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 22:The Strongest Pirate Fleet! Commodore Don Krieg!
Sanji only glared as Zeff encouraged him to join Luffy's crew. He had a hunch as to what the head chef was insinuating, and he was damned if he was going to follow that fantasy.
"Hey listen, old man! I'm the sous-chef here," Sanji replied, "What do you mean you don't need me anymore?"
"You fight with customers all the time; you flirt with every woman under forty who walks through here; you can't even cook a decent meal!" Zeff complained, "Your worthless to me than the chum after brunch. That's what I'm saying. Oh, and let's not forget how the other cooks avoid you like a rat. So just run off and be a pirate, I don't care, but just get out of this restaurant." From the second floor above, the chefs just snickered at seeing Zeff tear Sanji a new one.
"So that's how it is?!" Sanji asked, miffed by those harsh words, "You shoot off at the mouth and expect me to take it, old man?" He only slowly made his way towards Zeff, the irritation in his voice evident. "I could blow off everything you said, but I refuse to listen to anyone trash-talk my cooking! I'm staying here as a sous-chef, whether you like it or not, and that's final!" Sanji only grabbed Zeff by the collar, "YOU HEAR ME!?"
"What do you think you're doing, grabbing your boss by the collar!? You ingrate!" Zeff only grabbed Sanji and threw him right at the table the Straw Hats were seated at. Luckily, the crew were able to save most of their food before Sanji was able to connect with the table, which buckled from the impact.
"Enough with the games…old geezer," Sanji groaned as he slid onto his side and got to his feet, "You can try to kick me out…but I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, not until you're dead and gone!"
"Dead?" Zeff laughed as he walked away, "I got about another century of kicking your ass left in me before that happens."
"He always has to have the last word, doesn't he?" Sanji asked himself, rolling his eyes.
"See? He said it's cool!" Luffy told Sanji, smiling at him, "Now you can join my crew!"
"Shut up! I told you, I'm not joining your crew!" Sanji snapped, before fixing the table and acting as if that little episode never happened before turning his attention back to Nami, presenting her with a dessert course as well as a fortified wine, "My apologies, madame. I hope I can make it up to you with this delightful fruit Macedonia."
"Wow! You're too kind! It looks wonderful." Nami told him, delighted by the treatment she was getting.
"Hey! Don't forget about us, Mr. Casanova!" Usopp yelled, genuinely miffed by Sanji's womanizing habit, "We'd better get some kinda apology too, dammit!" Yet Sanji only handed him a piping hot cup.
"This tea should be more than adequate for you," Sanji replied coldly, "In fact, you should be thanking me."
"What!? Are you asking for a fight!? You're seriously gonna regret this!" Usopp growled, then turned to both Zoro and Ragnar, "Take him out, guys!" Yet much to the archer's annoyance, both Zoro and Ragnar were more than content to sip the tea they were given.
"You take him out," Zoro muttered.
"Usopp, please!" Ragnar implored, "We are in public. Do you honestly want to end up like that marine lieutenant?"
"Stop it! Please, don't fight because of me," said Nami, trying to still use Sanji's chivalrous nature to her advantage.
"Of course, my dear," he replied, happily lovestruck at her response.
"I meant to tell you, that all of the food here is delicious, but it's just too expensive for me."
"Relax, it's on the house."
"Oh! Thank you!" Nami proceeded to only hug Sanji, much to his delight, het he only looked towards Zoro, Ragnar and Usopp with an emotionless face.
"You guys still gotta pay," he told them plainly, much to both Zoro and Usopp's frustration. Yet Ragnar only pulled out a velvet pouch from his belt, full of silver coins in response.
"I will pay for my comrades, in that case," he replied, "A small take from my personal share of hacksilver." Sanji couldn't help but be impressed that this Viking was selflessly volunteering to pay for his crewmates and his captain. Luffy, however only intensely stared at Nami and Sanji intensely. For whatever reason, he just wanted to unleash a Gum-Gum Pistol on Sanji's face, for letting Nami get that close to him. Noticing this, Nami only let go, much to her captain's relief, then scooted over to Luffy's side with a menu.
"Wow! That's pretty nice of you, Ragnar!" Luffy complimented his quartermaster, knowing that he personally was flat broke.
"So, Luffy, what on the menu looks good to you?" Nami asked, hoping that this wouldn't spark any hostility and jealousy between Luffy and Sanji.
"I'm fine with anything, so long as there's meat."
