"Natsu Dragneel, are you slacking off while there are intruders on board?" A steel toed boot met the side of his head, kicking it a few times with a little more force than necessary in an attempt to get his attention.

"No ma'am!" Natsu shot up pin straight, the anger boiling over in the woman's tone pulling him abruptly out of his impromptu nap.

"Does it not concern you that we are having engine troubles?" Erza's glare was piercing as she stood there menacingly with her hands glued to her hips. Even though the woman was a good three inches shorter than him, her presence towered over her fearful Captain.

"What?" Her words brought him up short. Whether Natsu's confusion was from the grogginess of just waking up or because of his inability to comprehend that such a thing could happen at a crucial time like this, he wasn't sure. Maybe a little bit of both.

"Gajeel has been working on it for the past hour. Unfortunately, it's been damaged and we don't have the parts on hand to fix it." Erza's shoulders seemed to have relaxed, though there was still an edge to her voice that told Natsu she was anything but.

"What are you saying, then?" Natsu demanded, growing tired of Erza's roundabout way of telling him things. Sure, it sucked that they were having engine trouble, but at least the damn intruders hadn't blown the ship to smithereens and from the look of things, no one was seriously injured.

"I'm saying, we're stuck here until further notice." Erza raised a skeptical eyebrow, astonished and a little annoyed that Natsu had failed to put two and two together.

"No way!" Natsu roared, wincing a little when he pulled on the gash on his side he had gotten while fighting Jacob. He quieted down when he spotted Lucy, still sleeping off her exhaustion. "Take Lucy to the medical wing. She's still pretty out of it." And just like that, Natsu dropped down through the hole in the floor to seek out Gajeel.

"And there he goes." Erza sighed before picking Lucy up bridal style. "I was afraid of that," she murmured before heading off to see Wendy.

"Gajeel, it's been three hours. The fuck's the hold up?" Natsu whined, fidgeting with some of the levers that controlled the ship's temperatures. The overly pierced mechanic watched him out of the corner of his eye, hand twitching suddenly in barely contained annoyance. "I thought you were the best of the best."

"Go hang out with Blondie. Yer yappin' is giving me a headache." Gajeel clenched his jaw as he attempted to get rid of the pesky Captain. It took all he had to not clobber him to death with the wrench he was now gripping onto for dear life.

"Wendy already kicked me out of sickbay," Natsu grumbled, a little hurt that his crew members were being so disrespectful. "She said Lucy needs a little more time to rest." He looked down towards the ground, his right foot scuffing at the floorboards; the next unfortunate victim to succumb to his childlike antics.

"Well yer not doing any good here, ye don't know shit about engines." Gajeel glowered as he wiped the oil that shot up onto his face when he had tightened a bolt a little too hard. "Maybe go on deck and get some fresh air." Gajeel shrugged, hoping that the Captain would take his advice or hell, go anywhere else so long as he was out of his hair.

Natsu pouted in defeat, looking up at Gajeel with the saddest puppy dog eyes he could muster in hopes of getting him to cave and let him stay, but Gajeel remain unfazed as he turned around with a wave to continue on with his work. Dragging his feet out of the room, the Captain slammed the door to the engine room and moped up the temporary staircase Gajeel had made out of old crates to the upper deck.

Leaning over the balcony and staring out at the sea, Natsu noticed a ship heading directly for them. The feeling of dread muted his senses as he gaped at the incoming enemy, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. There was no way his crew nor his ship were in any shape to fend off more of the Spriggan 12 in their current state. Sweat formed on the back of his neck and his brow furrowed in exasperation. He jump-started his senses as he scrambled off the railing and ran full speed in the direction of the helm to warn the rest of the crew only for a familiar voice to call out to him, effectively stopping him mid stride.

"What's the matter, Captain Dragneel? Not happy to see me?" Gray yelled out in amusement.

"Gray?!" Natsu watched in complete disbelief as the official Navy ship pulled up alongside the Fairy Tail. Gray stood at the front, barking out orders to his loyal fleet. A few of them hustled around, trying to connect the ships by flanking a piece of narrow wood across both ship's railings.

