DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC.


Chapter 6: Desperate Situation! Beast Tamer Mohji vs. Ragnar!

The blast from the cannon seemed to decimate everyone in its path, blowing the tent sky high and sending yet another wave of destruction through the town, as the Buggy Ball tore through yet another block of houses. Zoro and Ragnar made their way jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the two of them carrying Luffy's cage on their backs.

"You okay, Zoro? How bad are you injured?" Luffy asked.

"Just shut up and don't worry about me," Zoro gritted, "I need to concentrate if we're gonna get outta here!"

"Buggy said the injury wasn't life-threatening," Ragnar replied, "But he's right about one thing. We need to get out of here, now! All four of us!"

Nami made her way towards their sides, still holding the linstock and the shield Ragnar gave her. She was just in total awe that their plan actually worked.

"Who are these guys…?" She muttered.

"Hey Luffy…who's this?" Zoro asked between pained breaths, "Who's the girl?"

"Oh, right, she's our new navigator," Luffy explained.

"Good, we'll need all the help we can get," said Ragnar, smiling at her with confidence, "I am Ragnar of the Lion Clan, son of Sigurd Jarl of Fornburg, and quartermaster of the Straw Hat Pirates. You've already met first mate Roronoa Zoro, and our captain, Monkey D. Luffy." He and Zoro then lifted the cage with their combined strength, despite the fact that Zoro still bled with each step he took. As Nami slung the shield on her back, Luffy grabbed her free hand as an indication that they needed to stay together. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement and helped Ragnar and Zoro with the cage, at least until they got down to the streets.


At the same time, Buggy and his crew managed to survive the blast, having cleared out at the last minute, and he was apoplectic at his situation.

'Those four shits think they can mock me!? Screw that! I consider this act of aggression a declaration of war!' He thought to himself. At that moment, the growling of a beast could be heard. Buggy only smiled sinisterly in the darkness of what shelter he found, "There you are, Mohji."

As the smoke cleared, a man with a stubble beard and animal themed attire showed himself before Buggy.

"I hope you wouldn't mind if I take the pirate hunter's head, captain," said Mohji.

Buggy only chuckled and replied, "Be my guest."


Elsewhere in the town, the four managed to reach a flight of stone steps. Ragnar dragged the cage so that Zoro could clutch his wound and stop himself from bleeding out, while Luffy tended to Nami.

"Are you gonna be alright, Nami?" He asked.

"I'll live," she replied, "That match-cord burned my hands but I'll pull through." She held out her left hand for him to examine. It still was bright red from trying to put out the match-cord.

"I promise, Buggy's not gonna get away with this," he told her, "I'll make sure he doesn't." At this promise, Nami couldn't help but blush. She liked the fact that Luffy was concerned for her safety. She only watched as Ragnar and Zoro used their combined strength to pop open the top of the cage, allowing Luffy to go free. The quartermaster let Zoro lean on him as they walked.

"Luffy, was it?" She asked, "How did you stretch your arm like that?"

"Oh, I ate a Devil Fruit too," he explained, "It was called the Gum-Gum Fruit, so I can stretch like rubber."

"No way! You have Devil Fruit powers too? I guess the rumors were true after all," she muttered. Her other question would have to wait until they were all at a safe distance. Before long, they all managed to reach safety in a relatively safer part of the town.

"We should be able to rest here," said Ragnar as he let Zoro down to rest, "Easy, brother. You're in no condition to fight until that wound of yours is healed. Until then, I'll cover for you."

"I appreciate it…Ragnar…" Zoro replied with a smile, resting against the beam of a porch.

As Ragnar stood guard, Nami figured it was now the best time for her second question.

"Alright, Luffy, you told me about your Devil Fruit powers, so answer me this," she said in almost a warning tone, "How did you know so much about my past? I know you said that you heard it as a kid, but I don't believe that's the whole story." She knew that Luffy seemed to sense the pain she suffered. Now Luffy realized that while he had noble intentions, he probably shouldn't have looked into Nami's soul without her consent first.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I did it myself," he said nervously, then his tone changed to a more somber one, "You're right, I did hear about the invasion from refugees, but ever since I was a kid, I've somehow been able to sense what people are feeling, but I still can't control how far I can sense it." He then looked into Nami's eyes, "I'm sorry, Nami, if I went too far."

Nami only shook her head with a smile, her eyes filling with tears.

