Towering Memories and Treasured Dreams

Floor 1: Beneath the Waves

Luffy was the first to go running into the room, looking around with interest, thinking it was going to be exciting and wild... yet instead it was...?

"It's completely dark in here!" he shouted out in frustration.

"Geez, ya think?" Franky asked sarcastically as they all stepped in, with the only light coming from the open door behind them with the fading sun, stretching out their shadows until they reached the darkness of the surrounding walls.

"So far, I can't say the inside is as impressive as the out," Usopp said as he kept his hand on his slingshot, the warning of 'dragon's lair' still ringing in his mind.

"It's creepy," Chopper whispered, not liking this one little bit.

"Yes, it feels like we are stepping into a tomb," Robin said, sending shivers down some of her crewmates spines.

"Robin, why are you so cruel?" Usopp whimpered, an image of coffins and crypts suddenly flashing in his mind. As well as the horrible thought of those resting inside them suddenly placing a curse on them for disturbing their sleep.

"Not that I mind," Robin went on as if she hadn't heard him. "All archeologists love entering tombs."

"You aren't right in the head then," Nami said, shivering as she felt goosebumps across her skin.

"Careful," Sanji warned suddenly. "For all we know, there could be traps set up here. Watch your..."

"Hey!" Luffy yelled out, already running ahead. "Where are the stairs? I wanna go straight up to the top!"

"Would you just wait for a minute?!" Sanji yelled at him just as the last person, Nami, came walking through the door. But as soon as she crossed over the threshold, the door shut behind her, leaving them all in pitch darkness.

Nami screamed out as Usopp and Chopper both ran to the wall and tried to start pushing for a way out.

"Calm down," Zoro called firmly, "I don't detect anyone else here but us!"

But he fell silent as he glanced around. He was sure that there was no one else here but them... he was willing to bet on it... but then why did he feel so uneasy? Like there were eyes watching them from all over the room?

"I don't like this!" Usopp cried out, still pushing at the door with Chopper, trying to get it open.

"No need to worry all!" Franky laughed happily, pushing his shirt back as he cried out, "FRANKY NIBBLE LIGHTS!"

Usopp slapped him and yelled out, "I still can't get over that!"

And suddenly the dark area was bathed in light. An enormous room that was completely empty but for the strange shapes and symbols on the walls. The ceiling was much lower than any of them thought, and for a moment, it seemed like there was no way to get out.

"Hey!" Luffy suddenly shouted out and they looked around to find him standing at another door on the other side of the room and he opened it up to reveal a set of stairs that continued upwards. "I found the stairs! Let's go!"

"Hang on, Luffy!" Usopp yelled. "How are we supposed to get back out?"

"Huh? Oh, it's ok! That girl said that there was another way to escape at the top!" Luffy grinned out happily before he started up the stairs.

"Hey, what girl?!" Nami yelled out. But Luffy was already out of her sights and she growled angrily before crying out, "Why doesn't he ever wait?!"

"He's Luffy, what do you expect?" Zoro sighed with a shrug. "C'mon. Let's go before he hurts himself."

"Or gets us all cursed," Usopp whimpered as they followed behind. With Franky lighting the way, they all began to climb up the spiral stairs, up and up they went, the same paintings on the wall of swirling shapes that made no sense to any of them. Not even Robin was able to make sense of what it all was right away as she ran her hand over the cold stone.