The Thousand Sunny was so startlingly different from the Polar Tang, Ikkaku found she often needed to pause a moment to take it all in. Honestly, it felt like walking into a small park rather than the deck of a pirate ship. Soft grass under her feet, the smell of mikans wafting down from the trees, the shadow of the crow’s nest blocking out the light of the full moon. Even the sounds of the ship were different, the creaking of the wooden hull so alien compared to the hum of the engine she was so used to.
That wasn’t to say she didn’t enjoy visiting her ally’s ship, especially at night when Luffy was passed out. Ikkaku liked him well enough but could only handle his manic energy in short bursts. Then there were Sanji and Zoro’s fights, which while entertaining, made for a less than relaxing atmosphere. And relaxation was precisely what she needed that evening.
So she’d come to the Thousand Sunny to perhaps borrow a book from Robin or perhaps see if Nami wanted to do some pedicures, when her attention was drawn to the beautiful violin music that filled the air. Like a siren song it drew her to the upper deck of the ship, where she found Brook playing his violin.
Settling her forearms against the railing, she respectfully listened in silence until the song was finished, not wanting to interrupt the lovely tune or the skeletal musician who put his heart into playing it - even if he lacked an actual heart.
“That’s a beautiful song,” Ikkaku finally said, peering at him curiously. “Did you write it yourself?”