Chapter 6: The Frozen Heart
The air was a biting, frigid thing that stung the lungs. The island was a landscape of jagged ice and sharp, craggy rocks, a desolate, unforgiving place. The Aurora Sovereign sat at anchor, a bright, golden thing in a world of muted grays and whites. The crew was bundled in heavy cloaks, their breaths coming out in plumes of white. They found a lone workshop, completely encased in a thick, crystalline layer of ice. The air was heavy with a cold that had nothing to do with the weather.
They were confronted by a giant, stone-faced man, his body an edifice of muscle and cold. He stood in front of his workshop, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes the color of a winter sky. He had no expression. Just… cold.
"Get out. This place is not for you. My work is my own."
His voice was a monotone rumble, a sound without emotion. Kuro, with a dry chuckle, looked at the man.
"So… you're just gonna stand there? In the cold? That's dedication."
He's not a statue. He's a fortress. He's built a wall of ice around himself, and I have to find the key to get in. He's not cold. He's frozen. And that's a big difference. I have to find the wound that made him build that wall.
Prince, his curiosity always outweighing his common sense, attempted to eat a piece of the ice. But it was so cold that his tongue immediately froze to the spot, and he began to speak in a series of muffled, comical grunts. Roger, ever the showman, tried to melt it with a half-hearted attempt at his Phoenix Fruit, but it just made the ice steam, and the Shipwright looked at him with an even colder expression.
[SYSTEM: LORE INSIGHT - AURORA SOVEREIGN WAS BUILT WITH A SPECIFIC, RARE ORE. SUGGEST SEEKING SOURCE. WARNING - SUBJECT'S COLDNESS IS NOT AN ABILITY, BUT A VOW. SUBJECT'S EMOTIONAL STATE IS TIED TO THEIR ABILITY.]
Kuro saw his opening. The man's coldness was not a part of his power. It was a part of his trauma. He had to show him that the ship was not just a piece of his work. It was a part of his soul. The Shipwright's cold exterior momentarily cracked when he saw the small scrape on the Aurora Sovereign's hull, a testament to its passage through the sky current. He sighed, a plume of cold air in the biting wind. He turned and, without a word, began to walk toward the ship. His heart may have been frozen, but his hands were not.
The workshop was a bright, white place, a stark contrast to the dreary world outside. The air was filled with the metallic tang of tools and the soft, rhythmic sounds of the Shipwright's precise work. He moved with a detached professionalism, his hands, tipped with the ice of his Hie Hie no Mi, working with an impossible grace. He was a perfect craftsman. But he was not a person.
"Emotions are… a weakness. I vowed to never feel again after I lost everything."
He said, his voice cracking slightly. He spoke of an accident, a tragedy, and a vow he had made to himself to never feel that pain again. Kuro, his heart aching with a shared sense of loss, knew what he had to do. He used his Vow Scan ability on the man.
[SYSTEM: VOW SCAN – SUBJECT BOUND BY EMOTIONAL VOW: 'I WILL NOT FEEL EMOTION.' VOW IS A GEAS. ABILITY IS TIED TO VOW.]
A Geas. A self-imposed vow. This is not a man who is cold. This is a man who has chosen to be. I can't break the vow. I have to change it. I have to give him a reason to feel again. He lost everything because he felt too much. I have to show him that he can feel again without losing everything.
"What if you could still protect them, without feeling? What if that was the true strength?"
Kuro's voice was a low, persuasive hum, his gaze firm and unyielding. The man stopped his work. He looked at Kuro, and then at the scrape on the ship's hull. He had sworn to protect this ship, to keep its secrets. But in doing so, he had become a prisoner. Kuro, seeing the opening, used his Gambit Bait function to propose a new vow.
"I, Kuro, propose a vow. A vow that you will protect the things you care about. Not just the ship, but the people on it. Not with a frozen heart, but with a new purpose. A purpose to protect. A purpose to build. A purpose to feel again."
The Shipwright, who had been listening with a stoic expression, closed his eyes. The Geas, which had been a cage, felt like a burden. The new vow felt like a purpose. He looked at Kuro, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something in his eyes. A flash of emotion. He was in.
The Aurora Sovereign's cabin was a warm, fire-lit place, a stark contrast to the cold outside. The air was filled with the warm, comforting scent of roasted meat and the quiet chatter of the crew. The Shipwright, now a part of their family, looked at them with a look of quiet, genuine gratitude.
"My heart is still frozen. But this ship… it's a part of me now. And so are you."
His voice was still a monotone rumble, but there was a hint of something else. Something that sounded a lot like… genuine feeling. Roger, with a rare, sober smile, clapped him on the back.
"That's good enough for us, Iceberg. Welcome home."
Iceberg, for that was his name, looked at his new crew. He had been a prisoner of his past for so long. Now, he was free. He would still be stoic. He would still be cold. But he would be a part of them.
[SYSTEM: PROGRESSION - LEVEL 4, 8 VOWS. ABILITY: SOVEREIGN'S CLEMENCY UNLOCKED.]
The crew, now a full complement of six, looked at Stella, who was now at the helm, her eyes glued to the map. She pointed to a new destination, a place where the Great War was rumored to be brewing. A place called Wano. They were not just a crew anymore. They were a family. And they were going to change the world.
Love [ One Piece: Roger, Joy Boy In the Void Century ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
Dive deeper into the world of [ One Piece: Roger, Joy Boy In the Void Century ] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,blacklist,Game Of Throne ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!