Chapter Summaries

Makarov asked Hughes and Gildarts to capture an S-Class magic beast for Laxus’s exam, but both men refused. Hughes agreed to decide the matter by vote, only to find that everyone had voted for him, and he pushed for drawing lots instead.

• Makarov offered Hughes seven million J and asked him and Gildarts to capture an S-Class magic beast alive for Laxus’s exam.
• Hughes and Gildarts refused, so Laxus proposed a vote among the four men, with Mira supervising.
• Mira revealed that Hughes had received all four votes, and Hughes angrily rejected the result as unfair.
• Mira suggested drawing lots, and Hughes made the others agree to another round.

Mira and Erza rigged a drawing-lots game so Hughes would be left without a lot and forced to take the job. When Hughes rejected the result and attacked, Laxus destroyed the table with his Lightning Dragon's Crushing Fist.

• Mira brought out a covered container, and Laxus, Makarov, and Gildarts each drew one of its three lots.
• Hughes discovered the container was empty and accused Mira and Erza of cheating.
• Erza showed a recording proving there had only been three lots, and Mira pointed out that Hughes had failed to draw one after choosing to go last.
• Hughes angrily rejected the result, lifted the table, and launched it toward Laxus.
• Laxus struck the airborne table with Lightning Dragon's Crushing Fist, shattering it before it could hit the crowd.

Hughes fought the Fairy Tail guild members after Happy provoked him, while Mira and Erza privately discussed Hughes. Natsu returned with a talking toad, and Makarov revealed it was an emissary from the Magic Council.

• Happy taunted Hughes, who punched Gray and Natsu, then knocked down Macao and Wakaba after they tried to protect Lisanna.
• Nab, Wakaba, Macao, and the others joined forces to restrain and attack Hughes, but he broke free and fought them through the guild hall.
• Makarov told Laki to repair the guild's damaged doors, tables, and chairs as the brawl continued.
• Erza questioned Mira about arranging the drawing so Hughes would go last, and Mira privately thought about keeping Hughes's reputation as a pervert.
• Natsu returned dragging a talking, clothed toad, and Makarov punched him after identifying the creature as an emissary from the Magic Council.

The Magic Council’s toad envoy arrived at Fairy Tail with the First Custody Enforcement Unit and ordered Hughes arrested. After the guild laughed at the envoy’s cross-eyed appearance, it accused Hughes of damaging territory in Fiore and Bosco and took him into custody.

• The First Custody Enforcement Unit surrounded Fairy Tail and demanded the Magic Council’s envoy be released.
• Makarov asked the toad envoy why it had come, while the envoy stood up and prepared to announce the Council’s decision.
• Hughes pointed out that the envoy was cross-eyed, and Macao explained that toad envoys could move their eyes that way.
• The envoy’s indignant expression made the guild members and some enforcement officers laugh.
• The envoy ordered Hughes arrested for suspected damage to territory in Fiore and Bosco, and an officer cuffed him with Magic Sealing Stone handcuffs.

Hughes broke the Magic Sealing Stone Handcuffs and learned that the Magic Council wanted to meet him under the pretext of questioning him about damage to two countries' territory. After Makarov warned him about Crawford Seam, Hughes left with the Council's officers, eager to see what missions awaited him.

• Hughes shattered the Magic Sealing Stone Handcuffs, shocking the First Custody Enforcement Unit member and the Toad messenger.
• Macao begged Hughes to teach him how to use strength while restrained, and Hughes directed him to ask Makarov while bargaining for photo books.
• Makarov privately told Hughes that the Magic Council wanted to meet him for reasons beyond the damage claim and warned him not to agree to anything Crawford Seam offered.
• Hughes reassured Mira, Lisanna, and the others that he would return soon, then set off with the Council's officers in their magic vehicle.

Hughes arrived at the Magic Council, where the system unlocked new stages of his Pirate Journey mission and identified the Council as an East Blue Marine Base. After studying the missions, he entered the Council with the toad messenger, considering whether Master Jose could withstand the newly unlocked challenge.

