Kuma's attack had been so powerful that it caused the clouds to part and sent some rubble flying into the air. Everyone on the island were either unconscious on the ground or buried beneath the rubble; the only one still standing was Kuma himself.

He then started to make his way to Hiccup, who was still unconscious on the ground. He reached out and placed his hand on a piece of rubble, instantly sending it flying through the sky. He bent down to pick Hiccup up by his shirt, but coming out of nowhere was Toothless.

He caught him completely by surprise and drew his sword cutting right through his shoulder before he had a chance to react.

"Lion Song!" said Toothless.

Toothless then looked and saw that he had managed to cut through his shirt sleeve. It was then that his eyes widened as he saw beneath it were machine components attached to his flesh. Upon seeing this, everything became crystal clear.

"Of course," Toothless panted. "I should have known. So you're a cyborg like Eret, huh? Not quite, your maid of something tougher than he is."

Kuma left eye then glowed red, and when he opened his mouth beam of light emerged from it. Toothless had no idea what was going on, but it looked similar to Hiccup's plasma blasts, only more powerful. He then quickly jumped out of the way just as Kuma fired a beam of pure light from his mouth.

The beam just missed Toothless' shoulder, but when it hit the rubble behind, it created an explosion that sent him flying into some rubble. Kuma then closed his mouth with smoke exiting from it and pulled his sliced shoulder sleeve up.

Toothless managed to pick himself up, barely, and he saw a steel bar had been melted from the attack.

"That steel bar, he melted it," Toothless winced.

He then painfully turned around to face Kuma.

"A cyborg?" said Kuma. "I suppose you could say that, but my metal parts are all I have in common with your friend Eret. I am a creation known as a Pacifista, and in development human weapons project of the World Government."

"A Pacifista, huh?" said Toothless.

"I was created by the Government's most renowned scientist Doctor Vegapunk. One of the greatest geniuses this world has ever known. To put that into perspective, his discoveries are so sophisticated that it would take the rest of the world 500 years to catch up to him."

"Technology that advanced, and you have Devil Fruit powers?" said Toothless. "I'm starting to think you have an advantage over me. Well, this is embarrassing; my body is shutting down. It won't listen to me any more. And the only way you will back down is that you give you Hiccup's head?"

"That is the only compromise I'm willing to offer," said Kuma plainly.

Toothless took several deep breaths and looked back at Kuma. "You want a head, then I'll give you a head." He then bowed down before Kuma. "However, I can't give you my captain's! You'll have to take mine instead! Please, settle for that."

Kuma looked generally surprised by this offer.

"I may not have the same bounty as Hiccup's at the moment, but I swear to you that I'm destined to become the greatest swordsman the world has ever known. Surely that must be worth something."

"You possess that much ambition, and yet your willing to give it all up? And exchange your life for his?"

"The way things are looking, I don't see any other way to save the rest of my crew. What's the point of having ambition if I can't even save my captain? Hiccup will be the man who becomes the King of the Pirates!"

The two of them stared at one another in silence.

"That's nice," said a voice breaking the silence.

Toothless looked up and saw limping his way towards them was Ragnar.

"You know you're making the rest of us look bad," Ragnar winced. "Not saying you're wrong, but what about your dream? You can't accomplish anything if you're dead, you know."

Toothless stared at him in shock. "Don't tell me…"

Ragnar then turned and looked at Kuma. "Look, you giant oaf!"

"Hey!"

"Don't bother with Toothless," said Ragnar. "If you're taking a head, take mine. The Government may not consider me a serious threat right now, but you regret not taking my head when you have the chance. Now is your chance to take on Gunslinger Ragnar, the son of Alvin the Treacherous!"

"Don't do it," said Toothless.

Ragnar was barely able to stand; it was incredible that he was able to limp his way over without falling.

Kuma remained silent throughout all this and showed no signs of emotion. Toothless was beginning to think that he had no emotions at all; right now, his biggest concern was Ragnar.