"You didn't really think I'd let you have all the fun?" Gray smirked, enjoying the absolute surprise that was written all over his friend's face as he strutted across the temporary bridge with Master Sergeant Juvia Lockser and a couple other members of his crew following close behind.

He jumped off with a soft thud, straightening up and stuffing his hands in his jacket's hip pockets as he took a moment to inspect the deck of the ship. His brow furrowed in confusion, head turning to address the ship's Captain. "Where's your crew?" He raised an eyebrow, trying hard not to scoff at the dumbstruck face Natsu had permanently etched on his face. "What if I had turned out to be one of the Spriggan Pirates?"

Natsu's face turned sour at what Gray was implying, his face reddening in both anger and embarrassment. "I knew it was you so I didn't need to warn the crew!"

Gray's professional demeanor threatened to crumble at any moment as the corner of his mouth noticeably twitched before he forcefully bit down on his bottom lip. "Such an impressive display of intuition, Captain Dragneel. Perhaps that is how you've become such a renowned pirate?"

Natsu's scowl returned tenfold, picking up on the First Sergeant's teasing instantly. "What do you know, Gray?!"

At that point, Gray lost all composure and openly laughed directly into Natsu's face. "Hot-headed as ever, I see."

Natsu grumbled something about being an 'overly spoiled wealthy asshole' before the matter on Gray's sudden and unexpected appearance took precedence. "Is your reason behind coming here to make fun of me or is it actually important?"

Gray shrugged, trying hard to keep his concerns unvoiced. "I figured you could use some help."

Natsu sighed. Though Gray's reason was a little out of character, he didn't mention it. Besides, if they hadn't shown up when they did, he would have had no way of getting to the Spriggan's hideout. Shit, now that he thought about it, the Fairy Tail crew wouldn't have even had a way of getting back to shore. Maybe Lucy's luck was rubbing off on him.

"Anyway, rally up your crew, Captain. We have things to discuss," Gray ordered, pulling Natsu out of his thoughts. He was a little annoyed that his frenemy was ordering him around like some lowly peon, but if he ever wanted to get this mini truce with the Navy over with, he figured it was best not to argue. He nodded begrudgingly before hunting down Erza, Gajeel, and Lucy.

Surprisingly, Natsu, Erza, Gajeel, Lucy, Gray, and Juvia had all managed to squeeze into his tiny quarters to devise a solid plan of attack, albeit it was a little uncomfortable. Not just because there were two high ranking Navy officers sitting down in his private quarters like a couple of old friends, but with so many warm bodies crammed into such a small space, the air was barely breathable and the heat was stifling.

"Christ, Natsu. For being a captain, your room is the size of my closet," Gray groaned, unconsciously unbuttoning his jacket and flinging it over the back side of his chair. "Or fuck, do you maybe own a fan or something?" He continued while starting to unbutton his undershirt as well.

"Gray, as delighted as I am to have you strip for me, you are in the presence of other women," Juvia spoke sweetly, though the daggers she was shooting in Lucy's direction were anything but.

"I'm sure Lucy here isn't into perverted Navy officers with a double life as a stripper." Natsu glanced at Lucy, praying that Gray wasn't her type.

"I can speak for myself, Captain." Lucy took a moment to scold the Captain before making eye contact with Gray, "I'm not into perverts with a stripping fetish."

"Sorry, sorry," Gray grumbled, blushing a little in embarrassment before reluctantly buttoning his shirt back up to his neck. "Ok, so, that's the plan? To not have one? Just run in there like chickens with their heads cut off?"

Natsu, completely elated by Lucy's response, waved a dismissive hand. "This will be easy. We have plenty of manpower to wipe out all of the Spriggan pirates, no prob."

Gray shook his head, amazed he was actually going to go along with his half-assed plan. There was no point in arguing with the headstrong man, though. He knew this from experience. Whenever Natsu got something in his head, there was no telling him otherwise.

"Just leave Invel to me." The look Gray gave Natsu left no room for argument, though the Captain wouldn't dare take away his friend's chance to get his revenge. After all, that's what had formed this strange bond between them in the first place.

Natsu huffed, pretending to be annoyed that he had to share in the fun. "Yeah, yeah. I'm after the Captain, anyway." He punched the palm of his right hand, a challenging grin twisting his lips. "'You know what they say, you take the King out and the kingdom falls."

The Fairy Tail Crew began to board the Royal Sovereign - the oldest and most well-taken care of ship in the Navy if Natsu remembered correctly. He would probably never know how Gray was simply handed the most renowned ship to ever sail the sea, but it never hurt to ask.

"So, the Royal Sovereign," Natsu began in an indifferent tone.

Gray simply looked up and smiled that shit-eating grin, "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

"She always was," he responded, admiring the ship he always dreamed of sailing, "She's the perfect ship. Her only mistake is having you as a Captain." He looked at the Royal Sovereign's Captain and stuck out his tongue childishly.

Gray tipped his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. "I never had to fight anyone for her. It was a pretty easy climb to the top without you there," he crossed his arms over his chest and a sad smile formed on his face. He turned to look at his former rival with that same smile and a serious look in his eye. "She should have been yours."

Natsu's expression softened. He had always thought Gray to be the better sailor during their short time training together. It was why he had strived to excel in every area. Gray irritated him enough to become worthy of being his rival. It was a relief to know that his friend felt the same.

"Well, is this everyone?" Gray changed the subject before anyone noticed them getting along. "Your crew isn't very big."

"Just shaddup and tell your lackeys to pull up anchor and set sail." Natsu murmured.

It wasn't long before the Royal Sovereign was sailing towards a hidden cove, unmarked on any official map Natsu could ever get his hands on. No wonder it had taken over a decade to track down the infamous Spriggan pirates.

Natsu grew restless as Gray's ship dropped anchor right outside of the entrance. "Why are we stopping here?"

"Do you really want to let the enemy know we're here?" Gray took in the disgruntled look on the pirate Captain's face, voice dropping a few octaves in hopes of not drawing any unwanted attention. "Look, I know you're anxious, Natsu, but we need to have some discretion."

Natsu glanced at Gray curiously before realization curled his lips up into an evil smirk. "So, in other words, take 'em by surprise?"

Gray's expression mirrored that of his old friend, "Exactly."

Breaking off into groups, the newly formed crew piled into a few rowboats and snuck into the enemy's camp, hoping that the smaller vessels would be less conspicuous. To everyone's surprise, there were no guards to greet them upon arriving. Under normal circumstances, that would be a good thing, but in this case, it had everyone on edge. Sure, their base was well hidden and damn near impossible to find, but didn't they already know there was a pirate ship close by? Hell, they even sent two of their own pirates to go and take them out. Were they really that confident that the Fairy Tail crew would be wiped out that easily?

"This will probably be easier if we split up." Erza decided, taking the initiative in hopes of avoiding a 'who's dick is bigger' argument between the two Captains.

They all let out a murmur in agreement before pairing up or going off on their own. Lucy started following Erza when a warm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She turned to keep herself from falling, stumbling into Natsu's extended arm instead. She peeked up at the Captain and saw a serious expression on his face. He helped her upright before dragging her off in the opposite direction.

She ripped her wrist from the Captain's firm grasp and stepped back. "What are you doing?" Lucy demanded, annoyed that Natsu was pulling her along with no explanation.

"You're coming with me," he spoke as if his actions spoke for themselves.

"No. I'm not." She dragged out each word as if speaking to a child. "I'm going with Erza."

She began to head back but the redhead had already gone off without her. She glanced back at Natsu, scowling when she noticed the victorious smirk forming on his cocky face. Lucy closed her eyes and clenched her fists, "I'll find her. She couldn't have gotten far." She began walking off again but paused when she heard Natsu call out her name in an almost desperate tone.

