One Life

Warmth of One Sea
(The image to be seen is that of a completely clear night sky with a beautiful dark shade of blue, full of stars and a great full moon staring at you with all of its might blinding you with its shinning aura which it spreads all over the sky)

''It's been about thirty years... but that day. I still remember it as clear as if it was yesterday.''

''That fiery night where my happiness was close to absolute. It happened so fast. The shadows ran throughout that inferno as fast as they could rejoicing from their newly acquired freedom. But that freedom was not theirs yet... by just running away, we wouldn't have been able to regain our freedom.''

''For that we had to win it back... but when you're fighting the world... you will certainly lose... at least that's what I thought in those moments back then when I could only run.''

One small change to the world
A child is seen running in a great burning place, trying to escape through the infernal ruins.

The sky is cloudy and no stars can be seen and the wind is blowing with all its might and the flames are searching to reach for the sky and to burn all those clouds.

The sky is orange and waves of heat can be seen.

Looking from afar, the place engulfed in flames is none other than Mariejois.

The time is around 9 years after the start of the Great Age of Pirates.

The child, 15 years of age is running together with a larger group of slaves trying to escape and reach for freedom.

Some are seen shedding tears of joy and happiness, but the child's face remains untouched by a smile.

That child is none other than the protagonist of our story, Richard.

Richard looks around himself, at the place of the once glorious house of all Tenryubitos with disgust. The place in which he served and was tortured many times in this young life of his.

A giant slave said: Finally! We're free! It's over! All of that...*he stops for a second* IT'S NOW OVER!!!

A long arm tribesman said then: I can see my family again, my wife! My children! That work! That treatment! FREEDOM!!!

All the slaves continued running and running towards the exit from Mariejois. Their happiness was immeasurable, they were living in a fantasy, a dream, something that was anything else other than reality. Their hopes until now, lost seemingly forever, have now come back to life from one single moment.

The clouds then starts to disappear slightly as the fire was spreading greater than ever. The moon freed itself and shinned brightly from the blanket of clouds. Looking at the moon, the young man noticed a figure, standing tall above all.

It was the legendary Fisher Tiger, the one who has escaped slavery and decided to return. He returned and begun this great incident that gave the child his joy and freedom back. Fisher Tiger glanced at the group seeking escape and then he turned back and punched a marine soldier away. He mumbled a few words that no one understood and the young Richard stopped.

A man stopped at him and told:HEY KID!! YOU NEED TO MOVE! DON'T STOP AND STARE!!! YOU MIGHT GET CAUGHT AND GET BACK TO THAT HELL!!! JUST GET MOVING!!!!

But Richard continued to stare at that Grand Figure and he said: Thank You, I am forever in your debt.

Richard then started running again and he finally reached the end of Mariejois, he was left behind and he struggled with all the strength he had to continue moving forward.

A World Government worker from behind shouted: The slaves are escaping!!!! We need to stop them! Let's go and get them!!!

Richard turned back for a bit and then he continued running as he gained more energy to go, but then he tripped down from a plank that fell down on the road from the fire. He tried getting up, but the exit seemed to be still too far away, the soldiers were coming from behind almost getting to him. The edge of the Red Line was 20 m away.

He managed to get up and started running with all the rest of the stamina he still had and with an injured foot and then he did the unthinkable. He jumped off the Red Line in the direction of the New World whilst the soldiers were still following him, but when he did such a foolish act, they ran to the edge of the Red Line and looked down as he fell.

The young man continued falling, prepared to face the water in a straight head-first position with the best of his swimming knowledge from what seemed to be a past life and after half a dozen minutes, he touches the water and survives the impact with hardship. Inside the sea he sinks for 20-30 m and then he opens his eyes.

Waking up from a dream
Richard opens his eyes in the present. He has a hole in his stomach that has been partially healed up. His back is still burnt way till his legs and he has hundreds of slashes on his body along with his many scars. His fists are unusable and he stares at the sky floating in the sea.

''Seems like I woke up from a dream... or I think that was rather just a part of my life flashing before my eyes.. I seem to be at my end. Hahahahaha *cough cough cough* (he coughs some blood) It was a great fight Dice! So... it's gonna be one more corpse at the bottom of the sea.''


 * Richard smiles

I'm glad!

He closes his eyes and leaves to rest whilst floating on the water of One Sea.

(Every end is a new beginning)