The battle raged across the desert for ten long minutes. Erza and Mr. 1, Daz Bones, clashed fiercely, steel against steel.
At the cost of several strands of crimson hair and damage to her armor, Erza finally seized the moment.
Her sword, wrapped in the pitch-black aura of Armament Haki, slashed downward like a bolt of lightning.
Slash!
Blood sprayed high, staining the air red.
Daz Bones collapsed to his knees, his body trembling.
"As expected of the Fairy Queen… I underestimated you…"
Thud!
The last of Baroque Works' top agents, Daz Bones, was defeated!
"Ohhh! Erza won! Erza's amazing!" Nami cheered from the sidelines, unable to contain her excitement.
"You actually beat him with just a sword… As expected of Erza!" Juvia's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Erza, however, shook her head. "No, I'm still far from strong enough. This world's power—Haki—still holds many mysteries worth uncovering."
Her gaze turned thoughtful.
If one day she could combine her mastery of Haki with the Heaven's Wheel Armor… dozens, even hundreds of magic-forged black blades infused with Armament Haki slashing across the battlefield—that would be a sight to behold.
But that day was still far off. For now, she would continue step by step along her path.
Onboard the Fairy Tail ship, Vivi leapt up with excitement. "She won! Lady Erza won! This is incredible—most of the Baroque Works officers have been wiped out!"
But Sugisawa Yuuto and Mirajane only watched calmly, their expressions unchanged. They had expected this outcome all along.
Yuuto's gaze shifted to the quiet girl across from him.
"Marianne," he said with a warm smile. "What do you think now? Do you want to join Fairy Tail?"
Recruiting her had begun as little more than Yuuto's whim.
Firstly, her gentle, laid-back personality was undeniably charming.
Secondly, unlike many others, she did not rely on a Devil Fruit. Her ability to manipulate emotions through her paints was a rare natural-born power, one highly valued in this world.
And finally, her nature—Marianne, known as Miss Golden Week, cherished her companions deeply.
Though she had once walked down the wrong path, she valued friendship no less than anyone in Fairy Tail. Even after Baroque Works' secrets were exposed, and despite the agents' limited contact with one another, Marianne had risked herself to save them. That quality alone made her worthy of Fairy Tail.
Still…
Marianne remained calm, sipping her tea in one slow gulp. "Thanks for the hospitality," she said politely, but gave no further reply.
It was precisely because she valued her comrades that she could not bring herself to join the enemy, not when her friends had just been defeated.
"By the way," she added lightly, "Miss All Sunday asked me to pass something on to you—our boss is coming here in person today."
"What?!" Vivi gasped. "The boss… you mean Crocodile?!"
"That's right," Marianne said quietly.
"Then we'll deal with this now."
Sugisawa Yuuto stood, his gaze turning southeast. Though he lacked Observation Haki, his Dragon Slayer magic granted him powerful senses. He had already felt the presence of those watching from the shadows.
Not only Crocodile, but another hidden observer as well.
"It's all here, and you're still hiding? What are you, sewer rats?" Yuuto said with a mocking smile.
Raising his hand, he summoned a storm of lightning.
BOOM!
Thunder crashed, blasting apart a weathered rock formation in the distance.
"Next time," Yuuto said lightly, "I won't miss."
"Guhahahahaha…"
The desert wind howled as sand swirled violently. At last, Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, stepped out from hiding. In his hand he dragged a half-conscious figure—Mr. 3, who had escaped earlier using his wax abilities.
"Guhahaha… Impressive," Crocodile laughed, his voice calm yet edged with menace. "To defeat my Baroque Works agents so thoroughly, Fairy Tail… I must admit, you've got some real skill."
Outwardly, his face was composed, as unshakable as stone. But within, his heart roiled with unease.
From the very start of this conflict, he had been lurking, watching. He had seen Yuuto's lightning punch send Mr. 4 flying into the sky, and in that moment, Crocodile knew—Sugisawa Yuuto was dangerous.
Dangerous enough to be ranked among the greatest threats of the New World.
And Yuuto wasn't the only problem.
The Fairy Queen Erza had revealed terrifying potential, defeating his strongest subordinate with nothing more than swordsmanship enhanced by Haki. That final blackened blade—sharp enough to wound even a Logia user—was proof of her threat.
Then there was Juvia. To Crocodile, she looked no different from a Logia herself. A woman who could command the water element, the very thing most Devil Fruit users feared most. For him, whose sand was naturally weak against water, Juvia's power was a nightmare made flesh.
To be honest, after witnessing Fairy Tail's overwhelming strength, Crocodile had nearly decided to retreat. Better to vanish in the storm than confront them head-on.
But then Yuuto's thunder had struck, blasting his hiding place apart. As one of the Seven Warlords, Crocodile could hardly run away without showing his face.
And so here he stood now, forced into the open.
But if he had known the price he was about to pay for that pride, Crocodile might have wished he had fled after all.