It was a beautiful summer day in the port city of Gorudo, East Blue. This port city has been the center of trade and defense for centuries for the royal capital of Tengoku.
Most of the kingdom were filled with lush forests and wildlife but the villages bordered the hot desert and food was sometime scarce but the royal family always gave aid when needed.
The trading routes brought in everything from jewels to food from all over the seas. It led the citizens into an era of prosperity.
Tengoku's royal family who ruled were the Gol D Family and they had ruled with a gentle but firm hand. There were courts within the capital city where justice was carried out with fair trials and if the disputes weren't resolved than the king had the final say but throughout history this had only happened a few times.
The insignia for the royal family was in the form of a mythical bird known as the phoenix but it has become more legend than fact for no one has ever seen it. It is said that it had came from the west saved by the first king of the country and as it is written the phoenix took on a protective deity role for the family.
The Royal Guard protected the royal family led by Sengoku himself who was honored with the task. His 2nd in command was Monkey D. Garp who was in charge of the training of the new cadets and the back up infantrymen.
Monkey D. Dragon was a captain under his father but when the war broke out and BlackBeard's army had invaded from the kingdom of Baltego he found the system to be corrupt so he left after the royal family was rather killed or believed dead.
He gave up his son named Monkey D Luffy to his father to be trained and looked after. Garp tried reasoning with him but it was no use Dragon swore that he won't return to fix things unless the supposed heir was found alive.
While on the outskirts of the city the wanderers known as Revolutionaries patrolled the borders and even though they had disputes with the Royal Guards they couldn't say no to the king. The leader of the Revolutionaries had been unknown for years and no knew why.
The country had been at peace until 18 years ago during the reign of Gol D Roger an invasion took place. The guards and secretly with the help of the Revolutionaries tried to protect the royal family from the invaders. But it was in vain for the king was killed and as the enemy stole the crown, the queen Portgas D Rouge and her unborn child had escaped in to the night.
It is said that a bright blue fire in the sky had guided the queen and her child to a safe place but with the stress of the invasion she fell ill. A woman who was a healer found her and the queen gave birth naming the baby before she passed on.
The healer took the baby for her own to protect him and she promised to keep his identity a secret until he was old enough. She had been in the palace hours before but had to leave to oversee the incoming medicine and herbs that were coming into port.
She was the head healer who came to Gorudo with her father as child her name was Vivi. Her father was named Cobra who was a scholar and an advisor to the king.
She thanked the legendary deity for her safety and that of the new born baby who was the future heir and their only hope. His name was Gol D Ace.
But Vivi gave him the identity "Kasai" in public but in private she called him Ace.
"I will watch over the child Vivi and you as well. But in the future he will do great things and reclaim his throne." The mysterious voice told her through the blue fire.
"Will you help him do it?" She asked for she didn't want to leave the child to his fate.
"Yes but right now I must keep my distance for the enemy who had taken the throne is searching for 4 mystical items that contain powerful magic."
Vivi nodded for she had heard of the legend of the 4 mystical items in her own kingdom of Alabasta before she left."So who stole the throne from the young prince here?"
"Blackbeard stole the throne and now that the king is dead he will do terrible things. The royal guard answer to him now for Sengoku who holds the executive power of the guard has no choice they believe the young prince is dead."
"That's terrible and what of Dragon?" She knew that he just defected from the Royal Guards and there were rumors of him joining the Revolutionaries.
"He's regrouping as the leader of the Revolutionaries now they are planning to bring down the tyrant. Be safe and everything you will need is not far from here." He left and the mysterious blue fire disappeared.
Vivi took Ace to an old house at the edge of the village and raised him there as if he were her own son. She always had that feeling at the back of her mind that some one was watching over her and the prince it brought a smile to her during the dark times.
For years Blackbeard ran the country dry and became a tyrannical ruler. He taxed everyone also the trade routes were closed off and soon a resistance was formed but his commanders took out the small rebels with ease and everyone thought hope was lost.
The army of Blackbeard was known as the Black Crusaders and with time there were suppose rumors of the prince being alive and that King Roger's legacy would continue.
When Blackbeard was told of this he laughed it off but told his commanders to keep an eye and ear open just in case for in the back of his mind no one knew the truth for sure.
In modern day Gorudo now 18 year old Ace is all grown up and with him keeping his heritage a secret had led a normal life but he was now alone. Vivi had died from an illness a year ago but he had a feeling that someone had betrayed her he just didn't have any proof. He resorted to taking what he needed to survive even made enemies with the Royal Guards.
The resources were becoming more scarce since the king declared hunting on his lands outlawed but Ace was a rebel and he wasn't going to bow to some tyrant especially when he had a plan to one day take the throne back.
Ace was told the truth about his heritage at the age of 13 years old when Vivi told him a magnificent story about a prince and his destiny as king. Also the legend of the mythical being known as the Phoenix.
He didn't believe it until something happened which Vivi didn't even flinch at what he had done and she made him swore never to reveal his so called power. "You are the heir to this kingdom Ace and you must take great care for there are enemies out there." Her words still echoed in his head to this day.
Ace snapped out of his memories for he had to live in the here and now. He was hungry and had to figure out his morning meal. The summer sun beat upon his skin and he knew that another drought was happening. Water and food were getting hard to savage but he wasn't one to give up.
"So Garp's new patrol is out doing rounds this will be fun." He smirked for these so called cadets were mostly cowards anyway and he always enjoys making a fool out of them.
They walked by looking for any thieves in the market place for the penalty of stealing was life time imprisonment. So far Ace hadn't been caught and he wasn't going to start now.
"Oh lucky me there is a cart of fruit." He double checked for guards and not seeing anyone he climbed down the ruined building. He despised the tyrant with the way the kingdom looked and how poor his fellow country men were.
He reached over the cart and grabbed a melon when all of the sudden he heard a voice "Hey are you stealing that?"
Ace turned around so fast that it made him slightly dizzy but once the dark spots cleared and his vision was restored he took out his dagger. It might not be much but it had saved his life once already.
"Show yourself and if you are a Royal Guard or a Black Crusader than I will show you what pain means." Ace threatened for he swore to never be caught and to always live free.
The mysterious person stepped from the shadows with a smirk on his face. "I'm not a guard or crusader friend. I am just like you."
Ace stood there trying to figure out what his next move was "How can I trust you?"
"If you put away your dagger and share that melon with me I will tell you who I am." The kid didn't look any older than he was and something deep down told Ace that this kid wouldn't betray him.
But before Ace could answer they both heard yelling coming toward them.