DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ANY/ALL VIKINGS IN THIS STORY. ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ PUBLICATIONS AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 3: Morgan VS Luffy! Who's the Mysterious Pretty Girl?
"You're going to be King of the Pirates?!" Zoro asked, still in total disbelief at what he heard come out of Luffy's mouth. "Right! You must be completely out of your rubbery mind! Do you have any idea what that means?"
"King of the Pirates means King of the Pirates. How can it mean anything other than that?" Luffy asked with a grin. Clearly, he was dead set on accomplishing this goal.
"Yeah, when he first told me I was shocked as well, but he's dead serious about it," said Coby, glad to see his friend was unharmed, "I guess it's just the way he is, because he as actually has every intention of becoming King of the Pirates and obtaining the world's ultimate treasure; the One Piece."
"Luffy may seem carefree and relaxed, but he means well," said Ragnar, "If you want out of here, then you might wanna take him up on his offer to join our crew. It's your best and only bet from a tactical standpoint." Zoro couldn't help but feel that if Luffy was as determined as he really was, perhaps then he could indeed follow his own dream.
"Here you go! As promised," said Luffy, as he gladly handed all three swords to Zoro, "There were three swords. I couldn't tell which one was yours, so just took all of them."
"All of them are mine. I use Santoryu; the three-sword style," replied Zoro, trying to wriggle himself loose.
"Well go ahead and take them," Luffy replied, "Just know that if you fight with me now, you'll be a government defying villain. So, it's either that, or you're left out here and killed by the Marines, execution style."
"What are you, the son of the Devil?" Zoro asked with a defiant grin, "It doesn't matter, because if I don't choose your side, I'll just end up dead on these sticks. So, let's do it!"
"Ha-Ha! So, you're finally gonna join our crew! This is the best thing ever!" Luffy declared enthusiastically.
"Hey, would ya quit celebrating, and get these ropes off me!?" Zoro asked.
"I agree with him, Captain," Ragnar added, sheathing his axe and taking out his seax, "Let's see what he can do in a fight."
Luffy and Ragnar then began to work on the ropes while the Marines were still in shock at how Luffy was still alive.
"What the!? What is he?!"
"The bullets just bounced right off him!"
"Straw Hat's no ordinary human like the rest of us," Morgan surmised. "He must've eaten one of those Devil Fruits that we've heard all those rumors about."
"The Devil Fruit?"
"The hidden treasure of the sea!"
Morgan nodded as he muttered to himself, "The Devil Fruits. Those who eat them are said to gain extraordinary, otherworldly abilities. The power to breathe fire; the power to cause tsunamis! Rumors persist that there are many types of these fruits, but next to nothing is known about them. It is said that the secrets to them lie somewhere in the Grand Line…and there's no question about it! The Straw Hat has just showed us his devil powers…!"
As Luffy tried to untie the ropes that held Zoro in place, Ragnar only slashed them with his seax.
"C'mon Luffy! Hurry!" Coby shouted.
"I'm trying…they've got these things on here tight!" Luffy remarked.
"C'mon! Quit screwin' around!" Zoro yelled, as he felt the ropes on his left arm fall free to the ground.
Morgan only glared, and declared, "But it doesn't matter what abilities or powers they have; all who oppose me are executed. If the guns won't work, we chop!"
At his signal, the Marines dropped their muskets and drew their sabers, charging straight at Luffy, Ragnar, Coby and Zoro.
"That's odd, the knots became tighter somehow." Luffy muttered, struggling as to what he got wrong.
"GIVE ME ONE OF MY DAMN SWORDS, NOW!" Zoro yelled.
Ragnar saw the charging swordsmen and stood tall, with his shield held out in front of him and his own sword drawn.
"Luffy, focus on freeing Zoro! I'll cover you!" Ragnar shouted, then turned his gaze to the oncoming rush of men. "If we die today, tonight we drink with Odin! Either way, we claim victory!" He declared, his eyes filled with fire and grim determination. As the marines drew closer with their swords, Luffy was still trying to get Zoro free. Closer and closer they came as Luffy finally got another one of Zoro's arms free. Just before the Marines were close enough to engage with Ragnar in battle, a sole sound of steel clashing radiated throughout the courtyard. Ragnar, Luffy, Coby and Morgan all looked on in awe at the sight: Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter, was freed! In his hands were two swords, and the third one he held between his teeth. Against all odds, he successfully blocked all the Marines' swords, and had not a scratch on him!
