Alluka shook her head like a rattle drum: "It won't happen once I get used to it!"
All you could say was that Alluka's way of thinking was unique, finding inspiration for her ability in changing gender.
It was probably because Naniga was a girl.
Illumi could figure this out, and once he found the real cause, he had no problem with his little brother using Hatsu now.
"It seems like it was just an accident with no bad intentions."
Everyone exchanged glances, and someone pulled out a card.
Better to do it now than plan for later. They would speed through the One-Ping Coastline right away.
Man, this timing was perfect.
Saiki Kusuo had been watching from the rooftop for a while.
Whether they changed gender or not, their bone structures looked pretty much the same to him.
Seeing the group turn into a streak of light and fly off, Saiki Kusuo landed right away.
"Ah, so you are home after all. Are you that shy?"
[What's wrong with not liking crowds?] Saiki Kusuo slowly turned his head, almost forgetting there was still a non-player here.
"The final challenger for One-Ping Coastline is that Razza guy, right?"
[You know Razza?]
"I once took a boat to the island and got sent back by Razza with a card. Even though I didn't have Nen back then, I knew he might be a stronger Nen user than Phinks."
"A quick check showed all his info was blocked, which is enough to show his strength can't be underestimated."
[...So what?]
"If they went normally, I wouldn't be curious. Aren't you curious? Everyone changed gender."
[They're all bones, what's there to see?]
"There are differences in muscle ratios between men and women, and fighting styles need to change too. They probably won't adapt right away, and maybe Nen won't be affected much... Hmm, just imagining it isn't enough to be sure." Chrollo covered his mouth with one hand. [I want to go see.]
[You'd get beaten by Razza.]
"Totoro." [We could just swap souls again.]
[Don't get addicted to swapping souls. Leaving your body is dangerous.]
"Any ability within controllable limits shouldn't be judged by its danger."
[Why should I help you? The deal is done.]
"Yeah, this is just for me to see. You've paid off your debt to the Zoldycks, and now you own assets that even thieves couldn't steal. Money can't tempt you anymore." Chrollo rested his elbows on his knees, tapping his fingertips as he thought.
In front of him were the half-eaten foods the kids had just prepared, with lots of ingredients still piled on the table. The Zoldyck kids were cooking for the first time, so they had plenty of tools and all sorts of bottles, jars, and bags of seasonings.
"There are starches, milk, eggs... Want to try making a simple dessert?"
[What do you want to make?] Saiki Kusuo heard countless dessert recipes flash through Chrollo's mind, some crossed out because of missing ingredients.
"Double skin milk? It's too simple, but we have the stuff. I hope the eggs here are decent..."
The texture rivals pudding, and double skin milk was one of Saiki Kusuo's favorite things.
Even though there were dessert shops, the two of them had been broke on Greed Island.
Saiki Kusuo struggled for 0.3 seconds between the rare peaceful time and the sudden dessert offer.
[...Fine.]
It was double skin milk—who could say no when it's right there?
"Can we use mango and tapioca as toppings?" Chrollo's mind pictured diced mango and tapioca paired on top of the double skin milk. "Too bad there's no mint leaves; it would add some green..."
*Non-player Saiki Kusuo used Equivalent Exchange.
"Hmm? Was there just mint leaves here?"
[Stop daydreaming and get cooking. If it tastes bad, you're done for.]
"Haha... That's scary." Chrollo rolled up his sleeves and stepped into the kitchen. "You actually know a lot of dessert recipes too, right? Are any of my ideas off?"
[No idea.]
"Hmm? Why?"
[It would ruin the mystery.]
"...Interesting thought."
Time was always needed, and Chrollo had timed all the steps. First, he added water and lit the fire, then started the other preparations.
Cook the tapioca, prepare the double skin milk mixture and steam it before the water boils, take out the slightly set double skin milk, lift the skin and pour in the second layer of liquid, then steam again. Once covered, he started dicing the mangoes. With quick knife work, he had a neat row of even pieces, while his other hand caught cool water to soak the tapioca.
