Chapter 79: September 4th
Kurapika's hypothesis was correct.
The Phantom Troupe was currently backed into a corner.
Chrollo shared his theories with the remaining members. Shalnark, the intellectual heart of the Spider, was the first to agree. Once Machi added her endorsement—her intuition having never failed them—the group accepted it as fact: The secret to Ronin's explosive growth was the Scarlet Eyes.
But there was a problem.
The Scarlet Eyes had been sold through their own hands, yet they didn't keep a client manifest. To Chrollo, the eyes were merely tools to open doors to higher-level information channels.
Specifically, a door leading to a mysterious website.
It was a network that seemed to be built on a foundation of Nen and "Artifacts"—items from the Dark Continent. It contained vast troves of information, including the snuff video of Sarasa's death.
Before Ronin became a priority, Chrollo's main objective was cracking that site.
Now, he decided to pivot. If Ronin possessed an Artifact that consumed Scarlet Eyes to grant power, obtaining that item would help Chrollo bypass the restrictions of the dark web.
"Ronin should have collected five pairs of eyes by now," Shalnark said, tapping rapidly on his phone to calculate. "His father's, the pair he bought during the Heavens Arena arc, the two he took from Omokage, and the one he stole from the vault on the 1st."
"Correct. There are two more pairs in the Mafia's secondary vaults, and one scheduled for the Southernpiece Auction on the 5th," Chrollo confirmed the math. "We must secure these three before Ronin does."
"I'll head to Southernpiece to negotiate," Shalnark said confidently. "If I offer a high enough price, I can probably convince them to pull the item before the auction starts."
He had more than enough Jenny to back up the claim.
And if negotiation failed, robbery was always a valid fallback.
"Take Machi, Nobunaga, Feitan, and Phinks with you," Chrollo ordered. "The rest will stay with me as a backup unit."
"You think Ronin is planning an ambush at Southernpiece?" Shalnark asked.
"Better safe than sorry. Also, Isley," Chrollo turned to the lean #8 member. "Be careful. The Zoldycks are definitely targeting you. If you can't figure out who hired them, give me a list of everyone who might want you dead. I'll hire another Zoldyck to kill them first."
Chrollo understood the Zoldyck family's business model: No client, no contract.
Isley let out a dry, bitter laugh. "I'll try, Boss. But you know I've offended a lot of people."
"Focus on your mistresses," Machi interjected coldly. "One of those scorned women is likely the one trying to put you in the ground."
"Hey now," Isley protested weakly. "They were all my true loves."
Machi rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
Chrollo went back to his thoughts. While he didn't remember every buyer, he remembered the biggest one.
The Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire: Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou.
Kakin was a fortress of political and supernatural secrets. Taking the eyes from a Prince wouldn't be easy.
But he would go eventually. Just not today.
By his count, including Ronin's father's eyes, 35 pairs of Scarlet Eyes existed in the known world.
Ronin had 5. Yorknew had 3. Tserriednich had 11. That left 16 pairs scattered across the globe.
Those 16 pairs were the current battlefield.
He also needed a deeper investigation into the Kurta Clan's origins.
He had to be careful; in the process of hunting these eyes, Ronin had begun to reverse the roles. The boy was now actively hunting the Phantom Troupe.
The hunter had become the prey.
Chrollo pulled out his phone. He needed outside help.
September 4th.
The biggest news in Yorknew wasn't the "death" of the Phantom Troupe, but the astronomical prices items were fetching at the auctions. People were more interested in money and "lucky finds" than missing criminals.
Ronin had a free day.
Yesterday, he had absorbed his 8th pair of Scarlet Eyes (having secured three more from local collectors through Mafia channels). His strength increased again, but a simple boost in aura capacity no longer satisfied him.
The Mangekyō was still locked.
Until he found the emotional trigger, continuing to absorb eyes only increased his total "fuel" and made his eyes feel "heavier" with power.
He suspected that once the dam broke, the payoff would be massive.
Reflecting on his fight with Uvogin, Ronin realized that the Third Raikage's signature Lightning techniques were underperforming in his hands.
The power output wasn't even close to the legendary Kage.
The reason was simple: Physical Durability.
He had the misconception that ninjas were "glass cannons." But a Kage-level Taijutsu specialist possessed a body that was essentially a biological tank.
The Third Raikage didn't just use Lightning Armor for speed; his base physical body was strong enough to wrestle the Eight-Tails into a stalemate.
Ronin realized his own body was still "too soft."
The Weighted Boulder Jutsu training was working, but he needed more. The stronger his flesh, the more power he could channel through the Lightning Style Chakra Mode without tearing himself apart.
Then there was his recovery.
Being an Enhancer gave him an elite healing factor. After the multiple clashes on September 1st, he had recovered to 80% capacity within hours thanks to Kurapika's support and his own Zetsu.
Ronin and Neon, both heavily disguised, left the hotel.
He decided to take Neon to a few public auctions. Since they were in Yorknew, they might as well see the sights.
"Just to be clear, this isn't a date," Neon said, her chin held high.
"In your dreams," Ronin retorted, giving her a flat look. "I have zero interest in a brat who hasn't hit puberty yet."
"Oh! I get it," Neon grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You like Big Sister Miria."
Ronin paused. "When did you two get so close?"
Neon looked triumphant. She didn't deny it, which was as good as an admission. "Hmph. Mind your own business!"
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