(A/n)
Thanks WeissSchwann for another suggestion! Sorry it's so late but I hit a wall with this for a while. Anyway, I have no other requests yet but I'd love more suggestions~

Aokiji x Reader

It all started when you found patches of ice covering trees near your home. You lived in a forested part of the island, not far from the coast but off a ways from the nearest village. So of course no one else noticed there was suddenly ice appearing on the spring island. It bothered you though, so you spent some time digging in to the mystery, following the trail of ice that dotted the trees and undergrowth.

It was difficult to find the source, but after a few exhausting days of non-stop searching, you came across a man. When you found him he was lounging on the beach facing the waves, not far from the edge of the trees. You stayed out of sight as it was better to be wary of strangers to the island. There was always a chance he could be a pirate after all. It was hard to make out details from where you stood but he looked tall, with dark skin and hair.

It was impossible to distinguish any other details about him with you hiding behind a tree. You didn't dare get a closer look. That would mean risking be caught and called a creeper. Nope, not today.

The guy didn't seem dangerous at least so that was something. You realized while you did find a somewhat interesting stranger, you hadn't yet found the source of the ice. The trail led here, but you must have missed something along the way. As quietly as possible, you crept back into the woods to backtrack and find where the ice had come from.

Of course that was easier said than done. You spent a solid week going back and fourth on your search to no avail. Every time you came to the end of a trail, it led to the same strange man on the beach. You refused to believe he was causing it, he'd have to be a devil fruit user to cause the ice to show up. What'd be the chances of that?

You were spending too much time creeping on the guy either way. Not like he ever did anything interesting, most of the time he was napping on the beach. But that in and of itself was interesting in a way. Why would someone go to an island like yours just to sleep their days away?

Not like you were any better now. You'd gotten comfortable up in a tree and were watching the ocean waves hit the beach. There were no leads for the mysterious ice and a break sounded nice. You let one of your legs swing back and forth lazily while using the other to keep you propped up on the branch you sat on. A cool breeze blew the salty scent of the water in your direction. Maybe that guy had the right idea. It was a great place to relax.

Speaking of the man......he wasn't in his usual spot anymore. He was just there a second ago. You sat up straight and searched the shoreline for him and sure enough, he was gone.

"Arara, I thought someone was watching me." The man stood under your tree, staring up at you with a bored expression.

A surprised squeak escaped you as you jumped hard enough to lose your balance and fall. You shut your eyes and waited for impact. But it didn't come. Instead, the man caught you. Sure he saved your bacon but nothing could save you from the embarrassment of being caught creeping and then nearly falling on your ass.

"I, uh, I was...taking a nap?" Nailed it. "Can you put me down now?"

He did just that with a smile and airy chuckle.

Back on your feet, you straightened yourself out and craned your head back to get a better look at him since you had the chance.  He wore a plain white shirt with black pants and a long green coat over it all. You could see burn scars poking out from beneath his shirt on his chest and right arm.

"This is a nice little island." He remarked, looking back at the beach. A foggy puff of breath passed his lips and your eyes widened in surprise.

"You've been leaving the ice." You said as your lips turned up into a smile.

"Oh?" He glanced around the trees to see a couple small patches of the stuff. "I didn't realize I was leaving a trail. Is that what led you here?"

You remembered your situation, blushing since it probably looked like you had been stalking him. "There's never any ice here. So I was curious what was creating it. I wanted to make sure it was nothing dangerous is all."

You crossed your arms and stared back up at him defiantly. The man didn't seem all that dangerous now that you had gotten close to him and you were no longer worried about him or the mess he made.

He looked you up and down curiously. "And what would a little woman like you do if it was a threat?"

He had you there. Maybe you could tussle with the big guys on the island but if pirates came around you wouldn't be good for much. You knew that much.

"I hadn't planned that far ahead yet." You admitted with a shrug of your shoulders.

"That's quite brave but without the strength to back it up it just comes across as foolish."

"So you're saying it'd be better to sit back and let something bad happen if danger comes around?" You huffed and put your hands on your hips. "No thanks."

The slightest look of surprise crossed his face before he relaxed back into a lazy, uninterested expression.

"You're an interesting one....." He trailed off, gaze going distant before he focused back on you. "I haven't introduced myself properly yet. Please call me Kuzan."

He extended his scarred hand towards you and you took it, noting the cold that radiated off of him.

"(Y/n). Nice to meet you." You couldn't help but smile. He was an odd one for sure, but it was charming.

"Well miss (Y/n) would you like to join me on the beach instead of hiding in the trees? I could use the company."

You blushed again, taking your hand back. "I wasn't hiding...but sure."

----

You couldn't help but feel drawn to Kuzan. Though you'd visit him daily, he still felt like a mystery to you. You never asked anything too personal when you two would talk but it was getting hard not to. He preferred hearing about the island and anything you were willing to talk about yourself. It was still enjoyable to spend time with him.

He had an odd way of speaking, like an extremely polite older man and had a habit of sometimes forgetting certain words. He'd trail off when he forgot what exactly he wanted to say but you had an easy time figuring it out and providing him help when he gave up on finishing up his thoughts.

Out of curiosity one day, you asked him what all he could do with ice and he was nice enough to show you. Despite his constant neutral expression you could tell he liked showing off a bit, especially with how delighted you were by it. He started by showing you he could cover his body in it with no negative effects to him and then created all kinds of little ice sculptures. Each one was a highly detailed replica of whatever he was copying. He made all kinds of ice structures but stuck with animals for the most part, the last one being an intricate and almost realistic looking pheasant.

