DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR ALL OCs! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION, AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC.
Chapter 39: Luffy Submerged! Zoro vs. HATCHAN the Octopus!
"So, what do you boys think?" Arlong asked Zoro, Sanji and Ragnar, "Isn't this an exciting game? I can't wait to see how it ends! Who will die first: you or that rubber man?" He then cackled once more in triumph, thinking that he had this fight over and done with single-handed.
Outside, Johnny and Yosaku still couldn't help but think that Luffy was totally submerged underwater.
"This is bad, Johnny!" Yosaku told his partner, "Luffy's totally trapped down there!"
Back at the harbor, though, Nami still held Luffy's head, letting him at least get air, despite the fact that the rest of his body was submerged.
"You think that the guys will be fine by themselves?" Nami asked.
"Knowing Ragnar, Usopp and Sanji, they should be pretty much fine," Luffy replied, confident in the skills of their chef, archer and quartermaster, "But it's Zoro that I'm worried about."
"You're right. Too much exertion and he may reopen his wound," Nami concluded, looking back at their friends. 'One of you guys better hurry it up with your fights.'
Yet Zoro only charged straight at Hatchan with his sword drawn.
"I'll kick this guy's ass real quick, and then I'll save you, Luffy!" Zoro shouted. He was determined to save his captain, as first mate, or else he could never live with himself for letting Luffy down again.
"Hachi Inkjet!" Hatchan shouted, spewing yet another jet of ink right at Zoro. Yet the pirate hunter dodged it, and attempted to lop off Hachi's head, only for the octopus fish-man to duck, receiving only a bad haircut. "You bastard! It took weeks to style my hair in that manner!" He growled, only to lighten his mood, "But that's fine, it's only hair. It'll grow back. Now, Zoro, you can't beat me. I have six hands that will totally mesmerize you!" Hatchan then began to let his six arms flow wildly, as a way to accentuate this.
"Just shut up!" Zoro shouted as he charged for the fish-man.
"Hachi's Triple Sword Catch!" Hatchan declared, "Now, you will see my…" but he didn't finish. Zoro swung his sword down for a vertical cut so fast, Hatchan didn't even catch it, leaving a shallow cut on the octopus fish-man's scalp. "That hurt!"
"I don't have time for this crap!" Zoro muttered, only for Sanji and Ragnar to both notice that his breath was quickening. "Oh, not now…"
'Is he still injured?' Sanji thought, concerned for their first mate. He still remembered seeing how badly Zoro was injured that it meant he had to sit out of the battle with Don Krieg to recover.
"Sanji! Look out!" Ragnar shouted, and Sanji turned to see that Kuroobi was bearing down upon him, swinging at him with his right wing.
"Lose focus and you lose your life!" The stingray fish-man shouted, but as he struck, Sanji managed to evade the blow and began to kick his opponent.
"I bet you taste good sauteed in butter!" Sanji growled with each kick, but Kuroobi managed to block the chef's attacks. He had to hurry so that he could help Zoro.
Ragnar sheathed his sword and took out his bearded axe he wore on his belt, as he and Wapanda began circling each other, each looking for an opening in the other's defenses.
"I'll admit, this is my first time facing a Viking before in actual combat," said the lionfish quartermaster, "Let's see how you fare against me. The last Norseman I killed barely was much of a challenge. So, I'm going to definitely enjoy taking your head."
"You're welcome to try!" Ragnar declared, "But if all you're capable of is just using poison, then I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken about defeating me." Ragnar only glanced back at Zoro and then charged straight at Wapanda, who only stretched out his webbed hands, revealing elongated claws on his fingertips as he caught the shield. "Ah! So, at last, the claws come out!" Ragnar muttered, sheathing his axe for an instant and flicking out his free hand, revealing five sharp claws of his own.
"I've got no time left…no time!" Zoro muttered, trying his best to fight through his condition as he charged straight at Hatchan. "Why don't you die!?" He shouted, trying to cut the octopus, but Hatchan only jumped out of the way and climbed right onto one of the columns with the suckers on the backs of his arms.
