DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL OTHER VIKINGS APPEARING IN THIS STORY. ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 4: Luffy's Past! Enter Red-Haired Shanks!
A few days after leaving Shells Town, Luffy, Ragnar and Zoro had only sailed less than 100 leagues from that island, just drifting on the ocean. They were all quiet and hungry because Luffy had eaten all their food.
"Man, I'm so hungry," Luffy complained.
"It didn't help that you ate all our rations, Captain," Ragnar counter-complained, "We're lucky that we have fishing equipment, at least. Praise Njord for that."
"When the hell are we gonna reach land, anyway?" Zoro asked.
"Hopefully sooner, rather than later," said Ragnar, "The ravens I released haven't come back here, so I assume that means we'll make landfall within a few days."
"Who knows. Normally I just end up sailing on the wind and the waves to wherever they take us," Luffy answered, "We may not even reach the land. Or we will someday."
Zoro looked on in sheer disbelief and asked, "Don't you find it dumb that someone trying to be King of the Pirates doesn't have a single navigational skill?!"
"Not really. I just drift around," Luffy replied. Zoro only looked at Ragnar in shock. Was Luffy serious about this!?
Ragnar only shrugged, "He's always been like this since I've known him. Don't worry, you get used to it."
Luffy then looked to Zoro and asked, "What about you? Aren't you some famous bounty hunter who sailed the seas?"
"I don't have any recollection of ever calling myself a bounty hunter," Zoro remarked, leaning his head back, "I set out onto the open sea in search of just one man, and then I couldn't get back to my village. By that point, I had no choice but to go after pirate ships to earn a living."
"Oh, I see. So, you're just lost," Luffy observed.
"Hey, don't put it like that!" Zoro yelled, slamming the side of the hull
"Careful, drengir! Do either of you want to knock us over?" Ragnar asked, trying to calm the situation, but then they all noticed that the wind was raising Luffy's straw hat up and off his head.
"Oh no, not my Shanks hat!" Luffy shouted. He, Zoro and Ragnar watched as it descended back down to earth, racing towards it before it hit the water. Thankfully, Luffy caught it before it passed the boat he and Zoro were in. Nearly losing his hat recalled how he got it that fateful day, hearing the words of the hat's previous owner.
"This straw hat means more to me than you could possibly know. It's been with me through many a fight…" said a man with red vibrant hair, dark skin and three claw marks across his left eye, "It's something so precious, that I couldn't even give it to you, Luffy." The young man remembered the pirate who once wore his very hat: that was Red-Haired Shanks, and the bond between him and Luffy started that one fateful day, ten years ago...
It was in Fuchsia Village on Dawn Island. Shanks and his band of good-natured Pirates had come for a two-year long stay, and already they made quite the impression on young seven-year-old Luffy, who was always seen hanging out with them at Patty's Bar, the local tavern of the village.
"Wow! You gotta take the on your next adventure, Shanks!" Luffy exclaimed looking to the Pirates' red-haired captain, "I wanna be a pirate, just like you."
"Right! As if you could ever be a pirate," Shanks laughed childishly while sticking his tongue out.
"Why couldn't I?" Luffy asked.
"Listen," said the gunnery officer, Yasopp, "You might be a good swimmer and all, but that doesn't make you a good pirate, Luffy."
"But I'm a great fighter, too!" Luffy said proudly. "My punches are as strong as a pistol."
"Are they now?" a skeptical Shanks replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Ha! He means that you're too much of a kid, kid."
"And he's right," Yasopp added, "Ya gotta wait at least a few years till we can take you on as a Cabin Boy."
"I'M NOT A KID, I'M A GROWN-UP!" Luffy roared.
"Calm down, Luffy," said Shanks, handing him a glass, "Here, have some juice."
"Wow, thanks Shanks."
Shanks then burst out laughing, "Whoever heard of a pirate that drinks juice?"
"HEY, YOU TRICKED ME!" Luffy growled out, causing the rest of Shanks' crew to burst out in laughter, "STOP LAUGHING! THAT WAS A CHEAP SHOT!"
"Well, let's see you put your money where your mouth is and punch me as hard as you can," said Shanks as he stopped laughing and leaned forward and pointed to his left cheek, indicating for Luffy to hit him there.
