บท 4: Burning Ship and Mermaid!

"Alright, so that's the gist of it," I concluded, wrapping up my explanation to my sister as she lounged on the bed in our cramped motel room. Natsu and Happy, our ever-curious companions, were sprawled on the floor, poking through our belongings like a pair of nosy detectives. For Happy, I could understand since he was a cat, but why Natsu was behaving like as if his name was Curious George?

"You do realize how insanely risky that sounds, right?" Lucy retorted, her voice tinged with exasperation upon absorbing the gravity of the situation.

"Sure, I get it. But hey, now we've got three wizards and a magical cat on our side," I retorted with a casual shrug, twirling The Staff of Panthalassa between my fingers.

This staff was no ordinary weapon. Although I'd never laid eyes on the anime it hailed from, the vivid descriptions in my Grimoire were more than sufficient to convince me of its divine utility.

For starters, it was a replica of some legendary weapon from an isekai or fantasy anime, which naturally meant it was bound to be overpowered for no apparent reason. And true to form, this staff didn't disappoint. Not only did it amplify my magical abilities—though it still baffled me I really have those now—it also bolstered my physical prowess, seamlessly complementing all the training and enhancements I'd acquired through the Highborn perk.

So, facing off against that Fraudmander and his lackeys didn't exactly send shivers down my spine.

"But I thought you said your brother didn't have magic, Lucy?" Happy chimed in, his curiosity piqued. Lucy and I exchanged glances, silently debating whether we should divulge this information.

Soulbound items weren't unheard of, just incredibly rare. They tended to attract attention from magical guilds more focused on knowledge than combat, ones that dabbled in artifacts and ancient relics. Typically, these items took the form of weapons, ranging from demonic swords to holy relics. The concept of a Grimoire also existed, which would undoubtedly solidify my claims, fooling both Legal Guilds and Dark Guilds alike.

But I trusted these two. Unless I found myself in some bizarre alternate reality where Fairy Tail was evil, I felt safe. And even in that wildly improbable scenario, I was confident I'd find a way to fight back.

"I didn't," I confirmed, summoning the Celestial Grimoire, which hovered beside me, emitting a golden glow reminiscent of the floating Grimoires wielded by mages in Black Clover. "But I've recently awakened this, allowing me to gradually learn magic. And not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty tough even without powers."

Natsu and Happy seemed satisfied with this explanation, no longer pressing for further details. I could tell they were curious, but now wasn't the time, especially as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting Hargeon City in a warm orange glow.

"If we're gearing up for a fight, why aren't you in your armor?" Lucy questioned, a hint of dramatic flair creeping into her

tone. "Please don't tell me we're going to with THAT plan?"

Natsu and Happy looked between us with confusion, while I grinned, relishing the shock on my sister's face.

"What on earth are you two talking about?" they inquired, utterly clueless about what "THAT" entailed.

A short distance away from the bustling Hargeon port, Salamander's Yacht buzzed with activity as sailors mingled with invited women at the lavish party. Lucy couldn't help but admire the impressive vessel as she navigated through the crowd, a glass of wine in hand.

"Well, at least it's not laced with anything permanently harmful like poison," she mused, taking a careful sip and noting the absence of any suspicious substances that could instantly incapacitate her. It seemed Salamander was rather generous, perhaps overly confident in his charm magic to keep the ladies enthralled until the drugs took effect. Fortunately, Lucy had preemptively spent some coin on a variety of antidotes for different substances before boarding the ship, although most of them seemed unnecessary in this setting.

This was precisely why she loathed missions like THIS one, aptly named Seduction.

Sure, leveraging her beauty to manipulate people and bend them to her will could be satisfying. But the preparation involved was costly, just in case things took a turn for the worse. And the stakes were higher than usual this time around.

Why had she allowed her brother to talk her into such a perilous situation? It wasn't even the riskiest situation he'd gotten them into in the past. His blend of curiosity and heroic bravado often led him to poke his nose where it didn't belong.

Yet she couldn't entirely blame him; she was the one who'd shaped him after all. After their mother's passing, she'd grown wary of their father's transformation into a different man. She couldn't bear the thought of her brother following in his footsteps, so she'd made a point to keep them apart. But their father, that neglect husk of a man, never seemed to notice. So every reckless stunt her brother pulled, every bit of foolishness, he likely learned from her.

Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned, plastering a fake smile on her face as she faced the party's host.

"Ah, Mr. Salamander, the man of the hour," she greeted, her tone dripping with practiced politeness.

The man's pleased expression greeted her as he took her hand, pressing a kiss to it, attempting to exude a falsely dignified gentlemanly air that Lucy could see right through.

"And you, my dear lady?" he purred, his eyes wandering shamelessly over her form. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of being properly introduced."

Lucy sighed inwardly while maintaining her smile. "Oh, here we go," she thought, silently calling upon Aquarius and Lucas, her celestial spirits, for support.

"Once again, sorry for calling on you so suddenly, Aquarius," I reiterated, feeling the embrace of the blue-haired mermaid as we traversed underwater, making our way from the port to just beneath the ship.

The plan was for Lucy to distract the so-called Salamander, while Natsu, Happy, and I snuck in using Aquarius's ingenious method—encased within her sturdy oxygen bubble.

"This is so cool! I've never been this close to the ocean before," Happy exclaimed, his excitement palpable as he drooled, looking around all kinds of colorful fishes swim by.

"Indeed, it's a cruel fate for you landfolk not to experience the wonders of the ocean," Aquarius remarked in a tone that held a hint of both pity and truth. She genuinely wished that people would appreciate the beauty and depth of the underwater world more.

"Aye, for this delightful ride, I promise not to attempt to snack on you, Fish lady," Happy added cheekily, completely unfazed by the fact that the woman currently held our lives in her hands, quite literally.

"Why, you feline demon?!" Aquarius snarled, her grip tightening on her urn—a formidable weapon wielded by an equally formidable spirit. With her full power, she alone could flood Fiore. The only reason she or any other spirits were nerfed was due to their contracts with wizards weakening them. After all Celestial Spirits power level was reflected by their Wizard's power.

"Wait," I interjected, initiating a hug as I buried my face in her ample bosom. "Please, don't harm my friends."

"Oh, Lucas, you can't just hug me like that anymore; I have a boyfriend," she replied, her anger dissipating as embarrassed blushes tinted her cheeks crimson. Teasing her is so much, more so when she don't ever gets mad at me.

"But why?" my muffled voice from her chest protested. "I've been hugging you since I was a baby; why stop now?" I asked, mustering my best puppy-dog eyes as I popped my head out from her cleavage.

She stuttered, her usually confident demeanor faltering. "But you're a big boy now, and I'm, well, an old lady. You should save your affections for your girlfriend or wife," she explained hastily, stammering her words all over like a shy schoolgirl.

"But you promised we'd always be together and get married," I added, laying the emotional manipulation on thick with fake tears welling up in my eyes. Aquarius had been one of my oldest babysitters; heck, I'd go as far as to call her my second mother if she hadn't been the one to awaken Lucas Jr. for the first time in this life.

So here I was, on this holy mission to completely seduce this mermaid.

And I was off to a good start; she already doted on me. Due to my magicless status and being the son of her previous contractor, she had formed a deep attachment to me. While she hid her feelings from Lucy and presented her angry persona, she couldn't bring herself to do that to me for some reason.

And me, being myself even without memories, had been using my cute charms on her since I was a kid. Now it was time to employ my roguish charm.

Aquarius instantly crumbled, succumbing to my emotional ploy as she nestled my head back into her cleavage, completely forgetting Natsu and Happy's existence.

"Ah, damn it, this is why I try my best not to get attached to humans!" she exclaimed, her grip tightening as her face flushed an even deeper shade of red. "Especially ones who become more handsome with age, like fine wine."

Yup, I was in heaven, I thought to myself, enjoying the sensation of being the best pillow a man could have. If only there wasn't this pesky blue bra blocking my lips, it would have been perfect.

"That fish lady is weird," Happy commented to Natsu, who simply looked on before shrugging, as though he was accustomed to witnessing such scenes.

"Who cares about that? Look at all those fish—starfish, jellyfish, and those colorful ones. Just imagine how tasty they'd be," Natsu exclaimed, his mouth watering as he glanced around, earning excited nods from his feline companion.

