A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Magnolia slowly sank into the night, as it always did.
In the outskirts of the city, the night wind swept through the fields and hills, carrying the scent of damp earth and residual magic. The stars were particularly sharp that night, scattered across the sky as if they had been brushed on to create a picture of perfect beauty.
On the roof of his house, Natsu was sitting cross-legged.
His body upright, his breathing slow and deep, perfectly rhythmic.
A soft aura enveloped his form, discreet but impossible to mistake for anyone sensitive to magic. It wasn't fire. It wasn't heat. It was something denser and quieter, a subtle glow that resembled stardust, shimmering almost imperceptibly, as if small constellations were forming and dissolving around him.
The white scarf rested loosely over his shoulders, swaying lightly with the wind.
For long minutes, perhaps hours, he remained motionless, fused with the environment, as if he were part of the sky above and the earth below at the same time. The [Stellar Transformation] operated in complete silence while his reserves expanded.
Then, slowly, Natsu let out a sigh.
He opened his eyes.
His pupils reflected the light of the stars for an instant, as if responding to the sky.
"Finally..." He murmured to himself, his voice low, calm, without euphoria. "After so much effort, I've finally reached the Peak of the [Nebula] stage, I'm one step away from achieving the [Meteor] stage....."
He partially closed his eyes again, turning his perception inward.
His inner vision expanded naturally, passing through flesh, bones, and the magical flow, until it reached the core where everything converged. His Dantian was filled with silver stars that spun slowly, numerous and dense, each one carrying power compressed to the extreme. They attracted and repelled each other in perfect harmony, forming small internal nebulae that rearranged themselves according to his breathing. Compared to the initial stage, the number of stars had increased drastically; and not just in quantity, the quality was also different. His reserves had grown, at minimum, ten times.
The reason for this rapid growth was the intelligent use of his [Subjective Reality]. He used various "pills" that, in Chinese works, normally serve to accelerate "cultivation" when refined. However, all were converted by his ability to work with Magical Power and Curse Power. In the end, he liked to think that it was just two sides of the same coin: magic as the Western expression of that power, and cultivation as its Eastern manifestation. It was an almost clichéd concept, repeated in countless stories from his past life, but now, in reality, he could use any of these approaches to get stronger or even combine them without restrictions; there was no reason to have prejudice, even though he wasn't much of a fan of Chinese works in his past life....
But that wasn't the only application of his [Subjective Reality]. Throughout the entire week, he carefully selected various things to materialize, judging them useful for accelerating his strengthening.
Starting with the physical aspect, his first decision was to materialize the "Physical Conditioning of Yujiro Hanma," which elevated his body to a completely different level. Before that, although he already possessed superhuman physical abilities, he relied excessively on magic. Without using his Dragon Slayer magic, which made his blows extremely destructive, his body still left much to be desired. That was, therefore, his first and most fundamental investment; he needed to become even stronger physically....
Next, he chose to materialize the [Zushi Zushi no Mi], from the world of One Piece, a Devil Fruit that grants the user the power to literally manipulate gravitational force. Thanks to his [Abnormal Condition Nullification], he suffered none of the typical weaknesses of Devil Fruit users, such as vulnerability to water. He could swim freely and even consume other Devil Fruits without restrictions.
Devil Fruits are supernatural fruits that grant a unique power to the one who consumes them, at the cost of the ability to swim. The power of a Devil Fruit can only belong to a single individual at a time; after the user's death, it reappears in a new fruit. Similarly, a person normally cannot acquire more than one of these powers. These fruits are divided into three major categories. Paramecia, the most common type, grant a wide variety of abilities considered "superhuman." Zoan allow the user to transform into animals, while Logia, the rarest and most powerful type, enable the transformation of the body into a natural element.
Through the powers of his Devil Fruit, he quickly developed a technique he called "Gravitational Weights," used to accelerate training and the strengthening of his own body. This technique consisted of subjecting his entire body to a constant gravitational increase, several times greater than the normal gravity of that world. Delving even deeper into this concept, he managed to materialize something he called the "Vice Admiral Garp Manual": a compendium that gathered all of Garp's knowledge on extreme physical training, including the Navy's Rokushiki and mastery of Haki.
Thanks to this unusual advantage, he managed to partially master these techniques in just one week, enough to use them in real combat. The process was facilitated by the "cheat" of materializing not only the theoretical knowledge but also fragments of the practical experience of users from the One Piece world who already mastered Rokushiki and the Three Hakis, making the learning surprisingly efficient.
Rokushiki is a set of martial arts techniques that transforms the human body into a lethal weapon, composed of the Six Powers: Soru, Geppo, Tekkai, Rankyaku, Shigan, and Kami-e, each focused on enhancing speed, strength, defense, or mobility to superhuman levels.
Haki, on the other hand, is a special form of power that exists in the world of One Piece. It is a latent force present in all people, although only some are capable of awakening or using it effectively. Haki is divided into three main categories.
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) allows the user to perceive presences, emotions, and intentions, even at a distance or when targets are hidden. In combat, it functions as a "sixth sense," enabling the anticipation of enemy movements. More advanced users can even briefly foresee the future, although it was somewhat useless for him who had the [Universal Sense]; combining the two gave him a higher level of perception....
Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) manifests the user's will as offensive and defensive power. It reinforces physical attacks, allows hitting Logia-type Devil Fruit users, and creates a kind of invisible armor that protects against damage. This Haki can be applied to one's own body as well as to objects, such as weapons and projectiles, and can be combined with Devil Fruit abilities, making strikes extremely lethal.
Finally, Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) is the rarest of the three. Only individuals with a dominant spirit are born with this ability, capable of subjugating the will of others, often making weaker enemies faint. This Haki is directly linked to the user's charisma and ambition, being characteristic of great leaders and legendary figures. At high levels, it can exert physical pressure on objects and even damage them; a clash between two powerful users of this Haki can "split the skies." In even more advanced stages, Haoshoku can be infused into weapons and physical attacks, dramatically amplifying their power, or used to completely conceal the user's presence, nullifying the opponent's Kenbunshoku Haki detection ability.....
Still in this vein of using resources from the One Piece world to strengthen himself, he consumed the Mera Mera no Mi, a Logia-type Devil Fruit capable of completely transforming the user into fire. Additionally, he materialized the "Experience of Portgas D. Ace" related to this Logia, reaching practically the same level of mastery that Ace had over his own fruit.
Upon leaving that world behind, he chose to acquire the [Full Counter] from Meliodas, from the Nanatsu no Taizai universe. This ability allows the user to reflect attacks directed at them back at the enemy with more than double the original power; thus, the more powerful the opponent's attack, the more devastating the counterattack becomes. However, the power has clear limitations: the user cannot initiate offensives on their own and is unable to reflect attacks if they cannot correctly read the nature and exact timing of the opponent's strike.
For now, that was all he had managed to conceive to complement and expand his strength. Haki would give him a decisive advantage in hand-to-hand combat, while the Devil Fruits represented powers distinct from the Magic and Curse Power he already possessed. In this way, he did not depend exclusively on his abilities as a mage....
A yawn escaped from Natsu, breaking the quiet silence of the night.
He uncrossed his legs naturally and stood up from the roof, the stellar glow around his body dissipating little by little, like cosmic dust carried away by the wind. In a simple leap, he landed on the ground in front of the house and entered calmly through the door, closing it behind him.
"....tomorrow I'll have to go with Lucy to visit her parents' tomb..."
He murmured to himself while running his hand over the back of his neck, letting out a low sigh.
The thought pulled others, in sequence, almost inevitable.
The Fairy Tail party.
He remembered the last few days vividly: the deafening noise, the loud laughter, the music echoing nonstop, and the tables almost buckling under the excessive weight of food and drink. That celebration hadn't been just a simple "party." The return of the guild's main members after seven years had been too intense to allow for an immediate and light celebration. Tenrou Island, in that world, had proven much crueler than in the anime he remembered. There, the events took different turns, starting with Happy's death, going through conversations that should never have happened, and fights completely different from those shown in the animation. There was no heroic staging: it was a real battle, fought between life and death. All of that exacted too high a price, leaving the group exhausted, physically and emotionally, without any real mood for celebrations; after all, although seven years had passed, for them it had only been a few days after everything that had happened.
When they returned, no one had the mindset to celebrate.
Some were too busy trying to rebuild Fairy Tail, others simply trying to process everything they had lost. The old Natsu, the one he had replaced, had completely isolated himself, which only made the atmosphere even stranger. Thus, the party was postponed. One week turned into two. Two turned into almost a month....
When it finally happened, it was as if all the accumulated pressure had exploded at once.
Everyone had fun in their own way, and there was no one who wasn't present at the party. Even Gildarts returned, since he had promised Cana that he would come back more often to spend time with her and not live only on missions, and when the two met, the shock on his face upon seeing him was something Natsu hadn't forgotten. For Gildarts, the old Natsu was almost a son. Seeing him so mature and calm... that made him proud and incredulous at the same time.
That feeling, however, didn't last long.
It was enough for Gildarts to notice how he talked to Juvia and Lucy, the naturalness with which he smiled, the overly confident manner for someone his age. Then came Mirajane, Levy... and Gildarts' amused judgmental look made the thought clear.
A womanizer just like me, huh...?
The two even had a conversation about it that ended with Cana fighting with Gildarts.
Natsu almost laughed remembering it.
In addition to Fairy Tail, the party also featured the presence of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus. They were the ones who helped in the search for Tenrou Island, after all. Amid raised glasses and lively conversations, a fact came up that surprised many: Lamia Scale was, at that moment, the second strongest guild in Fiore. Lucy, curious as always, asked if that meant Blue Pegasus was number one.
Tobi and Yuka denied it almost at the same time. Yuka was about to explain when Jura intervened, with his firm and calm voice, saying that rankings didn't matter much now. What really mattered was the safe return of those who had disappeared for seven years....
Soon after, another scene stuck in his memory.
Lyon, that friend of Gray's who was Ur's disciple alongside him, saw Juvia for the first time.
It was immediate.