"Alright, here goes," Luffy muttered. The boy only cocked his fist back, and as he did so, he subconsciously gathered his emotions and will into his fist. With one blow, he then punched Shanks with every ounce of strength in his body! As soon as it connected, Shanks, who was unprepared for the coming impact, was sent hurdling to the opposite end of the tavern and strait through the wall. All the pirates were aghast upon seeing their captain get sent flying by a seven-year-old boy, and all eyes turned from the hole and straight towards Luffy, who could do nothing but stand there in shock at what he just did. How was he able to pull that off!? As Shanks got up, he started to realize what just happened.
'Impossible! Luffy just used Haki!?' Shanks thought, completely bewildered, 'But that takes years of training to unlock! How does he have it at this age?!'
"Captain, are you okay?" asked one of the pirates.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he replied, turning his attention towards the frightened little boy, "But Luffy, how did you get that much strength?"
Before Luffy could answer, a horn sounded shrill and long out from the direction of the harbor, and another villager came rushing in.
"Clinker built ships in the harbor!" He shouted, "They look like Vikings!"
"What are Vikings doing all the way out here?" Shanks asked.
"Oh! Captain Shanks! The mayor is speaking with their jarl," said the local man, "They want to trade and resupply for a few days before moving on." At this, Shanks was excited by the news. Despite the rumors about them, the Vikings were also known to be great merchants. A chance to do business with them was an opportunity of a lifetime!
"Then let's meet these Vikings ourselves, boys!" Shanks exclaimed, and most of the crew followed their captain out of the tavern towards the port, with young Luffy following close behind.
Down at the port, Shanks and Luffy could see the local man spoke truly. Nestled at the harbor was a fearsome longship. Atop the prow stood the head of a lion, and the same beast adorned the ship's flag and sail. Leading these men from the icy North Blue was a fearsome drengr clad in mail and lamellar, with a lion's pelt over his helmet. His hands rested atop the head a fearsome looking two-handed axe.
"Which of you is Red-Haired Shanks?" The warrior asked about.
"That'd be me," replied the redheaded captain, as he stepped forward, gripping his cutlass that he wore on his hip.
The warrior smiled and replied, "I am Sigurd Jarl of Fornburg, and this is the Lion Clan, my crew, and my family. We heard the great saga of you and your ferocious drengir, and wish to feast and trade with you."
"Well, you're more than welcome! Follow us and we'll lead you to the tavern, my friends!" Shanks replied with a smile, and led the way back to Paty's Bar.
A few hours later, both Shanks' crew and the Vikings were feasting and drinking down in the tavern. The Vikings brought with them barrels full of ale, mead, and wine they either brought with them from home or traded with others.
Sigurd was regaling them all with tales about their travels, while some of Shanks' crew began singing that time honored seafarer's shanty, Binks' Brew.
"Through Sabaody, we barreled through the mangroves of one of those many islands, raiding as we went, shadowy tribes hurling spears at our ship," said the great jarl, as he explained his tale, "At Water 7, we saw men and women bedecked in riches as vibrant as the Bifrost itself. Here, we stayed acquiring some of these for ourselves as we repaired our water-steeds. We sailed to Jaya, then to Alabasta, past seas of sand, animals of all species, and beauty that the eyes would weep to behold…"
Luffy, however, was stuck next to Yasopp, who was deep into his cups by this point.
"Ya know somethin', Luffy?" He asked in a slurred tone, "I got a kid named Usopp, and he's just about your age."
"You told me about him already! A hundred times!" Luffy reminded.
"A hundred?" Yasopp asked, before placing his empty tankard right down on Luffy's head. "Well, too bad! I'm gonna tell ya again!" Yasopp went on to, once more, explain in depth about his precious son and wife, "…It was so heartbreaking, but I had to set out on the seas. Ya see, Luffy. When the pirate flag beckons, you must heed its call!" Everyone in the tavern all cheered at Yasopp's declaration, but Luffy didn't care. All he wanted was that tankard off of his head.
"Need help?" Asked a voice, and Luffy saw a young boy who was only a year older than he was approach. He had vibrant blood-red hair, and wore the typical Viking tunic, trousers, boots, and belt. A cloak made from lionskin hung from his shoulders, and he wore a fur-trimmed cap atop his head. With a gentle yet swift move, he pulled the tankard right off of Luffy's head.
"Thanks. I thought I was never gonna get outta that," said Luffy, smiling in gratitude.
"You're welcome," said the boy, holding his hand out, "I am Ragnar, son of Sigurd Jarl. This is the first time my father has let me go a Viking with him."
"I'm Luffy! Nice to meetcha, Ragnar! This is the first time I've met real Vikings before. What's your homeland like?"