Natsu looked around in surprise as he caressed his stomach, finding no signs of discomfort as they traveled underwater. Initially, he'd feared the worst, expecting a turbulent journey. Yet, traveling in this manner felt more akin to his rides with Happy than any conventional transportation.

So it was much more pleasant than he had anticipated. However, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. After all, their goal was to reach that ship and confront Fraudmander. There was no way he'd allow criminal scum like that to tarnish Fairy Tail's name. And rescuing civilians was just the cherry on top.

So he'd endure, no matter what it took.

Rolling ....

You rolled: Hyoi Pear [ Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]

Vermin of the sky they might be, the seagulls are now your friends. This special kind of fruit has a small amount of magical energy inside it, allowing you to temporarily bind the seagull who eats it - or another kind of animal, if you prefer - to you as a sort of familiar. You can direct it's flight, have it bring you small items or perhaps smack a switch for you. However it has a bit too much free will, as the connection will break after no more than an hour, and it won't exactly fly into combat for you.

Cost: 100CP

Rolled successfully

Purchase the roll?

Hell no. What am I supposed to do with seagulls of all things? Absolutely not. I'll bank this one for now; perhaps the next roll will yield something more useful with the extra CP stored.

100CP banked.

Total: 200CP

"We've reached the underside of the ship. Where would you like to climb?" the blushing mermaid asked as I separated from her.

"From the back," I replied, as the bubble we were riding on came to a stop, slowly emerging from the ocean. "The coast is clear. It's awfully sloppy of him not to station a few guards at the back."

The bubble cracked as we all, except for Aquarius, jumped onto the railing below the ship.

"Now, Aquarius, you'll have the most important role in this operation," I turned back to the mermaid, noticing her face twisting into annoyance. She clearly wasn't thrilled about rescue missions.

"Just for you, Lucas, I'll do it. But I want something in the future," she said seriously, crossing her arms.

"Of course, just say the word," I promised with a smile.

"Now, here's the plan. See these ropes around my waist?" I asked, unlocking the knot of the rope before handing it to Aquarius, who took it with confusion.

"These ropes are connected to the Magical Lifeguard I bought. It's a flotation device used by sailors. All you need to do is direct these lifeguards around the ship, and we'll throw civilians overboard, rescuing them from the lifeguard before taking them away."

"It's a risky plan, if I wasn't the one helping you," she boasted with a smile.

"Of course, you're the best water-controlling master I know. There's no one else I'd rather trust," I said truthfully, watching as her face exploded in blush once again.

This woman was too weak to genuine compliments.This made more fun to keep doing this.

"Of course," she stuttered before calling down. "It's a boring job, but you can count on me."

"After this is done, I'll let you destroy this ship," I sang, watching as the mermaid froze before her lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. After all, pirates and mermaids had been enemies since ancient times.

"Oh, I'm gonna hurl," Natsu groaned the moment we stepped inside the ship, his motion sickness kicking in.

"Oh no," Happy exclaimed, finally realizing something. "We completely forgot to mention your motion sickness to Lucas and Lucy when they were making plans!" he cried in panic.

Ha, as if I hadn't found a solution to this problem before devising the plan.

"Here," I handed him a vial from my pouch, which he took with confusion.

"It's not a permanent solution, but it'll make you feel like you're not on a ship anymore," I confirmed.

"Oh, thanks, you're a lifesaver," Natsu said before gulping down the whole vial in one go. He froze momentarily before a goofy, relaxed smile broke out across his face.

"Another!" he shouted, tossing the empty vial to the floor, shattering it instantly. Thankfully, the ship was already loud with the party and people, so our covers weren't blown yet.

"What did you give to Natsu?" Happy hissed, pulling my ears as we watched Natsu giggle to himself, looking around with a relaxed smile. "He's never like this."

"The strongest dose of spice rum in one bottle, pure alcohol for fire magic users," I answered, observing Happy's pale face.

"You made my friend drunk?!" he hissed, his voice taking on a true feline tone.

"It's fine, hic I don't feel sick anymore," Natsu chimed in, his speech slightly slurred as he grinned, his canine teeth protruding. "In fact, let's burn this ship!" His hands and head ignited with flames as he attempted to incinerate the ship on the spot.

