Bickslow stared at the star-map crystal. The signal on the screen was growing stronger by the second. The flashing point was located right at the center of the fog-shrouded island ahead. He lifted his head.
"That's it. Right there."
Natsu stood at the bow, his fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. The sea wind tugged at his clothes, flames dancing between his fingers. He didn't turn around only spoke in a low voice.
"Take us in."
Gray kicked aside a wooden crate on the deck and pulled out several glow sticks. He tossed one to Romeo. The boy's hand trembled slightly as he caught it, but he didn't say a word. Happy and Panther Lily had already spread their wings, circling low to scout the area.
Wendy closed her eyes, Observation spreading outward. Her brows suddenly knit together.
"Something's moving… not alive. It sounds like metal joints."
"Traps." Erza drew the short sword at her waist, steel flashing coldly. "Don't step on any blackened ground."
The moment the ship scraped onto the shallows, everyone leapt off. The sand was soft footprints vanished almost instantly under the returning tide. Happy flew back to report.
"There's a cave entrance in the cliff on the left! The door's half collapsed you can see stairs inside!"
Luffy was already gone.
In three quick steps he bounded onto the rocks, grinning. "Treasure spotted first!"
Before anyone could stop him, he dove straight into the darkness.
"Wait !" Gray shouted, but it was too late.
The cave was damp and dark, the air thick with rust and moss. Stone tiles covered the floor, black fungi growing in the cracks. Luffy stepped on a raised tile
Click.
The sound of mechanisms turning echoed overhead.
Chains crashed down, and a metal net sealed the retreat. The floor ahead flipped open, revealing a deep pit. From a hidden compartment, a green Devil Fruit rolled out, its skin still wrapped in vine fibers.
Luffy reached for it without hesitation.
The instant his fingers touched the peel, a powerful gust of air blasted the fruit away. It arced through the chamber and landed perfectly in the hands of a stone statue on a distant altar.
The statue, previously motionless, slowly drew its arms inward, clutching the fruit to its chest.
"…This is bad," Bickslow said, staring at the star-map crystal. "The entire ruin's energy level is rising."
Gray instantly froze the edges of the flipped mechanism, locking it in place. The others crossed the trap zone one by one. Erza led the way, her glowing sword illuminating the end of the passage
A circular grand hall opened before them.
At its center stood a man-sized stone statue carved from head to toe in runes. Two gray-white crystals were embedded where its eyes should be.
Natsu's gaze locked onto the altar.
Two dual-element magic crystals were set into the stone pedestal one blazing red like fire, the other pale blue like wind. He stepped up onto the platform.
"Don't touch !" Bickslow shouted.
Too late.
The instant Natsu's hand made contact, the entire hall shook violently. Cracks split open beneath the statue's feet. Stone plates layered over its body, arms stretching and reshaping into massive blades. Blue-white flames ignited in its eyes.
It raised its right fist and slammed it into the ground.
The shockwave exploded outward, rock fragments flying everywhere. Gray tackled Wendy, the two rolling behind a pillar. Erza switched armor in an instant Heaven's Wheel activated, dozens of weapons firing at once.
The statue swept its arm sideways. Compressed wind formed a crescent slash that blasted every blade away. The recoil forced Erza back three steps, blood breaking from her palm.
"Tough as hell," she growled.
Natsu roared, flames engulfing his body. He charged forward and threw a straight punch into the statue's abdomen.
Boom!
The statue only rocked back half a step then seized Natsu by the ankle with one hand and hurled him into the rock wall.
Happy dove in and caught him midair, barely avoiding falling debris. Natsu landed, rolled, and sprang back to his feet, blood at the corner of his mouth eyes burning fiercer than before.
"Again!"
He rushed in once more, hammering both fists toward the statue's head. The statue raised its left arm to block and countered with a quake-punch. The floor split into spider-web cracks, and the ice Gray had just formed shattered instantly.
Wendy clasped her hands together. Healing wind spread outward, light washing over the team and easing their injuries.
"It predicts movements," she said breathlessly. "We have to strike faster."
Carla suddenly opened her eyes. "Next attack spiral wind pillar. Three seconds!"
"Scatter!" Erza shouted.
The statue crossed its arms and spun. A cone-shaped blast of wind erupted from its fists, grazing Gray's shoulder and slicing a stone pillar clean in half.
Bickslow crouched low, fingers racing across the star-map crystal as data streamed endlessly.
"There's a crack in its back the energy core is there. It'll take three simultaneous hits to break it!"
"You hear that?" Erza looked to Natsu and Gray.
Natsu wiped the blood from his mouth. "Front's mine."
Gray tore off his coat and slammed both hands down. Ice surged across the floor toward the statue's legs.
"I'll pin it."
"I'll cut the core." Erza drew the demon blade Benizakura.
They moved together.
Natsu leapt high, flames compressed into a blazing sphere, smashing into the statue's face. At the same instant, Gray's ice spikes burst upward, piercing through the statue's right foot.
Its movement stalled.
Erza sprinted across the ice bridge, lightning-fast, and struck from behind.
Steel flashed.
The crack split wide, blinding red light bursting from within. The statue let out a deep mechanical roar, its arms flailing out of control.
Natsu didn't hesitate he drove another punch straight through its chest, flames punching clean through.
With a thunderous collapse, the statue exploded from the inside out. Stone fragments scattered across the hall. The dual-element magic crystals rolled to a stop at the center of the altar, untouched.
Romeo had been hiding behind a pillar, clutching a glow stick. He saw movement in the shadow of a side chamber and instantly hurled it.
White light detonated across the hall.
A small stone statue was revealed mid-lunge, aiming for Wendy.
"There's another one!" Romeo yelled.
Blinded by the flash, the small statue faltered. Carla grabbed Wendy and pulled her back. Panther Lily charged in, slamming a beast-powered punch into its knee and knocking it off balance.
"Don't let it near the crystals!" Bickslow warned.
Gray raised an ice wall to block it. Erza doubled back to support. Natsu, breathing heavily, walked toward the altar his eyes fixed on the green Devil Fruit still clutched in the broken statue's hand.
He pried the stone fingers open and took the fruit.
At that moment
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed above.
Massive chunks of rock began falling. The ceiling split open, dust filling the air. Bickslow looked up sharply.
"The structure's failing it's collapsing!"
"Exit?" Gray asked.
"Sealed," Bickslow said, pointing at the star map. "Only airflow is through an eastern fault might lead outside!"
Gray reacted instantly, ice spreading forward to form a slanted escape bridge. Wendy used wind magic to clear the dust. Erza grabbed the magic crystals and stuffed them into her pack.
"Move!" Natsu shouted, gripping the fruit as he led the charge.
The collapse roared closer behind them. Happy, Panther Lily, and Carla flew at the rear, combining their strength to raise a flying barrier. A massive boulder slammed down the shield dented inward but held.
They burst out through the fault, tumbling onto the outer mountain slope.
Behind them, the entire ruin collapsed with a thunderous roar, dust and debris blasting skyward.
Everyone dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.
Luffy scratched his head. "Uh… sorry. I got a little excited back there."
Natsu shot him a glare then laughed. "Next time, don't grab first."
Erza checked her pack. The crystals were intact. She nodded.
Wendy leaned against Carla, too exhausted to speak. Gray sat on a rock, still shirtless.
Bickslow reopened the star-map crystal and ran another scan. The signal suddenly jumped new coordinates appeared.
"…This is interesting," he muttered.
Natsu stood up and looked toward the horizon. Sunlight washed over his face.