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 12: Clash with the Black Cat Pirates! The Great Battle on the Slope!
On that same night, Kuro made the long journey back to the mansion, to prepare for the final act. No one would ever suspect that after three long years, he was really a pirate in disguise. He'd fooled them all. In a sense, he was a better liar than Usopp ever was. He turned to look back at the village. By sunrise, that useless little hamlet would be nothing more than a smoking ruin, and there was nothing Usopp could do to stop him.
Meanwhile, on the southern coast, Usopp and the Straw Hats met with Sigrun and her most trusted warriors to devise a battle plan.
"Okay, here's the plan," he began, "At dawn, the pirates will be landing on the beach to begin their attack, but we don't know which one they'll be coming from." He took an arrow from his quiver and drew a rough map of the island, with the village and two beaches. "The village is in the center, but the only way the pirates can get to it is to come up these two slopes: one in the north, and the other being here, in the south. The rest of the shoreline is sheer cliffs, so they'll have to come through one of these two natural passes. If we can fight them while they're funneled into one of these two narrow corridors, their numbers will count for nothing, and the village will be safe!"
"Alright, sounds pretty simple enough," said Luffy, satisfied with the plan.
"Talking about it is, yes," replied Usopp, "But victory depends on our strength. I know full well what Sigrun and her retinue of hirdmen and leiðangr are capable of in a fight, but what can you guys do?" He then asked the Straw Hats.
"I cut," replied Zoro.
"I stretch," added Luffy.
"I brawl," Ragnar responded.
"I steal," replied Nami.
"I hide…" Usopp stated plainly, at which point he was placed in a headlock by an angry Luffy.
"WELL, THIS TIME, YOU'D BETTER FIGHT!" The Straw Hats yelled in unison.
"I'm just tryin' to be funny! C'mon, calm down!" Usopp explained. "But, in all seriousness, I shoot."
"Then it is agreed," said Sigrun, "We will divide our forces in two. The five of you will remain here in case the pirates come from the south. We will approach from the North. If either of us manage to encounter them, then either Ragnar or I will blow our horns, and we will come to your aid as fast as we can."
"I like it," Ragnar added, "The bold Straw Hats and the Wolf Clan bellow to sound the spear din and the roar of shields. So let the arrows fall where they may, the battle begins in earnest!"
"Well, well! This one has the gift of Odin's mead!" Sigrun exclaimed, "Now, let us to arms! We will meet this Captain Kuro and foil his thousand plans! In the meantime, we will prepare our traps, and make sacrifices to the Gods for our glorious victory."
Back at Kaya's estate, Kuro finally returned to enjoy his one final night of solace before what he was fated to do. As he walked in, his coworker, Merry spotted him.
"Ah, Klahadore! Welcome back!" Merry exclaimed as he cleaned the chandelier in the dining room. Merry wore a similar outfit to his superior, but what was defining about him was the fact that his short white curly hair resembled the wool coat of a sheep, and he even had two small ram's horns sticking out.
"How is Ms. Kaya?" Kuro asked, still under the guise of Klahadore.
"She's resting just now. She was quite exhausted," explained the sheep themed butler, "You were lucky you weren't here this afternoon."
"No, you're right, but I still heard about it regardless," Kuro noted as he loosened his tie, "I leave town for a few hours to run some errands, and somehow, everything falls to pieces? That Usopp certainly knows how to cause trouble, doesn't he?"
"Yes, and on top of everything else he's done today, he claimed you were a pirate!" Merry laughed, "I can't think of a more outrageous lie!" He and Kuro both laughed, with the latter playing along to this little charade just a bit longer. Then, Kuro noticed a gift on the table with his pseudonym on it.
"What's this here, Merry?" He asked sniveling at it.
"Oh! That's a present from Ms. Kaya to you, Klahadore. It's been three years since you came to work with us, and this gift is to say thank you for all your hard work. Think of it as a commemoration of sorts."
"How thoughtful."
"The glasses you're wearing are always slipping, and you have to push them back up. Thus, the lady of the house ordered a new pair for you. Isn't she just the most thoughtful young woman you've ever met?" As Merry wept tears of joy, Kuro only unwrapped the present Kaya gave him, opening the case to reveal a stunning pair of glasses that were far better looking than the ones he wore.
