Holy Land — Mariejois.
Pangaea Castle, Five Elders' Council Chamber.
"Nani!!!"
"What!!!"
The furious cries of the world's most powerful men echoed through the grand hall, nearly breaking the silence itself.
"The entire force… wiped out? What kind of sick joke is this!? How long has it been—how could something like that happen!?"
Five Elder Jay Gorusia Saturn slammed both palms on the table, his round eyes bulging in disbelief.
Moments later, after confirming the report's accuracy, Saturn slumped heavily into his seat, all strength drained from his body.
Just a few hours earlier—
When the Five Elders learned that Fairy Tail had humiliated and killed Celestial Dragons in public, their fury was unmatched.
They had endured the Enies Lobby incident and even the tens-of-billions bounty scandal. Those were tolerable.
But this—this was not.
The authority of the Celestial Dragons, the so-called gods of the world, could never be challenged.
For eight hundred years, the World Government had ingrained one belief into humanity:
The Celestial Dragons are divine. Untouchable. Supreme.
That was their foundation—the one truth no one was ever allowed to question.
Because shaking that belief didn't just threaten the Celestial Dragons' divine image—
It threatened the entire World Government's rule.
So when they heard of a Celestial Dragon's death, the Five Elders acted immediately.
At that very moment, the victim's Roswald family came pleading for vengeance.
The Five Elders wasted no time. They mobilized two Admiral-level powerhouses, and to ensure total victory, they even spent a fortune to awaken "the Sleeper in the Ice."
Counting the World Government's three internal Admiral-class enforcers—and the Navy's top Admiral, Kizaru—they didn't intend to destroy Fairy Tail outright.
They simply wanted Fairy Tail to bleed. To remind them—and the world—who the true masters of the sea were.
Confident in their overwhelming lineup, the Five Elders even opened champagne in advance, waiting for the inevitable good news.
But…
Reality was cruel.
Their entire "luxury lineup" was crushed in record time.
Three World Government Admirals—all dead.
Admiral Kizaru—missing.
Celestial Dragon Roswald—confirmed dead.
"Damn it! Someone explain this to me!" roared the blond, bearded Elder. "How could that bastard defeat three Admirals at once!?"
"And what about the Sleeper in the Ice?" the swordsman Elder barked, clutching his blade—the First Generation Kitetsu. "His distortion ability was absolute! How could that fairy queen have killed him? Don't tell me she's an emperor too!?"
"Was it Pluton Rayleigh? Did that old pirate interfere!?" shouted the bald, scarred Elder, desperate for excuses.
"It's useless to keep whining," said the white-haired, white-bearded Elder grimly. "We need to focus on what happens next."
"Should we send another Admiral?" Saturn demanded. "I don't believe Fairy Tail is truly unstoppable!"
"No!" the white-bearded Elder snapped immediately. "Admiral-class powerhouses are our strategic assets. If we keep losing them, the New World powers might act against us!"
"He's right," said the blond Elder, voice cold. "We need strength to suppress the seas. We can't waste it all on Fairy Tail."
"The pirates in the New World are restless," the scarred Elder added. "They resent Fairy Tail ruling the first half of the Grand Line. Perhaps we can use their hands to deal with them."
The swordsman Elder nodded. "And don't forget the Four Emperors. They lost heavily in the Hundred Regiments War. With their pride, they won't let this go. We'll sit back… and watch the tigers fight."
His eyes gleamed darkly. "Just you wait, Fairy Tail. This isn't over."
Marine Headquarters — Marineford
"Sengoku… you've heard, haven't you?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, Chief of Staff, looked grave.
Marshal Sengoku nodded, arms crossed. "Yeah. I knew Fairy Tail wouldn't lose—but not like this."
When Celestial Dragon Roswald's warship had set sail, Sengoku had sensed it—several Admiral-level auras aboard. Together with Admiral Kizaru, they should have easily overpowered Fairy Tail.
And yet…
Not even Sengoku could have predicted such devastation.
First, Roswald's son, Charloss, died.
Now Roswald himself—destroyed alongside three Admirals.
It was unprecedented in history.
"Fairy Tail's strength goes beyond imagination," Tsuru said quietly. "Mark my words—they'll keep growing. One day, they'll reach a point where they can shake the entire world."
Sengoku sighed. "We'll deal with the future when it comes. For now, our priority is Polusalino."
He frowned. "The government's furious, but—"
"Relax," Tsuru interrupted. "You know Kizaru. That slippery fool always finds a way out. Missing doesn't mean dead."
As if on cue—
Ding!
A flash of golden light illuminated the Marshal's office.
"Now, now, Sister Tsuru… talking bad about me again?" drawled Admiral Kizaru, appearing in his usual lazy posture, pouting dramatically. "I really tried my best this time, but those enemies… they were terrifying."
He gestured pitifully toward his shattered right leg, still splinted and bruised.
If he could've avoided injury, he would have—but he needed a believable excuse for his "retreat."
When Sugisawa Yuuto had unleashed Thunder Dragon King Mode, Kizaru had realized that retreating unharmed would only raise questions. So, for once, he had stood his ground—long enough to get injured convincingly.
"Well, at least you came back alive," Sengoku said tiredly. "Go to the infirmary, get that leg treated. Report later."
"Roger that~" Kizaru replied cheerfully, limping away in relief.
New World — High Above the Seas
Massive hot-air balloons drifted among the clouds—the headquarters of the World Economic News.
Ever since learning that Fairy Tail planned to enter the New World, Morgans and his crew had relocated early, preparing for the next great story.
He'd assumed that, after the Hundred Regiments War, the seas would quiet down for a while.
He was wrong.
The moment he looked away, another world-shattering event erupted.
"Him!!!" Morgans screeched, eyes bulging as he saw headlines from rival papers breaking the Sabaody story first.
He slammed his fist into his thigh—then into the thighs of his unfortunate staff, who yelped in pain.
"President—ow!—what now? Should we publish our own version?" one of them asked nervously.
"Forget the Celestial Dragons' details," Morgans growled. "Focus on Sugisawa Yuuto's battle with the World Government. Dig deep—get everything!"
With that command, Morgans set the world's news networks ablaze.
Within hours, the Sabaody Incident spread across every sea.
And once again, Fairy Tail's name shook the world.
The World Reacts
"Incredible!!!"
"Fairy Tail triggered another world-class event!"
"They actually went against the Celestial Dragons!"
"They have no fear—none at all!"
"They killed the Celestial Dragons—those untouchable nobles! How bold can they get!?"
"After this, the Admirals will come for them for sure!"
"Who cares? It's Fairy Tail. Even Admirals can't stop them!"
"Exactly! Chairman Sugisawa Yuuto is the Fifth Emperor of the Sea—only someone like him could pull this off!"
"Fairy Tail did the world a favor! The Celestial Dragons deserved it!!!"
All across the world, people whispered, shouted, and celebrated.
For the common folk—the oppressed masses who had suffered under Celestial Dragon tyranny—there was no sympathy.
Instead, their admiration for Fairy Tail grew brighter than ever.