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 34: Protector of Cocoyashi Village! Luffy's Female Leader!
While Zoro and Nami faced their own little dilemma at Arlong Park, further out at sea, Luffy, Ragnar, Sanji, Yosaku and Ingrid were all happily feasting away, with the sun on their backs, all while they listened to the quartermaster's tales of life in Norðvegr.
"Here's a tale to tickle your sides," he said, "Luffy, do you remember Freydis the chicken?"
"The one you were so fond of?" Luffy asked, "Yeah, wasn't she that one you took with you from our village? The one that Dadan used to keep?"
"Ja, I stole her, you know," he replied, "We had a close connection, that bird and I. Or so I like to think. I would come by and feed her worms and maggots I picked up on the way to see her. But one day, she decided to fly right into my arms. A sign, I thought! She chose me as her new owner! I swore to Fjörgyn that I would look after her, and took her with me back to Norðvegr. My young heart soared that day! I always wanted a pet bird. Though we had plenty of dogs back home, and our longship did have a cat. Yet birds were different entirely. The only birds my father kept were either falcons and eagles for hunting, or exotic birds we received as gifts. Once we returned home, I stashed Freydis in a corner of the longhouse when my parents weren't looking. She settled in nicely to the makeshift nest I made for her, but the next day she was gone! My parents called me over to the table more eagerly than usual for breakfast that morning. I took one look out in the hall, and there she was: Poor Freydis – roasted and butchered on a plate! My father, though, was extremely happy by the turnout, 'It's not every day the Gods bless us with an easy meal,' he boomed, 'But this one just wandered right into the house! Now eat!' I only sat in silence and ate my meal. And let me tell you: Freydis was delicious."
At this, Luffy and the others all burst out in laughter. They couldn't help but laugh at the thought of a chicken that was intended to be a pet unintentionally turning into a decent meal. Yet all at once, Sanji and Ragnar both heard a loud groan from beneath them.
"Hold on, quiet!" Sanji told everyone, and again the loud groan resounded from beneath the waves, "There's something down there below us."
"You're right," said Ragnar as he began sniffing the water, "It reeks of Arlong's scent as well." Before long, a shadow emerged beneath the Merry.
"Whatever this thing is, it's big," said Sanji. And at that moment, the waves buckled, causing the Going Merry to rise and fall with the tides. Yosaku widened his eyes in absolute terror while his jaw dropped. Right beside the Merry, he saw it emerge.
"SEA MONSTER!" He cried. Everyone turned and saw a gigantic creature emerged from the depths. This beast had the features of a fish, such as scales and a dorsal fin, but strangely enough, it also had the head of a cow, complete with horns, ears and a pierced nose!
"It's a…cow!" Luffy exclaimed, utterly surprised by the beast.
"No, it's not, cows don't swim," said Sanji, turning to the quartermaster, who definitely had an expression on its face as if he knew what this creature was, "Ragnar, what is that thing?"
"A Quinotaur, and a big one at that," he replied, "These things are native to the Grand Line, but…what's it doing here in the East Blue?" The Quinotaur only lowered its head towards the Merry.
"Why's he staring at us?" Luffy asked, confused. Yet Ingrid only ran towards the armory, and emerged with a harpoon.
"Gentlemen! These beasts may look like herbivores, but don't be fooled!" She told them, "They're carnivorous, and have been known to eat people!"
"What!? Well, in that case, we're not going down without a fight!" Luffy declared, then shot his arm forward at the beast, "Gum-Gum Pistol!" He shouted as he socked the beast right in the face. "Bad sea cow! We're not food!"
Yet the Quinotaur only rose from the waves, opening its mouth full of teeth, ready to attack the Straw Hats. It was determined to eat and would even destroy the Merry if necessary.
"Oh crap! Here it comes!" Yosaku panicked.
"Ragnar! Ready the cannons!" Luffy shouted, only for Sanji to kick him aside.
