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 15: Beat Kuro! Usopp the Man's Tearful Resolve!

All of the Black Cat Pirates were shocked at what just transpired! Captain Kuro was lying flat on his back! That never happened before in his entire piratical career! Yet here it was, clear as day! Luffy and Zoro only glared at what happened, while Sigrun and her Vikings were awestruck, just as Usopp and Kaya were.

"What was that!?"

"It's sorcery!"

"He's a freak! A magical freak!"

"He sent Captain Kuro flying!"

Kuro only glared at Luffy from the position on his back, that punch even managed to crack the lenses of his glasses. He watched as Luffy only readied his fist for another punch. Ragnar and Nami only saw as well, and they knew that this was it! Kuro was done for, even as they boarded the ship. Suddenly, before Luffy could even make a move, the underbrush of the forest burst open, and Pepper, Carrot and Onion sprang forward with a club, shovel and frying pan.

"THE USOPP PIRATES HAVE ARRIVED!" They yelled in unison as they repeatedly slammed each of their weapons down onto Kuro's face, much to the shock and horror of everyone.

"No! Don't! Stop it! You don't know what you're doing! STOP! STOP!" Usopp pleaded.

"Stay away!" Kaya implored.


From aboard the Black Cat Pirates' galleon, Ragnar and Nami both rushed outside, and the quartermaster could see the three little boys beating Kuro on the face.

"Oh Gods! Those boys will get themselves killed! I told them to stay in their homes!" Ragnar cursed. He was furious and horrified that those boys would surely die.


Even the Black Cat Pirates and Wolf Clan Vikings were horrified by what they were witnessing.

"Those rugrats have a death wish!" Zoro muttered, unsure of whether those boys were either very brave or incredibly idiotic to beat Captain Kuro in like that. All at once, the boys stopped, panting as they looked down at their victim, who by now had both lenses in his glasses broken.

"All right. This time, we'll let you off without any more brutality, this time," said Pepper.

"Now those stupid kids have really done it!" Jango muttered, "Captain Kuro is going to be so mad! THOSE IDIOTIC BRATS!"

"Captain!" Carrot yelled as he ran and his two friends ran towards Usopp, "I knew that you were fighting, because that was so totally awesome."

"I thought there were no secrets between us pirates," said Pepper, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"That's right! We're supposed to tell each other everything!" Onion piped up.

"Who cares about that!?" Usopp yelled, "Look! This is important. You guys gotta get outta here! Run!"

"No way!"

"We have to stay and fight with you!"

"The Usopp Pirates will be shamed if we run in fear…"

As Onion finished speaking, Captain Kuro rose behind them, and he was by no means pleased at all. To be beaten while he was down by three little boys was just plain humiliating for a man of his reputation! As he lifted his glasses up, the lenses broke, and glass cascaded down like snow. The Usopp Pirates all froze in terror at the sight before screaming in fear at the sight of the Man of A Thousand Plans.

"You idiots!" Usopp yelled at them, "Don't just scream! Run!" Yet Kuro only passed them by. Killing three little boys would be a waste of his time and talents. As he stood over Usopp, he coldly kicked the archer in the gut, sending him skidding towards the shield wall. Sigrun immediately caught her surrogate son, helping him to sit up against the cliff wall, glaring at Kuro as if he were Loki himself. Though even so, Kuro wasn't interested in them, turning his gaze to Luffy.

"That hurt," he told the Straw Hat, "My, my. That's quite a strange technique you've developed there. Tell me, do you have those powers from eating the Devil Fruit?"

"Yep!" Luffy replied with a grin, "I'm a rubber-man!" He then turned to Ragnar, who was still standing aboard the ship, "And my quartermaster here's a lion-man." Upon hearing this, the Black Cat Pirates were truly terrified. They fought against two Devil Fruit users!? No wonder the Viking and the Straw Hat were so incredibly strong.

"It makes perfect sense, now!" Jango muttered, "I didn't just hallucinate their powers. Those two are actually capable of what I saw!"

"Jango!" Kuro called out to his hypnotist, "I can handle the boy. You take care of Ms. Kaya, like we planned. Have her write her butler into her will, then kill her. As for these three boys, they're an eyesore. Eliminate them." Usopp now knew he had to act, the lives of Kaya and his friends were now at stake!

