The moment Sugisawa Yuuto caught sight of the young woman standing behind him, recognition dawned instantly.
Urutia…
Full name — Urutia Milkovic, the daughter of the legendary Ice Mage Uru, once of the Fairy Tail world.
A wielder of the forbidden and powerful Lost Magic — Arc of Time.
When she was a child, Urutia had been sent away by her mother for treatment, unable to control the overwhelming magical energy within her body. But fate had been cruel. The research institute where she was sent fell under the control of Brian, leader of the Oración Seis, who deceived Uru into believing her daughter had died. In truth, Urutia survived — and, after destroying the institute, she joined the dark guild Grimoire Heart, mastering the Arc of Time.
From that point, Urutia's life had been a tragic storm. She manipulated the Tower of Heaven incident, controlled Jellal, and walked the shadows of destiny.
But after the battle on Tenrou Island, she was defeated by Gray and cast into the sea — only to awaken to her mother's lingering will and finally repent.
Seven years later, she appeared again during the Grand Magic Games, helping Erza and the others open their Second Origin of Magic.
Then came the Dragon King Festival — when, in order to save the world, Urutia invoked the ultimate secret of the Arc of Time: Last Ages.
She reversed the entire world by a single minute, changing the fate of countless wizards… but at the cost of her own lifespan, aging into an old woman.
Even then, during the final Alvarez Empire battle, Urutia still helped Sherria unlock her Third Origin and defeat Dimaria of the Spriggan Twelve.
Urutia's name ran through the entire Fairy Tail saga like a crimson thread — tragedy and redemption intertwined.
And now, she stood here once more — summoned into this strange, pirate-filled world, now as a new member of Fairy Tail.
Yuuto, who had once summoned Irene Belserion, the Dragon Queen herself, wasn't easily surprised anymore. Still, seeing Urutia again stirred a sense of wonder — especially knowing that someone with the Arc of Time could become a cornerstone of their guild's future.
Only one question remained:
How did Urutia end up as the "mother" of Jewelry Bonney, the gluttonous woman of legend?
South Blue — Pizza Island
Just minutes earlier, following the coordinates of a new ally sensed through his link, Yuuto had arrived on the island. Excitement tingled in his chest at the thought of meeting his next companion.
But before he could search, a commotion broke out.
"The pizza thief's here again! Everyone, on guard!" shouted the pizzeria owner, brandishing his spatula like a weapon.
Yuuto turned his gaze and spotted a little girl strolling casually past the furious owner — a slice of pizza in her hand, crumbs at her lips.
Recognition struck him at once.
A child… with that face…
Jewelry Bonney.
One year from now, she would be infamous — one of the Eleven Supernovas, sharing an era with the Straw Hat Pirates.
Daughter of Bartholomew Kuma, the former warlord, and princess of the Sorbet Kingdom. A woman so dangerous that her capture once made Admiral Akainu himself break into a cold sweat.
Like Urutia, Bonney wielded powers tied to the flow of time.
Her Devil Fruit ability allowed her to manipulate age — turning enemies into children, accelerating decay, or transforming herself from an elderly crone into a young girl.
A terrifying ability… though limited to close contact.
Remembering all this, Yuuto couldn't help but chuckle.
He had only come to recruit a new guildmate, yet stumbled into such a remarkable surprise.
Before Bonney could slip away again, Yuuto caught her by the collar, lifting her effortlessly off the ground.
"Put me down, you big bully!" the little girl shrieked, kicking the air.
"My mother's really strong — she'll beat you up!"
Yuuto raised a brow, amused.
Her mother?
The very next moment, a voice called out.
"Bonney!"
A woman stepped forward — calm yet fierce, her violet eyes glinting with recognition.
Yuuto turned.
And there she was — Urutia Milkovic.
He looked at her, then at Bonney, and couldn't help but laugh softly at the sheer coincidence of fate.
Bonney blinked up at Urutia, then back at Yuuto. Her wide, jewel-like eyes gleamed with realization.
Urutia, too, stared at Yuuto, her face lighting up with disbelief and emotion.
Since arriving in this unfamiliar world, she had lived with constant unease. The only thing that kept her going was the faint hope that her guild — and her guildmaster — were somewhere out there.
"President…" Urutia's voice trembled. "Am I… am I truly worthy to join Fairy Tail?"
"Worthy?" Yuuto smiled, placing a gentle hand atop her head. "Urutia, you're already one of us."
Her eyes welled with tears. "President…"
Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly.
Yuuto froze as her warmth pressed against him — quite firmly — before Urutia realized and quickly stepped back, face flushed crimson.
"President, I… I owe you an apology. It's about Ellie — about this child."
"Ellie?" Yuuto blinked. "You mean… Bonney?"