"I can't -" Natsu tried, "Just listen, please."

"Why? I'm more than capable of handling myself." Lucy frowned, a little offended he didn't have more confidence in her abilities.

"I know." Natsu avoided her gaze, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Then what the hell's the problem!" Lucy let out in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis.

Natsu remained silent, looking everywhere else but at Lucy. At one point, he had decided boring a hole into her boots was the better option.

"If there isn't one, then I'm gonna go." Lucy's eye twitched in irritation. At times like this, she truly wondered if Natsu was a spoiled little boy trapped inside a man's body; a really sculpted and distracting man's body, but that was beside the point!

"I can't protect you if you're not with me." Natsu's words barely came out above a whisper as he finally met her confused stare.

"What?" His muffled declaration piqued her interest. Surely she misunderstood him.

"You can fight and that makes you badass, but how will I know-" Natsu paused, licking his dry lips as he tried to form the right words. "Look, I can't focus when I'm too busy wondering if you're ok." Pent up emotions poured from his lips like a broken dam. "I just worry, ok?"

Lucy's mouth dropped open, moved and a little surprised by Natsu's sentimental choice of words. Granted, her Captain had been flirting with her in his own way up until this point, but he was also never really one to come outright and talk about his feelings.

"Natsu," Lucy began only to realize that she was rendered completely speechless. Who would have thought she'd be caught off guard by her bold and brash Captain. Natsu kept her gaze, waiting expectantly for a response, a shy smile making its way onto his lips.

In an attempt to recollect her thoughts, Lucy swallowed down her now apparent feelings for the Captain and grabbed his hand. "We do make an awesome team so let's go kick some ass." She smiled a little awkwardly before dragging him off in the direction he was headed towards initially.

"What even made you decide to go this way, Captain?" Lucy groaned, feet a little sore from walking for so long in her high heeled boots. "We've been going in circles for the past hour."

"Nu uh. This corridor looks different than the last ten for sure." Natsu pointed out confidently.

"Are you blind?" Lucy grimaced as she put her hand on the wall to support her wobbly legs. "We've passed that exact staircase five times already." She stated matter of factly.

"You can't even tell! They all look the same anyway." Natsu cried out, trying and failing to defend his poor sense of direction.

"If you got us lost, so help me-" But Natsu never gave her the chance to finish her empty threat. Instead, he threw his arm out to halt Lucy in her strides, shoving her rather forcefully behind a wall of an adjacent corridor.

"Natsu, what the hell?" Lucy hissed out in a loud whisper.

"Shh. Someone's coming." Natsu reprimanded, putting a finger to her lips to stop her mid-rant. Lucy's eyes grew wide as she too heard the clunky footsteps and muffled conversation echoing down the empty hallways. From the sound of it, it appeared to be two females bickering back and forth about who would take out the leader of the group that just broke in.

"I'll go check on the Captain, you should probably go help the others." The green haired woman suggested to the other. "Apparently, the intruders are giving the boys a hard time."

The other woman, with long braided red hair and an uncanny resemblance to Erza, sighed and then nodded before going back down the corridor they came from. The green haired woman, however, headed off in the opposite direction.

"Now's our chance, let's follow her!" Natsu pulled Lucy back out from behind the wall, before crouching low and prowling after the unsuspecting woman. "We'll be sneaky like ninjas!"

"Captain, you're the complete opposite of quiet. You're a rowdy and obnoxious pirate." Lucy drawled, though she was unable to help a small snicker from escaping her lips at how ridiculous he looked.

"Aw, come on, Lucy!" Natsu crowed. "This'll be fun!"

Apart from Lucy having to suffer from Natsu's incessant acting like a ninja, the idea did turn out to be a good one. The mysterious woman had indeed led them straight to the lion's den. Though she never actually went in to check on the Captain. Instead, she looked over her shoulder in the direction of where Natsu and Lucy were hiding before turning her head back around and walking away. Which in turn, had Lucy extremely suspicious. Had she led them there on purpose? Although, Natsu hadn't seemed to notice the exchange. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

"This is it. You ready?" Natsu glanced at Lucy, hand on the door waiting for her to give him the ok.

