DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS AND OCs IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 40: Proud Warriors! Sanji and Usopp's Fierce Battles!
The scene at Arlong Park was now one of intense concern for the Straw Hats. Sanji probably wouldn't last a chance against Kuroobi underwater. They could only hope the chef was able to find some way to stop that ray fish-man, or at least have help come sooner rather than later.
Underneath the waves, Kuroobi only floated in triumph, as Sanji was seemingly unconscious after that blow he dealt. Then he noticed Genzo trying to free Luffy's legs from the concrete.
"Hmph! It's that old man from the village!" He muttered, "What a waste of time."
'Dammit! He's spotted me!' Genzo thought, looking up to see Kuroobi charging straight for him now.
"Such a pathetic attempt to free rubber boy, isn't it!?" Kuroobi asked, "Looks like I'll just have to kill you too!" Yet before he could finish what he started eight years ago, Kuroobi found himself stopped dead in his path, and then being pulled back! Sanji had managed to pull his opponent by the long ponytail.
'Where do you think you're going?!' Sanji thought to himself, as a way to communicate with Kuroobi.
"You…foolish human!" Kuroobi growled, then pulled away, causing Sanji to lose grip of his opponent's hair. "Are you really trying to fight me underwater?! You can't even breathe down here! What makes you think you can face me in this situation?!" Kuroobi asked, but Sanji only gave no answer, trying to hold his breath while fighting his opponent. "As you wish, foolish boy! Fish-Man Karate: Dueling Hair Tether!" Kuroobi shouted, and then wrapped his ponytail around Sanji's waist, preventing the chef from escaping as he pulled the boy closer towards him for another attack. As the distance between the two of them closed, Sanji tried to land a kick, but Kuroobi was right: his movements were much slower underwater. "Too bad! Your kick is powerless down here!" Kuroobi chuckled, "That's more of your human weakness, but my Fish-Man Karate is just as powerful underwater! Quite the contrary, it's far more powerful!" He then readied himself for another attack, "Fish-Man Karate: Underwater Bladder Buster!" He shouted, as he darted forward and used the momentum to deliver a strong side kick to Sanji's stomach, forcing him to release more air as he was sent back towards the surface. Yet Kuroobi only pulled his opponent back ready for another blow. "Fish-Man Karate: Flaming Axe Kick!" Kuroobi then spun himself, pulling Sanji closer towards him and managed to dropkick him with the heel of his foot. Sanji sank further down into the depths, but Kuroobi was not done with him yet. The ray fish-man swam down towards his opponent, and delivered a kick to Sanji's chin with the inner sole of his foot, "Back-Foot Jawbreaker!" He shouted, each blow causing Sanji to let out more air, until he delivered an open palm strike to Sanji's chin. "Guffaw Palm Bomb!"
Sanji was sent speeding through the water and slammed right into the harbor wall of Arlong Park! Thinking himself victorious, Kuroobi turned his attention once more to Genzo, who was just terrified at the thought of dying to the same fish-man who scarred him up as he tried to save Belle-Mere and Nami. However, at that exact moment, A thunderous boom was heard, and Kuroobi saw that Sanji was not only still alive, but was swimming rapidly to the surface.
'Air! Air! Air! I let out too much! I can't breathe!' He thought, 'If I don't resurface soon, I'll drown for sure!' Yet as he tried swimming upwards, he saw that Kuroobi was now blocking his path forward. 'Crap! Lemme through! I need to breathe! Move it!'