The Straw Hats spent the next four days dropped at anchor near the Baratie, idling their time as they waited to decide who to recruit as their cook. On the fourth day, however, they were truly chancing their luck, as the Baratie and the Merry were engulfed by a dense sea fog.
"We've been sitting around on our asses for four days now!" Usopp groaned, "How long do ya think we're gonna be here, anyway?"
"Who knows?" Zoro said with a shrug.
"As long as it takes to find a cook, Usopp," said Ragnar, "Until then, hold firm."
"Yeah, quit whining. This place is great!" Nami exclaimed, "Plus, all the food here is free."
"Yeah, for you it is," reminded Zoro.
Luffy then emerged from below deck, with the intention of trying to persuade Sanji to join the crew once more.
"Hey Luffy, what are we still doing here?" Usopp asked, "C'mon, let's get outta this place."
"Just sit tight a little longer," Luffy replied, "I'm gonna try and make a deal with one of the chefs."
"Well, hurry up!" Usopp grumbled.
At that moment, Ragnar and Luffy both noticed something in the mist. To the naked eye, it was barely visible through the rolling fog, but they both could tell what it was, especially as it drew nearer. The two could sense the dread radiating out from whatever was approaching.
From inside the Baratie, the sound of a wine glass shattering on the floor could be heard, as all diners suddenly stopped eating, their hunger overcome with intense fear. As the object drew nearer, they could instantly make out the saber-toothed tiger figurehead on her prow, and then they noticed it high atop her masts: her jolly roger of a skull and crossed bones with two hourglasses.
"It's them! They're here! The hourglasses mean our time has come!" One stuttered out, "What do we do now?! That flag means death! No doubt about it! It belongs to the ruler of the East Blue…DON KRIEG!" The Straw Hats could instantly hear the screams from inside the Baratie as Krieg's ship drew up alongside her.
From the deck of the Baratie, Zeff only looked on in grim silence, as did Sanji. Inside, however, even the kitchen staff were frightened by the very sight of that ship.
"I told you, Patty!" Carne yelled, "I told you those bastards would show up! Now, are you gonna deal with those sons of bitches or what!?"
"This is unreal! He's got an entire fleet under his command!" Patty stammered, "Why would Don Krieg come here to avenge just one guy!? Doesn't he have anything better to do?"
Back on the Merry, Ragnar and Zoro readied their weapons, while Nami and Usopp looked on in terror at the sight of that dreaded ship, not noticing Luffy board the Baratie to make his way to Sanji's side.
"Guys, don't panic, but I think that this is our cue to leave right now!" Usopp screamed, trembling with fear.
"Look at the sheer size of that galleon!" Nami remarked, holding onto the Merry's mainmast, "There's no way we could take it on at our current strength! What was that cook thinking, beating up that guy!?"
"Now that was definitely a fuck up of not insignificant proportions," said Ragnar, "Whatever happens, we'll need to be ready to leave at a moment's notice if the need arises."
Luffy only looked up at the ship with excitement as he stood next to Sanji.
"What a huge ship!" He remarked, looking at Sanji, "You think maybe Gin came back to repay his debt of kindness?"
"I seriously doubt it," Sanji said grimly, "This is something different entirely." As the fog lifted, they could all lay eyes upon the state of the ship. She looked like something straight out of the horror stories of sunken ships: tattered sails, a hull filled with cracks and holes, even the tops of her masts were about to fall off.
"She's almost a floating wreck! What in Hel's name did they do to her!?" Ragnar asked.
"Did they sail her through a hurricane?" Luffy asked.
"Doesn't look like damage that was sustained in battle," noted Sanji, "In fact, it doesn't look manmade at all!"
"Wait, didn't Gin say that they went to the Grand Line?" Luffy asked.
"Luffy! Ragnar, up there!" Nami shouted, pointing at a man emerging onto the deck of the ship. He had short purple hair while his forehead was wrapped in gauze. A golden chain adorned his necklace, while he wore a thick fur-lined coat over his leopard-print shirt, along with purple trousers and black leather boots. His hands were even covered by gloves.
"There he is…" muttered Sanji.
"It's him!" Ragnar growled, "It's Don Krieg!" He only looked to his captain with a determined look.
"I'm going in to investigate," said the captain, "Ragnar, Nami! Get ready to move the Merry when I give the order. We should be safe here, but if a fight does break out, just be ready."
"Aye-aye, Captain!" Ragnar commanded.
