Thrice Prophesized - Zoro x Reader

Chapter 5: Cold Clues

Nami had explained to you how a lot of the islands in this world had their own climates, and often their own seasonal cycles, seemingly independent from one another. They were, amazingly, interconnected, but so fine and variable and complex was the system that connected them that not many people could comprehend it. Nami had a natural talent for it, and was herself amazingly smart, and these things made her a strong navigator.

Which was to say you weren't surprised to have left a calm cool ocean only to find yourself at an island buried under snow.

What you were surprised by, was how quickly the crew had ended up scattered.

You were walking through the snowy village with your coat over your shoulder, Dr. Chopper walking with you. He had taken a form that looked mostly like a reindeer, but considering you were walking around in normal clothes you were more the sight than him.

"You're not cold?"

You shake your head. "Winternight knights are cursed," you turn to him. "Ah, by cursed I mean a specific kind of magic, not something inherently bad. Enchantments effect objects, enhancements are temporary, but curses last forever. All knighted warriors in the duchy are cursed to acclimate us to the cold." You look around and begin to wonder if you shouldn't just suffer under the coat. "Seems the effects have followed me here."

"People will probably just assume you are a Devil fruit user." Chopper assures you. "But uh, you are gonna stick in their minds like this."

You put the coat on and can already feel yourself heating up. "Does this happen often?"

"Huh?"

"We had a plan." You grumble.

Chopper smiles at you. "Oh, yeah, this happens a lot. Let's get what we can and head back to Sunny. It'll work out, it always does."

You take Chopper's advice and focus on the task you were both given - clothes for yourself, and medical supplies for the ship. You were supposed to have Zoro and Sanji with you, but a ruckus in town had separated you and the only one you found after was Chopper.

Jinbei and Brook had left with Luffy to scout around the town and see what they could find, and everyone else had stayed with the ship.

At least with just you and Chopper things were peaceful.

"Do Mast- er, I mean do Zoro and Sanji hate one another?" You had been asked to drop formalities by most of the crew that morning and were working on it. "They seem to be perpetually at odds."

"They don't hate one another," Chopper assures you. "No one can say for sure what goes on between them, but there's respect and rivalry there. Nami says they look up to one another and are too pig-headed to admit it, so they get into arguments."

"Hm." You smile at the revelation. "And yet they are in sync enough to fight well together. There were a few young knights like that back home."

You two continue the rest of your trip in relative silence, working your way through what you needed to buy and keeping one another in line of sight the whole time. You were already on your way back to the ship when things went wrong.

Chopper grabbed you by the arm and pulled both of you into an alleyway. You ducked down and hid as he turned into his smaller form and listened as a small group of marines passed by.

"They say she's been spotted here in town, we have to find her and let boss Smoker know. The bounty is only alive, so stay alert."

You looked over at Chopper with a bit of a scowl until you realized the young reindeer looked scared. You tilt your head questioningly and he just shakes his head for now. You write the first few letters of Smoker's name in the snow and then draw a check mark and an X under it. You point to yourself and your sword and then point to the name and symbols.