Chapter Text
Snow on the Grandline doesn’t fall the same. In the East Blue, the snow was soft, fell down to Earth in cold blanket. This snow cuts, it doesn’t drift or flutter, the cold cutting through jackets and skin.
The island they found didn’t offer much solace from the snow storm they found themselves in. From the water all they could see was jagged rocks on the coastline and thick pine forests barely past the beaches. In the middle of the island there was a large mountain, also covered in snow.
The crew disembarks from the Thousand Sunny, Franky staying behind - the cold not affecting the half cyborg as much as the others. Zoro stands at the edge of the beach and forest, watching everyone make their way through, his arms folded inside his coat, breath coming in short and controlled bursts. He can see that already Sunny is being buried in snow from where they docked her. The weather here is no joke, and he’s not a fan of the cold. The ground is crunching under everyone’s footsteps as they head into the forest.
“Come on mosshead,” Sanji ushered Zoro to walk in front of him.
“Get going, curly,” Zoro stopped mid step for Sanji to walk in front of him.
“No no, the last thing we need is for a moss to get lost before we even get into a village.” Sanji stayed firm, unmoving until Zoro stepped out first.
“Stupid cook, not gonna get lost,” Zoro said stomping ahead, he picked up his pace to stay close to Chopper, uninterested in spending extra time with the cook.
Sanji rolled his eyes at the swordsman while he lit a cigarette, the stick warming his hands and throat.
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The village they happen to find is quaint, it’s not very big but they said not many parts of the island are habitable. It’s most definitely a winter island, like Chopper’s, the homes are forever caked in glistening white snow. But that town is so colorful, ribbons and lanterns and hand made ornaments decorate everything. Lights wrapped around all the trees, the townsfolk mentioned they look better at night.
Since Luffy can’t keep his mouth shut, the town finds out rather quickly that they are pirates. But are seemingly unfazed, maybe they haven’t ever seen pirates or they are secretly all more than capable of fighting them off. The rest of the crew doesn’t seem to worry, but Zoro is reluctant. He sticks to himself as Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper are easily distracted by all the shops in the town square. Nami too, a fine jewelry store sparks her attention and Robin heads to the local bookstore. Zoro is just about to find a bar to crawl into until he feels a tug on the back of his coat, “you’re coming with me marimo, we have to go to the market.” Sanji demanded.
“Piss off, cook, you don’t tell me what to do.” Zoro barked back.
“Oh, stop whining, the sooner it’s done, the sooner we are out of the cold.” again Zoro reluctantly went along with it. The cold was zapping all of the fight out of him, and he was saving it in case something happened with these villagers.
Zoro is absolutely frozen as they make their way through the market. Mind over matter , he keeps repeating to himself, trying to use this torturous weather as endurance training. He can see that that cook is equally as cold, his hands shivering every time he hands over the berry to pay, and his constant smoking to keep his teeth from chattering.
The locals seem to get a kick out of seeing visitors struggle with the weather so much as they all seem unaffected.
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After gathering enough supplies and securing some rooms to stay in for the night, the crew is finally sitting together to enjoy a warm meal. Sanji made a special soup with some of the local produce, he would stop talking about how it was seemingly impossible that anything could grow on such an island.
Robin talked about some of her findings from the local books she read. Something about it being a Christmas Island ? But none of them even knew what Christmas was, except Sanji and Robin. They told the other stories of some fat guy coming into people’s houses to leave them things ? It all seemed like fairy tails, but this was the grandline after all; and they had a talking reindeer, so what difference would a flying one be.
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The next day, they all prepare to brave the frozen island again. The island’s people are kind to them, Sanji figured that when you’ve survived so many winters it's not worth it to be cruel. They offer home made stew, blankets, carved wooden ornaments shaped like stars and animals. Luffy accepts everything with wide-eyed enthusiasm. Chopper is already knee-deep in snow, marveling at how it sparkles in the sun.
“This is the best Christmas ever!” Usopp declares, hanging up a wreath on an old woman’s door.
Robin smiles softly at the crew’s antics. Franky is helping rebuild a collapsed awning, humming a tune Sanji doesn’t recognize. He joined them on the island after covering Sunny to prevent too much snow build up, but he realized he couldn’t stay there without freezing his circuits, and his cola.
Sanji moves through them all effortlessly with a tray, serving, refilling cups, and lighting candles. He laughs when Nami snaps at Luffy. Compliments the food he didn’t cook. Keeps busy.
Zoro stays near the edge of the square, back against a frozen well, arms crossed. He watches. He always watches.
Sanji notices when Zoro is watching him, feels his eyes on his hands as they shake when he pours hot cider into Robin’s mug.
Zoro looks away first.
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There’s always a mission, someone always in need of help or saving. Zoro wouldn’t entertain half of the nonsense they get roped into, but their captain can’t seem to say no, especially after they stuffed him with enough meat and sweets to last to next month.
A group of villagers approached Robin at dinner, hushed and anxious. Something about bandits in the mountains. A stolen supply caravan. Food meant to last the rest of winter.
“We’ll handle it,” Luffy says instantly.
Zoro doesn’t need to look at Sanji to know he’s already volunteered too.
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The mountain path is narrow and icy. Snow is crunching under every step, hiding patches of slick stone. The wind is worse up here, screaming through ravines, biting at exposed skin.
Sanji walks ahead, lighter on his feet, cigarette tucked away for once. Zoro follows, steps deliberate, jaw clenched.
They don’t talk, they can hear Luffy and Chopper up ahead. Chopped would usually not be coming with them, knowing there is a battle at the end of it but the brave doctor volunteered. He claimed that he would need to be there to help them navigate up the mountain and back down since it's impossible to follow a visual path in snow like this, they would need his nose. Zoro was proud.
Hours pass with nothing but the sound of snow crunching and wind whipping past his ears.
At some point Zoro is starting to feel pain, it's dull, the cold is already working on numbing it. He's pretty sure he twisted his ankle about half an hour back. He thought he caught himself on the rock in time, but he can barely see his own two feet when they crunch through the snow.
“You’re limping,” Sanji says, not turning around. Likely having heard Zoro’s muttered cursing and his uneven steps on the crunching snow
Zoro scowls. “Mind your own business.”
“You slipped back there.”
“Didn’t.”
Sanji turns then, eyes sharp. “You did.”
The wind howls between them.
“So what?” Zoro snaps. “You planning to carry me?”
Sanji’s lip curls. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
They stare at each other, tension coiled tight.
Sanji turns away again. “Try not to slow us down.”
Zoro grips the hilt of his sword hard enough that his knuckles ache.
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The bandits are desperate, not skilled. Cold and hunger make people reckless. Steel flashes and punches fly and flames melt the snow turning it to an even more precarious battle field. The remaining snow starts to turn red in quick, ugly bursts.
Zoro fights like he always does—grounded, relentless. Though every swing sends a shock up his injured leg, pain blooming sharp and hot beneath the cold. He ignores it like he always does. If he can still stand its not broken, he’ll let Chopper look when they get back.
Sanji moves like fire against the white—kicks snapping, precise and brutal. He doesn’t look at Zoro. Doesn’t need to.
They win quickly and are able to find the caravan with almost all of the supply still intact. Sanji doesn’t speak while they hook the wagon up to Chopper to carry down the mountain.
No one speaks on the way down, except Luffy who is full of energy and can yap the entire time about anything that comes into his mind. Zoro on the other hand is only focused on getting one foot in front of the other as the winds pick up and the sun starts to dip, trying to ignore the pain in his leg. Less from the sprain earlier and likely that his feet are getting frostbitten from how bloody cold it is up here.
He pauses for a second to catch his breath, no one noticing their swordsman lagging a few paces behind. When he finally feels like he can move his toes again, Zoro rushes to catch up. He really really doesn’t want to get lost in this weather. He thinks back to Drum Island when he got lost for hours with no jacket, he can’t repeat that again. He sees the carriage ahead through the blizzard starting to fall, he attempts to run up to them. The path is not as narrow but still just as slick.
Sanji looks back when he hears the sound of heavy rushes steps behind him. “No you idiot, don't run here !” Sanji shouts, but it’s too late. One step onto the snow, his boot sinking to the bottom only to be met with ice. He tries to compensate on his other leg but it's sprained and sore and collapses under the sudden weight. “Zoro !” Sanji shouts as he sees him slip back, “ZORO !!” he screams as he watches him slide off the edge of the mountain. Luffy turns just in time to see his best friend falling to what is surely his death. He quickly stretches his arm out in an attempt to catch him but Luffy is cold too, the rubber powers in the cold are slower that what Luffy is used to. Zoro hits the ground and for a second the others think that the snow cushioned the fall until they see the white surrounding him turn red.