"I'm on it," Jango told his captain, but before he was able to even leave, Zoro blocked his path, barring the way forward with one of his swords.

"Stop right there," said the pirate hunter, "If you wanna get to them, you'll have to get through me first."

"BUCHI!" Jango called out, and Buchi, who was still in his hypnotized state awoke and leapt in the air once more, intent on crushing Zoro full force.

"Not again…" Zoro muttered as he jumped out of the way. Buchi slammed into the ground at full force, causing the entire natural corridor to quake and tremble, as if an earthquake struck that part of the island. The force was so powerful, the Viking shield wall had to get to higher ground. Sigrun took Usopp and made it to a section of cliff that wasn't touched by the earthquake. Yet Luffy just stood there, as though his anger froze him into a statue of ice. Zoro looked on about, wondering where Buchi would come from next, only to hear a familiar growl behind him as the hypnotized overweight pirate struck at him with his claws. Zoro was lucky that he blocked it just in time, but was pressed right into the cliff wall, his left foot jammed right into Buchi's face.

"That guy…he's crazy…" Usopp muttered, trying to get up, and noticing Jango making his way towards his friends. "Oh no! Kaya! KAYA!" He screamed. If he didn't act now, it would all be for nothing! There was only one choice left. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "USOPP PIRATES!"

"Yessir!" The boys shouted in unison.

"I need you to listen carefully," he told them, "Protect Kaya! Do as I command, and don't argue with me! I'm giving you the most important task there is right now! It's absolutely critical that you succeed. Take Kaya and get away from here! You must keep her safe! Take her to Ulfthorpe and don't leave its walls until the battle's over! This is the whole reason we wanted to become pirates, to protect what's dear to us! So, do as I say and run!"

"YES! CAPTAIN!" they all cried in unison, before they tried to lead Kaya to safety into the forest.

'He sure has a way with words,' Zoro thought, glancing back at the boys, 'He made a tactical retreat sound brave.'

As she was led away from the field of violence, Kaya took one last glance at Usopp. That brave young man was risking his life to protect her. She couldn't help but blush, causing her cheeks to turn bright pink.

"Jango!" Kuro reminded his hypnotist, who was seemingly frozen at the spectacle.

"Oh! Right! Sorry, I was gawking," he replied, then took out two chakrams on his fingers, which he spun like hoops, "Those fools! Do they really think they can escape m…!" He did not finish. Usopp managed to shoot an arrow right into his shoulder, the tip embedded in his flesh, only stopped by the hypnotist's shoulder blade. "Damn you!" He snarled at Usopp, wincing in pain as he couldn't reach the arrow.

"He's not a priority right now!" Kuro yelled, "Go!" And Jango sped off after Kaya and the boys, grasping his shoulder in pain. He only starred down Luffy as he let Usopp hear him gloat, "Their attempt at escape is futile. We know all too well how weak Kaya is. There is no way they can possibly escape Jango," he told Usopp, "Now if you want to help her, go ahead, but first, you'll have to get off this slope alive Usopp." Then he glared at the hypnotized fatso, "BUCHI!" He roared, but Buchi still was trying to kill Zoro.

"I guess losing to me once wasn't enough for ya, huh?" Zoro asked, "I told you to get outta my way, ya walking tub of lard! Now MOVE!" Zoro then kicked Buchi in the face with his right foot, sending the obese pirate tumbling back. Seeing his chance, Zoro drew his two other swords, and unleashed a devastating Onigiri slash on Buchi, cutting him right across the chest. He stayed suspended in midair for a moment, blood coughing from his mouth, then crashed on his back, seemingly lifeless.

By that time, Luffy was also at the center of the slope, staring down Kuro as well. Yet at that sudden moment, a loud crack, the sound of thunder, shook the entire coastline. Ragnar rushed out to see what was happening. From inland, he saw birds in the forest canopy taking to the sky, eager to get away from the violence that was to come. Instantly he used one of his axes to slide down the ship towards Luffy's side.

"That sounded like gunfire!" He told his captain, "Luffy, what happened?"

"Kaya came and tried to stop Kuro, but Usopp told those kids to protect her and go into the forest," Luffy explained, bringing him up to speed. "Is Nami alright?"

"She's fine. Thankfully there was no one else aboard the ship."

