I know it's been a long time. But I was in a limbo. Thank you all for checking up on me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 10: Strongest Under the Heavens

"Oi, is that a navy ship headed our way?" A crew of the great Whitebeard pirates murmured to himself. There was no way the World Government was picking a fight with them. He jumped down the crow's nest of the Moby Dick and ran fast to his commander. "Thatch." The pirate called. One of Whitebeard's most trusted men, Commander Thatch, was leaning over the rail on the port side near the stern of the ship overlooking the serene green forest of the island where the mighty ship was docked.

"Yea?"

"There's a navy ship coming this way from the northeast."

Thatch stood up, not at all stressed and calmly went over the Ship's stern and took his spyglass to look at the open sea and there it was the navy vessel, with all its main sails on and in purposeful motion. And at the bow of the ship stood a lone marine with his hands folded and his face dipped a little, his face revealing nothing but danger. His white coat flailed in the wind, but the marine stood like a rock. And above him, the main sail read SALAMANDER.

"Ah damn…" Thatch sighed. He knew their little peaceful stay was about to be cut short. He turned to look at his junior comrade. "Go tell Marco we might have some trouble; he should be with pops. I'll find Jozu and try to deal with this."

"Right!" The pirate ran.

"Oi!" Thatch called, but the pirate was already gone from earshot. "Could have just used a snail dumbass…" He shook his head. A frown then took over his visage as he looked back in the direction the enemy ship was coming from. "Something tells me you are going to ruin our afternoon."

Natsu knew the enemy was aware of his arrival. He was amazed by the gigantic pirate vessel docked on the island, and he would be lying if the thought of sinking it didn't excite him. His unnatural sight gave him a chance to see the jolly roger flying high with a grin and a long pointy moustache. That grin won't be there for long.

"Listen up!" He called his men. "I'll lead the attack!" He heard cheers from his men. "You guys follow Stuffenberg! We are going to flog these fuckers!"

"AYE!"

"Today we are going to show them-" He took a deep breath. "Touch one of us, they be sure they are ready to fight all of us!"

Without another word, the Dragon Slayer launched from the ship and took off into the sky and above the clouds where his fire engulfed him and propelled him towards Moby Dick. His flames morphed to form an outline of a Dragon which gave a shadow of one from those who looked up. Soon he was right above the Whitebeard's ship, he dipped and came down vertically like a dragon ready to swallow the vessel.

From the depths of the island's greenery a blue glint caught his eyes and before he could react a phoenix engulfed in blue flames kicked him off the collision course with the ship and into the sea. Natsu gritted his teeth as he blasted the water that was getting close to him with a torrent of fire and propelled himself to the land. But just as he was going to touch down, he was greeted by a large bulky man with a grin on his face as he covered his arm in haki and prepared to punch him back. Natsu pulled back his head and fire spilt from the side of his lips before straightening his head and unleashing a torrent of dragon fire against the man, engulfing him in seconds.

Another glint caught his eyes. Where the large man took the roar point-blank, now stood a diamond statue with a cocky grin. Natsu's eyes narrowed, and his fist caught fire, and he slammed it on the diamond statue's right cheek. With a shockwave, the statue flew to the side, skipping through the land and crashing into the forest. Natsu landed on the crater he created from the blow and before he could check the surroundings, the blue phoenix once again appeared behind his head readying to decapitate him.

Natsu's leg lit up in flames and with a blast propelled into a spin kick, blocking the phoenix talon with his fire dragon's talon. Electric sparks flew between them as they both struggled to overpower the other. Or at least that was what one of them thought. The phoenix's eyes widened when he saw the sudden gin on the Marine who in a brilliant blaze caused an explosive fire ring around him that sent the bird flying to the side. He ducked his head to avoid another slash of haki-infused blades, this time a bunch of claws and a fat man attached to its other end.

