Episode 98

Who's The Lucky One? is the 98th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on September 24, 2011.

The potential S-Class Mages move towards Tenrou Island. Makarov explains the rules of the first test - each team has to choose one of eight paths. The pairs that meet on intersecting paths will battle while the pairs that meet with the current S-Class Mages will end up having a hard battle. Only one path is peaceful. Cana and Lucy meet with Freed and Bickslow and end up winning over them. Meanwhile, Natsu chooses Path E, hoping to find Erza, but ends up with Gildarts instead.

Synopsis
The ship of Fairy Tail departs the Hargeon port and is en route to Tenrou Island. Almost everyone on board complains about the intense heat while Natsu Dragneel is motion sick. Soon enough, they spot the island from a distance and they marvel at its sight and the Magic Aura around it. Makarov appears and relays to them the rules of the first trial. Each pair will choose one of the eight paths. Two pairs of paths intersect with each other that initiates battle with the meeting teams; three paths lead to one of the current S-Class Mages, who the pairs will have to battle; one path is free of obstacles. Only those that win in battles are allowed to move on and pass the first trial. Despite the fact that they are still at the sea, Makarov announces the trial's beginning.

Natsu and Happy attempt to choose their path first through flying out of the ship, but they are stopped by Freed Justine, who set up runes beforehand, granting him and Bickslow the luxury of choosing their path first. Levy McGarden and Evergreen quickly rewrite the runes to let their own teams escape the runes, but the others are left behind and are required to wait for the runes to deactivate in five minutes.

When the runes finally dispel, each of the teams, except Cana Alberona's, use their Magic to gain speed in traveling to the island. Natsu flies with Happy, Gray Fullbuster and Loke slide on ice, Lisanna and Juvia Lockser swim through the water in a fish form and a water hybrid form, respectively, while Mest Gryder and Wendy Marvell just vanish.

Natsu arrives on the island and, believing that Path E would lead him to a battle with Erza, chooses that path and prepares to battle his friend. Lucy Heartfilia and Cana soon arrive but find that all the paths have been blocked and they are the last. Lucy believes it's okay and they'll pass because she's lucky and they will get the quiet route. But they are proven wrong when they find that they have to battle Freed's team in Path C. The two are shocked, as when Cana previously battled Freed, she couldn't even scratch him while Lucy would have been beaten in her last battle with Bickslow if it weren't for Loke, who is not at her side this time around.

The battle commences, but not before Freed asks the two to put some clothes over their bikinis because "it's distracting". This gives Cana an idea and she distracts Freed with her Sexy Lady Card. Lucy summons Virgo in a bikini outfit, hoping to distract Bickslow, but Virgo defeated by his dolls. These dolls also work to attack Lucy and Cana and they narrowly dodge them. Lucy makes a comeback with Aries and disarms Bickslow, allowing her to attack with Lucy Kick. However, the effect of the Sexy Lard Card wears off and Freed starts to get serious again, overpowering the two. However, they manage to defeat him by caging him first into a huge wall of sexy ladies from the Sexy Lady Card and then tricking him into stepping into a card trap that electrocutes him.

The passage opens and lets Cana and Lucy through, making them pass the first trial. Later, it is revealed that Freed and Bickslow threw the fight on purpose, claiming that he owed the two and that Fairy Tail itself was more important than replacing Laxus Dreyar. Meanwhile, Natsu treads on Path E, insisting that Erza should come out and fight him. Despite Happy saying that they can't know for sure it's Erza, Natsu keeps on yelling out her name. However, his conjecture was proven wrong when he runs into none other than Gildarts Clive...

Fights

 * Lucy Heartfilia & Cana Alberona vs. Freed Justine & Bickslow (started and concluded)

Magic used

 * Animal Soul
 * (Summoned the Maiden, Virgo, the Ram, Aries, and the Water Bearer, Aquarius)
 * Animal Soul
 * (Summoned the Maiden, Virgo, the Ram, Aries, and the Water Bearer, Aquarius)
 * Animal Soul
 * (Summoned the Maiden, Virgo, the Ram, Aries, and the Water Bearer, Aquarius)
 * Animal Soul
 * (Summoned the Maiden, Virgo, the Ram, Aries, and the Water Bearer, Aquarius)
 * (Summoned the Maiden, Virgo, the Ram, Aries, and the Water Bearer, Aquarius)

Spells used

 * Animal Soul: Fish
 * Wool Wall
 * Lucy Kick
 * Summoned Lightning
 * Wool Wall
 * Lucy Kick
 * Summoned Lightning
 * Summoned Lightning
 * Summoned Lightning

Abilities used

 * Water Hybrid form
 * Hand-to-Hand Combat
 * Swordsmanship

Items used

 * Gate of the Maiden Key
 * Gate of the Ram Key
 * Gate of the Water Bearer Key
 * Gate of the Water Bearer Key

Manga & Anime Differences

 * The boat that the teams use to sail to Tenrou Island appears different between the anime and the manga.
 * In both the anime and the manga, Lucy complains about the heat, insisting she will turn into an ice-cream for Happy to eat. However, in the anime, Lucy takes her idea even further, imagining what she would look like as an ice-cream.
 * Many of the characters clothing appears different between the two media.
 * When Freed is flying towards the island in the manga, he is holding a long rucksack. In the anime, he is not seen to be holding anything.
 * The anime added a flashback explanation of Cana and Freed's, as well as Lucy and Bickslow's fights during the Battle of Fairy Tail.
 * The anime greatly changed the battle that occurs between Freed, Bickslow, Cana and Lucy:
 * Manga: After Lucy's failed summoning of Virgo, Cana casts The Prayer's Fountain and Lucy uses the water to summon Aquarius. Aquarius appears in a rage and attacks all the participants, but because Lucy knew the attack was coming, she and Cana cling to some rocks and withstand the attack. Freed and Bickslow however are caught by surprise, and fall, ending the battle.
 * Anime: After her failed summoning of Virgo, Lucy summons Aries, who attacks Bickslow and his dolls. Whilst he is distracted, Lucy uses Lucy Kick to take Bickslow out. At this point, Cana's Sexy Lady Card spell ends, and Freed begins to attack. Cana casts The Prayer's Fountain and Lucy uses the water to summon Aquarius. However, Aquarius appears, attacks Lucy and Cana with her urn, argues with Cana and then leaves without doing anything. To continue to distract Freed, Cana calls forth more Sexy Lady Cards to create a massive woman wall around Freed. When Freed escapes the wall, he walks into a trap that Cana set on the ground shortly before. After taking a harsh hit from the Summoned Lightning attack, Freed falls, ending the battle.