"Impressive, you have quite the incredible stamina," said Kuroobi to the chef, "Are you sure you're even human?" Kuroobi only chuckled sinisterly, as he knew that he could emerge from this fight victorious. All he needed to do was wait for Sanji to run out of air, "Didn't you say something like 'any man who hurts a lady is just a piece of shit'? And yet, look at what your precious love of women has finally brought you! You have no chance of escape, and you will die by my hand! The old man and the boy he's trying to free, I'll kill them too. Then, I'll kill Zoro, that Viking and the long-nosed guy, then I'll massacre everyone in Cocoyashi Village…and as for my final pleasure, I'll go and murder that traitorous bitch Nami! Don't you see now!? Your love is worthless! If it can't save you, then you can't save ANYONE! NOT EVEN YOUR PRECIOUS GIRLFRIEND, NAMI!" Sanji suddenly felt himself regain consciousness as Kuroobi grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "I'll admit, you are incredibly skilled, but ultimately you are still just a human!" He mockingly told his opponent, "Unlike us fish-men, your bodies don't react well to sudden changes in pressure." He then grabbed Sanji, pinning his arms so that there was no way the chef could escape, "Let's see! I have a theory about what'll happen with this move: your organs will explode from the inside out!" Sanji only widened his eyes in shock as he felt himself being turned upside-down, "Pulverizing Pressure Plunge!" Kuroobi shouted, and he swam deeper towards the ocean floor at top speed. The sheer intensity of the water pressure crushed Sanji's belly, almost causing it to implode.
'I can't let him do this!' Sanji painfully thought, 'If I have any chance of saving Luffy, the first thing I gotta do is save myself!' As soon as they came to the sea floor, Sanji spewed out a stream of blood, but then, at that moment, something caught his eye far above, and he could hear the faint sound of clicking along with what only could be the hauntingly beautiful song of a whale. Kuroobi only was just confused as Sanji pointed up towards the surface. What did this human see that caused him not to succumb to death?
"What's with this bastard? He just won't die!" Kuroobi muttered, only swimming back up, "Very well! I guess we'll just have to try this again!" Yet as he swam up, the ray fish-man felt a sharp pain in one of his shoulders…right on one of his gills! Sanji opened his eyes for an instant and saw that Celosia was biting down hard on Kuroobi's collarbone! Kuroobi screamed out in pain, which led a thought to strike Sanji.
'That's right! Fish-men use their lungs to breathe air on land, but they use their gills to breathe underwater,' he thought, 'Which means their gills are useless on land…and their lungs are useless underwater!' Realizing what Celosia was doing, Sanji then bit down hard on Kuroobi's other exposed gill and forced what little air he could into it, with the beluga fish-woman following suit. Instantly, Kuroobi let out so much air from his body, he was forced to resurface.
Back at Arlong Park, Zoro only watched the harbor and saw Sanji's head emerge, the chef desperately gasping for air, heaving as Celosia helped haul him out of the water.
"It's okay, you're gonna be fine," she told him. Sanji only looked at Celosia, recognizing her from back at Njordholm. From the lack of a tattoo featuring Arlong's mark, she was one of Willy's crew. Even though she was technically a fish-woman, Celosia was still by all means beautiful.
"Thanks…I'm forever in your debt, mademoiselle," he replied, still managing to retain his chivalrous attitude, even towards cetacean fish-women.
"Hey…eyebrow cook…how's Luffy?" Zoro asked, irritated by Sanji's antics, but not enough to want to come to blows with him.
"Don't worry…he's okay," Sanji replied, "At least, half of him is."
"Wait, half!?"
"I'll explain later," Sanji answered, then turned to Kuroobi, "As for you, you damned butterfly ray! Get your ass up here! I wanna fight where I can breathe!"
Kuroobi hauled himself out of the water, angry that Sanji would try and do something like this, but determined to finish this fight.
"You still don't understand, do you!?" Kuroobi asked, "It doesn't matter if I'm on land or underwater, I'm just as strong either…!" He didn't finish. He only paused as he noticed Celosia, standing tall and proud. Arlong and Wapanda too also noticed the beluga fish-woman standing defiantly at her old comrades.
"Long time no see, boys~," she told the three fish-men in a flirtatious tone, "Don't mind me, I'm not here to fight, only to watch~." She then sauntered towards the harbor and winked at Sanji, "I hope I'll see you after the battle~." She then gave Sanji a cute wave of her hand, then dove underwater once more. Sanji only smiled in confidence. This was definitely one of the few times a woman managed to save his life. He would find some way to try and make it up to her, but for now, his attention was focused sorely on Kuroobi.
"You lovesick fool! Celosia would've definitely had a better chance against me," Kuroobi told his opponent, "You, on the other hand, are clay in my hands! Now, you will witness the true power of Fish-Man Karate. When I punched you before, it was only a sample of things to come! My ultimate attack…is ten times as powerful, and the chances of survival…ARE ZERO!" Yet as Kuroobi prepared himself in a fighting stance, Sanji managed to close the distance between them!
"Collier shoot!" He growled, kicking his opponent right in the throat, sending Kuroobi crashing into the concrete on his back. "You said my love was worthless!?" Sanji asked venomously, then kicked Kuroobi in the shoulder, "Épaule!" He shouted, forcing Kuroobi back down as he struggled to get up. "I can't protect anyone, is that right!?" Kuroobi was only in utter shock! How was Sanji, a mere human, able to keep up with him!? "Côtelette!" Sanji kicked Kuroobi in the ribs as the fish-man sat up, before striking him again and again, "Selle! Poitrine! Gigot!"
All the villagers looked on, and even Celosia took a peek as she came up for air, witnessing Kuroobi get hit in the back, chest and the legs, sent flying without any time to react! Kuroobi only growled with fury as he got up and prepared finally to attack Sanji, who was rushing towards him.
"You damned sunnova bitch!" He hissed, placing his fist out, "Thousand-Brick Fist!" Yet as he tried to attack, he noticed that Sanji disappeared! He saw no one and thought he imagined being attacked the whole time, until he noticed Sanji had jumped into the air and was coming right at his left side!
"And now…Mouton Shot!" Sanji then channeled all his might into one leg to deliver a flurry of kicks so fast that that they seemed to hit simultaneously, creating the illusion that his leg was shaking and sending Kuroobi flying right through Arlong Park's main building! Ragnar and Zoro only looked on with confident smiles at the sight as Sanji stumbled but still rose to look at the hole Kuroobi made in his flight path. "Now, it's done. He won't be getting up from that."
Beneath the surface, Genzo was relieved that Sanji managed to work on distracting Kuroobi, but he was unsure about that beluga fish-woman who also intervened. Was she an ally? It seemed as much if she bit down on one of Arlong's officers. All of a sudden, a loud booming noise from above caught his attention.
'What was that?! What's happening up there!?' He thought, but then let out a burst of air. At that moment, Celosia swam down and smiled at him.
"It's okay, I got this," she told him, "You just go up to get some air." Genzo wasn't sure about this decision, leaving Luffy's body still trapped, but this woman said she was going to help, so he nodded and swam up to the surface.
Above water, Arlong was none too happy to see Kuroobi unconscious in the prison cell.
"Kuroobi…Hachi…" Arlong growled. He did not like the odds stacked against him. Wapanda and Chew had to hurry up soon. "You bastards! You've taken out my brothers one after the other! I'm afraid I let you get carried away!" He looked to Wapanda and snarled, "Wapanda! Fall back!"
"What!? But boss! I have this Viking!" The lionfish pleaded, "Can't we just…?"
"JUST FALL BACK, DAMMIT!" Arlong bellowed out.
"Uh…yeah, sure thing," Wapanda replied as he backed away, only to grin menacingly at Ragnar, "I'll deal with you later, barbarian."
Sanji only donned his shoes and smiled in confidence. The Straw Hats had this fight down: game, set, match.
"In the end, they're all just seafood," He said confidently, "A fish can't fight a cook. I dunno what he was thinking. This game is ours."
"Alright, explain," Zoro interjected, "Luffy's half okay? What's that mean?"
"It means he's alive for now," said Sanji, "But, if we want him fully back on dry land, I gotta go back in the water, but something tells me that whale-lady can handle it. Usopp and Ragnar still are dealing with the other two of Arlong's officers. Once they're done, we'll have to hold ugly here off until reinforcements arrive."