"You saved my life thrice now," she told him, "I'll let it slide for now. Honestly, even though we just met, I'm grateful you're willing to go so far to help me. Just promise me you won't do it again."

"I promise, Nami." Luffy then pulled Nami in for an embrace. Initially, she was shocked by this sudden display of affection, but deep down, she knew that she desperately needed this. Instinctively, she hugged him back as tears silently flowed down her cheeks. She was just so happy that her new friend was honest to a fault and cared for her. She'd never felt this way about anyone in her life before.

After a while, they let go of one another, but still kept close as the two of them as well as Zoro and Ragnar all noticed a little white dog just sitting there staring at them. He was covered in dirt, and from the smell of it, he hadn't been groomed in weeks.

"What's up with this dog?" Zoro asked weakly. Luffy made his way over towards the dog, but got no reaction from it.

"It appears as if he's protecting something," said Ragnar, noticing how the dog was still breathing, but not moving a muscle.

"I wonder if it's friendly," Luffy muttered, poking the dog's head to get a reaction, but instead the pooch bit his hand hard, shocking everyone. In response, Luffy began to shake the dog wildly. "Let go of me you mangy mutt! My hand is not food!" He growled in pain.

"HEY! Stop that!" A voice called out, and Ragnar, Nami and Zoro turned to see an old man with glasses decked in armor approach, "Stop picking on poor Chouchou! Leave him alone!" He bellowed as he approached the four of them.

"And who might you be, old man?" Zoro asked, looking up at the new arrival.

"Old man!? Why, I'm the mayor of this town!" He declared, "Who are you four, and why are you hurting Chouchou?!" Then the mayor noticed Zoro's wound still bleeding, and his tone changed, "My, my! That's quite an injury you have there. I take it that you had a run in with Buggy the Clown? We need to get you to a doctor."

The mayor and Ragnar both helped Zoro to his feet and brought him to a house across the plaza to rest and recuperate. After a while, the two returned to Luffy and Nami, who were just standing there with Chouchou nearby.

"How's Zoro?" Luffy asked, concerned.

"I told him he really should see a doctor," said the mayor, "But he insisted he didn't need to and just wanted to sleep it off."

Nami let Chouchou sniff her hand before proceeding to pet his head as she looked up at the mayor and asked, "So, this dog's name is Chouchou?"

"Why is he just sitting there like that?" Luffy asked, "Is he lazy or something?"

"He's guarding the store," the mayor answered.

"He's guarding something?" Nami asked before looking at the building behind her with the dog pawprint on the doors, "Oh! I see, it's a pet food shop."

"That's right. And the man who used to run this store was a very close friend of mine." The mayor entered the store and returned with a bowl full of kibble, which Chouchou happily ate, "When he passed, I assumed responsibility for taking care of Chouchou."

"He died?"

"Yes. Three months ago, after fighting his illness for a very long time."

"Don't tell me he's been waiting for his master to return this whole time?"

"That seems to be the consensus, but I find that very hard to believe." The mayor then pulled out his pipe and looked at Chouchou eating, "Chouchou's a very smart dog. He's probably known for a while that his master isn't coming back."

"Then why does he stay here at the store?" Nami asked.

"My guess? He has a deep connection to it. It's his…treasure, so to speak, and he's guarding it. His master gave him this shop, and that's why he protects it. I tried to bring him back to my house so he'd be out of the elements, but he won't take so much as a step away from here."

As Chouchou finished his meal, and returned the bowl to the mayor's feet, Luffy and Ragnar couldn't help but hear a distant inhuman noise coming towards them.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Ragnar asked, looking around for the direction it was coming from.

"What's that sound?" Nami asked.

"It's him! Beast Tamer Mohji!" The mayor shouted, "We gotta go! Run!"

"What do you mean by Beast Tamer? Hey! Hold on!" However, by that point, the mayor was already fleeing like a coward.

"C'mon, puppy, something's coming!" Luffy told Chouchou, "We need to get you outta here!" However, before they could flee, Luffy, Ragnar and Nami all saw the same thing: Beast Tamer Mohji riding atop the back of a great lion.

"I see you haven't made it very far after your escape," said the beast tamer with a menacing grin.

"Who are you!?" Ragnar growled out angrily.

"My name is Beast Tamer Mohji, and I'm a member of the Buggy Pirates."

"That's a weird lookin' animal suit ya got on," Luffy remarked, irritating Mohji to no end.

"That was rude!" The beast tamer replied, "This is manly hair!"

"Kay, that's even weirder."

