I went around and came back again. I really wanted to hide, but there was no escape. Maybe it was fate.
Now that they knew Kite was safe, Gon and Killua no longer paid attention to the other healers.
However, because of what happened to Kite, a new thought had taken root in Killua's mind.
"What are you going to do next?"
Ronnel looked at Killua, who seemed lost in thought, and asked.
"Ah, I was just thinking about something. I want to save them."
Killua put his hands behind his head, thinking of the small figure who had always reached out to him for comfort when they were younger.
He didn't bother asking about the Chimera Ant situation. Since Ronnel had made it all the way to Greed Island, the outcome was obvious.
"Well, do you need my help?"
Ronnel smiled, already guessing what Killua was thinking.
"Not for now..." Killua hesitated before answering. "Gon already promised me he'd come with me once Kite is fully healed."
"The two of us should be enough. If I do need help, I'll come find you."
"Alright, I'll be waiting."
Ronnel nodded slightly.
Suddenly, Ronnel's phone rang.
Bzzz~ Bzzz~ Bzzz~
He pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and then turned to Killua. "I've got something to take care of. I'll see you later."
"Yeah, go ahead."
Killua waved him off, but his mind was elsewhere, already working on a plan to save his younger sibling.
Ronnel moved to a quiet spot and answered the call.
A cool, detached voice came through the receiver:
"The boss finished reading."
"Oh~" Ronnel wasn't surprised. Timing-wise, Chrollo should have finished by now.
"So, the captain is fighting Hisoka next?"
"Yeah. He reached out to Hisoka and agreed on a one-month prep time."
"That clown actually has the patience to wait for Chrollo to be at his best?"
"Apparently." Machi's tone was calm. "The boss is using this month to train and refine his abilities. He and Hisoka already decided—the fight will take place in Heavens Arena."
"So, are you coming?"
"What about Feitan and the others?"
"They aren't interested. It's just me, Shalnark, and Kalluto. You were the last one I had to check with."
"Got it~"
Ronnel smirked. "Then I'll be there."
The time had come. It was time to collect.
The Phantom Troupe...
Netero's severe injuries and bedridden state sent shockwaves through the world. The most immediate consequence? A call to Ging Freecss, of all people.
Mr. Beans had reached out just a day after Ging's conversation with Gon, urgently summoning him to the Hunters' Association for a meeting of the Zodiacs.
The topic? What to do about the chairman's position now that Netero was out of commission, and how to stabilize the chaos left in the wake of the Chimera Ant crisis.
Ging already had his own plans. Before leaving, he told Ronnel that he'd find Emuksu to treat Netero's injuries. Once that was taken care of, they'd meet again to visit Netero.
As for whether Ging could be trusted? Well... Ronnel figured it wasn't his problem. If Ging said it would be fine, it probably would be.
With nothing pressing to do, he settled into Greed Island for a while. His battle with Meruem had burned through a lot of his resources.
Sure, the Poor Man's Rose were still stocked up, but all the puppets he'd lost, along with the corpse toxins he'd used, would take time to replenish.
He intended to use this short period of stability to rebuild as many puppets as possible.
Luckily, he was far stronger now. Even creating puppets of Netero and Jed wasn't difficult anymore. The process didn't take nearly as much energy as before, allowing him to work much faster.
Besides, there were still the spoils of war from his Chimera Ant crusade to go through.
For one, the high-quality body he'd obtained. That alone was worth it.
And then, there were Neferpitou, Shaiapouf, and Youpi.
Ronnel had extracted plenty of useful things from their remains.
During his fight with the Ant King, he'd already absorbed three full essences of Nen.
And from Neferpitou alone, he had pulled out five different abilities:
Extreme En (Circle)
Doctor Blythe
Puppeteering
Terpsichora
Some of these he was already familiar with. Others were new.
Extreme En—as described in the original records—came from the genetic influence of an insect-like monster called the Amihain. This creature possessed an extremely heightened sense of perception, which gave Pitou an absurdly wide-range En and powerful legs built for explosive movement.
Not particularly useful to Ronnel, though.
Doctor Blythe was another story. It boasted an incredible healing ability, capable of restoring damaged tissues, regenerating organs, preventing decay, and even reshaping body parts.
Of course, it came with a cost:
No matter the injury, using it required a massive amount of aura and mental energy.
Once activated, the ability immobilized the user, forcing them to stay in place. The effective range was only 20 meters.
Puppeteering—this was the real prize. A puppetry-based ability allowing the creation of autonomous, hidden-controlled corpses.
Neferpitou had been able to control hundreds at once. Ronnel? He could do much more.
And then there was Shaiapouf… who had contributed even more unique abilities.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)