Ferdinand Magellan, with a rich plunder, had been promoted after the conquest of Malacca and, in the company of a Malay he had indentured and baptized Enrique of Malacca, he returns to Portugal in 1512.

In the same year, Albuquerque, having learned of the route to the Banda Islands and other 'Spice Islands', sends an exploratory expedition of three vessels under the command of António de Abreu, Simão Afonso Bisigudo and Francisco Serrão.

Banda is the world's only source of nutmeg and mace, spices used as flavorings, medicines, preserving agents, that are highly valued in European markets.

The Portuguese seek to dominate the source, rather than relying on Arab traders who sell it to the Venetians for exorbitant prices.

Malay pilots had guided the expedition east via Java and along the Lesser Sundas before steering them north to Banda via Ambon.

When Serrão's ship berthed at Gresik on Java, he had married a Javanese woman as his wife, who has accompanied him on the expedition's further journey.

His vessel, with nine Portuguese crew and nine Indonesians, had foundered in a squall and had broken up on a reef off a small island.

When the island's inhabitants, who are notorious shipwreck scavengers, surveyed the wreck from a boat, Serrão's crew had posed as unarmed and helpless but wealthy castaways.

As the scavengers drew near, the Portuguese attacked and commandeered both their craft and crew.

Their inadvertent rescuers were then forced to take them to Ambon, where they disembark in Luco-Pino island (Hitu), north of Ambon.

Serrão's armor, muskets, and marksmanship impresses the powerful chiefs of Hitu, who are warring against Luhu, the principal settlement on Seram's Hoamal Peninsula near Hitu.

The visitors are recruited as military allies and their subsequent exploits are heard in the rival neighbors of Ternate and Tidore, who both rush  emissaries to induce the visitors to assist.

The Portuguese are also welcomed in the area as buyers of food and spices during a lull in the spice trade due to a temporary disruption to Javanese and Malay sailings to the area following the 1511 conflicts in Malacca.

The expedition remains in Banda for about one month, purchasing and filling their ships with nutmeg and mace, as well as and cloves in which Banda has a thriving entrepôt trade.

Serrão leaves Banda in a Chinese junk purchased from a regional trader to replace his lost ship.

D'Abreu sails through Ambon while Serrão goes ahead towards the Maluku islands.