Chapter 53: The Zoldyck Reputation x The Runaway Illumi
"Joker, real name Jay White. No prior records. He first appeared on the Yorbian Continent three years ago when he killed a truck driver and stole his vehicle. Believed to have originated from Meteor City."
"During this period, he moved between several continents, committing over a dozen crimes of varying scales. He managed to elude the police each time, which suggests he has developed a Nen ability suited for 'escaping'."
"One month ago, he surfaced in the Minbo Republic, where he committed the infamous '711 Pirate Ship' incident."
"Half a month ago, he hijacked a cargo ship traveling from the Padokea Republic to the Kakin Empire, killing the captain and one hundred and seventy-three crew members, and stealing seventeen ancient artifacts. It is suspected that he is working with a group."
"What we can confirm now is that he himself is likely a Manipulator. His ability is suspected to be 'possession,' allowing him to take control of a body through physical contact. Additionally, according to the latest information from Dwight, customs at the scene found no evidence that he was carrying any prohibited items such as firearms."
"Therefore, we can conclude he has at least one accomplice with a 'spatial' Nen ability, likely a Conjurer or Transmuter."
On Kukuroo Mountain, half an hour after Roy's departure, Silva had finished dealing with Kikyo. He casually draped a blanket over himself and reclined on a tiger-skin sofa, listening to a butler's report while sipping red wine, lost in thought.
The butler reporting to him was Tsubone's son, a veteran in the household. He had grown up with Tsubone on the Zoldyck estate, progressing from an apprentice butler to a full-fledged one, and then to a squad captain. When Roy was born twenty years ago, he had even served him for a time, until Gotoh took over. After that, he was assigned to the intelligence division, responsible for information gathering and analysis, reporting directly and solely to Silva.
He held a stack of documents and spoke in a steady voice. When he saw Silva raise a hand, he immediately fell silent.
"Hall, your wife is due soon, isn't she?"
"The due date is October 11th. Thank you for your concern, Master." Hall was taken aback, but a blissful smile spread across his face.
"Have you chosen a name?"
"Not yet."
Hall seemed to sense what was coming, and he looked at Silva with anticipation.
The man swirled the wine in his glass and mused, "Let her name be Canary."
Hall bowed deeply. "On behalf of my daughter, Canary, I thank you for this gift, Master."
"So, it's a girl..." Silva stared out the window, his gaze distant. After a long silence, he waved his hand, signaling for him to continue.
Hall nodded. "Young Master Roy discovered 'Joker' at the airport. It is suspected he intends to hijack the airship, replicating the '711 Pirate Ship' tragedy. Master Zeno has been notified and is on his way back."
"But I'm concerned he may not make it in time." At this, Hall cautiously sought permission. "Master, should we dispatch more personnel to support Young Master Roy? If the target is working with a group, Gotoh alone may not be able to handle the situation."
Silva said nothing, swirling the wine in his glass. The crimson liquid looked like blood, a startling sight.
The air in the room seemed to freeze. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door, which was then thrown open to reveal Luke's panicked face.
"Master, it's terrible! Young Master Illumi has run away!"
Silva's hand froze. Wine sloshed over the rim of the glass, staining the freshly cleaned and dried carpet.
In the garden, separated by a window, the human head was gone, leaving only a pit in its place. At the edge of the pit, Milluki was straining to defecate into it, his fat face flushed red. At one point, his foot slipped, and he tumbled in headfirst, causing his little attendant to rush over in a panic, only to come up empty-handed.
Whoosh! The clouds were torn apart, rolling back on either side of the K3285 airship as it flew toward the Heavens Arena.
With guns pressed to the backs of their heads, Roy and Gotoh calmly watched the little girl. She giggled, looking just like the sweet girl next door, as she held out a hand to him. "Big brother, if you won't eat the candy, you can at least have some tea and pastries, right?"
A cup of tea and a plate of pastries could certainly relieve the fatigue of a journey, but poison was far more potent.
"We're all just kids here, so let's drop the act, Mr. Joker." The cane was right beside his knee. Roy understood the situation and blew the little girl's cover, while simultaneously signaling to Gotoh with his eyes not to make any sudden moves.
Gotoh understood, his right hand hovering just an inch from his pocket as he silently calculated the timing.
The little girl flew into a rage. "Act? Who's acting?!"
"The gun or the candy, take your pick!"
Then, with no discernible movement, a pistol suddenly "appeared" in her small hand. She aimed it at the woman beside her—her mother—and blew her head off with a single shot!
Smoke drifted from the muzzle. Through it, they could see a large hole in the woman's forehead. Her body went limp, sliding straight off the seat.
Roy and Gotoh's gazes hardened. Before they could figure out why she would kill her own accomplice, the cabin door opened, and another woman walked in, sitting down right next to the little girl.
Her expression was identical to the woman who had just collapsed.
The skin has changed, but the core hasn't. The woman is a Manipulator... the girl is a Conjurer, or has a spatial Nen ability that can store weapons.
Roy made an instant assessment. Ignoring the gun at the back of his head, he leaned back against the sofa with an air of deliberate laziness. "Let me guess..."
"That clown at the airport was also a Nen Beast under your control, wasn't he?"
"If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have tried to feed me candy three times. So..."
"What are you afraid of?"
Roy clasped his hands over his cane, looking directly at them. "Are you afraid of my identity?"
The expressions on the woman and the girl shifted.
Just as I thought, Roy confirmed internally, growing even more confident. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. "It seems our Zoldyck name still carries some weight in the world, enough to make even terrorists like you hesitate."
"The Young Master is right. You should know what happens to those who offend a Zoldyck!" Having observed the situation, Gotoh had also figured it out. What made terrorists terrifying was their lawlessness, their lack of fear. If it were him, he wouldn't have bothered with candy or pointless chatter; he would have just fed them a couple of bullets from the start to get it over with cleanly!
"I know my ass!" The little girl couldn't take it anymore. She snapped, aiming the gun at Roy and firing!
"I hate arrogant bastards like you more than anything! Zoldyck this, Zoldyck that—all of you can just go to hell!"
Anger? Good. Anger leads to a loss of reason. And that exposes weaknesses.
"Gotoh, now!"
Roy kicked the table over and drew his cane sword!
Bang! Bang! Several shots rang out.
The cabin erupted into chaos. Suddenly, a dinner fork flew through the air, grazing Roy's cheek and heading straight for the girl.
Following it was a 'little ghost' with vacant, empty eyes.
"I knew you guys couldn't handle it without me."