"How appropriate. Tomorrow will indeed be a day worth commemorating," Kuro muttered, causing Merry to look on in confusion as he got down from the ladder he was working on. Kuro only looked out the window with a menacing grin, "It's a crescent moon tonight," he said to himself, "It's on nights like these that I truly feel alive. My heart races and my blood boils in my veins!" Then, he dropped the case with the glasses, and crushed them with his foot, shocking Merry.
"Klahadore, what are you doing!?" He asked, shocked by this action that was totally out of character, "Why would you do such a thing to Ms. Kaya's present!?"
"Oh, I'll be receiving a gift, alright, but it won't be a measly pair of glasses…" Kuro chuckled as he turned to face Merry, "…it'll be her entire estate!"
"What are you saying!?"
"I suppose there's no reason to carry on the act any longer. For, in a few hours, the village will be mourning the unforeseen tragedy." Kuro then slipped on a glove made from black bear fur onto his right hand. On the end of each finger was the long blade of a sword, curved in a manner similar to Zoro's katanas, and he came straight for Merry, "Three long years, I've quietly waited for this moment!"
"MISS! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! R…!" Merry did not even finish his warning. Kuro slashed the chandelier, dousing the dining room in darkness, then slashed the poor unsuspecting Merry right in the chest. There would be no witnesses for the man of a thousand plans. Merry only fell flat on his face, seemingly lifeless. First blood had already been shed. Kuro then decided it was time to act, and made his way up the stairs to Ms. Kaya's master bedroom. As he entered, he slipped his glasses upwards, in his iconic style, and pointed the blades of his glove towards the sleeping Kaya….and then he withdrew. Could it have been that after all this time, Kuro finally had a soft spot for her? Or was he just counting on his crew and Jango to do their part? Either way, Kaya would not die…not yet at least. He was confident that his crew would be able to do that for him, that way he wouldn't have to stain his hands with more blood.
Back on the galleon, Kuro's crew were growing more anxious by the minute. They were eager to spill blood, and Kuro was sure taking his sweet time.
"Captain Jango!" One of the men yelled, knocking on the door to the Captain's Cabin, "Captain Jango, it's almost sunrise! Time to get moving!" With the twist of the doorknob, Jango emerged, and this time wearing a blue great coat that reflected his status as Kuro's right hand. He only moonwalked backwards as the crew greeted him.
"You idiots! Only the sun can wake me up and live to tell about it. Do I make myself clear?" He asked them, seemingly cranky for being woken up so early before dawn. "Just look! The moon is still up, so the sun couldn't have woken me. Now, which one of you did it?"
"Our apologies, sir!" The crew shouted in unison, "We're very sorry, sir!"
"Well, in that case…" Jango told them, twirling in place before moonwalking over towards the main mast, "Good morning, gentlemen!" His reaction only further confused the crew. "Now, attention! Let's set sail!" At his orders, the crew finally cheered, raising their swords high and ready to raid and pillage. Who now could stop them?
Back at the southern end of the island, Usopp and the Straw Hats placed several clay jars of oil all throughout the slope in a zigzag pattern, while another jar was opened to let oil flow down the slope.
"Yep. I'm a genius," said Usopp, "There's no way they'll make it up this slope now, not unless they wanna get burnt. All it should take is the tiniest spark, to set this entire slope on fire. They'll be trapped by the flames, while we flank them and beat the crap out of 'em!"
"Wow, so that's your plan, huh?" Nami asked, figuring that this was pretty clever of the archer.
"That's right! Sigrun and her warriors promised to defend the northern slope, in case they show up there."
"Let's just hope none of us are trapped down there with them, because that would be like walking right into an oven."
"I agree," said Ragnar, "They'll be walking right into an ambush!"
"Usopp, I gotta hand it to ya," said Luffy, "You're pretty good at fighting dirty."
"Of course I am!" He replied, "There isn't anyone alive who can best me with a bow, or beat me at the art of fighting dirty!"
"And if they do attack the northern slope, we'll know as soon as possible," added Ragnar, "Sigrun left us horses so that we may ride at full gallop once we hear her horn." He, Nami, Luffy and Zoro all smiled at their new friend, only for Zoro to look out on the horizon.