"Dumbass, there's no reason to attack this poor hungry beast," said Sanji as he took a platter full of meat over to the Quinotaur, "She's probably just a calf and can't hunt fish for herself, you know?" Sanji only handed over the plate to the Quinotaur, who was definitely eyeing the meat. "There you go. Eat up. Don't be scared, I won't hit you." Seemingly willing to trust Sanji, the beast opened its mouth again, and in that instant, Sanji kicked it right in the chin.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Yosaku asked, but Ragnar only applauded.
"Oh-ho! You've got a filthy mind for strategy, broga!" The Norseman exclaimed.
"It was gonna eat me with the plate, what could I do?" Sanji asked, but the Quinotaur only emerged from the waves again, showing how tough it was. Luffy readied himself for another attack, but Sanji convinced his captain to stand down, "With respect, Captain. I got this!" He then ran up the mast of the Merry and jumped off, landing a perfect kick right in the Quinotaur's neck. "Collier Shoot!" He shouted, impressing everyone aboard, and sending the beast back towards the waves. "That's that."
"Yes! Back to the food!" Luffy exclaimed, as he applauded and sat back down.
"Captain, I think we can use this beast to pull the Merry towards our goal," said Ragnar, "Permission to harness it?"
"Oh, go right ahead!" Luffy replied, "If it'll mean getting to Nami faster, then by all means!"
Elsewhere, under another sky, Usopp finally woke up in a small single room house. He looked around. There was no sign of the fish-man, Johnny or Zoro. Nor could he see that kid or the blue haired woman who knocked him out.
"What the…where am I?" He asked, "Where's the fish-man?"
"This is my house," said a snarky voice, and Usopp saw the same woman who knocked him out sitting at a table, "Sorry about knocking you out back there in Gosa. I had to do it, or else that fish-man would've killed you."
"Uh…thanks, I guess, but who are you?" Usopp asked, glad to know that he was at least knocked out for good reason.
"My name's Nojiko; I grow tangerines here," she explained. Yet Usopp widened his eyes when he heard that name. Instantly he knew who this woman was, and if she was exactly who she claimed, then he knew where she brought him as well! Usopp only got up and took the seat at the table, sipping a cup of tea that Nojiko brewed for him. Across from him at the other end was Chabo, and it looked like he was about to cry too. "Now tell me, Chabo," Nojiko told him, "Why would you go ahead and try something so reckless?"
"I know…I know, but they killed my dad! They took everything away from me," Chabo explained, "Those fish-men destroyed our village, they killed my friends! I had to make them pay no matter what! So, I went to Arlong Park by myself, but this girl stopped me from going in…she's like an evil witch! I can't stand this! I have to avenge my dad! I don't care if I die!" Usopp only listened intently to what the boy said. He already had a good idea that the girl Chabo mentioned was Nami, and she was already doing her part according to the plan.
"Then go ahead, and die, boy," said Nojiko, causing Usopp to spew out his tea in shock, "If you truly are prepared to die, then go ahead. But know that I saved your life, and this witch you hate also saved your life as well. So far, you've cheated death twice. So, just finish your tea and go."
"Hey, no need to be blunt," said Usopp, "Don't you think you're being a bit too rough on him?"
"I don't care who he is!" Nojiko told Usopp, "If that brat wants to commit suicide, then so be it! He doesn't have what it takes to suffer for revenge. It takes time. I suffer as well. Revenge is not an easy path for one to carve out, and to die just because you're too foolish for patience? That's nothing but a coward's plan!"
"Then…Then what should I do!?" Chabo asked, "Those Vikings to the north can get away with killing people for revenge, so why can't we!?"
"Because those men and women are hardened warriors," Nojiko explained, "You're only a little boy who's had no military experience whatsoever!" However, her gaze softened as Chabo cried.
"I…I can't stand the way I feel, but I don't know what else I can do!" He sobbed.
"How's your mom?"
"She's alive."
"Then go back home. She's worried about you."
Usopp only smiled as Chabo nodded. For all her blunt language, Nojiko was just like Nami in a sense. He could definitely understand why the two were sisters in a sense. The two only looked out the window, smiling as Chabo walked past the tangerine orchards, back to his house.
"Y'know, for a chick with tattoos, you're actually pretty sweet," said Usopp.
