Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all advance chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
───────────────────────────
Chapter 71: September 3rd
September 3rd.
News of a certain rumor had somehow begun to circulate throughout Yorknew City.
The rumor concerned the game Greed Island. It was said that within the game, there existed an ability that could restore a person's youth.
Ronin saw the information online from his hotel suite. However, he had little interest in it. Or rather, he had little interest in Greed Island as a whole.
If there was anything in the game that appealed to him, it would only be the monsters roaming the wilderness. They were excellent tools for training one's abilities. Unfortunately, he had already passed the stage where such weaklings could serve as effective training partners. They would, however, be perfect for Kurapika and Neon to hone their combat techniques.
As for the cards and items within the game, Ronin couldn't think of anything worth fighting for—certainly nothing he felt compelled to bring back to the real world.
He yawned.
Fusing the two pairs of Sharingan had not immediately granted him the Mangekyou Sharingan. Although he had a gut feeling that he should be able to awaken it, every attempt felt like it was missing a crucial component.
It seemed that awakening the Mangekyou required more than just fusing enough eyes; it required a specific catalyst.
Ronin recalled the conditions for awakening the Mangekyou in the manga: the Three Tomoe Sharingan had to be stimulated by special chakra generated from intense negative emotions. If he had to strictly follow that rule, did it mean he needed to witness the death of someone close to him?
Ronin scratched his head, feeling irritable.
If the awakening method really mirrored the manga, did that imply the side effects would also carry over? Would prolonged use of the Mangekyou eventually lead to blindness?
Then again, the activation of the Scarlet Eyes also relied on emotional stimulation. Perhaps the evolution of the Scarlet Eyes to a deeper level required even more intense emotions? Just like how the Phantom Troupe slaughtered the Kurta Clan to induce peak emotional agitation, harvesting the eyes when they were at their most brilliant shade of scarlet.
Information regarding Pairo, which he had obtained when buying the Scarlet Eyes from Wesley, made Ronin lean toward this hypothesis.
Ronin planned to acquire the pair of Scarlet Eyes going up for bid at the Southern Piece auction as well.
Once he had them, he would have two choices.
One: Keep them in reserve and continue fusing them only after he naturally awakened the Mangekyou.
Two: Fuse them immediately and see if a quantitative change could trigger a qualitative transformation.
Ronin leaned toward the second option. Even if it didn't trigger a qualitative change, fusing the Scarlet Eyes would still boost his total aura capacity.
He had already obtained the Southern Piece auction catalog; the Scarlet Eyes were scheduled for the 5th.
Money wasn't an issue. Even though he hadn't been competing in Heaven's Arena for a few months, his funds had continued to grow thanks to Milia's operations. By now, his assets exceeded ten billion Jenny.
Ronin could only say that Milia truly lived up to her reputation as a Gold Medal Agent.
"Milia asked if you need any Nen," Kurapika asked, tossing a can of soda to Ronin.
"Not for now," Ronin said, cracking the can open. "But you guys should rent some from her. It's quite useful."
"If we can't separate the Troupe members, attacking them is too dangerous. Even with your Four Violet Flames Formation to divide the battlefield, the risk is too high," Kurapika sighed. "Under these circumstances, the best course of action is to use the traps I've already set to see if an opportunity presents itself."
"Fair enough," Ronin agreed.
A diamond-shaped mark had appeared on his forehead—the seal left behind after performing the Yin Seal.
The principle of the Yin Seal was simple: constantly compress and store chakra into the seal on the forehead during daily life. When that stored chakra was needed, the user could release the seal to access the reserves. Combined with Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Technique and Creation Rebirth, it allowed for high-speed regeneration and enhanced strength in combat.
Furthermore, a skilled user could utilize the low-output micro-regulation of the chakra within the seal to maintain a youthful appearance and keep their body's physical functions in their prime.
Ronin hadn't been using the Yin Seal for long, so the amount of chakra stored was negligible. It was far too early to rely on its explosive power.
Right now, the Phantom Troupe was moving as a tight unit. Even if Ronin used special means to kill a few of them, a direct confrontation would put him in grave danger. It wasn't worth the risk.
Besides, ever since he killed Uvogin, the ones who should be anxious were the Phantom Troupe.
Tonight might present another opportunity. The Ten Dons had spent a fortune to hire assassins from the Zoldyck family.
Aside from completing the tasks Kurapika had assigned him, Ronin planned to head over and see if he could pick off any stragglers. He wouldn't force it, but he wouldn't mind stealing a kill if the chance arose.
He was also curious if Chrollo would hire the Zoldycks again, just like the Ten Dons had. If Chrollo thought he could stop the attacks on the Troupe by killing the Ten Dons (and thus ending the contract with one half of the Zoldycks), he was in for a disappointment.
Because Raymond absolutely would not die.
After all, the current "Raymond" was just one of Ronin's Shadow Clones. Even if he were "killed," Ronin could simply create a second one.
By 7:00 PM, a large number of Mafia members had gathered at the Cemetery Building. Every member was armed, and every vehicle arriving at the building underwent a strict inspection.
Meanwhile, in a room on the upper floors of the building, Ronin had already appeared, using the Transformation Technique to disguise himself as Kakashi Hatake.
Silver-white hair, a mask covering the lower half of his face, and a short sword strapped to his back. He wore the attire of a mercenary.
There were several others in the room.
There was Silva Zoldyck, who, like Ronin's "Kakashi," had long silver hair, and Zeno Zoldyck, who also sported silver hair. Their presence mirrored the situation during the Yorknew auction in the manga.
However, among the other four people present, there was one figure who surprised Ronin.
The man had a teardrop and a star painted on his face like a circus clown. His fiery red hair was styled to sweep backward, and his midriff-baring top featured a club and spade on the front, with a heart and diamond on the back. A pink sash cinched his waist, and he wore white trousers paired with black shoes that curled at the tips.
Hisoka.
Ronin recognized him instantly. Since Ronin had killed Omokage, Hisoka hadn't joined the Phantom Troupe in this timeline yet. Still, seeing him here was unexpected.
As for the remaining three Nen users: one was a young man with a copious amount of tattoos and a Mohawk, looking more like a street thug than an assassin. Another was a middle-aged man in a repairman's uniform, a wrench in his pocket, looking ready to fix a broken car or a leaky pipe at a moment's notice.
Finally, there was a beautiful young woman with long, wavy red hair and a sexy beauty mark under her left eye. She wore a tracksuit, looking as if she were ready for a night run, yet her makeup suggested she was heading to a nightclub.
None of them were ordinary. At the very least, judging by their Ten, they felt stronger than the Shadow Beasts Ronin had encountered previously.
───────────────────────────
Support this fanfic by leaving positive reviews, comments, and Power Stones!
For advance chapters, visit:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations