"A musician!" the Straw Hat crew exclaimed, amazed. They couldn't believe this talking skeleton was a musician.
Brook sat down at the piano and began to play.
The notes, as clear as ocean waves, filled the air, and he began to sing:
Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho!
Yo ho ho ho, yo ho ho ho!
Bring Binks' Sake, to your side.
Like the sea breeze, riding the waves.
The old song "Binks' Sake" was so moving. It filled them with a feeling of adventure and the urge to sail the rough seas. The Straw Hats all joined in, singing along with big smiles. Franky led a new dance, showing off his unique moves, but when Luffy and the others joined in with their bizarre dancing, holding chopsticks in their noses, it became quite a sight.
Overall, though, it was a joyous banquet.
As Brook played, tears welled up in his eyes. He took a Tone Dial from his skull and pressed play. The device began to play the same song, "Binks' Sake," with the voices of his old crew. Brook, despite being a skeleton, looked heartbroken. It was the final performance of his old crew.
At some point, Luffy lay on top of the piano. "Hey, Brook," he said. "Be my crewmate. I need a musician on my ship."
Luffy had finally found a musician after searching for so long. The crew couldn't find a reason to stop him. The fact that Brook was a skeleton didn't matter to Luffy, who loved strange creatures.
"Mr. Luffy, I'm honored," Brook replied. "But I still have to fulfill my promise to Laboon."
"I have a promise with Laboon, too," Luffy said with a grin. "Why don't we go back and fulfill it together? Come on, Brook, be my musician!"
Brook stared at Luffy, stunned. He seemed lost in thought. "I've been stuck here for so long, and the pain has been unbearable. I almost gave up. Mr. Luffy, I'm so happy to be alive!"
"Of course," Luffy giggled. "You have to be alive to fulfill your promise!"
Brook became serious. "Mr. Luffy, I've had to turn back on my promise before. My crew and I promised Laboon that we'd sail around the world and return to him. The end of our journey is with him. So, can I join your crew, and after you've sailed the sea, we can go back to see Laboon together?"
"Hee hee hee, I already told you to be the musician on my ship!" Luffy replied, excited that he had finally found his musician.
He jumped off the piano and shouted, "Everyone! Let's toast to our new musician!"
"Cheers!" the crew roared.
The party started up again. Brook immediately got into the spirit, striking his signature 45-degree angle pose, which made everyone laugh. The Straw Hats fully accepted Brook as their new partner.
Brook's presence on the ship came with one problem: he kept asking to see the women's panties, which earned him a punch from Nami every time.
The party eventually came to an end. The Straw Hats cleaned up and prepared to set sail. Lola, the captain of the Rolling Pirates, handed a blank piece of paper to Nami. "Nami, this is my mom's Vivre Card. Once you write your name on it, if you're ever in trouble, you can go to her for help."
"A Vivre Card?" Nami asked, confused.
Luffy shook his head. "We don't need it. The Straw Hats are strong enough on our own."
But the Rolling Pirates crew insisted. "Our captain's mom is a very powerful pirate. You'd be foolish to turn down her help! She can solve any problem!"
"That powerful? Are you for real?" Usopp asked.
"Of course! Lola's mom is famous throughout the seas!"
"We're really strong, we don't need her help!"
"Just take it! You never know when you'll need it!"
While Luffy and the Rolling Pirates argued, Carl listened intently. He knew who Lola was and why the Rolling Pirates were so out of touch with the world. They'd been trapped in the Florian Triangle for so long, so it was no surprise they didn't know the Straw Hats were now the Five Emperors.
"...Is this Vivre Card for Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom?" Carl asked. "Lola, you're her daughter, aren't you?"
Everyone froze. The Straw Hats became alert. They had fought the Big Mom Pirates before and knew how terrifying they were. They had defeated Katakuri and Cracker, but the rest of the crew was a force to be reckoned with. The thought that Big Mom's daughter was here was a shock.
Lola was taken aback. "I can't believe you guessed it, Mr. Carl! I'm one of my mom's 39 daughters. I ran away because she wanted me to marry a prince of the giant family, and I didn't want to be a political tool."
Luffy put his straw hat down. "Then you've given that Vivre Card to the wrong people. We already fought Big Mom. We defeated Katakuri and Cracker, and we even defeated Big Mom herself at Water 7 and sent her into the sea. We don't need her help. If we ever see her again, we'll have another big fight!"
The Rolling Pirates' jaws dropped. They looked at each other in disbelief. How could these pirates, who looked like kids, have defeated an Emperor of the Sea?
"You can't be serious!" Lola said. "My mom's in the New World, and Katakuri and Cracker wouldn't have come all the way here! Besides, there's no way you could beat them!"
"It's true, Lola," Nami said solemnly, handing the Vivre Card back to her. "You've been stuck here too long to know. Our crew is now known as the Five Emperors. You'll find out all about us once you leave."
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