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 7: Epic Showdown! Swordsman Zoro vs. Acrobat Cabaji!

Buggy was more than miffed to see that not only did Luffy and his friends survive, but here they were now, challenging him to a fight. At least, Mohji was right about that Viking having Zoan Devil Fruit powers. Quickly, he pulled his hand back until it was reattached to his wrist.

"Damn you, Straw Hat!" He yelled out venomously, "How dare you!? You can't just waltz up and treat me like this! I'M CAPTAIN BUGGY, AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT!"

"Listen, boys," said Nami, "I'm gonna go after the chart and the treasure. Luffy, you think you and Zoro can hold them off while I do that?"

"Yeah, I got it," Zoro replied.

"Just leave this to the three of us, Nami!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Actually Luffy, I was kinda hoping Ragnar would come with me on this one, if either of you don't mind."

"Ragnar, make sure she comes back safe, got it?" Luffy asked.

Ragnar only nodded with a smile and replied, "Understood, I'll protect her as though she is the Queen of Asgard herself."

"Get outta here…" Boodle groaned, "Why'd you follow me? You're outsiders. Leave this to me! This is my fight, and I need to be the one to protect my town." Then he picked up his spear as he tried getting to his feet, "Buggy is my fight!" However, before he could strike the first blow with his spear, Luffy slammed his face against a wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Luffy! What the hell do ya think you're doing!?" Nami asked in an irritated tone, "Why'd you knock out the mayor!?"

"I had to. If he actually took down Buggy head on, he would've died," explained Luffy, "I'll face Buggy for him, so that he's still around to lead the townspeople."

"That's not a bad idea," added Zoro, "Luffy's right, if the old man continued to fight, he would've died. It's for the best."

Nami ultimately realized there was no point in arguing with the two of them, given the sigh and shrug coming from Ragnar. There was only one goal ahead: Face down Buggy and his crew, get the chart and sail to the Grand Line. The four of them soon approached the tavern, with Ragnar and Nami having their weapons drawn and shields interlocked. Luffy then stepped forward with a confident grin on his face.

"Here goes," he muttered, then took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs: "BIG NOOOOOOSSSSSEEEEE!" All at once, every pirate in the crew, including Buggy himself just went slack-jawed in disbelief. Even Nami, Zoro and Ragnar were horrified by what they just heard.

"That's the absolute worst thing you could've said to him!" yelled Nami.

"It's alright, Nami, I got this," Luffy replied, winking at her.

"Oh…you damned flashy idiot! I won't stand for this one little bit," growled Buggy venomously, then he drew a cutlass and shouted to his crew, "TAKE AIM AND FIRE THE BUGGY BALL!"

Buggy's crew then aimed the cannon directly at Luffy. It was now seemingly hopeless, but Luffy knew what he was doing.

"We're so screwed, aren't we…?" Nami asked as she tried to get out of the way.

"C'mon Luffy, we gotta go!" Zoro told his captain.

"You guys go on ahead," Luffy replied, "I'll be fine."

"TIME TO DIE!" Buggy shouted as the cannon fired straight at its intended target.

"Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy shouted as he inhaled as much air as he could, causing his belly to inflate like an actual balloon. As soon as the Buggy Ball hit him, it didn't explode upon impact. Nami was just amazed by the sheer extent of Luffy's power, whereas Buggy and his crew were in utter shock at what they saw.

"What is he!?" One pirate asked.

"Did he catch the Buggy Ball!?" Buggy asked in total disbelief, only to watch as Luffy then flexed his belly outwards and sent the cannonball flying right back at the tavern, frightening Buggy, and his pirates, who ran as fast as they could to the lower floors. As they did so, however, the Buggy Ball struck the tavern, demolishing the whole structure in a single stroke.

Nami and Ragnar used their shields to withstand the oncoming shockwave, while Luffy held onto his hat tightly and faced the shockwave head on.

"All right! I got 'em!" Luffy exclaimed as he recovered. The debris cloud was clearing up to reveal that Luffy definitely did some damage with his attack, seeing as most of the pirates opposing them were knocked out.

