Punk Hazard.
Also known as Ice–Fire Island.
After the Summit War, this island became infamous as the battleground where Marine Admirals Akainu and Aokiji fought for the position of Fleet Admiral.
Their ten-day, ten-night duel between two Logia monsters reshaped the island's climate forever — leaving half frozen in eternal ice, and the other half scorched by unending flame.
Thus, it earned its name: the Island of Ice and Fire.
But officially, it remained known as Punk Hazard—
once home to the genius scientist Vegapunk, now the lair of the deranged scientist Caesar Clown.
A few days earlier—
A human-trafficking ship belonging to the Donquixote Family arrived at Punk Hazard, carrying children kidnapped from all over the seas.
Caesar Clown had been preparing to "receive" the new test subjects…
when, unexpectedly, he encountered a woman mid-transport.
His subordinates, hopelessly outmatched, were swiftly defeated by her.
Finally, Caesar himself—confident in his Logia powers—joined the fight.
At first, his elemental abilities gave him the advantage…
but as the battle went on, the woman adapted to his techniques.
Caesar soon found himself being overwhelmed.
At that desperate moment, his cunning saved him.
"Heh heh… what a fool of a woman—falling for our little lie so easily!"
Now, inside the monitoring room of the Punk Hazard research facility, Caesar Clown smirked smugly as he watched the woman, Ulu, interacting warmly with the kidnapped children.
"Master M, this won't work," one of his men said nervously. "If that woman finds out we lied—that we're not treating those giant kids, but experimenting on them—"
"Don't worry!" Caesar interrupted with a laugh. "Keep eyes on her at all times. As long as she's never alone with the brats, how would she ever learn the truth? And those kids wouldn't dare say a word anyway, heh heh heh!"
He leaned back, eyes gleaming.
"That woman may be a nuisance, but she could also be a useful weapon. Her power is… intriguing. If I can study it properly, I'll surpass Vegapunk himself—maybe even create artificial Logia users!"
Ambition burned bright in Caesar's crazed gaze.
Six hours later.
Sugisawa Yuuto arrived at the coast of Punk Hazard, with Urrutia and Bonney beside him.
"I knew it," Bonney muttered angrily. "It's that lunatic scientist again! No morals, no limits—experimenting on children now? So much for his so-called 'ethics' and 'principles.' All lies!"
"Bonney, you know this man?" Urrutia asked curiously.
Bonney nodded, pulling out a crumpled commission letter.
It contained reports and clues gathered from the parents of missing children—
and all signs pointed to disappearances near Punk Hazard.
The moment she saw the island, Bonney's expression darkened.
"This place was one of Vegapunk's research bases," she said quietly.
"That's why I insisted on coming. If this really is one of his facilities… then maybe—just maybe—I'll find my father here."
"Punk Hazard, huh?" Urrutia mused. "An island under government control, run by the so-called genius scientist Vegapunk, who's said to be five hundred years ahead of his time. I've heard the facility in South Blue where you were imprisoned was one of his research branches."
Bonney nodded.
"That's right."
"So these missing children were taken by that scientist too?" Urrutia asked, shocked. "But why? What's his goal?"
"We'll ask him ourselves once we capture him!" Bonney said, clenching her small pink fist.
Sugisawa Yuuto remained silent.
Bonney knew something, but not the full picture. She didn't realize that Punk Hazard had been abandoned two years ago. Her assumptions weren't entirely correct—
but Yuuto decided to let her find out the truth on her own.
Three minutes later, their magic-powered craft docked on the southern coast of the island.
The trio began walking toward its heart.
"If this is a government island," Urrutia said, "then why are there no guards?"
"It is strange," Bonney murmured, frowning. Something didn't feel right.
The next second—
"Look! Up there—someone's floating!" Urrutia pointed to the sky.
Far above, a human figure was dangling beneath a massive balloon.
Because of the lingering toxic gas on the island, Caesar's "rescued" prisoners were paralyzed below the waist.
To keep them mobile, he had equipped them with crude floating devices powered by helium balloons.
