I do not own Fairy Tail nor One Piece. They belong to the great Eichiro Oda and Hiro Mashima.


Coby and Mirajane waited in uneasy silence in the lobby of the Pickerel clinic. Although they had managed to retrieve the anti-venom, the poison from the barbs that had struck Gildarts during his tussle in the swamp with the Murklurker Catfish was still a threat, and he had yet to stabilize.

Coby grit his teeth. For some reason or other, he had been able to know, or feel, when the catfish was about to strike. Though it was now very dead and currently being analyzed scientifically, the memory bugged him. It was odd, and a similar memory from his fight with Youbara kept bugging him...

Coby landed, only to have to jump away to avoid an incoming thorn root. He landed on the ground in a heap, when suddenly, he saw himself being crushed by another thorn root within his mind...

The same thing had happened, though more recently it had been accompanied with a tingle in the back of his head. What could it be? Was he developing some sort of magic? And why hadn't he been able to sense the other catfish that struck Gildarts? If it was the same Murklurker that had been punched into a tree, then it had attacked out of revenge. So why hadn't he sensed that one?

"Hey Mira?" The goth turned towards him, a frown on her face and her arms crossed.

"What?"

"Is it possible that I...umm…might be a mage?"

Mirajane's eyebrow quirked.

"Why?"

"Well…I was just curious. How do you become a mage anyway?"

"You don't become one, you are a mage when you are born. You don't gain magic at all if you're a non-magical person."

"Oh, I see…well, is it possible that I might have some sort of odd ability?"

"What are you talking about, idiot?"

"Well, it happened twice, once back in Zakuro and here in Pickerel. I could have sworn that…" He paused, trying to choose the right words.

"That what? Spill the beans, dummy."

"That I could see into the future…"

There was another silence.

Then Mirajane started to laugh. Coby frowned.

"I'm serious! It's what helped me avoid that root from crushing me and it's what helped me find that fish that they're using to make the anti-venom!" Mirajane placed a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter.

"Oh man...precognition magic…good one…as if magic like that is real. And you yourself said when we first met that your Rokushiki is not magic, but martial arts. Is this 'future sight'..." she put air quotes around the words "...some sort of Rokushiki skill?"

Coby shook his head.

"Then there you have it. Back in Zakuro you dodged because it was logical, and this time you probably saw a small bubble rising up and got a lucky guess. Not everyone here in Earthland is a mage, only about ten percent of the population. And since your world apparently is filled with evil broccoli and crap law enforcement instead of mages, no, you don't have magic."

"Hey! The Marines have been overwhelmed! Did you know that one in every six males becomes a pirate by the age of nineteen? And despite only having one continent we still have a large population!" The marine defended his world passionately. Mirajane shrugged.

"Geez, touchy. And you why do you care anyway? You've given up on finding a way back, right?"

Coby looked away, downcast.

"I know, but…" Thoughts rose up in his mind of his smiling parents, the always-smirking Helmeppo, the guffawing Garp…

The smiling and laughing Luffy…

"I still miss them…I miss my friends…my old comrades." He turned towards Mirajane, actually angry. "I miss my parents! Is that so wrong for a 14-year-old boy! Huh!" His outburst caused some heads to turn. Coby quickly checked his breathing and stopped the tears that threatened to pour out of his eyes.

"If it's a case of homesickness then I can understand, but in some cases…" Mirajane sat down on a bench and clasped her hands, looking down. "It's better to just let go and keep the memories of what you cherished with them…"

Coby was about to retort until he saw the Take Over mage's face, one of pure understanding, despite her small frown.

"You lost your parents too, huh?"

She nodded. "They were taken away from me, like how you were taken away from them. I would rather not talk about it…"

Coby nodded and sat down.

"Sorry for yelling. Boyfriends aren't supposed to yell at their loved ones right?" Mirajane now blushed and looked towards him.

"Well-uh-umm you see as…what?"

"Girlfriends are the loved ones of boyfriends, right? That means you are one to me." Mirajane stood solid as a statue, her face red, touched by what the marine had said. She turned her face away to avoid embarrassment and huffed.

