"Woooahhh! That Reverse Mountain ride was even more thrilling than a roller coaster! Let's do it again!"
"Again? Please have mercy on me, Miss Erza!"
"Mm-hmm, I think I could go again too~"
"Even Mirajane...? Please nooo!"
The energetic laughter of the girls shattered the gloomy atmosphere over Twin Cape.
The dark clouds dissipated, and warm sunlight bathed the area.
Just moments ago, the sky had been overcast—but now it had cleared.
Sullivan didn't join in the girls' chatter.
The moment they arrived at Twin Cape, his attention was immediately drawn to the girl standing by the shore.
He naturally recognized her.
Ever since he finished the summoning ritual two days ago, he had been wondering who the fourth member would be.
Now, the answer was finally revealed.
As always—it was a delightful surprise.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Juvia. We've come to pick you up."
Sullivan smiled slightly.
Juvia's lips trembled.
"Guild Master, you finally came… Juvia thought you had abandoned her…"
Without hesitation, she leapt from the shore and threw herself into Sullivan's arms, whimpering softly with grievance.
Like Erza and Mirajane, Juvia's affection for Sullivan was at maximum.
However, because of Juvia's "yandere" traits, she didn't suppress her emotions.
She charged forward with a full-on love attack, snuggling into Sullivan's chest as she clinged tightly.
This sudden development stunned Nami, who was born and raised in the East Blue.
"Hold on! Guild Master, this girl is…?"
Before Nami could finish—"Juvia!"
"Isn't that Juvia?!"
Erza and Mirajane's eyes lit up as they stepped forward.
As fellow members of Fairy Tail, of course they recognized her.
"Erza! Mira!"
Juvia greeted them warmly.
However, she still didn't let go of Sullivan.
What on earth is going on?!
Nami was completely confused.
She had always thought she was the fourth member of Fairy Tail.
But now, this Juvia had suddenly appeared. And it seemed she had joined the guild even earlier than Nami.
But then…
Why hadn't Sullivan, Erza, or Mira ever mentioned her before?
And why was she at Twin Cape?
Judging from Erza and Mira's reactions, it seemed like they had never been to the Grand Line either...
"Nami, let me introduce you—this is Juvia, also a member of Fairy Tail. Besides Juvia, there are quite a few other members scattered around. When we meet them later, I'll introduce you to them too."
Sullivan, seeing through Nami's confusion, immediately made up an excuse.
"Oh…"
Nami nodded in a daze, choosing not to dwell on it.
"Hello, Juvia. I'm Nami."
Nami greeted her with a smile.
The next moment, a waft of perfume filled the air.
Juvia was suddenly right up in Nami's face, barely a centimeter away.
So close, they could feel each other's breath.
"Wh-What's wrong?"
Feeling Juvia's intense gaze, Nami grew nervous.
"Nami, what's your relationship with the Guild Master?"
Juvia asked directly.
"Relationship? We're just teammates! And… uh, debtor–creditor, I guess…"
Nami replied.
"Do you like the Guild Master?"
Juvia pressed further.
"Wha—L-Like him?! That's impossible! Absolutely not!"
Nami's voice jumped an octave as she frantically denied it.
"I see. In that case, we're not rivals."
Juvia's expression instantly brightened.
"Nami, let's get along well from now on!"
Juvia happily grabbed Nami's hands with a sisterly smile.
Nami: "???"
What is going on here?!
Ahem!
An old cough interrupted the cheerful mood aboard the ship.
"Old man, thank you so much for taking care of Juvia these past two days. If you don't mind, would you like to come aboard our ship?"
Sullivan smiled and looked at Crocus.
"Then I shall gratefully accept your invitation."
Crocus agreed happily.
At the sight of the Fairy Tail ship, Crocus instantly recognized the group.
They were the Fairy Tail crew that had recently risen to fame in the East Blue.
Their captain, Sullivan, already had a bounty of 80 million—a force to be reckoned with.
Normally, Crocus wouldn't want to get involved with outsiders.
However, he couldn't help but be curious about how Juvia ended up at Twin Cape.
Fifteen minutes later, Crocus had taken a tour of the ship.
After hearing Sullivan and Erza's explanation, he learned the truth:
Fairy Tail wasn't a pirate crew, but a "Mage Guild."
A group dedicated to helping those in trouble solve difficult problems.
"Seems like the news reports don't quite match reality."
Crocus chuckled.
"We don't care what the outside world says. As long as we're true to ourselves, that's enough."
Sullivan responded coolly.
"By the way, Grandpa Crocus. Do you have a request for us? If you do, don't hesitate to say it!"
Sullivan, being a transmigrator, naturally knew about Laboon and the Rumbar Pirates' backstory.
If possible, he wanted to help Laboon reunite with Brook and resolve that lingering regret.
Also, he had discovered during the Cocoyashi Village incident that fulfilling emotional or story-rich requests seemed to grant more upgrade points than standard missions.
Helping Laboon and leveling up at the same time?
It was a win-win.
Sullivan was more than happy to do it.
"A request, huh? I'm just an old lighthouse keeper… What kind of request could I possibly have?"
Crocus waved his hand.
Then, after a pause, "Well... no, never mind. It's been so many years. I searched myself back then. There's no hope anymore."
"No hope? I can't pretend I didn't hear that. This ocean is full of endless possibilities, isn't it?"
Sullivan smiled.
Crocus froze.
That sentence—he'd heard it before.
From a great man... his captain.
Because of that line, Crocus decided to take a chance.
"Alright. There is something I'd like to ask of you."
Crocus walked to the bow of the ship.
"Laboon! Come out, Laboon!"
Crocus shouted toward the sea.
Erza and Nami looked at each other in confusion.
Before they could speak, the sea suddenly changed.
The calm waters surged as a mountain-like mass broke through the waves.
An enormous "island" emerged from the ocean's surface.