If you're watching for the first time, this flashback is often cited by fans as the moment the Skypiea Arc transforms from a simple adventure into one of the most heartwarming and tragic stories in the series.

While the present-day battle against Enel reaches its fever pitch, the story takes a dramatic turn 400 years into the past. We see the legendary explorer Mont Blanc Noland—not as the "liar" from storybooks, but as a courageous and highly skilled botanist.

The Shandia are suffering from a deadly "Tree Fever" epidemic that is decimating their population. Noland intervenes just as a girl named Mousse is about to be sacrificed to a giant snake they worship as a god.

Noland and his crew arrive at the island of Jaya, where they encounter the formidable Shandia warrior Kalgara. The initial tension is high, as the Shandia are a fierce tribe protective of their traditions.