"Oh, piss off," Nojiko replied, "It's time you told me why you decided to come to our village."
"Oh, right. My name is Captain Usopp," he said, "And I'm here on behalf of your younger sister, Nami."
"Nami?! You know my sister?!" Nojiko asked in shock, "How do you know her?"
"Well, it's a long story, so I'd better start from the beginning," Usopp then told Nojiko everything about his interactions with Nami, about how she saved his village from the Black Cat Pirates, the fight with Don Krieg, and how Nami told the Straw Hats about her past, along with the plan Ragnar set in motion.
"What!? You're saying that my sister is preparing for war!?" Nojiko asked in shock.
"Yes, but we can't tell anyone else about it," said Usopp, "Nami told us everything about how Arlong killed your mother, and how she was forced to join the Arlong Pirates in order to save the village, but know this: she's secretly asked for our help in ridding this island from his control."
"My sister, asking for help?" Nojiko asked, "I can't believe she'd ever do such a thing. She told me that if she tried asking for help, people would just get hurt."
"True, but my shipmates are different," Usopp explained, only to realize what happened moments earlier, his jaw dropping as he slowly turned towards Nojiko, "I just remembered that one of them was taken prisoner by the fish-men before we got here! Oh, I'm in trouble. I hope he's alright. I hope he's at least not dead…"
Back at Arlong Park, Nami and Zoro were still trying to do their best to convince Arlong and his crew that the former only used the latter as a pawn.
"I guess you finally get it now," said Nami as she looked down at Zoro, "I just used you guys to get what I wanted. You were skilled enough to serve my needs, but boy, were you a bunch of suckers." Nami didn't even turn around as Arlong started laughing, but she knew that Zoro was playing his part.
"She had you guys completely fooled!" Arlong cackled, "It's pointless. Nami is cold-blooded. She even betrayed her own family for money. So, you really shouldn't feel too bad." At that moment, however, the mention of betraying her own family caused Nami's face to freeze up in horror, as if she was constantly reminded of the pain that she suffered for eight long years. "If I were you, I would just surrender immediately, and try to forget the day you met her.
'Don't listen to him, Nami. He's just trying to get you to lash out,' Zoro thought as he looked up at his crewmate. Yet he only smiled at Arlong with a smug grin, "I don't need to," he replied, "Because I never saw anything in her to be trusted in the first place. If she turned out to be a murderess, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Fine, then why don't you just get the hell outta here!" Nami demanded, "I'm sick and tired of your face!" Yet at that moment, Zoro smiled as he jumped into the water backwards, sinking as if he'd eaten a Devil Fruit. Everyone, including Nami, was genuinely shocked by what just happened.
'Oh crud! Zoro, what were you thinking!?' Nami asked, 'Getting yourself killed wasn't part of the plan!' She couldn't even hear the sounds of the fish-men lamenting on how they wanted to kill Zoro, and Arlong's demands that they leave Zoro to his fate. In that instant, Nami took off her sandals and jumped in. 'That idiot! Hang on, Zoro! I'm coming!' All the fish-men looked on in suspicion. Did Nami just…dive in the water to save Zoro? What was going on? Yet they soon saw her resurface with Zoro. "What do you think you're doing?!" she whispered.
"No, what do you think you're doing?" Zoro asked, winking at Nami to let her know that he was still putting on the act, "You're really just a nice girl who can't watch a poor guy die. Why don't you quit pretending. And you might wanna jump a little quicker, next time. I thought I was gonna drown."
"You bastard!" Nami growled, feigning anger as she stepped on Zoro. "Try that again, and I'll ensure you'll die." Then she grabbed him by the arm and punched him right in the gut. She was mentally kicking herself, though, having known that Zoro still hadn't recovered from his fight with Dracule Mihawk. 'I'm really sorry, Zoro. I'll try and get a doctor to properly fix that wound,' she thought. Then she made her way towards Arlong Park.
"Tell me, Nami," said Arlong, "What should we do with him?"
"Lock him up," she replied, "I'll kill him myself when I have the time."
