Yes, as a X Drake fan, I think of how and why he left the Marines. I may not be entirely correct, but this an envisioning of what might have happened. Starring some people's most favorite/least favorite song, parody lyrics by me.
A lone sea vessel rocked gently in the balmy arms of the ocean waves, the gentle rippling being the only lullaby playing late this evening. Alone on the stern of this ship stood a man who ran his fingers on the wooden rails. He withdrew his arm and crossed it with his other arm. In deep disappointment, he glared at the distance.
The ocean shines in the moonlight tonight, there's nowhere for me to hide.
A twenty-two-yearlong Era, and I once was on their side.
Throughout my whole life, they had led and kept me blind.
I open my eyes, lies are what I find.
His disappointment resided within the Marines. The worldwide organization and division of the World Government had been his life ever since he was a little boy. His childhood dreams and fantasies died today. Seeing the corruptions of the World Government grow and grow, he couldn't take it anymore. The higher his position became, the more he was allowed to see. At the last straw, he sailed away as far and as fast as he could and shunned any contact from anyone. Many of the Marines soldiers on his ship had abandoned him, knowing something was amiss with the rear admiral and being frightened by his devious actions.
"We're bringing justice to this world.
"Jolly Rogers should never be unfurled.
"Never, ever will we do wrong."
Well, they did wrong.
Another call out of the series of calls since his departure sounded from the cubby hole in the large mast of the ship. In fact, a lot more. And each and every one of them from the same source. Impatiently, he marched towards the mast and gathered all the ringing Marine-logo decorated den den mushis into his arms. He proceeded to the railings of the ship and pitched them like baseballs into the greatest outfield called the ocean. He turned away from the sound of splashing and bubbling of the snails' last breaths. There were a few more things he had to do.
Let it go, let it go,
Forget their disgusting war.
I cannot, I will not.
Put up with it anymore.
I don't care what they'll say to my face,
Let the law rage on,
It never bothered me in the first place.
The next morning, he was greeted by whatever Marines hadn't abandoned him. Though his profile didn't show it, he was surprised and impressed by their loyalty. Like their leader's articles of Marine apparel, their uniforms' caps and bandannas were shed and either burnt to ashes or disposed of in the deep waters. Yet in their eyes, he could hear subtly their voices asking, "Are you sure about this, Captain? Are we ready?"
It's funny how some distance can show a wholesome truth;
And their evil, senseless morals killed the dreams of my youth.
He nodded his head in a yes.
In the distance, he saw a Marine base within range, a rather sturdy Marine base. He wouldn't have much to worry about when it came to receiving permission to enter its perimeters as his Marine's flag flapped in the wind. The ship was recognized by the soldiers in the watch tower as Rear Admiral Drake's personal ship. Receiving the signal to come in, he ordered, "Tear down that flag." At the signal of the Marine flag descending from the mast, he turned to his comrades.
"Ready the cannons." He ordered subtly. To one shipmate, he said, "Raise the flag. The red flag." Within a few minutes, the busy crew hurried to prepare the powerful, large weapons in the direction of the base.
A single shipmate lifted his head from under the deck. "Captain." He responded. "We're ready."
He gritted his teeth and looked up to the mast to see a red-colored Marine's flag with a large X crisscrossing over the Marine symbol.
"Fire."
But forget that, what's done is done,
My life's mission has just begun,
I'm taking flight, leaving what's been,
Begin.
A few hours later, two commodores, three rear admirals, and two vice admirals arrived at the recently devastated Marine base. Once proud tall watch towers and nearly impenetrable fortresses now lay to the ground as mountains of blood-splattered debris. Corpses of Marines, soldiers and leaders alike, were scattered here and there; very few were barely alive.
Each member of the prestigious band shook their heads at this situation. Who could've done this? This base had been around for many years and was considered one of the strongest bases in the Grand Line. Only a dangerously powerful yet mad embodiment could've done this.
Let it go, let it go,
I will raise my defiance high.
Let me be, let me go,
I'm nobody's ally.
There's a new life that I'll chase,
Let the law rage on.
Taking a step back from his comrades to see and wonder at the catastrophe, one of the rear admirals just happened to step into a puddle. His entire boot sank into the blood-penetrated mud.
But it wasn't just any puddle. No, this puddle was in the distinct shape of a monster's foot—a dinosaur's foot. The four Marines looked at each other in fear and shock. It couldn't be.
A cough was heard behind a commodore, and the panicked officer carefully pulled a badly injured soldier out of a pile of broken concrete. The young soldier coughed again, blood flying from his mouth.
"What happened here?" The commodore asked urgently. "Do you know what happened here?"
The soldier coherently muttered, but barely enough for the high-ranked officers to understand. "Marine ship…destroyed…red flag…rear admiral…" The young man spoke out, his voice trembling in his great pain and weakness. He sunk into the ground as he let out his final breath.
My power's eruption will strike fear in their hearts,
Increasing rebellion will tear their ruthless world apart,
And my actions will shout out like the beating drums,
"This Marine's flag flies red! Look out, world! Here he comes!"
It had been three days since his attack; Drake remembered that as he stood quietly in his cabin. He thoroughly studied a map—a map of the world as he knew it, from the Grand Line to the New World. He was once a Marine so he saw the world from a point of view different from the views of most other pirates. He knew his advanced knowledge of what the World Government hides from the world would get him into a lot of trouble.
"Captain Drake!" A shipmate opened the door and called his name. He was no longer a Marine's rear admiral but now a pirate captain. Gone was the standard Marine's uniform as he wore something a soldier wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Albeit, it clashed with the Marine sense of fashion, but it looked rather dashing and noble. There, printed on the front page, was his face, his name, and the story of his massacre at the shattered Marine base. He only took a quick browsing at the newsflash. At his feet from the newspaper landed a bounty poster.
"'Red Flag' X Drake:" The shipmate read out loud. "222 Million Beli."
Let it go, let it go,
When I sail as a pirate dread.
There's no rear admiral,
That officer is dead.
Here I stand as I run in this race,
Let the law rage on,
It never bothered me in the first place.
The glaring captain stepped outside of his cabin and looked up at the mast. Floating in the sea breeze were two flags: the red Marine's flag and a pirate's Jolly Roger. He would no longer be a seeker of justice but now would be a seeker of the great, legendary treasure One Piece. Looking at first his ship and later his crew, he raised his eyes to the horizon.
"Let's go."
Hope you liked it!
FINAL NOTE: Nowadays, I read about many theories of Drake being a kid named Dorry in the more recent chapters of the manga, and I'm a bit undecided about whether he's the kid or not. If Oda confirms that he is, I just might make another Let It Go songfic about Drake.
One Piece (c) Eiichiro Oda
Frozen (c) Disney
Fanfic and parody lyrics (c) me.