"You got it!" Nami replied as she and Ragnar looked on from outside.
From inside the restaurant, the diners only watched as the intimidating silhouette of Don Krieg slowly made its way towards the entrance. A dead silence fell over all the room, except for the jingle of Krieg's chain necklace as he walked. The doors opened and they all stood in shock. Don Krieg was gaunt as a corpse! It explained why Gin was helping him walk.
"I…I beg of you…please…I need food…and water…" Krieg barely whispered out, "We can pay…we have money…lots of money…please! It's been so long…I can't even remember…the last time I ate…please…I need food and drink…I beg you!" All the kitchen staff only looked on in confusion. What on earth was going on? How could this man be the terror of the East Blue?
"Where's the death and destruction?" Patty asked, "Is that poor sap really Don Krieg: Commodore of the Grand Pirate Fleet?"
"He must've gone to the Grand Line totally unprepared…" Luffy muttered, only glancing up as Sanji made his way upstairs. Everyone then noticed the impossible: Don Krieg lost his balance and collapsed onto his front. Gin only looked on in absolute horror.
"Please help him! Our captain is on the brink of starvation! He could die!" He begged, "He hasn't eaten anything in weeks! He'll die if he doesn't get any food soon!" However, Gin only got cold stares from the diners. There was no chance they would support a mass murdering megalomaniac the likes of him. Patty only laughed at the sight.
"This is great! I haven't laughed this hard in ages!" He cackled, "The great Don Krieg finally kneels before us!"
"We can pay! We have money!" Gin revealed, "This time, we're here as customers, I promise!"
"Do you really think I'm gonna fall for that trick?" Patty asked, then turned to Carne, "Get a transponder snail and call the Marines immediately! Don Krieg's finally weak enough to be put behind bars. This is a once in a lifetime chance, and I'll be damned if I ruin it by letting him get his strength back."
Gin couldn't help but grit his teeth in shame at the thought: his own captain being forced to starve to death. He couldn't blame the diners and the kitchen staff, though. As he heard them agree with Patty, he knew that deep down, they were right. Krieg did many terrible things, but even so, Gin knew he couldn't let his captain down without showing him the same kindness that Sanji showed.
"I promise…I won't…go back…on my word…" Krieg muttered out as he slowly rose to his knees, "Once I've eaten, I promise…I will leave quietly. So please, show mercy and help me!"
"Don Krieg, please! You're a king!" Gin told his captain, "Please don't shame yourself like this! You're better than a common beggar! Please, captain! What about your pride!?"
"I promise…" Krieg continued pleading, weakly kowtowing towards everyone, "Please…I'll even eat the scraps…I'll take anything!"
"Oh, what a tragedy for the cruel pirate…" Patty wasn't able to finish as Sanji walked past him.
"Hey, step aside, Patty," said the sous-chef, kicking his co-worker right in the face and knocking him back against the wall. Patty only fell over the railing and onto the floor unconscious. Luffy and Gin were only surprised to see that Sanji decided to show the same kindness to Don Krieg, as in his left hand was a large order of fried rice, with a bottle of sake in his right. He only made his way towards Gin and Krieg, and placed the order down before them. "Here's something for your captain."
"Thank you, Sanji," Gin muttered, eternally grateful that Sanji would bestow the same kindness towards Krieg, and yet still in disbelief that a total stranger would go out of his way to do such a selfless deed.
Krieg only bowed his head in gratitude and began shoveling the fried rice into his mouth with his hands. Everyone looked on in utter silence and disbelief. The silence was only shattered as soon as Carne came rushing down the stairs.
"You dimwit! Get that fried rice away from him right now!" He yelled at Sanji, "Don't you realize he's a cold, heartless monster!? This is the man known as the ruler of the East Blue: the most treacherous of all pirates!" Carne went on to continue, "It all started for him back in prison. He pretended to be a Marine, and when he decided to begin his career in piracy, he took command of a Marine warship by killing its captain! He would raise the Marine flag to enter ports, then raze the cities and merchant ships there. He even raised the white flag before opening fire on enemy ships! He'll do anything to secure victory! He's also unmatched in melee combat! You think he'll just leave peacefully!? No, that's not possible with a bloodthirsty murderer like him! He deserves nothing but death!"
Suddenly, Krieg slammed the bottle of sake onto the floor, and immediately attacked Sanji, clothes-lining the boy with his elbow, and sent skidding across the floor. Everyone looked on in utter shock at this betrayal of the laws of hospitality, including Gin. It was so horrific, the diners began fleeing the restaurant, screaming as they fled back to their own ship.
