The biting wind howled across the icy wasteland of Punk Hazard as you trudged forward, arms wrapped tightly around yourself. Your breath puffed visibly in the air, and your voice cracked as you called out again.

“Luffy? Nami? Zoro?”

Nothing. Just silence and snow. Your boots crunched through the frostbitten ground as you pushed on, lips chapped from the cold. You’d been separated from the crew during the chaos of exploring the island, and now you were wandering aimlessly through the frozen zone with no sense of direction.

Then—voices.

You squinted toward the valley below. A confrontation was brewing. You could barely make out a group of marines squaring off with a lone figure, tension so thick it hung in the air like frost. Maybe one of them had seen your crew?

You took a cautious step forward—and the ground gave way beneath your feet. With a startled yelp, you were launched into a downhill slide, limbs flailing wildly as snow flew past your face. You hit a patch of ice, bounced, and crashed straight into something—or rather, someone—with a dull thud that stole the air from your lungs.

A grunt echoed against the frozen earth, though you weren’t sure who it came from. You blinked rapidly, shaking ice crystals from your lashes, and found yourself half-sprawled against a tall figure clad in black.

“Oi—what the hell?” someone barked. You sat up with a groan, brushing snow from your shoulders, then looked up—and froze.

A group of marines surrounded you. Among them stood Vice Admiral Smoker. And the person you had crashed into?

“Law…?”

The surgeon of death raised a brow, gray eyes narrowing with his usual cold indifference. You hadn’t seen him since the incident two islands back—when he’d helped you quietly, before disappearing again into the chaos of the New World. “…What do you think you’re doing, Straw Hat?” Law asked, voice flat.

Before you could answer, he turned back to Smoker, continuing their heated exchange. You shivered again, arms hugging yourself tightly as the cold settled deeper into your bones.

“I’m not giving you my jacket,” Law muttered without even looking. You pouted, turning away with a sigh.

Then—warmth.

You blinked in surprise as his long coat was draped over your shoulders. The inside still held his body heat, and the gesture stunned you more than the fall had. “Don’t get used to it,” Law said curtly, cheeks tinged faintly red. “Just stay out of my way.”