"You...?"
Nobunaga stopped twenty meters away from the bearded man, his expression stunned.
That long sword was all too familiar to him… it was Law's Shin.
Not far away, Pakunoda, clutching her abdomen, was also staring at Law in shock. She also recognized the sword.
The kick Law had delivered to her abdomen earlier seemed calculated in terms of Nen offense and defense… enough to repel and injure her but not severely.
At the time, Pakunoda had been puzzled, but upon seeing Law took out Shin, she instantly understood.
This wasn't just someone with the same name… it was the same person. That face must be a disguise.
Summoning Shin from the flame tattoo was, of course, intentional on Law's part.
"It's me."
Seeing Nobunaga's astonishment, Law reverted to his original voice.
"You... how...?"
Nobunaga glanced at Law, then at Pakunoda, his brain nearly short-circuiting.
"It's complicated to explain. Simply put, I want you to abandon tonight's operation." Law said, looking at Nobunaga.
At that moment, Pakunoda gritted her teeth and stood up, moving toward Nobunaga.
This was her judgment after realizing Law's identity. Given the faint, fading hostility, she believed that after revealing himself, Law wouldn't attack her again.
Nobunaga's peripheral vision caught Pakunoda's approach, but he didn't respond to Law's demand. Instead, he asked, "What's your relationship with the Ohara Museum?"
Law, who had clearly noticed Pakunoda's movements but chose to ignore them, pondered for a moment before answering, "Partners."
He omitted the crucial word 'future' from his explanation, not wanting to waste time on details.
Hearing this, Nobunaga's face twisted into a pained expression. He bit his thumb, visibly distressed.
After a moment, his expression settled into one of conflict.
Tonight's operation was a collective decision by the Phantom Troupe. The authority to call it off didn't lie with him… it required either a group vote or Chrollo's decision. But the current situation wasn't like an arrow on the string, it had already been fired.
Seeing Nobunaga's conflicted expression, Law sighed softly. It was more or less what he'd expected.
The Phantom Troupe consisted of twelve spider legs and one spider head. To make them abandon the operation, he'd have to talk to that head...
With that thought, he turned his gaze toward Chrollo's location, where he and Shalnark were closing in on Clover and Salin.
'No other choice...'
"Nobunaga, I might have to do something that'll make you uncomfortable." Law said, flipping his hand to stow Shin back into his spatial storage.
Hearing this, Nobunaga opened his mouth to respond, but his expression suddenly changed as Law moved, appearing beside Pakunoda.
Pakunoda's eyes widened in alarm. Her Aura surged instinctively as she lashed out with a kick, channeling her Aura into her leg.
Close combat was never her forte, and with both shoulders dislocated, her threat level was even lower.
Law pivoted on his foot, spinning away from Pakunoda's kick and circling behind her.
"Huh?"
Pakunoda's eyes widened further as a sense of foreboding flashed through her mind. Then, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and darkness swallowed her consciousness.
With a single precise chop, Law cleanly knocked Pakunoda out.
By the time Law finished, Nobunaga had only managed five steps forward. Seeing Pakunoda already unconscious, he halted abruptly, staring at Law in silence.
'Fast!'
That was the conclusion he drew from what he'd just witnessed.
Holding the unconscious Pakunoda with one arm, Law looked at Nobunaga and asked, "Do you think using Pakunoda as a bargaining chip will convince Chrollo to call off the operation?"
"I don't know." Nobunaga admitted honestly.
"Then, do you plan to stop me?" Law pressed.
Nobunaga rubbed his temples in frustration, and said bluntly, "I'll go with you."
Law smirked. Then, holding Pakunoda, he suddenly crossed dozens of meters in an instant.
Using [Instant] at maximum output, he could teleport up to sixty meters, but the instantaneous burst consumed a significant amount of Aura. Depending on the situation, Law would carefully choose when to use it.
Like now, with Chrollo and Shalnark closing in on Clover and Salin, he used [Instant] to close the distance. The main issue was that carrying Pakunoda doubled the Aura consumption.
