Gray and Elfman quickly held Kaien back—one wrapping his arms around Kaien's waist, the other blocking his path.
"Kaien… don't be reckless! Don't be reckless!"
"Yeah! Calm down! They don't deserve to die!"
Makarov wiped his brow as he heard Kaien's declaration. He knew how obsessed Kaien was with S-Class missions, but the point of this task was to rescue people, not kill them.
Mirajane quickly interjected, "Wait! Natsu and the others left without formal approval. Their request wasn't officially accepted, so technically, the S-Class commission is still up for grabs!"
Kaien halted at her words. "Really?"
"Of course it's true."
"Good. Master, I'm taking that S-Class mission."
"Alright! I officially approve it!"
[Ding! S-Class Mission Accepted: Save Our Little Island!]
Only when he saw the system prompt did Kaien finally exhale in relief. If he'd lost the chance at an S-Class mission because of this, he might not have killed Natsu… but he would have taught him a lesson he'd never forget.
"Kaien, I'm putting you in charge of this mission. Just make sure you bring Natsu and the others back."
"Don't worry, Master. I'll bring them back alive. As for whether all their body parts are still attached—that I can't promise. Now then, I'm heading out."
Kaien bared his teeth in a vicious grin as he left. Sure, the mission was saved—but there was no way Natsu was getting off the hook for stealing it.
His tone made everyone in the guild break out in a cold sweat. Kaien was usually a good-natured guy—easy to talk to, pleasant to be around. Who would've thought messing with an S-Class mission would make him snap like that?
"Gray, go with him. Keep an eye on Kaien. Make sure he doesn't actually cripple Natsu."
Makarov still wasn't at ease. With Kaien on the job, there was no doubt Natsu would come back—but if he returned as a vegetable, that would be a problem.
"Got it!"
Gray answered with eagerness. He'd always wanted to see what an S-Class mission was like. Even if he wasn't the main force, just tagging along was exciting enough.
He'd been jealous for ages that Elfman got to go on one.
Hargeon Port
"Wow! What a blast from the past! This is where we first met!"
Looking around at the familiar scenery, Lucy couldn't help but sigh emotionally. "I remember you trashed this place so badly back then. It's all been rebuilt now—well, except for that fist mark you left on the cliff."
Natsu blinked. "Wasn't that just recently? You're getting way too sentimental over this!"
"Let's just find a boat to Galuna Island already."
The moment Lucy mentioned a boat, Natsu recoiled like she'd struck him.
"A boat?! No way, no way! We're swimming there, right?!"
The Iron Forest incident from a few days ago had left him traumatized. He'd never ridden any vehicle for that long before. The train was barely tolerable, but Erza's magically-driven tank almost killed him.
Lucy deadpanned, "That's seriously your plan?!"
They headed into the port to find a boatman, but the moment any of them heard they were headed for Galuna Island, they all refused without hesitation. Even pirates avoided the place known as the Demon Island.
One of the boatmen finally spoke up. "I don't know why you want to go there, but no one in their right mind will take you. That place scares off even seasoned pirates."
"Sigh… what do we do now?"
With no boat willing to go, Lucy was stumped. Without a way across, there was no reaching Galuna Island—and no completing the mission. That meant she wouldn't get her Golden Key.
Natsu, on the other hand, perked up upon hearing that. "Then we'll just swim over!"
"Aye!"
One of the boatmen raised an eyebrow at Natsu's bold words. "Swim? Are you two trying to die? There are great sharks in those waters!"
"I'm not afraid!! I'll roast 'em into jerky and eat 'em!"
Natsu roared, flames bursting from his hands.
The boatman flinched at the fire, his expression changing. "Fire…? You… you're mages?! Are you here to break the island's curse?!"
"Yes!!"
"Then get on."
"For real?!"
"Awesome!"
Both of them cheered and rushed aboard.
The boat headed straight for Galuna Island.
"Bleugh~~!"
Natsu started getting seasick the moment he stepped on deck, groaning and nauseous.
"Why do I suddenly feel… nervous?"
Lucy had been all hyped at first, but now the reality sank in—they were on an S-Class mission. The kind where even full-fledged S-Class mages might not come back alive.
"Hey, mister. Weren't you against taking us earlier? Why change your mind once you knew we were mages?"
The boatman replied, "Name's Bobo. I used to live on that island… until I escaped. That place… it's cursed."
Happy tilted his head. "If you lived there, then you must know what the curse is, right?"
"This is the curse..."
Bobo lifted his cloak and revealed his arm.
All three of them recoiled.
His entire arm was covered in black, crusted shell—complete with sharp, clawed fingers. It looked just like a demon's limb.
"If you go to that island, the calamity will come for you too. Are you really ready to break the demon's curse?"
"They've already been gone for over thirty hours."
"Idiots. They sure ran off fast."
Kaien and Gray arrived at Hargeon Port, and it didn't take long to find traces of Natsu and the others. After all, people heading to the Demon Island were practically unheard of. With Natsu's salmon-pink hair, Lucy's blonde hair, and a flying blue cat, their group was impossible to miss.
"What do we do? All the boatmen said no to Galuna Island."
While gathering intel, Gray had also asked the boatmen about passage to the island—and was refused across the board.
"No problem. If they won't take us, we'll just go ourselves."
Kaien raised his hand and activated his Take Over Magic.
"Full Take Over: Ace!"
Freckles appeared on Kaien's face. An orange cowboy hat materialized on his head, a pair of black shorts clung to his waist, and the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates flared across his back. This was Kaien in his Ace form.
Using his magic power, Kaien summoned a small boat.
Though calling it a boat was generous—it looked more like a one-man speedcraft. It had three flame jets at the back: one for propulsion, two on the sides for steering.
"Get on. We're going after them."