"Zi ha ha ha!" Teach laughed at the Marine as he manoeuvred his body around to attack him again which was strange from how the man looked. Natsu pulled his head back as the pirate brought down the claws which took out a few strands of hair. "Tryna getta free haircut are ya?" The man laughed as he rushed in again, this time with the phoenix backing him. "Well, Teach is gonna cutcha whole head! Zi ha ha ha!" Natsu stepped back to dodge the strikes as he was put on the defensive by the skilled fighters. Finally, he found his gap when Marco had to step out of the way so as not to burn Teach, leaving the fat pirate's belly open. Natsu summoned his dragon fire for an iron fist and launched it, causing Teach to yell in surprise only for a shining figure to appear between them. His fire was dispelled and there was a massive explosion that spilt over the diamond statue, the pirate behind him was unharmed.

"Jeez Teach, stop screaming like a little girl!" Jozu's mouth morphed back to taunt his comrade who growled and jumped over Jozu to strike the Dragon Slayer. Jozu looked at Marco and gave a wince. "Marco, that kid-"

"I know." Marco looked back grimly. "He is strong. But I didn't expect him to have an effect on your diamond body."

"That makes two of us, pal. Now let's go take this little fucker down!"

Natsu dodged another slash and gave a devastating blow to the side but Jozu appeared in front to block it and Marco grabbed his arm with his talons and threw him to the side. Natsu rushed back and unleashed a torrent of fiery assault on the three pirates who had now coordinated to attack from multiple fronts while the diamond-bodied pirate used himself as a shield to block. But all of the combatants knew Jozu was struggling to shrug off these attacks that ravaged his virtually invincible body.

BOOM!

He heard the artillery go off from his ship and knew he had to stop being coiled up with the commanders and get the Captain. With a mighty roar, he brought both his fists together. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" The explosion engulfed all of them and blew the pirates away. Amidst the fire, Natsu's instinct kicked in as he felt a powerful presence over his head.

SHING!

Natsu stepped to the side as Whitebeard brought down his blade on him. An edge of the island split and fell into the sea. For a brief moment, both marine and pirate locked eyes. Natsu could see the battle-hardened yellow pupils of the old man which had a dark reddish purple energy circling it.

"Finally decided to stop hiding behind your goons huh?" Natsu's elbow lit up in fire as he launched a fist at the pirate who spun his staff and knocked the powerful blow like it was nothing. Natsu jumped back to avoid a massive fist that cracked the earth it touched and the air around in white cracks.

"Ha a little brat from the navy is causing all this ruckus." Whitebeard snorted as his conqueror's spirt unleashed upon the island.

Natsu jumped at Whitebeard with no intention of dodging the pirate's blade as the strongest man in the world wielded it over his head and brought it down with a white aura surrounding it. Natsu's arms lit up, his sleeves burning away to reveal red tribal tattoos glowing as he brought his fist. The ancient magic of Igneel pumped through his vessels and seeped out as the king's destructive fist met the cataclysmic blade of the man who could end the world with his fist. The pirates and navy who were fighting around them saw a white light engulf the two powerful beings in the middle.

"Captain!"

"Pops!"

"Commodore!"

There were shouts of shock and worry as many fell under the effect of Whitebeard's haki that spilt out. The heavens split in a ring as the white light began to expand into a dome with occasional traces of red fire trying to challenge it.

In the centre of the dome where Natsu and Whitebeard stood locking horns, the Dragon Slayer gritted his teeth as the weight of the great pirate's power began to descend on him physically and mentally. He couldn't see anything in the whiteness of the energy that was unleashed, but he could hear his men's worried cries and the cries of the pirates for their leader.

And amidst all that he heard something else, a laughter coming from right in front of him.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Whitebeard's face came through the white and near him. The old pirate had shortened the distance between them. "You have spirit punk, but you are not there yet…" Whitebeard brought down his other fist that was engulfed by his power. Natsu raised his free hand to block it but felt the devil fruit's power rupture through his being with no resistance.

But he was too stubborn as usual. His feet were engulfed in fire as they acted like a pair of thrusters to keep him from sinking into the ground. The attack reminded him of one of Gildarts blows. It shattered the earth around them completely and tossed the ground like grains. His face began to morph as scales began to appear on both sides of his face and his body.

