"How about it, Ms. Robin? Have you thought it over?" Sugisawa Yuuto's tone was steady, his eyes unwavering. "If you join Fairy Tail, you'll find the treatment here far better than what Baroque Works could ever offer you."
He extended the invitation once more.
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
"Haa…" Robin let out a quiet breath and shook her head slightly. Even someone as composed as her had not expected this turn of events.
Joining Fairy Tail?
On the surface, it seemed like an attractive option… but things were not so simple.
She had come to Alabasta with the purpose of cooperating with Crocodile, not betraying him. And yet…
"President Yuuto," Robin finally spoke, her voice calm but with a faint edge. "Since you already know my true identity, you should understand. I am a troublesome woman. Inviting me into your guild would bring you nothing but endless problems."
Yuuto's answer came without hesitation, firm and unyielding. "Trouble has never been an obstacle for Fairy Tail. If Fairy Tail feared trouble, it would not be Fairy Tail at all."
He stepped closer, his words carrying weight.
"Everyone in Fairy Tail is family. Family is our greatest treasure. And anyone who dares harm our family—we will never forgive. That is Fairy Tail."
Robin's eyes softened slightly, though her lips curved into a bitter smile. "Family… such a word is far too extravagant for someone as hopeless as me."
Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"…No, nothing," Robin murmured, shaking her head. Then she looked at him again, her gaze deep. "Still, I must admit… your offer is tempting. But if I were to accept so easily, would you not think of me as a frivolous woman?"
"Not at all." Yuuto's response came instantly, without the faintest pause.
Robin blinked. For a heartbeat, she was at a loss for words. His blunt sincerity disarmed her in a way she had not anticipated.
She could feel it—Yuuto's invitation was genuine. Unlike every other group she had worked with in the past, his request came from the heart.
It was strange. Though they had just met, he spoke to her as though he already knew her.
Yuuto smiled lightly. "Of course, I'm not asking for an answer right away. Ms. Robin, take a few days. Think it over carefully. Then give me your reply."
"You'll let me walk away? Just like this? And you don't even want information about my boss?" Robin's eyebrows arched in surprise.
"Unnecessary." Yuuto waved his hand casually, as though brushing the thought aside.
"…I see." Robin tilted her head, studying him with quiet curiosity.
"However," Yuuto added, his voice turning cold, "I do have a message I'd like you to deliver. Tell him this: I will give him three days to surrender himself to the Marines. If he refuses, then I will be the one to deliver him there."
Robin's lips curved into a faint smile. "Understood."
She turned gracefully, exiting the stronghold. Moments later, she boarded her ornate carriage, pulled by the massive turtle, and disappeared into the night.
Only after she was gone did Nami, Vivi, and the others finally release the breaths they'd been holding.
They exchanged bewildered glances.
This… was that really the end? Did they learn something, or had they learned nothing at all?
"President, did you accomplish what you wanted?" Erza asked at last.
Yuuto gave a single, calm nod. "Yes. Now we just wait three days."
Seeing his quiet confidence, Nami and Vivi asked nothing more. Though they didn't understand what medicine Yuuto was hiding in his gourd, they felt reassured.
If he said three days, then they would wait three days.
The next morning, Fairy Tail's ship set sail.
They skirted along Alabasta's borders until they reached the bustling port city of Narohara. After replenishing their supplies for the coming days, they continued onward, sailing up the wide San Dora River.
Eventually, they anchored along the eastern bank.
"From here, Lord Vivi, Karoo and I will head back to Albana to report directly to His Majesty," Icarem said, mounting the swift-footed super duck. With a bow, he rode off in a blur, racing toward the capital.
Fairy Tail's ship pushed further inland, finally reaching the center of the San Dora River.
"This should be the heart of Alabasta," Vivi said with curiosity, then turned to Yuuto. "But President Yuuto, what exactly are we doing here?"
Yuuto's eyes gleamed faintly. "Rain."
"…Rain?" Vivi blinked, confused.
"Isn't the root cause of Alabasta's civil strife the drought that has plagued your land for years?" Yuuto explained calmly. "So I will bring Alabasta the one thing it needs most—a rainstorm that will cover the entire kingdom."
Vivi's eyes widened. "What!?"
He was right. The endless drought had birthed unrest, fueling Crocodile's manipulations.
If rain truly fell across the country, the people would see with their own eyes that the rumors were false. The foundation of rebellion would crumble instantly.
But… rain was the will of the heavens. How could mere mortals command it?
"Juvia," Yuuto called, "let it rain."
"Yes, President!" Juvia's eyes lit up as she raised her hands.
She was a prodigy of water magic, born with the gift of rain. But her talent was so overwhelming she had never been able to fully control it. Wherever she went, the skies wept.
For her, calling rain was as natural as breathing.
Magic swirled around her, spiraling like a whirlpool.
The skies, clear only moments ago, darkened in an instant.
Crash!
Sheets of rain poured down.
Vivi gasped, stunned. "It's really… raining. This… this is…"
"Juvia, expand the range," Yuuto commanded.
"Yes, President!" Juvia answered, pouring out more of her magic.
The rain clouds spread wider and wider, the downpour sweeping across the land.
But there was a limit. Even with Fairy Tail's infinite reserves of magic, Juvia's output at any one time was bound by her own strength.
No matter how great her potential, there were limits she could not yet surpass.
Yuuto frowned. He had promised rain for all of Alabasta. But this much would not be enough.
"In that case… I'll have to push it further."
He turned to Vivi, who still stood frozen in awe.
"Vivi," Yuuto said seriously, stepping closer. "For the rain to cover the whole country, I'll need a little help from you."
"Anything," Vivi replied at once, her voice filled with determination. "If it will bring rain to Alabasta, I'll do whatever it takes."
"Anything?" Yuuto asked again, locking eyes with her.
"Yes!" Vivi swore without hesitation.
"Then forgive me."
Before she could react, Yuuto lowered his head suddenly—capturing her lips with his.
Vivi's sapphire eyes flew wide, her body stiffening in shock at the sudden, intimate contact.
And on the deck, Juvia's heart shattered.
Her beloved president, kissing another woman before her very eyes.
Her jealousy and heartbreak erupted like a storm.
Magic overflowed violently, breaking through every limit she had known.
BOOM!
Lightning cracked across the sky.
Thunder roared.
The rainclouds surged outward in a vast wave, blanketing the horizon.
In an instant, all of Alabasta was drenched in heavy, endless rain.