DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKING THEMED CHARACTERS. ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, TOEI ANIMATION, AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC.

Chapter I: I'm Luffy! The Man Who's Gonna be King of the Pirates!

Twenty years had passed since Gold Roger's execution. The Great Pirate Era was now in full swing, and somewhere on the East Blue, the jewel of a cruise ship called the Lady Mary was sailing along the waves on a yet another seemingly beautiful day. There were hardly any clouds and the sea was calm and still. The passengers were the middle of the party completely unaware that danger was lurking nearby. A vast whirlpool right in the midst of the sea. Nobody knew why a feature normally associated with rivers would be out here in seawater, but as long as they were well and far away from that great current, they'd be spared from harm. At the stern of the ship, two sailors noticed something hit the hull of the ship. A barrel of some sort. It did not seem like much in their eyes, but this barrel was holding something quite miraculous within.

Assuming that there was something valuable within, the two sailors tried to get a rope with a grappling hook and haul the barrel up, but the fat one of the two missed. He tried again, still unable to get his rope around the body of the barrel. Even though he was determined, he still missed after a third attempt.

"Aww! I missed again!" He bemoaned

"Strike three, pal!" his companion jested.

"I'd be embarrassed! You suck!" The lookout chuckled from the Crow's Nest. Then he got back to resuming his duty, his eyes constantly on the watch for land, natural hazards, or even worst of all: pirates with hostile intentions.

Down on the deck the two sailors who were trying so hard to get that barrel aboard finally accomplished their goal. With what they assumed to be the good stuff in their possession, they hauled it up to the railing of the Lady Mary.

"It's heavier than I thought it'd be," said the first one, "Maybe it's full of beer."

"Well, I think it's our beer now!" noted the other.

"I'm not sharing my half."

"Let's get this below deck before it attracts any unwanted attention."

"What, pirates?"

"Worse. You don't know about Vikings, do ya?"

"Vikings? You mean those barbarian pirates from the North Blue?"

"Yeah. Some of the finest sailors on these seas. I heard they've even been able to sail both sections of the Calm Belt. And they're powerful warriors. If they smell even a drop of booze, then there's no stopping 'em."

"C'mon, nobody would be dumb enough to cross this stretch of the East Blue with that whirlpool nearby."

In the crow's nest, however, the lookout's face froze up with fear. Sheer terror ate at his heart at what he saw: A pink three-masted galleon with a duck figurehead at the prow, with the words "Miss Love Duck" painted on the hull, and atop the main and aft masts were an iconic flag: a skull and crossed bones with a heart on the side of the skull. Instantly he knew what was about to happen.

"Ship off the starboard bow, and they're flying a pirate flag!" He called out, "We've got a pirate ship in pursuit! ENEMY RAID! ENEMY RAID!"

The two sailors then dropped the barrel and ran to warn the captain. At the same time, however, the attacking pirate ship lowered her sails and unleashed a broadside from her gundeck. The passengers in the ballroom all thought that an earthquake was rumbling beneath the waves, thanks to the impact of the three cannonballs.

"Captain, we've got pirates!" One of them yelled out.

"WHAT!?" The captain asked, completely in initial disbelief, but another rumbling from a broadside confirmed otherwise. The passengers began scrambling towards the deck and the lifeboats. Yet the Captain could tell the situation was tense, and declared, "People, please stay calm! Panicking will only get you hurt! Just follow my crew's instructions in an orderly fashion!"

Meanwhile, aboard the Miss Love Duck...

"Fire!" Shouted a gruff yet feminine voice. Another blast from the gundeck shattered the Lady Mary's dolphin figurehead. From the deck of the attacking ship, a figure with a cocked hat then called out to her pink-haired spectacled cabin boy, "Coby!"

"Yes ma'am?" Coby asked. He was clearly nervous, understanding that any slip up would cost him dearly.

"Who is the most beautiful of all on these seas?"

"Well…that would be…the captain of our ship, Lady Alvida, of course."

The fussock then laughed her heart out in glee, gently placing the tip of her spiked mace on the deck's floor.

"Good answer." She remarked.

Coby only smiled and sighed in relief, "That means a lot to me."

"It's been a while. We're finally gonna see a little action," said one of the pirates, brandishing his cutlass.

