Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams

Floor 18: All-Out War on Thriller Bark

The present-day Straw Hats watched as memory Zoro began to face off against Ryuma. They both turned to face the other, each one sizing the other up, wondering who would make the first move.

"Yeah! Take him out, Zoro!" Luffy cheered, eager to see this fight happen.

"Was he really strong?" Chopper asked softly as he watched with wide eyes.

"You felt his blade before, didn't you?" present-day Zoro asked him calmly. "The only reason his attack didn't kill you outright was because he used the blunt side of the blade."

"You're right," Usopp whispered as he put his hand to his stomach where he could still feel the pain from that attack before he was knocked out. Even so, that attack could have easily killed all three of them in that instant. He guessed that they were lucky that Moria needed them all alive if he wanted their shadows. This guy was no joke. And while these guys had no problems fighting off a lot of the weaker zombies, this samurai wasn't going to be nearly as easy to deal with.

He then turn his gaze to the black blade that Zoro wore at his side and realized that was the same sword that almost killed him, Chopper, and Nami once. It sent chills down his spine at the sight of it there

Just then, Ryuma began to chuckle again at the thought of a new opponent.

"So you think you can take my black blade, Shuusui, away from me, do you?" he asked like he highly doubted that could ever happen.

"Oh, I'm taking it," memory Zoro confirmed. "I'm about to cut you down and wrench it from your cold, dead body."

"Wow, Zoro!" Chopper gasped out with sparkling eyes at how cool his hero was.

"It shouldn't be too hard for you to do that since he is a zombie and already has a cold, dead body," Robin also added lightly.

"Girl, you are scarier than any zombie on this stupid island," present-day Franky sighed.

"Oh, I see," Ryuma said in more amusement before laying again. "Feeling cocky today, are we?"

"Woah, easy, it's not a good idea to provoke him," memory Brook croaked up from his spot on the floor.

"Yes, I learned that the hard way," present-day Brook added as he reached up to touch his precious afro as he finished, "He did not like that at all."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't underestimate me," present-day Zoro reasoned lightly as he watched his past self grip his swords tightly, getting ready to charge in.

"It looks to me that you already have three swords," Ryuma pointed out, noticing how Zoro had yet to draw the third sword that still hung at his side.

"True. But... one's broken," memory Zoro answered briskly. "And I got used to carrying three. So it feels weird not to. See, I use three-sword style."

"Right, that sword got broken back at Enies Lobby, didn't it?" Robin asked, feeling a twinge of guilt inside her at the thought.

"It's alright," present-day Zoro sighed as he gripped Shuusui and said, "I got a pretty good replacement for it. If I hadn't lost that sword, I never would be able to use this one, now would I?"

She smiled back at him, glad to see that their attempt to rescue her didn't cost him much for too long.

"Three swords style, huh?" Ryuma asked as he let those words wash over him. "Never heard of it. Is it some sort of circus act?"

"I think so," Sanji couldn't help but state. "I mean, seriously, how'd you come up with the idea of using three swords? Carrying another around in your mouth like that? Who dreams up things like that?"