"Wait, wait, not now! We have to save the people on this ship first," I said, trying to calm down a drunken dragon in human skin.

"But it's boring, and sneaking around isn't my thing," Natsu whined like a child. To be fair, giving him alcohol might have been a step too far. At least his motion sickness was gone—well, not exactly gone, but alcohol had hijacked his senses department, so he had motion sickness, but he wasn't feeling it. And he was more resistant to alcohol than I thought.

"No, we have to sneak in, throw people off the ship, then fight Fraudmander and destroy this ship. So we have to be sneaky, like ninjas," I explained firmly.

Both Happy's and Natsu's eyes lit up with excitement. "Like ninjas?!"

They exchanged grins before Natsu wrapped his scarf around his face, with Happy doing the same thing using the green cloth he carried around on his back."Nin nin!" they both made stereotypical ninja hand signs as they surveyed their surroundings.

Sigh, this was going to be a long night, wasn't it?

Rolling ....

You rolled: Grand Wheel [Drakengard and Nier]

When you focus for a moment, time slows down and you can see a wheel of sorts in your mind's eye. Using the magic of the wheel, you can store and retrieve up to twenty weapons at a moment's notice, swapping between them freely.

Cost: 100CP

Rolled successfully

Purchase the roll?

Oh, hell yeah! This was exactly what I needed. It might not be an inventory with infinite space, but a grand wheel of weapons? That's like a dream come true. And any player of GTV V can attest to how useful a weapons wheel can be.

You see, what most people don't realize is that whenever you open a weapons wheel, time slows down. Everything turns into slow motion, including your body. But here's the kicker: we can still move, even in slow motion. We can change direction, take cover, and do all sorts of stuff. It's like Franklin's ability to slow down time.

With this, long-range combat would be hundreds of times easier. I couldn't wait to put this baby to good use.

Total: 100CP

It came instinctively as time slowed down, my sword and staff disappearing and reappearing on the HUD of the weapons wheel in front of me.

Yup, I could still move, but it was sluggish. Only my mind was at full speed here. I had a feeling this would come in handy.

Surprisingly, my celestial bronze armor didn't appear here, only my rogue outfit, which resembled something straight out of Assassin's Creed Unity. It made sense; the celestial bronze armor had its own hammer space for storing that was connected with my body so I could call it on my whim.

Natsu and Happy were surprisingly efficient as they took care of the left wing and bottom floor, while I handled the right wing and upper roof of the ship. Then, we planned to reconvene and attack at a party taking place on the ship's deck.

I heard moaning sounds as I stopped, noticing a few thugs having their way with a drunken woman. Disgusting.

I blurred forward, kicking the back of the knee of the thug on the left, causing him to stumble forward. Simultaneously, my fist connected with the temple of the thug on the right.

"Who the-!! AUCK!" The stumbling man turned, only to receive the butt of my staff on his forehead as he fell unconscious.

Good to know my combat skills hadn't gotten rusty even after awakening my past life memories. That world was soft compared to this one; in my previous life, I never found myself in life-or-death situations until it was too late.

"Awa," the woman whined as she turned her rosy cheek towards me, pouting. "Why did you do that? We were having fun," she complained.

Ignoring her, I opened the window of the ship. Thankfully, it was big enough for my work to be done.

"Next time, have fun in a place that doesn't land you in a slaver's ring," I snapped, annoyed by the woman's complaint as I easily tossed her out through the window. It seemed those elf blood inside me were working their magic. After all, I couldn't just grab a human being and throw them off like a pebble before I got Grimoire.

"AHHHHH-UFF!" The woman's frightening scream was abruptly cut off as she landed on the rubbery surface of the lifeguard that surrounded the ship. Instantly, she either fell asleep or lost consciousness; I couldn't tell.

I could hear other screams as more and more people were thrown out of the window or simply fell from the balcony-like surface, only to be caught by the lifeguard below. Aquarius's control was truly top-notch as she guided those Lifeguards to catch any fallen civilians.

Now, I just needed to do this a few more times, and we could fight to our hearts' content. I knew this stealth mission would be successful.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!" Dammit, Natsu, I said be like a ninja, not a ninja-wizard like Naruto.

