After Ide decided to head to the Wizard Guild "Fairy Tail" to seek Senior Makarov's help, he, along with Ur, Irene, Ultear, and Irene's daughter, set off toward Magnolia at dawn.
"By the way."
"Irene, shouldn't you give your daughter a name?"
Ide carefully held the two babies in his arms. His gaze fell on Irene's daughter, and after thinking for a moment, he realized he didn't even know her name!
So, he looked ahead at Irene, who was striding forward without a care in the world for anything else—not even her own daughter—and asked.
"You name her."
"Since you've already agreed to raise her, she's practically your daughter anyway, right?"
Irene replied without looking back. She was running joyfully on her own two legs like a child, relishing the simple pleasure of being "human" again.
"Huh?"
Ide was stunned. Naming a child was a lifelong matter; could it really be decided so casually?
"Since you said I can name her whatever I want..."
"Then let's call her... Erza."
"That's right! From today on, this child is Erza Belserion."
Ide frowned, looking down at Irene's daughter in his arms. After a moment of contemplation, his ability to "Hear the Voice of All Things" seemed to receive a whisper from the world spirit of Earthland, prompting him to utter the name Erza.
"Erza?"
"That's a good name."
"Then it's decided. From now on, she is Erza."
Irene turned around to look at Ide. She seemed to approve of the name, nodding repeatedly.
"Phew."
Seeing that Irene was satisfied with the name he chose, Ide breathed a sigh of relief.
Being with Irene is like being with a literal dragon—terrifying.
"Anyway, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. One step at a time!"
Ide sighed and followed Irene and Ur, marching forward.
"Interesting."
In the dense forest on the mountain behind Rosemary Village, Zeref, dressed in black robes, sat quietly on the grass. His gaze seemed to pierce through countless obstacles, landing firmly on Ide's group. He smiled. "So you decided to go to the Wizard Guild, Fairy Tail, in the end? It seems our fates are deeply intertwined. We will meet again in the future! Isn't that right, Mavis?"
---
Magnolia Town.
Inside the Fairy Tail Guild.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
A short old man sitting quietly on the bar counter sneezed repeatedly. His usually calm heart suddenly felt a strange palpitation, as if trouble was approaching.
"Hey, Master!"
"Did you catch a cold?"
Below the counter, a young man with spiky orange hair was sitting there drinking beer. Seeing the old man sneezing, he looked up and asked.
"No."
"It's nothing."
"I just have a bad feeling."
The old man shook his head, seeming unconcerned.
Whatever comes, I'll handle it.
With my strength, I can deal with most troubles and challenges.
This was the confidence that came with power.
Besides, even if he encountered trouble he couldn't handle, it didn't matter. Right now, the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail wasn't him, the Guild Master.
---
Three days later.
"By the way, why do we have to walk?"
"I remember there were trains in the town we passed earlier, right?"
"We could have taken the train to Magnolia."
On a country road, Ide, who was stuck carrying the babies, walked behind Irene and Ur. Watching the two women chatting and laughing, their relationship growing closer over the past three days until they looked like best friends, he couldn't help but ask.
"Eh?"
"Did I not mention it, Ide?"
"As Dragon Slayers, we cannot take transportation. We get motion sickness."
Ahead, Irene, who had been whispering to Ur and sharing a smile, turned around upon hearing Ide's complaint. She looked at him "innocently" and explained.
"Huh?"
Ide was dumbfounded by her explanation. He looked at Irene and asked loudly, "What do you mean you can't take transportation?"
"It is a side effect of all Dragon Slayer Magic. Any Dragon Slayer who has unlocked Dragon Force will get severe motion sickness on vehicles. Even the 'Dragon King' Acnologia is no exception."
Irene explained with a smile.
"..."
Ide fell silent. He wanted to question her, but his Observation Haki told him Irene wasn't joking.
"So, Ur, do you still want to learn Dragon Slayer Magic?"
After explaining to Ide why they were hiking, Irene turned to Ur beside her and asked.
"Uhh."
"I think I'll pass."
Ur shook her head, rejecting the idea immediately.
"Listen to me, Ur."
"You can choose other types of Slayer Magic to learn."
"The side effects of Dragon Slayer Magic are just too troublesome!"
"Take this as advice from your best friend, and as the creator—the Mother of Dragon Slayer Magic."
Irene said, affectionately taking Ur's hand as they walked forward.
"Sigh."
Behind Irene and Ur, Ide, still carrying the babies, sighed helplessly.
In the One Piece world, Ide had resisted eating a Devil Fruit to avoid gaining a glaring weakness that enemies could exploit. And yet, in this world, he had stumbled right into the pitfall of Dragon Slayer Magic. What a...
"Well, the potential of Dragon Slayer Magic is huge. It definitely makes up for the weakness."
Ide could only comfort himself.
---
Half a month later.
Because Irene was curious about everything in the modern human world and kept stopping to look around, it took Ide's group a full half-month to finally reach the vicinity of Magnolia.
"Hey!"
"Don't move."
"Hand over all your money, and those two beautiful women!"
Just as Ide saw hope—only fifty kilometers left to the town—a group of vicious bandits suddenly burst out of the woods, blocking their path.
The leader, a fierce-looking man standing two meters tall, stared at Irene and Ur with lustful eyes. He grinned. "Jackpot! Both the short-haired one and the long-haired one are stunning."
"Hm?"
Ide looked up, staring at the bandits as if looking at dead men. "Do you want to die?"