Ronin just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Raymond held one of the highest positions in the underworld. He even had Nen users working directly under him. So why hadn't he ever bothered to learn about the power himself? Or at least tried to master it?
If he had, maybe he wouldn't have died today without even knowing what killed him.
Ronin crossed his fingers in a signature seal. Poof. A Shadow Clone appeared, instantly using the Transformation Jutsu to take on Raymond's appearance.
The clone walked over to Raymond's corpse, unholstered the gun from the dead man's waist, and casually put a bullet into the head of the Mole—who was currently writhing on the floor, trapped in a Sharingan-induced genjutsu. The struggle stopped immediately.
The clone took the earpiece from the original Ronin, put it on, and headed for the door.
At that exact moment, the heavy door was kicked open by mob enforcers who had heard the gunshot.
A squad of armed men burst into the room. All they saw was a charred, unrecognizable body on the floor and the Mole with a fresh bullet hole in his head.
The charred corpse was arguably Raymond's, but before the mob broke in, the original Ronin had hit it with a Great Fireball Jutsu to make identification impossible.
Now, according to the narrative in the room, the charred body was the assassin who had killed the Mole.
"Get this trash out of here," the Shadow Clone—now perfectly mimicking Raymond—ordered with a stone-cold face. He ignored them, walked over to the minibar, and poured himself a glass of cola.
Meanwhile, the real Ronin had already slipped out and was scaling the exterior of the hotel, heading for the roof.
Kurapika and Neon were waiting for him there.
Kurapika was wearing an earpiece, keeping him in constant contact with the Shadow Clone downstairs.
"My Puppet Master Jutsu requires me to be too close to the target. The Shadow Clone combined with Transformation is way more convenient," Ronin said, flashing an 'OK' sign as he landed. "The only downside is the time limit. But once I get you two inside, taking over the operation should be smooth sailing."
shortly after, the real Ronin escorted Kurapika and Neon into Room 1801.
Raymond's status in the mafia was absolute. His word was law; no one dared to question him. Using Raymond's identity, backed by the terrifying strength of Ronin's team, controlling this branch of the mob wasn't hard—it just took a little time.
And Ronin didn't have to lift a finger for the logistics. He left all of that to Kurapika.
"I'm going to need some professional support," Kurapika said, pulling out a business card.
Ronin recognized the name immediately. It was his top-tier agent from Heaven's Arena, Millia.
During his months of training, Ronin had made a quick trip back to Heaven's Arena. The 200th floor had a strict rule: fighters had a ninety-day prep period. If you didn't fight within that window, you were disqualified.
Ronin had snuck back, finished a match within two days, and left. It was so fast that there wasn't any major publicity, which kept the Phantom Troupe from catching his scent.
He had a standing agreement with Millia: if he ever actually managed to seize control of the Ten Dons' operations, she would provide technical support. Her influence within the Arena was massive, and her network was extensive. Helping Kurapika manage a mob faction was well within her capabilities.
With the heavy lifting delegated, Ronin kicked back on the sofa like a retiree, playing video games with Neon.
It was 5:30 PM. His training for the day was done. It was relaxation time.
"So, speaking of the schedule," Ronin asked, eyes glued to the screen as he mashed buttons. "There's another underground auction tomorrow night, right? The catalog lists another pair of Scarlet Eyes. What's the play?"
"We're moving them early," Kurapika said calmly. "I need you to take Owl and handle it."
"I helped too, you know!" Neon chimed in, looking proud.
As soon as Kurapika took over Raymond's role, he pulled the files of every high-ranking mobster scheduled to attend the auction and gave them to Neon.
She told their fortunes.
Without exception, the prophecies were grim: anyone who attended the auction tomorrow night was destined to die.
Using that intel, "Raymond" contacted the Ten Dons and demanded that the auction items be transferred immediately for safety.
"Right now?" Ronin tossed the controller aside and stood up.
"Yeah. Bring back both pairs of Scarlet Eyes in one go," Kurapika said.
The authority of the Ten Dons was convenient. Since it was just two pairs of eyes, "Raymond" had the clearance to pull them from the lot. They wouldn't even give the auctioneers a chance to put them on the block.
"Got it. I'm heading out." Ronin walked to the window.
"Be careful. The Troupe might be scouting the location early. They did hit the auction house last night, after all," Kurapika warned. "And don't fly this time. I've arranged a car. Go with the mob escorts."
Ronin nodded. He understood Kurapika's logic instantly.
Owl's ability hadn't been exposed to the public yet. If Ronin went in disguised as Owl, entered the building via official channels, and left via official channels, the Phantom Troupe—even if they were watching—would have no idea the merchandise had been moved.
The auction was still scheduled to take place at the Cemetery Building tomorrow.
It was essentially the Ten Dons provoking the Spiders: Come and try to rob us again if you dare.
Little did anyone know, the people who actually robbed the vault the first time weren't the Spiders at all. It was Ronin.
Ronin took the elevator down to the parking garage. The car and a team of bodyguards were already waiting.
The convoy drove smoothly into the Cemetery Building's underground lot. Ronin, transformed into the Shadow Beast Owl—complete with the hunch and the strange demeanor—strolled arrogantly into the vault.
The new batch of treasures had just been restocked.
He released the real Owl from his captivity (or perhaps used his ability directly—the method was seamless).
A large cloth—the Fun Fun Cloth—swept through the room, shrinking and wrapping up every single treasure in the vault except for the Scarlet Eyes.
Ronin stuffed the shrunken bundle into his pocket. Then, he carefully picked up the two pairs of Scarlet Eyes and secured them separately.
He turned and walked out.
The guards stationed outside the vault had no clue what had just happened inside. All they knew was that a man in round sunglasses and flip-flops had gone in, and then the vault was sealed tight, with strict orders not to open it until the auction began.
Watching the Cemetery Building from the outside were Shalnark, Kortopi, and Bonolenov.
Bonolenov had actually infiltrated the building earlier in disguise, pasting up dozens of promotional posters that Kortopi had conjured.
These weren't just posters; they acted as Kortopi's eyes. He could extend his En through the copies, allowing him to sense everything happening near them.
He had plastered them heavily around the vault area.
But as Ronin walked out and the car drove away, Kortopi sat outside the building, frowning. He hadn't sensed a thing.