Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams (Updated Version)

Floor 22: Zoro's Choice

This was now really getting interesting as memory Brook gently lowered memory Usopp safely onto the ground and laughed as he held up the sack of salt.

"You couldn't have cut that closer if you tried," present-day Usopp informed him. "I owe you for that one, Brook. I thought for sure that I was dead there."

"Yohohoho! Anytime!" present-day Brook said happily. "But in all honesty, I was just repaying the favor that I owe to you all for giving me a fighting chance against Moria and reclaiming my shadow! This was the least I could do!"

"It's like you were already a member of the crew!" present-day Chopper told him.

Luffy laughed and said, "Of course he was! I decided it so he was going to be just fine!"

"Strange how that happens," Nami said with a shake of her head but a fond smile nonetheless. When the captain says for you to 'join his crew' it wasn't a request. That was your first order as a Straw Hat. He usually does get what he wants in the end.

"Hey! You're back! I thought you were too hurt to fight!" memory Franky said as he got back up.

"Did something happen?" memory Chopper asked worriedly as he looked over him, "You look a lot better now."

"That is why you should always drink your milk, children!" present-day Brook said proudly. "I am grateful that I drank so much of it while I was growing up as well!"

"Wow! I knew that drinking milk was good for you, but who would have thought it was this good?" present-day Chopper said in wonder. He would have to start drinking more of it from here on out.

"It's true," memory Brook said seriously, "I was seriously injured when I dragged myself to the kitchen to acquire the salt but the something most fortuitous happened!" he stood up and declared, "I discovered some delicious milk which I promptly consumed, thus recovering my health!

"It's true, you look so much shinier," present-day Robin commented.

"I'm never gonna understand how the body of a Devil Fruit user works," present-day Sanji muttered to himself. Though to be fair to himself, there were probably some things that they weren't meant to know.

"Calcium doesn't work that fast!" memory Usopp barked, suddenly annoyed again, "Come on!"

"So there you have it everyone! Milk can heal your broken bones!" both Brooks declared.

"Wow!" Luffy said in wonder.

"LIAR!" both Usopp's yelled together at the Brooks as they laughed.

"Anyway, we have the salt we need now," memory Sanji said as he continued smoking his cigarette. "This should be enough to purify this giant, but it might be a close call. And speaking of close calls, it seems that the kitchen's been blocked off. In other words, we only get one chance to do this."

"Right, so we couldn't afford to make any mistakes," the present-day Sanji agreed with his past self. "Too bad that it didn't help us out in the end. And I thought that we had a fighting chance with all that salt."

"Don't feel bad! We still beat him in the end!" present-day Chopper reminded him brightly.

"We don't have much time, let's move it," memory Zoro commanded, "If we don't wanna melt when the sun rises we have two objectives! We gotta feed the salt to that monster and we gotta beat Moria!"

"We all knew that, Moss Head!" present-day Sanji retorted with annoyance.

The Straw Hats turned to face Moria again, who just looked down at them and laughed some more.

"Just so that you all know, I wasn't scared," present-day Usopp muttered.

"I was very scared," present-day Brook added with a nod.