044 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

The others nodded silently. Saccho sighed.

"I didn't expect Saiyu to escape. Is he really a monkey or something? The guy's slipperier than a loach."

Everyone glanced at the empty seat that should've been his, exchanging speechless looks.

Their original plan had been to wait until the Black Whale landed and ambush Saiyu during the landing ceremony, catching him off guard. But no one expected him to be so cautious. Whether he caught wind of the plan or simply trusted his instincts, he'd hidden away on the lower levels and vanished into the chaos and cheers as the ship reached shore.

By the time they realized what had happened, Saiyu—like Beyond, who had broken out of prison—was already gone.

Now, Saiyu's identity had been fully exposed. Everyone knew he was one of Beyond's subordinates.

"But at least we understand his Nen, have a general idea of his abilities, and can be better prepared if we run into him again."

That was all Mizaistom could say.

"Alright. Let's go over the details related to this..." Saccho began, but was interrupted as his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen—it was a call from one of the Hunters involved in the Dark Continent expedition. He answered immediately.

...

His expression shifted subtly as he listened.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Ginta asked as Saccho ended the call.

"One of the smaller ships we were planning to use for the Dark Continent mission... was hijacked."

"What?!"

"They what?!"

"Who pulled something like that?!"

As the rest of the Zodiacs stared at him in shock, Saccho glanced at Kurapika, who remained calm, taking notes as if unaffected.

"According to eyewitness reports from the surviving crew," Saccho said, "the ones responsible are believed to be members of the Phantom Troupe."

The room froze.

Phantom Troupe?!

Snap!

The pencil in Kurapika's hand broke cleanly in two.

"So... you've finally made your move?" he murmured, staring at the jagged lines now etched into his notebook.

His eyes turned scarlet.

...

The Hunter Association had prepared extensively for the Dark Continent journey. Although the Phantom Troupe had stolen one ship and several critical supplies, the overall plan remained unaffected.

After the landing ceremony and the official start of the Kakin succession war, Kurapika—now calmer—visited the allies he had summoned for support, asking about their next steps.

Bill, a fellow bodyguard and a Hunter affiliated with Pariston, would accompany the Association to the Dark Continent once his duties ended.

Hanzo and Leorio had both expressed interest in joining the expedition as well.

Hanzo hoped to sharpen his skills by enduring the extreme conditions.Leorio, on the other hand, had his sights set on a different goal.

"They say there are herbs in the Dark Continent that can cure any disease," Leorio said. "If that's true, they could revolutionize modern medicine... maybe even treat terminal illnesses."

Melody and Izunavi had different ideas.

"I plan to return to the Six Continents," Melody said, smiling. "Kacho and the others promised to use Kakin's network to help me track down the Sonata of Darkness."

For her, the hope of restoring her original body and sound was more valuable than any treasure.

"I'm old," Izunavi said with a wry smile. "I've had enough brushes with death. The Dark Continent isn't for me anymore."

The succession war had nearly cost him his life.

Basho had found a new path—he'd become close to Luzurus and dedicated himself to promoting drug rehabilitation across Kakin. It was a tough road, but Kurapika respected his resolve.

Leorio joined Mizaistom's medical team, while Hanzo and Kanzai were assigned as forward reconnaissance units.

As the Hunter Association moved into the next phase of planning, Ronnel had already set off with Beyond's group to board a dark-hulled ship docked nearby—one of the few vessels outfitted for the journey ahead.

...

The Hunter Association had its own fleet trailing the Black Whale. Beyond's team had prepared separately and arrived earlier to lay the groundwork.

"This ship's hull is made from dark sea stone—mined from the oceans surrounding the Six Continents," Beyond explained, knocking on the metallic wall of the cabin as Ronnel examined its structure.

"The Black Whale and the Association's ships use this material too. These stones carry the energy signature of the deep sea. Sea beasts think they're just part of the ocean, so they don't attack."

"If it weren't for this, the Black Whale wouldn't have made it through the unknown waters. These stones are rare. Without our partnership with Kakin, we wouldn't have even gotten the materials, let alone built this ship."

Sounds a lot like Seastone from One Piece, Ronnel thought. Warships avoiding sea monsters... like Sea Kings. Guess the Hunter world has something similar.

Beyond grinned and gestured toward two Hunters inspecting the ship nearby, one in red and one in blue.

"With the Irving and Rozman brothers piloting this ship, we'll be just fine—no matter what the sea throws at us."

Ronnel turned, recognizing them immediately.

The famous Ocean Hunter duo of the Six Continents were just as respected as Morel.

Irving's Nen ability was [Radar Exploration], allowing him to detect sea monster movements. Rozman's was [Ocean Notice], letting the ship blend into the ocean currents and slip past threats unnoticed.

Ronnel had already met them briefly during earlier introductions. Their reputation as top-tier navigators was well-earned.

Hearing their names mentioned, the brothers looked over and gave Ronnel warm smiles.

After learning how critical Ronnel's ability was to the expedition, even Beyond's team had begun treating him with genuine respect.