"Arlong! Hey, Arlong!" The blue-scaled fish-man who encountered Usopp shouted, "This guy wasn't alone. There was another, long-nosed weird looking guy, but he escaped! We believe he's somewhere in Cocoyashi Village!" Instantly, Nami and Zoro both knew who it was.
'What the Hell, Usopp!?' Zoro thought, 'You leave me for dead and got spotted anyway!?'
"Cocoyashi, huh?" Arlong asked, "Perfect! Now, I have two reasons to go." The saw shark fish-man got up from his throne and marched out the gates with his officers, "Come, brothers! It's time to go have some fun."
"But captain! We got word that Orca Willy's here too!" Another fish-man told his boss.
"This just keeps getting better and better!" Arlong sneered, "Come, we'll have plenty of time for a nice reunion soon." And with that, Arlong and his crew stormed out of the compound, while the other men left behind dragged Zoro to the prison cells in the back of the first floor of the main building.
Meanwhile, down in Cocoyashi Village, the entire populace was concerned by the news of Arlong's approach, as they surrounded Genzo, who was now forty-six, and all patched up from his scarring he received from Kuroobi all those years ago.
"Hey! Arlong's coming!"
"Again? But why?" Another villager asked, "We just paid him this month's tribute!"
"It's probably about my weapons cache they found," said Genzo, who was by now seemingly a defeatist, "Everyone, please just go home." Soon enough, Arlong and his crew made their way down towards Genzo. Nobody dared interfere for fear of getting killed.
"So, Genzo. You thought you could hoard weapons on my island, now could you?" Arlong asked.
"You heard right, Arlong. I'm a collector," said Genzo, "Is there a new law that forbids us from having hobbies now as well? Next thing you'll tell us is that we can't read books, or play with our children anymore!"
"No, it's not that. Hobbies are just fine," Arlong explained, "It's just weapons that I have forbidden. They make it difficult for my men and I to keep the peace. I'm responsible for twenty towns and villages, including this one," he continued, "And as your leader, I cannot tolerate even a small bit of resistance. Eradicating Gosa was just an example of what happens to those who defy our peace. Tribute money must be paid no matter what. You pathetic humans need to stop with all this pathetic thinking that you're up to! It's your greatest weakness! I'm allowing you to contribute to greatness, after all! Soon, the fish-men will conquer all humans, and your tributes will fund the start OF THE GLORIOUS ARLONG EMPIRE!"
From afar, Usopp and Nojiko watched on, the former of the two obviously terrified by the sheer size of Arlong.
"That's him!?" He asked quietly, "Nami wasn't kidding! Arlong's gigantic! He's not even human!" He then looked to Nojiko again, after hearing Arlong mention tribute money, "Nami told us about the tributes…and how your mother…"
"Yeah. I know," she replied, "It's only gotten worse over the years. Now, if a single person can't pay, then what happened to Gosa will happen to everyone else in this village too. Our town, and the people in it, will be wiped from existence."
"He destroyed an entire village because of one person!?" Usopp asked in utter shock. How could a fish-man like Arlong be so cruel and avaricious?
"That's how Arlong rules," Nojiko explained, "To him and his crew, we humans are nothing but a subspecies, so killing us has always been easy."
"And this guy's mentioned talk of an empire!?" Usopp finally put two and two together, "He's talking about conquering the entire East Blue!" In that instant, his mind was driven by sheer terror. 'Oh no! That means Kaya's life is in danger too!'
Back at the dungeons of Arlong Park, Zoro looked up as Nami smiled at him, entering his cell. At her side was the Wado Ichimonji, and a dagger.
"C'mon, it won't be long before Arlong comes back," said Nami, as she untied Zoro from his bonds, "Where are Usopp and Johnny?"
"Those two morons jumped ship the moment they saw some of Arlong's crew," Zoro explained, as he rubbed his wrists and ankles, "But from what I hear, sounds like Usopp managed to escape to your home village."
