The next day.
"Good morning, everyone~"
Wendy bounded in with her usual bright energy.
"Good morning, Wendy~"
Mirajane answered with a smile as she served breakfast.
"Miss Mira, what's wrong with your foot?" Wendy noticed Mirajane was walking a little oddly and asked, concerned.
"It's nothing—just a little sprain. It's not serious," Mirajane waved it off.
"Miss Mira, you sprained your ankle—that's not okay. Let me take a look!" Wendy hurried forward.
"No, no, really, it's fine. Just rest a bit," Mirajane insisted, blushing faintly.
The sprain was only an excuse. The real reason Mira felt awkward was that she'd thought she'd been doing well fitting into the guild, but the "little president" had been growing so fast—so unexpectedly—that she'd been left flustered. It was embarrassing to admit.
On Fairy Tail's deck.
"Alright, Dorry, Brogy—let's take our leave. We'll meet again in the New World!" Sugisawa Yuuto said calmly.
"Sounds like a plan!" Blue Ogre Dorry laughed.
"Gabababa—next time we meet, we'll welcome you in Al Bhaf!" the red ghost Brogy added with a grin.
"Farewell, Fairy Tail~" Titan Cassie waved at them. "If you ever need us, don't hesitate!"
Sea Calendar, Autumn 1519. Primordial Island — Little Garden. The two captains of the Giant Soldier Pirates fought side-by-side and were humbled by the Fifth Emperor Sugisawa Yuuto. The century-old feud between them ended. The Giant Soldier Pirates reorganized and set sail. March 8.
A couple hours later the Fairy Tail girls woke and ate breakfast while checking through their commissions. Laboon's commission and the titan commission were both complete. It was time to divide the next tasks.
"Alright, it's decided. I'll take these drop-in jobs!" Nami tapped through a few fancy commissions.
"Vivi—this one's—" Nami began, wanting to invite Vivi along. Then a sudden dizziness hit: a buzzing in her head, and she collapsed without warning.
"Nami! What's wrong?!" Vivi cried, panicking. "She's burning—Nami, you're so hot!"
"Is it a fever?" Juvia asked, withdrawing her hand.
"A fever doesn't usually start like this—where's Wendy?" Erza shouted.
Wendy and Mirajane hurried down at the noise. "Wendy, come—Nami's collapsed!" Vivi called.
"I'm coming!" Wendy rushed forward and tried to cast her sky-healing magic—but it didn't work. The usual healing spell that rarely failed was useless here.
"What do we do?!" Wendy panicked.
"Don't worry." Sugisawa Yuuto arrived at the commotion. The guild girls' faces lit up at his presence. Yuuto knelt and lifted Nami's blouse to examine her.
"Knew it," he said quietly, having read her symptoms. Casquia disease—also called Five-Day Sickness. If not treated quickly, it could be deadly within five days. A virus long thought extinct, it still persisted on Little Garden because the island's isolated climate had preserved ancient life. Dinosaurs still roamed there, and the tiny mosquitoes carried long-extinct viruses. In the original story, Nami had been bitten and later rescued in Drum Island; now, the same fate had struck again.
"President, what happened to Nami?" Vivi's face was full of worry.
"She was likely bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus while we were on Little Garden," Sugisawa Yuuto explained.
Wendy's face crumpled with guilt—she blamed herself immediately. Yuuto stroked her head. "It's not your fault. Your healing is good. Don't worry—Nami will be fine. I'll take her to Drum Country."
"Drum Country has advanced medicine. They'll cure her for sure!" Vivi said firmly. Relief washed through the group.
"Also—check for mosquito bites. Don't be careless," Yuuto warned. The girls immediately started examining one another.
"President, come help Juvia…" Juvia called—she wanted a checkup too. But Yuuto was already gone.
Second floor, Mirajane's room.
"President, Nami's the priority!" Mira said.
"Everyone in the guild matters equally," Yuuto replied seriously. "If I leave with Nami and someone else needs help on the way, that could be bad." He'd already thought of that and reasoned it through.
Mira protested—"Then why am I alone—?"—but Yuuto didn't argue. He'd decided to examine her as well, since mosquitoes gather around still waters and she'd been absent last night. A thorough check was necessary.
