"Heaven's Arena?"
After the meeting ended, Xiang Nan sought out Mia alone.
The Zatobi Family was currently in a recruitment phase.
As the newly installed manager of the western district, Mia's reputation was known only to the local mafia within her territory—it had not yet spread to the outside world. Even if someone had heard the name "Mia," they would not, for the time being, connect it with this woman.
"Yes. And when you find this person, tell him it's on my orders—let him know the time has come to honor his promise."
Mia accepted the phone number Xiang Nan handed over and nodded, then turned and left to carry out his instructions.
First, she was to summon Garo, Sigma, and the others training in Heaven's Arena back to the military district so they could follow high‑command orders and enter the battlefield.
Second, she was to locate the former Phantom Troupe member Omokage and involve him in the current conflict with the nation of Rabi—while also giving the "Pandora's Box" unit some Nen training.
If everything went smoothly, some members like Garo were probably already Nen users. Although they had not yet developed individual Nen abilities, their combat proficiency had improved dramatically. Most importantly, Omokage's own power—his special Nen ability—was perfectly suited to large‑scale warfare. He could also indulge his morbid hobby of collecting "eyeballs" through unrestrained slaughter.
With him around, Xiang Nan would not even need to appear personally; the expanding conflict could likely be strangled in its cradle. Padokea already possessed far greater military strength than a small country like Rabi, and suddenly fielding a squad of Nen users would be enough to tip the scales.
Besides Nen users, those long‑trained "kings of soldiers" from the various military districts who had honed their skills in Heaven's Arena could form an elite assault team.
Xiang Nan understood Garo and the others' capabilities—they had hunted Nen users with him before and had real experience. After so long in Heaven's Arena, they also understood the Nen world to some extent.
On a state‑level battlefield, a Nen user's destructive power is diminished: overwhelming, high‑tech weaponry limits what Nen can resist. Nen troops are best used for special operations—decapitation strikes, targeted clean‑ups, cutting supply lines, and the like.
This would be the Pandora's Box Organization's first involvement in a "national battlefield," but for personal reasons Xiang Nan could not supervise in person.
"Don't disappoint me…"
Rabi would certainly field its own Nen users. Truthfully, Xiang Nan did not place too much hope in Garo's group; the one he truly valued was Omokage. Though Omokage fell short of the top Phantom Troupe members, he was still very strong.
Originally, Xiang Nan had intended to deploy Omokage only during a Reincarnation Dimension mission—as a decoy. Now that had to happen early.
If an unknown force suddenly emerged and snuffed out the fuse of war, both Rabi and even the V5 would have to reassess Padokea's power—some might even suspect the hidden hand of the Kakin Empire… But the main goal was to warn Pariston.
For now, Xiang Nan could only wait for news.
"If all else fails… I'll have to turn to you."
Chrollo's face flashed through his mind. When he negotiated with the Spiders he had offered them generous terms. Since it was cooperation, the Spiders also had to show some sincerity. In short, Xiang Nan could not appear directly; he needed outside help.
…
Late February—over a month after the 287th Hunter Exam ended.
During a lull, Xiang Nan made a rare call to Hisoka to ask about Gon and Killua's whereabouts. He suspected Hisoka was at Heaven's Arena—and indeed, Hisoka said Gon and Killua were still climbing the tower, not yet at the 200th floor.
Many new fighters crowded the ring, and veterans like Garo had just left for the battlefield, so the arena was tougher now than at this point in the original story. The two boys were climbing slowly. Hisoka estimated that at best, they would reach the 200th floor by mid‑March—meaning they had not yet met Wing.
After a brief chat, Hisoka tried to ask what Xiang Nan was doing and invite him to play in Heaven's Arena, but before Xiang Nan could answer, the call cut off.
Next, Xiang Nan led the Ten Dons' Nen‑user armed squad on its first "purge" operation against a mafia family. That boss disliked the Ten Dons backing Mia but dared not say so openly; instead he held a private gathering, drew in several families, and plotted to defy the Ten Dons' orders while pretending obedience. The Ten Dons' intelligence caught wind, and within days all core members of the conspiracy were assassinated—cleanly and efficiently, to the Ten Dons' great satisfaction.
Because of this action, the Nen users around the Ten Dons witnessed Xiang Nan's skill and truly accepted him as the squad's leader, acknowledging his Shadow Beast status.
Less than ten days after Mia contacted Garo, Kage, and the others, Xiang Nan received Mia's report: the Rabi trouble was settled. Acting for Padokea's military, the Pandora's Box Organization had struck Rabi hard. Omokage was the chief hero. Although more than half of Pandora's Box's official and reserve members died, the situation was contained. The Rabi leadership even phoned Padokea's high command to seek peace. Garo also reported that Omokage's brilliant battlefield performance earned praise from the top brass.
Yet once conflict reaches national‑war level, even minor clashes cause horrific casualties. War is war, not a minor skirmish.
After reading the report, Xiang Nan put down his phone. Pandora's Box had more than a hundred people, official and unofficial combined, and had taken a long time to build. Throughout that period, Padokea's military districts kept transferring elite soldiers to him to undergo Heaven's Arena training.
But in just a few days over sixty died; among the awakened Nen users, only seven remained—excluding Omokage. The death rate for ordinary soldiers must have been even worse.
"This debt will be settled with you."
Xiang Nan's eyes were icy; he murmured Pariston's name. That rat had to die, or this incident would only be the beginning and future troubles would multiply.
"Heh… No matter how shrewd you are, you know nothing of the Reincarnation Dimension's form and content. Though you're not yet a 'Hunter x Hunter' representative player, courtesy demands I give you a little surprise. Otherwise, how could I repay your painstaking efforts?"
"Offering up your 'strategy point' myself…"
Xiang Nan let out a sinister laugh. Some things did not require him to dirty his own hands. Since the opponent liked playing dirty and using his brain—he would happily… play along in kind.