[clink. clink. clink.]
"Hey! Pirate Queen!"
The mare didn't look up, trudging after the squad of stallions in uniform with her head held low.
[clink. clink. clink.]
"What did you do with your treasure?!"
They walked along the corridor of free space that cut through the crowd, the cuffs on her fore- and hind legs clinking audibly with every step.
[clink. clink. clink.]
"It's somewhere on the Grand Line, isn't it?"
Most of the soldiers split up to stand guard on either side of the corridor, leaving the mare to trot after the remaining pair of stallions.
"Did you hide it? Your great treasure, the greatest treasure in the world?!"
One of the ponies guarding the sidelines chuckled as she passed him, giving her a sideways glance. “Not feeling so clever now, are you?”
"Where is it?! ONE PIECE!"
The young unicorn mare didn’t reply, leaving her head hanging as she was walked up onto the scaffold. They stopped at the very top, forcing her down on her knees as two uniformed earth ponies took positions on both sides of her, swords at the ready.
Another stallion in uniform stepped forward, looking over the massive crowd that had gathered down on the plaza. “Ladies and gentlecolts, ponies and other creatures all over the world! We are gathered here to finally bring justice to the greatest plight this world has ever seen. The ruthless criminal you see has performed countless crimes against peace, equinity and the World Government. Her public execution is the least we can do to punish her for her sins.”
The mare looked up as the red and black captain’s hat was snatched from her head, the stallion casually lifting it up with a cruel smirk. “Some ponies have taken to calling her the ‘Queen of Pirates’… a purely hypothetical claim of legends up until a year ago. To respond to this rumor, maybe a small bit of symbolism will suffice. Just like she once set our flag, the sign of our unity aflame…” The stallion produced a match and ripped it across the side of the scaffold, holding it under the hat until the fabric had caught fire. “Let this moment officially mark the end of piracy.”
The young mare simply watched the hat with an unreadable expression, staring as it caught fire and slowly turned to ashes, blowing away with the wind.
And then, she began to laugh.
It started as a quiet chuckle, everypony and –creature on the plaza staring at her in disbelief. Within moments the chuckle had grown into a loud laugh, small tears of amusement building at the edge of her eyes.
“W-what are you laughing about? Stop it! This is your execution, how dare you laugh at your own execution!?”
“...You want my treasure, don’t you?" She raised her head, showing a grin that fit a predator rather than a prisoner. "What are you waiting for? I left it all in that place! Go look for it!“
The two swords moved down to impale her, cutting off anything else she might have had to say, but it was already too late. Ponies, griffons and other creatures of all kind on the plaza – and even more all around the world where the execution had been broadcasted – erupted into cheers. Within weeks dozens of new pirate crews would form to travel towards the Grand Line. Within a year, the number of crews travelling under their own version of the ‘jolly roger’ would triple. And they all had the same goal.
One Piece, the legendary treasure of the Pirate Queen 'Gold Clover'.
The Great Pirate Age had begun.