"We come from the seas of the North Blue. It's so cold, but so beautiful there. With the start of the Great Pirate Age, we took the chance to set out to sea, and we have thrived." Ragnar asked the alewife only for water, which he had her pour into a hollowed-out horn.
"Whoa! You drink from cow's horns?" Luffy asked in amazement.
"Ja! Wood's too precious in our land, so we use the horns of cows we butcher for meat whenever we need a tankard, but drinking horns are cooler for me. I can't drink ale, beer, or mead until I become a man, though."
Luffy was in such awe. He wanted to learn more about these mysterious but cool Vikings from the North. Suddenly, the door to the tavern was suddenly busted open and in walked a group of armed men led by Higuma. Higuma looked around at the pirates and sneered at them.
"Excuse us," said the leader as he passed by, "So, these are the pirates I've heard about? Humph, they look rather sad to me."
"Can I help you?" asked the alewife, Makino.
"We're mountain bandits," replied Higuma, "But don't worry. We didn't come here to tear your place apart. Just give us your finest sake and we'll be on our way. I'd say…10 barrels should do."
"I'm sorry," replied Makino, "But actually, we're fresh out of sake right now."
"Hmm. Interesting. These other pirates seem to still be drinking. Is that water in their glasses?"
"No, that just happens to be the last of what I have stocked up."
Higuma scowled upon hearing this, but Shanks looked up at the bandit lord.
"My apologies, gentlemen. Looks like my friends and I drank the whole place dry," he said, handing Higuma a bottle of sake, "But you can have this, if you want. It hasn't even been opened yet. Go ahead."
Higuma looked as if he was to reach for the bottle, only to clench his fist and smash it out of Shanks' hand. Makino, the crew, even the Lion Clan and Luffy were all shocked at the sight!
"I'm wanted. There's an 8 million berry bounty on my head," grumbled Higuma, "One bottle isn't even enough for a night captain, so don't insult me."
"Just great…" muttered Shanks, "Now the floor's all wet. Sorry about that, Makino. Ya got a rag I can clean this up with?"
"Oh, don't worry about it," said Makino, "I'll take care of it."
Shanks still went about cleaning regardless. At the sight of it, Higuma drew his saber and with one swing sent all the food and alcohol sliding onto the floor with a loud crash.
"Since you like to clean things so much, maybe you'll find this mess more fulfilling," he said mockingly, sheathing his sword and turning around, "A place with no sake is a place not worth our time, men. Let's get out of here." As they walked, Higuma then looked at the pirates and sneered, "See ya later, pansies."
Luffy looked on in rage. Shanks did nothing at all to defend his honor. Ragnar was also mad, and gripped his seax, but Sigurd stopped his son.
"Hold, Ragnar," he told his boy, "That bacraut was marked for death the moment he offended lady Makino's hospitality. Mark my words, son. His time will come, but he is not fated to see Helheim today."
By now, Shanks was drenched in alcohol, and broken glass covered the floor. Makino went down to help him up.
"Captain, are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asked, concerned.
Shanks only replied, "Not a problem in the world, Makino." He and his crew then just started to burst out in laughter, as if it was only a mere tryst.
"That guy really got ya good, Captain!" Yasopp laughed out, causing Shanks to cackle along with his gunner.
"WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING!?" Luffy suddenly blared out, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY!? YOU SHOULD'VE FOUGHT BACK, SHANKS! IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW STRONG THEY LOOK OR HOW MANY OF THEM THERE ARE, YOU JUST LAUGH IT OFF! YOU'RE NOT A MAN, OR A PIRATE!"
Ragnar was about to give Luffy a piece of his mind for such a grave insult, but Sigurd once again stopped his son. From the look in his eyes, Shanks knew what he was doing.
"Look, Luffy. I know how ya feel," said Shanks as he looked up at his friend, "But the guy just spilled some booze on me. It's not worth getting bent outta shape."
"Whatever…" Luffy muttered, before noticing a purplish looking melon inside of a treasure chest next to him. As Shanks put his hat back on, the boy just took a first bite and started eating.
"Heh-heh! Ya shouldn't eat out of frustration, Luffy," Shanks told his young friend.
"Shut up!" Luffy yelled back, and it was at this exact moment that Shanks could make out a glimpse at what the boy was chewing.
