Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 20: Whales, Princesses, and Dinosaurs: OH MY!

This had been the best memory yet.

The Straw Hats all enjoyed the break-neck ride down Reverse Mountain, the wind blowing past them as they continued to pick up speed as they went, the water sprayed everywhere creating more mist. Their memory selves were all shouting in joy—obviously loving every minute of it.

"I can't believe that this all happened over two years ago!" Usopp yelled joyfully, everything rushing back to him in a happy blur. Before he joined this crew, he never once thought that he would've made it to the Grand Line—but now look at him here in the New World! He had already changed a lot when they first came here and he couldn't help but wonder just how much more he could change by the next time that they see this mountain.

"It was stormy the night that I came to the Grand Line too, Yohohoho!" Brook laughed happily. "This all takes me back! Nice to know that some things stayed the same."

Downwards they sped, almost as if they were on a waterslide, breaking through the clouds so that they couldn't see anything but the white fog in front of them. All five were laughing, sounding as if they didn't have a care in the world... but then memory Zoro was shouting out, "Did you just hear something?"

"Huh, what's that?" Nami yelled over at him as the present-day Straw Hats stopped laughing long enough to hear them.

"That groaning sound!" past Zoro shouted out, "Didn't you hear it?!"

"It was probably just the wind!" she dismissed at him as they started to go even faster, "At this speed, everything sounds distorted!"

But then they heard it—a distance wailing that sounded like a foghorn had come through the clouds.

"What is that?" Chopper yelled as memory Usopp began to look through his goggles to try and find that answer as well. But Brook suddenly remembered and was looking around desperately. Was this possibly...?

"Nami!" screamed Sanji from the mast, "I see a mountain up ahead!"

"Another mountain?" repeated Robin in surprise. "There's not supposed to be anything but ocean here once you get over Reverse Mountain."

"Not a stone mountain anywhere," current Zoro stated casually, remembering what—or rather who—they met here.

"WHAT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" memory Nami yelled up at him in panic.

"But it's right there!" Sanji screamed back as he pointed in front of them, "I can see it!"

"Who cares!?" Luffy yelled from the Merry's head—and it was obvious that he couldn't have cared less to what might happen. "GO!"

"Of course he's not concerned," current Nami sighed, "I bet that he would still be laughing even if was a mountain."

"But what are you guys talking about...?" Franky began as past Nami began to scream that they should be home free after they pass the Twin Capes. But then that groaning wail sounded off once again, louder than ever so that no one could deny that they didn't hear it.

"NO!" Brook shouted out as he ran to the upper deck so that he was right beside Luffy as he tried to see through the clouds. "IT CAN'T BE!"

Zoro smiled, knowing that Soul King was about to lose his mind when he saw how big his old friend became. Luffy was now trying to squint his eyes through the thick fog—trying to make something out. Just then, they broke through the white sheet and all that could be seen was a vast navy blue, almost black—which caused the five memory Straw Hats, Franky and Chopper to scream in shock.

"It's a black wall!" Luffy screamed in fear.

"No, it's not...!" memory Nami shouted in horror as she grabbed hold of the railing, tears in her eyes.