Under the full promotion of News King Morgans, the events of Fairy Tail in Alabasta continued to capture the world's attention.
At this moment, Sugisawa Yuuto and his party were standing at the very center of the global spotlight, receiving the highest honors at a royal banquet hosted by the Alabasta royal family.
"President Sugisawa Yuuto, on behalf of all the people of Alabasta, I offer our deepest gratitude! We will never forget your great kindness," King Cobra said solemnly, raising his glass.
"King Cobra, you are too polite," Yuuto replied with a small bow. "Now that you've entrusted this mission to Vivi, I know you'll give it your all!"
King Cobra smiled, lifting his glass again. "Chairman Sugisawa Yuuto, you are young and promising. Let me toast to your brilliance once more!"
"Dad, don't drink too much as usual! You'll hurt yourself! Honestly, when it comes to drinking, even a hundred dads together couldn't match the president!" Vivi blocked the way with a glare.
"Ah, Vivi, don't underestimate me! I drank plenty when I was young!" Cobra protested, puffing up his chest.
"It's not that your drinking is poor, Dad," Vivi said seriously, "it's just that the president is unbelievably strong!"
"Then I'll join too!"
Jakar, the confident jackal of the palace, volunteered immediately.
"And I!"
Bell the Falcon stepped forward as well.
"Captain Icarem, you're joining us, right?" Bell asked.
"No, no, I'll handle it myself," Icarem waved his hands repeatedly. He had witnessed Yuuto's drinking skills back in Whiskey Peak—trying to outdrink him would be pure torture.
"Then let's do this—the three of us!"
With the support of the strongest warriors from both kingdoms, King Cobra was brimming with confidence, and the challenge was officially set.
Yuuto had no reason to refuse. The battle of wits and wine commenced.
An hour later, the streets outside were filled with three staggering figures—King Cobra, Bell, and Jakar—stumbling in unison.
"Ah, what a troublesome father! I told you so!" Vivi waved helplessly.
Meanwhile, Cobra muttered in his drunken stupor, talking to himself, "Vivi, you are the princess of this country. I've worked hard for you, and Alabasta... oh, what a time..."
"What's wrong, Dad?" Vivi smiled. "You've done your duty, but I hope you can also enjoy life freely, like a normal person. Follow your own path."
"But, finding a boyfriend is still too early for you, Vivi. If someone really wins your heart, I won't stop them…" Cobra rambled, spilling every thought.
Vivi blushed furiously and hurriedly commanded Icarem to carry her nonsense father back to rest.
Meanwhile, under Vivi's leadership, the Fairy Tail girls enjoyed a luxurious bath in the palace's grand hot spring pool, splashing, laughing, and radiating youthful vitality.
By contrast, the men's bath next door was much quieter. Yuuto enjoyed the peace of solitude—at least until he felt a sudden, strange warmth surrounding him.
At the same time, the girls' bath erupted into chaos.
"Hey, where's Juvia? Juvia, where are you?" Nami called out, confused.
"Why did Juvia disappear all of a sudden?" Vivi asked suspiciously.
Mirajan covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. "If you want to find her..."
Erza leapt over the divider separating the baths and pulled Juvia from the water, giggling.
"Juvia, why are you on the president's side?" Nami asked, astonished.
"Cough… cough… the water over here is more comfortable!" Juvia muttered, making little sense.
"Is that so?" Vivi frowned. "The water is the same on both sides."
"If that's the case, then I'll try it too!" Mirajan said with a grin, joining without even a towel.
Erza nodded.
Nami and Vivi exchanged a look, shrugged, and finally decided:
"Then… let's go too!"
Poof! Poof!
The noise escalated, and Yuuto shook his head helplessly. His rare moment of peace was gone.
The next morning, Yuuto carefully moved the little white feet resting on his body.
Without disturbing the sleeping girls, he quietly rose and headed to the palace square.
Fairy Tail was already assembled, standing in a line. Compared to yesterday, the scale of the guild had grown significantly.
Inside, earth-shaking changes were happening. Last night's banquet and the successful completion of Vivi's Alabasta commission had triggered a massive upgrade for the guild.
Not only was the main commission completed, but it also yielded a substantial amount of upgrade points. The guild level had risen +1, and rewards were ready to be deployed.
This time, the upgrade wasn't a magic spell or a new partner call. It was a comprehensive enhancement of Fairy Tail itself:
Guild scale expansion – The ship could now accommodate more partners comfortably.
Flight capabilities – Previously, the ship relied entirely on Yuuto's gravity magic to fly. Now, Fairy Tail could soar through the skies independently.
New attack deployment – The guild had developed a powerful new offensive method:
Magic Cluster Cannon 'Jupiter'!
The full potential of Fairy Tail was beginning to awaken.