"Wait! What're you eating?!" Shanks asked, but by the time he rose to his feet, Luffy already swallowed it, "No, you didn't! Don't tell me you ate the fruit that was inside that box!" Shanks then grabbed Luffy by the legs and began shaking him upside-down, "Spit it out! Right now! Every single bit!"
"What're you doing!? Why are you shaking…me!?" Luffy asked, and as he was being shaken, he suddenly felt his legs extend out, and his face hit the floor, as if they were made of elastic!
"Thor's beard!" Sigurd exclaimed. All the pirates and Vikings looked on in either shock or awe at the sight of Luffy's legs stretching like that, then returning back to normal, followed by the boy's neck.
"What's going on…?" Luffy asked, still dazed by hitting the floor.
Shanks only held the boy up so that he was looking at the captain right in the eyes. He then told the boy, "Luffy, you just ate the Gum-Gum Fruit - part of a group called the Devil Fruits! Eating any of them takes away your ability to swim for the rest of your life, but the one you ate also turns your body to rubber!"
"NO WAY! IT CAN'T!"
"YOU DUMBASS!"
A few days later, however, Higuma and his bandits were back at the tavern, remarking on their last encounter with Shanks' crew the other day.
"Did ya see the looks on those pirates' faces?"
"Yeah! They got doused in liquor and didn't even say a word! How pathetic!"
"Pirates are a bunch of wimps, nothing more," Higuma declared, "They're all talk and no action."
At that moment, Luffy stood from his seat, having heard everything.
"STOP IT!" He roared, "STOP MAKING FUN OF SHANKS AND HIS MEN, RIGHT NOW! THEY'RE NOT WIMPS AT ALL!"
"Luffy, no!" Makino told him, eager to see him live, but Luffy would have none of it.
"YOU BETTER STOP, RIGHT NOW, YOU STUPID BANDIT!"
This riled Higuma's fury to no end. He and his bandits dragged Luffy out of the bar by his t-shirt and flung him against a bucket used for collecting rainwater.
"What is this?" He asked, "We were drinking and having a nice time, until you opened your big mouth."
"You apologize!" Luffy demanded, glaring venomously at Higuma, "No one messes with Shanks' crew!" By now, he was covered in dirt and bruises from the beating he got. Higuma then planted his foot right onto Luffy's face.
"I don't think I said anything to offend you directly."
"You think wrong! Now apologize!"
All the townsfolk looked on in horror at the sight. Higuma looked down at Luffy with an ice cold glare.
"You should watch your flappin' gums, kid," he said in a stern low tone, "Nobody who's made me mad has lived to tell the horrifying and painful tale." As he said this, he gripped his sword, ready to take off the boy's head with one blow.
"Wait! Hold on!" A voice cried out, and Higuma turned to see Makino with the village's mayor, "I don't know what he's done," said the mayor, "And I certainly don't intend to fight you over it. If you'll accept, I'll even pay you to stop this! Just spare the poor boy's life, please!"
"While the oldest generation may know the way of the world better than us all," said Higuma, looking back at the mayor's groveling, "I'm sorry, but this rotten kid's already made me angry. Nothing can save him now." He then drew his sword and looked back down at the livid Luffy.
"You're the rotten ones here!" Luffy growled, but already could feel the sword near his cheek.
"And you're a lost cause: something you can regret in the next life," Higuma declared, raising his sword to raise the final blow.
"I was wondering why the bar was empty on such a fine day," a voice suddenly spoke out. Makino and the mayor then turned around to see Shanks and his entire pirate crew behind them in full force. "So, it's the mountain bandits again, huh?" He asked. Luffy looked on in utter disbelief. Shanks had indeed come to save his life!
"Pirates…" grumbled Higuma, "You just now showing your heads? Have you been spending this whole time scrubbing the whole village?"
Shanks didn't answer, but looked to his dear friend and asked, "Luffy, didn't you say earlier that your punches were stronger than pistols?"
"Shut your mouth!" Luffy croaked out, obviously trying not to get himself in trouble any further as Shanks walked towards him.
"Listen. I don't know what you think you're doin' here, but you might wanna leave," Higuma suggested, "You wouldn't want something bad to happen, and I have just the man to deliver this message." Shanks didn't look in the direction, but he could definitely feel the barrel of a flintlock pistol pressed against his right temple.
"I'll blow your head off, if I have to," said another bandit, "But that's up to you, my friend." All of the bandits and Higuma chuckled sinisterly, believing that a pirate was too scruffy and underfed to stand toe-to-toe with men like them. Yet still, Shanks only smiled, with his straw hat blocking his eyes.
