Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams (Updated Version)

Floor 24: Robin's Decision

No one spoke a word as they quickly left the floor below them and raced up the dark staircase—Franky leading the way with his nipple lights. These stairs were longer than the others before them, and with every step they took, it felt like there was some sensation of dread growing the higher up they went.

"What if the flood rushes up to catch up with us?" Chopper asked worriedly, looking back as if to make sure he couldn't see the water lapping at their heels. He was still wet from their last dip into the ocean and shook out his fur as Nami glanced back as well—clearly just as nervous.

"I don't know, Chopper," she answered honestly, hoping that the water wouldn't rise fast enough to trap them again. "But I say that we hurry through these floors as fast as we can and get to the top."

No one disagreed with that... the fun having long since faded and everyone, even Luffy, wanted nothing more than to get out of here. But with the walls seemingly unbreakable, they had no choice but to play by whatever rules were in place here and see if they could not escape when they reached the top. If not... then they would have to start getting creative.

"You know, if we can get that so-called dragon to come out and fight us, we may have a better chance at getting out of here," Sanji said, trying to dry out his lighter so that he could light another cigarette to calm his nerves.

Usopp, Franky, and Chopper—some more fearful than others—all cried out in agreement at that... but that was when he realized that both Luffy and MossHead were being surprisingly quiet. In fact, when he looked back, despite the low light, he could see their dour faces. After glancing at the others, who were now listening to Robin as she went over the warning from the front door again, hoping to find some sort of clue, he drew back just slightly so that he could speak with Zoro at the end of the line.

"What else happened down there?" he asked. When he felt Zoro looking at him he sighed and added, "I doubt that it wasn't just almost drowning that's causing Luffy to be so quiet for once. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy breaks from him from time to time, but seriously... what happened?"

Zoro looked at him out of the corner of his eye and sighed, as he told him, "We saw more memories... what happened with me and Kuma."

Sanji's eyes widen and he quickly had to hold back his gasp, stopping dead in his tracks for a moment before he snapped out of it.

"He saw everything?" he croaked back, jumping back up so that he could continue to question him.

"Everything," Zoro answered back, his eyes now clouded over so it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. "There wasn't anything I could do. I tried talking to him about it, but I don't think he's happy."

"Understatement," Sanji said as he looked up to see the back of their captain's red shirt as he climbed with the others a ways ahead of them. "I can't imagine he took the news well."

"Let's just say he took it about as well as can be expected," Zoro muttered darkly. "I know that we're going to be having a long talk with him once we get out of here, and I'm trying to think of something that could help explain it in a way that rubber-brain of his will understand."

"Crap, now he knows about me too?" Sanji asked slowly, dreading the answer.

"Yeah, I should probably warn you that he's going to be pissed with you as well," Zoro informed him.

"Great..." Sanji hissed back. "Right, we are going to have to come up with something. Any ideas?"

He then looked over him and added, "Nah, don't know why I'd ask someone who looks like they have moss growing on their head from lack of use, for ideas."