Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams

Floor 4: The Underwater Palace

"Wow," memory Usopp said in an impressed way. "That's one huge merman."

"Personally, I prefer mermaids," memory Brook stated.

"I agree with myself," the current Brook nodded in full agreement. "They just lack the... ah... assets that I like."

"Like what?" Chopper asked innocently before Brook frozen, glancing over at Robin, who was giving him a dark look and he gulped down nervously before he gave Chopper a friendly pat on the head.

"Don't mind me," he laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'd go for a mermaid any day," Sanji sighed, more interested in all the mermaids that were watching the king with wide eyes.

"Hey! You guys!" Pappug cried out in panic like he couldn't believe that they were talking so casually about the king.

"What a hairy old man," memory Luffy went on just as calmly.

"I'm telling you, you're being rude!" Pappug cried as he jumped up and began to pull at memory Luffy's face, causing it to stretch. "Be respectful and kneel already!"

"But it's true," current Luffy pointed out, "He really is a hairy old man!"

"Yeah, I think you could hide a zoo in that beard of his and you'd never know," Zoro added as he watched, wondering why Pappug was telling them to kneel to someone they never met before.

"That whale is so cute!" memory Nami spoke up as if she hadn't heard a word that the starfish had said, and not even giving Neptune a second glance.

"He really is," current Brook sighed as he thought of Laboon when he was still just a baby. He was so cute... he wanted to see him... he hoped that Laboon would be patient just a little bit longer.

Meanwhile, all the Fishmen and Merpeople around them were watching with wide, nervous eyes.

"What does his majesty want with those humans?" they heard one of the Fishmen ask his friend quietly.

"Why would he come here to see them in person?" a mermaid asked, never taking her eyes off Neptune, who had just turned to the shark that floated up right next to him... the same shark that had been wearing the t-shirt when he escaped the Kraken.

"Megalo," Neptune said to the shark. "Are you sure that it was these people-jamon?"

Megalo nodded enthusiastically.

"You know, I wish all sharks were as cute as Megalo," Robin said as Megalo reminded her of a faithful puppy.

"But that would take away their image," Zoro reminded her. "Who would be afraid of a shark that looks like that?"

"Huh?" memory Nami asked in surprise. "Didn't we see that shark on our way down here?"

"Oh yeah!" past Usopp said, pointing at it, "The one wearing that shirt!"

"The guy who was almost eaten by Surume!" memory Luffy said brightly.

"So the Mermaid Princess's pet was almost eaten by your pet," Robin stated as she thought it all over.

"Boy, glad that didn't happen, that would have been awkward to explain," Franky spoke up sarcastically before he put on a phony winning voice and said loudly, "'Hi, we haven't even met yet, but my newly tamed Kraken just happened to have eaten your shark. Hope you can understand!' Yeah, she would have taken that well."

"I see," said Neptune before he looked at the memory Straw Hats, who stared back at him.

When he didn't say anything for a moment, past Usopp asked him what it was that he wanted. King Neptune stayed silent for another moment before he finally said, "I have come... to take you..." and suddenly he flung his arms open wide as he declared, "to Ryuuguu Palace-jamon!"