Time flew by.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Around noon on the third day—
Swish!
The golden flash of a blade lit up in front of the G5 fortress.
Boom!
The massive ice gate that sealed the entrance shattered into glittering shards.
Two warships sailed side by side through the opening, cutting through the still air as they entered the G5 base.
"Ooooooh!"
"They're here!"
"That's Vice Admiral Momousagi Gion—the top candidate for Admiral!"
"I haven't seen Gion-senpai since last year's campaign!"
"She's still as stunning and commanding as ever!"
The Marines of G5 whistled and cheered, completely unfazed by the supposed crisis. There wasn't the slightest hint of tension on their faces—no fear of death, no dread of disaster.
That was the G5 way.
Brash, wild, and fearless.
And besides…
Over the past two days, they had already learned everything about why Sugisawa Yuuto had come here. They understood the full story. They had even shared drinks and clashed with him in heated "battles" at the dinner table.
By the end—
The so-called G5 troublemakers were all thoroughly impressed by Sugisawa Yuuto.
The higher-ups at Marine Headquarters might've imagined them to be in crisis, but the truth was far from that.
For two full days, G5 had no formal routines, no drills, no restrictions.
They were enjoying life more than ever.
If Sugisawa Yuuto hadn't refused their requests to join Fairy Tail, half the G5 unit might have defected to his guild on the spot.
"Hey, you guys! Don't just swoon over Gion-vice admiral—don't you see who's next to her?"
"Oh right, Vice Admiral Kaji's here too!"
"Seriously? Both Admiral candidates together?!"
The Marines broke into mixed cheers, though the excitement for Gion far outweighed their reaction to her companion.
Vice Admiral Kaji—unbothered by the imbalance—flipped his hair, twirled once in midair, and performed a full 720-degree backflip before kneeling dramatically in front of Gion.
"Gion, your beauty and strength overwhelm me! Please—marry me!" he declared, holding out a diamond ring and a bouquet he'd clearly been carrying for this exact purpose.
"I refuse," Gion said flatly, not even sparing him a glance.
The rejection was instantaneous—and habitual. This was probably the tenth time she'd turned him down, maybe more.
With a graceful motion, she stepped onto the air using Geppo (Moonwalk) and descended onto the G5 courtyard.
Her sharp gaze swept across the area.
There, surrounded by G5's wildest soldiers, was Sugisawa Yuuto—casually walking forward while slurping noodles from a steaming bowl.
For a moment, Gion was completely thrown off.
On her way here, she'd imagined countless possible scenarios: resistance, chaos, destruction, even hostage situations.
But this…?
What kind of scene was this supposed to be?
It looked as if Sugisawa Yuuto was the commander of G5, not a hostage-taker.
The sailors weren't afraid—they were respectful, even admiring him.
Gion wasn't the only one dumbfounded.
Among the new generation of Marines accompanying her were the White Hunter Smoker, Tashigi, Hina, Peacock, and Skylark—all of whom had crossed paths with Fairy Tail before.
Every one of them stared in disbelief.
This was nothing like what they'd expected.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Gion composed herself and stepped forward with firm resolve.
"Chairman Sugisawa Yuuto," she began formally, "we've confirmed all the facts. First of all, thank you for exposing the corruption within our ranks."
Yuuto slurped the last strand of noodles, then glanced at her lazily. "No need for polite words. What matters is how you act from here."
Gion nodded quickly. "Regarding the children—we've already devised a plan. The healthy ones will be escorted home to reunite with their families immediately. As for those subjected to experimentation, after informing their relatives, we'll transport them to Dr. Vegapunk's island for medical care. With Vegapunk's scientific expertise, I believe we can help them recover."
Yuuto gave a slight nod. "Not bad. But your Marines still aren't exactly trustworthy. My girls will be accompanying the children—just to make sure nothing 'unexpected' happens."
"Of course! No problem at all!" Gion replied without hesitation.
If anyone else had spoken to her like that—doubting the Marines—she would've torn into them on the spot.
But when it came to Sugisawa Yuuto, she couldn't bring herself to argue.
"Not just the children returning home," Bonney added firmly. "We're also going with those headed to Vegapunk. Who knows if that old man will actually treat them?"
Her tone was fiery, but her motive wasn't just suspicion.
She also wanted to meet Vegapunk—to find the father who had been transformed by the scientist's experiments.
She'd told Yuuto and Urrutia everything. Naturally, Yuuto didn't stop her—he never would've denied a guild member the chance to find family.
"There's nothing wrong with what she said," Yuuto added calmly.
This time, Gion hesitated.
Vegapunk's research island was one of the government's highest-level secrets.
Its location was never disclosed.
"Why? Is that a problem?" Yuuto's tone darkened slightly. "If so, we'll just find another doctor to treat them."
"No, no problem! Absolutely no problem!" Gion quickly waved her hands, flustered.
If this incident ever leaked, it could devastate Marine's reputation.
Besides—she knew Fairy Tail wouldn't harm Vegapunk.
After clarifying the arrangements, Yuuto left the magic-powered vessel to Urrutia and the others. He was preparing to head back on his own.
Just as he turned to leave—
"Wait! President Sugisawa Yuuto—one more thing!" Gion called out.
Yuuto arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"
She took out a folded document and held it out respectfully. "This is a letter of commission from Vice Admiral Tsuru. She asked me to deliver it to you personally."
"Oh?" Yuuto's eyes flickered with interest as he opened it.
"You want to investigate the Dressrosa incident from eight years ago," Gion explained. "But due to your position, it's not easy to act openly. So… you're entrusting it to us?"
Yuuto smiled faintly. "I see."
He'd already planned to target Dressrosa anyway. By now, Erza and the others were likely already there, setting things in motion.
Accepting this commission would only mean extra rewards from the system—why wouldn't he agree?
But before he could even respond—
Ding!
A crisp mechanical tone echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! Fairy Tail Guild has reached Level 18.]
[New Super Magic Unlocked — The Law of the Fairy!]