"Good. I want you and Zoro to take Usopp and meet up with Kaya as fast as possible."

Usopp just tried to get up, but even as Kuro taunted him, he bit through the pain. For a year, he suffered that madman's insults, and now he wasn't going to stand for it now that he knew the truth.

"You heartless bastard…!" He groaned, "Don't you even have a shred of pity!? You lived with that girl for three years!"

"No. I already told you, Kaya is but a mere pawn in the game I intend to win," Kuro mocked, "When she's dead, then and only then will I be grateful to her."

"That sick fucking bacraut…!" Ragnar growled, then glared up at Kuro, "You're nothing but a sick, greedy níðingr!"

"This guy is hopelessly evil," Zoro added, having sheathed all three of his swords in their scabbards.

"Which is why we're gonna put him out of his misery," Luffy declared, "Hey! Usopp! Go find the others!" He shouted to the archer, smiling in confidence, "Don't worry, we'll take care of this guy."

Encouraged by Luffy's words, Usopp tried with all his might to stand on both feet, but that kick to the gut combined with the minor earthquake were too much that as soon as he stood tall, he fell face forward as soon as he made his first step.

"You won't get away with this, Kuro!" He groaned at the Man of a Thousand Plans, "I won't let you! You betrayed the villagers' trust, not to mention you planned to take the life of a sweet innocent girl! This is the last time, you ever get your way!" As he made his first step, however, he fell flat on his face, "It hurts…It hurts so bad, I can't move…" Kuro only laughed and cackled at the archer's expense.

"You really are a riot!" He boasted, "So, I betrayed them, you say? Oh, please! Grow up! A village liar who plays pirates with the local kids has no place talking to a real pirate! Just stay on the ground, there. Even if you did somehow catch up to Jango, he'd end your life in the blink of an eye. Staying there is what's best for you."

"I don't care…" Usopp uttered out, "I don't care that I'm weak…I'll protect them! I am captain of the Usopp Pirates! A brave warrior of the sea who fights for what he holds most dear! I will protect everyone in this village even if it kills me! ON MY HONOR, YOU WILL NEVER SET FOOT IN THAT VILLAGE!" Hearing his declaration, Ragnar only smiled, while Luffy and Zoro looked on in stern admiration.

Yet the Black Cat Pirates only laughed at what they saw as a pathetic show of bravado, only for Luffy to turn their attention towards them. How dare they mock this young man's determination to save his friends?! He tore a piece of the rock face and smashed it so close to them that they were sent flying. Nami even ran out on deck to see what was all the ruckus. Luffy stood tall on the boulder, glaring down at the pirates.

"WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY!?" He snarled at them, but only got silence.

"Luffy! Ragnar, Usopp and I are gonna hunt down that hypno freak," said Zoro as he and Ragnar both mounted horses, with Zoro placing Usopp behind him in the saddle, "Is that a problem?"

"No! Hurry!" Luffy told them both, and they all set off at a gallop.

"Thank you…" Usopp told his two companions.

"We'd both be a whole lot faster if it was just the two of us," Zoro told the archer, "But neither of us know these woods. So, if we're gonna catch up to them, I'm gonna need Ragnar's sense of smell, and your help."

"Indeed, but your quick thinking with that arrow gives us an edge," Ragnar told Usopp, "I'll be able to track Jango's scent thanks to that arrow you shot into his shoulder."

"Hold it!" Kuro told them, specifically marking out Usopp, "Where do you think you're going? Who gave you permission to go anywhere?"

"I DID!" Luffy shouted, as he stretched his arm out towards Kuro, "USOPP, RAGNAR, ZORO! GET GOING!" Kuro only watched as Luffy sped forward towards him with a fist loaded, "HAVE ANOTHER!" He yelled, trying to contain the fight. The Wolf Clan's warriors had by now broke their formation and watched. This was a fight between Luffy and Kuro. The latter tried to slice Luffy with his Cat Claws, but the Straw Hat saw it and dodged, landing on his hands as he readied his legs for an attack, "GUM-GUM SPEAR!" He shouted, as his legs stretched out all the way, forcing Kuro to jump out of the way. "At least the others, got away. That's what matters," he muttered, before staring down Kuro once more, who was standing by a cop of trees.

"Before I kill you, I feel compelled to ask," Kuro stated, "What is an outsider like you butting into the affairs of this village for!?"

