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Chapter 77: Chrollo Sees Everything
The person below seemed to sense the danger. The chain winding toward Ronin's leg suddenly reversed direction, spinning rapidly to form a shield.
In that instant, the rock fist crashed down, slamming into the chain shield.
THUD!
A loud tremor shook the ground floor. The area where Ronin stood shattered completely.
Below, a figure was dragged back in a clumsy retreat by the towering Franklin. It was Chrollo, holding a book in one hand and a chain in the other.
But Ronin noticed something else. As he fell through the floor, another figure hurled a javelin at him with tremendous force. It was Bonolenov, his body covered in holes that played a haunting melody as he moved.
Ronin raised his rock fist to block the javelin's trajectory.
But in a split second, the rock fist crumbled. The javelin pierced Ronin's arm, the immense damage exceeding the limit the Shadow Clone could endure.
Ronin's falling body vanished with a poof into a cloud of white smoke.
"As expected," Chrollo deactivated his ability. Although he had suspected it, seeing the opponent vanish into smoke was still frustrating.
But before the Troupe could vent their annoyance, the ground beneath them changed.
The solid concrete instantly turned into slurry, transforming into a swamp.
The five Troupe members sank into the mud, feeling a suction force dragging them down toward the depths.
Chrollo's gaze snapped toward the stairs. There, he saw a white-haired young man with both palms pressed against the ground.
It was Ronin!
Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld.
This was the technique Jiraiya used in the manga to trap the giant snakes summoned by Orochimaru. Ronin's Shadow Clone was now using it to restrict the five spiders.
At the same time, another figure flashed out from behind him.
It was another "Kakashi." His hands had already completed the seals, and his chest was expanded, filled with gathered chakra.
Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!
A torrent of fire erupted from the clone's mouth, engulfing the chaotic basement.
But amidst the flames, a projectile shot out.
Bang! Bang!
Two Shadow Clones were pierced through the chest and exploded into smoke in an instant.
It wasn't the javelin that killed them, but a thin sword appearing behind them.
Feitan, who had evaded Zeno's attack on the upper floor, had appeared at the stairwell leading to the basement and skewered the clones.
The clones hadn't failed to notice Feitan, but the javelin had restricted their movement, and executing two large-scale ninjutsu had drained most of their chakra.
As the two clones vanished, the flames and the swamp rapidly receded.
Two tall walls appeared, shielding Chrollo and the others. They had been hiding behind them.
The creator of the walls was Kortopi, whose face was obscured by hair except for a single eye. Furthermore, the ground where Chrollo's group stood was noticeably higher than the surroundings—Kortopi had copied the floor to create a foothold amidst the swamp.
"Three of them. His ability has evolved again," Pakunoda said, maintaining her position near Chrollo.
"Possibly more," Chrollo said, his expression serious.
This cloning technique was troublesome. Based on their current intelligence, they had no viable way to locate the main body when facing the clones.
Moreover, recent battles showed that these clones had durability; they didn't vanish after a single hit.
That made things even more difficult.
Chrollo considered a possibility: if Ronin became strong enough, would his clones also possess the power to kill Troupe members?
If it reached that point, even operating in three-man cells would be dangerous.
The opponent's combat power was growing in a bizarre, exponential manner. It wasn't normal.
Thoughts raced through Chrollo's mind. He rubbed his forehead, replaying every piece of intel since they first discovered Ronin.
The most critical points were the moments Ronin's strength spiked.
Stripping away the noise, Chrollo's eyes snapped open.
"I see!" Chrollo had found the key.
In the initial report from Uvogin, the Ronin who was rescued was barely a novice at Nen. Uvogin was confident he could have killed him then.
A few days later, in Yanshui City, Ronin's strength had improved. He had countermeasures. Though still weak, he used the terrain to cause Uvogin some trouble.
The third encounter was a month later at Heaven's Arena. Ronin's strength had jumped again, allowing him to fight Uvogin head-on.
During that period, Chrollo had investigated and found that Ronin had briefly left Heaven's Arena.
That trip led Ronin to contact mercenaries and hire them to block the Troupe. But the mercenaries weren't the point. The point was the object of Ronin's trip: Scarlet Eyes!
During that trip, in addition to reclaiming his father's eyes from Uvogin, Ronin had acquired another pair.
Then came the fourth encounter. Omokage was dead. Ronin's strength had soared again, allowing him to brutally kill Uvogin in a frontal assault. This time, Ronin didn't even need support; his aura capacity was nearly on par with Uvogin's.
His progress was too fast!
Abnormally fast.
Previously, Chrollo suspected Ronin was burning his life force. But connecting everything to Ronin's identity revealed the truth: Ronin wasn't overdrawing his life; he was using the power of his clan to fuel his revenge!
"It's the eyes," Chrollo whispered.
Omokage possessed two pairs of Scarlet Eyes, kept because of his obsession with collecting body parts. Those eyes likely became Ronin's spoils of war.
Then, on September 1st, Ronin obtained another pair from the underground auction.
Connecting the dots, it became clear: every time Ronin's strength took a leap, it was after acquiring one or more pairs of Scarlet Eyes!
"The Kurta Clan," Chrollo's eyes brightened. "Interesting. There must be a secret hidden within that tribe. No wonder Ronin is so obsessed with the Scarlet Eyes. They are the source of his power!"
Chrollo was certain of it.
A term popped into his mind: Sacred Treasure.
Existence said to grant the wielder unimaginable power, originating from the Dark Continent!
It was a truth of the world that had slowly emerged during Chrollo's explorations. The place they lived in was merely a small lake. Outside this lake lay a vast, unknown world. Sacred Treasures came from that wider expanse.
If Ronin possessed such an item, sacrificing Scarlet Eyes to it could explain his rapid power gain.
This was likely why Ronin's eyes differed from other Kurtas.
Was it possible Ronin's eyes themselves were a Kurta artifact?
And could the Kurta Clan, known as the "Demon's Apostles," have originated from outside the lake?
Chrollo's interest in the Kurta Clan—and Ronin, the survivor who likely held secrets Chrollo didn't know—grew intense.
But before seeing Ronin again, he needed to collect some Scarlet Eyes.
If he could limit the number of eyes Ronin acquired, he could cap Ronin's strength. An enemy with no variables was a good enemy—an opponent against whom he could find a 100% chance of victory.
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