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 14: The Tide of Battle Turns! Miss Kaya's Desperate Resistance!

Everyone, pirate, and Viking alike, all froze to look on at Kuro, shocked or reviled that the mastermind himself showed up at last. The Vikings behind their shield wall all whispered behind Kuro's back, calling him a betrayer, deceiver, and an oath-breaker. However, Kuro didn't care for the Norsemen at this point. All his rage was focused at his crew and lieutenants for what he perceived as incompetence. The pirates who served under his command were all petrified with fear. They knew the price for not meeting the Captain's standards. Even the Meowban Brothers were terrified at this point.

"The night has long since passed. And you all know the price for such incompetence," Kuro hissed, "To think that these brats and a band of seafaring barbarians held you back. How the Black Cat Pirates have fallen…." He then dropped his bag and slid his glasses up. "What have you got to say for yourself, Jango!? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

"C-Captain! I can explain," Jango stuttered, "I…You said…Sorry, sir, but you said letting the kid go wouldn't cause any problems." It was clear to all that Jango was referring to Usopp, and the archer knew it.

"I did say that, but what's your point? He's an idiot!" Kuro reprimanded, "I knew none of the villagers would heed his warnings, and he'd come stumbling back to make a stand against us…however, while I didn't expect that his Viking friends would come to his aid, what I also did not account for…was your inexcusable weakness!"

"Sir! We're not weak…it's just that…"

"Who are you to call us weak!?" Sham asked with bold and foolish defiance. He and Buchi both readied their claws in an attempt to mutiny against their own captain. "You used to be quite the killer, but face it, Kuro! It's been 3 long years, and we haven't been exactly living the good life waiting on a rich girl, hand and foot!"

"Yeah, he's right!" Buchi added, equally miffed, "For three arduous years, we've been out plundering pirate ships and raiding villages!"

"Are you done yet?" Kuro asked, seemingly dead of all emotion.

"NO! YOU'VE DONE NOTHING THIS WHOLE TIME WHILE WE'VE BEEN KILLING!" Sham bellowed.

"You pathetic butler!" Buchi growled, "There's no possible way you can beat the Meowban Brothers!" The two brothers then charged at their captain, ready to kill him without hesitation. Yet even Zoro and Ragnar sensed what Jango could.

"No! You fools! Stop what you're doing!" The hypnotist cried out. However, they were oblivious to what everyone else saw. Kuro reached for his bag, and as the Meowban Brothers went in for him, he began sidestepping at such a speed, no one could keep track of his movements, or see where he was! Then he reappeared right behind Zoro and the brothers, with those same furred sword-gloves he used on Merry, the blades coming out of their scabbards.

"What!? He's behind them! How the hell did he move so fast!? And what are those crazy weapons?" Zoro asked in utter shock.

"Who were you two going to kill just now?" Kuro asked the brothers. They tried to lunge at him again, but once more, he moved so fast no one could keep track until he reappeared right behind the brothers.

"The…Pussyfoot Maneuver…" Jango muttered in utter fear. 'With his Pussyfoot Maneuver, Captain Kuro could kill everyone on this beach before we draw our next breath! We wouldn't even see it coming! There is no escape from a killing machine like him!' He thought, remembering the way Kuro slid up his glasses, 'I knew he hadn't grown soft when I saw that old habit of his! His strange way of lifting his glasses so that the Cat Claws wouldn't cut his face. It's like he never stopped wearing those bladed gloves – they're almost like a part of his body! Of course, he hasn't forgotten how to fight!'

"You know, boys, you're right," Kuro told the brothers, holding them hostage with his weaponized gloves. "I do feel a bit sluggish after all these years." The brothers only were shaken with fear as the sword blades on their captain's thumbs were ready to pierce both of their skulls. Yet Kuro only grinned as he addressed his crew, "You're all quite lucky. I'm feeling quite merciful today. Maybe all this time on dry land has made me soft. I'll give you five minutes." He then released the brothers from the grip he held over them, "If you can't kill every last one of these men in five minutes…then I'll kill every last one of you. Now, have I made myself clear?"

The Black Cat Pirates looked on in disbelief. Five minutes!? Sure, they would be able to kill the five pirates, but that was not nearly enough time to make a breach in the shield wall. Still, it was better than nothing as far as they were concerned. They just had to kill their enemies in under 5 minutes to save themselves.