"Oh, you're one to talk! You've been doing exactly that for the past three years now!" Luffy snapped back, "I remember when I was 14, your death was all the talk of the East Blue. And here you are, still alive while the rest of the world thinks you were executed by the Marines. Face it, Kuro! The only reason you wanted out of this life of piracy is because you couldn't handle having a reputation, and the stress of constantly having to come up with elaborate plans, couldn't you!? Because of you, I nearly lost my first mate to that Marine you spared!"

Kuro was completely shocked, and his widened eyes showed it. That boy hit the nail right on the head. Instantly, his thoughts went back to that fateful day when he decided to enact his plan…


It was only three years ago, when the Marines caught up with the Black Cat Pirates once more. There was only one reason they were here, even as he sat in his cabin with Jango discussing what to do, all while cannons fired back and forth at each other.

"The Marines, huh?" Kuro asked, "This is the third time this week!"

"Well, can you really blame them?" Jango asked back, "You're one of the most infamous pirates in the East Blue right now. Captain Kuro's a superstar."

"You're right. My infamy is what draws them to us…that's why I'm going to give up being Captain Kuro."

"Yeah, wouldn't that be nice? It's just that the Marines won't stop chasing us until Captain Kuro is either dead, or rotting in a prison cell."

"Which is why I'm going to die…" Kuro told his first mate as he rose from his chair, walking towards the door of the cabin, "It seems that the tumultuous life of a pirate just isn't for me."

"You can't quit, sir! You're our captain!" Jango protested.

"You are now Captain, Jango. I have finally grown weary of this life," Kuro growled as he opened the door to the sunset, tinged red with gunpowder smoke. "It's over! I'm killing myself for all to see!" He emerged towards the deck as his crew greeted him, the scowl of misery on his face. "How many vessels are in pursuit?" He asked

"Only one, sir!" Sham replied, "What should we do, Captain? Should we man the cannons?"

"Lower a small boat into the water," Kuro growled, "Do it! Now!" Confused, the pirates did it anyway, and lowered Kuro into a small dinghy onto the waves.

"First Mate Jango! Captain Kuro just…"

"Yeah, I know," Jango told the man, only watching as the carnage aboard the Marine ship unfolded, marked by an explosion, accompanied by the faint cries of dying men, and then silence. The Black Cat Pirates looked on in confusion at the sight. It was a welcome respite, though. Unexpected, but welcome. "Prepare to board the ship," Jango told his crew, "I didn't ask for your opinion, this time! That's an order!" He finally understood why his captain boarded that ship alone. Then he turned to a seaman who looked distinctly like Captain Kuro, "You there! Goodbye," he told the man, "It was nice knowing you, sailor."

The sight of carnage was truly terrifying. Almost all the Marines aboard the ship were killed. Kuro was sitting on the ship's railing with the sole survivor of that ship. It was a horrific slaughter. Aside from that sole man, not one single soul survived Kuro's attack.

"Now then…let's begin our little plan," Kuro told his men, kicking the survivor onto his back. The Marine groaned in pain as he landed on his maimed right arm. "Come now, pull yourself together," Kuro told him condescendingly, "I was kind enough to let you, and you alone survive."

"Just…finish me…" the marine groaned out, "I'm not…kneeling…to you…kill me now and get it over with!" Yet Kuro only slammed his foot down hard on the marine's jaw, causing him to scream in pain.

"You will be perfect. If you can howl this much with a shattered jaw, you will do fine," Kuro told him, chuckling, "Today is the greatest day of your life. Today is the day you captured Captain Kuro. You should be grateful to me. For tonight, I give you the head of Captain Kuro." He only watched in sheer sadistic delight as the lookalike was hypnotized into thinking he was Captain Kuro, and that this atrocity was his doing, while the marine was similarly hypnotized to think he caught Captain Kuro before returning to base with his prisoner. 'Perfect! When my double gets executed, Captain Kuro will disappear from the earth, and I will live the life I deserve…'


Yet now, three years later, Kuro couldn't have possibly thought that a boy like Luffy was able to guess correctly why he came up with this plan: all because he couldn't take that sort of lifestyle anymore.