"Too bad! Hachi's suckers…are stuck!" He exclaimed, remaining stuck to the column like a barnacle to a wooden pier…much to Zoro's irritation.
"Don't just stay there! Come down here and fight!" Zoro demanded. However, Hatchan only smiled so smugly as a way of saying no. "Damned…coward!" Zoro muttered, trying his best to fight through the pain that was coursing through his body.
Outside the walls, Johnny and Yosaku couldn't help but feel so enraged by the sheer dishonor that Hatchan was dealing Zoro.
"That stupid octopus!" Johnny grumbled, "He's just trying to waste our time now!"
"Yeah, but what else can we do?" Yosaku asked, "If we try to save Luffy and Nami now, they'll just drag us to the bottom of the sea and we'll drown."
"What are you, dumb enough to submit?" Johnny asked, "If we sit here and do nothing, then Luffy and Nami drown for sure!"
"Hold up!" Genzo told them, placing his hands on the bounty hunters' backs, causing them both to spasm in agony from their injuries, "What good are the two of you gonna do in the sea when you can barely walk? If you're trying to figure out a way to save that young man, then I believe I should be the one to volunteer ahead of you."
"You'll save him?" Johnny asked, "You sure you're up to this?"
"Positive. His survival is the key to our victory," Genzo replied, "If we don't save him, then we'll certainly die, won't you agree." He then turned to the other villagers, knowing that they were all eager to help, "I know you'll want to follow, but I have to do this alone," he told them, "The fish-men will suspect that we're up to something if we go with such a large crowd. I fear that only doing so will cause more harm than good. Besides, there's no point in needlessly endangering other people than we have to. I have to do this alone." He then looked back to Johnny and Yosaku and asked, "Is that okay with you boys?"
"Yes! Thank you!" Johnny wept.
"We're counting on you," said Yosaku, who was equally just as grateful as his partner was. "Please, just hurry."
"Hold on!" A voice shouted, and Genzo turned to see Nojiko with a gigantic sledgehammer strong enough to break through concrete. "Genzo, I'm coming too!"
"But Nojiko, you're injured!" Genzo told her, only to watch her shake her head in defiance.
"That doesn't matter," she replied, "You're not gonna leave me outta this when those guys are fighting for my sister's life! You can't!" Those words only made Genzo remember how hard Nami fought for the sake of the village. This wasn't just for them, but also for her.
"Fine, I could use some help," he said, and then led her towards the sea gate entrance, "C'mon! We have to hurry!" And with that, the two of them ran off to save Luffy from drowning, or so they thought until they saw Nami sitting by the entrance holding Luffy's head. "Nami!? You're alright!?" Genzo asked in shock. Nami and Luffy only turned to see Genzo and Nojiko in awe at the sight.
"Genzo! Nojiko! You have to help," Nami told them, "Luffy's body is still submerged! We need you both to remove the concrete holding him down."
"That's why we're here, sis!" Nojiko happily declared, showcasing the mallet she brought. The sight of that only made Luffy grin.
"Thanks, we're counting on ya!" he replied with a chuckle. With that, Genzo placed his hat and sword aside, took a deep breath, and dove into the water with Nojiko close behind him, still clutching the hammer as they swam down.
Meanwhile, inside Arlong Park, the battle still raged between the three Straw Hat drengir, and their fish-men opponents. Arlong only sneered a smug grin as he watched in glee. He was eager to see how these fights progressed. Sanji and Kuroobi were so far able to keep up with one another, the former being successfully able to avoid the latter's blocks and punches.
"You bastard butterfly ray!" Sanji grumbled, hoping to at least land a direct hit on the ray.
Ragnar only drew his sword again and tried to slash at Wapanda, but the lionfish parried it with his front dorsal spike and tried to make a riposte, only for the shield to block him once more.
"It's true what they say, that Vikings are armed to the teeth!" He complimented, "A shame I don't get to see you dual-wield your sword and axe though." However, Ragnar was clearly aware of what Wapanda was up to.
