Episode 0 of Free!: Dive to the Future was shown at a special Free! event. Episode 1 also pre-aired during this same event. Episode 0 will eventually be included in the BD/DVD release of Free!: Dive to the Future.

Thanks to Souma Yukihira, Erina Nakiri, and the rebel forces overthrowing the regime of Azami Nakiri—the previous school director—and the former Elite Ten, Tootsuki Culinary Academy is back in order. However, its students have one more great battle ahead of them: the BLUE, a competition where young chefs seeking world-class fame compete. Faced with new trials and rivals, Souma and his friends will fight to conquer the BLUE and to defeat Asahi Saiba, the leader of an underworld organization of chefs known as Noir, who once defeated Souma and his father in a Shokugeki. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

In the year 2022, virtual reality has progressed by leaps and bounds, and a massive online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is launched. With the aid of "NerveGear" technology, players can control their avatars within the game using nothing but their own thoughts. Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed "Kirito," is among the lucky few enthusiasts who get their hands on the first shipment of the game. He logs in to find himself, with ten-thousand others, in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, one full of fantastic medieval weapons and gruesome monsters. However, in a cruel turn of events, the players soon realize they cannot log out; the game's creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game. In order to escape Aincrad, Kirito will now have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are foes, like Asuna Yuuki, who commands the leading group attempting to escape from the ruthless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not all fun and games: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully break free from his virtual hell. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

OVA released with the 9th volume of the manga.