"Would you risk your life?" he asked the bandit, who was utterly confused, "Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" the man asked.
"I'm saying that guns aren't for threats, they're for actions." As Shanks spoke, a loud BOOM rang out like the sound of thunder. Lucky Roux managed to get in from behind, and shoot the bandit right in the head. He only fell to the ground, black blood pooling from the gunshot wound as Roux took a bite from the slab of meat he held in his free hand.
All of the bandits looked on in utter shock at this betrayal of what they considered proper warfare.
"You! You're a dead man!" Cried one of them.
"These guys fight dirty!" Shouted another.
"Dirty?" Yasopp asked.
"Who did you think you were dealing with?" Asked Benin Beckham, the first mate, "We never claimed to be saints or anything."
"You fellas are staring down a crew of pirates," Shanks remarked, reminding the bandits about who they were facing.
"Shut up! We only want the kid, not you!" Another bandit shouted.
However, Shanks only silenced him with his scowl as he gripped his own sword.
"Listen up, Bandits," he growled out, "Whether I'm sprayed with alcohol, or doused with food. Hell! Even if I'm spit on, most of the time I'll just laugh it off and forget about it." His eyes then met Higuma's, and the bandit leader could see the pirate captain's venomous glare as he heard what came next, "But if you hurt a friend of mine, you'll pay for it regardless of your reason!"
Luffy was deeply touched. He misjudged Shanks the other day for his apparent cowardice. Here was his friend and idol now, showing the courage that was needed in order to save his friend. Truly, there was never a more noble cause.
Higuma only laughed to cover up his fear, "So, we're gonna pay?" He asked, then shouted, "Lousy pirates! Kill 'em all, men!"
Each of the bandits drew their own swords and charged straight at Shanks' crew.
"I'll take care of this," said Beckham, drawing his musket, "It shouldn't be a big deal." However, instead of firing a series of bullets at the three bandits charging towards him, he swung his firearm like a club, knocking three of them out and then turning his weapon so that Higuma was staring right down the barrel. "You shouldn't get too cocky. If you really wanted to fight us, looks like a battleship, or something bigger would've been useful."
"Wow…!" Luffy muttered. He just saw one man take down three without having sustained a single cut.
"Enough of this!" Higuma growled, "Hurry up and kill 'em!" Higuma's horde of bandits were still eager for a fight.
"Heh, you want a dust up, I'll give ya one," said Shanks, then he yelled out, "Sigurd! NOW!"
From behind a field of long wheat, Sigurd Jarl and the rest of the Lion Clan came out of hiding.
"Go!" He shouted to his warriors, "Show these pirates what we can do! To battle!" The Vikings began banging their swords and axes against their shields, and with an almighty battle-cry, they charged towards the remaining horde, and descended upon Higuma and his bandits…without mercy.
The battle that followed lasted near minutes. The ill-disciplined and barely trained mountain bandits were no match against the merciless Vikings. The brigands faced a massacre, while their fearful leader now realized the extent of what he just did. Sigurd Jarl was staring him down while Shanks' crew, Makino and the mayor were busy ensuring all the villagers were in their homes, away from the bloodshed.
"No, wait! Let's talk about this!" Higuma pleaded.
"The time for talking, is over. You just killed yourself, ergi," Sigurd growled, drawing his sword, and pointing it towards Higuma, "Hear me, all! I call a holmgang! Against this argr swine!"
"Please! I'm begging you, mercy! It was the kid who attacked us!" Higuma begged. Even he knew what a holmgang was, and his chances were incredibly low against a foe who was bigger, stronger, and more experienced.
"I thought you were a wanted man," said Shanks with the smuggest of grins on his face, "What's the matter? Scared to face down a Viking in a duel to the death?"
With no other options, Higuma drew out a bomb and threw it to the ground, releasing a thick cloud of black smoke. When it dispersed, both he and Luffy were gone.
"Luffy!? Oh no! I let that guy take him!" Shanks screamed in horror.
"Coward of cowards!" Sigurd roared out, "Face me, you feeble armed thrall!" Then he looked to see one of his men approach him.
"Sigurd Jarl!" He declared, kneeling on one foot, "Our remaining crew back at the ship reported sights of a boat out on the whale-road. The occupants aboard were a scruffy armed man and a little boy."
Shanks' heart sank as soon as he heard it all. He now knew exactly where Luffy was!
True to the Viking's word, Higuma was indeed out on a ship, with a struggling Luffy held in his hand.