"This wasn't part of the plan!" Gin reminded Krieg angrily, "You promised me you wouldn't ruin this place…or hurt the man who saved us!" Yet Krieg grabbed Gin by the shoulder, rising to his feet.
"Yes…that was delicious," he said, cracking Gin's shoulder with just his bare hand, before dropping him to the ground "I feel alive again! So, very much alive!" He only gave his signature stone-faced look at the kitchen staff, who were downright intimidated by the man.
Back aboard the Merry, the other Straw Hats watched as the customers who came for the lunch hour were scrambling back aboard their passenger ship.
"Hey…do you guys see that?" Usopp asked, clearly horrified, "It looks bad. What do you think is going on in there?"
"Don't know," Zoro said with a smile, "Let's go inside and investigate."
"Perhaps a fight did break out after all," said Ragnar.
"WHAT!? Are you serious, Zoro!?" Usopp asked, looking at the swordsman as if he'd gone raving mad. Yet as Nami got her spear and shield ready to assist Luffy, she couldn't help but notice the condition of the Dreadnought Sabre, and how the galleon seemed devoid of life.
"Nami, you seeing what I'm seeing?" Zoro asked, noticing the same thing.
"Yeah…she looks almost deserted," she muttered, "How could Krieg have gotten all the way here without a proper crew?"
Back inside the Baratie, Krieg stared down all the staff, freezing them without blinking even once. He seemed totally devoid of all emotion, but then he only smiled in delight. He was investigating the state of the vessel!
"This is a pretty good ship. I believe that I'll take it!" He declared, "As you can clearly see, my flagship is near close to sinking. Naturally, I'll need a new vessel. After a few small chores, every last one of you are to leave this ship! There are about a hundred men aboard my ship. They're all weak with hunger, and many of them are seriously wounded. If you value your lives, then prepare them food and water, enough for every last one of them! I already lost too many men to hunger and dehydration already. Bring them over, without delay!"
"Don Krieg, please! Don't do this," Gin begged, "You promised! Please!"
"You're telling us to feed our own executioners!?" Carne asked incredulously, "Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds!? We refuse!"
"You refuse, do you?" Don Krieg asked, "Perhaps you misunderstood what I meant, so let me try to clarify. I wasn't asking you. I am not placing an order, I am giving you one. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!? DON'T YOU EVEN DARE TRY TO DEFY ME!"
"Sanji…" Gin groaned as he clutched his shoulder, "Sanji, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"YOU SEE!? LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO THE PLACE, YOU IDIOTIC BASTARD!" Patty roared. However, Sanji didn't let Patty's words get to him. He painfully stood on his feet and was about to make his way up the stairs. "What the!? Where do you think you're going!?"
"To the kitchens," said Sanji, wiping the blood from his mouth, "I've got 100 more meals to prepare today." Everyone's jaws dropped at hearing this.
"WHAAAAAATTT!? ARE YOU INSANE!?" The chefs asked in unison. A hundred meals cooked in one day by one man was insane enough, but for Sanji to cook for Don Krieg's men…it was mind-boggling!
"Good. Hop to it, then," said Don Krieg, smiling as he knew that his men would be well fed. However, Sanji continued glaring at him. Yet before he could even ascend the stairs, the sous-chef found that the rest of the staff had him surrounded armed with tridents, glaives and ladles.
"Tell us the truth, Sanji! Are you his spy!?" One chef asked.
"We can't let ya go anywhere near that kitchen!"
"We're tired of your insane actions!" However, Sanji showed no such hostility towards his co-workers. He only raised his hands out.
"Alright," he told them, "Stop me, if you want. I know what that bastard is. It's no secret in these waters that Don Krieg is a terrible and bloodthirsty man, but that doesn't matter to me. After we feed all his men, who knows what will happen. I'm just a simple cook, no more and no less. If someone's hungry, it's my obligation to feed them. That's all I know." Then he looked out at them, "Answer me, is that so wrong?" Yet before any of them could answer, Sanji was knocked to the ground by Patty.