"Ready to face the world's deadliest pirate?" Lucy shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Natsu opened the door and was greeted by a meek and frightened voice, calling out from somewhere in the corner of the dimly lit room. "Who's there? Brandish, is that you?"

Lucy and Natsu shared a confused look before redirecting their attention back to the man that was actually hiding underneath his desk during the midst of an all out brawl.

"Uh," Natsu gaped. "Are you the Spriggan pirate's Captain?"

The man peeked his head out from behind the desk. His eyes flashed with recognition before clouding back over with fear. His silver locks stumbled over his shoulder as he tried to get a better look at the duo. Natsu would recognize that head of hair anywhere, though. It was him, yet- Just what exactly happened to him over this last decade?

"I am." The man spoke timidly, pulling himself up to his feet to properly address his guests. "My name is Acnologia." He awkwardly lifted his right arm revealing nothing. There was no hand to grab a hold of let alone an arm. Natsu's eyes trailed along where the man's arm should have been but the elbow was where it ended."Woops. Forgive me." Acnologia apologized, letting out a carefree laugh before holding out his left hand to shake Natsu's.

Natsu stared at it for a moment before begrudgingly shaking it which seemed to please Acnologia as he offered him a satisfied smile in return. "So tell me, friends. Why exactly are you here?"

There was a moment of heavy silence that weighed on Lucy. She felt as though Acnologia - The Spriggan Pirate Captain and her parent's murderer - was mocking her with his light-hearted question. It took a great deal of concentration to keep herself from lunging at the ruthless man in front of her and finishing the job right then and there. "You know why we're here," she forced out between her teeth.

Natsu placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, holding her back slightly when she had taken an unconscious step towards Acnologia.

"I'm not proud of my past, child. I was a desperate, power hungry fool." Acnologia sighed guiltily. "I hide out here now in fear for my life. It's also my means to repent for my sins; I'm ridding the world of myself." Acnologia looked off distantly like he was imagining a life he wished was his own.

Lucy and Natsu stared at the, supposedly, former gruesome and careless Pirate Captain with fickle shock. His words were unexpected but the pair kept their guard up, prepared for anything. The expression on Acnologia's face forced Natsu to pause and actually consider the man's declaration. It was truly unbelievable that the most cold-hearted pirate known to ever exist was simply giving in; that he had seen the error of his ways and had confined himself to a life of isolation as punishment. It was too easy, but not impossible.

Lucy, however, could never forgive Acnologia for what he had done. He had taken the only family she ever had. At least Natsu had his older brother when his father passed, but Lucy had no one. Everything was taken from her the minute her parents died - she was stripped of her title and was forced into a system that could not care less about her well-being. Lucy Heartfilia, the shy little girl who once lived a happy life, had perished when her parents were murdered. Leaving nothing but a brewing hatred for the man before them and a hunger for vengeance.

"I have even given up all the loot I pillaged during our raids. I've anonymously donated them to charities." Acnologia went on. "I know it's hard for you to believe a man such as I, but you must leave this place. If August finds out you're here-" He paused, pulling a pocket watch out from underneath his shabby cloak to check the time.

Natsu stood there, completely blown away by the sudden turn of events. Lucy, however, was practically shaking at his side. "That watch." She rasped out from behind clenched teeth. "You lying scoundrel! That watch belonged to my father."

"Hm? Oh, this old thing?" he looked up from the watch to study her face. A condescending smile took hold of his thin lips. "It appears I underestimated you. I really do need a new one, but this one just holds so many fond memories."

Before Natsu even had enough time to process what was going on, Lucy had stepped forward, right hand balled into a fist as it successfully connected with his jaw. "Bold move, girl." Acnologia laughed out in amusement, though it was cut short by an unexpected follow-up left hook from one very pissed off Lucy.