(Lucy's POV)

"As much as I want to join Fairy Tail, I have to decline your offer, Mr. Salamander. I'm not looking for a boyfriend," Lucy rejected for the third time in thirty minutes as she sipped her wine.

Suddenly, the man caught her hand in his grip, causing the wine glass to slip and shatter on the ground.

"You're being awfully difficult for a fangirl," the Salamander sneered, discarding his gentleman facade as women around her began to drop like flies. Pirates dressed like sailors caught them with lecherous looks on their faces.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked in faux confusion.

"What did you think, you bitch?! You seriously thought I was going to get you into the Fairy Tail guild?" he laughed as he pulled her closer, his hands grabbing her breasts. This pissed her off like never before.

"Now, why don't you strip and let me enjoy myself until we reach Basco?" His grin turned malicious and lustful as he tried to force himself on her.

Lucy's mind blanked for a moment before her hand moved on its own.

The so-called Salamander flew away from the couch he was sitting on before collapsing onto the table, startling his men.

Lucy looked at her bloody fist, a little fractured bone in her finger, before she bit her lip and shook herself awake.

"I was wrong, Salamander," she spat out, not giving a damn as the swarm of men closed in around her like a pack of ravenous wolves. With a defiant glare, she assumed a fighting stance, ready to take on whatever they threw her way.

"You're not just some con artist who got caught, or just some fraud that needed to be locked away." she sneered, deftly dodging their clumsy advances and countering with swift, calculated strikes. With a vicious backflip, she drove her heel into the eye of one unfortunate goon, relishing in his agonized screams.

"You're a parasite, feeding off the lives of others like a rabid mutt, a scum that ruins people life, like a rabid dog that needs to be put down!," she snarled, her fists and feet a blur as she danced among her adversaries.

And so the brawl began, a chaotic symphony of punches and kicks as she danced around the ring of adversaries. Despite her magical abilities and above-average strength, she knew she was outmatched against twenty beefy brutes armed to the teeth.

But she wasn't about to go down without a fight. Utilizing her surroundings to her advantage and drawing on the skills she had honed over the years, she sought to turn the tables on her assailants, using their own brutishness against them.

"Fire Sickle!" The moment she pivoted towards the voice, a searing wave of pink fire engulfed her face, sending her hurtling through the air until she crashed with a pained gasp onto the unforgiving floor.

Damn it all, she cursed inwardly, wishing she could summon two Celestial spirits simultaneously in moments like these.

"Take that, you bitch!" Salamander's roar cut through the chaos, his missing front teeth a testament to Lucy's earlier punch.

"Now, grab her, strip her down, and—"

"Fire Dragon's ROAR!!"

In an instant, her world exploded into a blaze of bright orange flames, consuming everything in its fiery embrace.

"Hey, you alright?" I knelt beside my sister, our eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before us. Natsu, wreaking havoc with his fire-breathing drunken antics, had already left a trail of destruction across the ship. It was a miracle flames hadn't devoured the vessel by now.

She rose to her feet, embracing me tightly before pulling away with a smirk. "I'm fine, handled it like a pro," she declared, steeling herself as we both joined Natsu's side.

"Ah, so you brought some friends along, huh?" Salamander sneered, his lackeys cackling like a pack of hyenas as they brandished their weapons menacingly.

"It'll be a real treat to see these kids scarred up, won't it, boss?" one of the hefty thugs jeered with malice. "They would still sell for high, right?"

"Feel free to maim them, boys," Salamander replied casually, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "But save the girl for me."

Pink flames swirled around him as magic crackled dangerously in the air, his intentions unmistakably sinister as his magic circle spun dangerously.

"Hey, Salamander, right?" Natsu's voice cut through the tension, his posture tense like a coiled spring, ready to pounce at any moment.

"So what if I am?" Salamander retorted, puffing out his chest with false bravado. "You scared yet? I'm a proud member of the famous Fairy Tail guild, in case you didn't know." His cronies cheered, bolstering his arrogant demeanor.

"You're a damn liar," Natsu's words slurred slightly, lost amidst the chaos as the thugs charged at us, their intentions clear.