"You bring free food to the penniless bums I kick outta this place, every single day," said Patty as he made his way towards a cabinet under the staircase, "I'm not gonna argue with you about who's right in that situation, but this time, you're just straight up wrong, Sanji. I won't let you do things like that anymore. We're gonna protect this place. Fortunately, we've got numbers on our side. True, it is Don Krieg, but what can he do against all of us? In a joint like this, pirates come in and out all day. We're fully prepared to serve any type of customer!" Krieg only sneered as Patty grabbed something from a lower cabinet and addressed the commodore, "I really hope that you enjoyed that meal, because I have a secret recipe for dessert that is truly to die for!" Patty only turned round, and was armed with a hand-cannon shaped like a lobster. "Now, open wide, 'cause here comes the MEATBALL OF DOOM!"
A single pull from the trigger was all that was needed, and from the barrel of the gun erupted a bright flash of light, followed by a cannonball which was…aimed straight at Don Krieg, who was by now seemingly frozen in terror at the massive cast iron ball heading straight for him. It landed straight in his torso, sending him flying. The doors of the Baratie were blown clean off their hinges on both sides due to the force of the blast.
From the Going Merry, Ragnar, Nami, Johnny and Yosaku all used round shields to brace against the shockwave. Zoro only held onto the Merry's railing while averting his gaze, and Usopp was clinging to the mainmast for dear life.
"Surtr's FLAMES! What the fuck was that!?" Ragnar asked, his ears somewhat ringing from the loud blast.
Back inside the Baratie, everyone looked on in shock at what Patty just did, even Sanji was admittedly intimidated.
"I might have broken the doors," Patty surmised, "I sure hope that Zeff doesn't chew me out again."
"He might go easy on you for saving the restaurant," said Carne.
"So what are we gonna do about the rest of Krieg's crew?" Sanji asked.
"Fry them!" Patty declared, "Drench them in batter and fry every last one of them."
Yet Luffy only looked on, his Observation Haki subconsciously kicking in to look past the smoke clouds. Suddenly, that's when he noticed it.
"Everyone, get ready! He's still alive!" The boy shouted. The chefs all looked at Luffy in disbelief, and then back at the smoke cloud. Was he telling the truth?"
"Are you a chef or a comedian? Because your jokes are not funny!" Krieg declared, indicating that Luffy was right on the money, much to Patty and Carne's horror. "And that dessert was disgusting! The worst I ever had!" Suddenly, as the smoke cleared, the reason for Krieg's survival could be seen: a full suit of plate armor covering his entire upper body, and even his arms. His coat was now acting like a cloak. The armor then suddenly…opened up! The pauldrons and sides of the cuirass revealed miniature cannons, while Krieg now was armed with two dual barrel flintlock pistols in both hands. "Now…DIE!" He yelled and began opening fire.
"TAKE COVER!" Luffy shouted, and the chefs all dove for cover, using any table they could turn over for protection against the hail of bullets. "He's armed to the teeth!"
"All those guns!" Sanji muttered.
Outside, the Straw Hats listened in horror as the sound of gunfire came from the Baratie. Zoro and Ragnar both gripped their swords, while Usopp frantically ran for cover, making some sort of excuse about stringing his bow. Yet Nami only couldn't help but worry for Luffy's sake. She knew that bullets wouldn't affect him, but this was still Krieg.
Inside the Baratie, the restaurant looked somewhat like a warzone with the number of tables flipped over to act as makeshift barricades. Krieg's armor returned to cover his body, and more spectacularly, his gloves were now covered by armored gauntlets, encrusted with diamonds.
"I gave you a chance to spare yourselves!" Krieg told them, "I am by far the world's strongest man! Not even the Vikings can dare hope to match me! Behold, a defense made from the strongest of all metals! Wootz steel body armor – impenetrable! And diamond gauntlets that can pound the world to dust! In addition to the weapons on my body, I have a fleet of 50 ships with 5,000 men! My record is flawless, I've won every single battle I ever fought! I AM DON! And I am the only one fit to be called as such!"
Luffy was equally pale with rage. Krieg was not a man of honor for using such cowardly and underhanded tactics to achieve victory by any means necessary. He only glared at Krieg before a voice halted his train of thought.
"Out of the way, kid," said Zeff as he carried a burlap sack down the stairs.
"WHEN I GIVE YOU SLIMEBALLS AN ORDER, YOU WILL FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER!" Krieg yelled, "DON'T YOU EVER DISOBEY ME AGAIN!" Before he could yell again, Zeff placed the sack on the floor in front of him.
"This is about a hundred meals," he said, "Now, take this food to your men and get out of my restaurant."
"OWNER ZEFF!" The chefs cried out in unison. As soon as Krieg heard that name, his eyes widened in total shock. He heard that name before.