Watching Lucy engage Acnologia had pulled Natsu out of his jumbled thoughts. He didn't need to have all the details. All he needed to know was that right now, Lucy was hurting and it was all because of the man standing before them. If anything, he was a little disappointed in himself for dropping his guard so easily. This was the man that killed Lucy's parents and left her with nothing. Sure, he had also killed his dad, but at least Natsu still had his older brother to help him get through it. His heart ached for her.

Natsu walked up beside her, grazing his hand against hers in hopes of letting her know she wasn't alone. "So, all of that was an act? You lied to us?"

"You naive boy. I just didn't want to get any blood on my hands." Acnologia directed his haughty sneer towards Natsu. "I would have had my subjects meet you on your way out and your death would have been quick and painless."

Natsu scoffed. "If there's anyone left of your crew by now. We aren't the only ones here, ya know."

"You just continue to say the wrong things, boy. Very much like your father had." Acnologia growled. Apparently, pissing him off like his father had too.

"Nah. I'm pretty sure he said the things that needed to be said." Natsu shrugged off Acnologia's attempt at getting him riled up. "What is it with you Spriggans and your tactics to fight dirty, anyway?"

Natsu pulled his sword from his sheath, pointing it directly at Acnologia, a calm yet determined look in his eyes. "Though I gotta say, you talking shit about my pops doesn't sit well with me."

Acnologia simply laughed, pulling his own sword out from underneath his long cloak. "Look familiar? I do love my treasures."

Of course, he recognized it. It was the sword that Natsu's grandfather had handed down to his father. Igneel was never really good at swordplay, but he kept it with him should the situation ever arise where he needed to protect the people he cared about.

"Can't say I'm surprised you have it seeing as you're a packrat for all things shiny," Natsu commented, choosing to take a page from Lucy's book.

He glanced at Lucy when he heard a soft giggle stumble from her lips, smiling brightly at her when she looked up to meet his curious gaze. They both nodded seeming to come to an unspoken agreement before turning to face Captain Acnologia; sword and dagger in hand.

With a calm and clear head, the fight didn't seem nearly as awful as when they fought Jacob, though there was no doubt Acnologia was the stronger of the two even down an arm. Not only did he pack one hell of a punch, but he had an easier time reading both Natsu's and Lucy's movements which led to one very long and drawn out battle.

Things got a little dicey when Natsu had gotten thrown into a wall, knocking him out cold, leaving Lucy to try to take him on by herself. Lucky for her, she was far more nimble and fast on her feet than the old pirate Captain so she was able to avoid the majority of his attacks. Unfortunately, that also meant she had to stay on the defense, unable to throw any punches of her own.

Sparing a glance at her unconscious partner was her first mistake, but she couldn't help but worry that he wouldn't be getting back up. Not just because she didn't want to fight this sadistic bastard alone, but because she had actually grown quite fond of her hot-headed Captain.

"Your eyes should be on me, girl." Acnologia chided as he used his sword to disarm her then land an unhindered kick to her side.

Lucy blanched when she took the hit head-on, losing her balance and stumbling backward from the sheer force behind his attack. She had even blacked out for a couple of seconds when her back first met the ground, knocking the wind right out of her lungs. His evil cackling bounced around in her head and pain radiated from her spine and shot through her limbs, screaming in protest when she tried to sit up. Lucy attempted to roll onto her side to try and get the room to stop spinning, but that only made it spin faster. She knew she had to get up, defend herself, get away, anything, but her body refused to do what she commanded it to.

" I really do hate getting blood on my hands." Acnologia sighed as he made his way over to Lucy.

"Why did you do it then?" Lucy forced out between struggled breaths, hoping to buy herself a little time to devise a plan.

"Hm? Why'd I attack the Red Dragon?" Acnologia hesitated in his stride, taking a moment to consider her request.

Lucy gave a subtle nod, hoping that he did not realize her intentions. If there was one thing Lucy knew for sure about men, it was that they were itching to boast about their accomplishments. No matter how sadistic. If Acnologia did indeed take the bait, she'd have a few more seconds to figure out a plan of attack or, more likely, an escape.

