"I've never seen flames on the surface of a lake." Natsu stated, watching the flames dance above the water. "Do you believe that this water contains a flammable product?"

" If that was the case, the flames would be much more impressive. " Retorted Gajeel.

"Hey, Luffy! Do you really want to cross that lake?" Usopp questioned. "At a glance, it's at least a good mile wide."

" Since there are flames, the water must be boiling in places. " Zoro remarked. "And it must also be frozen since there are icebergs! In this case, logically, the water must be lukewarm."

"There's no logic to that." Retorted Lucy and Usopp, punching him in the head.

"Besides, you forget that neither I nor Luffy can swim because of our Devil Fruits." Robin remarked.

"It's true you told us about that earlier." Lily remarked. "Your powers have some pretty pesky weak points."

" For that, it's simple. " Luffy assured, with a big smile. " All you have to do is carry us on your back. "

"NO WAY." Cried Lucy and Usopp. "Why would we do that? Honestly, who would be crazy enough to swim in this lake, while carrying you on our backs?"

They fell silent when they saw Zoro and Gajeel starting to stretch.

"With this heat, nothing beats a good swim to reinvigorate yourself a little."

" ARE YOU CRAZY ? "

"Then we have no choice, Lily." Happy began. " We're going … "

A projectile was suddenly fired.

"HISATSU MIDORI BOSHI! USHIWA SU!"

Exploding upon hitting the ground, the projectile sprouted a plant whose stems and leaves looked a lot like paddles.

" But that … ? "

"BOATY BANANA!" Usopp continued, firing two more projectiles.

This time, two boat-shaped bananas appeared on the surface of the water.

"Amazing." Lucy said. "How did you do that?"

"Those are some of my Greens Pops." Usopp explained to her. "These are seeds of generally carnivorous plants, which have multiple uses."

Seeing Luffy jump into one of the boats without sinking it, Erza asks the sniper.

"In that case, why did it take so long to offer us this solution?"

"If the lake only contained icebergs, I would have told you about it a long time ago." Usopp assured. "Nevertheless, these boats are as sensitive to fire as dead leaves." At the slightest touch with these flames, they could burn them in seconds! They should therefore be handled with caution. "

Just at the sight of the boats floating on the water, Natsu suddenly felt nauseous.

"A problem?" Asked Robin.

" No, it's nothing! Natsu just has car sickness, just like Gajeel. " Happy informed her. " For this reason, … "

Wings suddenly appeared on his back and allowed him to fly.

"I think I'm going to have to take him to the other side myself."

"He can fly." Luffy marveled, leaving the boat to run below Happy. "Wait! Fly me! Fly me!"

"Hey ! No." Natsu retorted, pushing him away. "No question that I leave you my place during this crossing. "

"Don't be stingy! I carried you on my back earlier."

"No way am I getting on that boat! Just looking at it, I…"

Taken again by nausea, he ends up affirming.

"Once across the lake, Happy will fly you as long as you want! Deal?"

" Deal ! " Affirma Luffy.

"Hey! You could at least ask my opinion." Happy remarked.

"So since that cat flies, I bet…" Zoro began, looking at Lily.

Already carrying Gajeel, Lily began flapping his wings to get him to take off.

"We're Exceeds." He told him. "Magical creatures able to fly and speak with humans."

"Where can I find more?" Luffy asked, with stars in his eyes.

Knowing what he was thinking, Usopp immediately retorted.

"No question of capturing one to be part of the crew! We already have a reindeer and a skeleton."

While Zoro and Erza boarded one of the boats, Lucy preferred to follow Usopp in the second boat, thinking that his caution would allow them to reach the shore without problem. However, as Robin joined the other boat, Luffy nearly jumped between the pair, nearly capsizing them.

" LET'S GO ! "

He immediately received a double blow to the skull.

"Shut up and be still."

And while they started rowing, the pirates were overflown by Natsu and Gajeel, who could examine the island from the height where they were.

"It's inexplicable." Gajeel affirmed. "I still don't understand how this island can have such a climate."

"Hey, did you see the shape of the lake?" Natsu questioned. "It's perfectly spherical."