"That's right!" Alvida exclaimed, then turned to her crew, "So, make it count! Hit her with all ya got, boys!" One last broadside busted the passenger ship's main mast, leaving her stuck in the water. Alvida's galleon sailed up alongside before the sails were furled and the grappling hooks were hauled out. Alvida then shouted to her men, "Here we go! Time to show them the terror of Iron Mace Alvida, Lady Pirate of the Seas!" And all the men let out a battle-cry in unison as they boarded the Lady Mary, pistols and cutlasses drawn and ready to spill blood of all who resisted. Yet Coby froze up, still trembling as he held a rope in his hand. Alvida noticed this and asked him, "Coby! What are you doing!?"

"I'm not…real good at this stuff," he replied.

"Ha! You're tellin' me," Alvida remarked, slowly making her way towards the terrified Coby, her mace primed upon her shoulder, "Maybe it's cuz' you're too busy backtalking me all the time."

"Oh no! Not the mace! Anything but the mace, please!" Coby desperately begged. He knew what would happen to anyone on the receiving end of that thing!

"Then get your ass in gear!" Alvida crowed, kicking Coby in the rear onto the larger vessel, "Move it, you brat!" She screamed as she leapt from her own ship, iron mace ready to do some major damage. As if on instinct, Coby immediately jumped out of the way, causing Alvida to crash onto the ship, the damage she caused to a single wooden structure evidence about her true body type and weight.

Soon enough, the pirates managed to storm the ballroom. The passengers were frightened, and some were even taken hostage!

"We're not gonna take your lives, we swear," said one of them, "But we will take everything else you got on ya."

"And anyone who fights back will be eating their dinner off the bottom of the ocean," Alvida added, as she made her way to the center of the ballroom. All of her crew chuckled sinisterly at the prospect. They would make examples of anyone who tried to be a hero, unaware that there was bound to be one in their midst...from the most unlikely of sources...

Coby, though, managed to make his way below deck. He wasn't about to stick around for what he feared would be a bloodbath.

"H-hello, is anyone here? Whew, good thing there's no one here," the timid young boy said to himself. He soon noticed the giant barrel in the room.

"Wow, that's one big barrel. I wonder what's inside it," he muttered.

Meanwhile, back on the Miss Love Duck, a young woman with orange hair used the transport system Alvida's crew set up to her advantage, ziplining over to the enemy vessel with ease. She was only about 18 years old, tall and buxom. As soon as she boarded, she knew where exactly her destination was: below deck. Just as she was going to make her move, the door to the aft-castle opened, and out came one of the men who was left to guard the ship. The girl jumped back, startled by this unexpected obstacle.

"Who are you? I ain't seen you before," said the pirate as he looked her over. There weren't any other women in the crew save for the captain. What on Earth was the meaning of this? Before he could inquire any further, though, the girl kicked him straight in the groin rendering the weakling in such a sorry state, she was able to knock him on the head unconscious. She wasn't going to let there be any witnesses, but she would at least be merciful and not kill anyone in the process.

Back in the Lady Mary's hold, Coby began to roll the large barrel out of the room when three of Alvida's pirates walked in and confronted him.

"Well look it's our favorite coward. Are you trying to hide from all the action again?" one of them said in a threatening tone.

"No way, I was just trying to haul this big barrel of beer over to you guys," the boy quickly said.

"Heh, Heh, good idea. I was just starting to get thirsty. Let's go ahead and celebrate a good haul, fellas!"

"B-b-but, you can't! Lady Alvida will kill us if she ever found out!"

"She won't if you keep you trap shut, right boy?" one of the other pirates threatened the poor kid.

"Y-yes of course you're right." Coby chuckled nervously. One of the men pushed the barrel to its upright position, not wanting to spill all of its delectable contents all over the ship's floor.

"This sucker's heavy!"

"Ha! Perfect!"

"Hold on, boys. I'll open her the old-fashioned way," said the fat pirate as he cracked his knuckles and cocked his fist back. If there was grog inside that cask, then it was sealed inside tight. This one must've just reached maturation, and now was the perfect time to celebrate their recent haul. However, just as the mountain of a man was about to bust the barrel's top, it proceeded to spontaneously rupture, and the pirate was knocked unconscious as a boy emerged from the barrel with his fists punched up in the air, effectively shocking everyone who gazed upon the sight. He was a boy of about 17, slim and slightly toned. He wore a red, sleeveless waistcoat, blue denim breeches, and sandals on his feet. He had a very noticeable scar just below his left eye, and shaggy black hair on his head. Yet by far what all noticed was an old straw hat he wore atop his head.

