The Black Pearl of the Grandline.
Ch 1.
I OWN NOTHING!
In the small town of Mara of East Blue was located a small Marine base only around 40 strong. The commander, a freshly appointed Petty Officer Maurice, was sitting up late one night dealing with paper work.
He was an average man who had pounded his way through the ranks by hard work and diligence to his duty and this was his first day as the commanding officer of a detachment of the Marines.
As he stretched back from his seat and tried to cover a yawn when he heard the boom of a cannon. He leaped to a window and saw to his shock a large ship was sitting out in the bay firing shot after shot into the town and base. Cannons from the Marine base returned fire at the ship, scoring hits on the ship, but causing seemingly little or no casualties for the crew, as they continued their murderous fire without pause.
Petty Officer Maurice, taking 30 men, rushed to the shore to try and fight off the pirates coming in rowboats. As he was about to give the command to open fire, the moon came out from behind the clouds and shone down on the pirates.
As one the Marines screamed in horror and fled the shore, all thoughts of training and duty utterly crushed by primal terror. Petty Officer Maurice alone held his ground and desperately fired his rifle at the lead boat.
He smiled in relief when his shot struck home, but to his horror, the victim righted himself, and acted as if no damage had been made. That's when his courage finally failed him and he ran for his life. The pirates landed on the beaches with no more resistance.
An hour later, the ship left Mara town, leaving behind a destroyed town, a demolished base, and no survivors. A strange grey cloud billowed behind it and the last things seen of the ship were its tattered black sails.