"Just keep your eyes peeled, in case Buggy's still alive," Nami suggested, "After all, he's a Devil Fruit user too, so he could've separated his body in order to escape the blast."

"Uh, guys?" Ragnar asked, pointing to what he was seeing with his sword. Buggy emerged from the pile of rubble, battered but very much alive. In his disembodied hands were two of his crewmates who got a far worse taste of the blast than he did.

"How dare you try to flashily do me in!" Buggy hissed with cold venom in his voice, letting his subordinates fall to the ground as his hands reattached themselves to his wrists.

"Unreal. Using his men as a shield?" Nami asked in utter disgust at the sight. Men like Buggy were no better than Arlong in her opinion, and right now he was proving her point. Meanwhile, Mohji woke up to see the tavern destroyed and he could feel the sky on him.

"What in the world just happened here!?" He asked as he woke with a start. As he got up, he looked around, only to lock eyes with Ragnar again. The sight of the lion man made him cower like a rabbit dealing with a snake in its warren. "No! It's you!" He shrieked, "IT'S THAT DAMNED VIKING!" He quickly made his way to his captain's side and explained, "Captain Buggy! We have to be careful. That Viking's got Devil Fruit powers too, he's a lion-person! I saw it myself."

"Ragnar's not the only one!" Luffy interjected, then pulled his cheeks to show how elastic he was.

"So, apparently the Straw Hat has Devil Fruit powers too!" Buggy surmised, "That would explain how he was able to bounce that Buggy Ball back at us." From behind Mohji, a pile of rubble cleared, and the sight he beheld shocked him. His own lion, Ritchie, was being held by another crewmate and was unconscious."

"How do you plan to respond to this insult, Captain?" The man asked. He had dark green hair that was long on the left side and had three shaved stripes on the right. A large blue and white checkerboard pattern scarf covered his lower face, while a sleeveless purple coat hung from his shoulders and reached down to his knees. His white trousers flared out at the ankles and were held in place by a light blue sash. Even the buckled shoes he wore were white, and a cutlass hung from his left hip.

"Oh, Cabaji," Buggy began, "I don't know. I'm too angry to even fart!"

"Put Ritchie down, Cabaji!" Mohji yelled, "What the hell did you do to him?!"

"This cat?" Cabaji asked, "I used him as a shield to prevent my clothes from getting dirty." Then he dropped Ritchie as if the lion was little more than a tattered shirt. Mohji ran over to inspect his pet.

"No! Ritchie! Say something, please!" He begged. At that moment, Ritchie finally woke, only for him to see Ragnar once again, eyes widened with terror. Taking advantage of this, the Viking grinned and roared at the terrified big cat, who hid behind a damaged section of wall.

"Captain Buggy?" Cabaji asked

"Yes, Cabaji?"

"Allow me to repay their disrespect."

"Fine, but make it a good show for everyone!"

With his captain's approval, Cabaji leapt into the air, only to reveal that he was actually riding a unicycle, then began pedaling straight for Luffy.

"You may call me Cabaji! Captain Buggy's chief of staff," he told them, raising his sword for a thrust, "You will pay for your insolence!"

Before he could strike down Luffy in one blow, Zoro stepped in, and parried the tip of Cabaji's cutlass with one of his katanas.

"I'll clash swords with you," he insisted, glaring at his opponent.

"It's an honor, Roronoa Zoro," Cabaji admitted, "As a swordsman myself, I relish this chance to slay you." Even beneath his scarf, Cabaji couldn't help but grin, confident that victory was his, an opinion he had further faith in as soon as he saw the bandages on Zoro's haramaki, 'That's the stab wound the captain inflicted on him! The fool…', he thought.

"Hey Zoro, you really should get some rest," said Luffy, well aware of his first mate's injuries, "Let me handle this guy."

"Just stay back!" Zoro responded. Luffy was about to barge in anyway, but Ragnar stopped him.

"No, Luffy," he told his friend, "This is Zoro's fight. Besides, he can handle this."