"Heh! Looks like I made a clean getaway," he said to himself, "They'd never think to look for a mountain bandit escaping out onto the ocean."
"Dammit! Let go of me, you dumbass idiot!" Luffy shouted, "I really hope you die!"
"Heh, yeah. I know that's what you want," Higuma told the boy, "But you're the one who's dying today. Remember what I said about making me angry?" Then, he let go of the boy, throwing him into the sea.
Now, Luffy knew he was in deep trouble! He remembered what Shanks told him about Devil Fruit users, that they lost their ability to swim for the rest of their lives! As he hit the water, he could feel himself unable to move as he struggled to stay afloat. All the while, Higuma laughed at the sight.
"Sorry, kid, but I don't seem to have a use for you anymore!" Higuma laughed out, but even as he did, he could see the Viking longships rowing out to his directions, with archers readying their arrows to unleash a storm of death upon him. All at once, however, they came to a halt. They were not looking at Higuma, but at something behind him. All at once, Higuma stopped laughing as he felt the water behind him rise up. The bandit leader turned and saw the unthinkable: a gigantic eel was staring him down. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" he asked, the fear now evident in his voice.
"By the hand of Thor…" One of the Vikings muttered, "It's the World Serpent! Jormundgandr!" They and Luffy looked on in utter horror as the beast opened its mouth bristling with fangs, and with one bite, swallowed Higuma whole! The eel suddenly noticed Luffy struggling to keep his head above the water, and dove down only to surface just inches away from the poor boy. For a minute, it appeared that Luffy's fate was inevitable…and then, just as all hope seemed lost, Shanks appeared, clutching Luffy to his chest as the beast clenched its maw down before plunging down beneath the waves again. As the creature resurfaced, its eyes locked with Shanks', and for once, the terror of the sea was itself terrified.
"Get. Lost," said the pirate captain, in a deep intimidating tone, his eyes glaring at the monster like daggers. The beast trusted its gut instinct and swam away as fast as it could from the man. With the danger having passed, Shanks turned his attention to his young friend, smiling at him. "I'm in your debt, Luffy," he said, "Makino told me everything about how you stood up for us; how you were willing to fight and put your life on the line." As he spoke, he noticed that Luffy began sobbing uncontrollably like a baby. "C'mon, you can't cry. You're a man now."
"But…but Shanks…" Luffy sobbed, "…Your arm!" As the Vikings rowed closer to the two, even they could see what Luffy was talking about: the beast managed to rip Shanks' left arm off from his shoulder.
"Luffy, it's just an arm," Shanks told him, "I got another one; I'm just glad you're alright." Shanks continued to hold Luffy, as a father would for his son, even as the Vikings helped him into one of the ships and made their way back to Fuchsia Village. They would never forget the act of courage they just witnessed…
Two days later, Shanks and his crew were finally ready to depart. The other pirates were able to resupply in short order, and began loading their rations and weapons aboard their ship. All the villagers turned up to see them off, including the mayor, reluctant as he was. Luffy only watched as Shanks and Sigurd Jarl had one final friendly conversation together.
"You sure about staying around here for a while longer?" Shanks asked.
"As sure as Odin was to make Baldr his heir," the Norseman replied with a grin, "We intend to remain behind and trade our goods before heading off ourselves. Besides, my son and your friend have become almost like brothers."
Shanks only chuckled as he shook Sigurd's hand, and replied, "Then until we meet again. Look after Luffy for me, you and Ragnar both."
"As if he were my own son, Shanks." Then the two parted ways, as Sigurd made his way to Ragnar's side.
"Will we be seeing those pirates again, father?" Ragnar asked, only for Sigurd to smile down at his son.
"Someday, my boy, you might," he replied, "Who knows what the Nornir have in store for us. But we must be prepared for any change, whether glorious or tragic. The lessons of Ragnarök are clear." Yet Ragnar was all too focused on seeing Shanks say his goodbyes to Luffy.
"So, you're leaving already?" Luffy asked Shanks with a smug grin.
"Yeah. It was a nice extended vacation, but we have to part ways, now." Shanks told his young friend, "I bet you'll miss me, right?"
"Yeah, but this time I won't beg you to take me with you. Because I'm gonna become a pirate all on my own."
Shanks then stuck his tongue out childishly at this remark, "I wouldn't take you with me, anyway," he replied, "You'll never make it as a pirate."