"Well…um…some guys gotta blow some steam right! I mean, I do that too, I admit that! You've been really quiet and have been bottling all that up! It's not healthy you know…" She closed her eyes. "Idiot…" Now she felt a weight on her right side. It was Coby, leaning on her.

"How do Elfman and Lisanna handle it…not having parents I mean," he said quietly. There was a change in the mood immediately.

"Lisanna was too young to remember. I just tell her that mom and dad left us…and Elfman does cry at night sometimes…"

She felt a hand on her left shoulder.

"I guess you guys got off easy…you have siblings…and you know what happened to your parents…as for me, an only child…" The marine's eyes tingled a little as he felt a hand upon his clenched fist in his lap.

"If you want, even after this relationship ends between us…me, Elfman, and Lisanna too, we can help you. You're not alone."

Coby closed his eyes and smiled ruefully.

"It's not just that. I will be labeled as MIA, and my parents won't know what happened me. Just disappeared at sea…all thanks to that man…" Rue and sadness was replaced by bitter anger, aimed at the sound of a 'Zehahahaha!' resounding within his mind as his hands clenched even tighter.

"Hey, Coby…" The marine turned and saw a male nurse walking in their direction. They stood up.

"How is he?" asked Mirajane. The head nurse looked at his clipboard.

"Well, Mr. Clive has some venom antibodies in his system to repel some of the poison at first, and with our anti-venom injected, he should be up and walking just fine in a few days." The two teenagers gave sighs of immense relief.

"However, he needs to stay in bed and let the anti-venom do it's job. The more he moves, the less potent the anti-venom would be." Coby nodded in understanding.

"Can we see him?"

The nurse shook his head.

"He's still asleep, but when he was awake when we were injecting the anti-venom he told us to tell you to continue the hunt." Coby and Mirajane blinked and the former gulped.

"Alright…we understand. Thank you very much for helping our friend." Coby bowed, as did the nurse, and he left to go about his business.

"So…we'll need to hunt more of those things…on our own…without Gildarts' help," said the marine.

"We could just wait for him to get back on his feet if you want," offered Mirajane. Coby shook his head and walked outside, his girlfriend following close behind.

"Look at them." He pointed his hand towards the townspeople, who seemed scared and worried as dark clouds started to gather.

"The people here are scared out of their wits. At least we were able to give them the anti-venom." He turned, seeing another group of people carrying an ailing person. He could see his shirt stained bloody red and heard the anguished screams.

"They ate him! Those monsters ate Smith! They ripped him to shreds!" He howled as the people carried him to the hospital. Mirajane was wide eyed, and Coby solemn.

"But anti-venom can only do so much. And there have already been quite a number of deaths at the hands of those monsters. We need to give this town the justice it deserves, and we can only do that by hunting down every last one of them down." Mirajane nodded in agreement.

"You know…if I was guessing, you're treating those catfish like pirates aren't you?" Coby turned, his face dark as he remembered his many clashes with pirates during his short career as a marine.

"These beasts can identify faces, can possibly coordinate strategy, survive by killing others, and are capable of painful agonizing death…if they were humans I would have no qualms with them being gunned down, beheaded, or hunted like mangy dogs." Mirajane stood silently, her face in shock at her boyfriend's dark words. For some odd reason or other, she didn't know whether to be grateful to be born in Earthland, devoid of pirates. Or whether she should be slightly afraid of the boy…no…young man standing in front of her.

And then his stomach growled.

"I'm hungry…"

Mirajane growled in annoyance, hitting the boy on the head.

"Give me some warning you mood-changing dolt! Geez…" Coby rubbed the back of his head.

"Can we go get shrimp?"

"What's with you and shrimp? Don't tell me you're not sick of them after eating that much back in Zakuro?"

"No. I like shrimp."

"Geez...your gut has a one-track mind. But I got no other idea where I wanna eat so I guess it's seafood tonight." The pink-haired boy smiled.

"Awesome! I wonder if they got jambalaya, or Cajun, or deep friend, or sautéed or grilled?" The marine headed off down the road, the silver haired girl right by his side.

