The final piece not only signified victory but also marked the end of the Chimera Ant incident.
As for Komugi, she could now enjoy Gungi to her heart's content, free from other worries.
With Porygon-Z's teleportation abilities, she could travel anywhere instantly and Ditto could occasionally visit her for games.
Though the Chimera Ant incident had concluded, its repercussions continued to spread.
News of the Ant King's death quickly reached many ears—most of them high-ranking officials from various nations, some even involved in the Chimera Ant project.
When they learned of the Ant King's demise while Netero remained unharmed, their expressions darkened.
After gathering intelligence, they eventually turned their attention to the current 'World Strongest'—Akira.
If Akira hadn't been present, things would likely have unfolded exactly as they had anticipated.
His performance during the recent 'Five strongest nen user' conference had made Akira the most closely watched individual by nations worldwide.
Because Akira possessed strength far beyond their wildest imaginations.
This was an existence countless times more stronger than Netero!
After thorough investigations, various nations also discovered that the earth-shattering explosion at the testing site had actually been caused by Akira's Nen beast.
And reportedly, it had accomplished this with just a single attack!
Some people believed it, but more did not.
They found it hard to imagine that such a terrifying explosion could be caused by a single attack.
To achieve that level of destruction, even large-scale weapons would require a considerable quantity.
Thus, Akira had become a person of great interest to the higher-ups of every nation.
But Akira didn't care about any of that.
What he cared about more was the gains he had made from this incident.
The rewards this time were quite substantial.
First was the newly hatched Pokemon.
A Mythical Pokemon like Marshadow—Genesect.
This gave him two SS-rank Pokemon in his possession.
This was the greatest harvest of all.
Next was the experience points he had obtained.
The Ant King's experience was evenly split between Genesect and Tyranitar.
Genesect didn't gain much, as it was already an SS-rank Pokemon—this amount of experience was negligible.
But for Tyranitar, it was a different story.
Even half of the experience was considered a "feast."
The split experience directly allowed it to break through to S+ rank, reaching the same level as the enhanced Ant King.
It was now stuck at the threshold between S+ and -SS.
Clearly, this was a massive hurdle.
The experience required to break through to SS-rank was enormous.
But once this hurdle was crossed, the gap would widen significantly.
Even the strongest S-rank was nothing more than an ant in the eyes of the weakest SS-rank.
****
Inside the castle of Limeiro, a scene of order and prosperity unfolded.
The Chimera Ants brought here had seamlessly integrated into Greed Island.
Chimera Ants like Bloster, who preferred tranquility, chose to stay in the castle, occasionally handling miscellaneous tasks.
Such as cleaning Dwun's room.
Dwun was even messier than Ging.
When Gon cleared Greed Island and arrived here, he was greeted by a floor covered in trash.
There wasn't even a place to stand.
This arduous yet "noble" task was entrusted to the Chimera Ants, primarily handled by the bear Chimera Ants.
Another group of Chimera Ants, eager to experience new things, scattered elsewhere, taking on roles like NPCs.
Among them was Ikalgo, the "Octopus Ant" who had plenty of screen time in the original story.
Moreover, at specific times, they would all gather at the gymnasium beneath the lighthouse to receive instruction from Razor.
After this period, their strength had improved by leaps and bounds, with most developing their own Nen abilities.
"If that's the case, it's for the best that they've been able to integrate into Greed Island."
Akira listened to Dwun's explanation and nodded slightly.
Beside him were Gon and Killua.
Considering the timeline, Kite had now grown enough—it was time to restore his memories.
And to check on the current state of the Chimera Ants.
As for Gon and Ging's reunion, it still ended up being inconclusive.
According to Ging, he was someone who needed mental preparation—such a sudden meeting wasn't suitable for him.
So, while the father and son had technically met, it was as if they hadn't.
Truly a pair of extraordinary father and son.
However, Gon mentioned that Ging had promised to find time later to have a proper talk with him.
"Speaking of which, the talent of these Chimera Ants is terrifying. It makes me want to become one myself"
Dwun said with a tone of envy, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
As one of the core administrators of Greed Island, he was naturally well aware of the Chimera Ants' progress.
To say they were improving by leaps and bounds would be no exaggeration.
Their strength grew noticeably each day.
Most of the Chimera Ants who came here were at the Squadron Leader level, so their talent went without saying.