"Oh…yes! Yes! Of course! That's perfectly clear!" Jango replied, smiling ever so sheepishly, "Thank you, Captain, for being so forgiving! All we have to do is take care of these interlopers. Five minutes will be more than enough time for them!"

Zoro only looked back at Jango, who was near his swords, but so too were Luffy and Nami. Then he looked back to see the Meowban Brothers charging towards him once again.

"We nearly had him a few minutes ago!"

"We'll finish him in less than a minute this time!"

"We're all counting on you!" Jango shouted towards the brothers, "Kill him! Show no mercy!" Just then, he noticed Nami side stepping out of the way, towards the two swords.

"Zoro! Catch!" She called out, kicking the two swords towards her crewmate.

"What the!?" Jango muttered.

"Yes!" Luffy exclaimed in joy.

"Way to go, Nami!" Ragnar added as he watched.

"Hey! Easy there!" Zoro shouted, shocked as he saw Nami kick his weapons like a ball, "You can't just kick 'em! Those are my swords!"

"How about a thanks?" She asked, smiling at him with a smug grin.

"Yeah! I appreciate it," Zoro told her as he threw aside his shield and remaining sword, and caught the other two, clamping the white one with his teeth while holding the two black ones, the scabbards flying in midair.

"You idiot!" Sham cackled, "It really won't matter how many swords you have!"

"Now you'll die wielding all three of them!" Buchi added.

"You still just don't get it, do you?" Zoro asked as he wielded the two swords in his hands behind him, the tips of the blades facing the stone ground. As soon as the brothers tried to lunge at him, he slashed them both simultaneously with all three swords. "Tiger Trap!"

"The clock is ticking…" Kuro muttered as he watched the fall of the Meowban Brothers before him.

"You're both right," Zoro told the brothers as they flew past him, "Carrying three swords won't help you at all. Not unless you know Three Sword Style." The Vikings were just awestruck, save for Ragnar. None of the Wolf Clan had witnessed a drengr wielding three swords in battle successfully. The Black Cat Pirates, though, couldn't imagine this happening. The Meowban Brothers defeated!? This has never happened before…it wasn't even supposed to happen! Usopp too was enthralled by the sight of the Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro in action, while Luffy and Nami grinned. Once again, Zoro exceeded all expectations.

"That's our Zoro, for ya," Luffy muttered happily. Once again, he made the right call on recruiting Zoro for his crew.

'This is bad!' Jango thought, utterly shocked by what he just witnessed, 'He took down the Meowban Brothers with just one attack!'

Kuro only stood like a statue, watching the fight play out, and that was when he realized exactly who the man wearing the bandana was. Realizing this, he couldn't help but grin.

"So, the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro has come for my head, it seems," he muttered to himself, pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. Zoro only got back up and looked directly at Kuro, pointing one of his swords directly at the captain as he laughed in confidence.

"Don't worry!" He called out, "I can promise you, everything will be taken care of…in less than five minutes." Then he readied himself to face the Man of a Thousand Plans. How would ten sword blades fair against the master of the Three-Sword-Style? Kuro only chuckled as he slid his glasses up. He could understand why his crew had such a hard time, as Zoro was one of their opponents.

"Three minutes remaining," he told his crew, regaining his cold composure.

At that moment, Buchi, who'd landed near Nami and Luffy, grabbed a hold of Jango's right leg. Even after sustaining that attack from Zoro, he was somehow still conscious, but just barely.

"C-Captain Jango…I…I can still…slaughter him…" he weakly said, "P-Please…Captain…I can still…do it! Hypnotize me…" He then looked up at the hypnotist with tears streaming down his cheeks, but determined to avenge this insult, "Just…do it, Captain…"

"He's still alive?" Kuro asked Zoro, "It seems that even the famed Pirate Hunter himself is capable of slipping up on occasion." Zoro only turned to see Buchi on all fours and Jango hypnotizing him with his chakram.

"So he is," replied the swordsman, "I guess all that blubber protected his vitals…" As he turned to face Buchi once more, however, his eyes widened in utter shock at what he witnessed. Buchi's entire body suddenly shifted as his shoulders broadened. Each step he took caused the ground to sink beneath his feet, and all of a sudden, he gained a six pack on his gut. Zoro couldn't help but drop his jaw instinctively, causing the sword in his mouth to fall to the ground. Was this clown serious? Either way, he wouldn't disappoint his captain. "What, really? You back for more?" He asked Buchi, taking his third sword with his foot as he kept his eyes on the blubber ball that was Buchi. 'This guy means business; he was troublesome when he was half this size…then Jango had to flip his psycho switch.' He thought as he punted the sword up to his mouth like a hacky sack, catching the hilt with his teeth once more. Luffy knew that he had to fight as well, and it looked like this battle was decided.

