Shanks took out the strange compass and activated it. The next destination was a small island, but extremely dangerous—it was the Volcano Island. The journey was very long and perilous. In the middle of the route lay the Great Waterfall that split the sea into two halves. Many pirates had met their end there, a place that tested the mettle of men.
Shanks left the desolate island at incredible speed, because at that very moment, fleets of pirates were directly behind him. Everyone had set the same destination, everyone raised their sails, and set off toward the deserted island. But in this way, Shanks and his crew would succeed in reaching their goal—this was something Whitebeard knew very well. That's why he was already there, west of the deserted island, yet he did not reveal himself.
The Moby Dick was indeed present, but no one knew its location. It was directly beneath Shanks' ship, with its cloaking ability activated. There was no way to detect it.
Whitebeard chose to track Shanks from the closest possible point, because he knew that taking the compass from Shanks would be extremely dangerous and difficult. There was no time to start a war in such a place. In addition, reprogramming the compass would require a restart and a complete remapping. So, he decided to observe and strike Shanks at the right moment.
At the edge of the world, Zoro was steering the Thousand Sunny. Four years after Luffy's disappearance, no one knew where he was. The Straw Hat crew was lost, exhausted from the relentless search for Monkey D. Luffy. The problem was that no one knew where he had gone that day.
After more than a week of continuous battle against Kaido, once they were completely worn out, both of them suddenly vanished. Since then, no one knew the whereabouts of either Luffy or Kaido—except for one person who had been trying to bring Luffy back to safety. He wasn't sure his plan would work, but he decided to try anyway.
Shanks believed that Luffy and Kaido had been exiled to the Final Dimension—a place where the sense of time does not exist. But no one knew how to get there, nor how to escape from that strange world. There were rumors that within Roger's treasure lay a method to reveal how to travel to and from that final dimension. Still, Shanks knew it wouldn't be easy, especially with shadowy figures moving in secret.
Nevertheless, Shanks had made up his mind. Obtaining that compass was a sign that he had to go and save Luffy from that place and bring him back safely to his friends and crew—who had suffered through four long years of searching without result.
Those years had been especially harsh on Zoro. He was no longer the same determined person. Now, he only saw Luffy in his dreams. Feelings of failure, anger, and sorrow ran through his veins. He would not rest, nor know peace, until he found Luffy—wherever he might be.
But where should he begin? He had searched the entire world, leaving no corner untouched, yet found nothing. He even gave up the most important thing in his life—he stopped carrying his swords from the day he collapsed unconscious, when Luffy had been left fighting alone until the very last moment.
That cursed moment… no one knew what had truly happened. Was Luffy really dead? Had the future Pirate King failed to achieve his dream?
That question drove Zoro to madness. He refused to accept it, and continued searching—until the long-lost news finally arrived.
Meanwhile, the Straw Hat crew sat scattered across the ship, each in their own corner, waiting for Zoro to return from buying food. Suddenly, the last person anyone could imagine appeared—Portgas D. Ace descended from the sky and landed on the ship.
Some of the crew couldn't believe their eyes. In that moment that defied logic and nature, Ace appeared in good health, yet filled with anger. He said:
"So this is the strange situation going on here… I see you're all in shock. Do you think you'll find Luffy in this state?"
Right behind him stood Nami. She said:
"We haven't found anything for four years. We've been searching, hoping to find Luffy somewhere—but nothing. It's become too difficult. Look at everyone… we all feel like we failed our captain. We lived together for so long, and now we know nothing about him. I just want to see him… even once. I miss him so much… I haven't heard his laughter…"
She couldn't hold back her tears. Then Ace stepped in and said:
"Luffy is still alive."
Everyone stood up instantly. The exhaustion vanished. The pain of long separation disappeared. All they could ask was: Where is he? How do we get to him?
Ace sat down calmly and said:
"Luffy and Kaido were exiled by an overwhelming force—its source still unknown. But fortunately, after great effort, I finally managed to pinpoint his location. However, there's a small problem… someone else is competing with us for the book that contains the method to open the gate to the Final Dimension."
Zoro finally returned. He placed the bags down, wiped the dust off his swords, and said:
"Anyone who stands in my way to that book… will be destroyed. Tell me where we begin."
Ace replied:
"It won't be easy, Zoro. Shanks is also searching—and he possesses the only strange compass. But before coming to you, I located another compass. The problem is… it belongs to Big Mom, and she doesn't even know about it. There's only one way—we either take it without her noticing and escape quickly… or we fight Big Mom. There's no other choice."
Zoro said:
"Nami, sails up. The journey is long—we need maximum speed. Let's go."
Although everyone was exhausted, the moment Ace revealed that Luffy was alive, everything changed. They shook off their fatigue and set out on a mission to save their long-lost captain.
But it wouldn't be easy. Pirates from all over the world were racing against time to obtain Roger's great treasure—each with their own goal.
Some chose to track from afar. Others chose confrontation, attempting to intercept Shanks' crew—the closest to reaching the goal. And some chose the path of darkness… moving only at night. When they appeared, lives vanished.
Yet the question troubling Shanks the most was: Why is the Akatsuki involved? Who is behind them? Something bigger was unfolding.
While lost in thought, Shanks suddenly saw a cannonball heading toward him. Before it could strike, he leapt forward, drew his sword, and with lightning speed unleashed a destructive flame that obliterated it.
But the real shock came when Blackbeard's crew appeared behind the attack. Teach laughed and said:
"Hey, Shanks… I see you have something I need."
What will happen in the clash between Teach and Shanks? The events grow more complex, and the search for the missing captain becomes even harder… yet hope remains on the horizon.