Just as night fell, Allen arrived alone at the agreed-upon meeting spot, an unassuming little roadside restaurant. He ordered some food and a drink that suited his taste, then leisurely ate while waiting for his guest.
Of course, while eating and waiting, he politely turned down several beautiful "big sisters" who tried to approach him.
Are you kidding? Who dares to pursue a heterosexual relationship in the world of Hunter x Hunter? Do they have a death wish? Haven't you seen how Pokkle and Ponzu died miserably right after connecting, their corpses even being eaten clean?
The same fate befell the Chimera Ant King Meruem and Komugi, who had just developed a nascent affection, as well as Squala, the Nostrade Family bodyguard who raised dogs, and his maid lover, and the governess who cared for Alluka when she was young and her boyfriend...
In the Greed Island arc, the multi-millionaire Battera also ended up bankrupt and losing his mind after finding his so-called "true love"—his young, beautiful girlfriend instantly became a vegetable, and he couldn't save her.
What's more, there's a line in the earliest anime theme song, "Ohayou" (Good Morning): "I want to walk arm in arm with you, hold hands, be lovers or friends." This isn't a hint; it's a direct statement! Yaoi and fujoshi tropes are fine! But all heterosexuals must die!
If the author's own marriage wasn't relatively happy, Allen would suspect that the old rogue was traumatized in real life, making him so hateful of the sickening sweetness of romance that he had to kill off every couple in his work, each meeting a more terrible end than the last.
Just as he was mentally complaining about the old rogue's various grievances and dissatisfactions, Cheadle Yorkshire, clad in a robe, finally pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a silver briefcase.
"Over here!" Allen turned sideways, showing half his head, and waved his hand.
Cheadle sat down directly in the chair opposite him without a word, immediately adopting the same serious expression as last time. "I hear you recently wiped out the entire Phantom Troupe?"
"Yes, got a problem?" Allen countered dismissively.
"It's a huge problem! Do you know the significance of the Phantom Troupe's existence? Do you know whose orders they take and whom they serve?" Cheadle's tone carried a strong air of lecturing.
"Does that have anything to do with eliminating them? I'm a Bounty Hunter. Anyone with a warrant and a bounty on the Hunter website is my target. What do their complex relationships and interests behind the scenes have to do with me? Don't forget, they were the ones violating order and law, not me." Allen chuckled, raising his cup for a sip of his hot drink.
Hearing this, Cheadle immediately rolled her eyes irritably: "You are just as unreasonable as certain others!"
"It's not that I'm unreasonable, it's that I'm firmly standing on the side of the law and order of human society. No matter how much the people behind the Phantom Troupe hate me, they can only hold their noses and swallow the bitter pill. Because I represent light and justice in this matter, while they represent filth, darkness, compromise, and corruption. Once that fig leaf is lifted, I think many people will fall with it," Allen retorted pointedly.
"So... you knew the Phantom Troupe weren't just a group of ordinary thieves?" Cheadle raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Allen nodded slightly: "Ah, I knew. It's easy to draw that conclusion if you investigate the flow of funds and the purpose of Chrollo's full-member assemblies. But the problem is, that's not an excuse or reason for their wanton destruction and indiscriminate killing. I hate the Phantom Troupe, and I despise the distorted, pathological values they adhere to, so I decided to personally wipe them all out. That reason isn't hard to understand, is it?"
"You truly are a headstrong individual. I'm starting to understand why Chairman Netero is so interested in you. It's because you two are one and the same kind of person," Chid lamented, pressing her hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"No, you're wrong. It's not just the Chairman and me; all the most elite Nen users are the same. Because without a strong inner self and unwavering will, it's impossible to develop powerful Nen. Believing you can achieve ultimate victory, no matter how terrifying or dangerous the enemy, is the basic quality an excellent Hunter should possess," Allen stated bluntly, sharing his perspective and understanding of Nen.
Although the field of Nen ability includes amplifiers like Vows and Limitations and even the Post-Mortem Nen that can instantly increase power several times, dozens of times, or even a hundredfold, not everyone qualifies to use them.
Take Vows and Limitations, for example. Simply put, it means setting rules and paying a price to gain a stronger Nen ability. The stricter the rule and the greater the price, the more terrifying the Nen amplification becomes, but one must possess the corresponding resolve.
For instance, Kurapika's two strongest abilities: one, the Chain Jail, can only be used on the Phantom Troupe, or he will die; the other is Emperor Time when his Scarlet Eyes are active, which consumes a huge amount of lifespan with every activation. All of this was born from an intense hatred for the Troupe, virtually staking his entire life.
Especially the latter ability: if Allen, who possesses tens of thousands of years of lifespan, were to make the same vow, it definitely wouldn't generate the same powerful effect. Because he knows how long he lives, he wouldn't have the same resolve equivalent to staking his entire existence.
The same logic applies to Post-Mortem Nen. When facing danger and death, the first reactions in most people's minds are fear, despair, or the thought of running away. Only a tiny minority who break free of biological instinct and possess an intense obsession that transcends the boundary of life and death are qualified to use it. And these people either hold a noble ideal or wish they genuinely believe in, or they care about a person or matter far more than they care about themselves.
How many people in reality can actually achieve this? In the entire Hunter x Hunter anime, only two people, Kurapika and Gon, gained power beyond the normal range through Vows and Limitations. And both paid the price of their future development potential and exceptional talent (the kind that appears once in a million people): the former limiting his strongest power only to the Phantom Troupe, and the latter limiting his power only to defeating Neferpitou.
If this were applied to ordinary people, even with similar resolve, without the same talent and potential, they still couldn't unleash such incredible power. Because they don't have that much price to pay!
This can be seen in Netero's duel with the Chimera Ant King. The aging Chairman had nothing left to pay as a price to make his Nen surpass the Ant King, ultimately willingly admitting his failure and choosing to detonate the Rose to drag his opponent to hell with him.
Ordinary Nen users like Franklin only modify their fingers into gun barrels, paying a small price for a slight increase in their Nen ability's effect.
Therefore, talent, willpower, and resolve are truly crucial. It could even be said that, besides Aura Capacity, they are the most important metrics directly determining a Nen user's strength. Other factors like experience, environment, intelligence, tactics, and information are all secondary.
Allen understood this, which is why he already had the corresponding resolve when he created the Red Dragon. The phrase "staking all my Nen" wasn't said casually or for show. Once uttered, it meant that if he lost, he would instantly lose everything related to Nen, and his opponent would gain everything, including the Red Dragon.
Either keep getting stronger and always win. Or lose everything, including my life.
A retreat? That doesn't exist. This is the Vows and Limitations Allen imposed upon himself. This is why he gained the powerful ability to seize and consume the Nen of others.