Morgan was instantly shocked at the sight of one of the greatest bounty hunters fending off all his men simultaneously. Yet Luffy, Coby and Ragnar were awestruck and amazed.
"Make one move, and you die," he said in a dark tone. He was still able to be understood while still holding a sword in his teeth
"He's scary," the marines whined, completely terrified.
Zoro then looked up directly at Luffy and declared, "Today I officially become a criminal, having fought the marines. So, I'll become a pirate. That I can promise you. But I want you to know one thing: while I'm with you, the only thing I dedicate myself to is my ambition."
"Which is what, exactly?" Luffy asked.
"To be nothing less than the world's greatest swordsman" Zoro replied as the sun went behind a group of passing clouds, "If somewhere along the way, I have to give that up, I want you to accept responsibility, after which you get to apologize to me."
"The World's Greatest Swordsmen? Sounds pretty good! The King of the Pirates wouldn't have anything less than the best on his crew."
"Big talker," Zoro chuckled, "From this point forward, whether I'm a criminal or not, I will still spread the name Zoro throughout the world."
"Spoken like a true drengr," said Ragnar, unable to help himself from smiling in admiration.
"What are you fools doing?! I want you to kill all four of them right now!" Morgan shouted at the marines.
"You guys might wanna duck," said Luffy. Catching onto what their captain was implying, Zoro and Ragnar quickly moved out of the way. "Gum-Gum Whip!" Luffy stretched and moved his leg like a whip and knocked down all the marines behind the two. Morgan's wonky jaw instantly dropped in shock and his eyes widened at the very sight of his men knocked flat on their backs.
"Yes! You knocked 'em all down!" Coby exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.
"You mind telling me what you are?" Zoro asked as he got back up.
"I'm just a guy who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit," said Luffy happily, flexing his leg in the process.
"What's the Gum-Gum Fruit?" Zoro asked again.
"Only a gift from the Gods themselves," said Ragnar, confidently grinning. Victory was in their grasp!
Now the marines were getting worried and started realizing the futility of fighting these guys.
"A-A rubber person?"
"It looks like this guy does have Devil Fruit powers…!"
"Captain, we don't stand a chance against them."
"Yeah, just look at them! They even got a Viking with them! They're insane."
"We couldn't even take on Zoro by himself."
Morgan only glared intensely at the three young men who stood to face him in this new battle. He would not tolerate this! He was the man who defeated Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates! He could understand that one of the three was a Viking, but for his own men to lose to a boy and a bounty hunter?!
"This is a direct order," he declared, "Every marine who just spouted weakness pull your gun out and shoot yourself. I can't do anything with weak solders!" Upon hearing this, many of Morgan's subordinates were horrified to the point that they refused to obey the command.
"What babies," Zoro muttered as he readied his swords, "This'll be easy."
Luffy was so livid, he knew he had to act. Quickly he ran straight past the Marines and threw his right fist straight at Morgan. Seeing this, the corrupt captain raised up his axe hand just in time to block the attack and then cast his coat aside prepared to battle Luffy.
"Rank-less lowlife bums!" He growled venomously, "You have no right to defy my superiority! I AM MARINE CAPTAIN AX-HAND MORGAN!"
"And I'm Luffy, nice to meet ya."
Morgan charged straight at Luffy to cut him down, but the boy only dodged by jumping out of the way. Morgan tried again, striking the ground with his axe blade, which fractured upon impact. Luffy then kicked Morgan in the face with the soles of his sandals, sending the corrupt captain falling to the ground. Yet he still rose to his feet. He was a highly trained warrior, and he wasn't going to go down from a single kick.
"You runt…" he muttered, "NOW DIE!" He then swung his axe again, as Luffy charged again, but the blade got stuck in the ground once more, while Luffy spun round in midair.
"I don't think so!" The boy laughed, then kicked Morgan in the face again, to the disbelief of every Marine present. Luffy then picked him up by the collar and prepared to punch him hard. "You call yourself a Marine, but you destroyed my friend Coby's dream!" Luffy yelled as he continued punching Morgan straight in the face.
"Straw Hat, stop right there!" A voice called out, and Luffy turned to see who it was. It was Helmeppo, having regained consciousness and was now holding a flintlock pistol at point-blank range straight at Coby's head. Luffy stopped the attacks, but didn't move. He knew Helmeppo was only boasting, not having the balls to kill Helmeppo. He didn't even have the stones to kill Rika in cold blood like Morgan would have. Yet the Marines all looked on as if Helmeppo finally lost it. Yet that didn't matter to the blonde coward, "If you value your friend's life, then you'll stop what you're doing! One move, and I'll blow his head off! I swear!"