Gripping the Staff of Panthalassa tightly, I focused my energy, feeling its power surge through me, enhancing my speed, strength, and durability. With a newfound confidence, I retaliated, effortlessly dispatching the goons with precise punches and kicks.

"Happy, take Lucy and round up the women," I commanded, ducking and weaving through the onslaught. "Toss them overboard with the Fish lady. She can help save these people."

As I dodged another blow, I delivered a devastating haymaker to a bald goon, sending him crashing through the wooden floorboards to the lower deck.

"Welcome to the backroom, pal," I chuckled inwardly, before refocusing on the task at hand and raining down more blows on my assailants.

"Prominence Typhoon!" Salamander bellowed, unleashing his spell upon us. Without hesitation, Natsu leaped in front of me, his mouth gaping wide as he absorbed the approaching pink flames into his own fiery maw.

"Holy cow! He ate fire!" Lucy's incredulous reaction elicited a chuckle from me, her widened eyes adding to the comedic effect. But the surprises weren't over yet, as Happy, the blue cat, unfurled his angelic white wings and whisked Lucy away with surprising ease. "And you can fly?" she exclaimed, her disbelief palpable.

"We'll fill you in later," Happy replied cryptically before disappearing with Lucy, heading towards the outer deck where the unconscious women lay.

As my sister and Happy worked swiftly to rescue the women, I continued to hold off the assailants with my staff, knocking them down one by one.

"So you claim to be a member of Fairy Tail, huh?" Natsu's voice cut through the chaos, his tone surprisingly calm as he shed his red jacket, revealing the guild mark emblazoned on his right shoulder.

"I'M NATSU DRAGNEEL, AND I'VE NEVER LAID EYES ON YOU IN MY GUILD!" he roared, flames flickering to life around him as he unleashed his fury.

Shit. Maybe getting a dragon drunk wasn't such a brilliant plan after all.

"For daring to tarnish the name of Fairy Tail with your criminal activities," Natsu's voice boomed with righteous anger, "you're gonna burn!" With a ferocious expression, he lunged at the men, instilling fear in their frozen forms as they realized the dire consequences of crossing paths with a furious Dragon Slayer.

"Fire Dragon's Exploding Scales!"

As Natsu unleashed a move never before seen in the anime, my Panthalassa Staff glowed with an intense brilliance, conjuring a magical shield that enveloped me in a protective cocoon.

The last thing I witnessed was Natsu's body erupting like a charged Electrode Pokémon on the verge of using Self-Destruct.

BOOM!

The shield crackled audibly as it shattered under the force of the explosion. Fire engulfed everything in its wake, scattering people across the deck, alive but wounded.

I swore to myself, glaring at the devastation around me. Never again would I let Natsu near a bottle of alcohol.

Amidst the chaos, Natsu stood, doubled over and retching violently. Whether it was a side effect of his spell or his notorious motion sickness kicking into overdrive, I couldn't tell.

Dodging flaming debris, I scrambled to avoid being crushed as the burning ship groaned ominously, on the brink of collapse.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I seized Natsu and dragged him towards the edge, the water beckoning below. Without hesitation, we leaped into the icy depths, landing on the surface of a nearby lifeboat.

"Aquarius! Slam that burning ship back into the port, all hostages are accounted for!" Lucy's command echoed over the chaos as a massive tsunami materialized before her.

In an instant, the second burning ship was engulfed by water, extinguishing the flames as it crashed back onto the port with a resounding thud.

Shit. The entire city must be wide awake by now, thanks to our little stunt.

"What are the odds of us not getting thrown in the slammer by the Rune Knights if we tell them we wrecked the port to nab some human traffickers?" I quipped to my sister, trying to lighten the mood amidst the wreckage.

Lucy surveyed the devastation before meeting my gaze. "I'd say slim to none, but hey, we did save the civilians, so…"

"We're in deep trouble, aren't we?" Her calm demeanor gave way to panic as she scanned our surroundings.

I glanced over at Natsu, his green-faced expression and guild mark on his shoulder, before flashing a grin. "Nah, we'll be alright. We've got the backing of the best guild in the kingdom."

The shocked look on her face was totally worth this trouble.