Chapter Text
Chapter 23- Act 4
So far everyone loved Brook's show. Civilian, police, hero and rogue, they were all enjoying the story. Most people in the audience, mostly the ones who haven't personally met the pirates, thought it was just that: a story. But for the men and women who had spent most of the night running around after these young people, it was enlightening.
Batman saw Zoro look back to check on Alfred who smiled warmly at the swordsman, completely entertained. Catwoman kept whispering things to Nami, who laughed and whispered something back, probably explaining more details of the crazy events that the skeletal musician described. He needed to have a long talk with her after this.
Then the curtain rose again. The crew, all wrapped hastily in bandages, were laying on what is supposed to be the deck of the ship. Then Vivi came out and started singing with Brook backing her up with a violin.
" I went on an adventure,
Through a sea of darkness, of despair
But one little ship cut through it all
To show me something rare.
Never losing its way,
it could always find the light
Filled with people who would save the day
One day, they'll be Legends.
She paused and then yelled, her words echoing through the concert all. "You guys!"
The crew stood up and turned to face her, and they all looked so happy to see her.
In the audience, Nami and Chopper are sobbing while Ussop and Sanji had stoic faces while tears slowly leaked down their faces. Even Zoro looked affected but his eyes were dry.
" I wish I could join you!
I want to sail the seas
As a pirate with freedom to explore.
But I am a princess,
And my people need me.
I want adventure but I love my Country!
But, if some day,
On some distant sea, in some stranger time,
And we meet again
Will you still call me your friend?
The Luffy on stage stepped forward while the rest of the crew turned their backs and raised their arms, showing "x"s on their arms.
" I wish I could shout it from the highest point,
But if I did, you would be marked
So instead we show our intentions
With this most basic of inventions,
An "x" upon all our arms
Is a sign of our everlasting Friendship!"
Brook let his music fill the silence for a minute then followed Vivi off the stage. The Strawhats moped around sadly when Robin walked out. The actors freak out and reach for weapons.
"You saved me. Take responsibility for that. I'm joining your crew," Robin explained.
Actor Luffy laughed and said, "Okay!"
The crew and everyone in the audience laughed and the curtain came down again.
Ivy looked down the aisle at Nico Robin. "That's how you joined?"
Robin smiled and whispered back, "I did say that I helped a Warlord start a civil war."
Ivy blinked and sat back. "That's right, you did," she murmured to herself.
The curtain rose on Nami talking to Luffy. "The compass is pointing up! What the hell? Are there islands in the sky?"
Luffy laughed and said "Let's find out!"
Then Ussop came out with a chestnut hat and weaved one of his epic tales about Noland the liar and his city of gold. He banned himself as Mont Blanc Cricket and promised to help them ride the Knock- Up Stream to reach the sky. Then the crew pushed a renovated Going Merry onto the stage and the crew boarded with cheers.
Brook came on to sing about the danger they faced by riding a literal volcanic explosion to catch a passing cloud. His fast paced music had the audience on the edge of their seats, and when he nodded to the orchestra and the cymbals clashed, several people jumped. Fog machines started blowing smoke out as Brook slowed down and took a minute to describe the paradise of a sky island. It was like heaven, populated by angels.
Then the lights flashed and the cymbals clashed again.
But beneath the pure white landscape,
A mighty storm is growing.
Clashing tribes and angry gods,
Await our mighty crew.
But they will face it all because in the skulls right eye,
The city of gold is waiting!"
In the front row, Luffy pouted. "He's not talking about the balls!"
Sanji rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette. "Shut up, the less said about that travesty the better."
The Gotham natives didn't know how to respond to that comment, so they collectively shook their heads and paid attention to the show.
" An invasive god, who stole the throne ,
kept the people under his thumb.
He’s made of lightning, pure electricity that none survive,
He bent over and winked at the audience, or well, tried since he didn’t have eyelids, or eyes.
“But a pirate from a distant shore,
also made of an unnatural substance
is the perfect foil to this villain.
See, Rubber is immune to the shock
and the future king of the pirates knows no fear.”
Brook stepped back to let the actors come out, wheeling a giant fake beanstalk about 8 feet tall. The Straw-hats split up to fight men with sheep horns and people in tribal tattoos with feathers in their hair. A spotlight lit up Brook on a piano, and he started a fast paced dancing song as a backdrop to the action. The actors performed a hastily choreographed version of some of the fights from Skypia, mostly focusing on Luffy’s confrontation with Enel. Most of the audience wouldn’t know but there were large parts of the adventure left out; like the whole nonsense with the giant gold ball on Luffy’s arm, which Nami was grateful for. Brook had also left out Luffy wandering around in the giant snake, in fact he left out the giant snake entirely. From talking with Joker, he had decided that detail was just a step too far for their new friends to accept.
At one point “Luffy” climbed to the top of the beanstalk and yelled a challenge at Enel, who shouted back that he was going to destroy the whole island. The audience booed the villainous god, but they cheered when Zoro and Wyper knocked down the beanstalk, so “Luffy” could tackle “Enel”. He knocked out the fake god and punched a gong, (the closest they had to a giant bell).
“THE CITY OF GOLD WAS IN THE SKY!” Luffy yelled.
“Nami” came forward to add, “And we finally have some treasure!”
The curtain came down to loud applause.