The Prelude to 1520

Sea Circle Calendar, 1520

The New World is rife with undercurrents, and various forces are poised to make their move.

Roy has been out of the public eye for over a year, while a new wave of talent is rising.

Ace, Luffy, Zoro, Kuina, Law, and other young Marines have already made a name for themselves in the New World, and are known as the "banners of the New Generation of Marines."

East Blue · Dawn Island

At this moment, on the tranquil Dawn Island, a gentle evening breeze blows, and the wind chimes under the eaves tinkle, their clear sounds echoing in the courtyard.

In the courtyard, Ace and Luffy's wood-chopping competition gradually "went astray".

"Chop firewood--!"

Luffy threw a punch, and all the firewood flew into the air, scattering all over the ground in a mess.

"Hey! You idiot Luffy! How are you going to cook this if you just chopped it all up like that?!"

Ace rubbed his forehead, then flames ignited at the edge of his palm, transforming into a hand chop that lightly sliced through the wood, causing neat chunks of firewood to fall to the ground.

Luffy's eyes widened. "Wow! Ace, you cheated!! Using your ability doesn't count!!"

Ace raised an eyebrow smugly. "That's what you call efficiency, you idiot~"

Rock watched his grandsons making a ruckus, the fire in his pipe flickering, his eyes gentle and profound.

"These two boys... have finally grown up."

The wind chimes on the door frame tinkled in the wind, making a clear, tinkling sound, as if in response.

"Grandpa Rock! The firewood is chopped!"

"Phew—at least this will keep the fire burning for a while."

Under the porch, Rock sat cross-legged, his old pipe glowing red as he exhaled wisps of smoke.

He squinted and chuckled, scolding, "You brat, your voice's still so loud."

In the Kitchen, amidst Airin's busy figure, two little helpers suddenly appeared.

Nami deftly chopped the vegetables, her skillful knife work catching Airin's eye.

"Girl, who did you learn this skill from?"

Nami wiped the sweat from her brow, her smile confident, "Back at Marine Headquarters, I often learned from the cooks in the cafeteria."

On the other side, Nojiko kneaded the dough with gentle yet resilient strokes, and the dough gradually became smooth as jade.

Airin nodded to herself, "These two girls... are really good."

She looked up and met the eyes of Rock under the porch. "Old man, it must be him?"

Rock, pipe in hand, exhaled a puff of smoke and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, definitely."

The two elderly people smiled knowingly.

As evening fell, the dining table was laden with a sumptuous meal.

Airin specially prepared Ace's favorite spicy stew and Luffy's favorite super-sized Barbecue, while Nami and Nojiko also served several delicate side dishes.

Wow--it smells so good!! I'm going to dig in!!

Luffy's eyes lit up like stars, and he almost pounced on them.

"Wait! Let Grandpa and Grandma start eating first!"

Ace grabbed his head and pressed it down, his face full of helplessness.

Nami covered her mouth and chuckled, whispering to Nojiko, "I didn't expect them to be so polite..."

Nojiko nodded. "After all, I grew up at Brother Roy's house..."

A group of people sat around the table, enjoying themselves immensely, as the twilight outside gradually turned orange-red.

After dinner, Rock and Airin sat on the porch. The night breeze was cool, and the sound of wind chimes echoed in the quiet night air.

Airin asked softly, "When is that brat Roy coming back?"

Rock took a deep drag on his cigarette and finally exhaled a puff of white smoke. "He always has his reasons for doing things."

He watched Ace and Luffy scrambling for the last piece of Barbecue, then glanced at Nami and Nojiko cleaning up the dishes in the Kitchen, and a smile crept onto his lips:

"However, this family will always wait for him."

The night sky over Dawn Island is dotted with stars.

The wind chimes tinkled softly, as if conveying a distant Promise.

New World, Unnamed Deserted Island

Deep inside the cave, a campfire flickered, its light reflecting off the rugged stone walls.

The members of the Red Hair Pirates sat in a circle, clinking their wine bowls, their laughter and boisterous shouts rising and falling.

"Come on! Let's do it!!"

Haha—we're drinking until we drop tonight!

Beneath the lively atmosphere, however, lay an undercurrent of suppressed tension that went unnoticed.

Benn Beckman, a cigarette dangling from his lips, slowly walked over to Shanks' side.

He spoke in a low voice, his tone grave. "It's confirmed... Roy, he completely disappeared after that trip to the Holy Land."

"It has been more than a year now."

Shanks paused slightly in his bowl, the surface of the wine rippling.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes; the flickering firelight could not dispel the gloom between his brows.

"More than a year..."

"With that guy's strength, there's no way he could have disappeared without a trace."

After a brief silence, he slowly uttered a sentence: "Unless, someone deliberately..."

The campfire crackled, Shanks slowly raised his head. "While he's away... we must act ahead of schedule and push 'that plot' forward."

Benn Beckman took a deep drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowing slightly, clearly having anticipated this answer.

Shanks then turned his head and lowered his voice. "What's the result of the matter I asked you to investigate?"

Benn Beckman paused for a moment, then took out a yellowed portrait from his pocket.

In the firelight, the man's face was sinister, his eyes were dark, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"The reason for the Whitebeard Pirates' collapse... has been determined."

"That's him."

--Marshall D. Teach.

Shanks' pupils contracted sharply the moment he saw the portrait, and the scar on his left eye seemed to throb with pain.

"Boom!!"

An uncontrollable burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted, instantly extinguishing the campfire inside the cave!

The wine bowls shattered, and the air seemed to be torn apart with a deafening roar!

The crew members of the Red Hair Pirates all stood frozen in place, cold sweat pouring down their faces, looking at their captain in bewilderment.

Shanks's single eye narrowed to a needle, his voice as cold as iron. "No wonder..."

He slowly clenched the portrait, his fingers tightening, and the paper turned to dust in his palm, scattering in the wind.

After a long pause, he suddenly spoke, his tone icy. "Where is he now?"

Benn Beckman flicked his cigarette ash, his expression grave. "It's said that when Roy wiped out the Whitebeard Pirates... he deliberately spared Marco and Teach's lives."

"Afterwards, he personally delivered Teach to Vegapunk."

The purpose is unclear.

"Vegapunk..."

Shanks muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes, then abruptly stood up!

The Griffon at his waist trembled slightly in its scabbard, as if responding to his fighting spirit.

"Everyone, get ready!"

"Target— Punk Hazard!"

In a desolate place, the sky and earth were a hazy yellow, and the wind swirled sand and dust, so barren that it seemed to belong to another world.

The yellow sand howled across the sky, as if time itself had stood still at this moment.

"Hiss--"

A deep breath was heard, and the man lying in the sand slowly opened his eyes.

He raised his hand to brush the dust off his face, a familiar glint Flash in his eyes.

"Hey, you idiot system."

Roy propped himself up, looked around at the desolate desert, and said with a hint of helplessness.

Are you sure I didn't send it to the wrong place?

As soon as the words were spoken, a semi-transparent phantom of a young girl suddenly appeared in the air, and the voice of the idiot Goddess rang out:

"That's right~ This is the time slot you requested!"

Roy rubbed his temples speechlessly. "The timing is right, but the location..."

He slowly stood up, moved his arms, and could feel that his injuries and strength had recovered.

"800 years ago..."

The horrific scene of the battle at God Valley flashed through my mind; the yellow sand howled, and Roy's figure gradually blurred into the sandstorm.