In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
Marine General Hospital.
The bandaged hero, Garp, ran into Admiral Aokiji, who was also wrapped head-to-toe in bandages. The two exchanged awkward smiles when they saw each other.
Meanwhile—
Naval Headquarters, Marineford.
The rabbit-themed warship belonging to Admiral candidate Momousagi Gion departed from the port, carrying an enormous sum of 10 billion Berries bound for the designated handover point.
But shortly after Gion's ship left port—
Holy Land, Mariejois.
Pangaea Castle, Hall of the Five Elders.
"What did you just say?! The Marines plan to send ten billion to that man!?"
The curly-haired Five Elder, Jay Gorusia Saturn, widened his eyes in disbelief and let out a furious roar.
"Hurry! Stop Momousagi Gion immediately! We cannot allow this to happen!"
The bald, scar-faced Elder slammed his cane against the floor.
"We've already lost enough trying to push through this so-called 'Monster Slaying Operation,' and now we're expected to hand over ten billion to Fairy Tail for nothing?! I won't allow it!"
The blonde, bearded Elder shook his head in outrage.
"How could Sengoku make such a decision without reporting it to us!?"
The sword-wielding Elder in a white training gi scowled deeply.
"Have we reached the Marines yet?"
The white-haired, white-bearded Elder asked in a grave tone.
"Yes, we've contacted them. Marshal Sengoku insists everything is proceeding through official channels. Vice Admiral Gion also stated she cannot return without his direct order."
A trembling World Government official wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Unbelievable! Have the Marines forgotten their place?"
Jay Gorusia Saturn's anger boiled over.
"What kind of government hands money to thieves?! Even if that ten billion were thrown to the dogs, it would be better than giving it to that bastard!"
"Notify CP0 immediately! I don't care what it takes — intercept that ship!"
The Five Elders' tone left no room for argument.
Ten billion Berries was little more than pocket change for the massive World Government. They could easily extract that much again from the taxes and tributes of its member nations.
But that wasn't the point.
What truly enraged them was the idea of giving that money to Sugisawa Yuuto — for free.
If it had been Red-Haired Shanks, they might have swallowed their pride.
But this? This was beyond insult.
Fairy Tail Guild.
After a long week of celebration, the guild had finally settled back into its usual rhythm. The Fairy Tail girls were hard at work again — both Erza's and Wendy's teams had departed to complete the last few commissions in the first half of the Grand Line.
After that… it would be time to enter the New World.
Ding!
A familiar chime echoed in Sugisawa Yuuto's mind.
He didn't even need to check — Erza and Wendy's teams had clearly completed another mission.
Yuuto opened his system panel to view the guild's upgrade rewards.
[Fairy Tail upgrade complete — Taboo Magic: Purgatory Fragment loading…]
"Oh?"
Yuuto raised an eyebrow.
Finally.
Fairy Tail had reached its second upgrade.
But this time, there wasn't much visible change in its structure or size. The last upgrade had already expanded the guild into a fortress larger than a Marine warship — even a Titan could live inside it comfortably.
The real improvement was in its offensive systems.
The guild's magical cluster cannon, Jupiter, had already proven its might in the recent broadcast against the Hundred Regiments Alliance.
Even Kalifa believed it rivaled the legendary Pluton battleship.
Of course, Yuuto knew better.
The Jupiter Cannon and the Pluton Cannon were on completely different levels.
But this new upgrade — Taboo Magic: Purgatory Shatter — might truly rival Pluton.
After all, the word "taboo" in taboo magic wasn't just for show.
Once the full magic circle activated, it could easily obliterate an entire city.
Just as Yuuto was wondering where to test its destructive power—
"President!"
Kalifa approached briskly.
"What's the matter?" Yuuto asked.
"About the assessment — when do you plan to start it, President?" she asked seriously.
"Oh, I almost forgot. We can start today."
Yuuto nodded casually.
"It's finally happening — Kalifa's membership assessment!"
Mirajane smiled brightly.
"Good luck!" Perona raised her pink-gloved fist in encouragement.
"I'll do my best to pass!" Kalifa declared, full of confidence.
After Yuuto and Kalifa left together, Perona turned to Mirajane.
"Hey, Sister Mira, do we have any kind of assessment like that?"
"The President has his own plans," Mira replied kindly. "We just follow his lead."
"Sister Mira, I finished cleaning the kitchen. Is there anything else I should do?"
A soft, timid voice came from the doorway — Ulti, once part of the Hundred Beasts Pirates, entered wearing a white silk maid uniform.
A week ago, she had been struck unconscious during her battle with Garp and fallen into the sea. Juvia had rescued her, and Irene later stripped her of her Devil Fruit abilities.
Originally, she was supposed to be turned over to the Marines — but after her amnesia and confused outburst upon awakening, Yuuto had decided to give her a second chance.
Now, like Kalifa, she worked as a helper aboard the ship.
"Thank you, Ulti-chan. You're still recovering, so make sure to rest properly, okay?"
Mirajane smiled warmly.
Out at sea.
The magic-powered boat sliced across the water like lightning, leaving a narrow white wake behind.
"President, may I ask what exactly my assessment will involve?" Kalifa asked.
"Oh, right — I should explain that." Yuuto nodded.
"Kalifa, as you know, Fairy Tail is a service guild. Our main job is to take on commissions and complete them. So, your test will be based on your ability to handle a commission properly."
Kalifa nodded, unsurprised. She had already guessed as much.
