Alabasta East Harbor.
Fairy Tail made contact with the Marine Headquarters warship, led by Admiral of Headquarters Alternate Momousagi Gion. Several elite female Marines walked down the gangway and set foot on the deck of the guild ship.
"Colonel Hina, the handover of Kelkedar should be complete. Do you have any other business here?" Vivi asked, eyeing the pink-haired beauty in her formal suit and polished leather shoes.
Colonel Hina, stationed in the nearby G6 branch, had been responsible for the handover, custody, and management of Shichibukai Kelkedar and the Locke Agency's advanced agents over the past week. Vivi, Sugisawa Yuuto, and the others had already met her multiple times and were now half-acquainted.
"Could it be… Ms. Hina is considering accepting my invitation?" Yuuto smiled knowingly. Over their past encounters, he had subtly extended an invitation to Hina.
Momousagi Gion, standing nearby, looked on with a raised eyebrow. Wait… what was happening? She had come intending to recruit Yuuto, not the other way around. Yet here he was, turning the tables and poaching before she could even speak.
Hina's face showed a hint of awkwardness.
"No, President Yuuto, Princess Vivi," she began, taking a deep breath, "I am not here regarding the follow-up of Barlocke. Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion will explain the details."
"Vice Admiral of Naval Headquarters?!" Vivi and Nami exchanged startled glances.
Female sailors were rare, and powerful beauty Marines even more so. Gion, as an alternate admiral, ranked just below the Admirals, with striking looks and formidable strength—news agencies adored covering her exploits. Naturally, her reputation preceded her.
"A Vice Admiral? She's that formidable?" Juvia whispered.
"Unbelievable…" Robin drew in a breath, her usually composed expression giving way to awe.
Gion glanced at Robin calmly. Devil's Child Nico Robin… Though not her original target, she made a mental note. Recruitment came first; any other matters could wait. Once Yuuto was successfully recruited, she could then subtly maneuver to secure Robin if needed—a win-win.
Stepping forward, Gion addressed Yuuto directly. "I am Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral Momousagi, here on behalf of the Five Elders and the Marine Marshal—"
"I refuse!" Yuuto interrupted immediately, without hesitation.
Gion froze. The explanation hadn't even begun! How could someone decline so casually?
Yuuto, unbothered, then scanned the young Marines behind Gion. "And what are your names?"
"Ah… we… we are… Skylark!" stammered the soft-spoken girl, Sergeant Yunque.
"Stupid! Skylark, don't just answer strange men like that, ignore them!" whispered Major Peacock, the tall, elegant beauty.
"But Peacock, my mother always said it's rude to ignore others," the timid Lark murmured.
"I see. Skylark and Peacock are excellent names. By the way… would you consider joining Fairy Tail?" Yuuto asked with a grin.
This reverse recruitment, from the would-be recruits to the recruiter, stunned Gion. Even Erza, Nami, and Robin were speechless. All the girls froze, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
Obviously, they already had Yuuto, but now he was inviting others… greedy, Mirajan thought.
If Yuuto knew what they were thinking, he would probably protest: he had no ulterior motives. Simply put, Fairy Tail's manpower wasn't enough to handle all the entrusted missions—they needed talented people.
But not just anyone could join. Members had to be familiar and trustworthy. Hina represented the next generation of Marine talent, while Skylark and Peacock were among the elite of their peers. Peacock, as the granddaughter of Vice Admiral Crane and chief of staff, had tremendous potential. Skylark, though currently weaker, could awaken magic after joining Fairy Tail and grow exponentially. Even Nami, once weak, could now easily defeat Kelkedar's advanced agents.
"Ah~~~"
Sergeant Yunque gaped, clutching her uniform's hem, completely flustered. Peacock, the confident one, was equally stunned. They had never expected the guild to invite them outright.
Hina couldn't help but smile sympathetically. She remembered her first meeting with Yuuto—before she could say a word, she was invited. Today's Skylark and Peacock mirrored that same shock.
"Wait… wait a moment," Vice Admiral Gion finally regained her composure. She opened her arms protectively, like a mother hen shielding her chicks—Hina, Lark, and Peacock. Her gaze toward Yuuto hardened.
She had come to recruit him, yet he was now poaching her juniors. Unthinkable!
Scanning the deck, Gion noted that all of Fairy Tail, aside from Yuuto, were stunning women. This guy is clearly not serious… she thought. If I stay, Lark and Peacock will never be stolen from me!
Just as Gion resolved this, Yuuto casually asked:
"Vice Admiral Momousagi, would you like to join Fairy Tail as well?"
Gion froze.
???