"Well…a temporary hiccup, but all in all, the plan's working so far," said Nami as she handed Zoro his sword, "The remaining garrison here is pretty weak compared to Arlong and his lieutenants. Either you can use this as your chance to slip away undetected…or you can kill them all, if you want. I got some business to take care of in the village." As she left, she only continued smiling back at Zoro, "Tell Luffy that I'll see him back at Njordholm."
Back at Cocoyashi Village, Arlong grabbed Genzo by the throat, hoisting him up to the sky. This was a bad sign, and everyone knew it! Genzo was the sheriff of this village, and here was Arlong, about to kill the man they all looked up to.
"The possession of weapons is a clear affront to my authority," said Arlong, "As an example to any potential rebels in this village, you will die like the dog you are, so that they can see what happens to those who resist us!"
Usopp looked on in utter shock. Even Vikings were never this cruel, as they allowed free men to own daggers, axes and spears. Even bows were allowed for hunting as well.
"No way! This guy's nuts!" Usopp whispered, "He'd kill someone for just possessing a weapon!"
"I won't let him!" Nojiko whispered back, and then ran out from the alleyway, "You have absolutely no right to do this, Arlong!" She told the fish-man, "We've managed to pay your tribute on time for over 8 years! Why would we rebel against you now!? It makes no sense! Now take your hands off Genzo!" At her words, the other villagers emerged from their homes to protest Genzo's execution as well.
"Hoarding weapons indicates he was planning a rebellion against me," said Arlong, "But, on the other hand, I could just kill you all. Please, try and protect your friend so that you won't give me an excuse to do that! Either way is fine, but rebellions will not be tolerated."
"Everyone, please just go home!" Genzo groaned, "Do you want to sacrifice all of our work we put in for the past eight years!? The time for you to lay down your lives for this village was back when they first came. Now, we must continue to be patient. The most important thing is that we continue to live! We swore we would not let them defeat us as long as we live."
"Well said, I couldn't agree more," said Arlong, raising Genzo as high as he could, "It gladdens me to know that insects like you also enjoy being alive!" Then he threw the sheriff hard to the ground on the poor man's back. Genzo coughed up a gob of blood from the impact as he tried his best to stand, all while Arlong jeered over at him, declaring, "There is no way any of you will come close to the perfection of the fish-men!"
"Damn you!" One villager roared.
"Don't move!" Genzo shouted, holding his hand out, "He wants you to attack. Your deaths will mean nothing! You must continue to be patient…even if I die…"
"That's a good idea, sheriff!" Arlong complimented, picking Genzo up, much to everyone's shock, "Pay close attention, humans! This is what happens to those who defy us, even if it's JUST INSIDE THEIR TINY HEADS!"
"EXPLODING ARROW!" A voice shouted, and Arlong suddenly felt a burst of gunpowder hit him from behind, forcing him to let go of Genzo harmlessly.
"Who did this?" The musician, Pisaro asked, then looked at one of the rooftops, "Up there! It's him!" Standing before the Arlong Pirates with strung bow and quivering knees…was Usopp!
"Who is that guy?!"
"I am…the great warrior of the seas…Captain Usopp!" Usopp declared, trying to put on a brave face, "Also known as the Demon King Usopp, feared and reviled by half the world! I command thousands of men! Loyal and vicious men!"
"Bring on your vicious men…" Arlong growled, having recovered from the arrow attack, "I'll crush them one by one!"
'Oh crap! This isn't good!' Usopp thought, obviously panicking, 'The exploding arrow did nothing, and now he's pissed!'
"Repulsive human…" Arlong hissed as he then glared at Usopp and roared, "WHAT CAN A PATHETIC CREATURE LIKE YOU DO TO ME!?" Pale with rage, Arlong grabbed the foundations of the house Usopp stood atop, and lifted it into the air!
"Arlong, just hold on a sec! After losing Gosa, we can't afford to lose anymore tribute money!" One of his men declared.
"If we lose some, we can always get more!" Arlong growled, throwing the house into another, "FISH-MEN WILL REIGN SUPREME!" Yet as he watched the houses splinter to ruins, Usopp only emerged from the rubble, his eyes widened with terror.