"It's almost sunrise," he told them, "They're coming." The Straw Hats readied themselves for what was to come. The only question was…from where would the attack come?
As the sun rose high over the horizon, the massive galleon sailed its way towards the coast, her prow beached against the shoreline as she dropped anchor…on the northern shore of the island!
"We're here!" One pirate exclaimed.
"All right, men! You know what to do!" Jango ordered, "Go ashore! Thrash the village! Head for the mansion!"
"Captain! There are already three boats here!" Another man shouted. The crew only looked to see the three boats the Straw Hats arrived in on the port side of their own ship. "Should we investigate?"
"Leave them for later," Jango told them, "They don't look like treasure ships, and we have a schedule to keep!" Then he turned and growled, "What are you waiting for? Move out!" The pirates raised their swords to the morning sun, but as they disembarked the ships, they were going to be in for a shock.
Back on the southern coast, the Straw Hats waited, but there were no sign of the pirates.
"Where are they?" Luffy asked, "I thought we were gonna fight! The sun's rising, so what's the hold up?"
"Maybe they overslept?" Zoro asked.
"No…" Usopp insisted, "They're gonna show up alright, and lots of them."
At that moment, a horn sounded shrill and long over the island, and the Straw Hats instantly knew what that meant.
"Wait a minute…" Nami muttered, "Maybe I'm hearing things, but…that sounded like Sigrun's horn." Instantly she was horrified, "THEY'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH!"
"Oh no!" Usopp muttered, "Then that means Sigrun's facing them!"
"We're at the wrong shore!?" Luffy asked, "That's not good!"
"Well, this is where they had their secret meeting, so I just assumed, okay!?" Usopp shouted.
"Enough!" Ragnar interjected, "At least we know where they are, and we have plenty of horses to reach Sigrun as fast as we can." Instantly he and Luffy began to mount their own horses.
"We need to hurry before they make it to the rest of the village!" Luffy told Usopp, as he, Usopp and Ragnar all mounted their horses, "Where is this shore anyway?"
"You remember where you guys first landed yesterday?" Usopp asked, "We have to head directly north. If we ride at full gallop, we can make it there in under a minute. The terrain there is exactly the same, so all we need to do is get to Sigrun's army at the top of the slope."
"Understood. I pray we get there in time," said Ragnar.
"Don't you worry," said Luffy, "We're gonna stop 'em!"
"OH NO!" Nami screamed, instantly realizing what Usopp was talking about, "If those filthy pirates landed on the north shore, then they've already seen our boats! THEY'LL TAKE OUR TREASURE!"
"Ragnar and I will be there in 20 seconds!" Luffy shouted as he and his quartermaster rode off at full gallop.
"Aw man! My brilliant fire trap was all for nothing!" Usopp lamented as he too followed his companions for the north at full gallop. Nami only stood there in utter shock! Her share to save her village was slipping from her fingers!
"My precious treasure…" she muttered, seeming devastated.
"Hey! Nami!" Zoro told her, causing her to snap back to reality, "What are you waiting for? Let's get moving."
"Right!" She replied, and was about to leave with Zoro towards their horses, when suddenly, her right foot slipped in the oil and before she knew it, she was slipping backwards! Instinctively, she grabbed one of Zoro's swords by the scabbard, causing him to slip back with her! "Zoro, help! I'm gonna fall!" She cried, holding him by his right ankle, only to slide further down.
"Let go, you moron!" Zoro shouted at her.
"Sorry," she replied, but then noticed an opportunity. "Zoro, I'm really sorry about this," she told her crewmate, then used him to leap across the oil slick to dry land. "Meet us at the north shore once you get outta this! That oil won't be a problem for you, right?" She told him as she readied her linstock and shield, mounted her horse and rode to catch up with Luffy, Ragnar and Usopp at full speed, leaving Zoro to tumble in the oil and gravel to the bottom of the slope.
"Dammit Nami!" Zoro muttered, "I swear, I'm gonna get even with you for this later!"
Usopp, meanwhile, was just following the path he knew to get north by instinct.
