Chapter 2
The Grand-Line, G1 marine base, former Marine Headquarter
After the near complete destruction of Mary Joa at the end of the last war, the former headquarter of the marines at the center of the Grand-Line had been named as temporally place of the new government.
This location had been chosen for several reasons. Some were purely practical, it was one of the best defended places in the world and political, to demonstrate that the marines were still part of the world order.
In the moment the improvised head of state Monkey D. Dragon was in a meeting with several Key figures regarding the political situation.
With him were for example the former Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had temporally retaken his old position after the death of Sakazuki, his own father the resigned Vice Admiral Garp,
his old comrade Ivankov, king of the Okama State or maybe queen, depending on how you saw it and Nefertari Cobra and Vivi, king and princess of Alabasta and old allies of his son Luffy.
After their successful coup, that happened parallel to Luffy´s rise to Pirate King, as Dragon and the revolutionaries were trying to build up a new government, the Nefertaries were under the first who supported them.
Also present was Jimbei, who had been a Shichibukai under the old government under the old government until he rebelled to save Ace from execution and was now acting as ambassador from Fishmen Island.
Kuzan, the former Admiral Aokiji, who had recently joined their forces was currently on sea in the New World. Otherwise he would have also been here.
"The situation is serious", Sengoku told them, "not only are there still followers of the old order out there, pirates, bandits and others are trying to take advantage of the temporal lack of security.
And it comes even worse. I got reports about a group claiming to be revolutionaries, attacking and pillaging entire villages in the east blue."
"And Sengoku? It is not as if all that is coming as an surprise", Garp commented. "It was clear from the beginning that people like them would come out now that they see the chance, just like the last time.
I don´t know how we could ever be so naive to think taking out Whitebeard would achieve something good. Many people had been warning us but did we listen, no."
"Are you finished Garp?" Sengoku was now yelling at him. "We have current problems to think about instead of debating about the mistakes of the past." Just like in the old days this man had an colossal talent to get on his nerves.
"Under the old world government such things happened on a daily basis. For half of it they were responsible themselves. They were just really good at controlling the media so that the people would never hear about most of it", Jimbei remarked sarcastically. "I hope you remember who had one of the greatest roles in selling lies?"
"Okay", Sengoku replied, now struggling to control himself, "if you two have enough of throwing mud at me, could we continue?"
"Yes", Dragon´s voice was now to hear, "I think we should not start fighting under ourselves. We have enough enemies after all.
Sengoku had joined us before the fall of the world government and he had played an essential role in bringing parts of the marines to our side. Don´t forget that."
His words ended the dispute for the moment.
"Regarding what you said Jimbei, I won´t start controlling the press like they did it. We led this revolution to free the world of an corrupt and tyrannical government. This would be the first step to undo this.
I am also not trying to grab power for myself. Elections will happen at the latest point in six months. The Gorosai will be reinstated. But from now on their position will for limited time and depending on the vote."
"What about the board of kings?" Cobra wanted to know.
"The rule of individual countries is a choice of their own. As long as the people of Alabasta are standing behind your family we will support you and treat you as official representative of your state.
Others rulers, who had only been in their positions because of the World Government backing them up however, will be removed, if possible with the help of their own subjects. Especially excesses like in Shabondy or the Goa Kingdom won´t longer be tolerated."
"Goa, I have heard about this", Cobra´s daughter Vivi said. "Isn´t that a kingdom where the rulers had forced half the country to life in a giant dump?"
"You are right, but you don´t know all of it. Years ago, as a tenryuubito came to visit the country, the nobility decided they were ashamed about the state their people lived in.
They hired a group of pirates to lay a fire. The flames spread over a great part of the land, it was a inferno. They later blamed everything on the pirate crew."
Vivi was listening to his tale in horror.
"All that only because a single world noble came to the country."
"While we are talking about fire Dragon", Iva reminded them, "some people are still thinking we are responsible for the burning of Mary Joa despite all the information we gave the press."
Garp was laughing out loud.
"The people are so used to the fact that the government is lying", he said, "that they don´t even consider that you might tell them the truth."
"You are not exactly a help here father", Dragon told him.
"Oh, sorry sorry", he replied, "don´t let an old man disturb you."
"We will make another press release. Many of the surviving slaves that were freed can confirm that it was not us who had caused the fire."
"A good idea". Sengoku commented.
"About this band of pillagers. I have already taken steps about this. We have sent one of our best men to deal with the situation."
"Only one man?" Cobra said in doubt.
"He will be more than enough for this mission. Remember, Luffy is also only one man."
"Luffy, have you heard of him?" Vivi asked him.
"Not since Vice Admiral Smoker had reported that he had found One Piece and taken down Blackbeard.
Don´t worry, you know him. I am sure my son is alright."
xxxxxxx
Kokos Village, Nami´s home town
It was now over three years ago that this island had been freed of the pirate Arlong´s reign of terror. For this time the citizens had been fending for themselves and did not bad, in their opinion.
With the exception of their self proclaimed "defenders", Johnny and Yosaku, the old friends of Lorenor Zoro, they had not actual outside help for that time and they were not really unhappy about it.
Since it became clear that the local marines had been secretly collaborating with Arlong, they came to distrust the most authorities.
