Windmill village, 10 years earlier:

"I want you to return this hat to me, once you've become a great pirate" Shanks told the young boy, placing his most precious treasure atop the young boy's head.

The 7 year looked on as his mentor, his idol, set out towards the sea.

And he promised himself that one day he would become even better, and someday return that straw-hat.

At the same time, in the North Blue:

"Who's the creepy boy with the cards," a girl whispered to her friend as they walked passed him.

Said boy sat in front of the graveyard, shuffling his cards and placing them out in front of him. He looking up at the girls, but couldn't really process what they were saying, he didn't care.

Again he reshuffled the deck, displeased with the outcome.

"He doesn't say anything," the girl continued explaining to her friend, "And he just sits outside of the graveyard all day, shuffling his cards. It's just plain creepy."

"Maybe we should through garlic at him," A boy suddenly said from behind them.

The girls looked up, confusion in their eyes.

"He looks like a vampire or a ghost or something," the boy continued, "We should rid the place of his evil spirit."

And so, later that day, the boy with the card found himself trying to wash garlic out of his hair.

A large island in the South Blue, still 10 years before our story begins:

A kid with bright red hair sat, holding his recently created toy, staring out at the open sea.

"Someday I want to go out to sea," he told his companion, another boy, with long blond hair covering most of his face.

"Sounds good," the blond boy replied, chewing on a piece of spaghetti.

"But if we're gonna do it, we need to get much stronger," the redhead thought aloud, "Then we're gonna beat up all the others who've picked on us."

Just then there was a call for them to come home to help finish the chores.

"One day," he said, taking a final glance at the ocean, "I'm gonna build a boat, and we're getting out of here."

A dojo in the East blue, 9 years before our adventure starts:

A boy with green hair was knocked to the ground, two bamboo sticks flying out of his hands. Suddenly a sword appeared in his face, pointed at him by a girl with short black hair.

"That's 1987 wins for her and 0 losses!" A spectator said, "Even with all that training, she beat him."

"I need to train more!" The boy said, "And someday I will surpass you!"

To which the girl laughed.

The home of the Long-arm tribe, grand line, 8 years before the start of this story:

A teenager stood, looking out to the ocean with such longing in his eyes.

"Music lessons!" his caretaker called to him. He instantly came to her.

"I need to find a way to make music a weapon," he told his teacher and caretaker, "Especially if I ever want to defend myself here."

The caretaker frowned as the boy looked at the thick volume that sat on top of the piano.

"Let's continue our lessons," the boy said after a moment.

An island in the North blue, 6 years before our story starts:

The pink feathered, bird-like man walked his crouched walk around the teenage boy, who clenched a sword in his hand.

"So, you think you're strong enough to be on my crew?" the bird man asked skeptically, "A crew that will begin the new age?"

The boy nodded, smirking despite the small amount of fear he felt at the older man's look, "I've studied medicine a lot since you saw me last and I've gotten better with my sword. I've even eaten a devil fruit!"

"So, the little runt's eaten a devil fruit now?" The bird man laughed, "Well, you're a little on the younger side, by why not, little bro. I'm going to go tell Vergo that we have a little punk that we're going to need to train."

And the boy with the sword smiled a little, knowing he was finally going to go out to sea.

A Sky Island above the grand line, about 5 years before the start of the story:

"Wait for me," a young trainee said, following the muscular man, his long earlobes blowing behind him.

The muscular man stopped and grinned an even larger grin, if that was even possible, and waited for the trainee to catch up with him.

"Look what I found," he said, holding up a strange looking fruit.

"That looks like a devil fruit," the grinning man said, "I heard that they give the eater great powers, but as a result, they are cursed.

"I'm going to eat it and become the most powerful man in all the skies!" the young trainee said, about to eat.

To which one of the grinning man's friends laughed, "Sure you are."

An out of the way island in the South Blue, 4 years before:

The woman with pink hair just watched the fire that had sprung up in her hometown, unsure why this town had been targeted. Everyone was dirt poor, but there weren't many criminals and they minded their own business.

Why this town?

As the cannons fired, she wondered if she would ever get out of this alive.

And if she did, she would have her revenge.

The West Blue, 3 years before the start of the story:

"You better be able to pay up" said a man with a cigar sticking out of his mouth, gun loaded and ready.

"Just give me one more day!" the man pleaded, "I'll have it all by tomorrow!"

The man with the gun sighed, "Fine, I'm in a forgiving mood. But be here by noon. I set out for the East blue shortly after on business. If I don't have your money by then, consider yourself dead."

"Y-Yes sir!" the man said, getting up and leaving.

The man with the gun then turned to his nearby subordinate, "Follow him and make sure he pays up."

Marineford, 2 years before the start of our story:

Many marines raised their glasses up in the air. "To the youngest rear admiral the Marine HQ has ever seen!"

At this a man with red-brown hair and a scar on his chin smiled, slightly embarrassed.

"Drink up," a vice admiral said, passing the man with an x on his chin a drink, "You're promoted, you deserve it!"

"Thanks," the new rear admiral said, downing the sake.

His childhood dream of bringing justice to the world was actually coming true.