Even in the original storyline, without any formal Nen training, they had managed to develop to such formidable levels through natural growth alone.
Now, with professional guidance from Razor and the others, the Chimera Ants' strength would undoubtedly surpass their original counterparts.
This was precisely why Dwun felt jealous.
As a human, his abilities had long reached their ceiling and his daily routine mainly involved managing affairs within Greed Island.
But the Chimera Ants were different.
Their potential far exceeded his and they still had so much room to grow—it was hard not to feel envious.
"Most of them have already developed their own Nen abilities and some have even linked them to elements within Greed Island," he remarked.
"There's one called Ikalgo, an octopus Chimera Ant—I can't remember the name of the ability it developed."
"But it can wear other people's corpses like clothes and control them."
"Thanks to that, it can impersonate any NPC, which is pretty useful."
"Is that so?"
Akira fell into thought, recalling the Nen ability of the octopus Chimera Ant named "Ikalgo."
If he remembered correctly, it was called 'Living Dead Dolls'?
It allowed the user to parasitize corpses, manipulating and utilizing the corpse's original abilities, though it couldn't possess bodies that had already decayed.
It was quite a useful ability, capable of producing unexpected results in certain situations.
"Ah, it's just so enviable. Not only are they growing stronger at an incredible rate, but their Nen abilities are also top-notch," Dwun sighed again.
"Honestly, isn't it just because you're too lazy? Your own talent isn't bad either, but all you do is eat and sleep all day,"
The refined and elegant List spread his hands, mercilessly exposing Dwun's true nature.
The truth was, he was just too lazy.
Even most of the administrative work was shouldered by others, while Dwun spent his days lounging around like an old man, living a leisure life.
"And smoking" List added, shooting a glance at Dwun, who was currently puffing on a cigarette.
Dwun seemed to be smoking at all times—his ashtray was always overflowing, as if he couldn't survive without tobacco.
"Hahaha, you're exaggerating!"
Dwun scratched his wild spiky hair and laughed heartily, as if List words didn't apply to him at all.
"Excuse me, I wasn't complimenting you!"
List's temple twitched in irritation, a surge of anger rising as he smacked Dwun's shoulder.
"That room is filled with nothing but the trash you've left behind. If it weren't for the Chimera Ants helping with cleaning, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with the mess on my own."
Nearby, Gon also recalled the state of the room when he had first entered it and nodded vigorously, his lips twitching involuntarily.
It had indeed been filthy, with garbage strewn everywhere.
"It's about time. We should go and restore Kite's memories now,"
Akira interjected, watching Dwun and List continue their argument.
Their main purpose for coming here was still to awaken Kite memories.
****
Inside a meticulously arranged room
Toys of all kinds were piled up, making it look like a playroom for a kid.
Although Dwun and the others were well aware that the child was Kite—an adult— At present, he had no memories of his own and still had to be treated like a child.
Click.
The front door of the house slowly opened, the sound drawing the attention of little Kite, who had been playing with toys inside.
"I am Kite!"
Little Kite suddenly stood up, his chubby cheeks trembling slightly as he dramatically brandished his toy sword, striking a cool pose.
He looked utterly adorable.
Like a child waving a toy sword, eager to show off his "mighty" self in front of the adults.
Perhaps influenced by remnants of his past memories, little Kite was particularly fond of toys like swords and sticks.
According to Dwun, his favorite thing to do was swing these toys around.
He had no interest in the plush dolls they gave him—only weapons like swords, guns and staffs captivated him.
Aside from this, another defining trait of little Kite was his tendency to repeat the same phrase.
Or rather, the same word—Kite.
Even without his former memories, he still remembered that his name was "Kite."
Though Akira already knew Kite grew at an accelerated rate, witnessing it firsthand still filled him with astonishment.
Not long ago, he had been such a tiny little thing, but now he looked about five or six years old.
There was no trace of his original appearance left in the current Kite.
His once silver hair had turned red, though the length remained similar, reaching down to his waist.
Since he was still a child, his limbs were shorter, lacking the long legs he once had.
But as he continued to grow, his appearance would gradually shift back towards his former self.
The only feature hinting at his Chimera Ant origins was the segmented, arthropod tail swaying behind him.
Overall, he just looked like an adorable a child.
