Come Together! Marines Gone Mad!

The Arrival of Ulysses Black
''Wealth....Fame...Power... Monkey D. Luffy, the King of the Pirates, attained this, and everything else the world had to offer. Like Gol D. Roger before him, it was no easy feat, and his dying words drove countless souls far from the sea: "You want my treasure? Go ahead, it's yours! I left everything me and Roger had in one place. All you gotta do is find it!" If this sounds familiar, it's because Luffy was executed after thirty years as the King of the Pirates. And it's these words that, ironically, kept people far away from the Grand Line. Not wanting to incur the same wrath that Luffy faced, many pirates either gave up piracy, or simply never went for it. Also hurting matters was a hard crackdown on piracy across the Blues; as the Marines didn't want anyone else following Luffy's path again, and went after the One Piece themselves just so this 'madness' would end, but have so far been fruitless. This  is the time known as the Great Pirate Purge, and it seemed like the days of high-seas adventuring was over... That is, until a particular Marine Captain made some poor decisions in the North Blue...''

Our story begins fifty years after the execution of Monkey D. Luffy; and roughly 70 years after Gol D. Roger's death; in the North Blue, on an island named Orlean Village. It was seven o'clock in the evening, and the town was becoming very lively. Though this wasn't new for the citizens, as celebrations were quite often in the year. The booze was pouring, the food was plentiful, and tourists from all over the known world came to this, their biggest celebration of the year. This bash was headed by the son of the Mayor and his childhood best friend; respectively, one Mercury Goodman, and Pallas T. Kite. The two were singing, and dueting on their clarinet and saxophone; their brass band loud and lively, sounding like something straight out of Mardis Gras.

The sense of joy and jubilation (not to mention inebriation) was in the air, and it felt like nothing could stop it! And wouldn't you know it, something tried to. A Marine ship docked near the shore for a routine inspection, their arrival latened due to a sea storm a few hours earlier. Stepping onto the shore were thirty armed men, a giant shipwright with a big drum mallet tied to his back, and their captain at the front of it all. He wore a black tricorn hat with black hair, black hands, and a black mallet tied to his own back. Aside from that, he was in the standard Marine uniform for a captain to have.

The captain had hoped for order and discipline from the townsfolk, but instead found them acting, in his own eyes, debauched and depraved. In blind anger, he shouted, "Grab them! Grab these drunken bastards! I want each and every one under lock and key!"

"Uh, sir, most of the ones in the crowd are tourist civilians." pointed his liutenant. "And this isn't really piracy, just a big party. Should we really go to these lengths just for what the town regularly does?" "Normally, no." agreed the captain. "But this has gone long enough without some sort of order! And after that terrible incident with the past mayor, I'm not taking any chances."

The men worked like lightning, much to Goodman and Kite's dismay. "Oi, what the 'ell's goin' on?" asked Mercury. "By order of Captain Ulysses Black, this crowd is being arrested for being both pirate sympathizers and refusal to pay taxes to the World Government." said a nearby soldier. Immediately, several red flags were being risen. "Hold it, we'd like a word with Captain Black, if you please." said Kite. "Sorry, but only the son of the former mayor may see the captain." he replied. "Why's that?" Kite asked. "Captain's orders. He says he wants a word with him about this town's affairs." "Oh, then escort me and my friend here to him, mate." Mercury said. "Wait, seriously?" asked the soldier. "Yep, my father's Joseph Goodman. And good man he was..." Mercury reminisced.

"Fine, but be warned; the captain's been...a bit grouchy lately. It'd be wise not to piss him off." warned the soldier. "He's trying to question the citizens, mate; it's pretty obvious, lad." Mercury pointed out. "Touche."