"Arsonist Technique!" Cabaji shouted, and from his throat erupted a stream of fire into Zoro's face. Everyone present was shocked at the sight. Cabaji used the distraction to his advantage, and then kicked Zoro right in his wound. The pirate hunter let out a scream of pain as he fell flat onto his back. "What's wrong?" Cabaji asked, tauntingly, "I didn't kick you that hard, now, didn't I?"

"He fights dirty, going after his injury like that!" Nami shouted. Buggy only watched in delight, believing his swordsman had this fight down.

"Acrobat Technique: Murder at the Steam Baths!" Cabaji shouted, as he placed his sword's tip onto the ground before spinning the weapon to stir up the dust on the road.

"Acrobat, my ass," said Zoro as he tried to get up, "It's just an ordinary dust cloud." Quickly sensing danger, however, the Pirate Hunter parried Cabaji's cutlass with both of his katanas, only to be kicked right in the same spot again, which sent him tumbling over the ground, wincing in pain.

"That sick, underhanded bacraut!" Ragnar shouted in rage as he watched on.

"What's this? It's such a disgraceful sight to see a grown man moaning," Cabaji jeered, "I suppose now you can see how foolish it was to make an enemy of the Buggy Pirates." Cabaji only chuckled sinisterly as he looked down on Zoro, trying to endure his injury.

"To keep fighting like that with such a bad injury…he's crazy!" Nami remarked, seeing how Zoro, despite his pain, was still able to fight Cabaji head on, "He's hurt so badly, I don't even know how he's managing to stay in the fight." She only noticed that Luffy and Ragnar were watching, rather than helping. "Why are you two only just watching!? He's gonna get himself killed if we don't help him!"

"He won't," said Ragnar, smiling, "In the short time Zoro and I have known each other, I saw him fight an entire squadron of Marines after not having eaten for days. Luffy and I have seen him in action, and he won't die from some plucky little acrobat."

"Well, then, barbarian, how about I prove you wrong?" Cabaji asked, having overheard Ragnar, "For today, Roronoa Zoro…IS FINISHED!" He then sped his unicycle along, sword ready for the final blow, right at his opponent.

"You annoying little bastard," Zoro muttered. He then got up, ready to face his enemy head on, "You havin' fun poking at my wound?" The pirate hunter glared at his opponent with intense determination, "Then go ahead!" As soon as he said that, Cabaji's cutlass managed to find its way into Zoro's bandages, opening up his wound again. Cabaji looked on in shock as he pedaled past him, while Nami and Luffy were horrified.

"Zoro…why didn't you dodge his attack?" Nami asked, purely bewildered.

"Is that enough of a handicap for ya?" Zoro asked Cabaji, turning to face him, his scowl replaced with a determined grin, "And now let me show you how superior my skills are to yours!"

Cabaji couldn't fathom what happened. How could Zoro have been so open earlier? And now here he was finally getting serious? It made no sense whatsoever to him!

"You fool. You've made a vast error in judgment," Cabaji hissed, the venom in his voice clearly evident, "I refused to be mocked by the likes of you!"

"My swords aim to be the world's greatest," Zoro explained, "I refuse to lose, even once, to someone else who calls himself a swordsman."

"I see. A strong resolve keeps you going, but have no fear. Wounds as bad as yours will be more than enough of an excuse…for losing to me!"

"To Hell with that! Even if I lose to someone like you, even with these minimal injuries, then I don't have a very bright future ahead of me, do I?"

"Why you…!"

At that moment, Luffy turned to both Nami and Ragnar, knowing full and well which way the fight was going.

"Nami, Ragnar, you two go and get the chart of the Grand Line," he told them, "This is gonna be easy."

"Understood, Captain," Ragnar replied, "May Thor bless Zoro with the strength to win."

"Okay, but…just good luck with the fight," she said before heading off with Ragnar towards the heart of town. As they ran, Luffy looked back to watch Zoro finish his fight.

"Here's a taste of my ultimate acrobatic move," said Cabaji, as he took out several spinning tops in his left hand and then let them loose, with several more flowing from out of his coat pockets. "Acrobat Technique: The Dance of 100 Kamikaze Tops!" The tops then made their way flying right at Zoro!


Meanwhile, Ragnar followed Nami through town, towards the rear of the destroyed tavern.