"Am I…dead yet?" He asked in sheer terror, "Oh crap!" Then he ran as fast as he could towards the north of the island. He now had a new goal in mind: survive and try to make it to Njordholm.
"FIND HIM AND TEAR HIM LIMB FROM LIMB!" Arlong bellowed, as his own men tried to restrain him. "DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE! WHO DOES THAT CHUM SUCKER THINK HE IS!?"
"Let's take him back to Arlong Park before he destroys everything!" Said one of the fish-men, as they dragged their captain back towards their personal fortress.
"We'll be back, humans," said Kuroobi, who smiled menacingly at them as he took up the rear, "Consider yourselves lucky. You all get to live for now."
As soon as the Fish-men left, Genzo had Dr. Nako look at his injuries. Thankfully, they weren't life threatening as the ones Kuroobi dealt him before.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. This is all my fault," he said, hanging his head in shame. If he hadn't been so careless, the weapons would have been still hidden, and perhaps even Belle-Mere might have still been alive.
"What are you talking about?" Dr. Nako asked, "You're not a fish-man are you? But who was that strange kid who saved your life? From what I could tell, he looked like he was running north, towards the Viking territory."
"Let's just hope he makes it there unnoticed," Genzo added, "Those Norsemen are the only hope this island has against Arlong now."
Meanwhile, atop a cliff overlooking the village, Nami finally made her way up to her intended destination: the site of Belle-Mere's grave.
"It's been a long time, mom. I'm finally home, for now," she said, hoping that her mother's spirit was listening, "It's good to finally be here with you again. I know I made that deal with Arlong, but…I found some people who were finally willing to help me. Just give me a little bit more time. We'll all be free soon enough. I promise. And you'll finally be able to rest in peace."
Back at Arlong Park, Zoro was resting comfortably in Arlong's throne. All around him were slain fish-men from Arlong's crew, those who fell to the keen edge of the Wado Ichimonji.
"Nami really wasn't kidding. These guys didn't offer much of a fight at all," he muttered, taking a shirt from one of the men he killed. It was a perfect fit! "Besides, without that boat, I might as well wait for transport to the north coast. I wonder what Luffy's up to, anyway… things are definitely getting messy around here…"
Far away at sea, the Quinotaur was finally being useful for something, as it now pulled the Going Merry thanks to ropes tied to its horns with a massive piece of driftwood acting like a yoke around its neck.
"YEAH! FASTER! LET'S GO FASTER!" Luffy hollered at the top of his lungs, laughing happily from the thrill of the adventure. "That was a great idea, you guys!" He told Ragnar and Ingrid, "Who would've thought to yoke this sea cow to pull us?"
"If it makes sense on land, why not apply it at sea?" Ingrid asked, smiling in pride.
"At the speed we're going, we'll definitely reach Njordholm in no time!" Ragnar exclaimed, "All we need to do is get close enough to Arlong Park without the fish-men noticing us. Once we're close enough, we cut the ropes, tack northwest, then cut eastwards."
"There it is!" Yosaku shouted from the Crow's Nest, "Arlong Park is dead ahead!"
"Right! Next stop, Njordholm!" Luffy declared. Finally, after days at sea, they were heading for their destination. Now they just had to round the island, meet up with the others on the northern coast, and make it to Njordholm for future planning. If all went as planned, Arlong's fortress would become his tomb!
A/N: So, here we go! Nojiko is in the know about the preparations for war and that Nami has asked for help from Luffy and his friends. Usopp is on the run from Arlong, and Nami and Zoro have managed to caused chaos in Arlong Park, but Luffy's party is still out at sea.
Now, you may be wondering, what do I mean when I called Momoo a Quinotaur? Well, in Frankish mythology, the Quinotaur is a creature that is half bull and half fish, which perfectly describes Momoo. Since the Franks and Vikings were both Germanic peoples, I figured it would be fitting to include this interesting tidbit into the story.
Anyway, I hope you all look forward to what's to come. Join us in the next chapter when we finally see what happens with Usopp. If Luffy and the others make landfall, Zoro and Nami's quick exit, and finally, the chance to meet Orca Willy himself!