"I swear on my life, they'll never set foot in my village!" He muttered, "Luffy and Ragnar sure are good horsemen. They're so far ahead, I can't see them anymore."
Luffy and Ragnar rode together, the former using his senses to indicate where the pirates were, while the latter used his enhanced sense of smell to single out Sigrun's scent.
"Ragnar, can you smell anything yet?" He asked his quartermaster.
"Only the faint whiff of iron," the Viking replied, "I can also smell those apples back in that barrel on one of our boats. If we follow that scent, we'll reach the shore!" The two continued riding at full gallop, bypassing the village, as they suspected the villagers would instantly associate them with Usopp and just dismiss their warnings for lies.
"Luffy! Ragnar!" Nami cried out as she finally caught up with the two of them, "We have to hurry! Those bastards are dead if they touch a single coin from our hoard!"
Finally, though, the three of them managed to reach the slope of the north shore, and what they saw astounded them. Sigrun and her warriors formed up in what was only the stuff of sagas: the legendary Viking shield wall. Each warrior stood shoulder to shoulder, the front ranks kneeling down, the second ranks standing, and the third behind them, their shields all interlocked, presenting a clear wall of wood, leather, steel and muscle, with the natural walls of the pass protecting the flanks. As they rode closer, Ragnar took his horn from his belt, and blew as loud as he could.
The pirates who were disembarking were just shocked at the sight. Those were Vikings! And what's more, they were here to protect this little village! Captain Kuro didn't say anything about facing any Vikings! What on earth was going on!? Suddenly, the air whizzed once more, and an arrow found its way to one of the pirates' feet, pinning it to the ground.
"THEY'VE GOT ARCHERS! TAKE COVER!" one of them shouted, and they hid behind any rocks they could find. Yet still, more arrows came raining down upon them, hitting anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the trajectory. Jango made his way past the breakers and noticed who was shooting at his men.
"So, we meet again," he muttered, noticing that Usopp had finally arrived, bow in hand as he released his arrows over the shield wall, down on the pirates below. As the sun rose higher in the sky, shining on his goggles.
"I am the legendary Usopp, son of Yasopp! And I have been waiting for you!" He declared, "My friends and I are ready to fight to the death! So turn back now if you value your lives!" The pirates only looked on at the sight. They were indeed looking at him, but their main focus was the Viking shield wall.
"It's you two!" Jango shouted as he also saw Luffy alive and well, "You're the brats that overheard our plan! How did the Straw Hat manage to survive that fall?"
"It's gonna take more than hypnosis to kill me, weirdo!" Luffy shouted.
"I AM NOT A WEIRDO!" Jango yelled. Yet even as he regained his composure, Sigrun came behind her men on horseback.
"This slope is as far as you go, outlaws!" She yelled, "Lay down your arms and turn back now, or risk dying here, at the blades of my army!"
"Sigrun, be careful," said Nami, turning to the rest of them, "And that goes for all of you guys. Don't look at his ring routine. That weirdo's a hypnotist."
"All right, men! It's time to get to work!" Jango told the crew, "Crush these interlopers and move to the village!" With an almighty cry for glory and plunder, the pirates thundered towards the shield wall, which stood strong and firm, spears, sword blades and axes all bristling from its defenses. The battle was about to begin in earnest…
Back at the southern shore, Zoro was still trying to get past that useless oil slick.
"How the hell am I supposed to get past this thing!?" He muttered as he slipped down to the bottom again, panting as he lay on his back. "Nami, if you're still alive when I get outta here, I'm gonna kill you!" He panted. Finally, he decided that enough was enough, and he used his swords to climb his way up the slope, before finally reaching his horse and galloping towards the north. "Take that, oil!" He shouted in triumph, sheathing his swords as he rode north, "Just hang on, guys. I'm coming!"
At the north shore, the pirates finally clashed with the Vikings, but were unable to get past the shield wall. It was all too much, even for the likes of them to handle, as the drengir refused to move an inch. On occasion, Usopp would shoot arrows into the enemy ranks, the tips of which were blunted, causing them to be knocked out. Upon seeing this, Jango was frustrated. This was not what he anticipated when he and Captain Kuro devised their plan.
"We've wasted enough time!" He shouted to the men, "Find some way past this shield wall and move to the village! Or have you forgotten that this is Captain Kuro's operation, and that he doesn't like his well laid operations being ruined by idiots!? He'll kill us all! You understand that, you cretins!?"
"He's right! Let's go!" One pirate shouted, and they charged again, only to be met by the shield wall pushing them back with all its might. Then, the shields opened up, as Luffy stretched his arm forward.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!" He yelled as he punched the pirates back toward the shore. All of a sudden, they then withdrew at what they saw behind the shield wall: Zoro had arrived!
"What is this, Captain Jango!?"
"You never told us that Roronoa Zoro was gonna be here!"
"Is that the best those pirates can dish out?" Zoro asked Luffy.
"Yeah. A shame, I was hoping for a challenge," Luffy replied, having watched from behind the shield wall.
"And you!" Zoro yelled at Nami, "After leaving me down there, you're lucky I'm not kicking your butt too!" Yet still he shrugged and readied his sword: the Battle for Syrup Village was on, and this time for real!
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Captain Kuro had been waiting ever since the sun was peaking over the horizon, but his men still didn't show up at all. They knew what the punishment was for incompetence, didn't they?
'They're late…' he thought, sitting on the mansion steps, 'I don't appreciate tardiness, not one little bit! They know full well what happens to those foolish enough to upset my plans…' He got up and grabbed a beige satchel nearby him, 'Do they think they can take their sweet time!? Well, if they have forgotten the consequences of disappointing me…' He then got up, adjusted his glasses and muttered to himself, "I'll kill them all!" He then made his way down towards the north shore, murder in his eyes…
A/N: So, the battle for Syrup Village has finally begun! Lucky thing that Luffy had Ragnar riding alongside him. Much like dogs, cats also have a terrific sense of smell as well as vision, so Ragnar was definitely able to sniff out the northern slope based on the scents he was picking up.
Also, you may have seen something that was noted as "the stuff of sagas" - the shield wall. Now, this definitely was a real battle tactic that was used by the Vikings, but it was not the main one, and this was not unique only to Vikings. We have records of warriors using similar formations for thousands of years. Look at the Greek phalanx, for instance. This was also used by Germanic tribes for centuries, but it was not used by the Vikings that often at all. We have many records from battles that occurred across the Viking Age written down in the sagas and chronicles in vivid detail, but again - the shield wall was only used in very specific purposes. For instance, they would not use this tactic on raids, or trying to annihilate their enemies as fast as possible.
Instead, the shield wall was used as a way to draw out the battle, make it longer, and also stay safe during that time. It was also usually done to wait for reinforcements to arrive. Perhaps the most famous instance of the Viking shield wall in action can be seen during Harald Hardrada's invasion of England in 1066, just before the Battle of Hastings - specifically at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The Anglo-Saxons under King Harold Godwinson faced an army led by the King of Norway, Harald Hardrada, and took the Vikings by surprise. The Norsemen had only about half of their army and very few weapons, and only a few shields. According to our sources, it was said that the Vikings formed a shield wall, in order to stay alive and await for reinforcements, albeit unsuccessfully. Yet we know how they worked, as described in the story. The front ranks would bend down, and the third ranks would pile their shields atop them, and the third ranks would use their shields to form a roof. The main weapon was usually either the spear or the sword, which was used mainly for thrusting. Yet they would also use hit-squads, in which men armed with the famed Dane axe would be able to go through gaps in the shield wall, try to hack at the enemy's own shield wall, and then hide back behind their own formation to rest for protection before the next wave.
Aside from this, we also have numerous attestations of use of the shield wall, but most of them come from skaldic poetry, and they use the term as a poetic metaphorical language, and it just means a bloody battle. In fact, an entire army could in fact be referred to as a shield wall. How the Vikings actually fought, however, is much more sophisticated. They used advanced battle tactics that used the surrounding landscape, setting traps, fighting in free open combat, etc.
Also, don't worry about Usopp killing any of the Black Cat Pirates with his arrows. All his arrowheads are field points. They won't kill per say, but they will definitely hurt like hell, unless you want to aim directly for the heart, but we all know that isn't how Usopp fights.