"You shouldn't assume you're safe, just because you managed to escape. You must not know of my terrifying will. There's no creature in this world that Beast Tamer Mohji can't bend to do his bidding." As Mohji dismounted the lion, he made his way to a snarling Chouchou. Yet when he tried to get the pooch to obey, Chouchou only bit his hand instead. After getting the dog off of him, Mohji once more turned to Luffy, "You nameless thief, I have no interest in killing you. Just tell me where Roronoa Zoro is before I change my mind."

"No way!" Luffy said angrily.

Mohji glared back and yelled out, "Ritchie! Attack!"

At his command, the lion ran forward and was about to pounce on Luffy and Nami both, but Ragnar jumped in between them. Nami then watched on in shock as Ragnar's nails curled into claws, his teeth filed to fangs, and golden fur soon covered his whole body. Not even his clothes and armor fit him. Before long, in the Viking's place was another lion. And with an almighty roar, Ragnar charged right at Richie, his claws out and fangs barred.

"What the!? Did he just turn into a lion!?" Nami asked, clearly in shock by what she just saw.

"Ragnar!? How'd you do that!?" Luffy asked in equal disbelief, watching as the two lions both fought each other with a ferocity one would only expect to find in the wild. With fang and claw, the two big cats mauled and bit with intense fury, and before long even Chouchou joined the fray, barking at the other lion with the bravery one would expect from a wolf.

Mohji looked on in utter suspense that his own Ritchie now met his match in this literal lion of a man!

"How are you doing this!?" He asked, "What are you!?"

"I too have the powers of a Devil Fruit as well," Ragnar finally replied through a fearsome growl.

"So…So then you have…Devil Fruit powers like Captain Buggy, but yours allow you to turn into a lion!?" Ragnar glared at Mohji, his teeth barred as he slowly began circling his opponent, "Sorry! I apologize for attacking! I don't want any trouble!"

"It is too late for apologies," Ragnar growled, "You tried to kill my friends, my fellow drengir, and for that I swear to defeat you here and now!" He then continued circling Mohji and began to chant, "How are you called, you bear-skins, you wolf-shirts, you tasters of blood? They call us the shield-biters, the wall-breakers, born in battle's flood!" With another almighty roar, Ragnar charged at Mohji before turning into an anthropomorphic form and punching him so hard that the self-proclaimed Beast Tamer was knocked to the ground unconscious. The Viking's rage soon abided, and he turned to face his captain and navigator.

"Ragnar, that was so cool!" Luffy exclaimed, another huge grin on his face at the sight.

"So, you're another Devil Fruit user?" Nami asked, trying to get a grip on the situation.

"Correct," Ragnar answered, "The Devil Fruit that I came across is named the Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Lion. In short, I'm a lion-man."

Luffy only smiled with excitement as soon as he knew this. To learn that his oldest friend and quartermaster was also a Devil Fruit user was just incredible!

"This is awesome! We're more than ready to face the Grand Line now!" He exclaimed, laughing proudly.


Back at the remnants of his encampment, Buggy was livid when news of Mohji's defeat reached his ears.

"YOU WERE DEFEATED!? HOW!?" Buggy asked his first mate, who was now just as bloodied and beaten as his lion was.

"I'm very sorry, Captain. I'm sorry I failed," he professed.

"Mohji, I can't believe you were defeated by Zoro."

"No, it wasn't Zoro! It was that Viking. He's a Devil Fruit user who can turn into a lion!"

"What!? A Zoan type user all the way out here in the East Blue!? That's impossible!" Buggy couldn't comprehend what he just heard, even as Mohji passed out from his injuries. "Now, I'm really pissed off! All right, prepare all the remaining special Buggy Balls! I'm gonna blow this entire miserable town to smithereens!"


At the pet store, Nami was still trying to wrap her head around what she just witnessed, leaning on her linstock, and having taken out the match-cord in order to use it like a spear.

"So, let me get this straight: there are Devil Fruits that allow people to turn into animals?" She asked, "How is that even possible?"

"Perhaps I should elaborate," began Ragnar as he transformed back into his normal human form and started to put his tunic and armor back on, "My Devil Fruit was a Zoan type."

"Zoan? What's that mean?" Nami asked.

Ragnar smiled and answered, "It means that whoever eats them has the power to transform into animals."

"And the one you ate allows you to turn into this!"

"Exactly."