Indeed, apart from the two strange lines that started at the ends of the lake to go to the sea, the lake was a huge perfectly symmetrical circle.

"Can we say that's normal?" Asked Happy.

"I highly doubt it." Lily affirmed. "This lake may have been artificially created by humans."

Suddenly, a violent gust of wind pushed back the two exceeds.

"Tsss, damn wind." Gajeel growled.

"There's too big of a temperature difference between these two parts of the island." Lily told him. "It creates strong gales."

Meanwhile, Usopp and Lucy had each taken an oar and tin trying to get their boat moving as best they could. Plunging a paddle into the water, Lucy couldn't help but wince, feeling droplets hit her arm.

"HIIIIII! The water is boiling."

" Glad we didn't have the bad idea to swim. " Usopp affirmed.

"The others are really crazy."

"That, you said."

"Hey, the boat isn't moving fast." Luffy remarked.

"You just have to help us." The other two retorted, turning to him.

Suddenly, they froze, before starting to scream in fear, seeing a mass flying towards them.

"What?" Luffy said, turning around.

It was then that he could see a huge boulder hurtling towards them, ready to sink them.

" That … ? "

" IRON DRAGON'S CLUB ! "

Transformed into a metal pillar, Gajeel's arm hit the rock and his strength was enough to disintegrate it.

"Grrr! Damn monster." He blurted, looking at the shore he had just left.

There, the group could see Leoppo watching them go.

"Hey, centaur." Luffy called him. "Have you decided to join the crew?"

"Because you were recruiting him?" Zoro got angry, on the other boat.

" If you don't want to, you can still be part of Fairy Tail. " Natsu affirmed.

"No way." Lucy retorted.

Suddenly, Leoppo put the tip of a huge horn in his mouth and blew into it, creating a sound that could be heard for miles around.

"A fog horn?" Robin wondered.

"He's probably calling for reinforcements, who are on the other side of the shore." Erza remarked.

"Damn it, we're only halfway there." Zoro growled, barely passing the first iceberg.

"BOSS!" Leoppo shouted. "The intruders are coming towards you."

"Boss?" Happy wondered. "Does he mean the master of this island?"

"So that means Kaido is on the other side." Natsu asserted.

"THEY HAVE TO BE FINISHED." Leoppo continued.

"Damn it, but will he shut up?" Lily wanted to know.

Suddenly sniffing the air, Gajeel directed his gaze towards the ice island before affirming.

"There's more coming."

" Where ? "

Suddenly, the sound of a bazooka was heard and, the next second, an explosion hit Natsu. Losing his bearings, Happy felt himself thrown backwards and both ended up falling in the water.

"NATSU!" Erza and Lucy shouted.

"There are shadows on the other side of the island." Robin remarked suddenly.

Indeed, more than thirty silhouettes were now visible and seemed to be waiting for them, on the edge of the shore. First hidden by the blizzard that was falling on them, a gust of wind chased the snow and allowed the small group to see them. All of them, without exception, were centaurs.

"What… other centaurs?" Usopp wondered.

Popping his head out of the water, Natsu began to shiver as his body cooled in seconds.

"The water is frozen."

"Natsu! Take my hand." Robin advised, reaching out her arm.

Immediately grabbing Happy's body which was lying on the surface, imprisoned in a block of ice, Natsu was quick to swim towards the boat and get on it. However, once on it, he felt nauseous and felt like vomiting while his teeth chattered.

"He really hates transportation." Zoro remarked, comparing him to Luffy every time he fell in the water.

"There… There's a giant." Lucy cried.

Emerging in turn from the mist, a centaur, at least ten times more imposing than the others, could be seen. Holding a saber in one hand and a bazooka in the other, he was chuckling as he asserted.

"Here is a flying enemy that will no longer be a threat to us."

"Is he the boss?" Lily wanted to know.

"Hey, green-haired man." The boss suddenly shouted.

" Huh? " Zoro said, realizing he was talking to him.

"I see three sabers on you! Aren't you the samurai who cut down my men?"

"Huh?" the man repeated.

"Because if that's the case, I'll kill you just like your friends." The monster assured, pointing his weapon at them.

