Soon, the restaurant waitstaff began bringing out dishes, one after another, filling the table. Su Yan and Natsu dug in with impressive speed, practically inhaling the food. The other diners watched in stunned silence, unsure how all that food could fit into Su Yan's slender frame.
Su Yan's appetite had only grown since incorporating Kaido's abilities. Each increase in power seemed to come with a bigger appetite, as if he could turn food directly into strength. And Natsu, with his dragon-slayer physiology, was a voracious eater as well.
By the time they finished, it was evening. The restaurant owner, sweating nervously, approached them.
"Excuse me… honored guests… but you've eaten every ingredient in the kitchen," he stammered, looking a little panicked. "There's… there's simply nothing left for you."
Su Yan leaned back, satisfied, rubbing his stomach. "All right, we'll call it here then," he replied. "I'm about 80% full."
Natsu let out a contented sigh, his stomach visibly rounder. "I'm stuffed!" He gave a loud, satisfied burp, followed by a smaller, "Aye, sir!" from Happy, who had also eaten his fill.
After paying the bill, Su Yan stood up, hefting his black mace onto his shoulder. "All right, we're full. Let's go."
Natsu and Happy exchanged curious glances. They'd just finished a massive meal, and now Su Yan seemed ready for action. "What are we going to do?" Natsu asked.
Su Yan's expression turned serious. "We're going to deal with some trouble."
---
Meanwhile, out at sea, a ship had just departed from Hargeon's port. It was filled with unsuspecting passengers, many of them young women dressed for a night out.
In one of the cabins, Lucy was sitting across from a man who'd just tried to serve her a drink. She pushed it away, scowling.
"There are sleeping pills in this, aren't there?" she demanded, glaring at the man in front of her.
He laughed, seemingly unfazed. "You're sharper than you look, girl. But it won't help you."
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucy snapped, starting to rise. "I came here because you said you were a Fairy Tail wizard—I wanted to join the guild, not be tricked into drinking something suspicious!"
The man grinned, signaling to several burly men who stepped out from behind a curtain and grabbed her arms, immobilizing her.
"Welcome to my slave ship, sweetheart," he sneered, squeezing her chin. "Get comfortable—we'll be arriving in Bosco soon, where you'll fetch a nice price."
Lucy's face turned pale. "Bosco?! This isn't Fairy Tail… You're a trafficker!"
"That's right, little girl. A self-important thug pretending to be a Fairy Tail mage, using charm magic to lure fools like you. And here you are, ready to be sold off."
"Let go of me!" Lucy struggled, horrified. "This can't be happening… I wanted to join Fairy Tail to make a difference, not—"
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the cabin door burst open with a loud crash, and one of the guards flew through the air, landing hard on the floor, unconscious.
The men turned, stunned, as footsteps echoed down the hall.
A tall, dark-haired young man appeared in the doorway, carrying an oversized black mace casually in one hand, his calm, serious expression unwavering.
"You?!" Lucy gasped in surprise, recognizing Su Yan from earlier.
"Who the hell are you?" the man snarled, his confidence fading at the sight of Su Yan's imposing figure.
Su Yan met his gaze, unflinching. "Someone who can't stand people like you."
The man's expression darkened. "Kill him!"
Several henchmen rushed Su Yan with weapons drawn. But in the blink of an eye—
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
With three swift kicks, Su Yan sent each attacker flying, knocking them out with ease.
As they crumpled to the floor, Su Yan let out a disappointed sigh. "The world is a big place. Isn't it enough just to live peacefully? Why throw it all away?"
Lucy watched, her shock turning to awe as Su Yan effortlessly dismantled her captors.