One Year Later

The Straw Hat Crew had been missing for over a year.

The territories of the Four Emperors had been reshuffled, and the World Government had dealt a devastating blow to the pirates of the New World.

Of the old Four Emperors, only Red-Haired Shanks's crew still remained.

Among the new Four Emperors, Marshall D. Teach's Blackbeard Pirates ranked second only to the Red-Haired Pirates in both strength and influence. Even so, friction between the two sides had never ceased over the past year.

Over the past year, the ones who replaced "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin and "Beasts" Kaido were Buggy the Clown and Eustass Kid.

Buggy the Clown had been abandoned by the World Government because the Straw Hat Crew found One Piece, forcing him to seek another way out. Eustass Kid himself was an immensely ambitious man, and his goal had naturally been to become the Pirate King. He had no chance of attaining that title, yet had instead gained a blessing in disguise by becoming one of the Four Emperors.

Of course, if the Red-Haired Pirates had not kept the Blackbeard Pirates in check, both Buggy the Clown and Eustass Kid would likely have become prey in Blackbeard's eyes.

A year ago, the former Straw Hat Grand Fleet had suddenly been besieged by the World Government's massive army. Though the disparity in forces made them no match for their enemy, the Straw Hat Grand Fleet still fought desperately.

Yet for some unknown reason, every member of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet had tacitly gone into hiding.

On a serene, peaceful island, Dragon D. William sat quietly on the edge of a cliff, holding a fishing rod. He was actually fishing.

"Before I knew it, a year has passed!" Dragon D. William muttered to himself.

Of course, to outsiders,