Alvida = Alfhildr
Alvida's historical equivalent is probably one of the most obscure, but also one of my favorites. In One Piece, she's one of Luffy's first enemies, captain of her own pirate band, but somewhat portly. Later she eats a devil fruit and becomes able to control her body mass, slimming down considerably. Her fruit makes her “slippery,” which is part of the link to her spiritual ancestor, the Danish princess-turned-pirate Alfhildr. Also spelled “Alwida,” Alfhildr was the daughter of Siward in 9th century Denmark. She decided that just because her suitor Alf fulfilled her father's requirements for her hand didn't mean that she had to, and purportedly heeding her mother's advice (“Are good looks enough for you to give up your chastity? Shouldn't you judge his virtue, not just his appearance?”), Alfhildr absconded, dressing up like a man and eventually teaming up with another lady pirate named Groa to lead a band of sea rovers.
Unfortunately, her history as recorded by Saxo Grammaticus doesn't tell us much more beyond the fact that she was really good at being a pirate, so Alf was sent to stop her, eventually marrying her while his first mate Harald got to marry Groa. Alvida clearly shares Alfhildr's dangerous streak and piratical success, and her later team-up with Buggy is similar to Alfhildr's eventual leadership over a band of male pirates. However, it's possible that Alvida isn't the only lady pirate in One Piece to owe her existence to Alfhildr – Vivi, the princess of Alabasta, also runs off to sea and piracy, and “Boa” sounds suspiciously like “Groa,” one of the most steadfast among Alfhildr's pirate band. Oda seems to have picked up where history left off, and I for one appreciate it, because Alfhildr's story, no matter how little of it we know, is worth telling.
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