"That is if Arlong here will let us," said Ragnar, "We have to be ready for anything."
Outside the fortress, at the harbor entrance, Luffy and Nami were already confident of victory, but Nojiko, who'd managed to resurface for air, was just awestruck.
"Amazing…Nami, this is amazing!" She told her sister, "Those guys…just beat two of Arlong's best fish-men!"
"I know, right?" Luffy asked with a chuckle, "They're the best crew I could've asked for." At that moment, Genzo surfaced up, gasping for air.
"I'm done," he said, "I'm all out of breath. Some fish-woman who attacked one of Arlong's crew is covering for us."
"Sounds like she's one of Willy's crew," said Nami, "We've managed to recruit some fish-men who hate Arlong as allies."
"Good," Genzo replied with a smile, relieved to hear the news, he then asked Nojiko, "Did I miss anything?"
"They're doing great, everyone's fine!" Nojiko exclaimed, "For the first time…I finally have hope. These guys have fought so well! We may actually be freed!"
"Once I'm back on land, then it'll be come true," said Luffy with a confident grin, "Count on it!"
Ragnar, Zoro, and Sanji all looked with determined gazes at both Arlong and Wapanda. It was now the chef, swordsman and the leonine Viking against the shark and the lionfish. The odds seemed stacked in the Straw Hats' favor!
Meanwhile, further inland, Chew stood over a fallen Usopp. His eyes opened as he lay bleeding out in the dirt road, out by the rice paddies, lifeless. It seemed this fight was won…
"Choo! What a pain in the ass," said Chew as he dusted himself off, "That long-nosed freak sure could run forever, but it took only one blast from my squirt gun to take him out completely." He then proceeded to turn around and walk away, "I guess I should head back. It's all over by now, for sure." Yet as he walked, Chew had no idea that there was one slight problem…Usopp was still alive! The archer only smiled at the sight as Chew walked back towards Arlong Park.
'It worked! I'm alive! I'm so glad I made the ketchup star for this reason…he thinks he killed me with a water blast! Run along now, go home!' He thought, snickering to himself, but then frowned as he got up, assessing the situation he found himself in. What was he even doing here now? 'These guys are totally nuts! I don't even know what I'm doing here anymore! They destroyed an entire village and killed everyone in it! I know Nami can't do this all on her own, but seriously!'
As Chew walked, he couldn't help but have a slight suspicion that Usopp was still alive. What if the shot really didn't kill the archer? He only turned and saw Usopp's body still bleeding out on the road, just as he left it.
"I'm imagining things," he muttered, and then continued walking off towards Arlong Park. Once more, Usopp had managed to fool him again!
As he lay there in the ketchup, Usopp knew he would die if he fought Chew directly in battle. His fear was getting the better of him, so he needed to find a way to get back to Arlong Park, while making some sort of cover story for the others.
'I don't mind hiding from death. After all, death is scary!' He thought, 'Okay…lemme think. I'm covered in fake blood, but I need to look a little more beat up…make it look like I fought bravely.' Usopp then finally had the solution as he sat up, 'Hey, I know what's missing! Dirt! Yeah, that's it, I'm too clean!' As Usopp began to rub himself with dirt, he began to practice what he was going to say in order to justify himself. "Hey, I'm sorry I got lost…yeah that's good," he began, "No…I did my best, but he got me…maybe…I was this close to the bastard and he got away! Yeah, that's better…nah, sounds like I'm trying too hard. How about, Don't cry, Nami…we all did the very best we could. Maybe?...or…everybody fought very bravely…maybe…I nearly died myself…Nami, no, to tell the truth, my injuries aren't bad at all. Really…I fought…bravely…I never quit…yeah…that's…." Yet at that moment, he remembered how determined Luffy, Ragnar, Zoro, Nami and Sanji all were, the conviction of Ingrid and Willy, as well as all of Cocoyashi Village…and here he was, acting no better than a feeble coward when everyone else placed their lives on the lines. He couldn't help but be on the verge of tears, ashamed of himself for not having done his part. 'I'm just…a liar!' he thought, 'I'm…I'm nothing more than a coward!' Yet then, his thoughts turned to Kaya and the former Usopp Pirates. They were also counting on him. If Arlong wasn't stopped here, they would probably be killed…he couldn't bear to live with himself if he allowed that to happen. Determined to pull his weight, Usopp stood to his feet, turned around and shouted at Chew, "STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU SUNOVA BITCH!"