"IIIIIIII SLEEEEEEEPT SOOOOOOOOOO GREEEEEEAAAAAAT!" the boy shouted. Then he opened his eyes and saw the poor sap he knocked out, "Hmm? Who's this guy?" he muttered to himself, then he noticed the three others who were in the room with him all were gawking at him, their faces seemingly drained of color. "Who the hell are you guys?" he asked the two pirates.

"Who the hell are you!?" The two men asked out of utter shock

"Your friend will catch a cold sleeping like that," he said, stepping out of the barrel, seemingly unaware of the consequences for giving such a dumb response.

"You're the one who knocked him out!" The two men then drew their swords with the edges aimed right at the boy's head.

"Hold up! Are you messing with us when you know good and well that we're vicious pirates-"

"Hey, I'm hungry. Do you know where I can find any food?" the 17-year-old said to the young kid ignoring the pirates completely.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"You damned kid!" the two pirates then attacked intending to cut this interloper into ribbons. Coby only gasped, closing his eyes, and curling up, fearing what would happen. As the two pirates tried to cleave the boy's head clean off, their swords snapped, and half of both blades were now stuck in the ceiling – each sword had been shorn in two, as though they had been made of wood. Once he realized the only sound he heard was silence, Coby opened his eyes. Miraculously, that boy was unharmed! The other two pirates were in utter shock. How could their swords have broken against this…this kid!?

"What is wrong with you two?" The strange boy asked the utterly terrified pirates. How was he still standing!? Screw that, how was he even alive when he should be dead!?

"J-Just who…the hell are you!?" asked one of the pirates.

"Me? Oh! My name's Monkey D. Luffy. Hi," Luffy said with a grin on his face.

The two corsairs lit out screaming in terror from the galley, dragging their unconscious friend by his feet. Coby was just in awe as to what transpired. He couldn't believe that his own crewmates were sent scurrying like schoolgirls in terror at this boy, and one of them was now unconscious.

"W-What just happened?" Coby asked, still dumbfounded as to what caused his crewmates to flee, blinded by fear. Yet then he realized the enormity of the situation. This was bad! "Quick! We gotta hide!" He told Luffy, "If those guys come back here with their buddies, they'll kill you on sight!"

"Don't worry about that," said Luffy, almost not caring if he was killed here and now, "So do you know where there's some food?"

"How could you just blow this off like that!?" Coby asked, still unable to grasp why this guy was focused on food and not survival, "There are hundreds more of those guys up there on deck, and they're just itching to kill anyone who resists them!" Yet Luffy just made his way towards a pair of double doors, all while Coby tried to drag him towards the lifeboats. "You're…going…the wrong…way!" He grunted, trying to save this kid's life. Yet it was of no use. Luffy opened one of the doors, closing it on Coby's face before the spectacled cabin boy was also dragged in.

In that instant, Luffy's eyes went wide open: this was where all the food was kept!

"Jackpot! This place is a gold mine!" He exclaimed as he jumped down to the storage hold proper, where all the food was kept in crates and barrels. He noticed a crate full of apples and began wolfing them down, cores and all.

"I-I guess we should be safe here, just as long as nobody else gets peckish," muttered Coby, closing the door behind him so that nobody else dared find where he was. Then he turned to Luffy, "My name's Coby by the way. You're Luffy, right? That was a pretty cool stunt you pulled back there."

"So, are we on a pirate ship or something?" Luffy asked, focused more on the food than the conversation.

"No, it's a passenger ship that's being raided by pirates, and they're led by Iron Mace Alvida, one of the toughest pirates on the East Blue."

"Who cares about that. What I wanna know is if there are any boats aboard."

"I think I saw a few lifeboats."

"Great, because my boat was sucked into some big whirlpool."

"What!? You mean the one outside!? No way, nobody could've survived that!"

"Yeah, I gotta say, I was surprised myself," he chuckled, "So, are you one of the pirates or one of the passengers?"

Coby was reluctant to reveal whose side he was on. He didn't want his rescuer to get the wrong idea, but Luffy seemed like the kind of guy who wasn't a bad person by nature, so what was the worst that could happen?

"It was on a fateful day, two years ago," he said, "I was out on what I thought was a stray fishing boat on the outskirts of town, hoping to catch my dinner…but it turned out that boat was actually meant for a pirate ship. In exchange for sparing my life, they pressed me into their crew as a cabin boy."

Luffy was shocked at Coby's apparent cowardice and burst out laughing.

"You're an idiot," he said jokingly as his laughter died down. "Did you ever consider just leaving?"

"Y-yes, but just the thought of them catching me makes me so scared I want to throw up!"

"You're a moron and a coward! I hate people like you," Luffy said as he began to laugh again leaving poor Coby embarrassed as hell. But then the boy felt a sudden burst of anger, as if to defend himself.

"Oh yeah? Well, I bet you would've been just as scared if two guys were coming at you with swords, wouldn't you?" he asked, only for Luffy to suddenly have a serious look on his face, his eyes hidden by the wide brim of his straw hat.

"I would never be terrified of a band of cowards like those bozos," Luffy replied, his own determined and serious tone, "I wouldn't even be frightened if they were strong. As long as I'm fighting for my dream I don't mind placing my life on the line." Coby could see that in that instant, Luffy meant every word he said. It was truly...awe-inspiring.

Meanwhile, on deck, Alvida was supervising the transfer of goods to the Miss Love Duck. She was right about her instincts proving her right. The passengers were loaded in terms of riches, and the conveyer system just kept coming full with burlap sacks of loot.

"All right, quit your lollygagging around, boys!" She ordered, a confident grin on her face, "We gotta load up every last sack of loot before the Marines get here. I catch anyone dawdling, or even spewing so much as a peep about any Vikings showing up, and they'll get a real mouthful of the iron mace!"

The poor fools were so high on scoring such a major haul, they had no idea that the young woman who'd snuck aboard was stealing it all right under their noses. Each time a chest or sack of loot made its way into storage, she only just took it for herself. Incredibly, much to her luck, these pirates didn't seem to give a moment's notice about the fact that their treasure was being stolen right as they loaded it onto their ship.

"CAPTAIN!" The two pirates who encountered Luffy screamed as they made their way on deck. "This is bad!"

"Yeah? Then out with it!" Alvida snapped, unhappy that two of her subordinates were late and empty handed.

"It came from inside the barrel!"

"Such a horrible monster!" Yet upon hearing the m-word, Alvida was miffed, having gotten the wrong idea, and swung her iron mace straight at her own men.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MONSTER!?" She bellowed, sending the man who Luffy punched unconscious flying out into the sea.

"W-We weren't talking about you, my lady!"

"Some guy was hiding in a barrel. He could be a V...I mean, a bounty hunter!"

"WHAT!?" Alvida asked. Having a bounty hunter aboard this ship wasn't part of her plan at all, and in the East Blue, there was only one bounty hunter to fear...

Back in the Lady Mary's hold, Coby finally had the nerve to speak once more. He just had to know: What could Luffy be so determined to accomplish that he was willing to risk his life?

"Yeah...you're right," The boy said, "If I had the courage, I could drift alone and get rid of these pirates. I actually have my own dreams...and someday, I'd like to live out that dream." Then he looked up at Luffy and asked, "So, what about your dream, Luffy? What was it that first got you to sail on these seas?"

Luffy grinned and simply declared, "Well, I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

Upon hearing this Coby's jaw dropped in utter shock. Who the hell would just declare that they would become king of the pirates on the spot!? Either he was incredibly bold to make such a boast, or he was just a complete idiot to try and take something that bold on.

"A KING!?"

"Yep!"

"Are you serious!?"

"Yeah!"

"But…but that would mean that you're a pirate, too!"

"Right."

"Your crew!?"

"Don't have one yet, but I'm lookin' for 'em."

Coby just froze up, still trying to process all of this information at once. Even when Luffy tried to wave his hand in front of him, there was no effect. Finally, the boy snapped to his feet.

"King of the Pirates is a title given to one who obtains everything this world has to offer! You're talking about seeking the great treasure of wealth, fame, and power! The treasure that you seek is the One Piece!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah, that's it! Pirates from all over the world are looking for that treasure, y'know!"

"Yeah, so?"

"No way! It's impossible! Impossible! Impossible! There's no way that anyone like you could ever reach the pinnacle during this Great Pirate Age! There's just too many out there that are meaner and better than-!" He didn't finish. Luffy simply bonked Coby on the head, "Ow! Why did you hit me?

