— — — — — — — —
At this moment, Makarov suddenly seemed to think of something and said, "Hmm... Wait. Since you're already going, don't let the trip go to waste. While you're at it, complete the mission as well."
"What?!"
Everyone in the guild was stunned. That was an S-Class mission—something only S-Class wizards could take on! Was the Guild Master really entrusting this to Uchiha Kitaro? Did he trust his strength that much?
Most of the guild members had only heard about Kitaro's strength. The only thing they'd seen was him defeating Natsu, and even then, they had no real understanding of how strong he actually was.
"Hold on! Old man! This is against guild rules, isn't it? S-Class mission requests are strictly for S-Class wizards! Why are you letting someone who's not even S-Class take this on?!"
Laxus's smug expression instantly darkened.
"Uchiha Kitaro has the strength of an S-Class wizard. I believe he's capable of completing the mission. S-Class missions can't just sit there forever, ignored. Someone has to deal with them, don't you agree?"
Laxus gritted his teeth. "Old man... Is this what you call guild rules?!"
"Rules are static, but people are dynamic. In special cases, exceptions can be made. If you go bring back Natsu and the others, you can complete the mission too."
Makarov conveniently found an excuse for his decision. The real reason? He wanted Kitaro to complete the mission while he was at it. The guy had been at the guild for a while now and hadn't done a single job.
Lazy wizards like him weren't something Makarov often encountered.
"Hmph!"
Laxus snorted and left, clearly annoyed.
— — —
The Next Day – Hargeon Port
"Wow! This brings back memories! This is where we first met!"
"That wasn't that long ago!"
"Let's find a boat to Galuna Island first," Lucy suggested.
"A boat?! No way! We're swimming there, aren't we?"
Natsu's face twisted in horror. He vividly remembered the agony of seasickness and had no intention of experiencing it again.
— — —
The two began asking around the port, but every boatman they approached recoiled at the mention of Galuna Island. It was infamous among sailors, a cursed place.
Known as the "Demon Island," it was said to be home to devils. The stories were enough to scare even pirates away.
"What now?" Lucy sighed, feeling deflated. Without a boat, they couldn't reach the island, and the mission would be impossible to complete.
"Alright! Then we'll swim there!"
"Aye~!"
Natsu, surprisingly cheerful, didn't seem fazed. For him, swimming was far better than enduring seasickness.
"Stop saying dumb things!" Lucy shouted. This was the ocean, not a little river. Swimming wasn't an option!
At that moment, a boatman approached them. "Why do you want to go to Galuna Island? That place is cursed!"
"We're Fairy Tail wizards! We're here to break the curse!"
"Fairy Tail wizards? In that case, climb aboard. I'll take you there."
"Really?!"
Natsu and Lucy were overjoyed, immediately boarding the boat with Happy.
The boatman set sail for Galuna Island.
"Blerrrgghh..."
As soon as the boat moved, Natsu's seasickness hit full force.
Lucy, curious, asked the boatman, "Sir, you refused earlier. What changed your mind?"
"I used to live on that island but escaped from it—the cursed island that everyone fears."
Lucy was surprised to meet someone who had actually lived there.
Happy asked, "What exactly is this curse?"
"If you step foot on that island, disaster will follow you. That's the curse. Can you really break it? Can you lift the demon's curse?"
As he spoke, the boatman's arm suddenly morphed into something demonic, startling Lucy and Happy.
— — —
Later That Day – Hargeon Port
"Why do I have to come along too?!" Gray complained.
Yesterday, when Kitaro was preparing to leave, Makarov couldn't help but feel concerned. Though Kitaro was strong, this was his first mission.
So, Makarov assigned Gray to assist him, just to be safe.
"It's the old man's decision. Besides, don't you want to take on an S-Class mission?"
Kitaro smirked knowingly, seeing right through Gray.
"Well..."
Gray had to admit he was excited. This was an S-Class mission, after all.
"Let's ask around and see if anyone's seen Natsu and Lucy," Gray suggested, changing the subject.
The two quickly learned from the boatmen that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had been there earlier in the day. Their unique appearances made them easy to identify.
"They've already gone to Galuna Island. Let's hurry and catch up," Kitaro said.
However, like Natsu and Lucy, they faced the same problem—no boatmen were willing to go to Galuna Island.
"What now?" Gray asked, feeling stuck.
"Leave it to me."
Kitaro approached a boatman, but before he could even explain, the man firmly refused. "No way! I'll never go to Galuna Island!"
"No, you wantto go to Galuna Island."
Kitaro activated his Sharingan, casting a genjutsu on the boatman.
Instantly, the man's expression changed. "Yes! I want to go to Galuna Island!"
"All set. Let's board," Kitaro said casually.
Gray stared, dumbfounded. "How did you do that?"
"It's nothing. Just used a little illusion magic to persuade him."
He had planned to negotiate, but the man's stubbornness left him no choice.
"..."
Gray was speechless. He thought Erza and Natsu were reckless, but compared to Kitaro, they seemed downright reasonable.
.
.
.