"So, Nami, where do you think this chart is being kept?" He asked her.

"Buggy said something about a treasure hoard in the tavern's cellar," she replied, "I'm guessing it's in there." The two only took a quick look ahead to ensure they weren't being watched. Buggy was fully focused on Zoro and Cabaji's fight, thankfully. They then pulled off the cellar doors, revealing only one pirate who was presumed passed out drunk. Nami then held out her free hand to Ragnar, "I'm goin' downstairs. Think you could keep an eye on Buggy while I grab the map and their treasure?"

"Of course. Though I'll come at the first sound of trouble," Ragnar told her with a smile and a nod.

"Thanks, big guy. I'll be right back!" Nami descended the stairs, past the drunk and saw a locked door largely untouched by the cannonball blast. "And here we are, the treasure room!" She pulled out her linstock and grinned, placing the spear tip on the lock, "Now I just steal that treasure and the chart, and get back to Luffy." As she twisted the spear tip just right, the lock came undone. All she needed to do now was fulfill her task, and hopefully make it back to see Zoro win.


As the fight progressed, Zoro slashed every single incoming spinning top in half, but it was clear that Cabaji was using this as a distraction for another underhanded attack.

"Acrobat Technique: A Hike in the Mountains!" He shouted as he rode his unicycle up a wall of a building, and was all of a sudden now in the air, "Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze!" With his right hand, he then held his sword in the reverse grip, making it evident as to his next move, "Sting of the Unicycle!" Unbeknownst to anyone, Buggy grinned menacingly as he also held out his right hand towards Zoro.

"Ground Hugging Chop-Chop Cannon!" He shouted, and his right hand was sent flying right for Zoro's left foot. "Cabaji! I'll hold him while you finish him off!"

"Consider it done, Captain!" Cabaji laughed, believing that victory was near. Zoro only cursed himself, having heard Buggy and realizing he was about to be pinned. Just as all seemed decided, Luffy stamped his foot hard down on Buggy's hand. Grateful for this unforeseen intervention, Zoro rolled out of the way as Cabaji's unicycle landed on the ground.

"You bastard!" Buggy roared out, enraged that his ambush was foiled.

Luffy only smiled at his opponent and declared, "If you wanna fight someone, then fight me!" The fight for Orange Town was just about to get more intense than usual.


Down in the treasure room, Nami began striking a piece of flint against a steel striker, and managed to light a kerosene lamp. Buggy and his goons failed to properly light the place, and considering what the thief-turned-navigator saw, there was no large need to. Before her stood a hoard of Buggy's ill-gotten riches: gold coins, priceless antiquities made of jade, silver crowns and ornamented scepters, all decked in precious pearls, sapphires and emeralds.

"Oh-ho! Look at all this stuff!" She muttered, letting the coins fall through her fingers, "And every last bit of it is mine!" She then looked back to where Ragnar was standing guard, knowing that Vikings were famed for their love of riches as well. "Hmm…though I suppose I should save a fair share for Ragnar, now that I think about it." Before she could pick out what to give her crewmate, she felt the cold steel tip of a sword right by her cheek.

"Whaddya think yer doin' with our treasure?" A voice asked, and Nami turned to see the pirate who was passed out earlier face her with a cutlass in hand.

'Oh crap! He woke up!' she thought, getting her shield and linstock out, ready for a fight. The pirate stepped closer, but it was evident in the light that he was so drunk he was just barely conscious.

"By order of Captain Buggy, anyone who gets near the treasure will…" he only trailed off as he noticed his bottle of booze was empty, "…there should be more in there…" The guard was so obsessed with more of his drink that he didn't even notice a familiar silhouette coming up behind him. Seeing this, Nami smiled as she knew that this was going to be far easier than she thought. Quickly, she dropped to her knees, dropping her linstock and covering her breasts with her left hand.

"Ow! It hurts!" She cried, as if she was in serious pain.

"Hey, you…alright?" the drunk asked, noticing this.

"My chest just started hurting real bad!"

