"You can never cross the ocean if you don't have the courage to lose sight of the shore"
(Pounce D. Leon)
Fifteen years earlier... .
For about six hours the West Sea sun had been resting its warm gaze on the mild island of Hilyra, highlighting with its golden rays the froth atop the waves that broke interminably against the reef and shimmering on the sand grains that rose and danced in the presence of a light emerald breeze, a rather unusual phenomenon in those parts.
Today, for every citizen who was dutiful to order and law, or professed to be a lover of such virtues was a special day. Already, for on the same day not so long ago, something happened that remained etched in everyone's memory and hearts, even in those who fought strenuously for a single shred of freedom in a rigid and stifling system, someone like the pirates or for those who fought to safeguard this planet and its inhabitants, someone like the revolutionaries.
And who more than anyone could rejoice at such an event than the Marine and the World Government, the ultimate exponents of justice in the Blue Sea?
Well, it all happened no less than thirteen years ago, when the legendary explorer and outlaw Pounce arrived at the last island of the Grand Line after overcoming numerous dangers and pitfalls along the way, accomplishing a feat that few would have had the courage to undertake and many would have found even impossible, unearthing a treasure of immeasurable value that should never have been found. It was because of this that people began to attach to him the lofty title of "King of Explorers" or even "King Conqueror," something he also began to take pride in.
However, such a brazen act had undermined the Marine's power and credibility, just as it had indirectly done so for the World Government as well. That is why no one could sit idly by, or the trust they had so patiently and diligently built up over some 800 years since their founding would be shattered in an instant.
In addition, rumors began to circulate among the populace that the great leader known as "The Storm" had discovered some arcane secret that had long been buried over the centuries. Still others that he had found the legendary "Fountain of Eternal Youth," capable of rejuvenating or healing even the most deadly of wounds, and others that he was on the trail of a mythical devil fruit that granted unimaginable powers to anyone who ingested it.
Who could know what the actual truth was? Only the members of Leon's crew should have been aware of that fearsome secret, even though no trace of them could be found anymore.
A year later came what was known as the "Battle of Cataclysms," a massive and bloody clash between Marine forces led by young Vice Admiral Hitsuyo and the legendary explorer. It is said to have lasted about ten days and rocked sky and earth; at the end of the last day, the World Government put an end to the clash, taking the life of the one who provoked it.
As a result of it, supporters of Leon and piracy dropped dramatically, and the two main institutions greatly increased their prestige, instilling fear and respect in even the most hardened scoundrels, thus preventing similar deeds from happening again. It was thanks to this confrontation that Hitsuyo earned the nickname that would accompany him throughout his long militancy in the marine, namely "Stormbreaker."
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One Piece: The Natural Enemies Of The Gods
Adventure"We did not understand what we were attracted to until it was before our eyes." Beyond the Grand Line, one of the world's greatest explorers unearthed something that should never have been found and could have thrown the world into chaos if it had f...
