X784, Summer. Port City—Hargeon.
On a bustling street filled with people coming and going, a young girl with smooth, radiant golden hair, bright amber eyes, and a sweet, delicate face walked along. She had a tall, well-proportioned figure with alluring curves, often dressed in stylish outfits that highlighted both her youthful vitality and subtle sensuality, as she made her way toward the Fisherman's Restaurant she had asked around about.
This girl was Lucy Heartfilia, who had recently run away from home.
She was heading to Magnolia to join the guild of her dreams—Fairy Tail. Of course, more importantly, she wanted to find the person she had been thinking about day and night—Brother Yalian.
Clutching her newly purchased Celestial Spirit key, Lucy walked through the streets of Hargeon with excitement.
"Lucky me! Even though I didn't get the powerful key I wanted, I still managed to buy a Canis Minor key. That's not bad."
"But that shopkeeper was so annoying—he only gave me a 1,000J discount. Is my charm really worth just 1,000J? Seriously!"
Thinking about that infuriating shopkeeper dampened her cheerful mood a little, and she couldn't help but grumble.
"Ah!! It's Lord Salamander!"
Just as she was still complaining, Lucy suddenly heard cheers coming from beneath a nearby bridge. Looking over, she saw a flamboyantly dressed man surrounded by a large crowd of women, striking exaggerated poses while talking.
Lucy rubbed her slightly growling stomach, then glanced at the scene below. Her mind rapidly wavered between joining the excitement and going to eat—until she clapped her hands decisively and squeezed into the crowd.
"Wait… what's going on? Why is my heart beating so fast?"
The moment Lucy saw the flashy man, something felt off.
Her heartbeat quickened, her ears flushed red, and she suddenly found him unbelievably handsome.
She realized something was wrong—but she simply couldn't control her body.
"Igneel!!"
At that moment, a clear voice rang out beside her.
Looking over, she saw a boy with cherry-blossom-colored hair and a scale-patterned scarf forcing his way through the crowd. He wore a bright smile and was shouting the name "Igneel." Beside him was a small blue cat.
The strange charm affecting Lucy instantly dissipated, and her body regained control.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, looking at the flashy man with a confused expression, his smile replaced by bewilderment.
The man's face stiffened for a moment before he struck another exaggerated pose, waving a ringed hand toward the boy.
Unfortunately, he was completely ignored.
The boy and the blue cat had already walked away with their packs, leaving only a slightly weary-looking back behind.
The flashy man froze on the spot.
Then, with a subtle flick of his fingers and a helpless expression, the surrounding women suddenly erupted into chaos again.
Lucy frowned, giving the man a serious look before turning and leaving.
Inside the Fisherman's Restaurant, Lucy sat by the window, eating while replaying everything that had just happened in her mind, forming a rough guess about the situation.
Turning her head slightly, she saw the pink-haired boy and the blue cat from earlier walking past the restaurant, looking exhausted and muttering about being hungry with no money.
"Hey, you two—thanks for earlier."
After thinking for a moment, Lucy got up and walked out, calling out to them from behind.
"Huh?" The boy and the cat turned around at the same time, looking confused.
"If you hadn't shown up just now, I probably would've been tricked," Lucy said with a smile.
"You guys are hungry, right? Come on—I'll treat you to a meal as thanks."
"Really?! You're such a good person!" The boy instantly lit up with excitement, handing Lucy a classic "good person" card.
"Aye!" the blue cat echoed, raising its paw.
At the table, Lucy exchanged simple introductions with Natsu and Happy while explaining her suspicions, as the two of them devoured food without restraint.
After checking the time, Lucy stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and said goodbye.
"I've already paid. Thanks for today."
"Wait!"
Natsu suddenly called out as if he remembered something.
"What is it?" Lucy asked, puzzled, watching him rummage through his bag.
"Oh, found it! This is that Salamander guy's autograph—here, you can have it," Natsu said with a grin, handing her the signed board.
"Who would want something like that?" Lucy rolled her eyes and complained.
After parting ways with Natsu and Happy, Lucy sat alone on a bench in the park, holding a magic magazine she had just bought—Weekly Sorcerer.
"Ah, it's Mirajane! She's so pretty… and her figure is amazing."
"Too bad there's no photo of Brother Yalian in this issue… But that Salamander guy claims he's from Fairy Tail, yet he's using a forbidden charm magic. No matter how I look at it, something's off. I've got to check it out myself tonight."
Lucy snapped the magazine shut, determination in her voice.
Time passed quickly. As evening fell, Hargeon grew quieter, the earlier bustle replaced by a calm stillness. To sneak onto the ship, Lucy deliberately changed into a red evening gown.
"My, what a beautiful lady. Care to have a drink with me?"
The flashy man approached Lucy, swirling a glass of red wine and putting on a gentlemanly act as he bowed slightly. The rings on his fingers casually flashed before her eyes.
"Are you really a Fairy Tail mage? From what I know, none of them are as low-class and pathetic as you," Lucy said, setting down her untouched drink.
"What did you say?" The man paused, looking at her.
"The magic you used earlier was charm magic, wasn't it? That kind of magic has long been banned. I don't believe any member of Fairy Tail would use such cheap tricks to attract girls."
"What exactly are you planning?"
Lucy stared at him seriously.
The man chuckled, setting down his glass and stroking his chin. "You sure know a lot."
"Welcome aboard my ship. Until we reach Bosco, I suggest you behave yourself. Otherwise… I can't guarantee what might happen."
Dropping all pretense, he burst into laughter. At the same time, men hidden on the ship began moving—carrying and dragging unconscious women.
"Damn it." Lucy's expression changed, anger flashing across her face as her hand quietly moved toward the Celestial Spirit keys at her waist.
Just then, a sharp sound cut through the air. A figure crashed through the ship's hull and landed heavily in front of everyone.
Lucy's eyes lit up. "Natsu!"
But then her expression dimmed again. In her eyes, Natsu didn't exactly look like a mage—though she had no idea how he got there.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Lucy pulled out her Aquarius key, ran to the ship's edge, and plunged it into the seawater.
"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer—Aquarius!"
A chime rang out as a magic circle appeared.
A beautiful, cold-looking mermaid-like Celestial Spirit emerged from the sea—long aqua-blue hair, a fish tail, a droplet-shaped ornament on her forehead, wearing a dark blue bikini top adorned with gold accessories, holding the Water Bearer's urn.
"Aquarius, use your power to push this ship back to the harbor!" Lucy shouted.
"Tch."
Aquarius clicked her tongue but still used her power, shoving the entire ship toward the shore.
With a loud crash, the ship slammed into the beach.
"Hey! You just clicked your tongue, didn't you? That was totally a 'tch'!" Lucy complained, clenching her fists.
"You're so annoying, brat. Don't call me for now—I've got things to do," Aquarius said before her body gradually faded away.
"I was wondering why things were so lively here… so it was you, Natsu."
Before Lucy could continue complaining, a cool, magnetic, mature female voice rang out across the chaotic beach.
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