"Wha? Your chest?" The drunk managed to get a good look at Nami's noticeable cleavage in the dim light. As she suspected, he was so aroused by the sight of a beautiful woman's body, it left him wide open. With the boss of her shield, she punched him right in the gut, causing him to stumble only to be knocked out as Ragnar struck the pommel of his sword down on the drunk's head.

"Nice entrance!" She told her quartermaster, as he was finished sheathing his sword in its scabbard.

"I thought we'd make it a team effort," he replied, then noticing the treasure hoard, "Holy Heimdall…! Buggy's certainly been a busy captain," he muttered.

"I think I saw an ox cart we can use to haul this away," said Nami, "But feel free to pick out whatever you wanna keep. Luffy said it was fine if I kept most of it."

"Of course. We did, after all, take him down together, but we still need to find that map."

As Ragnar got to work on selecting which pieces he chose to keep for his own meager haul, Nami noticed that the drunk had a series of keys around his neck.

"Ragnar, I think I found something!" She told her quartermaster, "I saw a chest in here earlier, and it had a padlock that I think might fit for one of them." Not willing to take anything to chance, she took the smallest key and tried it on the locked chest. As she opened it, Nami's eyes went wide with excitement, "Yes! It's the chart of the Grand Line!"

"Wonderful news!" Ragnar exclaimed, "Now, let's get back to Luffy and Zoro before anyone notices us."


Back at the ruins of the tavern, Buggy was irritated that the fight was not going in his crew's favor. Luffy was just standing there smiling at the clown, but Zoro was still panting as Cabaji chuckled, still looking down upon him.

"I assure you, I don't need my captain's help to finish you off," he mockingly remarked.

"Enough! I'm tired of this," said Zoro, still ready for one final fight, even as Cabaji laughed.

"So, you've finally given up, haven't you?" He asked, "I must admit, I'm impressed that you lasted that long with such serious injuries."

"I think you misunderstood," Zoro clarified, "I'm tired…of watching your boring little sideshow!" At this, Cabaji was infuriated that someone like Zoro would dare mock him.

"So sorry to have disappointed you! How about…" He then readied his sword for another attack, "…My real swordsman skills!" He then pedaled at full speed with his unicycle, preparing for a thrust, "Die, Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro only got up, placed his white sword in his teeth, while bending his arms with his other two swords wound up for an attack.

"Onigiri!" He shouted, glaring at Cabaji with fierce intent to kill him then and there. As the acrobat rode past him, Zoro slashed at him with all three swords simultaneously. Each hit landed, and Cabaji fell from his unicycle onto the ground. Luffy only smiled in confidence as Buggy watched in shock.

"I can't believe the Buggy Pirates…were defeated by petty thieves…" muttered Cabaji as he fell onto his back unconscious.

"We aren't petty thieves…we're pirates!" Zoro remarked, sheathing all three of his swords, only to collapse from his injury, "Luffy…I'm goin' to sleep."

"Good! I'm lookin' forward to this!" Luffy exclaimed, focusing all his attention on Buggy, who was now fuming with rage. Now, there was only one more person to deal with.

Nami and Ragnar loaded their share of the treasure onto an empty cart drawn by two oxen, leaning against the carts as they wiped the sweat from their brows.

"We managed to take a huge score from the Buggy Pirates," Nami muttered, "Good thing we found that cart. Hauling treasure by foot is tiring."

"You won't hear any complaining from me," said Ragnar, "Anyway, we must hurry. Zoro certainly must've won by now." Nami only nodded as they mounted the cart's seat and made their way back to the fight.

Buggy only recalled Zoro's words as he eyed down Luffy menacingly.

"So, you fools are really pirates, are you!?" He asked, pure disbelief eating at him.

"Yeah. We're searching for the Grand Line," Luffy explained, only for Buggy to laugh at him with contempt.

"That's not an easy voyage, you know, and I don't think four half-wits the likes of you could handle it!" He remarked, "And what will you do if, by some miracle, you manage to make it there? Go on a sightseeing tour or something?" He then cackled at the very thought. Four kids going on a sightseeing tour of that treacherous sea!? That was pure folly

"No, you're dead wrong," Luffy told him, then smiled confidently, "I'm the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Buggy only stood in shock. This boy, become King of the Pirates!?

