"What's with that look, Perona? Why hesitate? Don't you want to leave with me?"
Seeing the conflicted expression on Perona's face, Moria's expression darkened.
"No, Master Moria… Everyone in Fairy Tail, and even the Guild Master — they're all good people!" Perona shook her head firmly.
"I see. So that's how it is…" Moria's eyelids drooped, his tone calm but heavy.
"Wait—Master Moria, you…"
The joy that had just appeared on Perona's small, doll-like face froze completely the next second.
"Perona," Moria said coldly, "you've been completely swayed by them. You're betraying me, aren't you? You ungrateful child — who was it that picked you up, raised you, and protected you? And now, you turn around to side with my enemies against me?"
"No, Lord Moria! That's not—"
"Wake up, Perona!" Moria roared, cutting her off. "Fairy Tail 080 is our enemy! It's because of them that Absalom died, and that the Thriller Bark was breached!"
"No! You're wrong!" Perona cried, her voice trembling. "Everyone in Fairy Tail is family too! If you hadn't kept those useless zombies around, they wouldn't have attacked you in the first place, Master Moria!"
For the first time in her life, she talked back to him — eyes wide, voice filled with emotion.
"So it's true then!" Moria's face twisted. "You really have betrayed me! You've become one of them! In that case, why did you even come looking for me? There's nothing between us anymore!"
"Lord Moria… you really are a big fool!"
Tears welled up in Perona's eyes. With a wave of her delicate hand, she summoned her Negative Ghosts.
In an instant, Moria collapsed to his knees, drained of all willpower. Perona didn't look back — she took off into the sky, her pink parasol trembling in her grip.
"That's fine…" Moria murmured, lowering his head. "That's just fine."
"Uuuuhhh…" Perona sobbed uncontrollably as she floated away, her cries echoing across the battlefield.
"Alright, alright, don't cry anymore. How about I go teach him a lesson for you, hmm?" Mira gently rubbed Perona's back, her tone soothing.
"No! Don't do that!" Perona shook her head frantically. Despite what had just happened, her feelings for Moria hadn't changed.
"Got it, got it — I was only joking," Mirajane said with a small smile.
Of course, she was only saying that to comfort her.
Perona couldn't see it herself, but Mira — who had been watching everything — understood perfectly.
Moria's harsh words weren't born of anger. They were an act of selflessness. He didn't want to hold his daughter back. He wanted her to stay where she truly belonged, to live freely, without guilt or burdens.
Perona's sobs grew softer. "Ooooh…"
On the other side of the battlefield, chaos erupted.
"Wait—! That's Dracule Mihawk and the Fairy Queen, Erza!"
"Is the world's greatest swordsman going to attack Fairy Tail?!"
"Hey, Hawkeye! Are you siding with the Marines now? That's not a smart move!"
"No, idiot! This isn't about the Marines — this is between swordsmen!"
"Right! Fairy Queen Erza's no ordinary fighter either!"
"We might be about to witness a legendary duel!"
Marines and Whitebeard Pirates alike were buzzing with anticipation, all eyes fixed on the two figures slowly closing the distance between them.
The world's strongest swordsman — Dracule 'Hawkeye' Mihawk!
The queen of Fairy Tail — Erza Scarlet!
Earlier, after the climactic battle at Marineford, Mihawk had already lost interest in this war. Feeling deceived and bored by the chaos, he had planned to withdraw.
That changed the moment Fairy Tail appeared — or more precisely, when Erza herself stepped onto the battlefield.
Long ago, back when Fairy Tail first set sail, Mihawk had read about Erza in the papers — a young woman capable of wielding multiple swords with devastating skill. From that moment, his interest was piqued.
He had never gotten the chance to meet her face to face.
Until now.
And on this grand battlefield, the opportunity finally came.
Mihawk's sword intent surged violently — a killing aura that cut through the air itself.
Sensing it, Erza raised her head. Her own blade hummed with magic and will as she stepped forward to meet him.
"Fairy Queen Erza," Mihawk said, his voice calm but sharp as a blade, "let us duel."
He drew his supreme black blade, Yoru, its edge gleaming with murderous intent.
"You are said to stand at the pinnacle of swordsmanship — the greatest swordsman in the world," Erza replied evenly. "If that's true, then crossing blades with you will be an honor."
With a resonant clang, her sword slid free of its sheath, armored in flowing Haki.
No more words were needed.
Their eyes met — and both moved at once.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel collided again and again, filling the air with the deafening rhythm of combat.
Yoru clashed against Erza's enchanted blade, each impact bursting in showers of light and sparks. The ground beneath them cracked and cratered from the sheer pressure of their strikes.
"Tch tch… what an incredible matchup," muttered Foil Bista, the Fifth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates — himself a renowned swordsman.
"That woman, Erza… she's even stronger than before," said Gion, gripping her own sword tightly.
"A duel between the world's strongest and the Fairy Queen…" chuckled Shiryu of the Rain, a glint of bloodlust in his eyes. "I wonder if my Thunderstorm will get to taste their blood later."
"Whoaaaaa!" roared the crowd.
"As expected of Mihawk — truly the world's number one!"
"And Erza Scarlet — the Fairy Queen herself! She's no ordinary warrior!"
"A sword duel like this… I've never seen anything so fast!"
"This must be the clash of the greatest blades alive!"
"No way! This is just their warm-up!"
"Yeah! The real fight hasn't even started yet!"
Across the battlefield, Marines and pirates alike were frozen in awe, eyes glued to the two combatants.
Clang!
Wham!
Within mere minutes, Mihawk and Erza had already exchanged hundreds of blows.
At last, they stopped — twenty meters apart, breathing evenly.
Crack!
Erza's magic sword shuddered and snapped in half.
"As expected of the strongest," she said, her tone firm and respectful.
"Let's end the warm-up here," Mihawk replied coolly. "Now… show me your true strength."
"Understood."
Erza's eyes gleamed.
"Requip: Magic Knight — Armadura Fairy!"
Light flared around her as she changed armor — the real battle about to begin.