Coby was horrified at the prospect of dying. He was already shot once, and he didn't want to suffer that kinda wound again. Yet as soon as he saw Luffy smile, he remembered those fateful words the boy told him on the Lady Mary.
"Luffy, listen to me!" He shouted, "Don't let what happens to me stop you, no matter what! Even if I die!"
"Of course," Luffy answered, then let go of Morgan's waistcoat and slowly walked towards the incompetent and entitled young man, "You hear that, you idiot? Coby's ready to die by your hand," Luffy said to Helmeppo as he began to walk up to him.
"Don't you move!" Helmeppo shouted, "I said don't move, or I'll shoot! I swear it!"
"I was definitely right about him..." Ragnar muttered, aware that this was a desperate gamble of Helmeppo's, "He's a total brauðnefr."
"Time's up!" Morgan declared, having gotten to his feet as Luffy focused his attention on Helmeppo, "Now, you die! For I am Marine captain, Axe-hand Morgan!"
"Daddy! Hurry up and kill them already!" Helmeppo screamed.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy yelled as he punched Helmeppo right in the face, just as Morgan's axe hand stopped just an inch from his head. Yet what shocked everyone was that Morgan's face was twisted in pain. "Nice one," said Luffy knowing who did it. Zoro and Ragnar both managed to attack Morgan at once while Luffy dealt with Helmeppo. The giant of a Marine then fell backwards unconscious as Luffy's arm sprang back to normal.
"Of course, my Jarl," Ragnar declared with a grin. He was lucky to ensure that he avoided hitting any vitals, so that Morgan could live.
"Just doin' my job, Captain," Zoro responded. The two warriors then turned to the remaining marines who were still shocked at the battle they just witnessed and were a part of.
"Your captain has been defeated! Victory is ours!' Ragnar declared as he wiped the blood off his sword.
"If there's anyone else who wants to step forward and fight us, then do it now," said Zoro, sheathing all three of his swords.
What the marines did next, no one suspected. They threw their swords and hats in the air and cheered.
"We're finally free!"
"Morgan's reign is over!"
"Such a glorious day!"
"I guess the fear of being killed for insubordination made them forced to obey Morgan's every order," Luffy surmised.
"You're smarter than you let on," Zoro remarked.
"Only when I absolutely have to," Luffy said.
"They must've been afraid of him for a long time before we showed up!" Coby remarked, finally putting two and two together.
"I think I understand," Ragnar added, "Morgan was a man who was driven by his own legend. He was so praised as a hero for apprehending Captain Kuro, that the fame went to his head, and his own ardor shone like the sun, blinding him to the point where he felt that he could act as judge, jury and executioner." As he spoke, though, Zoro began to fall backwards, hitting the ground.
"Zoro! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Coby asked, concerned at the sight.
"I'm just…hungry…" replied the swordsman. It was clear that the trio had won their first major victory, so they deserved a well-earned celebration, and so Coby could receive medical attention.
While the battle raged on outside, inside the base, a familiar young orange-haired woman made her move, having gone deeper inside.
"Sorry, you two," she told the two marines that were now bound and gagged by her hands, "You'll just have to stay there and suck it up for a while." Then she walked off into Morgan's office, rummaging through every cabinet she could open, before finally making it to his desk. "I can't find this sucker anywhere," she muttered, looking around until she found a vault hidden beneath two barrels. As she uncovered it, she found that, much to her surprise, it was already unlocked, revealing a scroll among its contents. "That's it! A maritime chart of the Grand Line! I knew they were hiding it!" As she opened the scroll, however, it revealed a sinister message and a skull and crossbones with a huge red nose below the eyes. "This isn't the map…whose work is that?" The girl asked, but then she instantly recognized the Jolly Roger in the center. "So…it's Buggy. Also known on the seas as…Buggy the Immortal!" Frustrated, the young lady clamped her fist, crumpling the scroll. She knew who she had to find next.
At the restaurant Rika's family owned, Zoro, Ragnar and Luffy were finishing eating while Coby watched. Despite the fact that Zoro hadn't eaten in weeks, Luffy still managed to eat more than him and Ragnar combined.
"Whoo! I am stuffed!" Zoro announced, satisfied by the smile on his face, "Having not eaten for three weeks, I was ready to gnaw through your boot straps!"
Coby couldn't help but laugh at the thought of being so desperate to eat one's own shoes.