'This is just a distraction. If I fall for his moves, he'll get an opening,' he thought, 'In that case, then. I suppose I can resort to that…' Yet Ragnar only smiled and declared, "All mewling and spitting, here's Wapanda the hound! He has bark, but no bite: just a puppy I found! I hail from the North, where winter's our season, but you're foul, a blister, a plague-ridden lesion!"
"What was that!? What did you call me!?" Wapanda growled, offended by that remark as he charged right for Ragnar, drawing a fallen cutlass and bearing it down upon the Viking, who only smiled as he blocked the oncoming attack.
At the same time, Zoro was still glaring up at Hatchan who was still stuck on the column and not coming down one bit.
"Hey, I have a question I've been meaning to ask you, Zoro," said Hatchan, "You're famous for your three-sword style, so why are you only using one?"
"If you're running scared from one, why would I need three?" Zoro asked, miffed that the octopus was acting like a coward.
"Shut the hell up! I've just been toying with you," Hatchan replied, "Actually, humans can't defeat me. I can tell you why, but I think it'll be more fun to show you! I think you're gonna like this too." Yet Zoro didn't care, as he was far too focused on trying to fight and stay conscious while fighting, but his body just was delirious with agony.
'Dammit! I can't fight the pain!' He thought, 'And my fever…it's getting worse! I thought I could shrug it off but…' As he tried to stay standing on his feet, he swayed, catching nearly the attention of everyone else inside the fortress.
"Crap! I thought that was the case!" Sanji remarked, "You still haven't recovered from your fight with Mihawk!"
"I'm not stupid! Falling for the old injured animal routine," said Hatchan, "That's for children! Be right back! It's time for you to see how strong a swordsman I really am!" Hatchan then scooted back up the column, and onto the roof of Arlong Park's first floor, running into an unlocked window and returning with six cutlasses in each of his hands. "Now you may tremble in fear at Hachi's six sword style!" Yet as he finished speaking, Zoro passed out flat on his face. "Hey! You're not supposed to die yet! I haven't even killed you!"
Zoro only breathed heavily as his body was telling him to lay off exerting himself. After that fight with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he desperately needed rest.
"No! Big Bro Zoro!" Johnny cried, "I knew it! He's been faking it the whole time!"
"So true," Yosaku lamented, "The way he's been pommeled would kill anyone else, but he's been fighting through the pain anyway."
"What'd you say!?" Dr. Nako asked in shock. How could a wounded man be still going after having passed out from his injuries!? It was just inconceivable – flying right in the face of all proper medical science!
"I thought something was off. He was able to walk around as if nothing happened after that deep of a cut," said Sanji, who was only grimacing the situation, "He's laid out flat…" but before he could finish, Kuroobi punched him right in the solar plexus, sending him flying through the very walls of Arlong Park, skidding onto the dirt road.
"I told you to pay attention, you weakling!" Kuroobi shouted, "I'm a fortieth don in Fish-Man Karate!"
Ragnar only glared at the whole situation. He was now the only one left standing, and now he was left to deal with three opponents all by himself.
"Seems to me like your friends aren't of much help now, worthless scum," Wapanda sneered, "Looks like I may not have to kill you after all."
"I wouldn't count on that!" Ragnar declared, "That cook of ours was once sous-chef aboard the Baratie, he even took on one of Don Krieg's finest officers and lived to tell the tale, despite suffering several broken ribs!" Ragnar only saw Hatchan and Kuroobi approaching towards him and jumped so back to create distance between all three of his opponents. 'Damn…this is bad! Willy, you and Ingrid both had better hurry up with those reinforcements, or else I may be in the care of the Valkyries by sundown!'
"The only one left is that Viking, Arlong," said Kuroobi, "We can handle this barbarian, but first, what would you like us to do with Zoro?"
"What a waste of time," Arlong grumbled, "Just toss them both into the sea. That Viking's armor won't help him stay afloat that much anyway. Hardly entertaining!"
"Aww. That's all?" Hatchan asked, feeling somewhat disappointed about not getting to fight Zoro.
"Oh well, it can't be helped," Wapanda said with a shrug and a smile.
