Kaizen was intrigued.
The opponent this time was someone who had returned from the Dark Continent.
Another entity, like the cursed silver coin, had been created.
Obtaining heightened consciousness through a contract sounded simple in theory—but in reality, it was far from easy. If it were, every Nen user would be doing it.
And if that were the case, the overall level of Nen mastery in the world would be on a completely different scale.
Gaining more aura through a contract undoubtedly came with strict conditions.
The world of Nen was a relatively closed circle, inaccessible to the average person.
Even within the circle, there wasn't much sharing of knowledge. You could see that from how many rookie fighters in Heavens Arena didn't even know about basics.
Though to be fair, those rookie killers hadn't truly entered the Nen circle yet.
Once someone did make it into the inner circle, they'd inevitably be exposed to the fundamentals.
The basic four principles.
Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu—and beyond that, there were advanced techniques: Gyo, En, In, Shu, Ko, Ken, and Ryu.
Kaizen had already mastered all of them.
Not just Kaizen—even members of the Phantom Troupe were obsessed with perfecting those skills.
Vows and limitations were used often, too.
If this had been just an ordinary mission, Kaizen wouldn't have cared to get involved.
For example, if someone hired him to hunt down some rare Love Sardines—he'd probably turn it down.
But this was different.
"Menchi-sama," Kaizen asked, "why did that man hire a Gourmet Hunter to look for Love Sardines?"
"According to what we got through interrogation, he claimed an evil god told him to do it," Menchi replied.
"And the evil god's purpose?" Kaizen pressed.
"Still unknown," Menchi said. "But if I had to guess, there are two possibilities. One: to destroy them. Two: to have them help spread the cursed silver coins."
Kaizen paused for a moment.
"I'm in."
He gestured at the three standing behind him.
"They're with me."
Among them, Tessia and Shizuku had sufficient strength.
Menchi wasn't especially powerful in terms of aura, but she had her specialties.
Sally's combat level was a bit lower, but her long-range support and sniping made her a valuable asset.
"Great," Menchi said. "When do we start?"
"Right now," she answered without hesitation, rising to her feet. "The boat Buhara and I arranged is already at the port."
"Alright."
Kaizen wasn't surprised by how efficient things were.
Hunters and Nen users had to move fast. Wasting time was for amateurs.
He was confident in both himself and his team.
Besides, his ties with Linne and the Zoldyck family ensured that Gourmet Paradise wouldn't dare move against him.
More importantly, Kaizen believed in his own power.
At this stage, there were few people left in the world who could truly threaten him.
And with Sumas by his side, the odds of being taken down were slim—unless the enemy was an S-rank Nen user.
Even then, Kaizen wasn't helpless.
After intense training, he'd finally reached the point where he could control Rosgel—just a little.
Not enough for full deployment, but enough to buy time.
Enough time to activate En and slip into the Sumas dimension.
If he could do that, even an S-rank wouldn't be able to touch him.
...
The group of six arrived at the port.
A small boat floated on the water, waiting.
At the bow stood a young man who waved the moment he saw Menchi and Buhara.
"This is another member of our operation—Kojiro," Menchi introduced. "Specializes in vegetable-based cuisine. When we get back, you should try his cooking—it's really something."
Kaizen gave a small nod.
Once they were on board, Menchi turned to Kojiro again.
"This is Kaizen Zoldyck," she said. "And those are his team members."
Kojiro offered a handshake with a pleasant smile.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kojiro."
Kaizen gave him a quick once-over.
He looked to be around twenty, with short pink hair and black-rimmed glasses. His whole vibe was neat and exact—probably someone with a mild case of OCD.
He was dressed in a chef's uniform.
"Buhara, let's set off."
"Right."
...
It was clear from their interactions that Menchi was in charge.
Buhara sat near the bow like a silent mountain—his weight alone could calm the sea.
Everyone else settled down near the back, cross-legged on the deck.
Menchi glanced around the group and began to explain the plan.
She pulled out a silver coin.
"This is one of the cursed silver coins created by the Fallen."
"But this one's been specially treated by Linne. I can touch it directly without being affected by the curse."
"More importantly, I can use it to sense the presence of those who've fallen—but only within a certain range."
"Our first goal is to sweep this section of the sea."
"There are other teams deployed in different directions."
"Kaizen, during the search, you and your team can just fish or relax. You don't need to move until I find something."
Kojiro opened a compartment and brought out a few fishing rods.
These rods were clearly high-end—nothing like the one Gon always carried around.
Kaizen didn't refuse. He took one and tested its weight.
Tessia and Shizuku didn't seem too interested, but Sally was.
She quietly took a seat and focused.
For a sniper, patience and observation were second nature. Fishing was practically training.
...
The boat sped through the waves.
Menchi gripped the coin tightly, fully focused on her sensing.
Kaizen and Sally fished in silence. Tessia wandered the deck, taking in the view.
Even though the scenery didn't change much, Tessia looked around with intense curiosity.
Shizuku sat off to the side, watching and scribbling notes in her journal.
Suddenly—
Kaizen felt a strange tug on his rod.
Not the kind of pull you'd expect from a regular fish.
"Wait," Kojiro said quickly, seeing Kaizen about to lift it.
Kaizen froze.
Then—
"Now."
He yanked the rod upward.
A massive golden fish burst from the surface of the sea.
Menchi and Buhara both turned to look.
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)