During the wait, he picked up the mint leaves and sorted their shapes, selecting the best ones.
Timing it so the double skin milk was done steaming, he lifted the hot bowl with his bare hands, added the tapioca, drizzled some milk, placed mango pieces on top with the knife tip, and finally decorated with clean mint leaves.
He flowed like water with his movements. It took ten minutes, and still with the knife tip, he held the hot bowl in front of Saiki Kusuo.
"Finally, it still needs more time to cool a bit." Chrollo said, lowering the knife to set the bowl on the tea table.
But he felt a chill spread from the knife's blade tip, forcing his fingers back.
The bowl slid off the knife tip, leaving bits of broken ice on the blade.
When Saiki Kusuo touched the bowl, the rim was already ice-cold, and the double skin milk inside had cooled perfectly.
Chrollo: [He could only play with fire before, but now temperature control too? Too many abilities.]
Where, you have plenty in your book.
Chrollo stretched lazily, with no intention of cleaning the messy kitchen. The chameleon cat climbed back onto his shoulder, and he remembered, starting to search the house for rope.
[Why would a new home have stuff like that...]
"Ah, found it."
[You actually have it?]
"Found it, a whip."
Is that what you call found?
"Handcuffs, electric baton, chains... Does the Zoldyck family bring this stuff on trips? For torture?"
[Sorry, for training.]
"Train..." Chrollo went quiet. "Ah, it's an assassin family after all."
Don't act like you get it; this system can't be understood.
But the tools could come in handy.
Saiki Kusuo finished the double skin milk and tied Chrollo up again. This time, since the chameleon cat had become Chrollo's cherished pet, Saiki Kusuo acted as translator, letting the man and pet communicate.
"Play the quiet statue game for a bit; you'll be safe in this storage room."
This won't fool the chameleon cat.
Chameleon cat: If this young master has to play statue without moving or speaking, it costs something!
Saiki Kusuo translated: [He says he wants food.]
"Hmm, so what does he want?"
Chameleon cat: I want that KoKo thing, the one with patterns, pointy head, big butt.
Saiki Kusuo: [He says he wants melon seeds.]
"Ah, Nobunaga shared some with him yesterday when eating. He likes them? How many?"
Chameleon cat: Enough to last a lifetime!
Saiki Kusuo: [He says enough to eat until death in the second half of life.]
"That's not possible. I only traded one portion of food for this viewing chance."
Chameleon cat: Then I want ten thousand pounds!
Saiki Kusuo: [He's insisting.]
The chameleon cat understood human speech and protested: Hey! I said ten thousand pounds! Why aren't you translating properly!
Saiki Kusuo: Such a hassle.
"Too much." Chrollo shook his head.
Chameleon cat: [Then one thousand pounds!]
Saiki Kusuo: [One thousand pounds.]
"Does he even know what a pound means?"
Saiki Kusuo looked at the chameleon cat.
Chameleon cat: [Doesn't it mean a lump?]
Chrollo paused, then said: "A pound means one seed. Let's set it like that: one thousand melon seeds. You'll chew a thousand times on that tasty, fragrant thing. Sounds pretty fun, right?"
Even small animals get tricked.
The chameleon cat followed Chrollo's line of thinking, and drool dripped down uncontrollably.
"So, does he agree to one thousand seeds for the body swap?" Chrollo asked Saiki Kusuo.
"Yes! Yes!" The chameleon cat turned into a parrot, hopping and answering.
He figured out how to use human language by example.
"Good." [He's pretty smart.] Chrollo thought.
Maybe smarts were the biggest reason Chrollo liked this chameleon cat.
Deal done, Chrollo leaned back against the storage room floor, finding a somewhat comfortable position while tied up.
Saiki Kusuo sat down nearby to nap, his soul leaving his body to swap the two souls.
Once in the cat's body, Chrollo became lively, shaking into a black little bear and waving goodbye to his own body. Saiki Kusuo closed the storage room door and stepped out.
He was already on the steps.
Sunlight, distant sea and beach. He stood in front of a flashy building built on a cliff by the seaside.