"Well, they did manage to make a bit of a mess," Kuroobi remarked, taking stock of the damage that the Straw Hats caused.
"No big deal," Arlong told them, "As long as Arlong Park is still standing, it's still a victory."
"I…wouldn't count on my friends being dead!" Ragnar growled, "They've survived worse than this before. Plus…there's still that archer friend of ours!" He could only hope that Usopp could come and turn the tide.
"Well, Zoro may be dead, but I still have you to face, Norseman!" Hatchan declared, "Now, you'll be able to see how great of a swordsman I am! There isn't a human alive that can compare to my way of six blades!" At that, Hatchan began swinging his swords wildly, creating a whirlwind that was capable of lifting even heavy stones off the ground! "Behold the superior power that only a six-sword master swordsman can attain!"
Ragnar only braced himself with his shield, using his claws on his feet to anchor himself to the ground. He only watched as stone and concrete rubble flew all around him, gritting his teeth in anticipation for one of those massive chunks of rubble to strike him.
"Enough Hachi!" Kuroobi told his crewmate, "I understand that you're eager for a fight, but if you continue such a demonstration, you'll destroy Arlong Park!" At that moment, Hatchan immediately stopped, and the whirlwind harmlessly dispersed into the sky, pushing back the dense bank of clouds and revealing the sun.
"I'm sorry…I forgot I could destroy stuff," Hatchan replied.
"Don't get carried away," said Kuroobi, "It's fine, you did nothing wrong yet, though."
"Way of six blades? What an idiot," Zoro muttered as he finally rose to his feet, much to Ragnar's delight.
"You're not dead!" Hatchan shouted in shock.
"Of course, he's not!" Ragnar told the octopus, "This is Roronoa Zoro we're talking about! He can't die from such a measly wound!"
"Let me make this clear to you, you sorry excuse of a swordsman," Zoro hissed at Hatchan as he took off his bandana and tied it around his head, "There's a certain man I have to face…and until I see him…Death itself cannot touch me!"
Meanwhile, far inland, Usopp was still running as fast as he can from Chew, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Damn! That long-nosed freak is fast," Chew muttered, as he was noticeably way behind the archer, "I can't believe he's not getting tired! Choo!"
Further up ahead, Usopp had finally stopped screaming, noticing that he was actually outrunning Chew by a wide margin, chuckling to himself internally.
'If he keeps following me, then he can't fight Luffy and the other guys!' He thought, 'I'm the master distractor! I'm such a smart and helpful friend! Who knew that running for your life like a frightened deer would be so brave!' Usopp only then turned around and stopped to get a view of his surroundings. "I can't even see him back there! Man, I'm too fast!" He muttered, "I guess I should've slowed down a bit! They may be able to swim like fish when they're underwater, but on dry land, they're just like turtles! That's right…slow." Usopp then began doing a happy dance and began taunting Chew, "Nanny-nanny boo-boo! Stupid, stupid turtle-man! You can't catch anything! You just got a big mouth! Big mouth stupid turtle guy!"
"You're a real funny man, but you're not very smart, are you?" Chew asked. For he'd suddenly managed to get behind Usopp! The archer immediately stopped dancing and froze in fear. While he was in false confidence, Chew managed to gain on him! In an instant, Usopp began sprinting like a madman again, with Chew hot on his heels. "Get back here!"
Under the waves of Arlong Park's harbor, Nojiko and Genzo were trying as hard as they could to free Luffy's feet from the concrete block. Nojiko held Luffy's body to support Nami from underwater, while Genzo tried to crack the concrete blocks open with the sledgehammer.
'He's only been submerged for a little while,' Nojiko thought, 'Thankfully, Nami's managed to keep his head above the water.' She only watched as Genzo tried to crack the concrete with the hammer, but to no avail.
'Dammit! I can't swing hard enough underwater to break this thing!' He thought, looking to Nojiko as a way to tell her otherwise.
'Hurry Genzo!' She told her surrogate father, but only saw him shake his head.
'It's no use! I can't break it!' He indicated, 'We can't carry him up with this rock!'
