No matter the attack, Netero could always land a counterattack first, forcing his opponent into a defensive stance. Therefore, even though N
No matter the attack, Netero could always land a counterattack first, forcing his opponent into a defensive stance.
Therefore, even though Netero's Nen had weakened considerably due to age, it didn't diminish the difficulty of facing his 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
To defeat Netero in a head-on confrontation is incredibly difficult. Among known Nen users, only Loki seems to have accomplished this.
Hearing this, Morel and Knov exchanged questioning glances. If their enemy was so formidable, what was the point of calling them in?
Seeming to sense their apprehension, Netero spoke.
"You won't be facing that brat directly. I simply need your help in locating him and a few troublesome individuals accompanying him."
"You will handle the others; I'll take on that brat."
"Chairman, you were defeated by that brat before. Are you really going to face him again yourself?" Knov asked.
Netero smiled.
"Rest assured! This old man won't be defeated by the same enemy twice."
There was something Netero didn't say: his time was running out. If he could burn his remaining life force to pass on his will, he would not hesitate.
"By the way, Chairman, the Association sent out an extermination team, didn't they? My disciples, Knuckle and Shoot, were both selected. How are they doing?"
Netero turned to Morel.
"Rest assured, they're alive."
"Alive?"
"Though they've been… quite shaken." Netero propped his head up with one hand. "Physical wounds heal easily, but mental wounds are a different matter."
"What kind of mental wounds?"
Morel's concern for his disciples intensified.
"Humph! Your two disciples were defeated by that brat in a single move. They haven't recovered from such a crushing defeat."
Morel knew his disciples' abilities. Knuckle, outwardly cold but inwardly warm, possessed the ability Heaven's Unknown, and was already a top-tier Nen user. Shoot, perhaps slightly weaker, lacked not in strength but in decisiveness; he was overly cautious. But his strength was undeniable.
To be defeated in a single move… even Morel couldn't accomplish that. Morel's expression grew grave, his face seemingly hardening with frost.
Knov glanced at Morel.
"Don't worry. Knuckle and Shoot are strong individuals. If they can overcome this failure, their strength will reach new heights."
Being defeated in a single move—such a heavy blow isn't easily forgotten.
Overcoming it would be no easy task.
Morel, who hadn't felt much pressure before, now felt anything but reassured by Chairman Netero's presence.
Instead, he felt a deep unease.
Knov felt the same.
Netero's post-recovery state seemed even better than before, but this didn't erase their fear of Loki.
Especially after Netero had admitted to his previous defeat. That unsettling feeling intensified with their silence.
Netero didn't offer much comfort. Battles are inherently unpredictable. He wouldn't make any guarantees, leaving them to contemplate the situation themselves.
Otherwise, their mental state would affect their performance.
The airship gradually ascended, shrinking into a small black dot as it moved towards the distance.
Meanwhile, Loki, having received his system mission, prevented Hisoka and Pakunoda from leaving their base.
The purpose was to prevent them from being killed by the Hunter Association's inevitable second extermination team.
Since they were sending another team, they wouldn't be unprepared.
Hisoka and Pakunoda's strength, while facing the Hunter Association's elite, couldn't guarantee their safety.
Loki highly valued Hisoka, his 'underling,' and Pakunoda's abilities, and he didn't want to see them die needlessly.
Time passed slowly.
Ten days later, no one had appeared. Loki decided to remain in place.
He wasn't worried about when the enemy would arrive.
If he missed the Chimera Ant mission while pursuing the World Enemy mission, while not exactly a complete loss, it would be a significant missed opportunity.
During this time, Hisoka was bored to the point of madness.
Baise had become like a female native, stuck in a place without electricity or any form of entertainment.
Her only daily pleasure was gazing at the mountains and sea, observing the locals tilling the land.
Of the three, only Pakunoda seemed unaffected, aside from occasional moments of boredom and contemplation.
Pakunoda's most important task was receiving mail.
She had already started using the Postcards to the Deceased card.
With one thousand postcards, Pakunoda used one per day.
Loki didn't pay attention to who she was writing to; it was obvious—not Chrollo or Machi, but other deceased members of the Phantom Troupe.
Whether the replies were truly from the deceased, Loki couldn't say.
Based on Pakunoda's daily demeanor, the Postcards to the Deceased card seemed effective.
While the sender couldn't be definitively confirmed, the replies at least didn't raise any significant doubts.
As usual, Pakunoda wrote a letter to Nobunaga yesterday.
The next morning, she prepared to receive Nobunaga's reply, but the postcard was gone; there was no reply.
This was the first time the postcard had failed.
Pakunoda didn't dwell on it. She wrote to Phinks. But the next day, she received no reply. This time, Pakunoda was puzzled.
She had received replies from other members before, regardless of whether they were truly from the deceased.
Two consecutive failures were baffling.
On the third day, she wrote to Machi. On the fourth day, she received a reply. She then wrote to Kalluto. On the fifth day, she received no reply.
Three consecutive failures. Pakunoda tested the remaining members. Only Kalluto, Nobunaga, and Phinks' postcards failed to receive replies.
Why only those three? What made them special, causing the Greed Island item to malfunction?
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