In a lifetime, everyone has their pursuits.
Netero's pursuit... was individual strength, the pinnacle of martial arts!
Law, Ging, even his son Beyond...
Each was worth his full-hearted dedication to battle, but if it were just ordinary sparring, that wasn't what he wanted.
What he pursued was facing a strong enemy possibly stronger than himself, one who could kill him, and pouring everything tempered by years of experience into it wholeheartedly.
That would be... a life without regrets.
Now, the opportunity had come.
The sunset's afterglow faded, shadows from the other side of light covering Netero's withered, tree-like body.
As the last glimmer of light vanished, a sun-like white light emerged on Netero's skin, like a small sun in the silent night.
But Netero's eyes at that moment became like still black holes, and in that instant, all things around fell silent.
"Heh heh..."
At the transition between day and night, an old man's laughter, hard to interpret, broke the silence.
Perhaps Law had underestimated-
Netero's fighting spirit, Netero's excitement, Netero's anticipation, Netero's pursuit...
Undoubtedly, the original intent upon arriving here had changed somewhat.
…
East Gorteau Palace, a resplendent room.
The marble floor was scattered with torn clothes and bloodstains. Before a blood-stained table, pieces of a bloated corpse lay scattered.
Pitou came before the corpse pieces, pressing a finger to her lips, tilting her head slightly, saying seriously, "Maybe Youpi doesn't like fatty meat. Really helpful."
As soon as she spoke, a surge of black Aura materialized a puppet with only an upper body.
The puppet's arms were thick, so its palms were also abnormal. The steel-rebar-like finger structure hinted at Chimera Ant's characteristics.
Each finger was connected to a thin, long thread. Under Pitou's control, they linked the slightly rotting corpse pieces on the ground, instantly assembling them into their original form.
This human was East Gorteau's leader, Diego. Previously dismembered and discarded here, along with over a hundred young women in the room with the same fate.
Responsible for cleaning the bodies was Youpi, who had the biggest appetite among the three Royal Guards. However, he only ate the over a hundred young women's bodies, sparing Diego's fatty corpse.
Perhaps, as Pitou thought, Youpi might not like fatty meat.
"Meow, wouldn't this be too obvious? Might affect the plan."
Pitou looked at the puppet floating above the marionette and the fine threads that shimmered when light hit them.
To deceive the citizens, the threads and puppet couldn't appear in broadcasts.
Hiding the controlling puppet was easier, as she can just elevate it beyond the camera's angle. But the threads couldn't be hidden.
"Obviously, it would affect."
Just as Pitou pondered, a gentle male voice came from behind.
Pouf, dressed in gentlemanly attire, strolled over, standing beside Pitou. Looking at Diego, restored but lifeless, he said, "Lies need covering, let alone such obvious threads."
Not mentioning the puppet, presumably Pouf knew they could manipulate the camera angle to hide it.
Pitou turned her head to look at Pouf. "With threads, the puppet follows movement."
"Of course I know," Pouf said.
"Then what should we do?" Pitou asked.
Pouf looked at Diego, saying flatly, "That's your problem."
"Meow?" Pitou didn't speak further, thinking: 'Then why are you here making a fuss?'
Pouf carefully observed the connection between Diego and the puppet, then silently turned to leave.
Before leaving, he said, "Ensure others can't see the threads and the ability operates continuously. Think of solutions in that direction."
Pitou watched Pouf's retreating back. "You make it sound simple."
Slowly withdrawing her gaze, she looked at the threads, extremely conspicuous in her eyes, muttering to herself, "Can't be seen, yet must ensure ability operation, meow..."
"If the threads could become invisible..."
As thoughts shifted, Pitou gradually found direction.
She began attempting towards the direction of 'eliminating the threads' form but ensuring ability operation'.
About ten minutes later, she independently mastered the advanced Nen Technique… In.
This is a technique even the Nen User in the capital's army hadn't revealed because that Nen User had no concept of In.
Yet Pitou independently explored and mastered its application within ten minutes.
Just like in the nest earlier, when Tonpa's radar Nen Circle scanned over, she learned En in a short time.
This talent far exceeding human limits might be a privilege of Chimera Ants mixed with multiple excellent genes.
Pitou used In to erase the threads' form, along with the puppet's form. Then she tried manipulating the puppet Diego to walk a few steps and speak normally a few words.
"Interesting, really interesting."
The corners of Pitou's mouth curved upward.
Just as from a human standpoint, distinguishing which parts of a pig, cow, or chicken are more delicious, Pitou loved researching human anatomy.
Thus, she knew human brains tasted best and shared this information with the King.
Out of this interest, it somewhat inadvertently led to developing her own ability.
Pitou took the finished product to Pouf, who hadn't expected her to solve the problem so quickly.
At Pouf's request, Pitou programmed layered instructions into the controlling puppet, then handed puppet Diego to Pouf.
After completing the task, Pitou had another mission: surveillance.
She left the palace, going directly to the top of the highest spire-shaped building. An irregular En emanated from her petite body, extending about two kilometers around.
Inadvertently, her En also sensed the King's current state: sitting cross-legged in a palace room, browsing human books. Beside him, books were piled into a small mountain.
Since inadvertent, it didn't attract the King's attention.
Pitou gazed at the distant wasteland, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Perhaps human genes were at play, as both she and Pouf enjoyed reading human books. In the human world, that was called learning.
She thought the King reading might be temporary interest or passing time.
But it might also be because of that earlier conversation.