"The door is ahead, keep running." Grey ordered, as him and the rest of the group still tried to leave the Biscuit Room.

" Hey, we're not under your orders. " Sanji affirmed.

"Don't answer Grey-sama." Juvia ordered him.

" YEAH, Juvia-san. " Sanji said, with hearts in his eyes.

"SHUT UP!" Nami ordered him.

"There's more to it." Carla affirmed, looking around. "Can any of you explain to me why these children are running, too?"

"No idea! But they're putting themselves in danger." Wendy remarked. "If these men start shooting at us, they could be hit."

"Ai…Help us, sir robot." Sind pleaded.

"Huh?" The cyborg wondered, looking at the blond giant.

"Do you have a boat?"

" Of course why ? "

"Help us out of here." Sind implored.

"What…what do you mean?" Nami questioned him.

"We want to get out of here." Another child pleaded.

" That … ? " Said Grey.

"Don't leave us here." A little girl sobbed.

"What's up with them?" Carla wanted to know.

"It's a nursery here though." Chopper remarked.

"No, there must be something else." Wendy affirmed. "Maybe they're here against their will."

"It must be." Sanji nodded. "These guys in coveralls have kidnapped us and are running around with guns! There's something off here."

Running at the back of the group, Nami finally hears a child pleading with her.

"Miss, please! Save us!"

"Please." cried other children.

Stopping then, she asked them.

"Why? What's wrong with this place?"

" We don't have time to discuss Nami. " Sanji retorted.

"But…if they ask us, we can't leave them here." Wendy retorted, stopping herself.

"How do you expect us to save them when we don't even know where we are and if we can leave this place?" Grey retorted.

"We're not sick anymore." Mocha stated suddenly, starting to cry. "Yet they force us to stay here."

"Sick?" Chopper repeated.

"Children, step back." One of the men in coveralls ordered them, running towards them. "They are dangerous people."

Seeing them advancing towards them, Grey began to curse, before putting his hand on the ground.

" ICE MAKE : FLOOR ! "

Suddenly part of the ground froze and the ice moved so that it was under the feet of the pursuers. Putting their foot on it, they felt unbalanced and fell to the ground.

"LET'S GO!" He ordered.

"But…the kids…" Chopper began.

"I want to go home." A boy shouted, making them stay put.

"I want to see my daddy and my mommy again." Begged a girl.

"Let us come." The children shouted, starting to surround them.

"Stand back!" Juvia ordered.

"If these people are hurting them, we have to take them with us." Wendy insisted.

"And what will we do if we come across an ambush?" Carla questioned her. "To take them with us is to put them in danger."

"Maybe but…" Franky began, seeing them all sobbing.

"Let's go!" Grey interrupted, starting to run again, taking Wendy's hand.

Seeing him do so, the others hesitated for a few moments, before finally starting to leave the room.

"Please." Mocha insisted, seeing them leave. "If you leave... do you promise to come back to save us?"

This time, Nami stopped and stared at the children who continued to beg them.

"There's no one on this island, right? No town! No house! That's why no one came to get us, right? Me, what I want is just seeing my dad and mom again! Please don't leave us alone."

Stopping in turn, Gray finally couldn't move forward, hearing the children asking for their help.

"Grey-sama?" Juvia wondered, seeing him stop.

Clenching his fists, he finally mutters.

"I don't know what's going on here! But if these children are in danger by staying here and we decide to abandon them, then it will be like outrage for Fairy Tail."

"He's right." Nami affirmed. "If those kids are asking us to save them, sobbing, there's a good reason! Sanji, we can't leave them here."

"What are you talking about? We don't know anything about them! If it is, they are really sick and this place is a kind of hospital! Who knows if this disease is contagious and that they have been separated from their families so as not to infect anyone else."

"That would be true." Carla agreed. "Nevertheless, why would there only be children affected by this disease, in this case?"

" Sick adults may very well be in another room. " The cook retorted.

"These men have guns." Wendy remarked, looking at the men in coveralls. "They wouldn't have one if it was just a hospital! You said yourself that this island was half covered in flames and ice! Seriously, would this be the best place to treat them?"