"Understood, President. I'll complete it perfectly!"
Yuuto chuckled. "That's the spirit."
"So, what's the commission I'll be taking on?" she asked.
"I've already prepared it. It's a retrieval request — you'll be looking for something."
Yuuto pulled a parchment from his pocket and handed it to her.
Kalifa accepted it solemnly. Since it was personally chosen by the Guild Master, she assumed it must be either extremely valuable… or extremely dangerous.
But when she opened it, her expression froze.
Her beautiful eyes widened as conflicting emotions crossed her face.
The truth was the exact opposite of what she expected.
Instead of hunting down a rare treasure or fighting through danger — the task was to find… a lost pet.
[Request: Locate the missing swordfish, "Blue."]
"This… this is the assignment?" Kalifa blinked.
"What, surprised?" Yuuto smiled. "Like I said, Fairy Tail is a service guild. No matter how small the commission, if we accept it, we must complete it seriously. Otherwise, it tarnishes the guild's reputation."
"I… I understand!" Kalifa nodded quickly, though her heart was uneasy.
It wasn't the nature of the task that troubled her — it was the location.
Swordfish Blue was a species native to Water Seven — the City of Water.
That was where she had spent four years undercover for the World Government's CP9.
She had only recently been reassigned to infiltrate Fairy Tail… and now she was being sent right back.
Just the thought of returning made her stomach twist.
It wouldn't be the pet hunt that was difficult.
It would be avoiding recognition.
After all, for four years she had served as Mayor Iceburg's secretary.
Everyone in Water Seven knew her face and voice.
The city was full of acquaintances — and potential exposure.
Meanwhile, Yuuto could barely contain his grin.
He knew exactly why he'd chosen Water Seven for her test.
That was the point.
The Next Morning.
As dawn broke, a magnificent city built upon the sea came into view.
Water Seven.
"President, here."
Kalifa took a deep breath and handed a mask to Yuuto.
She had bought it the previous night while passing through Spring Queen Town.
"What's this for?" Yuuto asked with a smile.
"President, you're famous now. If word gets out that you're in Water Seven, it'll cause a huge commotion. We won't be able to complete the mission quietly."
"That's… actually a good point."
Yuuto took the mask and put it on.
Kalifa exhaled in relief — then slipped on a second mask herself.
Yuuto tilted his head. "I'm wearing mine to avoid attention, but why are you wearing one?"
"Because… um… it came as a set. It'd be a waste not to wear it!" she said nervously.
Yuuto chuckled. "Fine, whatever you say."
Her innocent awkwardness amused him to no end.
"Let's go, President. The examination begins!"
Kalifa steadied her nerves and led the way into the city.
Within fifteen minutes, she had already located the client's restaurant — or rather, the restaurant owned by the client's parents.
The client herself was a ten-year-old girl.
When the owners heard that Fairy Tail had accepted their daughter's request, they were first astonished, then overjoyed. They immediately invited Yuuto and Kalifa inside for a meal.
But Kalifa, ever professional, declined politely and began noting down every detail of the case.
After reassuring the young girl that she would find her beloved pet, Kalifa and Yuuto left the restaurant.
"Dear, doesn't that woman look kind of familiar?"
The restaurant owner's wife frowned thoughtfully.
"You noticed too? I could swear her voice sounds just like Miss Kalifa's. But didn't she leave town to get married? Maybe…"
Her husband trailed off uncertainly.
"Well, we'll find out when we see her again," she said.
"Hey, Kalifa, the restaurant owners seemed to think you looked familiar," Yuuto teased with mock innocence.
"They must have been mistaken!" she said quickly, forcing a smile. "Anyway, President, how was my performance earlier?"
"Not bad," Yuuto grinned. "You found the client's location pretty fast. You seem awfully familiar with this city, though."
"Oh, that? I, uh, did my homework last night. I wanted my first assessment to be perfect!" Kalifa said, eyes darting nervously.
"I see. Then let's continue."
They spent hours asking around the city, but still turned up nothing.
Just as they were about to head to another district—
"Ah! Miss Kalifa?"
A heavily made-up shopkeeper hurried over.
"Miss Kalifa, you're back in Water Seven already? Perfect timing — a new shipment of stockings just came in! Every style and color you can imagine! You'll absolutely love them!"
Kalifa froze.
Even as a CP9 agent, she had her own guilty pleasures — and one of them was collecting stockings of all kinds.
Nami had once discovered this secret, and Kalifa, trying to be generous, had told her to take whatever she wanted.
Unfortunately, Nami had taken that a little too literally — and had torn through over a dozen pairs in just one week.
Every time Kalifa saw them again — worn out and infused with Yuuto's scent — her collector's heart broke a little more.
The shopkeeper before her was from her old favorite boutique. Hearing that familiar voice nearly made her respond instinctively.
But just as she reached the doorway, she remembered— she was on a mission. And Yuuto wasn't far behind.
"You've got the wrong person. I'm not Kalifa," she said stiffly.
"Huh?" The shopkeeper blinked in confusion.
Before Kalifa could slip away, a loud commotion erupted nearby.
"So what if I owe you money! I'll pay you back someday!"
It was Barry, the foreman of Dock No.1, once again running from his creditors.
Kalifa's heart sank.
She could already tell what was about to happen.
"Hey, isn't that Kalifa? You're back in Water Seven already? Mr. Iceburg said you'd gone home to get married! Wait— is that your fiancé over there?"
Barry pointed straight at Sugisawa Yuuto.