Hearing this, Chew stopped dead in his tracks, realizing that Usopp was indeed still alive and kicking. The boy was definitely a canny one.
"Oh, you're still alive? Choo!" Chew asked as he turned to face Usopp, who was now grasping his bow.
"That's right, Big Lips!" Usopp shouted back, "It takes more than water to kill someone like me!" As Usopp reached for an arrow in his quiver, he recalled how fiercely he and his crewmates fought against Krieg at Baratie, and Kuro on the slopes. He was trained by Vikings, and he could not let his adoptive mother and her clan down. 'When I left home, I left everything behind…peace…safety,' he thought, nocking an arrow to his bowstring, 'When you live your life on the edge, you savor every moment. That's why they're able to laugh so much! That's the reason I went to sea – I wanna laugh that way too!' As Chew ran straight at him, Usopp pulled the bowstring back to his ear, an explosive arrow primed, 'And if I don't fight with all I have, then I don't deserve to be on the same ship with them!' He then finally yelled, "AND I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FACE MY FRIENDS!" Then shot the arrow.
It exploded instantly, but Chew was able to shrug it off, and punched the archer right in the face. Usopp was sent falling onto his front, bruised.
"You stupid fool," Chew mockingly told him, "You were better off pretending to be dead. The human brain is just an absolute waste of meat. Choo!" He then began to approach Usopp, ready to flog a dead horse.
"I…don't feel good…" Usopp weakly uttered out, only to have Chew kick him in the gut while he was down.
"Oh yeah? Well too bad for you," Chew replied with each kick, "I'm just getting started!"
"Stop it…" Usopp pleaded, before reaching into his satchel, and pulling out a sledgehammer, "USOPP HAMMER!" He shouted as he slammed the mallet against Chew's shin, then rose and stretched back a rubber band like a slingshot, shouting, "Usopp Rubber Band of Doom!"
Pained from the strike to his shin, Chew flinched up, preparing for the worst. Yet he felt no such pain, no striking of that rubber band on his face. As he opened his eyes, he found that he was all alone: Usopp was gone!
"CRAP! WHERE'D THAT STUPID SUNOVA BITCH GO NOW!?" He bellowed out, his face turning bright red with anger. "I…can't…believe…this!" All at once, a bottle of sake flew from the forest, straight at the fish-man
"Special attack…!" Usopp shouted as Chew caught the bottle
"What the? Sake?" He asked, utterly confused. Was the archer offering him a drink as a show of truce?
"…Bodkin Arrow!" Usopp shouted, and an arrow flew from the tree line, shattering the glass and dousing Chew with sake. Disoriented, the fish-man wandered right into the flooded plains of a rice paddy.
"Is this the only way you fight, you coward?!" Chew asked, clearly enraged by this show of cowardice, "There's no place to hide from my squirt cannon!" With that, Chew lowered himself, and began sucking the water from the paddy into his mouth and body, causing his whole body to bloat like a balloon.
"Stupid coward, or whatever, I can't run from this fight," Usopp muttered, hiding behind a great old broadleaf tree, "I'm supposed to be a man, although it doesn't feel all that great to be manly. If I lose, I'll die, but at least I'll die a pirate!"
"SQUIRT CANNON!" Chew shouted, having sucked up all the water in his body, then released it all at once in a single blow towards the jungle! Usopp only flinched as he felt water droplets wash off the dirt, ketchup, and blood on him, then turned in shock to see the damage.
"NO WAY! THIS SUCKS!" He screamed, noticing that an entire section of rainforest was blown away! Trees were torn in half, and some were even uprooted! This was the power of fish-men, and it was truly terrifying!