"Go get it over with," said Ragnar. "The only head you're taking is mine! Forget about everyone else; kill me and get out of here! I'm just as ready to sacrifice myself as he is. I fed people my whole life, and now I'll feed the worms."

He then turned his eyes to Toothless. "Hey, do me a favour. Tell everyone that I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye. I hate to put you guys out, but it looks like you have to find a new cook."

Toothless suddenly got up and hit him hard in the stomach with the hilt of his sword. Ragnar was completely shocked, and it is best to remain conscious, grasping onto Toothless' shoulder.

"Why you son of a—"

He then lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Toothless then looked up at Kuma. "Now show me that you got some honour."

He removed all three swords and then tossed them onto the ground.

Kuma then sighed. "You made sure that I can't even touch Hiccup, not unless I want to shame myself."

"Then you've got my respect," said Toothless.

Kuma then turned to Hiccup and picked him off the ground. "If that's what you want, I'll give you my word. I won't take Dragon's head, but if you're intent on taking his place, you will experience a living hell."

He then placed his palm onto Hiccup's chest, and seconds later, shooting out of his body was a red bubble in the shape of a paw. The bubble was quite large; figures Kuma and Toothless had a bad feeling about it.

"I have just repelled all physical injury from Dragon's body," Kuma explained as he put Hiccup down. "His exhaustion… his pain… what rests before you is the sum total anguish that he endured during his battle with Moria. If you truly wish to take his place, then you must accept and inflict his agony upon himself. As close to death as you are already, not only will you undoubtedly will it kill you it will do so painfully. Why don't you have a taste?"

He then broke a small piece of the bubble off and tossed it at Toothless, which then entered his body. The moment it did, his entire body screamed in agony as if you've been stabbed by a thousand red-hot blades.

It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to overwhelm him, and he fell to the ground.

"Do you still want it?" Kuma asked.

Toothless clenched his fist. "Just let me take the location."

Kuma allowed it, and they made their way to a secluded spot next to the forest. Toothless looked at the red bubble, knowing that it was highly probable that he was about to die. However, he took a deep breath and then plunged his hands into the bubble.

Kuma was now standing on top of the gate, prepared to fulfil his end of the bargain.

"To inspire such loyalty in his friends, he can be anyone's son, but yours could be Valka," he said.

Hours passed, and slowly but surely, everyone began to regain consciousness.

"Hey, is everyone still alive? Are you guys okay?" the masked brother asked.

"He must have just assumed we were all dead after a mission at the explosion and that the island," Lola concluded. "Which means that we won! Stupid bomb, man!"

"This hurts," Fishlegs winced, grasping his arm.

"We should be counting ourselves lucky that we survived at all," said Astrid.

"Looks like we managed to survive no worse for wear," said Hiccup as he got to his feet.

"How are you standing like that?" Eret stared.

"I don't know, but my body feels as good as new," said Hiccup.

"Please, you were half dead a few moments ago," Snotlout snorted.

"And yet he's moving around as if he was never injured in the first place," Heather observed.

Ragnar then regained consciousness, and the moment he did, he remembered Kuma and Toothless. He looked around and saw that everyone was still alive and saw lying on the ground were Toothless' swords and immediately feared the worst.

He then quickly dashed off to search for Toothless, and the only one to notice this was Skull.

"There is no way that I just let us go," said Ragnar as he looked around. "Damnit, Toothless! What did you do?"

He then saw Toothless standing there motionlessly in a clearing.

"That's him," he said and quickly made his way over to him. "You really fix me out there. So what happened to the Warlord—"

He stopped at stared at Toothless, who was covered head to toe in blood and still somehow stood there strong and proud.

"Where the hell did all this blood come from?" Ragnar gasped. "Hey, are you still alive? Where did that Paw Guy go? What in the hell happened here?"

Toothless just stood there, but it was plain to see that he was using all his strength just to stay upright.

"What happened here? Nothing at all," he said weakly.