You loved it. Your whole life had taken place in this little island of spring and the ice and cold were a marvel to you. And the longer you stayed around him and the chilly surrounding atmosphere, the more you grew accustomed to it. Others might have found it uncomfortable but you enjoyed it. The crisp air surrounding him made your senses feel sharp and had you feeling more awake than ever before. It was exhilarating.

As the days turned into weeks, you felt some sort of relationship building between the two of you. It was hard to pinpoint what exactly to call it, you had lost the appropriate word to call it by, much like how Kuzan himself lost track of his own words at times. Maybe he was rubbing off on you.

The time spent on the beaches turned into him coming over to your small home and exploring the surrounding area during your many conversations. Overall he still stayed quite neutral in his expressions but you didn't fail to notice that he smiled and laughed more as the days passed.

But all good things have to come to an end. You'd gotten up for another day, expecting to have Kuzan's company as you went about the home doing chores. And he did come by but when you opened the door to greet him, you knew something was off. Instead of coming inside, he bent over in the doorframe that was much too small for him with his hands in his pockets and a packed bag nestled between his shoulders.

Your face fell as you understood what was going on. "You're leaving, aren't you?" You asked, shoulders drooped.

You lived alone for so long that you'd forgotten what it was like to have someone around, someone you liked. He reminded you how important it was to have a friend around and now you were going to lose that.

"I've been here for longer than I needed to be." He scratched the back of his neck as he avoided your eyes, guilt obviously eating away at him.

"Is that why you haven't told me much about yourself? You travel around a lot?"

He nodded with a sigh. "There's nothing keeping me from staying in one place but I can't be still. There are things to see, things I'd like to understand about the world better."

That hit a cord with you. His ice had completely amazed you and rattled your own little world. It made you wonder what other things you'd been missing by denying yourself the chance to explore new places. What would you have found if you'd left your home for the sake of knowledge?

You took a deep breath and nodded. It hurt that he was leaving but you couldn't stop him. "I understand."

"I've really.... appreciated your company (Y/n). If I'm ever in the area again I'll be sure to pay you another visit."

"I'd like that." You smiled sadly up at him, knowing that he wouldn't be back for a long time, if at all.

He bent down, a little more to your level and pulled you into a hug. It caught you by surprise, but you gladly returned the action, wrapping your arms around his neck and squeezing tightly. The cool air surrounding him sunk into your clothes an skin and sent a slight shiver down your spine. All too soon, he released you.

"Do me a favor and stay out of trouble, remember to not be too foolish." He ruffled your hair and walked away.

You watched his tall form disappear into the trees as you whispered to yourself. "I'll try."

Now what? He wasn't around long but you'd grown so accustomed to his presence faster than you thought possible. The familiar cold wasn't around to keep the heat of the island at bay. His smooth voice wouldn't be around to fill the silence anymore. You didn't want that. Not like you could ask him to come back, he seemed set to leave and you doubted you could change his mind.

You silently started going around the house, trying to clean to keep yourself busy. But your mind kept wandering back to him as you swept the floors and dusted surfaces. Then it hit you. You wanted to know more about the world, just like him. While you couldn't ask him to stay, you could ask him to let you tag along. Excitement filled you as you scrambled to fill a bad with the bare necessities. If you hurried, you could get to him before he got too far.

While you didn't know exactly how he was travelling, you had an idea of where he'd go before departing the island. You ran out of the house, a packed bag swinging off your shoulder, and went straight for the trees. You didn't even bother to lock up the house but it wasn't an issue. Even if Kuzan didn't take you, you'd made up your mind to leave the island. It would be impossible for you to stick around after meeting him. You'd feel eternally restless if you did.

You sprinted through the forest, jumping over unearthed roots and brush and pushing yourself as hard as you could to reach him. He would've taken his time picking through the woods, you had a chance to reach him before it was too late. And the ice dotting the occasional tree told you that you were on the right track.

You came to a sudden halt at the edge of the forest and glanced around the beach for him. He wasn't there, but your heart leapt in your throat when you saw the trail of ice covering a part of the ocean and his form walking across it. Kuzan was freezing the water to create a path.

Out of breath, you stumbled onto the beach, right were his path began and yelled. "Kuzan!"

He stopped and turned around, completely caught off guard.

"I've always wanted to go see the world but all my life I've been too afraid to do it. To go out and risk everything just so I could know more. I want to do it now. I want to go see all the amazing and scary things the world has to offer."

"The world isn't a forgiving place (Y/n)."

You finally caught your breath and let out an exasperated huff. "I know and it won't change my mind. I'm going one way or another but.... I'd like to go with you. If you'd let me."

He was quiet and you were mentally preparing yourself for him to deny your request. But you meant it. If he wouldn't take you, you'd find another way, no matter how difficult it would be. Kuzan must have seen your determination.

"You're going to need a jacket. It gets cold out on the sea."

You broke into a relieved smile and trotted across the ice to him. "That's okay, I think I like the cold."

He gave you a genuinely happy smile back as he placed a hand on your shoulder and tugged you closer. "Arara, what am I going to do with you?"

You laughed, at ease with the turn your life was going to take. No matter what happened from here on out, you'd always have Kuzan by your side. And that knowledge alone made your heart flutter.