Meanwhile, back above the surface, Sanji managed to regain consciousness, and lit another cigarette, enjoying another smoke before sitting up, much to Dr. Nako's shock.
"He's still alive?!" The doctor shouted. From inside, Ragnar was able to hear it, and smiled, revealing his gleaming white fangs.
"That was the best punch that butterfly ray has?" Sanji asked, "The old man's kicks were a hundred times worse than that, and I never even died!"
Back inside, Ragnar, Wapanda, Arlong and Kuroobi all looked on as the fight between Zoro and Hatchan was about to begin. All the combatants knew not to interfere in this match, even as Zoro struggled to place the hilt of the Wado Ichimonji in between his teeth, his body shaking as he moved his arms, delirious with pain and racked with fever.
"What's wrong with you, Zoro?" Hatchan asked, pity slowly overtaking his anger at the dishonor he endured, "You're not looking so good. I've already demonstrated my mastery of six blades to the rest of these pathetic humans, and there's no way you can hope to defeat me in such a sorry condition."
"Oh, just shut up already," Zoro grumbled as he glared at his opponent. He had to at least make it through this fight before he could hope to save Luffy. Yet outside, Johnny and Yosaku were awestruck about their friend's focus.
"Big Bro Zoro's taken such a beating already," said Yosaku.
"I'm sure the onset of fever caused by his wounds is making him delirious," said Dr. Nako, aptly judging the situation, "Or worse, if that wound opens up again, I'm afraid he'll die for sure."
"But he doesn't have time to think about that right now!" Johnny replied.
"Yeah, and he's the only one who can fight that six-sword octopus!" Yosaku chimed in.
Inside Arlong Park, Zoro only continued glaring at Hatchan, determined to win this fight on his terms. How dare this octopus gloat about how superior he was? He clearly hadn't faced Mihawk before! It was time to teach that eight limbed fish-man humility.
"I'll show you…three sword style!" Zoro growled before glancing back at his former partners, "Yosaku, Johnny! Lend me your swords!" In that instant, Johnny and Yosaku only agreed and threw their dadao swords right towards Zoro, as if they were throwing axes, the blades rotating on their axles as they flew. The pirate hunter only glared as he knew he was going to need to finish this fight quickly. 'Dammit. I'm losing it!' He thought, 'I dunno how much longer I can last!'
"Ha! Now you'll understand why two human hands will never have the chance to beat me!" Hatchan declared as he crossed his arms and prepared for an attack, and charged straight at Zoro, arms flailing "Six Blades! Tentacle Sword Overload!" As he swung his swords wildly in the air, Zoro caught Johnny and Yosaku's swords in both of his hands and began to parry each of the blows Hatchan dealt him
At such a close range, Zoro leaned towards Hatchan, using two of his swords to block his opponent's attacks while twisting his body around as he was continuously moving to approach and dodge the oncoming attacks.
"Three Sword Style…" he began, and eventually cut through the Hatchan's stomach with the third sword, "…Streaming Wolf Swords!" He shouted as he finished the attack. Hatchan only arched his back in a spasm of agony as his chest was cut in a diagonal cruciform shape. Kuroobi and Wapanda were shocked by this, but Arlong only looked on in dismay, disappointed at Hatchan for such a defeat.
"He did it!" Yosaku exclaimed.
"He faced all six swords!" Johnny added, "And not even a scratch on him!"
"Such perfect swordplay…and such perfect concentration!" Dr. Nako muttered, awestruck by how great of a warrior Zoro was in the East Blue.
Yet Hatchan was only further enraged. The blow was not enough to even knock him unconscious, but it was enough to rile his temper even further.
"How dare you cut me like that!?" He growled, "Now I'm really mad! I'll kill you, you bastard! There's no way you'll survive my next attack! You just got lucky, that's all! You'll never beat my six swords with your three! I have twice as many swords than you! Six is more!"
