Boom!
Boom!
Rumble!
A terrifying explosion shook the sky above.
The violent shockwave rocked Fairy Tail's ship, tilting its massive hull dangerously to one side.
The sudden attack sent the girls rushing out from the cabin, their faces tense as their eyes immediately locked onto a cluster of figures standing amidst the jagged, weathered rocks ahead.
"Mr. 5… Miss Valentine… Miss Golden Week… Mr. 3…" Vivi's pupils shrank as she listed them one by one. "There's no mistake—those are the Advanced Agents of the Baroque Works Organization. And… all nine of them appeared together!"
Her voice trembled with recognition.
"It seems," she added gravely, "that they're ready to go to war with Fairy Tail."
A small smirk tugged at Erza's lips.
She never refused a fight that came knocking on her door.
"What about the ship?!" Nami cried out nervously, glancing at the scorched wood. "That explosion just now was no joke!"
"Don't worry, Nami," Mirajane said with a confident laugh. "Our ship has a defensive enchantment woven into it. An explosion of that level won't be enough to destroy Fairy Tail's vessel."
Nami blinked in disbelief.
"…Self-defense magic?"
She didn't really understand what that meant, but the way Mirajane said it carried such weight that it felt reassuring. At the very least, it sounded powerful enough.
"Ohh~ The President is so cool~" Juvia squealed from the side, clapping her hands like an excited child.
Nami and Vivi followed her gaze—
And only then did they realize that Sugisawa Yuuto had already moved ahead of them.
No one even noticed when he left the deck. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing before the Baroque Works operatives. More precisely, he was directly in front of Mr. 5, the man infamous for his Explosive Fruit ability.
"Don't you dare flick your filthy boogers into the bottom of our ship!" Yuuto roared.
His thunder-clad fist shot forward like lightning, striking Mr. 5 just as he picked his nose for another blast.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The man's body shot through the air like a fired cannonball, vanishing into the distance with an ear-splitting sonic boom. He was hurled hundreds of kilometers away, disappearing beyond the horizon.
It was the kind of humiliation only comparable to Captain Kid being knocked flying by Red-Haired Shanks' blade.
If Mr. 5 had not been foolish enough to target Fairy Tail with such a disgusting attack, Sugisawa Yuuto might not have bothered to act. But once he did, the result was absolute—one punch, and it was over.
By the time regret hit Mr. 5, it was far too late.
With the nuisance eliminated, Yuuto allowed his energy to settle, no longer leaking his power outward. He didn't even move again.
And yet—
Just standing there, he exuded a crushing pressure, forcing the Baroque Works agents to struggle under the sheer weight of it.
Everything happened too fast.
None of them even saw him move.
All they knew was that in the span of a heartbeat, Yuuto had crossed the battlefield, struck down one of their Advanced Agents, and left nothing behind.
Monster.
The word repeated itself in every agent's mind.
A monster who could erase an elite with a single punch. How could they possibly stand against such power?
"President, don't hog all the fun! Leave some for me!" Erza leapt gracefully from the deck to Yuuto's side, her sword flashing in her hand.
"I want to fight too~" Juvia cried sweetly, following her down.
"Fine. I'll leave the small fry to you." Yuuto waved his hand nonchalantly.
And with that, his figure blurred—vanishing back to the ship in a flash.
"As expected of our President~" Nami breathed, joining the others in applause.
But then she froze, noticing Yuuto's eyes were fixed firmly on her.
"W-What is it?" Her heart skipped a beat.
"You've just awakened a new power, haven't you, Nami? Don't you want to test it in real combat?" Yuuto asked with a calm smile.
"With Erza here, there's no need for me to step in…" Nami tried to dodge the responsibility.
"That's a shame," Yuuto replied, his tone teasing. "I was going to offer ten million Berries as a reward for each enemy you defeat."
"…Ten million?!" Nami's hesitation shattered instantly, her eyes gleaming with greedy fire. "I'll do it!"
With that, she summoned her Celestial magic, her form shifting as she entered the attire of Taurus Star Spirit Clothing.
"Eh? Nami can transform too?" Vivi gasped in disbelief.
She had traveled alongside Nami for weeks now, but this was the first time she had witnessed this incredible power.
"Want to learn it yourself?" Yuuto asked her casually.
"Can I?!" Vivi's eyes lit up.
"Of course." Yuuto's lips curved in a mysterious smile.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield—
With Yuuto gone, the pressure on the enemy lessened. Facing only three women instead of that monster, the Baroque Works agents exhaled in relief.
"Hahaha… as long as we don't have to face him, it doesn't matter who else we fight!" Mr. 3 laughed, his face still pale but easing with relief.
But his smile froze instantly.
Because Erza moved.
"Requip—Heaven's Wheel Armor!" she called.
The sky shimmered with a burst of silver light. Swords materialized in the air by the dozens—hundreds—before raining down like a steel storm.
"Wha—?! Candle Wall!" Mr. 3 screamed, frantically activating his Wax-Wax Fruit, erecting a steel-hard tortoise shell barrier.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The desert shook under the relentless barrage, dust rising in choking waves.
For a full minute, the storm raged.
At last, Erza's swords returned to her hands, the battlefield eerily silent.
"…Was that an instant kill?" Nami muttered blankly.
"No. Not yet," Erza replied calmly, shaking her head.
Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed through the settling dust.
A bald, monk-like man with blue hair strode out calmly, unscathed.
"What?!" Juvia's eyes widened. "He took that attack head-on?!"
"Could he be a Logia-type user, like the Smoke Man back in Loguetown?" Nami guessed.
"What about that giant turtle shell?" Mirajane asked, tilting her head at the massive wax shield still embedded in the desert.
"That must be Mr. 3's work," Vivi said solemnly. "To think it could withstand even Erza's Heaven's Wheel… The Advanced Agents of Baroque Works truly are on a different level than the ordinary ones."