'You know…for someone who seems like an idiot, you've been through quite a bit. Like the rest of us back in Fairy Tail.' Mirajane mused on her companion, who was sounding off different types of shrimp, mentioning bacon-wrapped multiple times.

'I can see why Master invited you into Fairy Tail. It wasn't just your abilities. Maybe it was your drive for justice while at the same time being kind, all while having a rough upbringing, being a child soldier and all…'

"And barbeque slathered shrimp and cheese fondue shrimp and-"

'I think, even if you are not a magical person...' Mirajane now smiled. 'You'll fit in with the rest of us at Fairy Tail just fine.'

"Amd lettuce wrapped shrimp and Habanero shrimp and-"

'After all, that stripper brat Gray did say one time that a Guild is not just a group of magical people, it's a - did he just say Habanero?'

"You're serious, right?" she said aloud.

Coby turned towards Mirajane in confusion.

"Habaneros are some of the spiciest things on the earth! How can you like them?"

"It's still shrimp. What's wrong with that?"

"Habaneros are 40 times hotter than a jalapeno! Even Natsu can't stand a Habanero and he loves spicy food! Hell he even downs Tabasco alone, like, chugs it in the bottle!"

The marine's eyes went up.

"Wow…" Then he smiled again. "I wonder if he can charbroil and sauté shrimp in Tabasco. Can he?"

"He can't cook to save his life…"

"Well I guess I can then!" He giggled a little, and Mirajane sighed, shaking her head and smiling.

'And while he's still a shrimp obsessed idiot…he's my shrimp obsessed idiot...'


The next day, Coby walked along the makeshift pier that connected Pikerel to the dam. The night before had consisted of him spending nearly a quarter of his wages on a large shrimp supper, with Mirajane just ordering some clam chowder. How a woman could not understand shrimp's versatility, taste, and glory was beyond him.

After dinner they spent the night at the hotel, confident in the doctor's ability to care for Gildarts. When they woke up and had breakfast they visited Gildarts to see how he was holding up. He was doing fine, judging by the funny grin on his face. After some chatting, the auburn haired man told them to stick to the docks and protect the dam workers from the Murklurkers. Other than that, he warned them to be extra cautious dealing with the monsters now that he wasn't around.

'A day has gone by and we've killed two of them. How many more of those things are out there?' thought the marine to himself. The next storm would roll into Pickerel in five to six days. If something wasn't done, there would only be more death...

Coby sat down by the dock's edge, gazing out into the swamp that surrounded the town, and the men working on the dam nearby. He let his feet dangle, swaying to and fro. He knew it was a bad idea, but he was bait after all.

And if he could just get another of those beasts…

"Hey, what are you doing with your legs like that?" asked a familiar voice. Coby turned, seeing Mirajane standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"Being bait."

"Were you not paying attention to what Gildarts said? He said for us to be extremely cautious. If those catfish are as intelligent as he makes them out to be, then they won't fall for the same tricks for very long."

"Yeah, but would they pass up the chance for a meal, who happened to be swaying his legs out like a free example platter? Hunger can overcome logic."

Mirajane shrugged.

"I talked to Gildarts again. He wants us to get on a boat and patrol around the dam. There might be another attack today."

Coby nodded. "Sure thing Mira-" Suddenly from within his mind, he felt that tingle again, and saw a massive splash right below him, and a maw of sharp teeth…

"GEPPOU!" Coby jumped the air in an instant, flying over a dozen meters, right before that very same splash happened and a Murklurker's head exploded out of the water, jaws snapping at where the marine's legs had previously been.

"Rankyaku: Ran!" Coby's legs blurred as a flurry of air blades soared into the dock ledge and the water. The Murklurker fell back into the water and swam away fast, avoiding the blue air blades. Coby fell back on the dock, but a sharp pain lanced through his legs and he staggered and fell to a knee. He clutched his legs, taking deep, heavy breaths.

Everything had happened so fast, it took Mirajane a moment to calculate what exactly had actually happened.

"Coby are you okay?" She rushed over and helped him up.