Used teleport? Yes, no problem. Gold had mentioned Razza knew him, so he must have greeted or introduced him.
Just him alone; not wearing the game ring was allowed.
Saiki Kusuo walked straight into the building.
It had been fifteen minutes since that group set out.
One-Ping Coastline was a multi-player challenge, with Razza as the final boss. Before him, Razza had many underlings, former prison inmates now working for him on Greed Island.
So, few players truly made it through One-Ping Coastline. Normal players struggled against the inmates, let alone facing Razza later.
Challengers had to beat Razza's underlings one-on-one. The underlings trained one specialty skill, waiting for match day.
Thus, in just fifteen minutes, Saiki Kusuo walked through the hall, saw various game equipment, but no one around.
X-ray vision already showed everyone gathered in the volleyball court.
Cleared to face Razza in fifteen minutes? They moved too fast.
[They killed people.] Chrollo sniffed; his much sharper nose caught the bloody scent in the air.
That probably sped things up, but did the Troupe kill even here?
[Our Troupe doesn't kill randomly. Why not assume Hisoka or... did the killing?] Chrollo said.
Did you almost say Zoldyck?
Saiki Kusuo had just entered the arena when he saw Razza smiling politely. "Looks like another uninvited guest in our gym. Sir, a challenge is going on inside; could you wait outside for a bit?"
Saiki Kusuo replied politely: [Sorry to interrupt; I'm just here to watch the match.]
"Kusuo? Weren't you not coming?" [A chameleon cat on his shoulder—could it be Chrollo in disguise? But no Nen beast on him.] Illumi thought.
Big brother, it's complicated; Chrollo is the one disguised as the little bear on the shoulder.
"Is that someone you know? Then you can watch from the side." Razza allowed it and got back into standard volleyball pose. "Everyone, picked your players yet?"
Saiki Kusuo arrived just in time; the match hadn't started.
In the spectator area, besides Saiki Kusuo, were Razza's underlings.
"Is it that hard to decide? Just send eight people."
"They took out our guys outside so fast; this group is strong."
"They've been inside for ten minutes."
Saiki Kusuo: So they cleared the front in five minutes.
"If Razza hadn't suddenly killed that fat guy..."
Saiki Kusuo: So it was Razza who killed?
"I can't pity him; we said telling players this island is real is top secret, no sharing."
Two non-players who entered the game directly from reality: ...
Chrollo: Hope Razza doesn't notice.
Razza seemed friendly with his constant smile, but he was the type to kill without hesitation. Who knew.
So, what was with the long discussion in the arena?
The atmosphere split the court like an indoor basketball floor, with colored lines dividing the two sides.
Razza's side was on the left, with one person already set for half the volleyball court.
Besides him, seven Nen beasts of varying heights, weights, and sizes, numbered 1 to 7 for Nen amounts.
Now the other side.
Hisoka: "I have to play to clear my debt~"
Biscuit: "If I don't play, I can skip the card this time, treat it as practice, and challenge again with others next time."
Illumi: "Troupe, send a reinforcement type?"
Nobunaga: "I'm reinforcement but not the physical type. Machi, you want to try?"
Machi: "No, Phinks could handle this game alone. Him and Hisoka in the court are enough."
Razza: "Need eight on the court to start; we won't cheat on numbers."
Phinks: "Filling spots then? Me, Bonolenov, Hisoka—that's three. Then Feitan, Machi, Franklin, Nobunaga. Good."
Feitan, counted as filler, felt annoyed: "Hey, you scared of fighting? Use others too, and we're still short one."
"Then no Nobunaga; swap for that Zoldyck girl with the Nen beast. One counts as two, and doesn't take space."
"Hey! Machi is the one who doesn't want in! Swapping me out—what's that mean? Can't I fight?"
"You're down to one hand protecting your clothes; better sit out the fight!"
"Who are you looking down on?!"
Franklin: "The court's not that big; my size fits."
"That's why you're filler! Ahh, then you guys say how to arrange it!"
...
Saiki Kusuo: They just keep arguing.
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