This only further riled Luffy's anger, though. Finally, the boy yelled out, "NO! I will make it as a pirate! Someday, I'm gonna gather a crew even better than yours, and I'm gonna find the GREATEST TREASURE IN THE WORLD! AND THEN, I'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES! I'LL SHOW YOU!" And with those words, Luffy set in motion the events that would lead to his journey. Everyone smiled with admiration when they heard Luffy's declaration. A boy of his age swearing to become Gold Roger's successor was a big moment. Nobody at the time ever dared imagine the scale of how far Luffy was willing to go to achieve this ambition.
"Heh! You think you'll surpass us?" Shanks asked, seeing how Luffy was close to tears at this point. Then he took off his straw hat and placed it on the boy's head. "In that case, I'll leave this hat to you. It means more to me than anything in the world. So, you'd better take good care of it, ya hear me?" The gesture only touched Luffy's heart. He was tasked with keeping Shanks' hat, no, his hat. No words, not even a hug goodbye, Luffy just stood there sobbing uncontrollably once more, the hat's brim hiding his eyes so that nobody would see him cry. "I want you to bring this hat back to me someday, in good condition" Shanks continued, "And only once you've become a great pirate. That's our promise…Luffy."
As soon as Shanks boarded, the sails on the ship unfurled, and the pirates sailed off into the blue yonder to the cheers and shouts of joy from the villagers, along with Sigurd and his Vikings banging their shields and their skald singing a farewell tune to accompany the pirates on their journey. Luffy only looked up at Shanks as Makino held his shoulders. He still held that straw hat tightly by the brim in his hands. That boy was going to keep his promise to Shanks…
Even now, a decade later, Luffy still remembered that day: the Romance Dawn that set him off on his journey with Ragnar and Zoro. He just sat in the boat staring at the hat, lost in his own little world.
"Luffy!" Zoro called out, snapping him back to his senses, "Hey, you're gonna drop that again if you're not careful. I thought it was important."
"It is. Thanks Zoro," Luffy replied, placing his hat back atop his head.
"Oh man, I am so hungry, it's killing me!" Zoro complained, looking over to the quartermaster who'd just begun fishing, "Ragnar, any luck?"
"Nothing but kelp and algae," replied the Viking, "We should've cast our lines out earlier. Fish are more active at sunrise." At that moment, Luffy looked up and saw a cruciform shadow overhead. Instantly the captain knew what it was.
"Hey look, a bird," said Zoro, who also noticed the seabird flying overhead.
"I know! Let's eat it!" Luffy suggested.
Ragnar looked at his captain as he reeled the fishing lines in and asked, "How? We have no harpoons to bring it down, and my arrows are only to be used on game like deer or rabbits."
"Ragnar's right," added Zoro, "How are we gonna catch it?"
"Leave that to me," said Luffy as he extended his arms outwards, grabbing the crossbeam atop the mast. "I'll be right back, guys! Gum-Gum Rocket!" With a single leap, he soared through the air, impressing both his unofficial first mate and quartermaster both.
"That makes sense," Zoro muttered, his facial expression making him appear almost unimpressed.
"Ja, but my only concern is…" began Ragnar, as he watched Luffy get his head caught in the bird's beak. "Damn it. I was afraid that this would happen," the Viking muttered beneath his breath. Even Zoro could see what was going on. The pink seabird was clutching Luffy's head right in its beak.
"HELP ME!" Luffy cried out as he was being flown away to who-knows-where. Zoro and Ragnar quickly began rowing as fast as they possibly could, with the latter manning the rudder.
"You moron! What the hell's going on now!?" Zoro asked his captain.
"Hang on, Luffy! We're on your tail!" Ragnar shouted back, "Zoro, whatever you do, don't let that bird out of your sight."
"Way ahead of you there, Quartermaster!"
The two men rowed with all their might, not even noticing three castaways in the water right in front of their boats.
"Hey! You there! Stop! Please! Man overboard! Stop! Man overboard!" One of them shouted.
Ragnar then noticed them and motioned to the green-haired first mate.
"Portside, Zoro! Castaways! Three of 'em. Seem to be alive," bellowed the Viking.
"I can't believe we find castaways at a time like this," Zoro muttered, then turned to the three men, "We can't stop! You're just gonna have to jump in!" The three marooned sailors were shocked when they heard this, but somehow, they managed to climb a hold of the first boat's hull, and climbed aboard. "I'm actually impressed you made it on board," remarked Zoro.
"Are you trying to kill us!?" They all shouted in unison, until the man in the center drew a curved dagger from his belt.