• Hughes threatened the toad messenger with seven gourds, then reviewed the system missions that had become available at the Magic Council.
• The system unlocked the sixth Pirate Journey sub-mission, Destroy the East Blue Marine Base, and warned Hughes about an excessively powerful weapon inside.
• Hughes reflected on the Magic Council's history of incompetence and corruption, then raised his middle finger at the building.
• Hughes read that Pirate Journey rewards depended on achievements at each stage and considered completing its first sub-mission soon.
• Hughes wondered whether Master Jose could withstand the mission to destroy the East Blue Marine Base, then followed the toad messenger into the Council.

Hughes attended a Magic Council meeting, where Crawford Seam offered him a position in exchange for obeying the council. Hughes rejected the offer and insulted Crawford, who ordered his arrest as Yajima realized the other council members would not help.

• Hughes sat down in the Magic Council meeting room and put his feet on the conference table, taking control of the conversation before Crawford Seam could speak.
• Crawford Seam offered Hughes the captaincy of the First Custody Enforcement Unit and suggested he might someday join the council, provided he followed its instructions.
• Hughes cracked the table with his feet and called Crawford a dog-taker, then insulted him when Crawford demanded to know who he was.
• Crawford pressed the alarm and ordered the Custody Enforcement Unit to seize Hughes and imprison him for life.
• Yajima objected that Crawford was abusing his authority, but Crawford insisted he was chairman; Yajima saw that Ogre, Michello, and Belno would not support him.

Hughes defeated the Magic Council’s Custody Enforcement Unit and seized Crawford Seam before the chairman could summon more forces. He left the council members facing his threat as he blasted a huge mass of flames through the meeting room roof.

• Crawford Seam ordered Hughes arrested, while Yajima resolved to seek Makarov’s help.
• Hughes knocked out more than a hundred Custody Enforcement Unit members without seriously injuring them, astonishing the council.
• Michello hoped Hughes would kill Crawford Seam so he could use the incident to advance his own bid for chairman.
• Crawford Seam reached for a button to summon more forces, but Hughes caught him, broke his hand, and grabbed him by the neck.
• Hughes defied Ogre’s accusation and fired his accumulated flames through the meeting room roof into the sky.

Hughes unveiled his airborne Great Flame Commandment: Flame Emperor and held Magic Council chairman Crawford Seam captive. As factions among the councilors reacted, Yajima urged Hughes to release Crawford and return to Fairy Tail, promising to protect him.

• Hughes sent his enormous fireball into the sky and controlled its heat and destructive power so the town below remained unharmed.
• The townspeople panicked at the apparent explosion, while the Magic Council’s plaza filled with messengers and Custody Enforcement Unit members searching for the chairman and councilors.
• Hughes appeared in the plaza holding Crawford Seam by the neck, shocking the assembled officials and guards.
• The messengers and Custody Enforcement Unit surrounded Hughes and tried to pressure him into releasing Crawford Seam.
• Yajima arrived with Ogre and the other councilors, then asked Hughes to release Crawford and return to Fairy Tail, promising to ensure his safety.

Hughes forced Crawford Seam to take him through the Magic Council, using the visit to assess its defenses and claim whatever he wanted. After rejecting several weapons in the Council’s treasure room, Hughes asked for sealed demons, and Yajima tried to stop him.

• Hughes accused Michello, Ogre, and the other hardliners of wanting Crawford Seam dead, prompting Crawford to order the Toad messengers to show Hughes around.
• Crawford promised Hughes safe passage and led him through the Magic Council with the Toad messengers while councilors and Custody Enforcement Unit members followed.
• Crawford showed Hughes a high-grade explosive Magic Crystal and the Jupiter Magic Converging Cannon, but Hughes declined both.
• Crawford presented the Super Concentrated Magic Light, but Hughes refused it as well.
• Hughes asked Crawford for a couple of the Magic Council’s sealed demons, and Yajima objected before Hughes assured him he could handle them.

Hughes entered the Magic Council’s sealing chamber, took two devil host objects, and toured the council before leaving. In town, he received basic Armament Haki as a task reward and prepared to eat before returning to the ongoing spectacle at the Magic Council.

