August 7, 1998.
The journey across the Yorbian Continent took over a month on foot, but finally, Germain and Kurapika arrived at the agreed-upon port town, guided by Saiyu.
The smell of the sea drifted through the air, and carts carrying fish packed with ice passed by Germain and Kurapika.
Saiyu told them to wait nearby and quickly left.
The streets were crowded with people buying and selling fish, everyone busy with their own tasks. Vendors shouted over each other, trying to attract more customers.
Germain quietly pulled out his phone, sent a message to the "Stage Coach Group" to let them know he was safe, and then sent another text message to someone else.
What impact those two messages would have in the future, he wasn't sure.
Kurapika stood beside him, holding a suitcase.
Just half a month ago, Kurapika had been carrying the "Scarlet Eyes Container," carefully wrapped in thick cloth, almost like a birdcage.
However, given the long journey and the inconvenience of carrying the "Scarlet Eyes," Germain helped Kurapika store it at a branch of the Hunter Association.
Wing and Zushi would retrieve the "Scarlet Eyes" from the branch and take them back to the mansion base. After that, the master and apprentice would leave the base and begin their journey.
If Germain's guess was correct, their destination was likely the Heavens Arena, where Zushi would undergo a new round of training.
Thanks to Kurapika's encouragement, Zushi's Nen training had progressed faster than in the original timeline, and he would likely reach the 200th floor sooner.
As for Kurapika, there was no chance he would neglect his own training.
Whenever they were in a safe place, Kurapika would start practicing, even in the middle of the street. He had his own methods.
Under Germain's guidance, Kurapika had nearly mastered the "Four Major Principles," the "Ring Finger Dowsing Chain," the "Middle Finger Chain Jail," and the "Thumb Finger Holy Chain."
He could now conjure his "chain" and wrap it around his hand with stability, making it appear like a real chain to outsiders.
This disguise worked to Kurapika's advantage, as it made it harder for enemies to figure out which Nen category he belonged to.
Still, Kurapika wouldn't use his chain abilities in public.
Instead, he would use "En" to detect his surroundings and "Ren" to channel his aura, sticking to the basics of his training.
Germain often said that this practice was essential. It had to become second nature, like blinking or breathing, so that in battle, one could always be a step ahead of the opponent.
Kurapika agreed.
Although he wasn't very skilled right now, he knew that sooner or later, he would reach the level Germain demanded.
After a short while, Saiyu, who had been away for about 15 minutes, returned.
"Let's go. I've checked the area, and there's no problem. Everything is set. We can leave once we arrive."
With that, Germain and Kurapika followed Saiyu through narrow alleys, making their way into isolated corners, until they finally reached a deserted seaside.
Not far away stood an old port, overgrown with weeds and vines. Trash littered the area.
A group of people in casual clothing was scattered around the old port. They had been keeping a close watch on their surroundings, but when Germain's group arrived, their attention shifted toward them.
Their hands were in their pockets, leading Germain to suspect they were carrying guns.
Behind them, a small cargo ship with a rusted hull was docked at the shore. It was loaded with wooden crates, and the flag of the Kakin Empire flew from its mast.
"This is an abandoned port," Saiyu explained. "The people who are picking us up loaded the goods here and chose this spot to wait for us."
Germain nodded and studied the people who had come to receive them. It was said that they were part of one of the three major Mafia families in the Kakin Empire.
Recently, any transportation operation involving the "Ten Dons" had members of the Mafia guarding it. To avoid complications, Saiyu had enlisted the help of the Kakin Empire Mafia.
Saiyu had a lot of connections in this area, more so than Beyond or Pariston.
Under the watchful eyes of the Mafia members, Germain and the others quickly boarded the cargo ship.
Saiyu greeted the captain, who then ordered all the Mafia members to board the ship.
After a while, the cargo ship slowly departed from the abandoned port.
Germain and Kurapika shared a room, while Saiyu was in the next one.
They would spend a week on the ship, waiting for it to sail diagonally across the ocean to reach the Kakin Empire.
At first, the voyage was quite uncomfortable. Kurapika vomited several times, but eventually, he got used to it, and walking on the deck felt like walking on solid ground.
The cargo ship didn't sail continuously but stopped at a nearby island every day for a while.
These were set routes, so the islands were usually inhabited, allowing them to refuel, get food, and occasionally buy rare items.
On the first night at sea, Saiyu revealed to Germain and Kurapika the Mafia that owned the cargo ship.
"The mafia territories across the six continents are in chaos because of you two. But it's also a problem that the 'Ten Dons' can't control these ambitious people."
"The internal conflicts are still unresolved, and external forces are spreading wildly."
"The three major mafia families in the Kakin Empire—the Xi-Yu Family, the Heil-Ly Family, and the Cha-R Family—have extended their influence beyond the Kakin Empire and have clashed with the Ten Dons."
"However, how much territory these three Kakin Mafia can actually take depends on their abilities."
"Which family is sending us to the Kakin Empire now?" Germain asked, intrigued. He sat in a chair, flipping through a book.
"Of course, it's the Xi-Yu Family," Saiyu explained after a pause. "Among the three major Mafia in Kakin, they are the easiest to cooperate with."
"As for the 'Cha-R Family,' many of their members admire the style of the 'Phantom Troupe.'"
"If you were still a member of the Phantom Troupe, you could contact them, but that's definitely not possible now."
Hearing this, Kurapika, who had been looking out the window, turned his head to listen. He knew about the feud between his teacher and the Phantom Troupe, so he wasn't surprised.
What surprised him was that the Cha-R Family both admired and hated the Phantom Troupe.
"The last one is the Heil-Ly Family." Saiyu scratched his ear with his pinky finger and relaxed with his legs crossed. "They are just a bunch of lunatics. They have no limits in what they do."
"If we team up with the Heil-Ly Family, they might suddenly attack us at any time. That's not a problem money can solve; it's just their hobby."
"The leaders of the Three Major Kakin Mafia are all 'Second Linemen,' or illegitimate children of the Kakin Empire's royal family. They are born with two scars on their faces, marked by a razor blade."
"Three princes from the royal family back them. Because of their close ties to the royal family, the Three Major Kakin Mafia have been able to grow to their current size."
"In summary, the only family we can work with right now is the Xi-Yu Family. Ah... it's already this late..."
Saiyu glanced at the wall clock, stood up from the sofa, and stretched his muscles.
"It's getting late; let's all go to bed early. This week might be a bit boring, but we'll manage. Once we reach the Kakin Empire, things will get much better."
He touched the golden hoop on his head and slowly headed back to his room.
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