The next day.
The hungover Fairy Tail girls woke up one after another, groaning softly as sunlight spilled into their rooms.
Robin, ever thoughtful, had already prepared a delicious breakfast and brought it to everyone's table.
"Thanks, Robin! Aren't you going to eat too?" Vivi asked gratefully.
"I already ate—last night," Robin replied, pressing a slender hand to her stomach, a gentle smile blooming on her face.
"Ahhh, Robin! You had a midnight snack without us?!" Nami cried dramatically.
Robin's eyes widened as she covered her small mouth, a hint of panic flickering across her usually calm expression. It was rare for someone as composed as her to accidentally let something slip.
But that single moment of carelessness showed something deeper—Robin had truly come to trust her companions from the bottom of her heart.
"It's okay, Robin," Vivi reassured with a soft laugh. "Nami's just teasing you. Besides, even if you had called us last night, we probably wouldn't have woken up anyway!"
"Thank you, Vivi," Robin said with a warm smile.
Her mind drifted for a moment, recalling what had happened the night before—a once-in-a-lifetime decision she had made under the courage of alcohol. With that single step, she had chosen to begin a new chapter in her life.
Now, Robin could proudly say that she had truly given herself to Fairy Tail.
And in doing so… she had tasted a happiness she hadn't known in thirty long years.
"Robin! Here's a little keepsake for you!" Mirajane's cheerful voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Huh? For me?" Robin blinked, looking at the beautifully wrapped gift box in Mira's hands.
"A present? Miss Mira, do I get one too?" Nami rushed over immediately, her curiosity piqued.
"Me too!" Wendy chimed in eagerly.
"Sorry, girls," Mirajane laughed, pressing her hands together. "Today's gift is just for Robin. Yours are coming later!"
"Ohhh, fine!" Nami and Wendy pouted but quickly lost interest.
"Robin, open it! We want to see what's inside!" Vivi urged.
"Alright…" Robin said softly, opening the gift with gentle curiosity.
Inside lay a small, delicate red handkerchief.
"A handkerchief?"
"A tiny red flower handkerchief?"
Nami, Vivi, Mirajane, and Wendy all tilted their heads in confusion, not understanding the meaning behind it.
But Robin froze. Her eyes widened for a moment—and then, realization hit.
Her face turned bright red as she quickly looked away.
She understood exactly what Mira meant.
The first time in every woman's life… was always worth remembering.
"Eh? Robin, what's wrong?"
"Do you know what that gift means?"
"Miss Mira, what does this little red flower even represent?" Nami asked curiously.
Robin, usually the calmest among them, nearly bolted out of embarrassment.
Mirajane only smiled knowingly and said nothing.
"Ah, what a bunch of kids," Juvia sighed softly. She already had her own 'commemorative gift,' after all.
Seeing Juvia's serene expression, Nami and Vivi exchanged a mischievous glance—and pounced!
"W-Wait—no! Stop!"
They pinned Juvia down, removed her boots, and began tickling her relentlessly. Laughter filled the guild hall as the girls' playful shrieks echoed off the walls.
Just then—
Jingle bell~
The service bell rang at the front counter, cutting through their laughter.
Moments later, a loud and familiar voice boomed from the entrance.
"Wahahahaha! President Yuuto, I'm back again!"
It was none other than Morgans, the self-proclaimed King of News.
"The President isn't here right now. What do you want?" the small white cat, Carla, asked suspiciously.
"Oh, it's nothing bad!" Morgans said cheerfully. "Just following up on what happened yesterday!"
Nami frowned instantly.
She already knew what this birdman was after—big news. Fairy Tail's recent exploits across the Grand Line had made them a goldmine for headlines, and Morgans was always eager to profit.
And the worst part? The last two times he'd made "big news" off their backs, he hadn't paid them a single Berry.
"Miss Nami, I heard President Yuuto and the Fairy Tail crew made quite the commotion yesterday!" Morgans said excitedly. "Sadly, I was too busy to see it myself—so, please, let me interview you all instead!"
"What should we do?" Wendy whispered nervously.
"Nothing to say," Vivi said firmly, waving her hand. "You can go home."
"Yeah, yeah, go on—nothing to report here!" Nami added, crossing her arms impatiently.
She wasn't about to let him stir up trouble about Robin and the Enies Lobby incident. If that story broke, it would shock the entire world—and put Robin right back into danger.
