Hisoka's attack on Ronin had been completely impulsive.
Honestly, even joining the team meant to hunt down the Phantom Troupe was just a whim. He'd had the luck of meeting Chrollo once before, and the leader's power had piqued his curiosity.
But Chrollo was slippery. He was always flanked by at least two other Troupe members, making a one-on-one duel nearly impossible to arrange.
Hisoka had previously hatched a plan to join the Troupe himself.
His logic was simple: if he could become one of the members assigned to protect the leader, he'd be in the perfect position to neutralize the other guard and finally get his private showdown with Chrollo.
The entry requirements were straightforward enough. If you wanted in, you killed a current member and took their spot.
Hisoka had originally set his sights on Omokage. But before he could make his move, Omokage was killed by some guy named Ronin.
He'd gotten that intel from an acquaintance within the Troupe.
That same contact had given him a directive: if he could leak Ronin's location during this operation—or better yet, kill him—she would recommend Hisoka as a new member.
Unfortunately, Hisoka hadn't found Ronin in the building.
What he had found was an incredibly tempting piece of fruit. He couldn't help himself, so he'd attacked "Kakashi," Ronin's disguise.
"Kakashi Hatake, hmm? I'll remember that name. We'll meet again," Hisoka murmured, licking his lips as he pulled out his phone.
The call connected quickly.
A low, cool female voice answered. "What? Did you find Ronin?"
"Not at all," Hisoka replied breezily.
Ahead of him, a group of armed mafia enforcers rounded the corner. They barely glanced at Hisoka, intent on rushing past him toward the commotion.
As they passed, a playing card materialized in Hisoka's hand. With a graceful, almost lazy flick, he slit their throats as they ran by.
Blood sprayed across the hallway walls. Hisoka's expression was pure delight.
"I just had such an exhilarating fight... I'm finding it hard to calm down. I think I'll use your lives to cool off," he purred, his tone dripping with sadistic pleasure.
"If you called just to show off your perverted hobbies, I suggest you go die quickly," Machi said, her voice as icy as ever.
"Since there's no news on Ronin, maybe I should challenge a current member instead? Who do you recommend? Phinks? Franklin? Or maybe Feitan? They all seem like fun options."
Since Omokage was already dead, he'd just have to pick someone else.
As for hunting Ronin? He wasn't particularly interested.
Not because he didn't want to fight Ronin—on the contrary—but because he figured it wouldn't be hard to find him later. Once the Phantom Troupe stopped chasing him, Ronin would likely return to Heaven's Arena. Hisoka could easily find a chance to fight him on the 200th floor.
He'd seen the promotional material. Ronin enjoyed the arena atmosphere; he liked fighting under the lights with an audience watching.
More importantly, Hisoka had watched videos of Ronin's fight with Uvogin. He saw a shadow of himself in that man.
It gave him an idea. Maybe he didn't even need to issue a formal challenge. If he just found Ronin and showed off a bit of his own strength, the fight would happen naturally.
Although Ronin used Specialist-type abilities, Hisoka's analysis pegged him as a simpler creature: a combat-loving, straightforward Enhancer at heart.
The fact that such a straightforward guy had managed to outmaneuver the Phantom Troupe was purely due to the versatility of his abilities.
However, based on the data he'd gathered, Ronin's moves after leaving Heaven's Arena had become much smarter. More calculated.
He likely had a partner helping him now.
If the Phantom Troupe really wanted to take Ronin down, they'd be smart to target the people around him first. Strip away the strategist, and with Chrollo and Shalnark's intellect, trapping Ronin would be child's play.
"You have a death wish," Machi replied curtly.
Hearing that only made Hisoka's smile wider.
"I heard Uvogin is dead, too. That leaves two empty spots. I think I'm qualified to fill one," Hisoka said, his words designed to spike her blood pressure.
But as soon as the sentence left his mouth, the line went dead. She hung up.
Omokage had some utility, but not much. Uvogin was pure muscle. Hisoka was confident he could fill both roles perfectly.
Hopefully, Machi won't let her personal feelings get in the way of business.
A text notification chimed. Hisoka opened it. It was from Machi. Just one question.
Why do you want to join the Troupe?
Hisoka hesitated for a moment, then typed out his reply: I want to challenge Chrollo.
Go to hell. came the reply, two seconds later.
Hisoka sighed and scrolled through his contacts. If he really couldn't get into the Troupe, maybe he should consider teaming up with Ronin.
If they cut off all the spider's legs, he'd eventually get his shot at the head.
But how to contact Ronin?
Hisoka stopped scrolling when he landed on a name: Illumi.
"I need the contact info for Millia, the manager at Heaven's Arena," Hisoka said the moment the call connected, skipping the pleasantries.
"I can get it. But you have to come to the Ajen Continent on the 17th. I have a job," Illumi's voice was devoid of emotion.
Hisoka rubbed his temple. "That's so far away... Fine."
"Wait a second. Also, transfer 500,000 Jenny to my account. Intelligence fee. No credit," Illumi added, then hung up before Hisoka could argue.
Less than three minutes after the transfer went through, a number appeared on Hisoka's screen.
---
After separating from Hisoka, Ronin took a different route straight to the roof of the skyscraper.
During the fight, he had noticed something strange.
It felt like more than one person had scanned them with En. But when he traced the sensation back, he could only detect Zeno Zoldyck's presence.
It was frustrating, not knowing who else was watching.
Standing on the roof, he checked the time. Less than ten minutes until the auction started.
The Troupe should be making their move any second now.
Ronin formed a cross seal with his fingers. Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Four clones popped into existence. They immediately used the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of Kakashi Hatake, then scattered, heading back down into the building.
Just then, Ronin's phone rang. The caller ID showed Millia.
Ronin picked up. "Hello? Calling me at this hour? Something wrong?"
"Yeah. Someone contacted me wanting to collaborate with you," Millia said efficiently. "I'll give you the number. Whether you work with him or not is up to you."
"Name?" Ronin asked.
"Hisoka."
Ronin paused, genuinely surprised. He had literally just parted ways with the clown. And now, this guy—who was actively trying to join the Phantom Troupe—was going through Millia to ask for a team-up?
Is he trying to scam me for intel to sell to the Spiders?