Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams

Floor 16: Zombie Samurai and Giants

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but getting your shadow stolen is stupid and it sucked," Zoro couldn't help but speak as Luffy, Sanji, Robin, and Brook all nodded in agreement.

"Did it really hurt?" present-day Chopper gulped as Gecko Moria laughed in triumph as he held memory Luffy's struggling shadow within his grasp.

They all looked at each other as they tried to find a way to explain it.

"It didn't hurt as bad as it looked," Brook explained gloomily. "But...?"

"But it's like a piece of you is ripped away," Robin offered as she tried to think it over. "Like... like phantom pain from a limb that was cut off."

"EEEEP! Robin don't talk like that!" present-day Usopp begged, wishing that she wouldn't use such vivid descriptions.

"I hate to say it, but that is a lot like how it felt," Zoro confirmed, causing more cries of fear from the present-day versions of Usopp and Chopper as they thought about it.

"Now Straw Hat becomes another one of my subjects!" Moria laughed in a pleased way as he looked to the struggling shadow, who was trying to get back to memory Luffy, who was still out cold on the floor. "And then my ultimate minion will have the power he needs to come to life!"

Meanwhile, the memory versions of Usopp, Nami, and Chopper were all now staring at the scene from behind Kumacy, the shock on their faces was so big that it was obvious that they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"It was like I was in a dream," present-day Nami said as their past selves were staring at memory Luffy. "Or rather, a big nightmare that I wanted to wake up from, but couldn't."

"Man, I can't believe that they caught us off-guard like that," present-day Luffy couldn't help but add.

"I can," present-day Nami sighed at the thought. Really, why don't these guys think before walking right into a dangerous place like this?

"Poor Luffy," memory Usopp whimpered, tears forming in his eyes.

"What just happened?" memory Nami gasped, looking blue in the face. "That's not possible? Is it?"

"His shadow..." memory Chopper whispered as his eyes were twitching, "He cut it off and took it..."

"Not just that, but he did it like he was unrolling wrapping paper," Sanji said as he stuck a new cigarette into his mouth. "And now he's about to give himself a new present in the form of a zombie."

"I'm glad that the giant ended up destroying his castle here," Franky huffed as he looked around the room, knowing that it was about to be reduced to rubble before the sun rose.

"Wait a minute...?" memory Usopp said, getting their attention. "We've heard about this, haven't we? Didn't that skeleton say the same thing happened to him?"

"Yeah, I remember," memory Nami agreed. "He said his shadow was stolen. Then this must be the guy who did it."

"I think that's a pretty safe bet," Franky couldn't help but point out to them with a smirk. "Unless, of course, there's another nutjob out there who can steal shadows."

"I bet you're right, how awful," memory Chopper said as the bear zombie was looking right down at them with wide eyes. "What's the trick? It must be a Devil Fruit Power."

"Hey," Zoro warned, realizing that they were all talking a bit too loudly for their own good and if Moria found out about them, he would steal their shadows while he was at it. "Keep your voices down. You're gonna get caught."

However, Perona did hear something and turned around. Thankfully, she thought that it was Kumacy who made the noise and was now telling him off at the thought that he was speaking again. The three memory Straw Hats ducked back inside him before she noticed anything else. The bear, meanwhile, was trying to tell her what was going on without speaking, but all he did was wave his paws around wildly as he made little grunting noises. Perona then warned him not to ever speak since she didn't think he was cute when he spoke at all.