Snow Globe

1

WINTER'S WISH

Zoro stared with a disbelieving eye at the navy blue coat crumpled on the snow.

The blue gleam of the snow globe in his hand was already receding but the rapid beating of his heart continued to pulse inside his ears. The last bit of snowflakes settled inside the globe, piling into heaps of useless white crystals.

Or so he thought.

“For you, Zoro-dono,” Kin’emon said and handed him a strange round glass.

“What’s this?” he asked, examining the gift with a curious eye. There was nothing inside but piles of white crystals which resembled the snow falling outside the shack. He tried placing it upside down but the white material was glued to the base of the glass.

“It’s a special snow globe,” the samurai responded. “Wano is known for building poneglyphs, but we have clans who are inclined into crafts. That snow globe is no ordinary. The flakes inside the glass are not made but are actual snowfall carefully collected around the holy grounds of the mountain temple. The High Priest himself blessed every globe produced by the chosen clans. It was said to grant any wish that your heart desires.”

“Was?” Zoro inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Kin’emon’s eyes went downcast as a sad emotion flashed across his face. “A snow globe that can grant any wish is dangerous, Zoro-dono. Twenty years ago, a war started inside the country because every person wanted to have their hands on a piece of that magical craft. To stop the conflict and to restore peace on the land, the shogun ordered the destruction of those crafts and the persecution of the clans responsible for producing them. The High Priest killed himself to ask for the Sun God’s forgiveness because of the dispute he had created.”

He looked at Momonosuke for a moment and then shifted his gaze back to Zoro. “That snow globe is the only piece left of its kind. Momonosuke-sama’s father gave that to me, hoping that it can one day save his son’s life.”

“Then why are you giving this to me?” the swordsman asked as he felt the urge to return an important heirloom like this.

“I asked for permission from Momonosuke-sama about this. It’s a token of appreciation for helping us,” Kin’emon said with a smile. “I don’t know if Kaido knows about that snow globe, but I think that it will be safer if it’s under your crew’s protection.”

“Why me? Why don’t you give it to Luffy?”

Kin’emon turned his head toward the direction of the rubber captain. Luffy was stuffing his face with meat on the dinner table as the other Strawhats, together with the Heart Pirates, ate, laughed and bickered. His team arrived in Wano Island five days ago and it was fortunate enough that they managed to find each other before Luffy stirred some kind of trouble under Kaido’s nose.

“Well,” Kin’emon began, “Luffy-dono is strong and I know that he will keep the globe safe. But I doubt that he won’t use it for anything unless it’s about getting to rain meat or asking for a mountain of food.”

Zoro grinned because, hell, it was completely possible.

“You’re the first mate and the vice captain of the crew, Zoro-dono. I trust your decision as much as I trust Luffy-dono’s strength,” Kin’emon spoke.

Zoro studied him for a moment. He really wasn’t sure if he should accept something like this. But upon seeing the decisive look on the samurai’s face, he resigned himself to taking the gift and tucking it inside the pocket of his coat.