"Dammit! Why should I have to waste my time with such an idiot!?" Chew growled, noticing where Usopp was, at last, "I'll squirt you to pieces!" He shouted, causing Usopp to notice where he was, "SQUIRT GATLING GUN!" Chew shouted as he began rapidly firing bullets of water at Usopp!
"How did he find me!?" Usopp whined, doing his best to hide, and terrified out of his mind, "Crap! Crap! Holy crap! I finally wanted to be a real pirate, and now that I finally am, I know I can do it! I know I can! I promise: if I survive this ordeal, I'll never pretend to be a pirate ever again! I won't be a coward and retreat! MY FAKE PIRATE DAYS…ARE OVER!" As he swore that vow, Chew kicked the tree by the base of the trunk and grabbed the great piece of timber like a giant club, forcing Usopp to roll down for cover.
"What did you say was over?" Chew asked, having a sense of confidence and annoyed that this fight took longer than usual.
"This whole fight! Alcohol lights on fire!" Usopp shouted, knocking another arrow onto his bow, pulling it back and letting Chew see that this arrowhead had a cage on it, which was filled with a flaming incendiary piece of cloth that Usopp must've just lit as he hid, as what he heard next terrified him: "USOPP…FLAMING ARROW!"
In that instant, as soon as the arrow struck Chew, his whole body burst into flames thanks to the sake he was doused in earlier. Chew dropped the tree onto the ground and writhed in agony. The fire burned him greatly, just as it would any normal human.
"SHIT! I'm on fire!" He screamed, all while Usopp grinned at himself. Quickly, he ran towards the rice paddies, knowing what he needed: "Water! Must find water!"
"Wait a minute!" Usopp yelled, and sprinted right for Chew, the sledge hammer still in his hands as he yelled, "USOPP…HAMMER!" then smashed Chew on the head, sending him splashing into the paddy, while the archer himself skidded across the dirt. Usopp only looked at Chew, smoke coming off him as he thought he won, only for the fish man to struggle to his feet.
"Bastard!" Chew shouted. Usopp was shocked and scared, but he knew exactly what to do next, and what he did that day would be recalled throughout Cocoyashi Village for all time…
"USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! Rubber Band of Doom! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER! USOPP HAMMER!" He shouted, as he pounded Chew on the head ten times with the hammer, and struck him with the rubber band, until finally, the fish-man was knocked out cold, his face swollen from the injuries. Usopp only stood for an instant, panting in triumph, and then fell back into the shallow pool, catching his breath. 'I did it…! I beat a fish-man!' He thought, his heart soaring, as he shouted to the unconscious Chew, "YOU SEE THAT, LOSER! I BEAT YOUR ASS!" He then looked up to the heavens and declared with a triumphant laugh, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY DID IT! WHO'S A PIRATE NOW!? I AM USOPP THE PIRATE!"
Meanwhile, back at Arlong Park, the situation was now dire. Arlong now took the field, and now his attention was focused on Ragnar. Zoro and Sanji were seemingly beaten, but Ragnar was still standing tall.
"That Viking is something else!" Dr. Nako said in sheer disbelief, even as Sanji struggled to his feet, "He may be strong enough to take down Arlong. As long as he doesn't fall, we still have a chance!"
"Uh, so what did Arlong just do to Zoro and Sanji?" Yosaku asked.
"I dunno. It looked like he was just throwing water around," Johnny replied, "But then they both started to bleed!"
"I don't even have to touch you!" Arlong told the two men, "You humans are so fragile, that I can kill you by just playing around with a little water! That's the difference between us!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Sanji shouted as he tried to land a kick, only for Arlong to throw some seawater right at the chef, at top speed, and it sent Sanji flying back against a column. 'He's not kidding! That's why the shark is the king of the fish-men!' The chef thought, but was shocked to see that when Arlong tried the same for Ragnar, the Viking held up his shield, and was only sent skidding back on his feet, still standing!
