"Bad news, Boss Buggy! Someone's here to see you!"
Just as Buggy was hyping himself up with his grand speech...
A flustered voice called out, interrupting him.
One of Buggy's patrolling crew members came stumbling in, breathless and panicked.
"Huh?! Someone else wants to see me?"
"What am I, a celebrity?! Why are so many people showing up?!"
Buggy scowled, extremely displeased. "Bring them up! I want to see which idiot dares interrupt while I'm welcoming Lady Juvia!"
"Boss Buggy, this one's... not ordinary..."
"It's that guy who single-handedly defeated the Fishman Pirates..."
"And just yesterday, took down the Marine Branch Colonel 'Axe-Hand' Morgan!"
"Bounty: 35 million Berries (increased by 5 million after defeating Morgan)—'Sea Emperor' Eden."
The crew member barely dared to breathe as he reported the name.
"W-What?! Eden the Sea Emperor?!"
Buggy's eyes widened in shock, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He cursed internally, "All I did was doubt the claim that he defeated Arlong! Why did he have to come here himself?! I'm doomed!"
"No... wait... I still have Juvia. I still have a chance."
Reassured by the calm and unshaken Juvia sitting beside him, Buggy grinned.
"It's time to test this girl."
"If she can take down a fresh supernova like Eden, whose bounty skyrocketed to 35 million in just days, then I was right all along!"
"Before we reach the New World and those monsters who've mastered Haki, we're invincible."
Buggy rubbed his chin, lost in thought, completely unaware of the sparkle in Juvia's eyes the moment she heard Eden's name.
Tap, tap, tap...
Footsteps echoed on the deck as Eden, Nami, Zoro, Luffy, and Happy climbed aboard.
"Who are you people?!"
"This is the Buggy Pirates' ship! You can't just barge in!"
The partying Buggy Pirates quickly drew their weapons and rushed forward.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
"Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!!"
Before Eden could move, Zoro and Luffy charged ahead and instantly flattened Buggy's men.
"Wait a sec... isn't that Pirate Hunter Zoro?!"
"And that guy with him... must be a Devil Fruit user too."
"That straw hat... why does it feel so familiar...?"
Buggy stared, confused, and muttered to himself. But when he saw Luffy's straw hat clearly, an irrational fury welled up inside him.
"It doesn't matter! As long as Juvia is with us, we have nothing to fear."
Buggy sneered. After all, they had a real Logia-type Devil Fruit user on their side—nothing the East Blue could handle.
"Eden..."
As Buggy thought this, Juvia stood up on her own and began walking toward Eden.
"Lady Juvia's moving!"
"She's finally taking action!"
"You guys are finished now!"
"Yeah! You fools have no idea how strong she is!"
Buggy's men cheered excitedly. They were already imagining Eden and his crew getting washed into the sea by Juvia's overwhelming powers.
They pictured high-pressure water cannons purging every last sin from Eden's crew.
"Finally! A showdown between Logia-type Juvia and the rising supernova Eden! Who will come out on top?!"
Buggy gulped audibly.
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the impending clash between the two powerhouses...
Then—
"Big Brother Eden~!"
"Happy~!"
"I missed you two so much! I thought I'd never see you again~!"
Juvia rushed toward Eden and Happy, throwing her arms around them, sobbing uncontrollably.
At that moment, the dark cloud above her dissipated completely.
Yes. The skies cleared.
"Eh?!"
Buggy's heart sank as he watched Juvia embrace Eden.
"They... know each other?! I'm screwed!"
Buggy's crew also dropped their weapons one by one, watching the heartwarming scene with growing despair.
It was sweet for Eden, Juvia, and Happy.
For the Buggy Pirates? Utter hopelessness.
"When I woke up, I found myself on a strange island! My first instinct was to look for everyone..."
"When I realized the magic here was different from Earthland's, I figured we had been transported to another world. I prepared myself for the worst—that we'd all be separated... but seeing you, Brother Eden, gave me hope again."
Juvia wiped her tears, voice trembling.
"Don't worry. I'll find every single one of you. No one gets left behind."
"Fairy Tail never dies."
Eden gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief, speaking with conviction.
"Speaking of your companions... there was a rather... embarrassing incident in today's paper. Not sure if this person is one of yours..."
"He had a mark similar to the ones you all carry. I figured he might be connected."
Nami pulled out a newspaper she bought at a discount from a News Coo and handed it to Eden and Juvia.
On the front page?
A naked man.
______ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Don't forget to give Power Stone