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I didn't expect to encounter Wing, the man who would later teach Gon and Killua the art of Nen.
However, Wing's strength isn't particularly remarkable. Even three years later, he still isn't considered a first-class Nen user!
Not to mention now. At this point, Wing is only slightly stronger than a beginner—a skilled Nen user, at best.
"Shall we begin?" Kite asked.
Rocky shook his head. "It's not the right time yet."
The battle had just begun, and the Phantom Troupe had only deployed two members. Yet, those two alone were enough to overwhelm their opponents.
This was the power of Nen. Of course, if the soldiers from the two battalions were fully equipped and able to spread out across open terrain, the Nen users might have struggled. Sure, they could block bullets, but could they withstand rockets?
Closing the distance under heavy fire would have been nearly impossible, let alone inflicting damage on the army.
But in this confined terrain, where the army couldn't deploy effectively, visibility was poor, and even shooting was difficult, the Nen users had free rein to slaughter their enemies.
This was urban warfare—no, something even more terrifying.
"Someone's made their move!" Kite suddenly exclaimed.
The two remaining combat helicopters in the sky were swiftly taken down by Franklin. His dual machine guns roared to life, but his initial barrage was a surprise attack, so his first priority had been defense.
Now, however, his position was exposed.
Suddenly, a barrage of baseball-sized energy bullets rained down on Franklin's location.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
A series of explosions erupted, momentarily suppressing Franklin's assault.
"What incredible power! The shooter must also be an Emitter, and their ability is on par with Franklin's!"
Though the attacks were powerful, they lacked the speed of Franklin's machine guns. In the next instant, Franklin burst through the smoke, one arm firing relentlessly toward the source of the attack while the other continued to unleash a storm of bullets at the remaining helicopter.
While the helicopter wasn't completely destroyed, its engine had been pierced, and its power was rapidly diminishing.
This was the skill of a first-rate Nen user. Though briefly suppressed, Franklin quickly regained control, locking onto his opponent's position and striking back with precision.
From the exchange of energy bullets, it was clear Franklin had the upper hand. While it took five or six of his bullets to neutralize one of his opponent's, his attack frequency was absurdly high.
"It seems the hired professional Hunter still can't fully suppress him," Kite remarked with a sigh. Such a powerful Nen user, reduced to a thief.
"Don't worry. There are more players on the field," Rocky said with a smile.
As Franklin and his opponent clashed, Kite noticed a group of ghostly figures closing in on Franklin with alarming speed.
Was this the work of a Manipulator? Or perhaps another ability of the Emitter who had just attacked?
While Franklin was busy suppressing his opponent, two green streaks shot out from the forest on either side, lunging directly at him.
Franklin dodged the attack and glanced at the strange projectiles as they flew past. They looked like jelly—or something similar. Marshmallows, perhaps?
*Plop... plop...*
The projectiles struck a tree, emitting a sickening sizzle as the wood began to decay.
'No! Those things are highly corrosive!'
'A Manipulator's ability!'
But the Manipulator weren't limited to the enemy's side. Shalnark was already at work, manipulating the soldiers and turning them against each other.
Meanwhile, Machi, Feitan, and the others had plunged into the fray.
*Boom!*
With a deafening crash, Phinks executed a devastating move, slamming an armored vehicle into the ground and leaving a massive dent in its hull.
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Two punches!
The armored vehicle's door was instantly deformed. Phinks grabbed the iron door and, with a powerful tug, ripped it off entirely.
But before he could even peer inside, a fist came flying toward him.
Caught off guard, Phinks had no choice but to focus all his Nen into defense. The next moment, he was blasted backward like a cannonball, skidding across the ground before coming to a stop.
The sheer force of the blow made Shalnark and Feitan, who were busy fending off the army, snap their heads in Phinks' direction.
"What incredible power. Is it an Enhancer?" Shalnark speculated.
Feitan let out a cold snort and charged toward the vehicle. That particular car had the thickest armor of the entire convoy, indicating it was carrying someone of high importance—even if it wasn't Water Glass.
If anything, this made it an even higher-priority target.
As Feitan closed in, a massive shadow loomed over him, stopping him in his tracks.
Looking up, his sharp eyes narrowed.
A colossal fist came crashing down on him.
**Bang!**
Feitan was sent flying, spinning wildly through the air before slamming into the ground five or six meters away. A thin trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he staggered to his feet.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, his expression turned grim.
"Good reflexes," said a deep yet distinctly feminine voice. "You managed to focus all your Nen in time to block the attack. Otherwise, you'd already be out cold."
Feitan's eyes narrowed further, now fixated on the speaker.
Meanwhile, Rocky, watching from a distance, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
**Biscuit.**
So, that's why Wing was here.
But why in the world was Biscuit—of all people—present in such a place?
"She's not a bounty hunter... right? Could money really be the reason she's here? No, that's not her style," Rocky muttered to himself.
Hunters were notoriously unpredictable. Rarely did they act purely for money; their motivations were often dictated by personal whims or interests.
But with Biscuit now entering the battlefield, things had just become far more intriguing.
Rocky's gaze lingered on her, noting her characteristic appearance and the boldness with which she stepped into the fray.
Still, the timing seemed perfect for Rocky to make his move. Even if the Phantom Troupe noticed him, they likely wouldn't have the bandwidth to deal with him immediately.
Just as Rocky began preparing to act, the situation shifted again.
---
Suddenly, a helicopter hovered ten meters above the ground, and several figures leapt onto it. Biscuit followed suit, effortlessly jumping aboard, while Wing was ushered onto the aircraft as well.
"They're retreating?" Rocky murmured, his eyes narrowing.
But this wasn't a retreat. It was a strategic extraction—evacuating Water Glass first to secure her safety.
However, taking to the skies in a helicopter... wasn't that just inviting trouble?
**Da-da-da-da!**
Franklin fired relentlessly, his massive hands unleashing a storm of Nen bullets.
Before the bullets could make contact, another figure appeared—slight in build but with an air of confidence.
With one hand gripping the helicopter, the figure infused the entire aircraft with Nen.
The bullets, which should have shredded the helicopter, ricocheted harmlessly off its newly reinforced surface.
Sparks flew as the bullets deflected, lighting up the sky.
---
Watching from the forest, Kite's jaw dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me! They blocked Franklin's Nen bullets with... Shu?"
Rocky frowned, shaking his head.
"It's not Shu. It's a Nen ability. That person must be an Enhancer with the ability to imbue objects with their Nen, reinforcing them to an absurd degree."
"An Enhancer?" Kite echoed, furrowing his brow.
Rocky nodded. "It makes sense. There's no way mere mastery of Shu could block Franklin's telekinetic bullets at this level. The aura required for such a feat would be completely unreasonable otherwise."
Kite stared at the scene, his expression a mix of awe and disbelief.
---
"Look!" Kite pointed toward the ground.
Following his direction, Rocky spotted Chrollo leading a group of Phantom Troupe members in pursuit of the helicopter. Seven of them followed closely behind, their movements precise and coordinated.
The remaining members stayed behind, likely assessing the situation.
And for good reason—two Hunters hadn't boarded the helicopter.
One, an Emitter, was still locked in combat with Franklin.
The other? A Manipulator.
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