'Luffy must've used that power of his to sense Kuro's emotions!' Nami thought as she managed to collect the measly haul the Black Cat Pirates stored, 'Incredible! He has all that power, and he uses it to help people – the polar opposite of what any ordinary pirate would do!' Instantly she thought about Arlong and how Luffy knew about her mission. He was the only other person so far who knew about it. 'But…is Arlong really going to keep his promise? Has he been lying to me this whole time? I mean, I doubted him for years, but…I just didn't think that there was any other option. Now, this boy's willing to put his life on the line to help me. C-Can I really ask him for help? Can he really defeat Arlong?'

"How!? How did you know!?" Kuro growled in utter disbelief.

"You thought that if you could make someone else take your fall, you could finally have some peace of mind, couldn't you!?" Luffy growled, grabbing the sword blades on Kuro's right glove, his arm and hand turning pure black like hardened iron, just like in Orange Town, and snapping the blades off at the base.

"I've earned it, as far as I'm concerned!" Kuro snapped, "My plan is perfect! Flawless! It won't be foiled by a useless little urchin like you!"

"Y'know what? If you don't want a reputation…" Luffy growled as he picked up the boulder he smashed earlier and smashed Kuro aside, right in his face, "…THEN DON'T BE A PIRATE!" He only smiled as Kuro skidded across the ground, "You're just greedy, Kuro! But I have ambition!" The boy was hoping that, if news broke out about his accomplishments today, that Coby would get to hear about them, because he was going to finally take down the bastard who created Axe-Hand Morgan.


A/N: Wow! Usopp is certainly taking a beating at Kuro's hands. You can't help but admire him for it, as he's finally finding the courage to stand up to that heartless bastard. Also, it seems as if Nami has some interesting thoughts regarding Luffy, more foreshadowing ahead, definitely.

One bit of Viking lore now: you'll noticed that Ragnar called Kuro a níðingr. What does that mean? Well, in Viking society, níðingr was an Old Norse word used to describe someone who was completely beyond the pale. It was a social stigma implying the loss of one's honor, and status as a villain. One infamous historical usage of this term can be seen in the life of the last Anglo-Saxon king of England - Harold Godwinson, famous for not only stopping the last Viking invasion of England, but also dying at the Battle of Hastings.

Harold Godwinson, if you didn't know it, was actually half Anglo-Saxon, and half-Danish. When the North Sea Empire was founded by King Cnut the Great in the 1020s, Harold's father, Ealdorman Godwin of Wessex married a Danish woman and gave his sons Old Norse names: Tostig, Sweyn and Harald - or Harold. The last Anglo-Saxon King of England was half Viking! But how does that relate to the term of níðingr? Well, it's because Harold's saga is a dynastic tragedy in which his family fell apart from within.

The king of England at the time was Edward the Confessor, who was married to Harold's sister. Now, the marriage was promising, but childless. Edward couldn't annul the marriage, however, because the Godwins were so powerful. And this brings us to Harold's maverick elder brother, Sweyn.

Sweyn Godwinson was a typical rich boy gone wrong. He was a bully and a hell-raiser. He was exiled in 1046 to Denmark for keeping a nun prisoner for...very obvious reasons. His lands were then divided between Harold and his cousin Bjorn, but in exile, Sweyn behaved so poorly, that eventually the King of Denmark had him exiled again. So, three years later, Sweyn arrived in England, begging Edward for mercy. Harold was understandably indignant. He did his duty serving his king, and why should he have to return the lands he gained to his wastrel brother? So, Harold stood up to his father for the first time.

Edward passed judgement ultimately. Sweyn was to sail from England in three days or face judgement. The matter was settled, or so the Godwins thought. As they waited at the old Roman fort at the Isle of Pevensey, Sweyn rode to them on horseback for one last appeal to his family, to help get him reinstated. Somehow, he managed to persuade his cousin Bjorn to speak on his behalf for Edward. Bjorn set off with Sweyn and three attendants, and here is where we get to the point of this tale.

Sweyn was a psychopath with a grudge. We don't know what went wrong, but as they reached the town of Bosham, Sweyn had Bjorn bundled up and thrown into his ship. He killed his cousin in cold blood, and dumped him in an unmarked grave. He went too far. The sailors who accompanied him called him a níðingr. Even Sweyn's own ships deserted him, and he was forced to flee abroad to Flanders.

Anyway, stay tuned for Chapter 16!