"I can't believe you're finished, lightweight," remarked Luffy, who was still eating his 9th course.
"How the hell can you have a bigger appetite than a guy who hasn't eaten in weeks?" Zoro asked.
"Only the Gods know," Ragnar surmised, "But as long as I've known Luffy, he's always had a gargantuan appetite."
"We'll be eating plenty of good food once I become King of the Pirates and I have the One Piece," Luffy added, "Oh, and the best crew on the seas."
"So, how many others have you gathered in your crew besides me?" Zoro asked.
Ragnar chuckled and raised his hand, declaring, "You're looking at that other. The official quartermaster."
Zoro only looked on in shock. Only three men?!
"So, the three of us are what amounts to an entire pirate crew!?" Zoro asked.
"What's wrong with that? We're a few strong guys."
"Okay, but please tell me you have a ship."
"Sure do. Two, as a matter of fact! They're right there!" Luffy then pointed to his and Ragnar's small boats still in port, and a dog was marking his turf on one of them. Zoro couldn't help but feel as if someone lacked the planning.
"You're kidding?" Zoro asked, completely dumbfounded. Were they really going to sail the Grand Line in just those rinky-dink boats?
Ragnar only shook his head, "I'm afraid not. These were all we were able to obtain before setting out to sea."
"Ragnar's got a point, but soon we'll have an enormous one. Just you wait and see."
At this, Zoro only laughed in utter disbelief. "And just how are you planning to do that?" He asked, mildly surprised at Luffy's apparent lack of planning.
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. With a great big jolly roger on top." In his mind, Luffy was already imagining his dream ship, sword in hand atop the prow. "I can't wait!"
"I think Luffy was born without that part of the brain that lets us plan out what we have to do," Coby remarked.
"It would appear so, but appearances can be deceiving. And as quartermaster, I will ensure we are well stocked and supplied with whatever we need," said Ragnar, "But for now, our first priority should be to restock on food and water. Fortunately, food is something we need not worry about. My father taught me that the Sea takes, and we must do so as well. We can catch fish at sea, whilst restocking on produce inland."
"Yeah! And we'll have a ton more crew members in no time!" Luffy added.
"Luffy? Where are you and your crew planning on traveling when you leave here?" Rika asked, curious as to where he was heading for.
"Isn't it obvious?" Luffy asked, "We're heading straight for the Grand Line!"
Coby spewed out his juice from his nose and mouth the moment he heard that proclamation. "NO! Have you completely lost your mind!? You have 3 crew members! There's no way you're equipped to handle the Grand Line, Luffy!"
"I've heard about it, but I never knew it was such an awful place," Rika replied
"It's worse than you think!" Coby said, "You know this world has two oceans, I'm sure. There's an enormous landmass that cuts through both of them. This is called the Red Line. Legend tells of a town that sits dead center on the Red Line. The Grand Line is said to cut through this town at a right angle, and stretch all the way around the rest of the world. The story goes onto say that Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates, had once obtained everything this world has to offer! Before he died, he said that he left the great One Piece treasure at the end of this location. Ever since, pirates have set sail for the Grand Line. Today, the place is nothing but a battlefield, and some even call it the Pirate Graveyard!"
"I heard stories about it from people passing through," said Ririka, the mother of young Rika, "The customers say that no one who has ever entered the Grand Line has ever come out of that place alive."
"Which is really too bad, because that's where the One Piece is said to be in; that's exactly where we're going," said Luffy, determined as ever to reach that location.
"I guess we have to live with it," Zoro muttered.
"No! You can't agree!" Coby objected.
Zoro looked to Coby and asked, "What do you care? You're not going with us are you?"
"No, but I still worry. Is it so wrong to care about the three of you? Luffy, Ragnar and I haven't known each other for years or anything, but I still consider them friends." "Wouldn't you say?"
"Of course! We may have to part ways, but we'll still be friends."
"When I was just a little kid, I never had any friends, much less anyone fighting on my behalf. So, I always tried my hardest never to fight for anything…" explained Coby, looking up at his friends, "But the three of you have taught me a lesson I could never learn on my own: how to live for what I believe in! So, I've decided to make my one childhood dream a reality, and I'm going to join the Marines!"
"Then don't you think you should be a little more concerned about your current situation?" Zoro counter-asked, "I mean, you did spend two years on Alvida's pirate ship, even if you were nothing but her cabin-boy. The Marines' information gathering is top notch. They'll find out about your time with Alvida, and you'll never join."
