"Another winter island? Really?" Parker complained, zipping up his jacket higher. Just then a freezing wind blew across the air, carrying snowflakes with it. Snow hit Parker's face with intense force. "AH! Cold...cold...cold…"
He ran back up into the submarine, away from the cold and trying to get heat from his companions standing around him.
"You're such a wimp." Shachi taunted, throwing on his gloves. "I bet I could last longer out there than you could."
"Oh yeah? Go see what you think." Parker huddled next to Bepo who watched his nakama in contentment.
"Fine, I will!" Shachi said, bringing himself up to his full height and walking towards the door. "Penguin, you're coming with me!"
"Wait, what?" He waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head vigorously. "No way! I don't wanna go out there!"
"Then who's gonna have my back? I need a wingman!"
Summer laughed, shaking her head and squeezing through the pack of men. "I'll go."
"Yeah! Summer-chan is with me! I call it!" Shachi fist-pumped and grabbed her hand, pulling her out into the freezing air. The two ran down the ramp into the snow below.
Bepo went next, walking calmly down into the snow without flinching when the wind picked up. He just couldn't understand what everyone was talking about. It felt fine out here!
"What is going on?" Law asked, coming up from behind the large group by the door.
"This island's freezing!" Blake said, pointing outside at the swirling wind and snow. Law cokced his head and examined the island.
"Well, don't you think we should get going then?" He suggested, to which the crew sighed. A suggestion was basically an order so they trudged down the ramp and followed Summer and Shachi into the snow.
"Think I could make a snow angel?" Shachi asked, eyeing the snow at his feet. There were several inches of snow. The level came up to his knees. Summer eyed the depth with doubt.
"I don't think-"
"GERONIMO!" Shachi shouted, leaping with his back to the ground. With a flurry of snowflakes, the engineer plunged deep into the snow and disappeared from view. When the sow settled, all Summer couldn't see her companion at all.
"Umm...Shachi?" She called.
"I can't move." His muffled voice said. With a shake of her head, she immediately started digging him out.
Behind her, the rest of the crew slowly approached. Bepo walked up first and watched as Shachi was slowly released from the snow. His face was entirely red, and he shivered violently.
"Why did you do that?" The bear asked innocently. Shachi glared.
"Because I wanted to make a snow angel! Snow angels are cool!" Bepo only looked at him.
"But the snow is too deep. You can't make a snow angel in-"
"Quiet you!" He pointed an accusatory finger at him, but Summer hit him on the head.
"Hey! Don't pick on Bepo. You're the idiot here, baka." The engineer rubbed his head where her hand had landed.
"Ah, Summer-chan, why do you have to be so violent? Are you sure you don't have PM-"
"Quiet you!" She hissed, smacking him again.
"Ow!"
"Gather around!" The captain called, standing in the snow with the others surrounding. They walked over to where Law stood, waiting for his orders.
"There aren't any documented towns on this island, so we'll have to go out and look for any food and supplies. There looks to be a forest to the east: half of you look for edible plants and herbs. Casper will assist you in identifying them." The cook nodded in understanding.
"The rest of you will explore and search for anything useful." Then he sectioned them off into groups and sent them away.
Summer and Shachi were assigned to look for food, while Bepo and Law went in search of anything that could be of use. Summer's group wandered deep into the thick pine forest that grew there.
"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Summer asked Shachi, watching as he strutted confidently through the thick snow on the ground. He glanced back with a grin.
"Of course! My food-finding senses are top notch, bested only by those of Bepo! I'm like a food bloodhound!" She raised an eyebrow.
"Right…"
"So, which plants are edible?" Shachi asked, glancing at mushrooms on the ground as they passed. Summer looked around but shook her head.
"A good rule of thumb is never to eat mushrooms unless you are absolutely sure they're not deadly." The shrubs and trees around them held no fruit and most of the bark from the plants were poisonous anyway. "There's a shrub that grows in arctic climates like this called the bearberry. It's berries are edible."
"A bearberry?" Shachi laughed at the name, still leading the two through the worn path. "What about animals? Are there any animals we could eat?"
"Umm...well…" She pondered aloud. There was an obvious answer, but that would never be an option to their crew. "Umm, there might be seals or hares on this island. I'm not sure though, I haven't seen any evidence of them."
"Aww, I was hoping for some meat…" He sank a little in depression and Summer shook her head slowly.
"Man, you're so weird…" He turned around quickly.
"Shut up!"
"What exactly are we looking for Captain?" Bepo asked, walking through the thick snow with ease. Law walked beside him, bundled in his black coat and hoodie underneath. Puffs from his breath came in clouds in front of his mouth, swirling away with the wind behind him.
"Anything we might find useful."
"That's a pretty general description." Law smirked. "Is there anything you're hoping to find?"
"Hmm…" He thought, scanning the large hill in front of them. There were a number of arctic herbs he was running low on, but he had enough to last him a few more months. On an uninhabited island like this, a number of items could be left abandoned by passing crews. "I'm not really sure." He said.
"Do you think this island has any female bears?" He asked, and Law grinned.
"Well, it's possible but I haven't seen any evidence that there are." Bepo nodded, but he looked determined to find that female bear so the captain left him to his thoughts.
The two wandered for another half hour or so, exploring the island and looking for things in the snow. There wasn't much of anything, only a few empty chests here and there. They crossed paths with other members of the crew searching for food or looking for useful items. From their reports, there wasn't much of anything on the island, save for the forest that grew on the south side.
Bepo checked the log pose on his wrist. "The lop pose hasn't set yet, Captain."
"Then we'll have to continue searching to pass the time." Law responded, stepping over a rock that protruded from under the snow.
Somewhere distantly in front of them, a sudden roar echoed across the hills. Bepo and Law stopped in their tracks, listening to the strange noise. It faded slowly away, leaving the air feeling unnaturally still. Bepo sniffed the air curiously, walking forwards to pick up the scent.
"Can you tell what it is?" Law asked, trying to discern from where the sound had come from. Bepo kept walking forward, a little more eager than before.
"I think so." He began at a trot towards the east and Law struggled to keep up with him.
"Bepo, what is it?" Bepo only shook his head and went a little faster. Before he knew it, the captain and his polar bear were running through the snow towards whatever had made that roar.
ns3.142.194.183da2
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