"Phew..."
After familiarizing himself with his various forms over the sea, Eden teleported back to Tenrou Island.
"Eden, was that dragon just now you?"
And just as Eden landed...
Makarov, Mirajane, Lisanna, Aramaki, Issho, and Nami, who were responsible for guarding the island, along with the souls of First Master Mavis and Second Master Precht, all converged on him.
"Um?!"
"There was a small mishap. After I completely absorbed the power of those twelve Dragon Lacrima, the power in my body reached a peak..."
"And then, because none of the Dragon Slayer powers would submit to the others, they started fighting amongst themselves inside my body. Ultimately, they were all consumed by the strongest Dragon Slayer power within me and completed a thorough fusion with my own being."
Eden explained to Makarov, Precht, and Mavis.
"Oh?!"
"So fusing multiple Dragon Lacrima results in this unique situation in the end. How interesting."
"Note it down."
Precht took out a small notebook he carried with him, recording everything Eden said. He gently rubbed his chin, speaking thoughtfully.
Indeed, there was a reason Precht was a competent researcher.
"Won't this leave any after-effects or side effects?"
Mavis's expression was filled with concern as she looked at Eden and asked nervously.
"Not for now."
Eden shook his head gently upon hearing her; he hadn't discovered any problems yet.
"In short, my power has now reached an incredibly high level."
"Probably... no less than that of Gildarts."
Eden said, stretching his wrists and ankles with an excited expression.
Indeed, Eden was ready to claim the throne of Fairy Tail's strongest.
Meanwhile, on Egghead Island.
"It's a wonder you could survive after being injured so badly!"
Vegapunk looked at the fully recovered Gildarts and said with a smile.
Yes, with the help of Vegapunk and Law, Gildarts's old injuries were almost completely healed.
"Hah..."
After hearing Vegapunk's words, Gildarts simply let out a long, turbid breath from his mouth. He hadn't felt this sensation of having a whole body in a long time.
To be honest, he had almost forgotten just how powerful his complete form was.
"By the way, these two prosthetic limbs of yours are very interesting. Can I borrow them for research?!"
Vegapunk, holding the magical prosthetics removed from Gildarts, studied them with great interest before asking Gildarts, who was on the sickbed beside him.
"Do whatever you want!"
"Those things are completely useless now."
Gildarts said with a smile after stretching his shoulder.
"This is bad, Stella!"
"We've suddenly been surrounded by the Marines outside."
Just as Gildarts had recovered and put on the clothes he had taken off, Vegapunk's satellites rushed into the operating room, looking at the main body, Vegapunk, and shouting anxiously.
"What?!"
"Why would the Marines surround us?"
Vegapunk asked his satellites with a look of confusion.
"Because someone reported to the Marines and the World Government that we were secretly researching history and healing the mages of the evil Fairy Tail guild," one of Vegapunk's satellites, Evil, said angrily.
"Damn it!"
"If this goes on, the entire Egghead Island will be destroyed, won't it?!"
Vegapunk sat on the operating room floor in despair, crying out, "Damn it, my great research! Countless amounts of knowledge! And technology that surpasses the era! It's all going to disappear!"
"Someone, come save me!"
"Is there a hero bursting with a sense of morality willing to lend a hand?!"
As Vegapunk said this, his eyes kept glancing towards Gildarts.
"I know, I know."
"Just leave all those Marines outside to me."
Gildarts said, stretching his shoulders and walking straight outside.
"Hehe~"
"Let's go watch the show together."
After Gildarts agreed to help Vegapunk fend off the enemy, the old geezer immediately put down what he was holding and trotted after Gildarts, planning to witness with his own eyes whether his science and technology could truly restore Gildarts to his peak.
"Vegapunk, stop your futile resistance!"
Outside Egghead Island, hundreds of warships had surrounded the entire island. Standing on the deck of the lead warship was Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral 'Chaton' Gake. He looked listless as he held a megaphone and shouted loudly.
"It seems Vegapunk isn't planning to come out, huh?"
Gake said, putting down the megaphone and speaking to his subordinates beside him, "Open fire!"
"Eh?!"
"Are we launching a Buster Call directly?"
Gake's subordinates seemed surprised that his attitude would be so resolute.
"Idiot, just fire your cannons around the island, so it looks like we didn't come for nothing."
"What do you mean?!"
"Is this also for show for the World Government?"
Gake was about to be driven mad by his subordinate.
Even if they didn't actually plan to do anything to Vegapunk, they still had to make a show of completing the mission. They couldn't just come all this way for nothing, right?!
"Understood."
Gake's subordinate immediately understood his meaning. He picked up the transponder snail and issued an order to the hundreds of Marine warships surrounding Egghead Island, "Everyone, open fire!"
"Boom!!"
After Gake's order was relayed, the sky was instantly filled with cannonballs. They tore through the sky, heading towards Egghead Island.
"Crash!"
However, just as the cannonballs were about to approach the island...
Gildarts slowly walked out of Vegapunk's research lab. He looked up at the sky full of cannonballs and said faintly.
"Boom!!"
As Gildarts's voice fell, the cannonballs exploded in mid-air before they could even get close to the island, like one brilliant firework after another...
For a moment, the Marines' attack became a complete joke. The cannon fire seemed to be a salute to the sky and sea, celebrating Gildarts's recovery.
"Alright!"
"If you don't want to die, then get lost!"
A white light shone in Gildarts's eyes. His Haki and magic power surged wildly. The moment he threw his punch, he directly shattered space, splitting the sea and sky with countless cracks.
"Boom!!"
As for the hundred or so Marine warships surrounding Egghead Island, they were thrown into disarray by the shattered sea from Gildarts's casual punch. Forget about continuing their attack on Gildarts and Vegapunk; they couldn't even keep their ships stable.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat quickly!"
