Silence.
Dead silence.
If defeating Natsu in one move could still be attributed to elemental counter or sheer luck, then completely crushing Gray, Natsu's peer, in a nearly humiliating manner, completely overturned the perceptions of all the Fairy Tail members present.
Natsu the Fire Dragon, Gray the Ice Devil.
They were the elites of the guild's younger generation, future S-Class Mages, and powerful existences renowned throughout the entire Fiore Kingdom.
Yet, at this moment, they were like two rag dolls, one embedded in the east wall, the other in the west, symmetrically resembling two tragic frescoes.
And the green-haired man who caused all this merely flicked off the ice crystals clinging to his trousers, as if he had just done something insignificant.
The entire hall erupted in an uproar!
“Are… are you kidding?”
“That’s Natsu and Gray! They… they didn’t even qualify for him to draw his sword?”
“Who exactly is he? I can’t feel any magical fluctuations from him at all. Is he a physical combat Mage? But what kind of physical combat can be this strong?!”
“Monster… This guy is an out-and-out monster!”
The discussions spread like a plague, and everyone’s face was filled with shock, horror, and a hint of anger at their violated honor.
Zoro looked around, his gaze sweeping over the dumbfounded people, who were emitting various colorful “energies” (magic power). He could feel that the intensity of these energies varied; some were like small flames, others like a bonfire, but compared to the monsters he had faced before, they all seemed so… gentle.
He tilted his head, his single eye filled with pure, unconcealed confusion.
This place was too strange.
He fell from the sky, crashing through the roof. Then, inexplicably, a fight broke out. The opponents' attacks were flashy, one breathing fire, the other playing with ice, seemingly grand in scale, but in reality, their power was pitifully weak.
He mumbled to himself, his voice not loud, but in the pin-drop silent guild, it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
“Strange place… Are the guys here all this weak?”
These words, like the sharpest knives, deeply pierced the hearts of every Mage present who took pride in Fairy Tail.
Weak?
They were Fairy Tail! One of Fiore’s strongest guilds! Their partners, their family, were actually described as “weak” by some unknown guy?
This was a great humiliation!
“You… you’re not allowed to look down on Fairy Tail!”
A roar erupted from the crowd. Elfman Strauss’s tall figure stepped forward, his anger from being hit by a chair now completely merged with his fury at his companions being defeated.
“Take Over: Beast Arm!”
His right arm instantly swelled and transformed into a monstrous beast arm covered in black carapace, and powerful magic power surged from his body. “Let this man teach you a lesson!”
“That’s right! You’re not allowed to insult our companions and our guild!”
“Even if we can’t win, we’ll show you our backbone!”
Max, Warren, Bisca, Alzack… familiar faces one by one stepped forward. They might not be as strong as Natsu and Gray, but they were Fairy Tail! They would never allow anyone to insult their family on their territory!
For a moment, magic power surged throughout the entire guild hall. Flames, ice, plants, bullets, various magical fluctuations began to intertwine, and everyone locked their hostility onto the man standing by the large crater.
A larger-scale brawl was about to erupt.
Zoro looked at the group of guys who had suddenly become “united against a common enemy” before him, his brow furrowing deeper.
“Trouble…”
He slowly placed his hand on the wado ichimonji at his waist.
He didn’t like to stir up trouble, but if trouble came knocking, his only solution was to—
Completely sever it.
Just before that cold sword intent was about to be unleashed, engulfing the entire guild.
A clear and authoritative “Stop!” resonated throughout the hall like a morning bell and evening drum.