"Ragnar, you and Nami raid their ship of all their treasure," he told his quartermaster and navigator, remembering how skilled they were at Orange Town, "I'll deal with that freaky hypnotist."

"Understood," said Ragnar, "I'll watch over her for you." Luffy only smiled at Nami as he placed his hand atop her own.

"It's gonna be alright. I promise," he told her softly, "We won't let these guys get their hands on your treasure." Nami smiled at the fact that Luffy remembered his promise. Even after their fight with Buggy, he still remembered. And now, she had free reign to raid the Black Cat Pirates of their own ill-gotten gains.

"One minute and counting," Kuro told his crew, who were now seriously on edge. One minute left!? How were they going to survive this battle!?

"Kuro can't be serious!? We can't possibly finish them in one minute!"

"C'mon guys! Stop messing around and end this already!"

As Luffy advanced, the Black Cat Pirates cleared a path for him, fearing his Devil Fruit powers.

"Buchi! Quickly, there's no more time!" Jango told his ace in the hole, "Kill that pirate hunting bastard. I'll take care of the freaky bendable kid!" Then he turned his attention to Luffy, drawing two more chakrams from his coat, "I'm coming for you, Straw Hat!"

"Time's up!" Kuro announced suddenly, "You knew our arrangement. Now, you all die!" He then lowered his arms and readied his weapons for an attack, but then he noticed Luffy. "It's that kid! Didn't he die by falling off a cliff?" He couldn't help but smile in impressment, "Nice trick." He then raised himself onto the balls of his feet.

At that moment, another individual came running towards the battlefield, prepared to ambush Kuro it seemed. The Man of a Thousand Plans turned, noticing this, and turned his attention to the newcomer.

"Don't ever sneak up on me!" He growled, readying his claws for a slash, "…Unless you want to die!" But before he could kill his target, Usopp ran as fast as he could towards the figure.

"KAYA! DON'T!" He yelled, throwing himself in front of Kaya and pushing herself out of the way. Kuro was absolutely dumbfounded. Why would Kaya, the target of all his plans, be here now!? Yet it lasted only for an instant. Kaya only got up as Usopp lay on the ground.

"No! Usopp! Are you okay?" She asked, hoping that he didn't take that attack for real.

"Kaya…what are you doing here?" Usopp asked.

"Oh, Usopp…I'm so sorry! I don't know how you'll ever forgive me. I just couldn't believe it…that Klahadore was really a scheming, murdering pirate."

"Never mind that! Why are you here!? Kaya, your life is in danger! I told you to run somewhere safe!"

"I won't! You're still here fighting! I won't run!" Kaya cried, tears welling up, "You fought for me, even after I treated you so badly. Look at you, you're barely alive, but you're still so brave. I just…"

"This is no place for a lady," Kuro told Kaya, trying to put on his best face, "Madame, please leave." Yet the reaction he saw was not what he expected. Kaya only glared at him with hateful rage.

"Please stop. Don't do this," she whispered, before turning directly at him, "STOP! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, KLAHADORE!" She only rose to her feet as she confronted the manipulative killer, "I already know what you're up to. Merry told me everything."

The entire battle came to a standstill, as all the combatants looked up to see Kaya confronting Kuro. It was totally unexpected.

"What's that girl from the mansion doing here?" Jango asked.

"The whole reason we came here was to kill that rich girl," said one pirate.

"If she's here, then we don't have to go to the village!" Another surmised. Yet it was clear that this was only a brief armistice.

"Klahadore, please! If you want my money and estate, you can have it," Kaya told him, "Take it all, and leave this village right now! I beg you!"

"I will gladly accept your fortune, Ms. Kaya. Thank you," Kuro replied, his face turning into a sinister grin, "But I desire more. You see, simply acquiring wealth isn't enough for me. More than anything else…what I want is peace."

"You want peace?"

"Yes. Peace of mind. It's simple, really," he explained, "I spent the past three years earning the trust of everyone in the village, and to be honest, I find this new sense of peace and tranquility quite comforting. When my plan comes to fruition, I will finally obtain this sublime peace of mind." He only looked up at the sky, thinking about what was to come, "Yes! The glorious comfort of a peaceful life will be mine for eternity!" Then he turned to face his crew, "In short, these pirates are coming! And you will leave your fortune to me…and die! Ms. Kaya, these things will happen. Count on it."