Whitebeard was nothing but ecstatic at the turn of events as his might that had reached its dusk began to awaken again to prevent this tiny pink-haired gremlin from killing him. He could feel the heat radiating from the boy. He sensed no haki coming off him but pure energy. This was definitely a surprise, but one he couldn't deny he wanted to meet. This was the boy who carried the legendary Garp's legacy, and this was the vision that he believed would be the future of this world. Whitebeard felt the marine's arms withdrawing before a wild gust of red flames pushed him back, dragging his feet as he punched the butt of his staff onto the ground.

He saw the marine's body had undergone a transformation and now he knew he was no longer fighting a man. This boy was a Dragon. "Fire Dragon King's Roar!" Whitebeard saw the wave of destructive fire unleashed by the boy in a titanic roar, and he saw the aura of a red Dragon standing beside him. Releasing his hands from the staff the legendary pirate bent his knees and fell into a horse stance as he raised both his arms and opened his palms. The very air he grabbed cracked, and the atmosphere cracked as he pulled down his arms, His muscles tightened as his fingers dragged the fabrics of creation down with it.

The continent's plates shifted with the power as the world quaked in fear of the terrible power which was Whitebeard. It was the first time the marines saw the world around them be rearranged by the might of a single man as both they and the pirates were tossed around. And amidst the chaos, their commander's fire bent and twisted as it fought against the power of Whitebeard to overpower it. But with a grunt, Edward Newgate fully brought down his palms and the cataclysmic power of the Dragon Slayer shifted around him and demolished the seabed that rose from the depth of the water due to the pirate's power.

Natsu was about to unleash another attack. "You are a hothead, aren't you?" He stopped at the voice of the powerful pirate. "But are you willing to sacrifice everything to defeat me?" Whitebeard looked at him grimly.

Natsu stopped as he heard the sound of pain from his men. His lieutenant was on his last leg, holding his sword for support while all his marines were knocked out or gravely injured, not just from their own fights but from the aftereffects of his and Whitebeard's fight. The island itself was ravaged, his powerful ears could hear the cries of the mute creatures that lived in the green and the islanders who lost their homes. He turned back to look at Whitebeard who held his ground but remained relaxed. In his desire to bring this man to justice, he stepped over the souls of many.

He saw Whitebeard walk over to him. "Has your rage clouded your senses or has the fanaticism to justice blinded your fealty to your fellow man?" He passed by him.

"You massacred a Navy Fleet."

BANG!

"I have done no such thing." Whitebeard slammed his staff on the ground. "Before you make false accusations and jump to conclusions have you sought the truth?!" The pirate did not wait for an answer and left, daring the marine to attack. "Know this boy," He stopped. "If someone hurts my family, I will bring down this world if it means I can protect my family."

Natsu fell to his knees and sat there hunched. He was once again at a crossroads. He remembered Laxus trying to take over the guild. He only saw his vision of Fairy Tail and not what the Guild stood for. The Thunder Dragon was willing to step over his own comrades, and here he was doing the very thing he once stopped. He knew Whitebeard was a strong pirate and his companions were strong too, yet he led his men into a battle that jeopardised their lives. Yes, he was a rambunctious man, but he was also a navy officer. One meant to have a basic discipline. He heard his lieutenant limb towards him.

"Sir, orders."

"We need to help the wounded."

It was the truth. In his anger he placed the blame on someone he wasn't sure did what he accused him of. Natsu looked back at the island that was near to rubble where the pirates were still tending to the injured. He had all of his sailors back on the boat and was already pulling away. He couldn't see Whitebeard, but he knew he was helping his crew from the last he saw him. Lucky for them their escort ship did decide to come back, albeit just to collect their dead bodies but ended up only receiving injured marines.

He walked back to the bridge and looked down on the deck where there were marines still being tended to and there was a bustle of movements. He could see the spirit in many of them broken. That was the effect the conqueror's haki had on many. And he foolishly lead them into battle with someone who was able to go toe to toe with the Navy for decades. He couldn't let this happen. This was unacceptable. Fairy Tail would have never let its spirit be crumbled by anyone. Natsu gritted his teeth and slammed the wooden guard.

"Listen up!" He shouted. The deck fell quiet. "Whitebeard is not the only strong criminal running around there are thousands…" He heard murmurs from his crew. "I know you are hurt; inside and out." He said with his head bowed. "Time and time again we have put everything at sake! No matter how tough our enemies are, we fight for those who can't defend themselves!" He heard a few cheers. "We fight for the comrade beside us!" Their spirits rose with his words. "For those we love!"