"Because I felt like it."

"Oh well. I'm used to that stuff. My shipmates smack me around a lot. All the time, in fact."

"It's not about if I can. I'm doing this because I want to," Luffy explained as he took off his straw hat, looking at it, as if he was considering it as part of him, "I decided long ago, that I was gonna be King of the Pirates. If I have to die fighting for that, then I die."

Coby was dumbfounded. At first, he had the impression that Luffy would just act on the first thing that came to mind, not even bothering to think them through. But now he clearly saw that Luffy was actually smarter than he was letting on, and the whole idiotic impulsive behavior of his was little more than an act. As Luffy got up to take his leave, Coby's thoughts began to come full circle. Luffy was someone he could look up to. Who cared if he was a pirate, he was still an actual decent human being.

"I guess I never thought of that…" Coby muttered, "Luffy… do you think if I put my mind to it and ready to die for it that I could finally do that?'

"What do you mean, Coby?" Luffy asked.

"Do you think that I can join the Marines?"

"You, join the Marines?"

"Yes! Catching criminals is the only thing I ever really wanted to do!" Coby declared, standing on his feet and facing Luffy, "It's been my dream ever since I was a little boy! Do you think I could actually do it?"

"Who knows," Luffy replied.

"Then I'll do it! I'm gonna do it. I won't be stuck here as a cabin boy for the rest of my life! I'll break out of here, join the Marines, then turn around and catch Alvida's ass myself!"

Just then, the ceiling of the hold collapsed with the force of an earthquake. Yet as the dust cloud settled, Coby could definitely make out a familiar shape...and it was not one he wanted to see anytime soon.

"Whose ass are you planning on catching, Coby?" Alvida asked, having heard every single word he said, "And you actually think this twig is gonna help you? Well? Answer me!" Alvida demanded, only glaring at how intimidated Coby was of her sheer presence, cowering in fear. Then she looked at Luffy. Sword blades thrust around him, leaving the boy cornered. "I'm guessing that you're not Zoro the pirate hunter."

"Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"I'll give you one chance to repent Coby," Alvida told her cabin boy, "Tell me who is the most beautiful woman of all on these seas?"

"W-w-well, uh, Lady Alvida it's...gimme a sec...I know this..."Coby started babbling, fear eating away at his earlier courage.

"Hey Coby, who's that ass-faced tart?" Luffy suddenly asked. Everyone else's jaws dropped in utter shock at this. No one ever dared to let Alvida know she was ugly, let alone call her an ass-faced tart! Now there was going to be blood, and Alvida was the one determined to spill it.

"YOU LITTLE SNOT!" Alvida screamed as she swung at Luffy who jumped to avoid the impact. He then grabbed Coby and jumped out through the hole in the ceiling. As they landed on deck, Alvida's men knew exactly who to go after: the kid in the straw hat.

"Coby, get somewhere safe!" Luffy ordered, and Coby did just that. The potential heir to Roger knew exactly what was going to happen. Two of the pirates charged forward, trying to cut Luffy with their swords, one from in front and the other from behind, but the boy was somehow able to keep up, dodging and headbutting one, then turning to punch the other attacker right in his face. Coby was dumbfounded! Luffy was somehow able to match all of his ex-crewmates' moves, and even more astonishing: he was unarmed, and somehow smiling throughout the fight! Four men tried to chop him at once but Luffy managed to jump right out of the way, "Missed me!" He chuckled, then landed feet away from the assailants, much to Coby's relief, but then the pink haired boy screamed in fear, noticing a swordsman leaping down from the aft-castle of the Lady Mary, ready to hew Luffy in half like an axe splitting wood. However, Luffy only side-stepped out of the way, causing the pirate to hit the deck with his sword. "It's cowardly to attack from behind!" Luffy grumbled, as he grabbed the poor swashbuckler and threw him into the four men in front of him. However, then he noticed all of Alvida's remaining crew aboard glaring daggers at him, eager to eviscerate him. "IT'S EVEN MORE COWARDLY TO GANG UP ON A GUY!" Luffy screamed, and ran from his attackers, but then grabbed on to the mast and kept running, stretching his arm in the process. The crew stopped when they saw this and were unsure what to think. A normal person's arm should've broken by now! Was this kid some kinda monster!? Then they saw the boy turn to them with a confident smile. "Gotcha", Luffy told them, as they all shook their heads, urging him desperately not to snap back, but only turned and fled as he kicked off the ground and flew back at them. "Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy shouted as he flew at and punched them all sending Alvida's entire crew scattering across the deck. Both Alvida and Coby were totally flabbergasted as saw this! Luffy was no ordinary boy! There just had to be an explanation for his powers!

