Apparently, the Eclipse Butterfly had already begun to hatch, bringing about intense pain.
But, of course, such pain was nothing to Chrollo.
Floor 251, in front of the TV
"Phew."
Seeing Chrollo finally begin the process of removing his Nen restriction, all the members of the Phantom Troupe let out a collective sigh of relief. The tension in the room eased slightly.
"It'll take at least half a year to completely remove it, meaning we won't see the leader back in action for a while."
Kortopi's face was obscured by his hair, making his expression unreadable, but his tone carried an undeniable sense of satisfaction.
"Only half a year? In the past, we used to go three to four years between regrouping. Half a year is nothing. Heh."
Bonolenov chuckled, shifting lazily into a more comfortable position.
"Half a year, huh…"
Ronnel had been watching the entire de-Nen process unfold, and he now understood why the duel between Hisoka and Chrollo had been delayed for so long.
After the events of Greed Island, Shalnark and the others had brought a Nen exorcist to remove Chrollo's restriction.
Considering that Greed Island ended on March 18, and even accounting for travel time, Chrollo should have been able to meet Hisoka before April.
Yet, their fight only happened after the Chimera Ant extermination, after the Hunter Chairman Election, and even after Beyond Netero's expedition to the Dark Continent was announced. Their battle took place at Heavens Arena—months later.
The time gap was nearly half a year.
The official story was that Chrollo had spent all that time preparing for his fight against Hisoka. But with Hisoka's personality—impatient and eager for battle—it was hard to believe he would willingly wait that long.
More likely, Chrollo had simply needed that much time to fully remove the Nen restriction. Hisoka had no choice but to wait.
As for Chrollo's preparation, Ronnel figured Hisoka's abilities weren't that much of a mystery. Chrollo had likely formulated his tactics long before this.
The choice of Heavens Arena as the battlefield allowed him to make full use of the arena's layout, showcasing the abilities he had collected, while cycling through them with [Skill Hunter] and his bookmark. It was a strategy tailored to counter Hisoka's unpredictable nature.
"Alright, with this wrapped up, we just have to wait. Any other plans for the time being?" Shalnark asked, glancing around at the others.
"I'm heading back to Yorknew City." Feitan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. "The one who cut off the boss's hand and killed Nobunaga is still out there. I won't let it go that easily."
"Count me in." Phinks cracked his knuckles. "I want to find that bastard and settle the score properly."
"Revenge is fine and all, but it'll have to wait." Ronnel's smirk was barely noticeable.
"Hmm." Shalnark nodded. "What about the rest of you? I'll be staying here to keep an eye on the leader. Hisoka's still too unpredictable."
"I'm staying, too." Machi's tone was flat. "Battle Olympia is starting soon, and I plan to make a killing."
"I want to use this time to look for potential replacements," Franklin said in a low voice. "We should fill all twelve spots in the Troupe sooner rather than later."
"I'll pair up with Franklin, then," Bonolenov added lazily, waving a gloved hand.
"I haven't decided yet," Kalluto murmured. "If there's nothing urgent here, I'll take on a few jobs back home. Family business."
"I'll stay here, too," Kortopi said simply, falling silent afterward. Chrollo always had at least two members by his side, usually Kortopi and Pakunoda. With Pakunoda gone, Kortopi seemed unusually quiet.
"I'll stick around for a while, too," Ronnel finally said once everyone had spoken.
"With the Battle Olympia coming up, I have to defend my title. The organizers have been hounding me to confirm my participation, and I already agreed."
"Even if you wanted to leave, I wouldn't let you." Machi smirked, casually twirling a thread between her fingers. "I'm counting on you for another payout this time."
Ronnel: "..."
He shot Machi a helpless look. Her eyes were practically sparkling with the anticipation of making money off his fights. He shook his head, sighing.
With that, the meeting wrapped up. Franklin, Bonolenov, Phinks, Feitan, and Kalluto left one after another, heading off to take care of their respective tasks.
Silence settled over the room once again. Time passed quietly.
During those days, Chrollo's recovery proceeded smoothly.
Despite the relaxed atmosphere, Ronnel didn't slack off in his training. Neither did Shalnark, Machi, or Kortopi.
When Ronnel returned to the 251st floor of Heavens Arena, the officials welcomed him personally, treating him with extreme politeness. With Battle Olympia approaching, they needed him to participate.
They subtly hinted that they wanted him involved in promotional events, but Ronnel declined.
However, he did allow Heavens Arena to use his name for publicity. He just wouldn't personally respond to any media coverage.
It wasn't necessary. Once the tournament officially began, the hype would take care of itself.
The real spectacle wouldn't be in the interviews or the advertisements.
It would be in the fights.
------------
+410 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub