The Power of One Dream (A One Piece x Fairy Tail Story)

Bonus Chapter 2: Keep On Dreamin'

A/N: WARNING: Sad chapter ahead!

"The Sky is Dark
And the Sea is Deep

And Everybody's Sleepy
So Now is time to Sleep!"

In the early hours of the morning, Luffy sang the best lullaby he could think of on the fly to settle his restless and tearful infant daughter. But to no avail.

"It's Dark All Around
But the Ship is Sailing On
We're All Really Tired
So Let's All Sleep!

"Sleep, Sleepy Sleeeeeep!"

The restless infant continued to cry in his arms. "Ehimeeeeee, pleeeeeeeeassse, go to sleep!!" It had been a month since the Mugiwara had arrived upon that fated island, and a month since the birth of the much anticipated first child of Monkey D Luffy and his wife Monkey D Nami. And about 3 weeks (following the greatest discovery of their lives in that legendary place) since they set sail once again to another island as per the recommendation of their resident Archaeologist, for the child's official presentation to the select among their closest allies. And tonight, for all the Captain knew, had been the longest thus far.

Trying to be a thoughtful husband to Nami, Luffy had been up the past hour feeding Ehime, changing her diaper (an experience that would haunt him to his dying day), and walking her up and down the deck of the Sunny trying to settle his wide-awake and bawling baby girl. The days of being able to sleep both through the night and at odd intervals during the day long behind him. And he was at his wits end!

Desperate for a change of pace, he made his way up to the Crow's Nest from which, just over the sound of Ehime's cries, he soon could hear the sweet violin tune of a familiar old song. He had made it through the trapdoor and found his crew's skeletal musician seated on a barrel taking the Night Watch, only registering sometime afterwards that Ehime had stopped crying and was now listening intently to the night air filtering through the windows of that secluded room.

"Another All-Nighter?..." Brook enquired semi-jokingly, inclining towards the inquisitive infant in Luffy's arms. Luffy nodded wearily. "I've tried every song I can think of. Just like everything else I can think of...." The Rubber-Man tried, and failed, to stifle a loud yawn and ended up opening his mouth wide. An act he regretted when Ehime grabbed his rubber jaw and tugged it down playfully. "...Guess I'll never hit the right note for her, not like you can, huh." He mumbled through a half-open mouth being tugged by the relentless infant. But somehow the Soul King understood him clearly enough.

"Respectfully Captain, I should hope not. Otherwise I'd be out of a job! Yohohoho..." Brook finished his signature chuckle and absentmindedly began tuning his violin, when he noticed Ehime no longer tugging her father's rubber jaw and now watching him intently. "She certainly does have a refined taste for music though. And perhaps a certain Modern Classic in particular. Not that anyone could blame her I daresay."

Luffy nodded thoughtfully, and this time managed a smaller yawn, using a free hand to cover his mouth and prevent another jaw-yanking. "That was one of Uta's numbers. 'Dreamland', right?" Brook didn't answer right away but instead began strumming the melody for one of the lesser-known but all the more heart-warming songs of the West Blue's critically-acclaimed 'Diva', and Luffy's old friend.

"After everything we've seen together, after reaching one destination after another, and now our most recent arrival..... Lately, part of me has been wondered, what's next? What adventures could possibly be left for us now?....... Then I look to your child, and remember this song. And realise there's always a new adventure. Always another dream to be had. One just needs to look."

Nothing else was spoken for a time. Only the sweet melody of bow on string. Then Brook, as soft as a sigh, sang the words to that song. Luffy silently savoured the sound while sat on a barrel and gently rocking Ehime in his arms. Then he looked down. Thankfully watching the infant's shining doe eyes start to droop, and reminiscing.