"Yo, Lance!" Meliodas greeted with a small wave. Lance immediately jumped across the gap between the two docks, landing next to Meliodas.
"I didn't expect to see you here!" Lance said with a large grin. Meliodas returned a smile back at him.
"Yeah, I could say the same about you. Weren't you heading west?" Meliodas asked.
"Well, we were…" Lance replied, his cheerful mood gone. "Me and Goodwin spent the past month sightseeing a bit longer and a couple of days ago we tried to take a boat to Caelum. But these pirates showed up. And lemme tell you they're really strong! I tried to fight them off but there were five of them who were especially strong and I don't think I could beat them even in a one on one fight. They ended up sinking the ship and Goodwin got injured. So I swam back hauling Goodwin with me and he's still in the hospital…" Lance said as he clenched his fists. "Damn...if I had the chance, I would fight them again for what they did to Goodwin but I'm not strong enough by myself…"
"Well I'm here doing a mission for Fairy Tail to stop those guys. They're a dark guild named Blue Guardians." Meliodas said.
"Really? That's awesome!" Lance said, his eyes bright, only for his expression to quickly turn dull again. "But...they're crazy strong. I mean...you're crazy strong too but…"
"Don't worry about me." Meliodas said in a reassuring tone.
"You wouldn't mind if I came with you right?" Lance asked. "I know I couldn't fight them by myself before, but I want to help in any way I can while Goodwin is healing. And my physical enhancement magic can be used on other people! I can show you if you'd like!"
"Alright then." Meliodas said. A large grin formed on Lance's face as he placed his hands out in front of him, his palms facing Meliodas. Meliodas suddenly felt a large surge of power enter his body.
"Woah." Meliodas said. 'In terms of potency, it's almost as good as Wendy's "Arms" enchantment.'
"So what do you think?" Lance asked.
"Alright, you can join me." Meliodas responded.
"Yeah!" Lance shouted out. "Let's go kick some Blue Guardian ass!"
---
An hour went by and Meliodas took Lance with him to meet Captain Seadog. Seadog looked at Lance with a puzzled look.
"Who's this?" Seadog asked.
"Friend of mine." Meliodas responded.
"I'm not with Fairy Tail, but I'd also like to help in fighting Blue Guardians." Lance added.
"Hahaha! The more the merrier I say!" Seadog laughed. "Come with me. I'll show you the boat we're getting on."
Seadog escorted Meliodas and Lance to the boat. It was a small wooden sailboat with the symbol of a half dog, half fish insignia painted onto the sail.
"This was my first sailing boat. Do any of you know how to sail a ship?" Seadog asked.
"Nope." Both Meliodas and Lance responded.
"Then it looks like I'm comin with ya! I don't mind watching you two beat those pirate bastards up!" Seadog said with a large grin.
Meliodas and Lance hopped onto the boat, with Seadog making the last preparations to set sail as Meliodas stared off into the sea.
"Here we go boys! I hope you don't get seasick easily!" Seadog remarked as the ship began moving. Meliodas immediately thought back to Natsu on the ship to Tenrou.
"Something wrong?" Lance asked, noticing the shift in Meliodas' mood. Meliodas immediately snapped out of it and grinned at Lance.
"Nope."
"Oh good. I thought you were getting sea sickness or something." Lance retorted.
"Well if any of you do get seasick, do it overboard!" Seadog shouted.
The ship continued sailing for half an hour. Hargeon Port was barely in view behind them and the wide sea was out in front of them. Meliodas looked back behind them and noticed a large ship following them.
"When did that start following us?" Meliodas commented out loud as he pointed behind the ship. Both Seadog and Lance turned around and looked at the large ship getting closer to them.
"Shit! It's them!" Seadog shouted.
"What's that thing they have mounted at the front of their boat?" Meliodas asked.
"You can see that from here?!" Lance commented.
"You got sharp eyes. That's their magic anchoring cannon. It shoots a magical chain that anchors onto our boat to bring us closer. In a sailboat like this, we're just sitting ducks for them to use that on us." Seadog commented. "All we can really do now is let them anchor us so you guys can fight them…"
'Magic you say?' Meliodas stared at the cannon mounted at the front of the pirates' ship. He could feel a magical presence charging at the tip. Suddenly, a white chain with an anchored head shot out of the cannon, flying straight towards Seadog's sailboat.