"I'll live…" he groaned. Instinct had reacted faster than logic and used two of his most draining Rokushiki techniques. He didn't even leap that high back in Zakuro, so his leg muscles were developing, but still, to be this weak after a Geppou and a Rankyaku: Ran meant he needed to continue training.

"Did I get him?" panted the marine. Mirajane inspected the water.

"I don't see any carcasses…he must have gotten away." Coby bit his lip. He had never allowed pirates to escape his grasp back in his world, and he didn't plan on breaking his record just because he was in a new world. The cultists had only gotten away because he hadn't cared about them, and Youbara had gotten his just desserts.

But for one of those monsters to get away…he felt frustrated, and slammed his fast onto the wooden floor beside him. It broke straight through, causing Mirajane to jump.

"Can you fight them while I row?" asked the marine. Mirajane recovered her composure.

"Yeah…but what about you? Shouldn't you like, rest?"

"That one will be back to prey on the workers. If you can kill them while I row, we can protect them."

Mirajane nodded, but deep down she was nervous. Gilarts was incapacitated for the moment and Coby was worn out after nearly getting mauled by the Murklurker. Now it fell to her, and her alone to defend against the massive predator catfish.

She shook her head. 'Get a grip Mira! You're a candidate for the S-Class mage trials! You can do this! After all, you'll be doing jobs like this in the future!'

"But if you stay on the boat, you'll be an easy target for them. You saw how one of those things got Gildarts off the boat," said the Take Over mage.

"I said I'll be fine! Now…" He slowly got up, limping painfully towards a nearby dingy. "Let's go fishing then, shall we?" Mirajane bit her lower lip but nodded, trotting behind her boyfriend and helping him onto the boat. Coby grabbed the oars and rowed towards the dam, Mirajane sitting across from him.

"Are you sure that-"

"I'll be okay!" snapped Coby.

"If it's because you let that thing get away, relax. We'll find it and kill it eventually. You gotta keep a clear head."

Coby stared down at the bottom of the boat, remembering an old quote from one of his Marine instructors.

"It's always exemplary to be passionate in combat, but it's an acme to keep a cool head while in the most heated battle."

Coby let loose a deep sigh. "Sorry…I've never let evil pirates escape me. That monster getting away from me was a first and I got frustrated."

"It's fine. How did you know that the Murklurker was coming?"

"It happened again…that future sight happened again." The goth's eyes rose up.

"That can't be, though. There has been no record of magic that gives precognition, especially to a non-magical person. Mind reading magic I've heard of, but future sight? There's no way."

"I'm telling you it's true! I sensed that Murklurker coming and-" And he sensed it again, another tingle and saw massive splash behind him…

"It's behind me!" He ducked as Mirajane's hands morphed into animalistic claws, crackling with blue electricity. Right on cue, there was a massive splash, and a Murklurker jumped out of the water, maw opened wide.

"Evil Spark!" Her hardened devil claws collided with the fish, causing it flail helplessly before the blue lightning exploded, sending the massive fish several meters before landing on another boat nearby. The construction workers gasped in awe.

"Believe me now!" yelled Coby, his head still tucked between his knees. They could hear the fish's guttural roars of pain as it flailed about on the small boat. "Finish it Mira!" Mirajane nodded dumbly and completed her Take Over of Satan Soul, her reptilian claws glowing purple, a dark energy ball forming.

"Take this!" she yelled and fired at the boat, causing it to explode. The workers and the townspeople who seemed to have taken notice cheered loudly when they saw several pieces of the Murklurker rise up, the brown water mixing with the red blood.

"Okay then…" sighed Mirajane as she reverted back to her normal form, her hair flowing around her shoulders, released from the ponytail by the explosion. "I guess you do have precognition…" She turned towards her boyfriend as he rowed back to the dock, where a cheering group of townspeople awaited them.

"Thank you so much!"

"You totally blew that monster to bits! Literally!"

"Fairy Tail mages are the best!"

The moment they got on land they were hoisted up in the air to be carried on the townspeople's shoulders.

"I'm buying you a drink! Nice call guessing where that fish came from!" said the lanky mustuached man on hoisting Coby up on his right shoulder.

