Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams (Updated Version)

Floor 7: Friends or Foes?

The present-day Straw Hats could see citizens from all over the island beginning to gather at the plaza as they flew overhead behind Jimbei and the others. There was fear spreading all over as news of the king's upcoming execution was heard, and even more so when the people heard that the three princes had been defeated and captured as well.

The news that her three brothers were also in danger caused Shirahoshi to start whimpering in shock, unable to believe that her strong big brothers could lose a fight.

Present-day Luffy understood that feeling all too well. He remembered how shocked that he was when he first heard about Ace being defeated by Blackbeard. His eyes sadden at the memory, a boiling anger in the pit of his stomach grew as he remembered how Ace was executed after he lost. He didn't want Crybaby to go through that kind of pain of losing your big brother... if only he was this strong two years ago... he may have been able to save Ace.

Jimbei and Shirahoshi, along with the invisible Nami and Robin—with Luffy inside Megalo's stomach—all remained surprisingly quiet the whole way. In fact, they were so quiet Shirahoshi had to ask about them more than once, in fear that they may have fallen off without them noticing.

"Don't worry about us, Shirahoshi," memory Robin's voice reassured her. "We'll be right here if you need us. Right now, you need to focus more on helping your family."

Shirahoshi sniffled, but nodded as she kept her eyes forward, determination there mixed in with her tears. If they didn't hurry then she was going to lose her whole family, as well as her country to Hody.

"We are almost at the plaza!" Jimbei called. "Hurry Megalo!"

Megalo grunted in understanding as he kicked his tail even harder, forcing himself to go even faster.

"Father," Shirahoshi whispered worriedly. Sanji glared, hating that anyone could make such a sweet and innocent girl so upset. While the big guy may have seemed a bit like an idiot, he liked Neptune, and he knew that he would have fought through hell to save the old man if he knew that Shirahoshi was counting on him.

"Hey!" called a sudden voice, "It's me-jamon!"

"Is that Neptune?" Brook asked in surprised as he looked about.

"Yeah, I thought I heard him when I was in the shark's stomach," Luffy said as he tried to squint through the clouds around them. "It was weird though, because I didn't sense him around?"

Nami sighed as she said, "Not quite. You'll see."

And they realized that while the voice did sound like the king, there was something off about it... like they were hearing it over the end of a Transponder Snail.

"Boss Jimbei! Megalo!" Shirahoshi gasped out suddenly, her eyes wide when she heard it. And a shadowy form appeared before them.

"Hey!" the figure called. "Over here! It's me! It's really me!"

"Is that... him?" Usopp asked uncertainly as he moved his goggles down to get a better look. "Why does he look all lumpy like that?"

"You're alright after all?!" Shirahoshi gasped out tearfully as Jimbei looked on with confusion. But as Usopp looked, he managed to see through the haze and saw what looked like a bunch of balloons all tied together like a giant balloon animal in the shape of the king.

"NO!" Usopp cried out in warning. "IT'S A TRAP!"

"That's a... balloon...?" Zoro asked with his eyebrows raised when he also spotted it. "No one could fall for that!"

"Father!" Shirahoshi cried out, her eyes shut. "I'm coming!"

"Or... maybe they can," Zoro said with sweat-drop hanging about his head.