"Luffy, what are you?" Coby asked.

Luffy only stretched out his cheek with a smile, and declared, "I'm a rubber man!"

"So, you're…made of rubber?" Coby asked, but then he felt a foreboding presence behind him.

"So, you've eaten of the devil fruits?" Alvida declared as Coby ran behind Luffy.

"Yeah! I ate the Gum-Gum one!" Luffy replied as he let his cheek snap back into place, like a rubber band.

"I heard rumors they existed, but I've never seen any evidence them until now." She took one good look at him, recalling how he was such a competent fighter, "You're more skilled than the average deck-swabber. Are you a bounty hunter?"

"I'm a pirate."

"Pirate? HA! All by yourself in these waters?"

"Today, it's just me, but I'll find my crew tomorrow, or next week or something… I dunno, like twelve guys."

"HA! Tell me, if we're both pirates, and we're not under the same flag, then that would make us enemies, am I right?"

"Luffy, let's get out of here. You saw how strong her mace is and of all the villainous cheats on these waters, she's easily the most…." Coby trailed off as he remembered Luffy words in the storage room.

"Go on. Tell me," Alvida sneered.

"You're… the most…ugliest hag on the sea!" Coby shouted.

If Alvida wasn't livid before, she most certainly was now, but Luffy just cracked up laughing at the look on her face. The reactions the rest of her crew gave were just, to put it lightly, priceless.

"What did you say!?"

"You heard me, and I'm glad I said it too. I'm leaving, and I'm gonna join the Marines and spend the rest of my life beating up dirty pirates like you!"

"Do you have any idea what you're saying right now?!"

"Of course, I do! And I'm gonna do what I want, and no one's gonna stop me! And when I join the Marines, I'm gonna join them! AND I'M GONNA CATCH YOUR LOUSY ASS FIRST!"

"YOU'RE DEAD, YOU BRAT!"

As Alvida began to strike a lethal blow at Coby, the young boy only screamed in fear, but he still faced it without running.

'No regrets, none at all,' he thought, believing this to be his last day on earth, 'I did it! I said what I wanted, and I fought for my dream!'

"Well said, Coby. Now leave the rest of me," Luffy said as he pushed Coby out of the way, enough time for the mace to land right down on his skull. Such a hard hit would have killed any normal man, but Luffy was still alive! "That won't work on me!"

"What the!?" Alvida asked, horrified that this boy managed to withstand against her attack.

"I'm rubber!" Luffy then knocked the mace away, and stretched his right arm back. "Take this, Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy's fist then slammed into Alvida, the impact sending her hurling off the ship and into the distance, far over the horizon. All who witnessed this were just dumbstruck. What kind of beast was this kid!? Luffy only turned to them, now in a position where he could call the shots and called out to them, "Hey! you guys go find a boat and give it to Coby. He's leaving your ship to join the Marines, and you're not gonna stop him." Luffy ordered, and they immediately complied, managing to hoist a suitable boat towards the two boys.

Just then, a horn sounded shrill and long out across all the sea. Everyone turned, and saw a sole clinker-built boat with a mast making its way towards the Lady Mary. There appeared to be slots for shields on the boat's hull, a rudimentary rudder and two oars guiding her, but what was most noticeable were her bow and stern. At the bow was the wooden figurehead of a dragon, and the stern of the boat tapered into a spiraled tail. Coby's face drained of all color as he felt his blood run cold. Instantly he knew what that figurehead meant.

"V-V-V-V-VIKINGS!" He screamed out, and all of Alvida's crew scrambled in terror. However, Luffy only looked on with interest, as a lone warrior in a cloak wearing a conical nasal helmet sat, manning the rudder of the boat. He soon tied a grappling hook to the Lady Mary and the stern of his own boat, then leapt onto the deck of the ship. He was a youth of about 18, tall, and well-built with long red hair as bright as blood flowing down his face, the beginnings of a beard on his cheeks, and he was decked out in a combination of a gambeson worn underneath a riveted mail hauberk, all held together by a thick belt at the waist. On his forearms and calves, he wore splint greaves. On the belt he wore, he carried a pouch, two axes, a seax dagger, and a sword on his left hip, while a round shield emblazoned with two rampant lions was slung over his shoulder. Around his neck, he wore an amulet that appeared to be depicting some kind of hammer. Upon making out Luffy, the warrior suddenly grinned.

