At the halfway point of the Grand Line lies the Sabaody Archipelago, the island closest to Marine Headquarters. It's a place where many famous and rising pirates gather, and where newcomers with bounties over a hundred million Berries earn the title of "Supernova."
This time, eleven Supernovas have converged on the Sabaody Archipelago.
Their goal is to find skilled coating artisans who can apply special resin to their ships, enabling them to travel ten thousand meters beneath the sea to Fish-Man Island—the only path pirates can take to reach the New World.
But this visit to the Sabaody Archipelago has been anything but peaceful. The reason is the Supernova crew known as the Straw Hat Pirates, who have crossed a forbidden line in this world by daring to assault a Celestial Dragon. Their actions provoked the arrival of Admiral Kizaru.
After a hard-fought battle in which they managed to defeat the World Government's human weapons—the Pacifista PX-5—the Straw Hat crew was confronted once again by another Pacifista, PX-0. At that same moment, Admiral Kizaru himself arrived, placing the crew in their most perilous situation yet.
Supernova Roronoa Zoro was struck by Admiral Kizaru's light-based attack, leaving him unable to continue fighting. Just as Kizaru was about to deliver a fatal blow, a legendary figure appeared: Silvers Rayleigh, former first mate of the Pirate King, stepped in to rescue him.
However, an unexpected turn of events followed. Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea allied with the World Government, arrived on the scene and, with blinding speed, sent Zoro flying with a single palm strike.
Rumor had it that anyone Kuma struck like that would fly through the air for three days and three nights, though no one ever knew precisely where they would end up. And so, Zoro became the first member of the crew to be separated from his companions.
What Zoro himself did not realize was that, at the very instant he was sent flying, a fragment of his consciousness had been launched away as well, disappearing into the void.
Thus, the legendary journey of the Straw Hat Pirates temporarily fell into silence.
That fragment of consciousness vanished from the world, but when Zoro finally opened his eyes again, he found himself falling out of a tree. His first instinct was to look around, only to discover he was in a dense forest, nothing like the surroundings he knew.
He was immediately aware that something felt strange in his body. The memory of being struck by Kizaru's light beam came rushing back—that searing, flesh-piercing pain he'd felt was unforgettable.
Yet, as he checked himself over, he found no wounds at all. Instead, he noticed he was wearing clothes similar to those he'd seen on that powerful mummy-like swordsman he encountered aboard Thriller Bark. Why he was dressed like this, he had no idea.
Even stranger was the fact that his three swords were gone from his waist. That was the most alarming thing of all.
"My swords… Where are they?! What's going on?!"
A swordsman's blades are his partners—an extension of his own hands. Now, they had all vanished. How could he accept that? One of those swords, after all, was the treasured blade linked to a promise he'd made with his childhood friend. There was no way he could simply lose it like this.
"Something's not right."
He quickly examined his body again. Sure enough, this was not his own. There were no familiar scars, nor any defined muscles. Instead, he looked alarmingly thin and frail.
"This… this isn't my body! What's happening?! I should be on the Sabaody Archipelago! How did things end up like this?!"
Zoro was utterly shocked. He couldn't comprehend why or how such a thing had happened. Everything felt inexplicable.
"I was blasted away by that bastard Kuma… but what exactly happened after that? Can I still find Luffy and the others? Are they still fighting that bastard Kuma right now? I swore I'd never lose to anyone ever again—so why did I lose?! And what the hell is going on now?!"
In a burst of frustration, Zoro punched a nearby tree trunk several times. He was completely at a loss for what to do. Why was he here? Where was he supposed to go from here? Countless questions twisted through his mind. He'd much rather be in battle than stuck in this bizarre situation. And above all—why was he in someone else's body? This was never what he wanted.
"But… where exactly am I? Which island is this?"
Though Zoro felt disheartened, he refused to give up. As things stood, he had no other choice but to grow stronger, find his crewmates, and protect them. He still had his Vivre Card!
"That's right! The Vivre Card! Where is it? As long as I have it, I can figure out where they are!"
He suddenly remembered the Vivre Card that Rayleigh had given them. With that, he could locate his friends. But the reality quickly crushed his hopes: the Vivre Card had been kept tucked into his haramaki, but now he was wearing completely unfamiliar clothing.
"So they really don't want me to find them, huh? Fine. But I'll make sure everyone who stands in my way understands one thing—I will never back down! If the heavens have given me this new body, then that means I've been granted a new life. Just wait… the next time we meet, I'll protect every last one of you!"
Though Zoro felt bitter and unwilling to accept this turn of fate, there was nothing he could do for now except become stronger. He knew nothing about his current circumstances, and any wrong move might prove fatal.
"First, I need to find someone. I have no idea where I am right now… not even whether this is still the Grand Line."
He realized he'd at least solved the immediate question about his physical state, but that left the next urgent problem: discovering his location.
Without his Vivre Card, he had no clue where he might be. He'd have to find someone to ask. Oddly enough, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that this place somehow suited him. It was like there was some power silently calling to him.
He kept walking until he reached a pool of water. Gazing into its surface, he finally saw his own reflection. The face staring back at him was delicate and soft—not at all the stern, rugged visage he was used to.
"This face… it kinda looks like that curly-browed cook's. So… is this what they call being reborn? That bastard Kuma… next time I see him, I'll cut him down for sure!"
Looking at his own unfamiliar face, Zoro could only shake his head in confusion. Right now, he had no idea how this had all come about. The only people he knew who could change appearances were ability-users like Mr. 2 Bon Clay. As for Kuma, his abilities remained a complete mystery. For now, Zoro could only assume he'd fallen victim to some power of Kuma's. In a way… he'd been reborn.