chrome.storage not defined in Opera

[Don Schmitt]

Our extension uses chrome.storage.local, but does not declare it in the manifest.

Two questions to whoever might know:

1. Why does Opera require the "storage" permission in the manifest (without it chrome.storage is undefined)?

2. Or the better question:  Why doesn't Chrome require us to request the "storage" permission?

It strikes me that Chrome used to require it, and since it supposedly doesn't generate a warning then I can't imagine why they removed that requirement, any ideas?