"It can't be…you're…Red-Leg Zeff!" He muttered, trembling in awe. For some ungodly reason, the King of the East Blue was himself intimidated, trembling in the presence of a legend!
A/N: At last, Don Krieg himself appears, and believe it or not, he also has some relation to Viking lore, or rather his armor does.
Krieg mentioned that his armor is made from Wootz Steel, which is a type of crucible steel normally used for making weapons. Well, turns out that in our timeline, the Vikings also knew of a similar type of crucible steel which they used to make some of the finest swords in their society. In the Viking Age, and in Anglo-Saxon England, these swords were the most celebrated weapons on the battlefield, not only renowned for its power associated with kings, but also for magical properties they were said to possess. Much of these swords' elevated status stems from the intricate manner in which these swords were made.
The crucible steel that the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons used was a composite material. Back then, swordsmiths had to find the balance between the durability and flexibility of the blade, so that the sword didn't shatter on impact. If you make steel too hard, it becomes brittle, but if the iron is too soft, it will bend, and it will remain so. Viking, Frankish and Anglo-Saxon swordsmiths employed an ingenious solution that improved upon what the Romans had devised for forging their own swords - the properties of both iron and steel were forged together in the same blade.
The steel of the Viking Age was totally unpredictable. You couldn't guarantee whether it was going to have a lot or very little carbon in it, so by forging the two together, you devise an insurance policy. Alternating ingots of iron and steel were arranged in a bundle, then welded together. The ingot was then twisted into a spiral, and these spiraled bars, when heated and flattened, formed the central flexible core of the blade. Steel cutting edges were welded separately to the core. This was an extremely time consuming process, and took up to several weeks. The final stages were to both give the sword its fuller, and to etch the blade with acid, which brings out the elaborate pattern made by the spirals of iron and steel, like seeing the veins and arteries - if you will - of the sword.
These patterns gave the process its name of "Pattern welding." During the Viking Age and the Early Middle Ages, pattern-welded swords were weapons of highest prestige, affordable only to royalty and the aristocracy. They were highly prized heirlooms, passed down from father to son over the generations, each wielder hoped to make a name for himself via military prowess. One of the most iconic examples of such swords are the fabled Ulfbehrt Swords - a Frankish style of sword originating from the Carolingian Kingdoms during the 9th century, and were known to be used by the Vikings, given the fact that 167 of these pattern-welded swords were uncovered in Scandinavia.
In the epic poem, Beowulf, the hero is given a pattern-welded sword before facing the ferocious sea monster, Grendel's Mother:
"Hrunting was the name of that hefted sword. It was one famous among ancient treasures. The blade was of iron, poison-twig patterned. Battle-blood hardened, never did it fail any man at war who grasped it in its hands."
Throughout the Viking Age, pattern-welding was the only way to make strong and reliable swords, but by the 11th century, all that had changed. Dramatic improvements in iron production meant that blades could be forged from a single piece, and manufactured in greater numbers. By the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, swords were a general issue weapon, routinely taken into battle, but the legacy of their Viking past lived on.
Also, we must mention Surtr, another figure of Norse mythology, as the first and only fire giant within that cosmology. Back when Ymir first emerged from Ginnungagap, it was Surtr who followed next. He came from Muspelheim, the realm of fire, bringing heat to the cosmos and creating the sun. Yet he is also known for his flaming sword, which serves a sole purpose: to burn down Asgard when Ragnarok comes. He is said to face Freyr, who challenges him unarmed, but to no avail, and in victory, Surtr will strike the blow that would burn the realms to ash, and from the destruction, the world can begin anew.
Oh, and in terms of story development, it seems that Luffy is definitely showing some jealousy towards Sanji. Someone's very possessive over Nami it seems.
And the arrival brings us to a final point I'd like to bring up: his ship, or rather the type of ship. Like the Caravel, Galleons were one of the foremost types of ships used during the Age of Discovery. If you've seen any media set during that time period in our history, you've probably heard the term "Spanish galleon". Although primarily used as warships, they could also be used as trade vessels, which is recorded in history books with the evidence of the famed Spanish Treasure Fleets that brought gold and silver from the Americas back to Europe, and the galleon was also one of the premier ship types that made up the fearsome Spanish Armada.
By the time of the Golden Age of Piracy, however, the term "galleon" referred to any large warship that was otherwise no different from any other vessel at the 18th century.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and more to come!