Late autumn, October, Sea Circle Calendar 1499.
Spandine, who had fled in disgrace after failing his mission to wipe out Roger's bloodline, was now huddled in an obscure island port in the first half of the Grand Line.
He spent every day in terror, afraid to return to Mary Geoise to report, frantically inventing excuses to buy himself time.
Yet fate was always full of irony.
Just as Spandine was racking his brains over how to answer to the World Government, a battered expedition ship entered his sight.
More ironically still, the flag flying over that ship was none other than Ohara's.
And through his methods, Spandine learned from one of the scholars aboard a tremendous secret-one that could let him redeem his failure.
These Ohara scholars were still secretly researching the history of the Void Century, which the World Government had expressly forbidden.
Meanwhile, in the waters of the New World.
Today, Sakapachi, an isolated island whose name did not even appear on the world map, had gathered the highest authorities of the Navy.
Kong stood at the warship's bow, his cloak snapping in the salt-laden sea breeze.
Behind him, Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr, three figures who represented the greatest fighting power of the Navy's old era, all gazed at the deserted island in the distance.
"The weather today... it's so nice it feels strange." Lipo's snow-white rabbit ears twitched slightly as she looked up at the clear blue sky.
"Yes, not a breath of wind or a wave." A faint smile lingered at the corner of Tesoro's mouth.
His gaze swept over the Surveillance Den Den Mushi circling overhead as he thought, Heh... the Five Elders certainly seem eager for this 'performance.'
"Hey, is that guy called Kuzan strong?" Enel turned to stare at Snake Princess as