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS, YOU IDIOT! IF YOU WERE KING OF THE PIRATES, THEN THAT WOULD MAKE ME GOD OF THE SEA!" He shouted in pure shock, "There's only one man who can be King of the Pirates, and obtain all the world's treasures! And that's going to be me, you got it!?"

"You're annoying, you know that?" Luffy asked as he readied himself for a punch, "Let's go ahead and settle this!" Buggy only drew out four knives he held like claws in each of his hands.

"Seeing that straw hat of yours brings back memories of him, and that really makes my blood boil!" Buggy shouted, "So bring it on, you wannabe pirate! You remind me of him! That damned cheeky red-haired pirate!"

"What did you say? A red-haired pirate?" Luffy asked, instantly knowing only one pirate with red hair, "Wait, are you saying you knew my old friend, Shanks?"

"That's right! I knew Shanks once."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I don't know. I guess that depends, Straw Hat," Buggy told him, grinning menacingly, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't! But I'm not just gonna tell you out of the kindness of my heart. You'll have to earn that information!"

"Fine, then! I'll make you tell me where he is!"

"You can give it your best shot, but I don't like your chances!" Buggy cackled, kicking the ground with his left shoe to reveal hidden daggers in both of them, "I doubt rubber can bounce back from a blade."

"You're right." Luffy muttered, but was willing to fight anyway.


Nami and Rangar drove their cart towards an alleyway, and there they saw the fight progress.

"Chop-Chop Ricecracker!" Buggy shouted, and his entire lower half cartwheeled towards Luffy, but at the last second, the boy jumped right out of the way, stretching his legs to give him extra height. "Can't move in midair, can you?" Buggy asked mockingly, "Too bad!" He then threw all his knives at Luffy, cackling maniacally.

"No, you're dead wrong!" Luffy replied with a smile, then stretched his right arm to grab a post, dodging all the knives as he recovered.

"Well now! You're quite the interesting foe," Buggy remarked with a grin of just slight admiration.

"You're not so bad, yourself, but it's about time we finished this!" Luffy remarked, then extended his right arm for a wind-up punch, "Gum-Gum Pistol!" Buggy only dodged the oncoming attack, moving his head out of the way of the oncoming fist.

"They're neat abilities, I'll give you that, but they leave you wide open," the clown pirate muttered, as Luffy grabbed a tree, ready to throw all the knives he could, "I'LL CARVE YOU UP!"

"Gum-Gum Sickle!" Luffy shouted, as he was about to hook Buggy with his left arm, flying forward.

"Chop-Chop Quick Escape!" Buggy shouted out, detaching his head from the rest of his body. The quick thinking on his part caused Luffy to crash into the rubble behind the tree. "Impressive, but not good enough, Straw Hat," he muttered as his head reattached to his neck.

Luffy only got back up from his shock, holding his straw hat in his left hand before placing it on his head.

"Damn, you keep breaking into pieces."

Nami and Ragnar only looked on in amazement.

"What? They're still fighting?" Nami asked, still stunned by what was happening, "I can't believe it!"

"At the very least, Zoro won his match," said Ragnar, noticing the blood from Cabaji's wounds, and Zoro snoring, having earned his rest.

Yet still, Buggy wasn't done with Luffy yet.

"Chop-Chop Cannon!" He shouted as his right hand shot at Luffy, loaded with four knives in each finger. Luffy only grabbed it and forced it to a stop. "Separate…" Buggy sneered, and his hand popped out of Luffy's grasp, nicking his left cheek and sending him tumbling back into the rubble. The clown only cackled at his opponent's stumble, "So, runt! Ya wanna give up yet!?" He asked, but then noticed that Luffy was sitting there, holding that now damaged Straw Hat, blood spilling from his right cheek. The boy only looked at the state of the hat, but soon was glaring daggers at Buggy.

"YOU BASTARD!" He roared, rage in his voice.

"How's that? Was I not supposed to scratch your face, or something?" Buggy asked mockingly.