But now a new group of soldiers had arrived in the town. They said the were members of the revolutionary army with the task to hold up the peace.
It turned out quickly that something was wrong. This group that was supposedly meant to protect them was now demanding to hand all their supplies and valuable objects over to them.
The leader of the soldiers, a man calling himself "Commander Shramm", was now speaking in front of the assembled villagers and giving them his demands.
"We won´t give you anything", Genzo the scarred faced constable of the town shouted at them. "We have worked hard for this things and won´t just hand them over to you."
Behind him approving sounds were to hear from the crowd.
Johnny and Yosaku walked in front of them.
"You want to take what belongs to this people? When you have to go through us first", Yosaku announced.
But he and his partner instantly had a dozen guns pointed at them and went a step backwards.
The leader of the soldiers only smiled. It seemed that their two heroes were not so tough after all.
"What is this?" he said loud. "Do you have no respect for the force that has freed you from the tyrannical World Government?" Commander Shramm asked them
"You have done nothing for us", Nami´s sister Nojiko yelled at them. "Are you even part of the revolutionaries? You have never shown us a single proof."
"I see, so we are dealing with a village full of traitors after all. You leave me no choice."
Behind him his men were starting to lift their rifles, knowing exactly how things would continue from here.
"Respect is something that has to be earned." Another voice was to hear.
As the soldiers turned around they saw a young man standing behind them. He was wearing a long, dark brown colored coat, had short black hair and a sword hanging at his side.
"Who are you?" Shramm wanted to know.
"I am a member of the Revolutionary Army", the man answered, "in opposite to you a real member and not just a marauder like you who is hiding behind our flag. You can call me Hood."
"You are what?" He called out, now in obvious shock.
"You will stand down, you will leave this people alone and you will follow me quietly to the next marine base. That is your first and only chance."
"And why should I follow orders from a single whelp like you?" the `Commander´ said more confidently now, having fully realized that the young man before him was indeed alone.
"Kill him", he ordered.
"You had your chance", Hood answered.
In the next moment he had vanished.
"Where is he?" Shramm yelled.
"Look out, he is behind you", a few of the men yelled as the stranger suddenly reappeared behind two of their comrades and his blade cut them down.
Another man who was standing close by was drawing his gun, but before he could fire he was hit by an haki augmented punch that was so hard that he was thrown through the air into a second soldier who was knocked out as well.
"I said you should kill him", Shramm was now screaming.
Three other of his soldiers were now aiming their weapons at their opponent, but in the moment they fired he vanished again and in his place one of their own men appeared and was hit by the bullets.
The trio froze in shock as they saw that they had just shot one of their own only to be struck down in the same moment.
At this point the false commander was only starring terrified at the massacre before him. The stranger was dis- and reappearing between his men and took them out one after the other, until the last who were left were fleeing in panic.
"That, that is impossible, nobody can be so strong", he stammered.
"You clearly don´t come around much", the other man commented before he gave him a punch that send him flying against the next tree and he sank down unconscious.
The assembled town citizens were now starring at the revolutionary in both awe and fear.
"Thank you", a purple haired woman finally said.
"You can tell the others that I have no intention to hurt them", he told her. "Do you have any place to hold them until the marines arrive to transport them away?" He gestured to the unconscious band of soldiers who were actually only bandits.
"I am sure we will find something", Genzo replied.
"You are the sister of one of the crew-members of the Strawhats, right?"
"Yes, Nami is my sister."
He nodded, thinking that was the case.
"As you have probably heard, the Strawhats have found the One Piece. That means they will probably return to the East Blue very soon."
"So the story is true, Luffy is Pirate King?"
"Yes", he confirmed.
This people had obviously already heard it from the newspapers, he thought. But after reading for years news that had obviously been manufactured, it didn´t surprise him that they didn´t just believed anything they heard.
"Do you want to stay in our village for some time, as a guest?" Genzo invited him.
"Thank you", he said, "I gladly accept, at least until this pillagers are transported away.
I also admit, I am looking out for a chance to meet the Strawhat crew." He put a light smile on his face.
xxxxxxx
At the same time the Thousand Sunny was on it´s way to the end of the East Blue to meet a certain whale.
While most of the crew was just somehow spending their time on deck, one of their members, Nami, was busy fulfilling her own personal dream.
She had wanted to write the most accurate and complete world map and now she had it nearly completed.
Only the last piece was left, the location of the All Blue. The legendary sea was for a long time thought to be only a legend, until they had discovered it shortly after finding the One Piece.
All Blue, as it turned out, was the opposite of Reverse Mountain at the other side of the Red Line.
Like on Reverse Mountain, water was flowing from all four blues into the Grand Line, water was here at the end of the New World going into the underground, assembling into an subterranean sea and from there back into the blues.
So the circle was surrounding the world and connecting all oceans. And her map would be the first to show this.
Now it was finished.
Once they had sworn themselves to fulfill their dreams. They had nearly succeeded. Only one thing was left, Laboom.
"Nami, we have an island in front of us." She heard Luffy´s voice screaming over the ship.
I had not updated this story for some time now. Recently a reader contacted me and asked me to continue already. So I have hurried up and finale released the second chapter.
Side-note: The name Hood of the revolutionary fighter is of course a reference to Robin Hood.