Naval Headquarters — atop the battlefield.
The shock still hadn't faded.
"Ah-la-la… this time, Fairy Tail really has become unstoppable."
Admiral Aokiji shook his head slowly, a wisp of frost escaping his mouth.
"If I'd known this was coming, I might as well have accepted that monster's proposal earlier," Admiral Kizaru muttered with his usual lazy drawl, though even his casual tone couldn't hide the disbelief behind his words.
"I didn't expect even that Gildarts' group to be part of Fairy Tail… This lineup surpasses even the Rocks Pirates—the overlords of the sea thirty-six years ago," murmured Admiral-candidate Momousagi Gion, her usually composed face reflecting pure astonishment.
"The Rocks Pirates? The masters of the seas thirty-six years ago? What were they?" asked Third Division Commander Peacock, puzzled.
"That group," explained Colonel Hina, crossing her arms, "was a monstrous coalition of the most powerful pirates of their time. Ochoku, Silver Axe, John, Golden Lion Shiki—and even the current Four Emperors: Big Mom, Whitebeard, and Kaido of the Beasts—all once sailed under that same flag."
"Nani!?"
Gasps rippled through the ranks.
"Hey, Hina—are you serious? The current Three Emperors of the Four Emperors and even the Golden Lion were once crewmates!?" cried Prince, a young sailor clutching the brim of his cap in disbelief.
"It's true," said Commodore Smoker grimly, smoke curling from his mouth. "And it wasn't just them. Ochoku, John, Silver Axe—those three were also infamous pirates in their own right. Together, they formed a crew that nearly dominated the world."
"So thirty-six years ago, such a terrifying team really existed…" murmured Tashigi, adjusting her glasses, her expression tense with awe.
"But even a group as terrifying as the Rocks Pirates," Momousagi said softly, "is nothing compared to Fairy Tail today."
Everyone nodded silently.
"Fairy Tail's master, Sugisawa Yuuto, is a man who even Vice Admiral Garp couldn't defeat—an existence beyond comparison."
"Gildarts himself is an 'Emperor'-level powerhouse who single-handedly destroyed the Pirate Hive Island of Honeycomb!"
"Then there's the blind swordsman Isshō, and Jura of the Iron Rock—both capable of fighting Admirals to a standstill!"
"And finally, the terrifying women of Fairy Tail…"
"Erza the Fairy Queen, Mirajane the Demon, Wendy the Sky Sorceress, Uru the Ice Magician, Ultear the Time Witch, Runti the Pink Dragon, Yamato the White Wolf—all of them have combat strength comparable to an Admiral!"
"And even their second-line fighters—Nico Robin, the Devil's Child; Nami, the Cat Burglar; Perona, and the others—are strong enough to rival the elite officers of the Yonko crews!"
Vice Admirals like Doberman, Onigumo, Flying Squirrel, and Momonga joined the murmuring crowd, their faces pale with disbelief. The more they listed Fairy Tail's members, the more the magnitude of their strength sank in—and the more fear settled in their hearts.
This… was just Fairy Tail's visible strength.
Even now, amidst the chaos of war, more revelations surfaced—Golden Lion Shiki and even Dr. Vegapunk himself had joined Fairy Tail. There were also newer faces like Uta and Brandish whose power had yet to be revealed.
And who could say? Somewhere across the vast seas, other Fairy Tail monsters might still be hiding, waiting for the right time to strike.
At the forefront of the battlefield, standing calmly upon the bow of the Fairy Tail flagship—
Sugisawa Yuuto stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling faintly.
His gaze fell upon the grim-faced Elder of the Five Stars, Shepherd Ten Pieter, and the commander of the Holy Knights, Figaland Garin.
"Well then," Yuuto said softly, his tone both courteous and chilling. "I've shown you my strength… now it's your turn."
He gestured lightly—an invitation to battle.
The Elder of Agriculture, Shepherd Ten Pieter, snorted coldly.
Though inwardly shaken beyond measure, he refused to let even a hint of that turmoil show on his face.
"Don't think that gathering a few more powerful subordinates guarantees your victory," he sneered. "Perhaps you're unaware—but when it comes to commanding the Seraphim, my authority surpasses even that of Vegapunk's clones!"
A smug grin spread across Pieter's lips.
He turned sharply toward the squadron of blazing-winged Seraphim hovering nearby.
"Do it! Eliminate the Vegapunk clone first!" he barked.
But—
To his utter shock…
The Seraphim didn't move. Not a single one.
They simply floated there, motionless and silent, their mechanical eyes glowing faintly as they ignored his command.