The night sky was cloudless, bathed in moonlight.
Below, the sounds of gunfire and screams intertwined, the air thick with the scent of blood.
Guests fled toward the palace-like building, while guards seized the opportunity to protect them.
Clover and Salin, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, quickly distanced themselves from the open-air banquet area.
Franklin single-handedly faced hundreds of enemies firing at him, while Chrollo and Shalnark pursued Clover and his group.
Killing Clover was one objective, but retrieving those three treasures was equally important.
Seeing Chrollo and Shalnark closing in at terrifying speed, the bodyguards protecting Clover opened fire… yet every bullet was effortlessly dodged.
The heated projectiles only tore up the grass, achieving nothing.
As the enemies pressed forward, a hundred men split from the group to hold them off.
"Shalnark."
Chrollo called out calmly.
Feitan understood. A small antenna slipped between his fingers, which he flicked toward the hundred-man squad.
The antenna cut through the air and embedded itself in one man's chest.
"Conditions met."
Shalnark gripped his phone, sidestepping the hail of bullets while lifting a corpse to use as a shield. Then, he manipulated his phone.
The controlled bodyguard suddenly turned his gun on his comrades and pulled the trigger without hesitation. Gunfire erupted, and his teammates fell like straw.
Meanwhile, Chrollo left Shalnark to handle the hundred guards and continued his pursuit. His hands pulsed with Nen as a red-themed book materialized in his grasp.
Bandit's Secret!
The pages flipped automatically, stopping at the ability Chrollo wanted.
A stolen Nen Ability activated instantly!
Chrollo's sprinting figure suddenly vanished, reappearing in rapid succession. It's an Emission-type ability strikingly similar to Law's Instant.
Using this, Chrollo instantly plunged into the crowd and began slaughtering.
A single Aura-infused palm strike was enough to shatter an ordinary person's heart.
Chrollo's primary targets were the three boxes containing the treasures, but his combat skill was formidable. Once amidst the guards, he felled one person every second with effortless strikes.
Guns were these bodyguards' lifeline, but with Chrollo moving at terrifying speeds within their ranks, the fear of friendly fire rendered their weapons useless. The entire squad fell to Chrollo alone.
Earlier, when Chrollo's group had first arrived at the banquet, over a dozen Nen Users Clover had hired intercepted them. Yet, in less than two minutes, Chrollo's team had annihilated them all.
Now, against ordinary humans, no matter how numerous or well-armed, Chrollo was unstoppable.
Soon, a path of blood was carved through the crowd.
Chrollo easily secured the three boxes and was considering whether to push his luck and kill Clover when a woman who appeared to be in her thirties stepped in front of him.
This woman was Salin.
Their eyes met, each recognizing the other as a formidable opponent.
By the time Chrollo obtained the boxes, Salin had also finished off the hundred-man squad and rejoined him.
"Who are you?" Salin demanded coldly.
Chrollo and Shalnark remained expressionless, offering no answer.
"They're the Phantom Troupe."
At this time, Law's voice came over and answered the question for Chrollo.
Chrollo and Shalnark turned to see Law holding an unconscious Pakunoda in one arm, with Nobunaga standing beside him.
Shalnark, unfamiliar with the situation, paled slightly. No matter how sharp his mind was, he couldn't immediately decipher what was happening.
Chrollo, however, remained composed, as he had recognized Law's voice.
"Chrollo, call off your people."
Law gestured to the unconscious Pakunoda.
The current situation is as follows:
Franklin was occupying the bulk of the enemy forces, while Chrollo and Shalnark had secured the treasures and were now facing Salin.
Law had suddenly appeared, holding an unconscious Pakunoda hostage.
And Nobunaga stood beside Law, his stance ambiguous.
Shalnark wasn't very familiar with Law. While puzzled by Nobunaga's actions, he quickly assessed the situation and discreetly sent out a text message.