Loguetown, a city on the Polestar Islands in East Blue, whom with the exception of a few steep hills, covered the entire island it rested on was always a busy place, thanks to the pirates who stopped at the city to fill up on supplies before heading out to the Grand Line, and the marines whose job it was to stop them, was busier than normal.  All over the city marines, anxiously sweating, calling for things to get done, commanding the lower ranks to put various decorations here and there, and praying everything was set up before the higher up's ship's arrived in the evening. 
	Not everyone was happy with the ceremony.  In the back alleys and cheaper pubs, pirates and civilians who'd been around long enough cursed the day, and winced at just how bitter cheap beer could taste with a bit of bad luck on the tongue.  Not that they'd curse too loud with all the marines around.  The damn world government had its ears and eyes all over the place.  Some were it was still possible to take a shit without looking down into a seat and seeing an eyes staring back up at you.   
	"What's going on, mama?"  A small boy asked, pointing at a group of marines, struggling to spread a giant banner from one end of the fabled execution platform. 
	"It's a festival, Nerdi."  An elderly woman with eyes the color of robin eggs.   
	"A festival!"  The boy's face brightened at the word.  "For what mama!  What're the marines celebrating."
	The woman paused to look around.  All the marines seemed busy with their duties, unaware of any civilians nearby.  After a moment of making sure nobody was paying attention the woman continued.  "There was a man, from a long time ago."  She said as she squat down to talk with her child at eye level.  "He was a strong man that caused the marines some trouble."
	"Trouble?"  Nerdi's eyes were wide with amazement at the thought of anyone able to do that.  "What kind of trouble?"
	Before the boy's mama could reply a large hand gently laid itself on her shoulder like a bird of prey perching on an old bent tree. "He was a pirate, and a strong one too."  A large voice boomed above the woman's head.  "He caused a lot of deaths and a great big heap of trouble for common folks like you and your nana."  The voice belonged to a marine with a cigar in his mouth and a patch over his right eye.  Grinning he patted the elderly woman on the back a little hard that was necessary, and turned his attention to the sea.  "The world government got him though.  With their marines and a bit of lucky we managed to capture the man some called the king of the pirates and put him to the gallows."  
	"Gallows?"  Nerdi asked, head cocked to the side as if doing so would shuffle things around enough in his brain to get things moving.
	"Gallows."  The marine nodded and squat down to look the boy in the eye.  "We caught'em, tied him up, and."  The man made a cutting gesture across his throat.  "No more pirate king, isn't that right, ma'am."  The marine smiled at the elderly woman.  
	"Yes."  The boy's nana nodded, doing her best for a neutral look.      
	"That was twenty years ago, today."  The marine said, putting his hands in his pocket.  "If that's not reason to celebrate I'm not sure what could be."  Grinning he tussled the boy's hair.  "It's going to be a good one too.  We'll have food and drinks, an effigy, and even a few of the higher ups will stop by to say a word or two."  He winked at the boy.  "I'm sure you and you're nana we'll be here, right?"
	With a frown the woman nodded.  With amazement the boy did the same.