"Besides… who could turn their backs on crying children?" Nami wanted to know. "Me, in any case, I can't."

At that moment, a bullet passed close to his ear and pierced his hair, before stopping its course, perforating a wall. Screaming in fear, the children turned to see one of the men in coveralls aiming at the young woman.

"Damn! Failed!"

"Idiot!" Someone shouted. "If you had touched one of the children the master would have been furious."

"Too bad if we hurt one of them! What matters..."

Pointing his gun at the group of pirates and mages, he finished.

"It's not to let any pirates go from here."

Attempting to fire a second time, he eventually saw a ball of fire hurtling towards him before Sanji's face found itself against his gas mask. With a look showing only anger, he asked her.

"What did you just try to do?"

" What … ? "

" DIABLO LEG: STRIKE COLLAR!"

Kicked to the base of his neck, the marksman felt the heat of the kick, through his suit, as his vertebrae cracked under the powerful attack. His own feet leaving the ground, he couldn't do anything when he was thrown backwards and crashed violently against the back wall, completely crossing it.

"In…Incredible." Wendy said, remembering that he didn't have any particular powers.

"He didn't use any magic." Juvia remarked. "Yet his kick had a force beyond comprehension."

"This guy… is very strong." Kin'emon confessed, who had been put on the ground.

"Shoot him." A man ordered, pointing his gun at Sanji.

" ICE MAKE: ICE CANNON! " He heard.

Hit by a huge projectile of ice, the man felt himself thrown against two of his comrades while he had the feeling that his body had become an ice cube.

" Gotcha ! " Ricana Grey.

"Who is this guy?" Someone wanted to know. "Is he part of Mugiwara's crew?"

"I'm looking for your master." Gray barked. "Tell me where Kaido is."

"Kai… Kaido?" The men in jumpsuits wondered. " What is he talking about ? "

"We don't care." Someone shouted, shooting Grey.

Standing still, Grey only stared at the ball before it was parried by a column of water.

"Hands off Grey-sama." Juvia ordered. " WATER LOCK! "

Immediately, the shooter found himself locked in a huge bubble filled with water where the walls prevented him from fleeing.

"Who are these monsters?"

Wanting, too, to be part of the game, Chopper transformed before rushing towards the remaining men.

" KUNG FU POINT ! "

Then, one by one, he hit each of the men, pirouetting to dodge their pitiful attacks.

" STRONG HAMMER! " Franky shouted, dislocating his fist before throwing it in the direction of a guard.

Taking him in the middle of the abdomen, he had almost the same treatment as the one Sanji had beaten: embed in a wall.

" Damn, these guys are, not human. " One guy thought, as he walked around the group, passing some big toys.

Eventually finding himself behind the children, he began to target one of them to take him hostage and prevent the pirates from doing more damage. But no sooner did he come out of his hiding place than he saw Wendy's silhouette, flying over him thanks to Carla.

"No way am I letting you hurt those kids." She asserted. " SKY DRAGON'S ROAR! "

And as she released a tornado of wind, the man was crushed to the ground, under the impact.

"WOW, impressive." A child asserted.

"They are too strong."

Knocking out the last man, Sanji was about to command a run, when he saw other guards running towards them.

" They are there. "

"Catch them."

"Damn it! It happens again! Chopper, go with Nami and protect her and the children."

"You too, Wendy." Gray ordered, suddenly pulling off his top to go shirtless. "Juvia and I are going to clean this place up."

"Yes, count on me, Grey-sama." Juvia assured.

" You speak, you will only be too many! Sanji asserted, to the ice cream man.

"Huh?" Gray said. "Be careful what you say, eyebrow bent."

"What did you call me, exhibitionist?"

"Sanji, the enemies are coming." Franky reminded him, with a drop in the back of his head.

"Kids, let's go." Chopper ordered.

"Yes." They shouted as they followed him out of the room.

"Sanji, Franky! We'll let you handle that." Nami affirmed.

"Don't do anything reckless." Wendy advised her comrades.

"Of course." Grey assured. " After all … "

"We're going to slaughter these guys." The four of them assured.