Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 36: Enter the Humming Swordsman: Brook

Everyone was only too happy to see the Sunny again after all that they had seen; and they didn't waste any time running to jump onto the deck, finally feeling safe—as if they had just come home after a long trip. Seeing these memories have taken a heavy toll on them physically and emotionally, and all they wanted to do was collapse onto their beds. But with everything happening, they knew that there would be time for that later.

As most of them flopped onto the grassy deck, Sanji went running off to the men's room to get himself several packs of cigarettes, almost crying with relief when he grabbed hold of them. Meanwhile, Franky went to the storage and fetched himself plenty of cola, feeling better once he refueled; and Chopper went dashing up to the infirmary to get more medicine and bandages to treat the wounds that everyone had gotten so far.

For some reason, as long as they were on Sunny, no other memories or the slime creature, showed up to bother them. This was fine by them since they all felt like they needed the break. Once he had made sure to fill his pockets with smokes, Sanji went to the kitchen and fixed them all lunchboxes, since preparing an entire meal right now would take too long—and they were only too happy to dig right into them.

But they knew that all they were doing was prolonging the enviable. So after they each made sure they had everything they needed, they ventured off the ship, and almost at once the memory appeared once again. They were more prepared for this however, and were ready as they dug into their food.

In this next memory they were standing on a floating chunk of snow and looking around them in shock. What was going on here? They were surrounded on all sides by giant glaciers, and there was a bitter wind that was clearly wiping through the area, and they were all suddenly grateful that they couldn't feel it. They appeared to have been standing on a giant slab of ice, and they could see the Sunny floating in the distance and Franky looking up at the mast. They weren't alone however since memory Robin, Zoro, Sanji, Nami... and for some strange reason, Sanji had a death grip on Chopper while he kept a hand firmly covered over the reindeer's mouth, were all standing there looking at it as well.

"Hey!" Usopp cried, looking at the scene and everyone's winter clothes, "This was when the flag was stolen wasn't it?!"

"Sure looks like it," Sanji said in surprise.

"Wait, what flag are you talking about?" Brook said startled as they heard Luffy shouting and they looked back to see Luffy in a coat that was scorched in the front, and his chest was burnt. He had a look of deep frustration on his face as he caught up to them.

"Your right..." Nami whispered as her past self hissed at the others to act natural. "I didn't think that we'd be seeing this again."

"What is going on?" Brook asked them, scratching his head in confusion.

"It's a long story," Sanji said quickly as Luffy ran right up to them all, looking angry.

"Hey! What are you guys doing!?" he yelled at them all. "You let our flag get stolen! We need to hurry and get it back!"

"Wait! You mean that someone stole our flag?!" Brook gasped.

"Not now!" Zoro snapped as their four past selves turned to look back at him, Sanji still half choking Chopper in the process to keep him quiet.

"Stolen? The flag?" memory Nami asked, a big smile that they all recognized right away that she was lying. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Luffy blinked in confusion and that was when they all could see the horrible forced smiles on their faces—all except for Robin, who was smiling just as calmly as she always did.

"Is that what we really looked like when we're lying now?" Sanji asked in confusion. Damn, he thought that they were more convincing than that.

"He bought it in the end didn't he?" Usopp hissed to him as Brook continued to look completely lost as to what was going on here.