"I'm pathetic!" The mayor cried out, having observed Ragnar's fight against Ritchie and Mohji, "Chouchou and these young ones have fought so hard, and yet I, the mayor, have done nothing but sit back and watch our town be obliterated by Buggy and his despicable crew!"

"Calm down, it's not that bad," said Nami, trying to alleviate the situation.

"Just 40 years ago, this whole area was nothing but barren rugged land," the mayor explained, "We all worked together to create fields for our crops. We opened stores and built everything from the ground up! This town is a treasure to me and all its citizens! From here on out, I refuse to let Buggy and his crew terrorize us anymore!"

Yet at that moment, Ragnar sniffed the air and gasped in shock.

"Everyone! Take cover!" He yelled as he pushed the mayor to the ground, while Luffy did the same to Nami, holding her close to him to protect her. Both Ragnar and Nami covered themselves with their shields for additional protection, but when the blast of light faded, it was clear what happened: another Buggy Ball had just been fired. "Gods! Buggy has gone mad!" Ragnar shouted.

"He'll destroy it all…" the mayor muttered, as the building across the pet food store was obliterated.

"Oh crud!" Luffy shouted, "Zoro was sleeping inside there!"

"I'm sure he's dead now," the mayor surmised.

Ragnar looked at him with a growl and asked, "Would it kill you to think positive!?" Then he rushed to the smoking ruins of the house with Luffy.

"Zoro! You there? Are you still alive?" Luffy asked frantically.

"That's one helluva way to wake a guy up," said a familiar voice. As the smoke cleared, Luffy, Ragnar and Nami looked on in relief to see the worst did not come to pass: Zoro was awake and still alive! "I could've used a few more minutes of sleep."

"How did you survive that blast?" Nami asked.

"Who cares, as long as he's safe and recovered from his injuries," Ragnar added.

"All right! You're alive!" Luffy exclaimed. He was also glad that his first mate was alive and well, despite his cranky mood.

"I refuse to let him get away with this," the mayor grumbled, indicating Buggy, "I won't stand for it! I can't let this scumbag destroy all that my townspeople worked for this past 4 decades! I am Boodle, the Mayor of Orange Town! I will protect it, and its inhabitants! This, I swear until my dying breath!" He immediately grabbed his spear, but Nami stopped him, holding him back with her linstock and shield.

"Stop! You can't defeat Buggy! It's impossible!" Nami told him.

"Perhaps, but there are some fights that a man can't run from!" Boodle retorted, "Isn't that right, Straw Hat?"

"That's right, Mayor Boodle!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Shut up! Don't egg him on, Luffy," Nami told her captain, "It's dangerous for him to fight Buggy, especially at his age."

"I know it's dangerous!" Boodle shouted, causing Nami to let go as he charged forward in the direction of Buggy's encampment, "I'M COMING FOR YOU, BUGGY THE CLOWN!"

"The mayor…he was crying," Nami remarked.

"Looks like the party's getting more exciting," Zoro added with a grin, causing Luffy to laugh in agreement.

"This is no time for laughter," Nami reminded them, "We still have to get that chart back."

"She's right. We still have a fearsome battle ahead," added Ragnar, "If that cannon was able to fire at us, then it definitely means that Buggy is still alive."

"Way ahead of you, Ragnar," said Luffy, "Besides, I've become fond of that old man. There's no way I'd let him die."

"Well, in that case, count me in!" Zoro added, tying his green bandana around his head, much to Nami's concern.

"You're gonna go too?" She asked, "But you're wounded, remember?"

"Yeah, so what? The injury to my reputation's a lot worse than the injury to my gut."

"Well, you heard the man," said Luffy, leading the way, "If we wanna get to the Grand Line, we're gonna need to steal that chart back." Hearing this, Nami only smiled, grasping her linstock and shield with pride. When Luffy made a promise, he never went back on his word. She made her way to her captain's side with her crewmates, watching with confidence as Ragnar drew his sword. The Battle for Orange Town was about to begin.


Atop the roof of the tavern, Buggy's cannon was prepped towards its next path of destruction.

"The second shot is ready, sir!" One pirate declared.

"Alright, then. Open fire," said Buggy, a sadistic grin on his face, but before anyone could light the touch-hole, a spear tip was seen from below.

"Come out and face me, Buggy the Clown!" Mayor Boodle shouted, panting to catch his breath, "I'm mayor Boodle, and this town is my treasure! I won't let you terrorize my people any longer, so come out and fight me!"

"You idiot! This town is no treasure," Buggy responded back, "Treasure is gold, silver and jewels. So cut the crap, old man and get out of here before I kill you!"