'Phew…thank the Gods for our ways of warfare,' Ragnar thought, 'If I didn't have my shield and armor to protect me, I'd probably be ending up dead.' He only smiled as he transformed into his human-beast hybrid form, the sight of which only gained minor amusement from Arlong.
"So, a Zoan type Devil Fruit user, are you?" He asked with a grin, "At least that explains how you're able to keep up with me!"
"You may be the king of the fish-men, Arlong, but that cheap water trick won't work on me!" Ragnar declared, "Let's decide who will win this fight of nature: the terror of the ocean, or the king of beasts!"
"Gladly," Arlong declared, readying himself for a fight, "But I warn you, there will be nobody who will mourn you when you die." At that moment, the sound of thunder resonated from the harbor entrance, and the iron sea gates were blown clear off their hinges, sent flying out into the jungle behind Arlong Park with a fiery explosion. As the smoke cleared however, Arlong turned and saw a host of longships coming right for the harbor, each bearing the Elgrings' banner. Behind was the Web Panic, and aboard were the Sun Pirates, led by Willy himself! Each longship was packed to the brim with dozens of infantry and cavalry: totaling up to four-thousand, and at the prow of the lead ship was Hroðgar, clad in his full armor, and wielding a long axe as he recited a prayer to the Gods.
"Brave Sif, bring the gift of victory. Odin, lend me your helm of awe. Viðar, feed my need for vengeance. O Vanir, O Æsir, crush these walls!" He shouted, raising his axe to the heavens.
As the Elgrings all roared for battle, Ragnar took that moment and began chanting his iconic war poem:
"Deyr fé, deyja frændr, deyr sjalfr it sama, ek veit einn, at aldrei deyr: dómr um dauðan hvern!" The Viking quartermaster then drew his sword, and raised his battle cry, "ODIN OWNS YOU ALL!" With the reinforcements finally arrived, Ragnar let out his own leonine roar, eager to fight with renewed vigor! Perhaps the tide of misfortune was about to turn…
A/N: And here we go! What a way to bring about a total turn of the tide! Sanji and Usopp have managed to defeat Kuroobi and Chew, Celosia has finally arrived to help out, but now Arlong has entered the fray this time, and when all hope is lost, BAM! The Elgrings and Sun Pirates arrive to turn the tide! It looks like the Straw Hats' and Sun Pirates' plan is working after all!
Now, you may be thinking that having the Elgrings number four-thousand strong is a bit overkill. However, that is the modern estimates for the most men who fought for Olaf Trygvesson at the Battle of Maldon. These would not only consist of the Elgrings themselves, but also the other Norse settlements of the Conomi Islands, who came to fight under the Elgrings' banner. Modern historians estimate that the largest Viking invasion force - the Great Heathen Army - wasn't nearly as large as described in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. More realistic estimates state that it was in the low thousands, as opposed to ten-thousand.
Now, I also mentioned that Usopp used a bodkin arrow when he attacked Chew with the sake. What's a bodkin arrow, you might wonder? Well, in archery, the bodkin arrowhead is a type of arrowhead that is basically a tapered cubed metal spike, which was used throughout the Middle Ages, and it was especially renowned for its ability to penetrate armor.
I also mentioned Vanir and Æsir in Hroðgar's prayer. For any of those familiar with Norse mythology, they will know that the Æsir and the Vanir are the two main tribes of Gods. The Æsir are the one tribe of Gods that live in Asgard, and their numbers include Odin, Thor, Heimdall and Baldr. These are Gods of martial prowess and are oft seen using weapons, such as Odin's spear Gungnir, and Thor's hammer Mjolnir. The Vanir, on the other hand, are the other tribe of Gods. They hail from Vanaheim, and among their ranks are Freyja, Freyr and Njord. These Gods are more familiar with seiðr magic, and are more representative of nature.
Now, all that remains to be seen is for Luffy to return to the fray. What will happen during that time? Will Willy and Arlong come to blows? Will Ragnar finally get his fight with Wapanda? Stay tuned!