• Hughes had Crawford Seam lead the group to the sealing chamber, where Crawford unlocked the array protecting the devil host objects.
• Hughes chose a blood dagger and a warm stone, leaving the other objects sealed because absorbing too many could strain his mind.
• Hughes made the group tour the Magic Council, then knocked Crawford unconscious and returned him to the toad messengers for protection.
• Hughes flew above the Magic Council and swallowed the flames of his giant fireball, causing it to dissipate before Yajima could speak with him.
• Hughes received basic Armament Haki for completing the task to defeat the commander of the East Blue Marine Base, tested it on his hand, and settled down to eat.

Hughes returned to the Magic Council disguised as Jose Porla, intending to destroy its headquarters and kill Crawford Seam, but Makarov caught him before he could act. Makarov tried to take Hughes back to the guild, while their presence near the conference room drew attention from the councilors inside.

• Hughes spent three days traveling between towns to cover his tracks before heading back toward the Magic Council.
• Hughes infiltrated the Magic Council and found Crawford Seam with Ogre and other councilors in a conference room.
• Makarov appeared behind Hughes, revealed that he had tracked him, and ordered him to return to the guild.
• Makarov explained that the Magic Council could use magic to identify a killer and urged Hughes to stop underestimating the magic world.
• Hughes recognized Makarov and patted him on the head as the people in the nearby conference room noticed them.

Hughes attacked the Magic Council while disguised as Jose, forcing Makarov to defend Crawford Seam and the other councilors. Makarov unleashed his giant form, and Hughes chose to face him openly as their clash continued above the council.

• Hughes shattered Makarov's first attack, then split the Magic Council building with a powerful slash.
• Makarov shielded Crawford Seam, Ogre, Michello, and the others from Hughes's next attack, and the two men fought to a standstill before Hughes forced Makarov into the ground.
• Hughes taunted Makarov, who erupted with golden magic and grew into a giant towering over the Magic Council.
• Hughes discarded his Jose disguise's cloak, covered himself in Armament Haki, and charged Makarov head-on.
• Makarov overpowered Hughes in a clash, caught and shattered his Rankyaku slash, and Hughes answered with a rain of slashes across the sky.

Hughes and Makarov traded powerful blows as their battle devastated the Magic Council, until a system notification revealed Hughes had activated an epic quest chain with a reward for unlocking another Devil Fruit slot. Makarov proposed one final move, with Hughes’s defeat meaning he must give up pursuing Crawford Seam and the others.

• Makarov stopped defending and attacked Hughes directly, knocking him through buildings and into a rock face.
• Hughes healed with Life Return, counterattacked Makarov with a heavy punch, and sent him crashing through damaged buildings.
• Makarov blocked Hughes’s kick and struck him through the Magic Council’s last remaining building.
• A system notification told Hughes that the Pirate Journey quest chain had activated and that completing three subtasks would unlock an additional Devil Fruit slot.
• Makarov challenged Hughes to one final move and said Hughes must stop pursuing Crawford Seam and the others if he lost.

Makarov defeated Hughes and left the ruined Magic Council headquarters, while Crawford Seam pressured Ogre and Michello to help protect their positions. Michello proposed blaming the destruction on Jose and releasing the recording as evidence.

• Makarov unleashed his full power, defeated Hughes, and walked away from the ruined Magic Council headquarters.
• Crawford Seam watched the destruction through a Magic Crystal, then smashed it in anger over the damage to his reputation.
• Ogre and Michello questioned whether the fake Jose was the same impostor involved in the Thunder Valley incident.
• Crawford Seam reminded Ogre and Michello that they shared responsibility and argued for using two council seats to recruit powerful, politically independent wizards.
• Michello proposed publicly blaming Jose for destroying the headquarters and releasing the Recording Magic Crystal to support the claim.

Crawford Seam, Michello, and Ogre agreed to blame Jose for the Magic Council’s destruction and present themselves as victims. Makarov took the badly injured Hughes to Porlyusica, who treated him and said he should recover within a few days.