"Thunderclap of Thor! Luffy, is that you?" He exclaimed as he approached the black-haired youth. Luffy only took a few minutes, but he soon recognized the warrior who was coming towards him, and his face lit up with joy.

"Hey! Ragnar! Awesome, you're here too?" Luffy exclaimed, greeting this Norseman as if he were a brother.

"Indeed, I am. But, by all the Gods! I did not expect to see you again."

"Luffy? You know this Viking?" Coby asked, ultimately confused.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, Ragnar and I go way back." Luffy replied nonchalantly.

Just then, the water burst up all around them, rocking the ship. The trio held onto the railing for balance when Ragnar spotted something.

"I think that introductions will have to wait, old friend," said the Viking, "Look!" The three cast their heads to stern, and saw three Marine warships in hot pursuit.

"Whoa! It's the Marines!" Coby exclaimed.

"Ooh! Perfect timing, Coby!" Luffy chuckled, "Go over there and tell them that you wanna join."

"WHAT!?" Coby asked in shock.

"But Ragnar and I are pirates, so we're getting' outta here."

"Aye!" Ragnar confirmed, and the two young men only jumped into their boats to make their escape.

"No way! You can't be serious!" Coby protested as he jumped into the same boat that Luffy chose, "If I go over there now, they'll just capture me like another pirate!"

Upon getting to their respective boats, Luffy, Ragnar and Coby cut the suspension ropes and dropped down to the ocean right next to the orange haired girl, who was tying her treasure hoard to her own confiscated boat. As soon as her gaze met Luffy's, it felt as if the world around them was frozen. Time, it seemed, had come to a dead halt. At that exact moment, the Marines began firing a broadside on the Miss Love Duck. One of the cannonballs was flying straight at the girl, who was so caught up in securing her hoard, she didn't notice the projectile coming right at her until she saw it at 25 feet away from her. Luffy, however, did sense it somehow. Quick as a flash, he jumped in front of the girl's boat and moved to punch it. Without warning, Luffy's arm turned black, like that of unpolished cast iron, and punched the cannonball sending it back at the Marine ships. It hit one of the ships causing her to explode while the other two were caught in the explosion and were subsequently foundered in an instant.

The girl sat there, totally flabbergasted and slack-jawed at what this boy just did.

'What the!? Did that guy just redirect that cannonball...right back at the Marines!? Just what is he!?' She thought, only to quickly regain her wits and take stock of her immediate situation. "Uh... Thanks for the save," she said, unable to both admire and was slightly freaked out by Luffy's insane strength and power. He only turned and locked eyes with the girl looking at him, and again, the world around them seemed to pause.

"Luffy! Luffy!" Ragnar shouted, bringing the boy back to his senses, "Luffy, are you under some form of seiðr!? Let's get going!"

"Huh?! Oh...yeah!" Luffy told his best friend, then he turned back to the girl one last time, "Don't worry about it. Just...try not to get caught in the crossfire again," he told her, smiling, and trying to hide the beginning of a blush behind his hat. His smile caused the girl's cheeks to flush red, as she couldn't help but think of how he managed to save her life. Luffy jumped back into his boat and rejoined Coby and Ragnar. "Well, see ya!" He called out as he waved, and she back at him. She kept staring at him as he sailed away with his friends, before she came to her senses and resumed securing the sizable treasure hoard to her own boat and get the hell out of this killing field.

Once the trio were out on the high seas, and safely out of harm, Luffy began to recall Alvida's words she spoke during their first encounter. She mentioned someone named Zoro the Pirate Hunter, and now Luffy was thinking he might be good for his first crew member.

"Praise the Gods! We made it out alive," said Ragnar, securing his own boat's rigging and sails while manning the rudder. From the number of barrels aboard his boat, he seemed well provisioned. He only looked to his best friend, chuckling with a smile, "Well fought, Luffy! Even if your wits were somewhat rattled at the end."