"I…never fought about that," he muttered. That was a worrying concern. If the Marines discovered that he was a cabin boy for Alvida over the past two years, he'd never get his chance!
Just then some of the marines from the base walked in with serious looks on their faces. The top lieutenant stepped up and addressed Luffy, Ragnar and Zoro.
"Is it true that you're pirates?" he asked the three of them.
"Yeah, it's true," Luffy answered.
"We appreciate everything you did to save our town from that horrible tyrant who terrorized us all for so long. However, now that we know that you're all pirates, as marines, we cannot sit idly by and let you go about your business," said the lieutenant, causing everyone in the restaurant to wonder what was going to happen, only for him to speak again, "Therefore, you and your crew will have to leave this town immediately. But in light of your actions, we will not report you to headquarters."
The citizens began to shout in outrage at how their saviors were being mistreated, but Luffy just smiled and got up.
"Come on Ragnar, Zoro, we're leaving," he said.
As they got to the door, Coby looked on in fear.
"Aren't you part of the crew as well?" The lieutenant asked him. Coby was just too scared that he couldn't give a response. The lieutenant turned to Luffy once more, "Hold it! Is he with you three or what?"
"If you need a background check on him, I can tell you what he's been doing the last couple years."
Coby froze at this. 'No Luffy, you wouldn't. If you tell them now, I'll never join the marines,' he thought to himself.
"Yeah! There was this fantastically fat pirate lady. I think her name was Alvida," Luffy continued, making his way towards Coby, "She carried around this huge iron mace, and boy! She was the nastiest looking woman I've ever seen." He then indicated towards Coby, "For two years, this wimpy kid was her own private cabin boy…"
Before he could finish, however, Coby snapped and punched Luffy hard in the face, shocking everyone present. Zoro and Ragnar, however, only smiled. They knew what Luffy was up to, and chose not to intervene.
"That wasn't too smart," Luffy said, and he began to continuously punch Coby until the lieutenant stepped in, the shockwaves of which caused the décor to fall from the walls, shattering onto the floor.
"That's enough!" He shouted, "All of you, get out of here now! We can't have you pirates being in this town any more than you have, you hear?"
"Enough!" Zoro shouted, with him and Ragnar holding Luffy by his waistcoat, "You made your point, now let him fall to the ground."
"Zoro's right, Luffy. This isn't a holmgang," Ragnar added, "We'll have plenty more battles ahead. No need to waste your energies on this ergi."
Coby then collapsed, laying on the hardwood floor, panting as he was covered in bruises.
"It's obvious you're not crewmates," said the lieutenant, "So stop badgering the poor kid and take your leave of our town this instant!"
Luffy let go of Coby and walked out with Ragnar and Zoro behind him. Coby lay there on the floor knowing what Luffy did.
'That was on purpose! Luffy did that for me. He said all those things so I would get angry and hit him. All so no one would suspect that we're friends. Even at the end of our journey together, I still relied on him. I couldn't do anything by myself. Nothing's changed for me at all! I'm such an idiot!' Coby got up and addressed the marine officer.
"Sir, please you have to let me join the marines! I'll clean and scrub and do any chores that you'd like me to. I'll do anything to become a marine!"
One of the other officers addressed the lieutenant.
"Lieutenant, I can't say I fully trust this kid. I wouldn't be against the idea if there weren't clear cases of certain Marines actually being pirate spies. I say we should conduct a background check first."
"No matter what you say I am a man who will become a marine," Coby declared.
The marines were left silent at Coby's determination. The lieutenant then walked up to Coby.
"I can't tell you how many of our comrades have been killed by pirates over the years. This is a big step you're taking." He then adjusted his hat after having walked past him, "Permission to join granted."
Coby was smiling from ear to ear. At last, he had fulfilled his dream, and it was all thanks to Luffy.
As Luffy, Ragnar and Zoro walked to their boats, they had no idea that the young woman who the Straw Hat and the Viking met only a few days ago was also nearby.
"A fine performance, Captain!" Ragnar exclaimed.
"Couldn't agree more with Ragnar," Zoro added, "Still, that was a pretty thin act you put on back there. I wouldn't be surprised if they see right through it."
"Coby should be able to handle the rest on his own," said Luffy, "I have faith in him."
"It is a fitting way to leave this place, though," replied Zoro, smirking confidently, "Unable to turn back since everyone in this town hates us now. Very pirate-like."
Luffy only laughed at that comment, "Yeah! It sure is!"
Ragnar turned and was stunned, "Luffy? I think we may be the exception to what Zoro's talking about."