Gon stared at the now-grown little Kite, hearing him declare, "I am Kite!"—and finally, his emotions overflowed.
Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor.
The others, especially Killua, understood Gon's feelings all too well.
Grief, joy, guilt—all these emotions tangled inside Gon's heart, finally pouring out as tears.
Gon clenched his fists, unable to bring himself to look at little Kite, his face lowered as the tears kept falling.
Even now, he still blamed himself for what had happened to Kite.
"Huh?"
Little Kite tilted his head, puzzled by Gon's tears the moment he entered.
Yet, for some reason, he felt something strange inside.
Slowly, little Kite walked over, watching Gon as he continued to cry.
Then suddenly, he grabbed Gon's tightly clenched hands.
With a firm gaze, he locked eyes with Gon.
"I'm sorry!"
"Kite! I'm sorry!"
Gon froze for a moment before pulling Kite into a tight embrace, apologizing over and over.
Little Kite was at a loss, but instinctively, he acted—standing on his tiptoes to gently pat Gon's back.
Like an adult comforting a child.
Even though Gon was the larger of the two, none of the others found the scene the least bit unnatural.
"Alright, it's about time we restore Kite's memories. Save the rest of your words for after that."
A moment later, Akira casually waved his hand and a graceful figure appeared before everyone.
Gardevoir brought her hands together in front of her, sending waves of pink circular ripples toward little Kite.
Psychic-type move—Hypnosis!
Little Kite froze on the spot, his eyes losing their luster as he became completely immersed in his own consciousness.
At the same time, fragments of memories surged endlessly from the depths of his mind.
They played like slideshows, automatically flickering through Kite's head.
"I am Kite... I am a Hunter..."
"My master is Ging... My companion is Spinner..."
"NGL Autonomous Region... And Gon and Killua!"
Little Kite muttered these memories, all fragments spoken unconsciously.
When he mentioned Gon and Killua, a glimmer flashed in Kite's eyes—finally, his consciousness returned.
And he awoke with all his past memories intact!
The once innocent and pure gaze now carried a complex, weathered depth, as if aged by time.
No one would believe such eyes belonged to a six-year-old child.
It wasn't just his eyes—little Kite's demeanor also shifted in that moment, growing closer to the Kite Gon remembered.
Kite glanced around, taking in the people surrounding him, then looked down at his current form.
He fully grasped his situation.
Then he turned to Gon, moved by the boy's expectant gaze and said softly.
"Gon, Killua... I'm back!"
Seeing Kite truly regain his memories, Gon and Killua finally relaxed, exhaling in unison.
Even knowing this was Kite, the absence of his past memories had still felt unsettling.
"I never imagined I'd become a Chimera Ant."
Kite sighed lightly, never expecting this outcome—after all, it was his first time using 'Absolute Death Resistance'.
Before this, he'd never had the chance to activate this effect, so he hadn't anticipated being reborn in such a form.
But at least he was alive again.
Being a Chimera Ant was better than death.
"Thank you for helping me recover my memories, Mr. Akira."
Kite bowed deeply to Akira, his tone was full of respect.
Without Akira's help, he might never have regained his memories—that possibility was very real.
Without his past, he wouldn't truly be Kite.
"No need for thanks. It was just a small effort."
Akira waved his hand, dismissing the gratitude.
He wasn't particularly surprised that Kite recognized him.
These days, even among civilians, those who didn't know him were rare—he'd grown accustomed to it.
"Actually, I should thank my master."
"If not for his advice, I wouldn't have developed the ability 'Absolute Death Resistance'."
This ability was created under the guidance of his master—Ging.
As his master put it, a Hunter's first priority shouldn't be offensive power.
But survival.
Everything must be built on staying alive.
If you can't even preserve your own life, there's no point in trying to harm the enemy.
Kite rested his chin on his hand, reminiscing, feeling he owed his master a proper thanks.
This gesture was something Kite often did; he would strike this pose whenever he was deep in thought.
The more Kite pondered, the more he felt the need to thank his master.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even have the chance to be here speaking right now.
"Thank Ging…?"
Akira's expression turned incredibly strange, as if he had something to say but couldn't quite voice it.
Ging had mistaken Hina for Kite earlier and even complained about the newborn Kite, refusing to touch him.
If these things were revealed, who knew how Kite would react?
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