"I was never…very good at math…" Zoro grunted out, remembering the words of Mihawk back at the Baratie, as well as the vow he swore to his sensei after Kuina's death. He remembered…this ambition…it was all for her! If he was live up to Luffy's expectations, and the vow he made at Baratie to Luffy, he had to win! "…Three swords…six swords?! It doesn't matter!" He then turned to face Hatchan, weapons ready as he bitterly fought through the pain and the fever that set in. "You may have more swords than I do, but mine will always carry more weight than yours!" Silence fell between the two swordsmen. Yet it was clear that the showdown was imminent. Who would win? Hatchan with his cutlasses, or Roronoa Zoro: the Pirate Hunter of the East Blue?
"Weight, you say?" Hatchan asked, "You may not think it, but my cutlasses actually weigh quite a bit: over 300 kgs. each to be exact. They weigh much more than your pathetic human swords!"
"I meant the burden of…oh forget it!" Zoro grumbled, unable to believe how immensely dense this octopus was. Ironic, really, since octopus were supposed to be the smartest of all cephalopods.
"Way of Six Swords: Octopus Pot Stance!" Hatchan declared as he positioned all of his swords together in front of him and arranged in a circular array over his chest to block an attack, then charged forth, "New Year's…" As he blocked the oncoming attack, he penetrated Zoro's defenses by splaying his swords apart, "…Open…" then landed a headbutt right at Zoro's solar plexus, flinging him into the air, "…Body Slam!" As Zoro was sent flying, he coughed up a gob of blood.
From the sea gates of Arlong Park, Luffy and Nami could hear it all happen from behind them. Nami even saw Zoro flying through the air.
"Oh no! Zoro!" She cried, "Hatchan must've opened up his wounds!"
"Dammit! I wish I didn't get myself stuck!" Luffy complained, "Zoro! Don't give up!"
Inside Arlong Park, Hatchan ran towards where Zoro was falling towards, determined to finish his opponent off.
"You fool! Now, you'll never touch the ground alive!" He shouted, then began spinning all six swords over his head like a fan blade intent on shredding Zoro to pieces! "Waltz of Six Swords!" He shouted, "You'll be mincemeat if you touch them for even a second!" Yet as Hatchan laughed at the sight of Zoro's apparent demise, the pirate hunter only proceeded to cut up all of Hatchan's hands like it was nothing! Hatchan yelled in pain as he was receiving glancing cuts, while Zoro was still very much alive! Everyone looked in shock at the very sight, while Arlong and Hatchan were both miffed. "Dammit! First you rolled and dodged my Tentacle Sword Overload, then you slice and dice my hands up like some cheap sushi chef!?" Hatchan bellowed, "HOW DARE YOU MAKE A SPECTACLE OF MY MASTER SWORDSMANSHIP! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, DEARLY, YOU SUNOVA BITCH! I'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"
However, his rants and yells fell on deaf ears. Zoro didn't even bother to listen anymore, as he was more focused on trying to stay as alive as possible. Yet from how he swayed, it seemed as if he couldn't be able to go on for much longer.
Luffy and Nami only listened to Hatchan's yelling, and could tell that the situation sounded like it was under control for the time being. Unless Luffy could be freed, however, Zoro stood no chance of fighting Arlong and Wapanda.
"It sounds like Zoro's really giving it his all," said Luffy, "But that attack from the octopus must've opened up his old wound again."
"Zoro, just promise you won't kill him," Nami muttered, clearly having a bit of a soft spot for Hatchan, something that Luffy noticed. Why would Nami care for a fish-man who answered to Arlong?
Meanwhile, Zoro was focusing all his energies into one final blow. Yet the pain was almost unbearable at this point. If only he had proper medical attention instead of the makeshift job that Usopp gave him…
'Even if this wound…would kill a normal man…' Zoro thought as he steeled his mind, "I am not…allowed to fail!' He only focused his entire energies for the oncoming attack, watching as Hatchan readied another attack.
"Way of Six Swords: Octopus Pot Stance!" He shouted, pointing all the tips of his cutlasses at the pirate hunter, "It's time to die, Roronoa Zoro!"