"Wait… that can't be…" Mira gasped five minutes later.
"All clear—she's fine," Yuuto said when he returned to the hall. The inspections were finished: aside from Nami, nobody else had been affected.
Without delay, Sugisawa Yuuto picked up Nami, boarded the magical power boat, and set course for Drum Country.
Hours later they reached a snowy sea, and not far off—Drum Country's snow-covered island came into view.
"Nami, hold on a little longer. We'll be there soon," Yuuto murmured, tightening his grip.
"Mmm… your embrace is warm…" Nami mumbled softly, half asleep.
Yuuto steered straight for Guystar—home of the Straw Hat crew's doctor. Drum Country had been renowned for its medical technology, but under the tyrannical rule of King Wapol, many doctors had been deported. Only twenty were left, known as the Doctors 20, serving Wapol. The people had to beg the king for any real medical help. But Drum Country did have one legendary healer remaining.
Dr. Kureha—the witch doctor.
A quarter hour later Yuuto pushed open the door of Kureha's tree-house clinic. Chopper—tiny and panicked—dropped instruments in surprise as Yuuto's gravity magic floated them all into the air like a medical mobile.
"Dr. Kureha—please, it's urgent. Prepare antibodies for the Casquia virus!" Yuuto said.
"Huh?" Chopper blinked, ecstatic at being called "Doctor" in Yuuto's hurried voice. He twisted happily—"Dr? Me?!"—and then the voice of the 148-year-old witch Kureha cut through the clutter, scolding him in that gruff, familiar tone. A sharp sword-like twiged motion sent Chopper squeaking.
Dr. Kureha practically snatched Nami from Yuuto's arms, lifted her shirt, and examined her. "This is Casquia. It should be extinct… but now is not the time to wonder. Chopper, make the antibodies—now!"
"Yes!" Chopper snapped out of his daze and went to work. In short order the antibodies were prepared.
"You're lucky," Dr. Kureha said, administering the injection as she spoke. "I happened to have the raw materials. If you'd come anywhere else, you might not be so fortunate."
"Rest a few days and she'll be fine," she added, but Sugisawa Yuuto interrupted, noting that it had only been six hours since the onset. That suggested someone had come prepared.
Dr. Kureha paused. Her gaze snagged on Yuuto's hand; she hadn't been able to fully focus before the emergency, but now she recognized the visitor.
"You're the Five Emperor Sugisawa Yuuto?!" she exclaimed, shocked.
"I prefer Fairy Tail's President," Yuuto smiled.
Kureha suppressed her shock and laughed—a harsh, delighted bark. "I've read about Fairy Tail in the news. You've helped so many people. Fine—this one's on me. I won't charge."
"Then in return, let me ask a favor: can you take on a commission?" Yuuto suggested.
"A commission?" Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"
"Anything," Yuuto answered.
"How about overthrowing this hopeless kingdom?" she said without hesitation.
"Done," Sugisawa Yuuto replied as easily as if ordering tea.
Kureha laughed. "Wonderful. I have time. Consider it accepted." She bustled off to fetch more medicine so Nami would recover faster.
Half an hour later Yuuto returned to the single ward on the second floor with the medicine. Nami blinked awake, cheeks flushed with health. The drugs and Kureha's skill, plus Yuuto's magical support, had worked faster than anyone expected.
"It's time for your medicine!" Yuuto said, spoon in hand. Nami, who normally resisted medicine, obliged this time—because Yuuto was feeding her. One swallow, another, and it was gone.
"I took it—President! I took my medicine well!" Nami looked up at him with shining eyes.
Yuuto's big hand came up to pat her head. "Amazing."
"I'm not a kid anymore!" Nami declared, puffing out her cheeks a little.
"President, on the boat I won a mahjong championship. Miss Mira said I could make a wish to the president, but I didn't think I deserved it!" Nami said earnestly.
"Oh? And what do you want, Nami?" Yuuto asked, surprised.
Nami flushed and looked down for a moment, then looked back up with determination. "I want to be like Miss Mira, Juvia, and Robin… I want the Chairman's reward!"