"Yeah…we actually managed to get away." Coby added, turning towards the boy in the straw hat, "So, Luffy. If you're searching for the elusive One Piece, then you have to be headed for the Grand Line, right? Y'know, the people I've talked to call that place 'The Pirate Graveyard'."

"Right. And that's why I need an extra strong crew." He explained, and then looked over to his Viking friend, asking, "So, how about it, Ragnar? You think you'll be up for the chance to sail the Grand Line with me?"

"With pleasure. Sign me up, Captain!" Ragnar exclaimed. He was clearly eager for the chance to gain glory and renown. No Viking had ever managed to sail the entirety of the Grand Line before! Now, he would be the first.

"See? Already got my first crew member!" Luffy told Coby with a chuckle, then turned back to Ragnar, "And now, what sorta rank would be appropriate for a Viking like yourself?"

Ragnar only smiled and replied, "I'll be your quartermaster, nothing more, nothing less."

"Just because you two know each other doesn't make that a strong crew," said Coby, trying to talk some sense into these two.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Luffy replied, "Hey, Alvida mentioned some pirate hunter. So, what's he like, Coby?"

"Oh, you mean Zoro?" Coby asked, "Last I heard, he's being held as a prisoner in some Marine base."

"Sounds like an ergi to me, Captain," Ragnar muttered

"Oh well, a weakling, huh?" Luffy asked.

"No! You're so wrong! He's as violent as a demon and thrice as horrifying!" Coby replied in shock. "Why are you asking about him, anyway?"

With only the most idiotic of grins, Luffy declared, "I figured if he's good enough, I'd ask him to join my crew."

"I like the sound of that," said Ragnar, smiling at the thought of a warrior like Zoro on their crew, "It'd be good to have a real broga among our ranks."

"Chasing him down is just plain reckless!" Coby begged.

"You never know. He might jump at the chance to join," said Luffy with a shrug.

"He's a bad enough guy that the Marines got him! No way! No chance!" Yet Luffy only struck Coby on the head again with his fist, "Oww! Why'd you hit me?"

"Because I felt like it," Luffy replied.

Ragnar knew there was no changing Luffy's mind now so he figured he might as well help Luffy find Zoro. "According to what I heard; the closest Marine barracks is located in Shells Town. A little island to the northwest."

"Then that's where we're goin'!" Luffy exclaimed, "Set a course for north-northwest! It's time we me this guy Zoro!"

Somewhere far away, meanwhile, under another sky, a man tied to a cruciform pole with a green bandana on his head lifted his eyes to the sky. The stare he gave was one that many across the East Blue came to already fear...

A/N: So here we are! It's the first chapter and already we have a Viking introduced! Now, you may think: what does the quartermaster of a ship do? Well, back in the Golden Age of Piracy, a quartermaster was one of few officers whose authority was second only to the captain's. They were often granted the power to veto other crew member's decisions, if it was not in the crew's best interests. They also were responsible for leading boarding parties. In essence, they held just as much power as the first mate of a ship did. One of the most famous historical pirate quartermasters was Calico Jack Rackham, who was quartermaster to Charles Vane before deposing him in a mutiny and taking over as captain of his pirate crew.

Now, as to Ragnar's weapons and armor, if any of you have seen the History Channel series, Vikings, or played Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, you may have this idea of Vikings wearing leather and ring studded armor, and covered in fur without nothing to cover their heads. Sadly, we have no evidence of Vikings wearing any of that stuff at all, as it was just too impractical. Now, for those of you who have seen the Vinland Saga anime, you will know that what Ragnar is wearing is in fact what the most elite Vikings wore historically in the 10th and 11th centuries. The very best of them wore mail armor, carried wooden shields covered in rawhide, and sported conical helmets with nose guards. Yet, I decided to play to some stylization, in that Ragnar is wearing a fur mantle over his cloak, and carries both a sword and an axe, because historically we know - Vikings loved axes, that's just a given.

Oh, and if you're wondering where I got the idea for Luffy to call Alvida an "ass-faced tart", that was inspired directly from the Finnish translation of the manga. When I learned that, I thought it was just too damn funny not to leave out.

Also, yes: Ragnar is going to be saying plenty of words in Old Norse. I'll eventually write a dictionary of what the words he says all mean in English. Anyway, stay tuned for Chapter 2, and the debut of everyone's favorite swordsman: Roronoa Zoro!