'My body…cannot feel the pain!' Zoro once more thought, 'It must not…' Then he held both his arms out, holding one of the swords in a reverse grip, 'If I'm to face Mihawk again as an equal…I must be extraordinary!' He then spun with his swords to create a dragon-like tornado that both slashed and blew Hatchan away, "Tatsu Maki!" He yelled as loud as he could.
Everyone who was both outside and within Arlong Park was shocked by the outcome: Zoro just defeated Hatchan singlehandedly! It was unprecedented! Now, they could truly see how strong Zoro was. He must've been doing quite a bit of training when he, Johnny and Usopp sailed on ahead.
"No way…Hachi…" Arlong whispered, utterly shocked that his best swordsman was beaten.
"Defeated…three…sword…style…" Hatchan muttered as he came crashing down onto the concrete, the sun shining down on both him and Zoro.
"So…you damned octopus…" Zoro muttered, "…you finally understand…the weight I carry in my three swords. You satisfied?"
Outside, Luffy and Nami only saw Hatchan collapse to the ground with a crash. They knew the exact outcome of the battle, and were glad that their crewmate won with all his heart and soul. Yet Nami found it somewhat bittersweet.
"You're concerned for the octopus, aren't you, Nami?" Luffy asked, knowing that it was bothering her. Nami only nodded in response to her captain's question.
"Hachi isn't like the rest of Arlong's cronies…deep down, he has a kind heart…" she confessed, her voice trembling, "He even used to leave me food."
"What?!" Luffy asked, totally shocked and reviled that Arlong would leave Nami to starve. It showed just how little the shark cared for her wellbeing, and how he treated her like trash, but now Luffy was intrigued by what Nami had to say about Hatchan's kindness.
"Arlong forced me to draw charts and maps long into the night…but sometimes, I'd wake up after I passed out…and I would see Hachi leave a plate of freshly made octopus fritters sitting right outside my door…cooked just the way he always made them." She only looked down to Luffy with a sympathetic expression on her face,"He's not a heartless monster, Luffy."
Meanwhile, in Arlong Park, with Hatchan defeated, Zoro was able to get a bit of rest, sheathing the Wado Ichimonji back in its scabbard as he steeled himself for his next task.
"Alright. Now that Tentacles is outta the way…I think…it's time to go rescue Luffy and Nami," he muttered.
"Zoro! Behind you!" Ragnar shouted, but Zoro couldn't even turn to see Kuroobi and Wapanda ganging up on him.
"How could you do that to Hachi!?" Kuroobi growled.
"You'll suffer for this!" Wapanda added, but before the two could deal a near lethal blow on Zoro, Sanji and Ragnar both intervened.
"Glad to see that you're not dead, Sanji!" Ragnar complimented.
"Don't worry, that butterfly ray won't get rid of me that easily," said Sanji, grinning at his quartermaster, then turning his attention to Kuroobi.
"Not bad," Kuroobi told his opponent, "I never thought there was anyone in all the East Blue who could stand back up after one of my punches."
"Oh, sure, there's a whole bunch of 'em, at a certain restaurant I know of," said Sanji, who was clearly referencing the fighting chefs of the Baratie, "Wanna go?"
"I don't think so," Kuroobi bluntly replied.
"Sanji, any tips on how to prepare lionfish?" Ragnar asked, "My people rarely see them, despite the fact that we're master fishermen."
"Well, you'll definitely wanna remove the venomous spikes before anything else," Sanji replied, "If you do get stung, it'll be like a really bad bee sting."
"Ha! You can try to remove my spikes!" Wapanda boasted, "But your effort will be wasted, not even swords will do any harm to them."
It was at that exact moment that both Ragnar and Sanji noticed Zoro moving weakly towards the water.
"Zoro, wait! You're not seriously thinking of going underwater, are you?" Ragnar asked.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sanji added, "You know you'll die if you go in the water like that."
"Just shut up, both of you. I won't last much longer," Zoro told them both, "You think you ladies might wanna stop chatting?"
"Yeah, time's up," said Sanji with a grin, "If I could get you to shut up for a moment, maybe you would've noticed that I was about to do this." Sanji then took off his shoes, socks, and his jacket and dove into the water, "Here goes nothing!" He declared as he held his breath and took the plunge.