"AYE!"

"That's what makes us so strong!" Natsu looked at the injured sailors who leaned on the rails and walls and calmed down. "It's not that I am not scared," HE looked around. "I am terrified, but no matter how I feel, I cannot let go of my responsibility neither can you." He held up a bunch of bounty posters. "My greatest fear is losing you all-" He stopped. "But we can't run away from this." He shook the wanted posters. "And I will ask of you more than any other commander will!" He carried on. "We will capture every no-good man and woman who sail under a jolly roger and those who destroy lives without a care! We will bring all of them to justice! We will create an era where the people can sail these oceans without fear!" The sailors cheered. "Are you with me?!" He roared.

"AYE!" His soldiers roared back.

"Now?!" He continued to get cheers. "And forever?!"

"AYE!"

MARINE HERO SALAMANDER FACES THE WORLD'S STRONGEST!

The news spread over the seas and to make matters worse for the navy, there were pictures and recordings of the fights and the speech the dragon slayer gave his men after were taken by the WENP news agents trailing the emperors for scoops for moments precisely like these.

"It's only been a few weeks, and your brat is causing so much headache!" Sengoku roared at his subordinate through the snail as he slammed his hand over the newspaper which had Natsu blocking Whitebeard's punch using his forearm as a cover. "Do you have any idea what is going to happen? No! What is happening right now because of all of this?"

"..."

"The Emperors are reevaluating that unwritten peace they have with us! The Warlords seem to build up their numbers as they think we could be plotting against them!" Sengoku gritted his teeth. "Do you understand what is at stake here, Garp? We are not prepared to take on this kind of rebellion! The World Government could fall! Millions will die if a war happens."

"Look, I am not his babysitter anymore." Garp's snail face narrowed in seriousness. A rare sight but one only a few had to see and fewer walked away without getting their shit beaten out. "He is a Marine under the Navy, and he is answerable to you. "If you question his decision, there is no one stopping you from setting him straight or dismissing him."

"Fleet Admiral, sir!" A captain saluted as he entered the office.

"What is it?"

"Commodore Dragneel is waiting for you outside!"

"What?!"

Garp sighed as he heard the revelation. "Well, your work is cut for you." He cut the line, and the snail went back to sleep.

"Argh!" Sengoku snarled and sat down. "Send him in!"

"Right away sir-" As the navy officer turned around, he saw the Commodore walk in, having heard the Admiral's order. He immediately stomped his foot next to the other and gave a full salute. A nervous but awed smile he tried to hide on his face. "Commodore Dragneel! Thank you-"

"Ahem!" Sengoku's voice made the man flinch and leave the room, shutting the door behind him.

Natsu had bandages wrapped around his forehead, arm and torso which could be seen from the open shirt he wore underneath the coat that hung on his shoulder. A bandage was on his nose too, and his face was inexpressive and serious. But he showed no other signs of fatigue other than the one in his eyes. Sengoku realised at that moment that this boy had seen war.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" The Fleet Admiral got up and faced the Marine. Looking down at him from his superior height.

"I take full responsibility for what happened." The Admiral's scowl did not disappear at all. "And I am willing to accept any disciplinary action you see fit to discharge me."

"Commodore Dragneel." Sengoku held the paper to him. "I may not agree with what's happening, but there are powers in the Navy even beyond the control of a Fleet Admiral." Natsu cautiously took the paper from his hands and read the first few lines. His eyes widened in shock.

"W-what does this mean?"

"You are now given a far greater responsibility, one harder than any punishment I can give. You have been promoted to continue leading the men and women who follow you." Sengoku walked around the table and to the balcony to look at the setting son. "Always hated this office due to how bright it is when the day ends." He stood there in silence. "Over my time I have seen so many Marines who rose up the ranks fall so quickly, either in battle or to their darkness…"

"But why…?" Natsu read through the paper again.

"That isn't my place to question…" Sengoku said. "...Vice-Admiral Natsu Dragneel."

XxxxX