Unless, of course, Natsu ever decided to join the land of the living while he still had the chance to enjoy the fact that he was alive, but that was risking too much on a man who could sleep through a storm.

She returned her attention to the imposing figure above her before remembering she had one more trick up her sleeve, or in this case in her boot. If she could just distract him long enough to get Natsu and herself out, they could come up with a plan. Though, now that she thought about it, she probably wouldn't get very far especially with an unconscious Natsu in tow.

Before she could put her plan into action, however, Acnologia had brought his attention back down to her writhing form, a sick sense of enjoyment twisting his face into a sinister sneer. The look alone was enough to momentarily pin Lucy to the ground in unadulterated fear.

Acnologia gave Lucy a bemused look, "Do I really need a reason?"

His cold-hearted words seemed to have struck a chord. "So, that's it? You killed them because you felt like it?" Lucy flinched, biting the inside of her cheek to stifle a whimper when Acnologia had carelessly stepped down on her left hand.

"You could say that." Acnologia declared proudly, squatting down beside Lucy to admire his newest handiwork.

"Ugh," Natsu groaned, dusting the debris off of his overcoat that had fallen on him when he was thrown through the wall.

"Why couldn't you have just stayed down?" Acnologia glared over at Natsu, irritation coating his tone. He remained beside Lucy, however, seemingly uninterested in the Captain's reappearance.

Hearing Natsu's pained voice was a relief. She forced her vision to focus and her limbs to move through the pain. Lucy tried to rise up as slowly and quietly as she possibly could be injured. With Natsu back on his feet, Lucy knew they could win this fight. She just needed to give Natsu the opportunity he needed and Lucy was dead set on giving him one.

"Your eyes should be on me." Lucy reiterated his exact words back to him as she pulled her lucky dagger out from her boot and jammed it right into his eye socket.

Acnologia roared, wiping away the blood oozing from his right eye. "You whore!" He growled in pain as he brought his sword upward, preparing to swing it down and behead Lucy in one swift movement.

But Natsu was already on his feet and running towards them. He grabbed Acnologia's hand that was clenching onto his father's sword and ran it through his chest as he tackled the old pirate to the ground. With a gurgled yell, Acnologia thrashed out, attempting in vain to pull the sword out from between his ribs. After a few moments, his spasms settled and his arm fell to the floor with a deafening thud. Natsu lifted his head up, curiously poking Acnologia's cheek with his pointer finger when he made no move to throw Natsu off or more likely, through another wall.

Natsu blew out a breath he didn't know he was holding and rolled off of Acnologia's lifeless form, taking a moment to pry his father's sword from Acnologia's cold, dead fingers. "I'll be taking this."

"You alright, Lucy?" Natsu called out, cringing when he tried to turn his head to look for her.

When he got no response, Natsu practically crawled to her side to check her pulse, nearly shouting in joy when he felt the faint beating of Lucy's heart against his fingertips. He couldn't help but marvel at how badass she truly was. She had pretty much taken out the world's deadliest pirate single-handedly.

He smiled fondly down at her before collapsing right beside her, flopping onto his back as he lost consciousness again, which is exactly where Erza and Gajeel found the duo not a half hour later.

"Is this going to be a recurring thing?" Erza sighed, dragging her tired body up to them. With a pained grunt, she bent down to swoop Lucy up in her arms, once again bridal style.

"Them sleeping together? Gihi, probably." Gajeel snickered, hoisting Natsu up and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes with an ease Erza was finding herself jealous of.

She secretly wondered if while everyone else was fighting for their lives, Gajeel was just in some empty room fantasizing about his wife. With that sleazy comment, she was even more convinced he was.

"Get your mind out from the gutter! That is not what I meant." Erza blushed profusely, ruthlessly kicking Gajeel in the shin as she walked past him and out the door.

Gajeel scowled, using his free hand to run a soothing hand over the throbbing spot on his lower leg. "Ya damn prude."