"Stop the boat, both of you, now," he said, with his and his comrades' faces sneering menacingly, "The three of us are members of Buggy the Clown's pirate crew. This boat is ours now."
Hearing this, Zoro and Ragnar only looked at each other, and nodded. The attempted takeover was foiled in a matter of seconds. The three drifters were now each rowing a pair of oars, with their faces bruised as they laughed sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, we had no idea one of you was the famous pirate hunter Zoro," said the man in the black cap.
"Thanks to you three idiots, we lost sight of our friend," Zoro growled, "So just keep rowing."
"We should be thankful for their help, Zoro," said Ragnar, "After all, we're bound to get to our destination faster than if it was just the two of us."
"Yeah. Fair point. Knowing Luffy, he'll probably pull off something once he spots land."
As the five of them continued to venture the seas, with the power of both oars and sails guiding them, the three members of Buggy's crew muttered among themselves.
"So... any ideas about what we do now?"
"Good question. If Captain Buggy finds out a girl stole both our boat and our treasure, we're history!"
"I know…"
Ragnar and Zoro couldn't help but overhear the conversation, and were more than a bit curious.
"Wait," said Ragnar, trying his best to stifle his laughter, "A woman stole your boat!?"
"More importantly, you mentioned the name of your captain earlier," Zoro added, "So, who is this Buggy guy anyway?"
"You two never heard of Buggy the Clown?!" One of them asked, "He's the ruthless captain of our pirate ship, and he's eaten one of the Devil Fruits, but above everything else – he is one truly terrifying man!"
Meanwhile, under another sky, an iconic clown themed jolly roger fluttered atop the mast of a circus themed galleon, with the head of an elephant as its figurehead. She was currently nested in port in a town that was almost deserted, save for one. The same orange haired young woman who stole the castaways' boat and treasure was now running for her life. Behind her were three pirates chasing her, armed with swords.
"Hey girl! Come back here!"
"You better give us that map back, or else!"
"We just stole that chart of the Grand Line! It belongs to us!"
"Damn it! If we don't get that map back, we're as good as dead!"
"We'll be killed by one of the captain's cannonballs!"
Elsewhere in the town, within a hastily built tent, Buggy the Clown patiently awaited news about his three men who had yet to return with the haul of treasure.
"Captain Buggy!" One of the lookouts shouted, "I've spotted something high in the sky above the port!"
"Well, shoot it down," commanded the captain. He didn't know what this was, but he didn't want it flying over his airspace.
At his signal, the sound of cannon fire thundered across the town aiming directly at the sky. The girl paused and looked up, as did the men chasing her, only to find Luffy plummeting from the seabird's beak straight in front of the familiar girl, standing between her and her pursuers.
"What the hell?" She asked in pure disbelief.
"Damn it…why were there cannonballs being shot at me?" Luffy asked, still dazed, and confused as he got to his feet, "Well, at least I'm safe now. Man! What just happened to me was awesome!" The situation around him was tense. What happened to Luffy now...would ultimately change the course of Luffy's life forever!
A/N: And so, here we have it! The story of not only how Luffy got his straw hat from Shanks, but also about how he met Ragnar! As I promised, there are a ton of Easter eggs already. We have mention of Sabaody, Water 7, Jaya and Alabasta, as well as the playing of a certain popular sea shanty in the background as Sigurd is telling his tale. Heck! We even have a direct mention of Usopp placed in there as well! Tons and tons of foreshadowing!
Also, if you didn't catch on by this point, yes: Luffy can definitely use Haki, but he can't control it yet. But let's get back to those Vikings, shall we? You may have noticed that Ragnar belongs to what Sigurd described as "The Lion Clan". Back during the Viking Age, the Norse lived in clans similar to those in Feudal Japan and Scotland. As I mentioned in the A/N for Chapter 2, these clans often fought with one another over land and resources, which was one of the factors that led to the Viking Age. We also got to see a longship for the first time. Oh, and yes, the Vikings did think that the Lord of the Coast was Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, but can you blame them?
One thing that I should also mention is that Ragnar mentioned that he used ravens to try and find land. Historically, we can infer that this was what the Vikings did when they were at sea, and it was pretty innovative for its time. They would bring ravens aboard their longships and they would release them to tell how far away they were from land. If the ravens came flying back to their ship, they were still out at sea, but if they didn't come back, that meant they were nearing land.
Anyway, stay tuned for chapter five, and Buggy the Clown!
