East Blue. Loguetown. Marine base.
Creak...
"Captain Smoker, bad news!" a Marine soldier exclaimed, rushing into a smoke-filled room.
A figure with two cigars in its mouth slowly emerged from the smoke.
"Um... The headquarters sent a message that the pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his crew are supposedly heading to Loguetown. He's a pirate from the East Blue with a 30,000,000 berry bounty!" the soldier said, saluting rigidly.
"Only 30 million... that's a high bounty for the East Blue," a deep voice responded.
"But he's a vicious criminal who defeated Buggy the Clown and Arlong the Fish-Man!" the soldier exclaimed, sweating nervously.
"Quiet down!" a sharp voice commanded, causing the soldier's face to pale. A moment later, something fell from the figure's hand.
The figure stood up, annoyed. "Who told you to yell? I failed again!"
"I'm sorry!" the soldier quickly apologized.
"This won't do. You're getting so worked up over such a small thing. I have my own way of doing things, right?" A determined face appeared from the smoke.
"Yes, sir!" the soldier said, standing at attention.
Creak...
The man then walked to the window and pushed it open, allowing the smoke to quickly dissipate.
"What did you say?" the silver-haired, shirtless man asked, turning around.
Smoker, a captain and the highest-ranking Marine officer stationed in Loguetown, is a user of the Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
"I-it's a pirate crew, sir! I heard they might appear in this town today!" the soldier replied, flustered.
"Why are you so panicked? Since I've been in charge of this town, has any pirate who dared to enter ever gotten away?" Smoker said dismissively.
"No... no, sir!" the soldier stammered.
"Then calm down. You're messing with my tempo!" Smoker put on his greatcoat, which had the word 'Justice' written on the back and was adorned with many cigars.
Tap-tap-tap-tap... Tap-tap-tap-tap...
Suddenly, another Marine soldier ran in, standing at attention. "Report! We've received a message that pirates have appeared at the port! Please proceed to the scene immediately!"
"It must be the Straw Hat Pirates! It must be them!" the first soldier said, holding up Luffy's wanted poster nervously.
"A 30 million berry bounty, huh? I hope he's at least a little entertaining," Smoker said, walking out with his Jutte. "I'm just talking to myself; don't mind me."
"Wait, Captain Smoker!" the first soldier said, as if remembering something, his voice growing more panicked. "There was also a message from the headquarters saying that Golden Ring Aeridar, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, has also come to the East Blue and might appear in Loguetown!"
"Golden Ring Aeridar!" Smoker stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at the Marine, his brows furrowed. "Seven Warlords of the Sea... Why would a man like that come to the East Blue?"
"I-I don't know!" the soldier said, startled.
"First I heard that Hawk-Eyes Mihawk was here, and now Golden Ring Aeridar. What in the world is so attractive about the East Blue?" Smoker said, pondering in confusion. After a moment, he shook his head. "Forget it. I'll leave this matter to the headquarters. For now, I'll deal with Monkey D. Luffy and his crew."
....
"What a beautiful day... Everywhere is so beautiful... so beautiful..." humming a folk tune from his past life, Aeridar walked leisurely through the streets of Loguetown.
This was the second time he had been to Loguetown. Compared to his last hurried visit, he was much more relaxed. The town was also much more orderly than the pirate-filled, bloody Loguetown he remembered from eight years ago. He even saw patrolling Marine soldiers.
Even the pirates he saw were hiding, afraid to walk in the open, clearly intimidated by the Marine stationed here. The man in charge of the garrison was Marine Headquarters Captain Smoker, a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user. In the weak East Blue, Smoker's Logia ability was an overwhelming force, making him invincible against most low-tier pirates.
With Smoker's deterrence, pirates didn't dare come to Loguetown. Those who did would sneak around, afraid to cause trouble. This gave Loguetown an excellent sense of public safety.
"My, my, how nostalgic. I think this is the street where I fought those two Rear Admirals back then," Aeridar said, looking at the familiar streets with a hint of melancholy. Eight years had passed in the blink of an eye. He reminisced about his early days as a pirate. "I was so green back then."
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Aeridar saw two familiar figures: a girl with playful orange hair and a boy with a long nose and a light brown bandana. It was the Straw Hat Pirates' navigator, Nami, and their sniper, Usopp. They were carrying large bags, clearly getting ready for their journey into the Grand Line.
He ignored them. His destination was the plaza of Loguetown. He wanted to see the execution platform where the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, was executed. During his last visit, he was attacked by the Marines and never got to see it, which had always been a regret of his. Now that he was here, he had to see it. Maybe he would even get to see the classic scene where Buggy the Clown tries to execute Luffy.
As he made his way to the plaza, Aeridar noticed many Marine soldiers hiding in the alleys, clearly setting up a perimeter. The Marines... They must have gotten the news that Luffy had arrived in Loguetown. Only Luffy, the new pirate with the highest bounty in the East Blue, would be worth such an effort.
Walking along the street, Aeridar's vision suddenly opened up to a spacious plaza with a large crowd. At the end of the plaza stood a tall, lonely iron execution platform.
"The town of the beginning and the end... the place that started the Great Pirate Era."
He stared blankly at the platform, as if he could see the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, before he spoke his last words: "You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything in that one place. Find it!"
That one sentence started the vast and glorious Great Pirate Era, inspiring countless people. Many who witnessed that scene are still active in the world, following the new age. Some have died, while others have become legends... This was the place where history was made.
Suddenly, a boy with a straw hat appeared on the platform, looking down at the crowd. "Whoa! So this is the view the King of the Pirates saw before he died!"