"???"
Sugisawa Yuuto blinked in mild surprise.
He had assumed that Golden Lion Shiki would cling to his pride until the very end, preferring death to surrender. Never had he expected the sudden reversal—legendary arrogance, faced with life and death, bowing so completely.
Yuuto waved his hand, and the gravity field compressing Golden Lion Shiki dissipated.
"Huh…"
Shiki exhaled slowly, a long, drawn-out breath. After witnessing Yuuto's devastating power, he no longer harbored even the slightest thought of enmity. Instead, cooperation seemed far more appealing.
If he aligned with Yuuto, he might once again make a mark on the stage of the New World.
From the start, Yuuto's intent had been clear: he needed the Lion Fruit ability. Shiki had originally planned to use this as a bargaining chip—to negotiate, at least gaining the status of a collaborator.
But… plans couldn't keep pace with reality.
Yuuto hadn't played by any known rules. He had decisively bypassed Shiki's expectations, opting instead to strip him of his Devil Fruit outright. Shiki had overestimated his own value.
In another world, if anyone else had made such a move, Shiki would have doubted them. But from Yuuto's hands, there was no room for disbelief.
After all, in this world, there could be no duplicate Devil Fruit powers.
When Shiki saw Runti assume her Blue Dragon stance, his mind immediately leapt to Kaido, the Beast Emperor. If Yuuto stripped his Lion Fruit, he would become utterly useless. A flying pirate without his Devil Fruit had no reason to exist. Survival would be nothing but a slow march toward inevitable death—an ending Shiki could never accept.
A man born in this world should be able to bend, stretch, and fight his way forward.
And so… without hesitation, Shiki's heart followed.
On the other side, Bao observed Shiki's sudden shift with approval. Any further beating would have been unnecessary.
Bao cared little for the sincerity of Shiki's surrender. In the presence of absolute power, no plot could survive.
"Hahaha! President, just tell me… what do you want me to do?" Shiki said, his arrogance replaced by a flattering smile. His instincts told him that Yuuto had accomplished something unimaginable in confronting him. Soon, Shiki would be able to show his true face or demonstrate something of his own.
"At this stage, your task is simple," Yuuto said calmly. "Organize these islands and transform them into unique holiday destinations. I will inspect and approve them in a month."
Shiki froze. "???"
What? You brought me all this way, beat me up, and your goal was… vacation planning?
Though inwardly dissatisfied, Shiki dared not show it.
"Fine. Leave it to me," he said, his voice full of forced enthusiasm.
With Shiki's surrender, Yuuto's mission had succeeded.
Three days later, Yuuto returned to Fairy Tail with Runti and Yamato. Work resumed.
Time passed. In a blink, six months had gone by.
During these six months, both Paradise and the New World had entered an era of unprecedented peace. Pirates now scurried like dogs, tails between their legs, too wary to act as boldly as before. And it was all because of Fairy Tail.
Even so, the guild's commissions remained endless. Beyond the pirate crusades at sea, there were tasks from nations across the globe. Conflicts with nobles—once minor—had escalated, threatening confrontation among Fairy Tail, the Marines, and the government itself.
Meanwhile, the underground dark world had undergone a massive reshuffle. Some fell; others rose. In this upheaval, Golden Emperor Gilder Tezzolo emerged as the biggest winner, hinting at the potential to become the undisputed master of the underground.
Even King Morgans, who had no interest in expanding his influence, solidified his position as Fairy Tail's Queen's reporter, remaining stable yet detached. Stussy, Queen of the Pleasure District, became the third major beneficiary of this reshuffle.
Yet the true victors over these six months were naturally Sugisawa Yuuto and Fairy Tail.
After the Wano Kuni incident, Fairy Tail's guild had already reached Level 20. Now, half a year later, it had climbed to Level 27—a total of seven guild upgrade rewards. New partners had joined, new powerful magic had been unlocked.
In the same period, members like Nami and Vivi had grown stronger. Beyond guild rewards, they had unlocked secondary sources of magic with Urutia's guidance. Fairy Tail's combat power had skyrocketed. The guild was entering a new golden age.
The era of the old Four Emperors was fading. In the minds of the people, the sea now belonged to one king and many emperors—and the king was Fairy Tail. The age of Whitebeard, Big Mom, and other old titans was over. The new era belonged to Yuuto and his guild.
Of course…
Recognition among the masses was one thing. Execution required opportunity. And that opportunity was fast approaching.
Marineford, Naval Headquarters.
"Hey, hey, hey, Sengoku! Are you serious? Why start a war now? Why pick a fight with the Whitebeard Pirates when peace is holding?"
The old hero Garp slammed his fists on the Marshal's desk, his face dark.
"Garp, please check your tone," Marshal Sengoku said calmly. "Regarding your protection of that man's bloodline, higher authorities will not intervene. You must comply."
Sabaody Archipelago.
"It's here! The Red Line!"
A small lion-shaped boat raced across the water. A boy in a straw hat waved excitedly, shouting as claws and sails flapped.
"Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth!"
Sanji, Straw Hat chef extraordinaire, groaned, unwilling to leave.
"Don't glare at me! I'm only going back to report to the President temporarily. I'll be back—I'm the navigator now, after all!"
The blue-haired girl Lebby grinned.
"Ooooooh~"
"Awesome~"
The stage was set for a new era. Fairy Tail's rise was unstoppable, and the world was about to see what power truly meant in the hands of Sugisawa Yuuto.