"I'll give you free bread for a month!"

"Hey, let us down! Don't peek into my skirt!" hollered Mirajane, trying to push her skirt down as Coby laughed heartily. The silver haired girl blushed instantly.

"Quit laughing! This isn't funny!" barked the goth.

"Well you're the one who killed that Murklurker. Now that there's a corpse lying around by the dam, the others will stay away due to the scent." The marine grinned in a congratulatory fashion. Mirajane scowled and huffed.

"Whatever I guess…"

"Drinks on me for these two heroes!"

"Damn right!"

"Me too!"

Coby paled, his very slim memories of him sprawled on the Fairy Tail guild hall's floor and a smirking Cana holding her shots.

"Drinking…" But he didn't want to make them feel bad and spit on their generosity…

"Oh~ this will be interesting," oiled Mirajane with a sly look in her eye as she gazed at Coby as he bobbed up and down on the crowd's shoulders, wondering what the night would bring.

Soon enough they were entering the nearest tavern. Mirajane got off the crowd's shoulders and followed her boyfriend in, eager to see what would happen.


Gildarts hummed to himself as he flipped through the pages of an issue of Sorcerer Magazine. This particular issue happened to be the swimsuit edition, and provided plenty of entertainment for the bedridden mage. The night had already rolled in and he could hear the crickets and toads singing their symphonies far in the distance.

"My my…that Karen is something else…" he said to himself as he inspected the green-haired woman's picture. The woman, Karen Lilica, was in a one piece posing by the beach, her right index finger touching her mouth and her face all naughty. He was about to turn another page…

Until he heard his door open and turned to see what appeared to be an intoxicated Coby and a tipsy Mirajane totter through into his room.

And then the marine fell face first on the floor with a splat.

"What happened to you two?" chuckled Gildarts. Mirajane staggered over and sat down at the edge of his bed.

"Coby hash shome future shight power-" She hiccupped. "And with his-his-shis help, I killed a catfish and we were…would…have…were rewarded properly…how wash your day…" She fell over, giggling as she did so, finally climbing back up into a kneeling position with her upper body resting on the bed. Gildarts smiled.

"Well, it's good to know that you're helping the boy take his liquor better. How long did he last?"

Mirajane yawned.

"Two 24 ounce mugs and two shots…he still suhucks…" She gave a small burp.

"Ah, he'll learn. Where did you kill it?" Sadly, the only response he got was snores; Mirajane had passed out on his bed. He shook his head and chuckled and continued reading. Before long a young female brunette nurse came in to check on him and saw the two unconscious teenagers.

"I heard about these two. You mages have slain three of those monsters already right?" asked the young nurse.

Gildarts nodded. "It's thanks to those two. I'm letting them come along for the ride."

"Well…I'm glad you got their numbers down by a quarter." Gildarts' eyes rose.

"A quarter? You mean there are…" he counted the math in his head. "Nine more of these things? Including the mother? How do you know?"

"My father was a ranger who patrolled the forests near where the Murklurkers originally dwelled. He kept careful track of how many there were at all times. When the floods came, he was one of the first victims…" She placed a blanket over both Coby and Mirajane and walked towards the door.

"Don't worry. We'll kill those things before the storm rolls in. Count on it, Miss." The nurse stopped at the door and turned her head, smiling even though her blue eyes were tearing up.

"Thank you…Fairy Tail mages…" She left, turning off the light, leaving Gildarts alone as he tucked into bed and went to sleep.


Well there you have it. I was thinking of ending it here, but decided against it. After all this is an S-class job so I would write more chapters for it. The Next one will be the conclusion and then I may or may not get on with the S-class trials.

And suffice to say, CMM is now my most popular fanfic with 11.3k words, 93 reviews, accepted into 6 communities, 60 favs, and 55 alerts! Thank you all so much!

And I may have decided on my pairing and what the future may hold post timeskip (canon FT) but I ain't telling no one except my idea rebounder (you know who you are…) but I am not sure and may change it up.

Big thanks to Artful Lounger for the concept of the Murklurker Catfish, and thanks to Juubi-K/1 over 0 for editing this chapter.