"You could never understand how I feel…!" He did not finish. He soon found himself lifted into the air, gasping for air as Buggy sent his right hand flying to choke the life out of Boodle.

"You're right, I don't, and quite frankly, I don't care!" Buggy cackled, "Soon, I'm going to conquer the Grand Line and flashily obtain all the world's riches, and there's nothing you can do to stop me! All the world will belong to me: Buggy the Clown! Now, if this town truly means so much to you, then perhaps I should do you a favor and kill you first. That way, you won't have to see me destroy your precious hamlet."

"Shut up…and fight me already!" Boodle uttered out.

"Don't get too cocky, now."

"I'll never let you destroy this town! I'll protect it even if it costs me my very life!"

"Then so be it!" Buggy was about to squeeze the life out of Boodle, but once more, that same horn sounded, and below, he saw a flash of yellow and red. "That Straw Hat and his friends are back!" Below in the streets, Luffy was now holding Buggy's right hand in his left, and helping an unconscious Boodle down with his right. By his side were Zoro, Ragnar in his lion hybrid form, and Nami armed with her linstock and shield, which bore the emblem of two rampant lions on it: the emblem of the Lion Clan.

Luffy looked up and smiled at his opponent, declaring, "I'm here to kick your ass, just like I promised I would, Buggy!"


A/N: Well, well! It looks like Luffy isn't the only Devil Fruit user among the Straw Hats! Yes, Ragnar is also a Devil Fruit user. But why did I go for him having a Zoan type Devil Fruit? Well, once again, we need only look to the context of the Viking Age, specifically at the lore surrounding the infamous Norse Berserkers: warriors who were renowned and reviled by the Vikings for their animalistic savagery.

From the get go, it must be stated that the topic of the Viking Berserkers is shrouded in mystery. Studying the Old Norse sagas and Medieval chronicles yields a myriad of diverse and contradictory descriptions of their nature, which makes them hard to pin down among the pantheon of historical warriors. In fact, it's a matter of much academic debate as to whether berserkers even existed at all. That said, there are just too many references to berserkers across the geographic and temporal history of Scandinavia during the Viking Age to assume that they were just mythical warriors that were used as a tool to frighten children into obeying their parents.

Our model of the berserker will begin with the foundation of their identity, with one of the most universally held notions about them: that they were animalistic. This is a common phenomenon that pops up across many civilizations. It seems to have its origins in early religious ideas of animism, which hold that the line between the temporal and spiritual realms are blurred. It's a world where everything from humans and animals, to plants and mountains and more, can have spirits, and it is often the case that these entities can become intertwined. Thus, throughout history, we see many cultures across the world with the ideas of human-animal hybrids, or therianthropes.

For instance, in Europe this might occur with a wolf or a bear, in Africa with a lion or a hyena, in Asia with a tiger or leopard, and in Mesoamerica with a jaguar or a coyote. Shamans and other religious figures with a connection to the spiritual realm were often said to be capable of such transformations. Thus, with the berserkers, it seems that they were part of an ancient Germanic tradition of therianthropy.

This manifests in many forms across the Old Norse sagas, where individuals can be seen transforming into eagles, ravens, wolves and bears. In Norse Mythology, the Gods and Giants are commonly described as being shapeshifters, and we even hear of mortals being capable of such after being blessed or cursed in some manner.

Such transformations grant the user the physical traits of the animals in question, which can be quite helpful in overcoming challenges they face. In addition, we also hear of supernatural advantages which accompany a transformation, such as invulnerability to weapons. For instance, in Egil's Saga, a shapeshifter can only be killed once his throat is ripped out. Therefore, we can establish the therianthrope concept in Viking society, but it's important to understand that not all shapeshifters were berserkers. These types were only just a subset here. We will definitley be delving into more once we get closer towards the siege of Enies Lobby.

Now, why did I have Ragnar turn into a lion? While lions are definitely not animals that are native to Scandinavia or any part of Northern Europe, that does not mean that the Vikings didn't know about them. In Scandinavia, the lion is still portrayed in heraldic imagery, and the Vikings even may have encountered them through trade with the Mediterranean, especially through trade and voyages into the Mediterranean, especially with both the Eastern Roman Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate, whom often had interactions with the Vikings that founded Kievan Rus', and in modern Scandinavian countries, lions are often displayed in heraldic imagery as symbols of kingship, courage and power. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next chapter!