What is a Pirate?

"That was 35 years ago! Things change, people can change! And also, that means my dad was alive for another 22 years! This couldn't have had an effect on my dad's death -- it was so long ago! Just get to your point already!" Ben was furiously shouting. Was he talking about the marines or his dad about how people change? Who knows. I feel bad for him though. I hope I don't have some long tragic backstory that I need to listen to as well cuz this is taking awhile.

"Calm down, I'm getting there!" whoa! Dad calm down! you just smashed the table in half! That sure shocked Ben into calming down.

"Now, despite the renown and ferocity of the Buster Call, and the number of ships surrounding the island, a handful of people survived and escaped that day. Your father, four followers of Lowe, and a young pair of siblings. Lowe himself was captured, and put in Impel Down for a later execution. Now, you need to understand just how influential this battle was to history. One of the four followers who survived was Lowe's first mate. The first mate was a man by the name of Rox D. Xebec and he was several times more ferocious and detestable than Lowe. Rox was killed by the marines with the help of a pirate by the name of Gol D. Roger. The Rox pirates dominated the seas for about 15 years, having rose to power some six years or so after the escape from the Buster Call and getting other powerful pirates to join them. "

Rox pirates? What good One Piece fan doesn't know about them. Who knew there was so much history going on here. But I think I am falling asleep. This story is kinda long. It feels like I'm being monologued a backstory here... and it's not even mine.

"Do you know why this is significant? Because the young pair of siblings who survived was Gol D. Roger and his young sister. They were saved by your father."

Whoa! Gold Roger had a sister? That was definitely not in the manga!

Good Job Ben, you didn't shout any interruption this time! Keep staying shut up to let this finish quickly! I'm no longer bored, this story is exciting! Much wow. That was only mildly sarcastic, I'm actually contemplating my legs right now. Like, how will I one day fix them? Can I even do that? I'm not excited about Ben's back story.... that's a lie.

"Gah! I guess I am being quite indirect. Let me see if I can get straight to the point. Your father trained Gold Roger. The fundamentals of his fighting techniques, everything. After Rox died, and Gold Roger began rising to fame rapidly, it was learned that your father helped him for years. Your father was once again known to the marines. A man who had helped two Pirate Kings rise to power. Who was strong enough to have a mutiny and actually survive in a fight against Lowe and Rox, two on one. And he was there with Roger in the fight against the Rox pirates that ended in Rox's death, which I believe started the investigation into who your father was. The marines didn't fear Roger half as much as they feared your father. Particularly after learning one, simple truth."

Ooooohhh suspense! suspense! Hold your breath!

"Your father was the half-brother of Lowe. He had taken on his Mother's name however. And you, child, are the thus the nephew of Pirate King Edward Lowe."

"Why....why.... are you telling me this?!" Ben was clenching his fists hard, tears coming down his face. I feel really bad. I mean, he just wanted to be a marine and now he is learning he comes from a family of pirates. This was kinda a dick move dad, was it not?

"Because you have to understand. You come from a background of pirates but being a pirate does not explicitly make you a bad person. Your father and Gold Roger brought stability to the seas that hadn't been seen in years by implementing the Yonko system and so much more. You come from the families of two honorable and great men."

"Two?" Awwww Ben, you have snot all over your face.

"Your mother, was Gold Roger's sister."

"What!?" Ben and I both stood up rapidly. Oh wait, no, I just fell over.

They both quickly came to my aid and sat be back onto the chair before dad solemnly continued.

"Yes, you are the nephew of both Gold Roger and Edward Lowe, the son of Max Tennyson. Three of the highest bountied pirates to ever sail the seas. But listen to me well, you are you and not them at all. Your lineage doesn't define you. Besides, you should know that compared to Lowe, your father and Roger belong to a different type of pirate."

"Type of pirates? How can there be types of pirates, a pirate is a pirate!" Nice refute, but what defines a pirate Ben?

"Hhahaha, well that may be so. But think about this then. When Rox was in power, the government did everything they could to hide what he was doing to the world because the government and the marines were trying to re-gain the faith of the people after more than a decade of terror from Lowe's reign as the pirate king. To my knowledge, they never even published an official bounty for him as they didn't want record of how dangerous this man was. This was all so they could erase him from history after they captured or killed him later on. They wanted the world to believe all was well. Lowe and Rox were one type of pirate. They caused mass casualties and harm. Roger and your father were another type."

I'm pretty sure I know where this is going. It's like, the main theme of One Piece. Not gonna hold my breath for this. Man, I gotta poop all of a sudden.

"They were in pursuit of freedom. They did not enjoy the cruelties of the sea and loved the freedom the oceans blessed them with. In fact, to make the seas more enjoyable to travel they did much to stabilize the seas: as I said before they implemented the Yonko system, and they exposed cruel corruptions and coverups the world over fully exposing the hypocrisy of the governments of the world. They took out overly cruel pirates and corrupt marines, anything really, that stood in the way of being able to enjoy their freedom on the seas. Although your father died long before it happened, Roger was eventually able to sail to the final island of the Grand Line, truly re-enforcing the title everyone gave him for years: The King of the Pirates. The World Government feared what he might have obtained on that island. I, for one, doubt he could have achieved it if not for the aid of your father in his early years."

"This is truly what it means to be a pirate. It means to be free on the seas, to be free to do what you want most and to have nothing stand in the way of your freedom. Only Gold Roger embodied that more than your father."