"No…" Kaya muttered, reaching for a pocket in her coat, and pulling the same flintlock pistol Merry used to shoot Usopp. "You're not Klahadore! You're not him!" She shouted, pointing the gun right at Kuro. "Leave here, right now, and never come back!" Usopp was just so impressed and proud of Kaya for her defiance, but still knew that Kuro would try and pull something on her.

"Oh, you'd point a gun at me?" He asked so calmly.

"STOP IT! JUST LEAVE! I DON'T EVER WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN!" Kaya screamed.

"Yes…I understand. You're all grown up now. So much has happened in the past three years," Kuro told her, finally getting her to lower her guard. "Ms. Kaya. Don't you remember our time together? We made so many memories together, you and I, even before your dearly beloved parents passed away. You were more than my mistress; you were my best friend. So much time…so many memories. Together, we suffered, and together we rejoiced, like family." Each one of those words caused Kaya to remember everything she and her precious 'Klahadore' did together, "I took you on shopping trips to different islands, I looked after you so diligently when you were ill, and we used to talk for hours on end. Kaya, listen to me. I was devoted to you." However, Kuro's true face showed itself, as he took off one of his gloves, long enough so that he snatched the gun from her grasp, and his voice became bitter to the tone. "…For so very long, I endured it. I quietly suffered, so that today, I could end your life, and take everything that I deserve! I, who was once the feared and respected Captain Kuro, had to bow and humble myself before some snot-nosed little brat! It went against every fiber of my being!" He dropped the pistol and grinned at her maniacally, as if possessed, "Can you understand the depth of these daily insults!? CAN YOU EVEN BEGIN TO COMPREHEND THE RAGE CREATED BY THOSE TRANSGRESSIONS AGAINST MY PRIDE!?"

Luffy only glared at Kuro as he saw Kaya cry. The one thing about liars such as Kuro was that they were schemers. This was the kind of people he hated, those who lied on principle, no issue too big or too small, who lied about anything they could get away with and some things they couldn't, all just to demonstrate their power over reality.

"KURO!" Usopp roared, as he grabbed the pistol, and with a simple pull of the trigger, he shot right for Kuro's head…but the pirate did not fall. Kuro used his Pussyfoot Maneuver to sidestep out of the way of the ball, and behind Usopp.

"Thank you for reminding me," said Kuro, as he slipped his glove back on and held Usopp's head in a vice. "Usopp, I owe you for hitting me! So, we'll consider it even. If I recall, you hit me yesterday as hard as you could…" yet before Kuro could rip Usopp's head clean off, the archer noticed a fist stretching its way…right slam into Kuro's face! Kuro was sent flying right past the shield wall, and onto his back while Usopp and Kaya looked to see Luffy's arm swinging back to its normal position. The captain of the Straw Hats only smiled as he looked directly at Kuro.

"If he hates getting hit that much, then he's about to have a really bad day!" Luffy exclaimed. He would never let Kuro get away with this. One way or another, it was time to get serious and end this battle once and for all!


A/N: Now we come to the high watermark, and boy is it a roller coaster. From Kaya's attempt to stop Kuro, to Usopp's valiant effort to protect her, and Luffy punching Kuro right in the face! Also, Zoro's back in action with his three sword style, but Buchi is now hypnotized to the point of Berserkergang.

This means, it's time for one final important marker about the Berserkers. In fact, Kuro himself could technically be considered a Berserker for how little regard he has for the lives of his own men, for a final reason. Thus, we must bring up one of the last major qualities of a berserker: their rejection by the community. This is not only because of the violence they are capable of, which might be praised in certain contexts, but to the way it was directed at indiscriminately at either friend or foe. As discussed previously, the Vikings held dear to the heroic ethic that demanded honor, loyalty and fidelity to one's friends. Crossing this line was a huge cultural taboo. Even if the berserker was innocent of the act, the fact that they entered a state that they could do so marked them out as social outcasts.

Added to these three traits we have discussed are additional features that made these men generally unpleasant to be around. Many sources describe the Berserkers as hideously ugly, with the figures of trolls and the manners of boars. They might be tolerated within a king or jarl's retinue or army, due to their military prowess, but they were almost always kept at arms length, and Buchi certainly does have the figure of a troll.