Urutia nodded and began recounting everything.
After being summoned, she had materialized inside a government laboratory — the very one where Bonney was imprisoned. Lost and confused, Urutia had found the small, terrified girl and seen in her the shadow of her own past. Refusing to let another suffer as she had, Urutia had taken on the role of Bonney's mother.
Together, they had fought their way out of the facility and fled here, hiding ever since.
"President… I'm sorry," Urutia said quietly, clutching her clothes like a child awaiting punishment.
"I caused trouble the moment I arrived."
Bonney, sensing the tension, immediately chimed in, putting on her most innocent face.
"It's all my fault! Don't blame Mom!"
Yuuto laughed softly. "Don't worry about it. This is nothing worth fretting over."
Urutia looked up, hopeful. "Then… can Ellie join Fairy Tail too?"
Bonney's big eyes shimmered. "I don't wanna be separated from Mom!"
"Of course," Yuuto said with an easy grin. "You're both part of the family now."
"Really?!" Bonney jumped in joy, her earlier act forgotten.
Yet deep inside, she felt a pang of guilt.
Urutia had treated her like a true daughter — but Bonney wasn't really a child. She'd been lying from the start.
As Yuuto and Urutia prepared to leave, he gave her a meaningful glance.
"Tia, in Fairy Tail, trust comes first. No secrets between comrades, understand?"
Urutia nodded quietly.
Bonney froze. She knew exactly what he meant.
If she didn't come clean now, Yuuto would take Urutia away — and she'd be alone again.
"Wait—wait for me!" Bonney cried.
Yuuto stopped, turning just as the small girl's body shimmered — transforming into a tall, pink-haired woman of seventeen or eighteen.
Urutia's eyes widened in shock.
"Finally honest, are we?" Yuuto said with a smirk.
"Urrutia— I'm sorry!" Bonney rushed forward, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I lied. I'm not a kid. My name's Jewelry Bonney. I was just scared that if you knew, you'd leave me. I didn't want to be alone anymore…"
Urutia's expression softened. She reached out, pulling Bonney into a gentle embrace.
"Baka… it's all right now," she whispered.
For a long while, neither spoke. Only the sound of the sea breeze filled the air.
"Before we go," Yuuto said, "Bonney, there's one more thing."
Minutes later, he led her back to the pizzeria.
"Took some pizza without paying, huh?" Yuuto said teasingly.
Bonney lowered her head, cheeks pink. "I'm sorry, mister! I'll pay for everything!"
But the shopkeeper barely heard her. His wide eyes locked on Yuuto instead, trembling with excitement.
"Y-you're… you're the President of Fairy Tail — Master Sugisawa Yuuto!"
To the people of the world, Fairy Tail had become a symbol of hope. Even after the Enies Lobby incident raised Yuuto's bounty to 1.5 billion, crowning him as one of the Five Great Emperors of the Sea, the common folk adored him. His deeds — saving kingdoms, defeating tyrants — had been immortalized in countless newspaper stories, thanks to Morgens' tireless reports.
"Master Yuuto," the pizzeria owner said, bowing so deeply his spatula nearly hit the floor, "if this girl's one of yours, then her meals are on the house — forever!"
Bonney's eyes lit up. "Really?! Then I'll—"
Smack!
Her hand froze mid-air as Yuuto flicked her forehead, leaving it red and throbbing.
"Ow—owowow!" she whimpered.
"Nice try," Yuuto said dryly, dropping a pouch of coins onto the counter. "This should cover everything she owes."
Then, turning to Bonney, his tone softened.
"Listen, Bonney. I'll lend you what you need, but from now on, you'll earn it back through real work — by taking requests like the rest of us."
Bonney pouted, but nodded obediently. "Fine… but, um… can I maybe borrow a little more right now?"
Yuuto sighed. "...We'll talk about it later."
Marineford — Naval Headquarters
Clatter!
Heavy boots echoed through the corridors as a messenger rushed into the office of Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Sir! We've confirmed the location of the escaped subject from the government's research institute!" said Vice Admiral Tsuru, her voice calm yet grave.
"Good. Deploy forces to South Blue immediately," Sengoku ordered. "Bring the target back alive."
"No," Tsuru said sharply, shaking her head. "That won't be possible."
Sengoku frowned. "What do you mean?"
Her next words made the air freeze.
"The time-user who rescued the girl… is confirmed to be a member of Fairy Tail."
Sengoku's eyes widened. "You're saying—"
Tsuru met his gaze squarely.
"Yes. And their guildmaster, Sugisawa Yuuto, is in South Blue right now — with them."
The Fleet Admiral fell silent, jaw tightening.
Outside, the ocean winds howled — carrying with them the rising storm that Fairy Tail had brought to the seas.