Disclaimer: One piece and all of the characters belong to their rightful owners. I don't own or profit off of any of this. I wish though. xD
A/N: So in my typical style, this is a angsty fic for you all to enjoy. Can be interpreted as a Christmas fic I suppose.
The Heart Pirates had gotten used to the routine by now. On the rare occasion they happened upon a winter island, their captain would get off with the same usual sack. They'd have free time, and normally, Bepo at the very least would follow his captain. However, on the winter islands, nobody followed their captain. Nobody. Instead, they watched their captain's retreating back, his lone foot prints in the snow vanishing as he went in land or lost amidst the flurry of snowflakes.
This time, Bepo watched as his captain walked away from their submarine, leaving behind his sword, kikokus and only bringing the usual backpack. He watched as his captain eventually disappeared amidst the townsfolk. Standing there, the polar bear's ears flattened against his head in dejection as he murmured "Aye Aye Captain!" He turned and disappeared beneath deck once more.
Law never looked back as he disappeared into town. Bepo and the crew knew better than to follow him. Law shifted the backpack on his shoulder, angling the sack to be comfortable on his shoulder. Disappearing into an empty alley, he dropped the sack on the ground and peeled off his own ankle length winter coat, exposing his black shirt with a black feather lined collar. From his sack, he pulled out a giant black feather coat. It wasn't his, and it wasn't as big as his, but it fit just right. Law slipped his arms through the sleeves of the coat.
Even though it wasn't warm like his other coat was, the warmth of memories it provided was warmer than anything he could buy. Packing the coat back into the sack, Law hugged the coat close to himself and found himself grinning uncharacteristically into the slightly worn fabric. He only wore this on winter islands when he knew he had time to be alone.
After packing everything away and shifting some contents around, Law shouldered the sack once more, and continued to make his way through the town. Stopping several times to purchase something or ask for directions, he was soon continuing on his way once more.
Law continued walking, his shoes crunching in the snow as he walked through roads less traveled. Along the way, he collected a few rocks, and continued to trudge through the snow, his footprints the only ones in the snow. Just like he'd been told in the town, hardly anyone came out this way. Law walked further and further away from the town until the town wasn't even visible behind him anymore.
Law walked for at least an hour before he came upon the clear. Pausing at the edge of the clearing, he surveyed his surroundings to confirm that he really was the only one in the area and that nobody had come to the clearing recently. Trudging into the clearing, Law stopped in the middle of clearing and, setting his sack down, got to work, pulling the rocks from his sack.
An hour later, Law's frozen hands reached into his black feathered coat as he pulled out a box of rarely smoked cigarettes. Pulling a cigarette from the box, Law stuck the cigarette between his lips as he put the pack away. Law wasn't a frequent smoker. However, he always smoked one cigarette when he came to the winter islands. Just one.. Staring at the monument built of stacked rocks and a pair of lashed sticks in the shape of a cross, Law struck a match and lit the cigarette up.
Closing his eyes, Law inhaled deeply, letting the smoke circulate in his lungs before he slowly exhaled a steady stream of smoke. Opening his eyes, he stared at the grave for the man whose body he never knew if it got a proper burial or not. Sparing a moment of silence, Law didn't even notice the snowflakes that started to slowly drift down from the sky. Instead, he said "Cora-san...Dressrosa...I'm going...He's there...I will see your dream accomplished, so that you may rest peacefully in the afterlife..."
Law stood there, just staring at the honorary grave of a man he never got to see buried. He stood there for a long while. Until finally, he scooped his sack up again and turned to walk away, cigarette still in between his lips.
Behind him, the ghost of a man sat against the stack of rocks, watching Law's retreating back.
"...Law..."
Law's head turned as he heard his name. Confronted with the ghost of the man he had come to think of as his adoptive father, Law smiled a grim smile. He didn't say a word as the ghost simply offered Law a humble smile before disappearing on the wind, vanishing as quickly as he'd appeared. Turning away from the grave, Law continued trekking, his foot prints quickly disappearing beneath the snow.
On the wind that blew past Law, the man went first...To Dressrosa. To see the man he'd come to think of as his adoptive son accomplish his own goals. Dressrosa, and the defeat of the man he once dared to call brother was no longer his dream.
Dreams were for the living and peace was for the dead. He could only wish the man he dared to call his adoptive son well, and success in accomplishing his dream.
As Law reached town, the monument he'd left behind was already covered in a light layer of snow, and his foot prints were rapidly disappearing, as if he'd never been out there in the first place. Rejoining the townsfolk, Law put out the remnants of his cigarette and dusted off the coat. He had to change and then he'd rejoin their crew. It was finally time to make his move.
He was finally going to accomplish his and that person's dream of defeating Doflamingo.