• Michello proposed using the Recording Magic Crystals to frame Jose and portray the Magic Council as helpless victims, and Crawford Seam and Ogre agreed.
• Crawford Seam ordered Michello to prepare a public notice so they could shape opinion before rumors spread.
• Makarov found Hughes unconscious in a crater and carried him toward the outskirts of Magnolia Town for treatment.
• Makarov brought Hughes to Porlyusica, who examined him and discovered multiple broken bones and internal injuries.
• Porlyusica gave Hughes a large dose of nutritional potion and said his self-healing ability should restore him within two or three days, then told Makarov to have Mira take over watching him.

After waking from three days of unconsciousness, Hughes learned that Granny Porlyusica’s potions had left him with a ten-million-J debt and possibly strengthened his body while healing him. Mira questioned him about his fight with Makarov, but Hughes ended the conversation by tapping her head.

• Hughes woke in Granny Porlyusica’s house and recalled how completely Makarov’s punch had overwhelmed his defenses.
• Mira brought Hughes a nutritional potion and explained that he owed ten million J for the potions he had consumed while unconscious.
• Mira said Granny Porlyusica had used the potions to fuel Hughes’s self-healing and believed they had improved his vitality and healed old injuries.
• Hughes sensed that his body felt unusually comfortable but could not confirm whether it had become stronger.
• Mira asked why Hughes had fought the master, Makarov, and Hughes tapped her on the head instead of answering.

Hughes visited Porlyusica with Mira and asked her to assess the risks of advancing his Flame-Flame Fruit Awakening. After receiving mental potions and learning she could not make more for three years, Hughes and Mira headed back to Fairy Tail, where he slipped inside ahead of her.

• Mira cooked a meal at Porlyusica's house, and Hughes discussed his plans to grow stronger and absorb two demon vessels.
• Hughes recalled Jose's clash with the Magic Council and considered letting Jose take the blame for any dark guilds he attacked.
• Porlyusica gave Hughes twenty mental potions and warned him that she could not make more for three years.
• Hughes and Mira left Porlyusica's house and returned to the Fairy Tail guild in Magnolia Town.
• Hughes sneaked into the guild alone while Mira waited outside.

Hughes watched the Fairy Tail guild for someone to prank, then secretly set Wakaba’s clothes on fire after overhearing him spread rumors that Hughes had impregnated Kailinfu. The guild extinguished the flames, but Natsu and Gray ended the commotion by headbutting each other.

• Hughes considered pranking Laxus and Erza, recorded Lisanna playing with Natsu and Lucy’s family, and skipped over Gray when he noticed Gray was not wearing pants.
• Hughes overheard Macao and Wakaba gossiping that Hughes had secretly harassed Kailinfu and might have fathered her child.
• Hughes sent sparks onto Wakaba’s clothes, then set them ablaze when Wakaba said he had seen Hughes harassing Kailinfu.
• Macao accidentally poured wine on Wakaba, making the flames flare up, and Wakaba rolled to Natsu for help.
• Gray froze the flames and Wakaba inside an ice sculpture, and Natsu angrily headbutted Gray.

Natsu and Gray’s fight over helping Wakaba ruined Erza’s strawberry cake and triggered a guild-wide chase that left the hall in wreckage. Hughes learned that Gildarts had identified him as the fake Jose because he had no magic power, and Makarov hinted that he could help conceal this flaw.

• Natsu and Gray fought over who would help Wakaba, and Natsu’s surprise attack sent Gray crashing into Erza’s table and destroying her strawberry cake.
• Erza drew her sword and chased Natsu and Gray through the guild, while the others joined in and Reedus’s drawing board and the furniture were damaged.
• Makarov paid Laki to repair the guild, and Hughes watched the chaos with Mira before quietly prompting her to confront Lisanna.
• Gildarts told Hughes that he had guessed he was the fake Jose because a powerful mage could detect that Hughes had no magic power.
• Makarov explained that concealing his lack of magic was one reason he had stopped Hughes, but said he knew a way to hide it.