The next morning, Goku rubbed his eyes and woke up within the White Space.
"Oh man, I'm starving!"
The moment he regained consciousness, a wave of intense hunger nearly overwhelmed him.
He hurriedly pulled various food items out of his storage capsules and began devouring them with wild abandon.
After clearing out more than half of his remaining emergency rations, Goku finally patted his stomach with satisfaction.
Having gone through that series of fierce battles yesterday, he felt his strength had made another significant leap forward.
To put it in perspective: if he were to encounter Hades again now, he wouldn't even need Gigantification Magic to defeat him.
As for the Black Dragon—if he used his Animagus Great Ape form, he wouldn't need to stack Gigantification or Total Concentration Breathing on top of it; he could kill it with ease.
Even without the Great Ape transformation, a combination of Gigantification and Total Concentration Breathing would likely allow him to fight the Black Dragon to a draw.
"Just as I thought—fighting Masters really is the fastest way to train!"
In a great mood, Goku pushed open the door and returned to Tenrou Island.
"Good morning, Grandpa Dumbledore!" Goku called out with a brilliant smile, waving as soon as he spotted Dumbledore waiting for him.
"Fully recovered, I see?" Dumbledore asked, his face full of grandfatherly kindness.
Goku nodded vigorously.
"Where are Grandpa Makarov and the others?"
"Handling the aftermath. They should be finishing up soon."
Dumbledore gave Goku a summary of the events that had transpired after his disappearance, including Zeref's appearance and his strange request.
After Zeref had departed, Makarov and the others located the Grimoire Heart airship anchored on the eastern side of the island.
They rescued Ultear and Meredy, who were being held captive within, and rounded up all the defeated wizards from the three Dark Guilds.
Following a night of deliberation—and thanks to several shrewd suggestions from Dumbledore—they had reached a final plan for handling the situation.
The three strongest Dark Guilds had been wiped out in a single stroke. News of this magnitude couldn't be suppressed for long. Therefore, they decided to go public with it, albeit with a slightly "adjusted" truth.
The official story would be that the three strongest Dark Guilds, fearing the rising power of Fairy Tail, formed an alliance to annihilate the kingdom's top wizard guild. They launched a cowardly ambush on the sacred ground of Tenrou Island.
Fortunately, two members of the Magic Council—Siegrain (Jellal) and Ultear—discovered the plot in time and led reinforcements to assist.
After a titanic struggle, the leaders and elite members of the three guilds were brought to justice, while the remnants were captured.
This narrative would skyrocket Fairy Tail's reputation, aiding its future growth.
Simultaneously, it would allow Jellal and Ultear to consolidate even greater power within the Council.
Originally, both Jellal and Ultear had intended to resign from the Council to atone for their past sins. However, Dumbledore had dissuaded them.
He told them that if they truly wished to make amends, they could do far more good by remaining in power than by retreating into the shadows.
The importance of the Council to the kingdom and the entire continent was undeniable.
Aside from regulating guilds and combating dark forces, it controlled two terrifying magical weapons: Etherion, the multi-dimensional destruction magic capable of vaporizing a nation, and Face, the magic pulse bomb that could erase all magic from the world.
If these weapons fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be unthinkable.
The current Council was riddled with power struggles, corruption, and infiltration. Dumbledore argued it was far safer to have Jellal and Ultear in control.
They even planned to use this opportunity to recommend Ur, now a Saint-level wizard with the prestige of having defeated the Dark Guilds, to join the Council as a member.
With these three—and perhaps a few others—they could secure at least four of the ten Council seats.
If played correctly, Jellal might even use the merit of this victory to ascend to the position of Chairman. While there would be political hurdles, the opposition wouldn't stand much of a chance.
After all, most Council members were merely S-class in strength; their political maneuvering meant little when faced with true, overwhelming power.
By the time Dumbledore finished his explanation, Makarov and the rest of the group had completed their tasks and returned.
"Goku! Thank goodness you're alright!" The Fairy Tail wizards let out a collective sigh of relief.
Unlike Dumbledore, they didn't know the full secret of Goku's recovery space, and seeing him vanish right after the dragon's death had left them sick with worry.
"I'm great! Let's go find that Black Wizard, Zeref," Goku said.
Grandpa Dumbledore had mentioned that since Goku was so interested in Gravity Magic, he should seek guidance from Zeref. According to their intel, Zeref was likely the most powerful and knowledgeable wizard in the world.
Just a few casual pointers from him centuries ago had turned the founders of Fairy Tail into the world's elite. If he could guide Goku in Gravity Magic, his progress would surely skyrocket.
"Yeah, Master! Let's hurry!" Natsu and Gajeel were equally impatient; they were desperate to know the truth about the dragons that raised them.
Makarov still looked hesitant. This was the Black Wizard Zeref, after all. Who knew if he had some dark scheme in mind?
"Go. Right now, he shouldn't harbor any ill intentions."
Suddenly, a voice as clear and melodic as a silver bell drifted down from the tree branches above their heads. Every member of Fairy Tail who bore the guild's mark looked up in unison.
Dumbledore, who wasn't a member, and Warrod, who had long since left the guild, looked on with confusion as the group stared at a seemingly empty branch.
"Who are you?" Goku asked.
In the eyes of every Fairy Tail member, a girl was standing on the branch—delicate, beautiful, and looking exactly like a legendary fairy.