When Leorio heard the name, he leaned over immediately, his eyes widening as he spotted the photo.
"Huh?! Isn't this Ronnel?!"
Leorio's shout was instinctive, but he clamped his hand over his mouth as if realizing his mistake a second too late.
This idiot!
Killua threw a sharp glare in Leorio's direction. This guy was all over the place, especially since that second half of the Hunter Exam!
Leorio noticed the attention he'd drawn, a guilty expression crossing his face. The people around them were now staring with curious eyes, some even smirking in a way that looked anything but friendly.
"Did you just mention someone here? Do you know them, or are you working together?"
A large, grinning man stepped in front of Leorio and his friends, blocking their path. Others in the crowd subtly shifted, closing in around them.
The buzz of the crowd began to hush, replaced by greedy, hungry stares directed at Leorio.
Two billion Jenny! That could set me up for life…
No one would let go of a single clue!
"This might get complicated…" A bead of sweat trickled down Leorio's forehead, his hand rising to adjust his glasses as he spoke with a hint of exasperation.
But that wasn't fear—just annoyance. With barely any Nen users around, they could handle themselves easily. Breaking out was no issue, it was shaking off these vultures afterward that was going to be the problem.
Leorio fought the urge to smack himself. What now?
His expression grew determined as he pushed his glasses up further. "Guess I don't have a choice."
He sighed, his fists enveloped in a soft aura of Nen. Killua and Gon quickly followed, sliding into their stances, ready for the fight.
"Oh? So you're going to resist, huh?" The burly man sneered as he took a step forward, his large frame casting a shadow over them.
"If there's money to be made, why keep it to yourself?" he taunted, trying to intimidate them with his words and his size.
However—
Boom!
A loud explosion rang out, and a smoking crater appeared in front of the man, halting his steps mid-sentence. His eyes went wide with shock as he stared at the smoldering hole in disbelief.
"It's a bomb! And a powerful one!" Killua's pupils contracted, his sense of danger spiking.
"There's a strong Nen user here!" Leorio and Gon instantly heightened their guard, their Nen flowing outward.
The tension swept through the onlookers as well, some of whom visibly paled, their gazes darting nervously.
Everyone could feel it—the ominous, predatory intent radiating through the air, sending a chill down their spines. It felt as though they were being watched by something monstrous.
The strong man's expression twisted with fear as beads of cold sweat trickled down his face.
"These three are mine. Leave now."
The voice was calm yet laced with authority. No one dared object. One by one, they took their chance to escape, the strong man leading the charge and knocking a few people out of his way in his panic.
Gon and his friends tried to slip away too, but their path was blocked by a figure clad in dark, concealing clothing. The man held a revolver, and they knew instantly they wouldn't get away that easily.
When the dust settled, only the four of them remained.
"The aura around him isn't as intense as Hisoka's or Nobunaga's, but he's still far beyond us," Killua muttered, his mind racing.
This "Kay Taylor" in front of them was like a puppet Ronnel had crafted—a construct with only a fraction of Ronnel's full strength. But even at that level, he easily outmatched typical Nen users, let alone Gon and Killua, who hadn't yet mastered Nen.
As for Leorio, he hadn't even reached the basics of Ten yet.
The man with the revolver spoke, his voice low. "You know a guy named Ronnel?"
Gon and his friends tensed, their hearts pounding.
"Uh, yes," Gon replied, gathering his courage. "Do you know Ronnel too?"
The puppet chuckled in a raspy tone. "Know him? More than you can imagine."
On the outskirts of Meteor City, the criminal underground was buzzing with rumors.
Shalnark had managed to pull together disguises for Ronnel and the others before heading toward the Nosra estate. Now, a group of six hurried along Meteor City's streets.
They were stopped by Phinks as they reached the gates.
"You guys are late," he muttered, nodding toward the building. "Your shopping is inside."
The Nostrade family's head bodyguard, Dalzollene, greeted them at the entrance. He looked relieved, a small smile breaking through his otherwise stern expression.
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Phinks muttered, voice low.
Shalnark exchanged glances with Machi and the others. They observed the surroundings carefully.
"So far, there's no sign of an ambush. Could the fortune-teller have missed the part about us arriving?"
With that thought, Dalzollene led them deeper into the estate, finally stopping at the room where Uvogin was being held.
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