up, his hand propping up his chin. Nami rolls her eyes but smirks, knowing full well Luffy’s antics are about to unfold.
“Okay, okay. You lot are the ones that want me to sing, so, what will it be?” Luffy asks, her hands on her hips as she looks over her crew.
“OH! OH! OH! I know one!” Chopper and Ussop shouted in unison, bouncing in place.
“Do you remember that one girl that song at ‘sandstorm’ bar in alabasta.” Ussop suggested, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “The one called After the storm.”
Luffy’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah, that one! Let’s do it!” She jumped slightly and excitement before kicking off her sandals, because if she was going to sing, she was going to embarrass somebody by making them dance with her.
She watched as Brook seemingly produced his guitar out of nowhere, and without missing a beat, he began to strum the opening chords to "After the Storm." The melody filled the air.
With a dramatic flourish Luffy held her hand out to the nearest person, which was unfortunately for him, Zoro. "C'mon, Zoro! Let's dance!" she exclaimed, yanking him to his feet with surprising strength. Despite his initial resistance, the swordsman found himself giving up and sighing, his stoic expression gradually softening into a begrudging smile as Luffy spun him around.
Luffy cleared her throat before beginning to sing. “Ah~… Whatever goes around. Eventually comes back to you. So you gotta be careful, baby. And look both ways. Before you cross my mind.” She and Zoro spun around each other in a surprisingly coordinated dance.
“Did you ever wonder? Yeah, do you ever wonder. What he might be going through? On his own and. The demons that he's facing alone. I hate that sometimes I can't go home. And it ain't just the same on the phone, no. But everybody's gotta go on. Don't they? (Yes, we do, baby).” Luffy’s voice carried over the beach, a stark contrast to the gentle waves that kissed the shore. “So if you need a hero (if you need a hero). Just look in the mirror (just look in the mirror). No one's gonna save you now. So you better save yourself. And everybody's hurting. Everybody's going through it. But you just can't give up now. 'Cause you gotta save yourself (Yeah, I gotta hang on).”
“The sun'll come out. Nothing good ever comes easy. I know times are rough. But winners don't quit. So don't you give up. The sun'll come out. But we've been struggling endless days. Someday we'll find the love. 'Cause after the storm's. When the flowers bloom.” Zoro spun Luffy around, the latter’s eyes shining with passion as she sang the lyrics.
“The sun'll come out. Nothing good ever comes easy. I know times are rough. But winners don't quit. So don't you give up. The sun'll come out. But we've been struggling endless days. Someday we'll find the love. 'Cause after the storm.”
“I know it's hard. But do you even really try? Maybe you could understand. When all you had to do was ask. And just open your mind. When everything is passing by. And all you had to do was try. Yeah, all you had to was try… Try, try, try, try, try. All you had to do was try. Try, try, try, try…”
Zoro dramatically dipped Luffy Close to the ground and rolled his eyes as she finished the song with a flourish. The Strawhat Pirates erupted into applause, even though they had seen this performance a hundred times before.
Sanji clapped the loudest, "That was amazing, Luffy-sama! Your voice truly brings joy to the heart!" He exclaimed, his cheeks slightly pink from embarrassment at his own enthusiasm.
Luffy grinned at Zoro, "Thanks for the dance, Zoro!" She said, her cheeks flushed from the exertion and joy of the performance. Zoro simply grunted, but his eyes held a hint of amusement.