Chapter 35: Devil's Island
Dino Maxim returned to the Fairy Tail Guild and said to Makarov sitting on the counter: "Old man, why are you calling me back in such a hurry? I was with Mirajane!"
"With Mirajane?" Everyone in the guild looked over.
Mirajane quickly denied it, waving her hands with a slight blush. "It's not like that! I just asked him to help with some guild work so he wouldn't be lazing around all day!"
"Mira-san, just call us anytime you need help! We're always available!" several guild members chimed in eagerly.
Guild Master Makarov's face turned red as he roared: "Is that something to be proud of?! Get your lazy butts to the request board and take some jobs!"
Mirajane turned to the Master with concern. "Master, what's going on?"
"There's a missing request from the second floor. Someone took it—and it was Happy who grabbed it."
"Happy?!"
"That means Lucy and Natsu are involved too!"
"No wonder I haven't seen those two all morning! They snuck off on an S-Class mission!"
"What was that fire-brain thinking?!"
Dino asked, his expression darkening: "Which mission was it?"
Makarov's face grew serious. "Galuna Island."
The entire guild fell silent. Even Dino felt his stomach drop. He usually avoided island or ocean-based missions since he worked alone and had a particular weakness when it came to water. And now these two idiots had dragged him into exactly that kind of situation. Not only was his time with Mirajane interrupted, but he'd been this close to finally making things official with her.
Makarov continued: "Go bring those two idiots back. Gray, you're going with Dino."
Gray blinked in surprise. "Me? Isn't Dino enough by himself?" The others nodded in agreement. Dino could handle ten Natsus on his own, much less one.
"Dino has a weakness with seawater. Your Ice-Make magic works perfectly fine in the ocean, so you can support him if needed. Both of you are to bring Natsu back. If the mission needs completing while you're there… handle it."
Dino gave Makarov a flat look. "Old man, are you sure this is just about dragging Natsu back, and not you wanting me to complete an S-Class mission?"
Makarov put on his most righteous expression. "What kind of guild master do you take me for?! That's insulting! Now get moving!"
"Dino and Gray! What a combination!"
"No matter who you pair Dino with, it's always incredible!"
"Yeah, but this pairing actually covers Dino's biggest weakness—his problem with seawater! Wait, why can't he handle seawater anyway?"
"Right? Why is that?" Dino was normally so overwhelmingly powerful that his one bizarre weakness stood out like a sore thumb.
Makarov's expression relaxed as he watched Dino prepare to leave. He lit his pipe and took a long, satisfied puff. After raising the boy for seven years, he understood him better than most.
He'd once had a long conversation with Dino about it. According to Dino, it wasn't that he couldn't swim—he was cursed by the sea itself. In seawater, he sank like a stone and couldn't use his magic. He could breathe underwater with certain magical items, which kept him from drowning, but the inability to use his powers remained unsolved.
The best solution was to pair Dino with a teammate who could support him on or near the ocean. Gray was perfect for that role.
Originally, Gray had been too inexperienced compared to Dino. Pairing them too early would have stunted both their growth. But now was the right time.
Still, that brat Dino had grown so fast and become so absurdly strong that even his fatal weakness barely mattered anymore. All of Makarov's carefully laid plans had been completely upended. How did this kid get this powerful? It defied all reason.
Hargeon Town
"Whoa! That's one deep canyon! It splits the entire town in half—what a weird sight!" Gray said, leaning over the railing of a bridge.
The massive crack had been left behind by one of Dino's punches years ago when he'd lost his temper. Rather than fill it in, the town had decided to build bridges over it. As a port city, it actually helped with drainage during the rainy season when sea levels rose.
The canyon even acted as a natural barrier against floods and tsunamis. Tourists came specifically to see it, so it was hard to say whether Dino's outburst had been a disaster or a blessing in disguise.
"Yeah, yeah. Stop gawking and let's find Natsu and Lucy. Those two idiots better not have gotten themselves killed."
The pair quickly made their way to the docks and asked around about a man, woman, and blue cat heading to Galuna Island. They got their answer soon enough—a couple of wizards matching that description had indeed asked about passage to the island, though no one had been willing to take the job. After all, it was the cursed Devil's Island. Anyone who set foot there was said to be cursed and transformed into a demon.
Suddenly, a weathered boat operator called out: "Hey! Are you two from Fairy Tail too? You here about that mission on Galuna Island?"
"Uncle, who are you?"
"Two Fairy Tail wizards chartered my boat this morning to Galuna Island. Said they were going to lift the curse on the island."
Gray's eye twitched. "Those two snuck off without permission. We're the Fairy Tail wizards actually authorized to handle this mission."