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“Hear that, Brook?” Luffy shouted over the roar of the crackling bonfire. “This kid wants to take your place on the ship.”
“I heard, Captain,” Brook said. “I must say, they are quite gutsy—though I have forgotten what it’s like to have guts!”
Gracefully, Brook stood and approached this young pirate, who had to be as young as Luffy was when they first met all those years ago. They held a fiddle made of gold that was more beautiful than any instrument Brook had ever seen in all his years.
“You’re good, but I’m better,” the kid said. “I bet this fiddle of gold against your spot on the Pirate King’s crew.”
“You’ll accept their challenge, won’t you, Brook?” Luffy said with a toothy smile.
Brook looked at his captain, his king. Sometimes, Brook looked at Luffy and saw that boy, a young pirate princeling so full of dreams and ambition, with no idea of the great things he would accomplish and the songs that Brook would write about him.
Tonight, the Luffy he saw was a fully grown man, his captain, the Pirate King, who was still full of dreams and ambition, with no idea of the great things he would accomplish and the songs that Brook would write about him.
“Of course, Captain,” Brook said because he, too, had his pride.
Luffy laughed then shouted, “Everyone! Brook is going to play a song for us.”
Every member of the crew recognized that tone of voice. Luffy was always happy to announce such duels and he did so with pride, as if he had no doubt his crewmate would be the one to win. Luffy hadn’t been wrong yet, and Brook would not make a fool of his captain now.
Zoro, who was sprawled in the sand near Luffy, awoke from his nap and sat up to watch. Usopp, Franky, and Chopper raised their mugs of liquor high and howled like wolves in the night.
“Make it a good one!” Sanji shouted from near the fire, where he continued to cook meat for their captain’s unyielding hunger. The food tonight was delicious, though Brook had no tongue to taste it.
Nami was the only one from the crew that did not turn to watch the duel. Her eyes were trained on a young girl, who seemed to think she could steal treasure from the Pirate King without the Cat Burglar noticing.
Brook then turned his full attention to the child that thought they were better than him. “Do you want to go first, or should I?” Brook asked.
“I’ll show you how it’s done, old man,” the kid said.
Brook bowed.
They lifted their fiddle made of gold, took a breath, and began to play a quick, upbeat tune. His bow flew across the fiddle, and Brook could not tell if the smooth sound of the music was from skill or the golden instrument. It was a light, airy song, but only because it was hollow with no weight. Almost the parts were there for a great performance, but it lacked age. It lacked the sorrow of life that made those light, joyful moments with living.
“I will admit, you’re pretty good,” Brook said as he readied his violin, “but why don’t you sit back and listen to the personal musician of the Pirate King?”
Brook took no breath, as he had no lungs to breathe. He pulled his bow across the strings and his violin made an evil hiss. Only his bow moved across the strings, but it sounded as if drums and a deep bass played alongside him, the eerie tune fleshed in a way a single instrument should not be able to do. It was as if a band of demons had joined in. It was not the upbeat, airy tune the young musician had played, but a fast heavy thing, played by someone who had come back from the dead to fulfill a dying promise.
When Brook finished, the kid bowed their head, knowing when they had been beat, and laid their golden fiddle in the sand at Brook’s feet.
“Child, come back if you ever want to try again,” Brook said. “The Pirate King’s crew never turns down a challenge.”
Luffy stood from where he was sitting and said, “Sanji, cook up some meat! We need to celebrate.”
Sanji shouted back, “Just what the hell do you think I’ve been doing all night?”
Luffy and Brook laughed together.