Fairy Tail had worked so hard to free her from her guilt. None of them would ever risk reopening those wounds.
And beyond that… revealing the truth would also drag Alabasta into the storm.
So no—Morgans wasn't getting a single word.
"We're taking a vacation later," Juvia said coldly. "Don't bother us for the next week."
"Wendy, see the guest out," Carla ordered.
"Ah—y-yes! Sorry, Mr. Morgans!" Wendy said politely, waving her hand.
"Wind Release—Gale Burst!"
A strong gust erupted, catching Morgans completely off guard and sending him spinning out the door and up into the sky.
"WAAAHHHH!!!"
The guild burst into laughter.
A short while later, Sugisawa Yuuto and Erza returned from their morning training.
"Did something happen while we were gone?" Erza asked curiously, glancing at the lingering whirlwind outside.
"Nothing at all!" Nami said quickly, waving her hands.
"President, let's go already!" she added.
"Vacation ship—Spa Island, here we come!"
The girls cheered, their earlier hangovers forgotten.
Two hours later, the luxurious resort ship Spa Island appeared on the horizon.
Because Fairy Tail was such a high-profile guest, the ship's staff had prepared the finest reception possible.
Per Mirajane's special request, every crew member on the ship was female—leaving Yuuto as the only man aboard.
That was the only way the girls could truly relax and have fun.
"Alright, everyone!" Mirajane announced brightly. "Enjoy yourselves to the fullest! For the next week, everything's on the President!"
"OH YEAHHH!"
Cheers erupted as their long-awaited week of rest began.
(Ten thousand words of relaxation later…)
Enies Lobby, Hall of Justice
After half a day of travel, Morgans finally reached the land that never sleeps.
He'd spent all morning chasing Fairy Tail for information, only to realize they wouldn't say a thing about what had happened. Continuing would just annoy them and risk ruining the relationship he'd built.
But Morgans wasn't the kind of journalist to give up easily.
"If I can't get the story from Fairy Tail…" he muttered, his eyes glinting, "…then I'll investigate it myself!"
From the sky, the ruins of Enies Lobby came into view—still scarred from the recent cataclysmic battle.
But before he could get closer—
"Hey! Look at the sky!"
"That's Morgans!"
"He's here again!"
"Quick! Shoot him down!"
"Orders from above—if you see that birdman, take him out! Don't let him near Enies Lobby!"
Gunfire roared from a passing Marine patrol ship.
"WHAT THE—?! What did I even do to you people?!" Morgans squawked, flapping frantically as bullets whizzed past him.
That night, battered and furious, Morgans dragged himself back to his hot-air-balloon newsroom.
"The nerve of those Marines…" he grumbled. But beneath his irritation, a spark of defiance burned bright.
"The more they try to silence me… the more I have to report!"
He cracked his talons and grinned wickedly.
"No materials? No witnesses? Who cares—I'll just make it up myself!"
Morgans prided himself on his storytelling. If there was one thing he could do better than anyone, it was turn rumor into legend.
"Hmm… Fairy Tail versus the World Government. The key figure is Nico Robin, the Devil's Child—but people don't care about the details, only the spectacle!"
He scribbled rapidly, muttering to himself.
"The Enies Lobby forces alone wouldn't be enough… but I did see the Gate of Justice open. That means the Marines must have sent reinforcements—probably an Admiral…"
"Oh! And there were ice floes on the sea—it has to be Aokiji's handiwork!"
"Yes! That's it! Aokiji personally joined the battle! And the Marines launched a Buster Call! Perfect!"
"Hahaha! I've got it! The Fairy Tail Guild, led by President Sugisawa Yuuto, stormed Enies Lobby and clashed head-on with nine Marine battleships and Admiral Aokiji himself! Even the Buster Call couldn't stop them!"
He laughed madly as he wrote.
"In the end, even Admiral Aokiji was forced to retreat, unable to stop Fairy Tail's advance. Thus, Fairy Tail became known across the seas as the Fifth Emperor—with Sugisawa Yuuto, the Fifth Emperor of the Sea, now boasting a bounty of 1.5 billion!"
By dawn, the report was printed and ready.
Thousands of newsbirds took flight, carrying Morgans' "special edition" across the world.
The entire sea trembled once more—
shaken by the legend of the Fifth Emperor of the Sea: Sugisawa Yuuto.