BOOK 3 - Fairy Tail (Pirates) AU: At Earthland's End

CHAPTER XI: The Maelstrom Battle

It was finally time. The 2 most representative ships from each side facing each other started sailing all the way to the very middle of the entire battlefield. The Black Fairy and the Flying Spriggan. Everyone knew the majestic ship of Natsu and his crew was probably the only one with a slight chance of beating the cursed ship of Zeref.

This one was bound to be a truly hellsome battle... A war without a quarter. At that moment, Zeref stared at the ocean and noticed that the bright sky from a few seconds ago was turning grim and cloudy. The dark pirate realized that was the effect of the goddess Mavis's powers over the battlefield. The goddess was going to intervene after all, but not as the pawn of any side.

"Mavis..." Zeref muttered.

An unstoppable heavy rain started as the dark pirate bathed himself in it. And after realizing that the cruelty of war was already nearby, he yelled in absolute rage while arming himself with all the determination of the world.

The unbelievable power of the goddess showed itself once more in the form of a powerful tide at the very middle of the ocean. The Fairy and the Spriggan kept on moving towards it without stopping. But then, both crews finally realized it wasn't just a regular wild tide what they were facing ahead, but a dangerous and totally uncontrollable Maelstrom.

"Maelstrom!" Erza yelled as everyone braced themselves.

Then, Lucy knew the situation was escaping out of her hands. She may have been the one who motivated her crew once more, but she certainly wasn't the appropriate person to lead the Fairy's course. And so, she ended up approaching Laxus and asking for his help.

"Captain Laxus!" Lucy said. "Please! I need you at the helm!"

Laxus remained pensive for a while. But then, he turned around with determination. "Yeah... It has to be me!" Laxus immediately headed over to the rudder of the ship and pushed Erza away from it. Then, the blonde pirate stood firmly and spoke to his entire crew. "Brace up the yards, you cack-handed deck apes! Dying is a day worth living for!"

The Black Fairy finally entered the hellish maelstrom at that very moment. However, the many forces of Jellal aboard the Flying Spriggan were still not so sure about entering it as well. "Veer off!" Jellal's assistant yelled desperately. But Zeref then suddenly intervened and took control of the Spriggan's helm for himself.

"She'll not harm us!" Zeref claimed. "Full-bore and into the abyss!"

"Are you trying to kill us?!"

"Hah! Are you scared of the water?!"

The assistant remained silent as the ghostly ship of the dark pirate finally entered the maelstrom as well. Without losing a second, it began chasing down the Fairy and positioning itself behind it. Zeref ordered his men to fire the frontal cannons. The Spriggan began attacking as the Fairy was receiving slight damage. It needed to change its position fast.

"Take us out now!" Gray yelled. "They'll overbear us at this pace!"

"No! Further in!" Laxus replied. "We'll cut across to faster waters!"

The blonde captain led the Black Fairy further into the maelstrom without thinking twice. That way, the ship was able to gain speed and placed itself in a parallel position to the Flying Spriggan. It was time to prepare the artillery. Both crews in both ships got the cannons ready and waited till the exact moment to finally shoot.

Therefore, Lucy, Gray, Laxus, Erza and Zeref ordered their men to fire when both ships found themselves next to each other. Cannonballs, smoke and rubble from both ships began flying and jumping everywhere around. Only one ship was bound to get out of the maelstrom while standing. And yet, the battle was still far from over.