"Bastard! No one damages my lucky Straw Hat and walks away from it alive!" Luffy growled, the blood boiling in his veins as he focused all his anger at the clown, "THIS HAT IS MY ONLY TREASURE! AND ANYONE WHO SO MUCH LAYS A FINGER ON IT IS GONNA PAY!" He snarled, almost wanting to actually kill Buggy.

Nami only looked on in sheer terror. She could sense the anger coming from this boy, and was so shocked that he could have mood swings from happy-go-lucky to outright livid and furious.

"Luffy…I didn't know that hat meant so much to him…" she muttered, remembering the conversation she had with him earlier, "…whoever gave him that hat must've been someone real special to him."

"Hmm, it seems that hat has a history behind it." Buggy sneered, making note of how furious Luffy was.

"That's right!" Luffy hissed venomously.

"Is it really all that special?" Buggy asked, sneering still at Luffy, all while his disembodied hand threw a knife at Luffy, only for the rubber boy to dodge it, "If that's the case…THEN YOU SHOULD PROTECT IT!" The hand then soared right past Luffy, all three remaining knives puncturing the hat and ripping it straight from his hands. Luffy only looked on in shock and heartbreak. Shanks sacrificed his left arm to save his life from that Sea King 10 years ago, gave him that very hat! What would Shanks say if he saw it now?! "How is this old tattered hat a treasure?" Buggy asked as his hand returned to his wrist, cackling, "Treasure refers to sparkling gold, silver and jewels, and all those reflect their owner's grandeur! You really consider this worthless old dirty straw hat a treasure? You need to grow up boy!"

"Shut up!" Luffy growled, desperately fighting back his tears, "When Shanks gave me that hat, I made a promise!"

"WHAT!? So, you're telling me that this used to be Shanks' hat?" Buggy asked, shocked to know this, only to throw it to the ground, "No wonder it looks so familiar. He always wore it when I knew him."

Luffy looked back in shock at this stunning revelation and asked, "So, you and Shanks really were members of the same pirate crew?"

"Yeah…back when we were apprentices, when we were comrades," growled Buggy, before stamping on the very red hat, much to Luffy's horror and anger, "That damned detestable red-haired BASTARD!"

Pale with rage, Luffy charged at Buggy, tears of rage forming up in his eyes.

"SHANKS IS A MUCH BETTER MAN THAN YOU'LL EVER BE!" Luffy roared, "YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM YOUR COMRADE! AND DON'T YOU EVER BADMOUTH HIM AGAIN!" Luffy came barreling towards the clown pirate with another punch, and as Buggy tried to pull another Chop-Chop Quick Escape, Luffy managed to kick him in the nuts. Buggy winced in pain as he dropped onto his back. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO EVER MENTION SHANKS' NAME TO ME AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!"

"I can say whatever the Hell I want about Shanks!" Buggy coughed as his head reattached to his body, only for Luffy to stretch his cheeks, glaring at the clown.

"Tell me!" He demanded, "What happened between you and Shanks, and where can I find him now!?" He got no answer, dropping the clown and looking back to his heirloom, "Damn you! How dare you tear up my precious straw hat!"

"Do you really wanna know!?" Buggy growled, "He's the one person that I loathe! I'll curse his name for the rest of my life! That bastard, Shanks stole countless riches from me! I don't know how you two are connected, but I can say whatever the Hell I want about him! I've earned that!" Buggy only recalled that fateful day, when he and Shanks were still cabin boys…


A/N: And there we have it! Zoro's fight with Cabaji done, and Luffy's rage has definitely made itself clear at this point, especially if anyone dares to go so much as ruin Shanks' hat. And it looks as if Ritchie now has PTSD whenever he sees Ragnar.

Speaking of, it looks like Ragnar and Nami make the perfect duo for raiding other pirates, and what's this? Nami's even letting Ragnar keep a share of the treasure? What is going on? Well, Nami is also incredibly smart, so she knows that Vikings have a love for treasure just as strong as she does. Hence, she knows that by having Ragnar join her, it may mean less money to free her home from Arlong's control, but she's not gonna deprive her crewmate of having fun too, seeing as he is the crew's quartermaster.

Anyway, stay tuned for the eighth chapter, and final conclusion of the fight for Orange Town!