On the main ship, when Gake saw Gildarts finally emerge from the island, he let out a sigh of relief, announcing the retreat as if a great burden had been lifted.
"Oh my?!"
"The enemy has been scared away!"
"You're truly amazing, Gildarts."
On the island, after seeing Gake lead the Marine warships away, Vegapunk immediately started clapping, showing a look of admiration towards Gildarts.
"Alright, alright."
"Enough with the compliments."
"The enemy has been driven away anyway."
"From here on, I'll leave it to you to handle!"
"Besides, that guy Borsalino will also inform you of the Marines' and the Government's movements in advance."
After Gildarts finished speaking, he prepared to set sail and return to Tenrou Island.
Of course.
Before returning to Tenrou Island for good, Gildarts planned to find Shanks first for a good drink.
With this, Gildarts had completely recovered to his peak.
If one included the power of Life Return and Haki that Gildarts had learned in the world of Fairy Tail, his current strength even surpassed his own peak.
One month later, at the Marines.
"Boom!!"
As Erza swung her sword once more, her slash directly parted the entire sea...
In terms of slashes alone, she was not at all inferior even when compared to the world's greatest swordsman, 'Hawk-Eye' Dracule Mihawk.
"Success."
Erza said, sheathing the sword at her waist and speaking softly to herself.
Yes, the current Erza now had the confidence to challenge the world's number one, Dracule Mihawk, with swordsmanship alone.
"Ah..."
"As expected of Admiral Erza, this level of power is just too absurd!"
In the plaza of Marineford, countless Marines who witnessed Erza's power showed expressions of shock.
"There's nothing to be done about it, is there?!"
"The power of the Fairy Tail guild is just too strong right now."
"If our Admirals weren't at this level, we Marines would probably lose our right to speak on the seas entirely."
Vice Admiral Yamakaji said helplessly.
During these nine months...
Besides Vegapunk secretly researching history and helping Fairy Tail's strongest combatant recover to his peak, many more chaotic things had happened.
The most noteworthy among them was that 'Thunder Dragon' Laxus had fought several major battles in just nine months.
First, he fought fiercely with the world's strongest man, 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, on an unnamed island for seven days and seven nights, ultimately defeating him at the cost of serious injuries, due to his youth and greater stamina.
In other words, the era of Edward Newgate was over.
Then, three days later, Laxus appeared, full of life and energy, in 'Red-Haired' Shanks's territory.
The battle between Laxus and Shanks lasted only three days, with the outcome unknown; it was said to be a draw.
After that, Laxus went on to challenge the one known as the 'Strongest Creature in the Sea, Land, and Air,' Kaido of the Beasts.
It was said that Laxus challenged Kaido three consecutive times.
During the final time, the aftershocks of the clash between Laxus and Kaido destroyed a small island with a diameter of over twenty kilometers.
Some even saw a flame dragon tens of thousands of meters long streaking across the sky!
No one knows the final outcome.
It's just that since then, Kaido no longer proclaimed himself the strongest creature in the sea, land, and air.
This covered all the movements of Fairy Tail's top combatants. What the remaining members did was not within the Marines' records.
Three months later.
The one-year promise had passed.
The members of the Fairy Tail guild officially returned to Tenrou Island.
"Hah..."
The first to return to the island was the group of four: Kuzan, Gray, Juvia, and Robin.
"Welcome back~"
"You're the first ones back~"
Mirajane said with a smile as she handed hot towels and water to the returning Kuzan, Gray, Juvia, and Robin.
"Ara ra?!"
"We're actually the first ones back?"
Kuzan scratched his head, his tone tinged with disbelief as he said softly, "Because Gray ran into some problems with his training, we were delayed a bit. I originally thought we'd be last."
"Gray had problems with his training?"
Mirajane's expression grew tense as she looked at Gray and asked.
"Hah..."
Gray didn't speak. He just exhaled a breath of cold air, and in doing so, directly froze the entire beach of Tenrou Island, just like Ur once did.
"Gray, your magic power?!"
Mirajane asked, looking at Gray who was displaying astonishing strength.
"It's now on par with Ur back then."
Gray answered truthfully.
In other words, Gray's magic power had officially stepped over the threshold of the Ten Wizard Saints, on par with gatekeepers of the Ten Wizard Saints like Jura and Ur.
"That's amazing, Gray~"
Mirajane clapped her hands happily upon hearing this.
Incidentally, Juvia and Robin's strengths had also broken through, with both advancing half a stage from their original ranks.
"Gray, fight me!"
The second group to land on the island was Natsu and the others.
The moment Natsu set foot on the island, he was already in a brawl with Gray.
"Bring it on!"
The clash between Gray and Natsu was a true spectacle of ice and fire.
"Seriously, who thinks about fighting the moment they get home?"
"And weren't you just seasick?"
Lucy stood behind Natsu, constantly retorting.
"Seasick?"
"Isn't Wendy with Natsu?"
Mirajane asked with confusion after hearing Lucy's words.
"Wendy awakened her Dragon Force half a year ago."
"In other words, Wendy gets motion sickness now too."
Lucy said helplessly, looking at Wendy who was behind her, head down, not daring to speak.
"I'm really sorry."
Wendy said weakly, her head lowered.
"Eden, come out and fight me!"
The third group to land on the island was Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe.
The moment Laxus set foot on the island, he had an eager look on his face, as if he wouldn't rest until they fought to determine who was the strongest mage in Fairy Tail under Gildarts.
"Alright! I take back what I just said. There really are a lot of people in our guild who love to fight~"
Lucy looked at the newly arrived Laxus and retorted helplessly.
(End of Chapter)
Read 20 Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247