Marco and Makarov flew all the way toward Hargeon, but before they even reached their destination, they spotted a large ship sailing across the sea.
As it turned out, Marco's procedures had been completed remarkably fast. His companions, who had returned ahead of him, hadn't even arrived in Hargeon yet, but he had already finished the subsequent assessment process and caught up with them.
Marco and Makarov landed on the deck of the ship, where everyone quickly gathered around. The moment Marco's crow appeared, they had noticed—after all, a crow that large was truly uncommon.
"Marco! Did you pass the S-Class exam?!"
The moment they landed, Natsu was the first to rush forward, asking excitedly, even briefly forgetting his seasickness.
"Of course. Was there ever any doubt?"
Marco chuckled and lightly flicked Natsu's forehead.
But Natsu didn't even register the pain—he was too busy jumping up and down in excitement.
"That's amazing! Marco's an S-Class Mage now!"
After celebrating for a moment, Natsu clenched his fists with determination and declared:
"Next time, I'm definitely gonna pass the exam too! I'll become an S-Class Mage! I'll beat Laxus! Beat Marco! Beat old man Gildarts! And become the strongest in the guild!"
Natsu's declaration was full of passion, but all it earned him were furious glares from the others. Gray, Gajeel, Mirajane, and Erza were all displeased with his statement—especially since he hadn't even included them as targets!
The one who took the most offense, however, was Laxus, because Natsu had mentioned his name before Marco's!
"Natsu! What the hell do you mean by that?!"
Thus, before anyone else could speak up, Laxus was the first to lash out. He and Natsu had never gotten along well, always picking fights with each other, and now was the perfect time to teach him a lesson.
"Huh?"
Natsu blinked in confusion, completely unaware of what he had said wrong.
Faced with the aggressive crowd, Natsu could only feel bewildered, having no idea what he had done to provoke them.
"W-what are you guys doing?!"
Natsu took a cautious step back before ultimately hiding behind Marco.
If it had just been Gray and Gajeel, Natsu wouldn't have been afraid at all—he would've charged right in and started brawling with them, as was their usual routine.
But now, Mirajane and Erza had joined in, and even Laxus was coming at him. Natsu knew he couldn't handle all of them at once.
A wise man knows when to retreat. In this situation, it was best to take cover behind Marco and assess the situation first.
"Alright, alright. You all know how Natsu is—he never thinks before he speaks."
Marco spread his arms, shielding Natsu with a smile as he stopped the others from ganging up on him.
If he hadn't intervened, they absolutely would have done it—at the very least, they would've given Natsu a good beating.
"This idiot!"
Laxus glared at Natsu. Having just fought Marco and been at a disadvantage, he was particularly sensitive right now, and Natsu's words had struck a nerve.
"Bleh!"With Marco standing in front as a shield, Natsu suddenly felt like he had found his backbone. With Marco backing him up, he even started provoking Laxus, though he had no idea why Laxus was angry—after all, he had openly declared he would challenge Laxus too!
Bam!
Before Laxus could react, Marco turned around and punched the unruly Natsu.
"Brat! Behave, or I'll hand you over to them," Marco said helplessly. This kid was never calm—wherever he went, chaos followed. Even when suffering from severe seasickness, he still managed to stir up trouble.
As for why Laxus was angry, Marco understood perfectly. It was because Natsu hadn't included a "no particular order" disclaimer—something that was absolutely necessary!
Natsu clutched his head, grimacing, and nodded repeatedly, finally settling down. He had no desire to get beaten up by these guys.
The still-young Fire Dragon glared at Gray and Gajeel. Against Mirajane, Erza, and Laxus, he was powerless for now, but he was determined to get payback from Gray and Gajeel!
Gag!
Natsu dry-heaved. Of course, his idea of payback would have to wait until they were back on land—on the ship, he was at Gray's mercy.
"Marco, congratulations on officially becoming an S-Class Mage," everyone chimed in once Natsu had quieted down.
There was no denying this was truly a cause for celebration within the Fairy Tail guild.
The title of S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail carried immense weight!
If Marco had failed, it might have made the rank seem even more prestigious—or the bar impossibly high—but everyone would have started questioning that prestige.
The name "Star Rose God" was already renowned far and wide, his strength and achievements widely recognized. If even Marco couldn't become an S-Class Mage in Fairy Tail, the requirements would have been absurdly strict.
In short, had Marco not succeeded, it would have sparked endless debate, dragging Fairy Tail into unfavorable publicity—though that was hardly unusual, it wasn't something Marco wanted to see.
Now, it was a win for everyone. His promotion added another shining star to Fairy Tail's roster of S-Class Mages, further solidifying their reputation.
Everyone sincerely congratulated Marco on passing the S-Class Exam, with no trace of jealousy or resentment.
His combat prowess left no room for doubt—even the veterans who had taken the exam multiple times acknowledged his strength wholeheartedly.
"Keep at it, everyone. You can all make it too," Marco encouraged with a smile.
But the others took his words with a grain of salt. Anyone who actually believed that was in for a rude awakening.
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