With a flick of his finger, Sugisawa Yuuto burst the balloon with a pop.
The figure plummeted, and by the time Yuuto and the others reached him, the two balloon-wearing prisoners had already fainted.
"These two don't look like government soldiers," Bonney said suspiciously.
"President, should we wake them for information?" Urrutia asked.
"No need," Yuuto replied flatly. "Let's move in."
Inside the Punk Hazard Research Facility—
"Master M!" a panicked voice crackled over the den den mushi.
"What is it now?" Caesar snapped irritably.
"Something terrible! The patrol units—one after another—they've all lost contact!"
"Nani?! What did you say?" Caesar's face went pale. "Explain!"
"I don't know! There must be intruders! They're moving too fast—our men are being taken out before they can even react!"
"Master M, it's bad! The intruders are approaching the research institute!"
"Get that woman out there—now!" Caesar barked, already sprinting toward the control room. "It's time she earned her keep!"
He wanted to see for himself who dared to invade his domain.
Outside, at the institute's main gate—
"This doesn't make sense," Bonney muttered, frowning. "Those earlier guys weren't Marines at all—they were pirates. What happened here?"
"All the answers," Urrutia said, staring ahead, "are inside that facility."
Blah-blah-blah—
A clatter of disorganized footsteps echoed from within.
Ka-cha, ka-cha!
The heavy iron doors slowly opened.
Dozens of balloon-borne prisoners drifted out, armed to the teeth.
"Damn intruders!"
"I don't care who you are—"
"You'll die here, fools!"
Their arrogant shouts filled the air.
In the monitoring room, Caesar's jaw dropped.
"Wh-what the @#¥%!!!" he screamed, face twisting in disbelief.
The idiot prisoners didn't know what they were up against, but he did.
"Why?! Why is this happening?! Why—why is Fairy Tail here?! Why is the Fifth Emperor, Sugisawa Yuuto, on this island?!"
Even without facing him directly, even just watching through surveillance feeds, Caesar's body trembled in instinctive terror.
That man—
was one of the Emperors of the Sea.
The worst possible person to show up at Punk Hazard.
At that moment, Caesar abandoned all thought of resistance.
He had only one thought left:
Run.
"Master M!" cried one of the panicked guards. "Even if the intruder is powerful, we still have that woman! She's as strong as an Admiral! She might be able to hold off the Fifth Emperor!"
Caesar froze.
Then a twisted smile crept onto his face.
"Yes! That woman—she'll buy me the time I need to escape!"
But the moment he said that—
something on the monitors made him stiffen.
At the facility gates—
The balloon prisoners were still cheering, unaware of the doom that had arrived.
Sugisawa Yuuto didn't even glance at them. His expression was sharp, focused.
The system's coordinates were clear: his new companion was inside the institute.
And judging by their words… she was the "big sister" they'd been talking about.
But if that new ally had been helping Caesar's experiments—
if she had aided in the suffering of children—
then no matter who she was, Sugisawa Yuuto would show no mercy.
Even the thought made his eyes narrow.
"President looks deadly serious," Bonney whispered nervously. "Is there… an Admiral-level opponent here?"
"Stay sharp," Urrutia said. "Don't underestimate anyone."
Moments later, as the balloon troops rallied—
Under their jeers and laughter, Ulu walked out from the institute.
Her calm presence silenced everything.
Sugisawa Yuuto's brows lifted slightly.
Urrutia froze, eyes wide.
"Ha ha ha!" one of the prisoners shouted. "Scared now, huh? It's too late for that! Big Sis, crush these intruders!"
But Ulu didn't move.
Her gaze drifted first to Yuuto—
and the word escaped her lips before she even realized it.
"President…"
Then her eyes shifted to Urrutia.
The resemblance between them—too clear to ignore.
Ulu's breath caught. Her eyes reddened.
Urrutia's lips trembled, tears filling her eyes.
"President… Sister Tia… what's wrong?" Bonney asked, confused.
And then, in a trembling voice,
Urrutia spoke a single word.
"...Mother."
Bonney blinked, stunned.
"...What?!"