Loguetown City of the East Blue Region was located just off the start of the trans-regional Grand Line highway. In the past, the highway was built originally to connect several major shipping ports to Laughtale, a major terminus and connecting the ports of the Four Blues Prefecture to the rest of Japan. In the times from around the Edo period, the imported and exported material was taken down the highway by foot or by oxcart, however in the late Meiji period, two trainlines were built parallel to the highway. They were built to primarily transport freight to Laughtale from each Blue's respective ports and to connect the residents to the Japanese main rail network. Since Loguetown was the hub that connected the Four Blue Prefecture to the rest of Japan, it's wealth considerably and made it one of the largest cities on the map, barred only by several prominent trading settlements.
In olden days, local military and police were few in the Four Blues so crime was very prominent in the form of bandits, gangs, yakuza and… pirates! This inspired the governments of the region to collectively form a unified military and naval force in the early 1700s, later being absorbed into the collective Japanese military and later following WWII, the Japanese Self Defence Force. Loguetown is still home to a navy base however it is primarily used for training purposes with instructors and personnel given the option to work part-time while having other forms of employment. The soldiers are also eligible to receive a Public Safety Pass, permitting them to act to protect members of the public if a crisis were to emerge alongside emergency workers. Permitted actions include:
1. Evacuation procedures
2. Medical Assistance (if certified)
3. Talking down or restraining individuals whose actions may threaten the lives of others
The rules are rather strict however as personnel are required to have the pass on them if they are to help civilians, personal protective equipment such as arm and leg-guards and under jacket bulletproof vests are to be worn at all times, they are not allowed to act if it puts themselves or civilians in any more harm (e.g. entering a burning or collapsing building without the proper safety equipment) and any excessive or lethal action when attempting to restrain someone is not permitted (they are not allowed to carry a gun). Breaking of any of these rules can lead to fines, court marshal and even prison time.
Loguetown grew into infamy 22 years before the current day when Gol D. Rodger, one of the worlds largest criminals returned to the town he was born in. Breaking into a hotel and standing on a balcony of a 3rd floor room with a full view of the square, the so called "Pirate King" spoke to the crowd who grew into the hundreds as they listened to one of the most prominent figures in recent history. His speech was a short 7 minutes long but the whole thing was caught on camera and was broadcasted to the world, to this day it is still reposted on the internet despite it being taken down within the hour.
The "Pirate King" spoke of his adventures and his life which he now declared to be forfeit, he told of his achievements and his regrets and his years in charge of one of the most famous criminal groups: The Rodger Pirates. The local law enforcement arrived at the tail end of the speech along with Vice Admiral Garp and Chief Instructor Sengoku of the Loguetown Naval Branch, both old rivals with the man. Despite ordering Rodger to surrender and to come down from the platform, he ignored them all and began to wrap up his speech.
"Wealth, Fame, Power, I achieved everything this world has to offer!" he began. The head of the Four Blues' police department, Senior Commissioner Kong, (worried that Rodger was about to jump off the platform when he finished his speech or worse, blow himself up) ordered his men to open fire. Two shots pierced the edge of Rodger's heart, and one punctured his lung, but he simple smiled and laughed.
"What was my greatest treasure?" He yelled. "This world! Everywhere is simply one piece of this beautiful treasure, more valuable than all the gold you can imagine! Follow your dreams to the end, this world has everything you could want and more! Gather up all your hopes and dreams and find what you are looking for! That One Piece!"
And with that he fell to his knees, coughing madly before falling onto his side, his wounds having finally caught up with him. With his death came stirring in the world, gangs, and criminals become more prominent, all attempting to be great as The Pirate King. Of course, many were easily dealt with and never truly got far in their quest, however, the ones who took Rodger's message to heart the most were students, especially those in the Four Blues Prefecture.
Delinquents, troublemakers and disrupters grew as they all strived for greatness and chaos. To tackle this, the schools of the Grand Line became strict and orderly, only for the student bodies to take it as a challenge, forming a new underground contest with all the schools in the region: whoever received the most detentions by the time of each year's graduation would be crowned "The King of the Pirates". Many notorious figures had emerged from this competition, "Fire-Fist" Ace, Charlotte Katakuri, Boa Hancock, Donquixote Doflamingo, King the "Wildfire" to name just a fragment of the great people. The schools that housed these individuals themselves grew to be some of the most well-known schools of the world, on parr in fame as great universities like Oxford or MIT. Sports, academics, successful graduates, newsworthy incidents, these schools were at the height of greatness though none were as famous as Grand Line High of Loguetown.
Before, it was known as a shining example for students year after year it pumped out great people, many finding roles in emergency services, the local navy and even politics. But after Rodger made his great speech, it became the ground zero for the new "King of the Pirates" competition with the students who came after were nicknamed "The Worst Generation". The school held many great figures who were above ordinary in schooling and sports, though the name of the one who would shake the region would very soon come to be known. As the time before the beginning of the next school year drew to only two weeks away, a young man energetically ran up a mountain path to a large wooden building.