"Brace for impact!" Seadog yelled.
"I guess now's a good time to try out the new sword." Meliodas said with a grin. He placed his hand on Neo Mel Force's handle and jumped up in the air right into the path of the magic chain. Both Seadog and Lance's eyes widened as they witnessed Meliodas jump straight at the chain.
"Get out of there!" Lance shouted. Meliodas paid no attention to his words and gripped his sword tightly. Just as the chain was about to collide with him, he swung his blade.
"Full Counter!"
The magical chain immediately ricocheted backwards, instead heading straight towards the cannon that launched it. The anchor head collided with the cannon, causing a large explosion at the front of the ship. The group lost their vision of the enemy ship as it was covered in a cloud of smoke.
"You bounced it right back?!" Lance shouted out. "What kind of magic was that?!"
"Full Counter. I can reflect any magical attack at double the force. Although…" Meliodas held Neo Mel Force out in front of him. "This sword is a bit special so I can reflect it at triple the force."
"Triple?! Well you definitely destroyed their ship then!" Lance cheered.
"That sword...I've seen that music note before...that's a Musica sword isn't it?!" Seadog exclaimed.
"Yup, I got-" Meliodas immediately stopped mid sentence and turned his head towards the smoke direction, prompting the other two with him to do the same. From the smoke, the ship emerged, the front tip where the cannon was mounted heavily damaged with the rest of the ship being completely fine.
"H-hold on it didn't sink from that?!" Lance exclaimed. Suddenly, the ship began to slowly rise out of the water, taking flight and soaring in the air above their own.
"It's flying?!" Seadog shouted in amazement.
Cannons mounted at the sides of the ship all pointed towards Seadog's sailboat. Meliodas could feel a large amount of magical energy being built up in each one.
"They're gonna shoot at us?! What happened to trying to plunder?!" Lance questioned.
"They must have deemed us a large threat after we sent their anchor right back at them. You really pissed em off , Meliodas." Seadog said.
"I guess they don't learn." Meliodas responded as he jumped up into the air, right between the pirate ship and their own. The cannons charging their magic fired immediately, converging into a single point towards Meliodas.
"Full Counter!"
Meliodas swung Neo Mel Force, instantly reflecting the large beam back at the ship. Just as the beam was about to collide with the ship, it vanished, with not a trace of magic remaining. Meliodas landed back on the sailboat with a puzzled expression on his face.
"W-what happened?!" Lance questioned. "It just...disappeared! Did you do that Meliodas?
"No...that wasn't me." Meliodas responded.
From beneath the sides of the floating pirate ship, several ropes began to dangle and fall down below as dozens of pirates started to rappel their way down.
"They're trying to board us since they can't hit us with magic!" Seadog exclaimed.
"I won't let a single one touch this ship!" Meliodas shouted. "Seadog, I'll get rid of these guys and you sail out of here. Leave the rest to me and Lance!"
"Heh, having to run from these guys with my tail between my legs...you better show em hell Meliodas!" Seadog yelled.
"I'll clear a path! Climb up the ropes Lance!" Meliodas shouted as he leaped up high into the air towards the dozens of figures heading towards the ship. Lance looked up in awe at Meliodas as he began climbing the rope. Without a chance to blink, Meliodas seemingly vanished from his sight in one instant and in the next instant, the bodies of the pirates went limp as they fell into the ocean.
[Lightning Sword Flash]
Meliodas swiftly jumped between each pirate, slashing them in the process before jumping to the next all in an instant. Meliodas ascended to the top this way, landing on the main deck of the ship with Lance showing up next to him shortly after.
Dozens of more pirates swarmed around Meliodas and Lance, the two of them getting into fighting stances.
"Hagghhh!!!" Lance shouted as his body began to surge with magic and his figure grew noticeably more muscular.
"Sorry Meliodas, I forgot to mention I can only enchant one person at a time." Lance said with a nervous grin.
"Don't worry about it. Just keep yourself safe." Meliodas said. "I don't want to lose any more friends."
Lance glanced at Meliodas upon hearing the comment but decided not to pry as he focused on the enemies ahead.
"Let's see who can beat more of these guys." Lance said with a grin. A smile formed on Meliodas' face.
"Okay. Loser has to buy the other drinks." Meliodas responded.
"It's on!"