The sparkle in his eyes, the goofy smile, the almost instant declaration. Juvia, completely embarrassed, hid behind Natsu without thinking twice. He dealt with Lyon in a direct and firm manner, a masculine and protective tone that made Juvia look at him as if she were seeing something absolutely wonderful.....
The result came quickly.
Jealousy.
More than one girl watching the scene was not pleased at all.
Natsu let a light smile escape as he remembered all of that.
It was then that both allied guilds realized he had changed quite a bit compared to before...
Speaking of which, aside from Gildarts' shock and the surprise from Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus during the party, everyone else seemed to have already gotten used to his change. Even Gray and Gajeel tried to provoke him a few times, but always got the same result: frustrated, they ended up taking out their own anger on each other, fighting repeatedly. Even Erza, used to practically bossing him around, quickly understood that he was no longer the same. When he calmly contradicted her, if he so wished, the rest of the guild was shocked, and to everyone's surprise, she didn't hit him or react violently. In the end, all of that seemed... strange..
But back to the party, during the celebration, he also talked a lot with Wendy and even with Charle, who clearly missed Happy, although she was reluctant to admit it. Lily commented that he respected Happy, and together with them, besides Lucy and Juvia, he helped build a tomb for the Exceed in a beautiful and peaceful place.
All the guild members attended. The small ceremony happened right after the party; if it had occurred before, it would have completely broken the mood of the celebration.
It was still under this silent weight of mourning that he saw Gildarts and Cana repeat, as always, their typical father-daughter argument. The scene, mixed with memories of the funeral, ended up deeply affecting Lucy, who remembered her own father. Faced with that, she finally made a decision: she would meet him.
It was only today that he and Lucy traveled together to the merchant city of Acalypha. He only went because she invited him. He didn't ask much. He just accepted.
When they arrived at Love and Lucky, Lucy asked to see Jude Heartfilia. The receptionist, visibly nervous, apologized before revealing the news.
Jude had passed away a month earlier.
The shock on Lucy's face was evident. There was sadness, confusion, regret... many things mixed together. Still, she didn't break down. She didn't cry there. She just stayed silent, trying to absorb the information, along with everything that hadn't been said between her and her father while there was still time.
They returned to Magnolia almost without exchanging words.
In the end, Lucy decided that the next day she would visit the tomb of both. Her mother. And now, her father as well.
Natsu leaned against the wall of the house, closing his eyes for a moment.
"It's going to be a long day..." He murmured, more serious than before.
He had never been good at dealing with feelings as he had said before, but Lucy was someone important to him after everything that had happened. Whether due to the inherited memories of his predecessor or the last few days he had spent by her side, he cared enough to want to be present....
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(A/N: Hey everyone! Author here. This chapter officially marks the beginning of Lucy's arc and the start of the intensive training before the Grand Magic Games. I'm really excited to dive deeper into character development and the plot, especially because of the changes I introduced in this alternate timeline.
I've been thinking a lot about the possibility of Natsu getting into a relationship with Juvia and Lucy before the Grand Magic Games—something that develops naturally from the interactions we've already seen. I believe this could add an interesting layer of drama and romance, especially considering the more mature version of Natsu in this story. What do you think? Let me know in the comments whether this sounds good to you or if you'd prefer a different direction.
I also plan to give Lisanna more focus in the upcoming chapters. She ended up being a bit sidelined at the beginning, but I want to fix that. After all, she played an almost motherly role in Happy's life, and exploring that bond can bring a strong emotional weight to the story. I might use flashbacks or more intimate interactions to show the impact of Happy's loss on her.
As for the Fairy Tail party, I initially thought about describing it in detail, but I chose to summarize it instead, since it would be very similar to the one in the manga. The main differences are that Natsu is much more laid-back and that the celebration happens a month later due to the timeline changes—such as the mourning for Happy and Natsu's initial period of isolation. I preferred to focus on what truly mattered for Natsu's growth and for the relationships between the characters. That said, some moments from the party may still appear later as flashbacks.
Regarding Natsu's powers, suggestions are more than welcome. For now, the idea isn't to give him new abilities or major power-ups right away, but to focus on increasing his magic reserves, physical training, and constant battles, since he'll be taking on more missions. I've also thought about having him encounter a Spriggan during a mission—or even cross paths with Tartaros as END. Another idea that crossed my mind was giving him his own guild. It would be something darker, of course… maybe even a "nobility" system inspired by DxD. The queen could be Makima (I'm a big fan of her), though I'm not sure if she really fits Natsu. Still, the nobility concept itself seems quite interesting to me.
Overall, I want to speed up the pacing of the story so it doesn't drag on, but without skipping important moments. Lucy's arc will focus on the final development of her relationship with Natsu, featuring moments of vulnerability, connection, and emotional growth. I'll be honest—I'm still trying to figure out how to make her accept a "harem," since explicit polygamy isn't really a thing in Fairy Tail. Maybe it can happen through deep conversations about loyalty, magic, and their worldview—or something more fantastical. Any suggestions are welcome!
Thank you to everyone who read this far. If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a like and a comment—it helps a lot! See you in the next chapter! 🔥
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