"That fool!" Kuroobi laughed, "This is great! He wants to try his luck underwater? Against a fish-man?!"
"That idiot!" Zoro muttered, "I told him they want us to fight in the water!" He only spasmed in agony as Kuroobi dove right after Sanji. Wapanda then went running straight after his crewmate.
"Save some action for me, Kuroobi!" He shouted, but as he ran, Ragnar only cut him off in his full lion form.
"Hold it! You're not going anywhere!" The Viking roared, "I'm your opponent now, remember? Unless you're afraid to fight me, ergi!"
Underwater, Sanji could see that Genzo and Nojiko were both trying their best to remove the concrete from Luffy's feet, while Luffy's neck was stretched out, and there was no sign of Nami.
'That man's from Cocoyashi Village! And that woman must be Nojiko!' He thought, 'They must've stretched out Luffy's neck!' Suddenly, it started to make sense, 'I see! They couldn't move the concrete, so they just moved Luffy's head above the water. All I have to do is break the rock apart, and the situation should take care of itself!' Yet before Sanji could do anything, he felt a sudden force slam into him.
"Fish-Man Karate: Forearm Sledge!" Kuroobi shouted, slamming his arm fin into the back of Sanji's neck, causing him to release the air in his mouth.
Above water, Arlong only cackled at the sight of the spectacle. Zoro may have managed to defeat Hatchan, but the fight between Ragnar and Wapanda was about to heat up, and Sanji now had to deal with Kuroobi.
"This is more like it!" He declared, "Someone do something else entertaining!" As he cackled, Zoro and Ragnar only knew that they had to hold out before the reinforcements arrived from the sea…or all would be lost!
Elsewhere, one thought rang out in Usopp's mind as Chew was gaining on him:
'STOP FOLLOWING ME!' He internally screamed.
A/N: So, one down, four more to go of the Arlong Pirates! Yet it seems that Nami has a soft spot for Hatchan, and we can clearly see why. This is definitely foreshadowing Hachi's importance later on in the Sabaody and Fishman Island Arcs, as an ally of the Straw Hats.
As for what Ragnar was doing to Wapanda by speaking in verse, it's called flyting. Back in the Middle Ages, flyting was basically the OG insult rap-battle. It was a ritualistic and poetic exchange of insults. , and was commonly practiced throughout the British Isles from the 5th through the 16th centuries, but it was also hugely popular with the Vikings. We have evidence in Norse skaldic poetry, such as the Eddas, showing that even the Gods are seen flyting. For instance in the Lokasenna, Loki is seen flyting as a way to insult the Gods, which ultimately causes him to slip his hand in the death of Baldr, and the punishment and imprisonment he receives for it until he escapes come Ragnarok.
Now, in case you're wondering what Nami told Arlong in the last chapter about a tribute of spears, swords and axes, that was a direct reference to the Battle of Maldon, which was fought in 991 CE, between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. A band of Vikings led by the future King of Norway, Olav Trygvesson, faced an army of the Kingdom of Wessex, led by the Ealdorman of Essex, Brythnoth. Olav told Brythnoth that this could be resolved by a tribute, and they would leave peacefully, but Brythnoth responded with this:
"Gehȳrst þū, sǣlida, hwæt þis folc seġeð? Hī willað ēow tō gafole gāras syllan ǣttrynne ord and ealde swurd!"
Translated from Old English, it means, "Do you hear, O sailor, what these people say? We will give you tribute - we will give you spears as tribute! Deadly points and time-tested swords! War gear in battle from which you will not profit!" It is the most defiant act of resistance in history.
You'll also have noticed that I had Sanji call Kuroobi a butterfly ray. What's a butterfly ray? It's a type of ray that's native to the West Indies, but unlike stingrays, it has no stinger on its tail. This means that you can pick them up safely without having to worry about being stung.
Anyway, will Sanji, Usopp and Ragnar finally be able to defeat their opponents? Will Luffy be freed? And where the heck are Willy and Ingrid with their reinforcements?