Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams (Updated Version)

Floor 5: Rough Waters

"So she wanted to go to her mother's grave? But because of Vander Decken, she wasn't able to for ten years?" Brook asked tearfully. "Oh, that is the most heart-breaking thing I've ever heard! Even though I don't have a heart... oh, it's just... the poor girl!"

"It really is sad for her," Robin agreed grimly. And for a moment, she wished that she could go to her own mother's grave... not that there was anything left of Ohara...

"That guy is sick," Usopp said bitterly. "To think that he had been trying to force her to marry him all that time... and she was only a little kid when it started!"

"He has no brains, why are you so surprised?" Nami asked darkly as the memory of being outside over the city faded and the next moment they were back at the palace with Neptune and his army still tied up, and they were surrounded by bleeding pirates. How they were still on their feet was a wonder, though it didn't look like they would be up for much longer.

"What's with these guys?" memory Usopp asked, standing beside memory Brook, who had his weapon in hand as well.

"They just keep coming," past Brook nodded.

Camie and Pappug were shaking behind memory Nami, who didn't seem to be the least bit worried as she ran her hand through her hair tiredly.

"Why do we always get mixed up in this kind of trouble?" she sighed.

"That is a good question," current Usopp muttered to himself.

"They must be really scared about what Hody would do to them if they ignored their injuries like that," the current Nami stated, feeling bad for these guys.

"Yeah, but they were safe inside the palace weren't they?" Chopper asked curiously. "They can explain what's going on and couldn't they have Neptune have his army take them back to their ships and let them go?"

No one could think of a good answer to that. In hindsight, it did seem to be a reasonable decision. Then again... they were pirates so it wasn't unreasonable that they thought the government here might have just chosen to have them all locked up... especially since they were force to 'invade' the palace.

Memory Zoro, who had his sword over his shoulder, was already grinning evilly as he stared down the pirates—almost aching for a chance to fight.

"Don't complain about that now, Nami," he informed her. "The fight has already started. Since they're coming straight at us, we've got no choice but to fight, don't we?"

"Makes sense to me," Luffy nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, but maybe you should go easy on them since they look half-dead anyway?" Franky offered.

Chopper shook his head before glaring up at Zoro. While he may not like these guys, it wasn't their fault that they were here. They never asked to be thrown at the tower like that and they were all hurt. While he knew that they had to be stopped, he couldn't help but feel so sorry for them being forced to fight just to survive... though judging by how badly injured they were, that was still up for debate. He wished that he was there so that he could at least try to treat them.

"Shut it, Zoro," memory Usopp snapped, pointing a finger at him. "Don't go and give them even more crimes to accuse us of."

"This... is a fight between pirates," past Zoro reasoned seriously. "Is that even considered a crime?"

"That is a very good point," current Brook said as he hit one of his bony hands into the other. "So we couldn't have gotten into trouble by fighting them?"

"I guess so," Robin said with a nod.

"Oh, not you too," present-day Nami sighed, wondering why Robin let them think this way. That was bad enough, but did she have to agree with them?