At that moment, they all noticed the girl, her mother and Coby there, the latter saluting Luffy.
"Luffy, I can never thank you enough. You've done more for me than anyone ever has."
"I've never heard of a marine thanking a pirate before. There's one for the history books," Zoro commented.
"Hopefully, it may be the first of many occurrences," added Ragnar as he unfurled the sails, and the three of them all sailed away.
"We'll meet again Coby! Someday!" Luffy shouted as he waved goodbye.
Just then the rest of the marines appeared and the lieutenant shouted: "All hands, salute!" As they stood to salute the trio who saved their town, Coby smiled as Luffy waved goodbye. "That's a good friend you have there," the lieutenant told Coby, making him realize he knew all along. The lieutenant then declared to the rest of his battalion, "Men, seeing as our current salute is in violation of marine law, we will all go without food for three days. Do we all understand this?"
"Yes sir!"
Now that they were all out on the open seas, Luffy was on his way with a new crew member and ready for a new adventure. With Zoro and Ragnar at his side, he was confident that this was the start of a new journey.
"At last," he exclaimed, "Our pirate crew is ready to set sail!"
"I got the feeling some interesting adventures are waiting for us," remarked Zoro, curious to see where they would end up.
"Ja! More than enough to add to our saga!" Ragnar added, "The Saga of the Straw Hats begins now!"
Luffy only smiled as he looked out on the horizon, "Our own saga…and it'll end with us at the Grand Line, and me becoming King of the Pirates. I know it!"
"You seem more than obsessed with this 'King of the Pirates' business," Zoro told Luffy, "Is there some kinda story behind it or any reason at all?"
"Nope, no reason," replied Luffy, "It's just…I promised someone a while back. I swore that I would gather a crew, find the world's greatest treasure, and become King of the Pirates. And this straw hat knows the whole story!"
Ragnar only nodded in confirmation of this, adding, "He speaks truly. I was there, and I saw with my own eyes."
"I see," Zoro muttered, knowing that there was a story behind Luffy's ambition, just as there was to his own promise.
"Now, let's go!" Luffy exclaimed once more, "It's time for us to set our heading… to the Grand Line!"
And with that, the Straw Hat Pirates were officially established. This was just the beginning of the most epic adventure that would echo and reverberate throughout the course of history.
A/N: Already do we have a third chapter up, and no sooner! If you guys have been keeping score so far, then you'll have noticed a certain familiar woman has been present throughout the entire storyline thus far, and so far, she and Luffy have been making goo-goo eyes at each other as well. Also, we now know of who will be appearing soon, a certain pirate who is taking nautical charts for his own interests.
Now I should mention, why I had the Marines place all their muskets against their heads. That was again straight from the manga, which we did not see in episode 3 of the anime, for obvious reasons.
Now, you may have seen Ragnar call Helmeppo a brauðnefr twice now. You wonder, what does that word even mean? Well, it's an Old Norse word which means "bread-nose", and was used during the Viking Age as a derogatory word for a coward. Yet Ragnar also mentioned another term from Old Norse - a holmgang. What's a holmgang now? In our timeline, it was an ancient rite of law amongst the Vikings through which they could settle private disputes by means of a duel. There were two types of duels: one was the Einvigi, which was very informal, and the holmgang. The rules of the holmgang were very elaborate. The two individuals in dispute would go out to an island where nobody could interfere in their dispute. There, they would stake out a cloak on the ground that was 10 ft. wide. Then, they would cut strips of hazel wood as a perimeter around the cloak. This was then called the hazeled ground - it was formalized, it had legal authority. They would fight with spears, swords and axes, but it was mandatory that each man have three shields.
Also, I forgot to mention this last time, but yes. Ragnar's father is a jarl. These guys were the elite aristocrats of the Viking Age, able to afford the best weapons and armor, and lead armies into battle. They were even wealthy enough to own horses, which meant these men made up the cavalry - despite the fact that cavalry warfare in Scandinavia during the Viking Age wasn't really a thing, due to the terrain, but there were examples of Vikings and their descendants picking up other military traditions from the cultures they encountered. One such prime example being the Normans - descendants of Vikings who settled in northern France in the 10th century, they adopted the Frankish custom of cavalry warfare in full stride, spreading all across Europe as mercenaries, famously winning land in Sicily and Southern Italy under the Hauteville brothers, and of course, under their most famous duke, William, they crossed the English Channel, and conquered Anglo-Saxon England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Anyway, be sure to stay tuned for Chapter Four!
