BOOM!
The gang leader's head exploded like an overripe watermelon—red and white matter splattered all over the street.
Screams broke out as terrified civilians scrambled away from the bookstore entrance.
"Killer—!!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Uvogin casually shook the blood off his fist and let out a laugh. Crushing that guy was no different than squashing an ant.
Turning to Shizuku, he grinned, "You like reading Pirate King so much. How about we kidnap that bastard Mr. Tano?"
"Lock him up in a dark room and make him draw manga for you every day!"
Shizuku's amber eyes lit up. "Yes! And if he doesn't draw—no food!"
"D-Devils… these two are lunatics…"
Inside the bookstore, the trembling clerk hid behind a shelf and fumbled for his phone.
Before he could press a number, a large face loomed in front of him with a wicked grin.
Uvogin chuckled, "Calling the cops? Great idea. Go on—I can't wait."
"Ahhhh!!"
The clerk collapsed in fear, the phone slipping from his shaking hands.
"Tsk." Uvogin picked up the phone and jammed it back into the clerk's palm. "Go on, report it."
The man couldn't even move his fingers.
Uvogin's smile vanished. With a single backhanded punch—crack!—the man's skull caved in.
"What a letdown. Guess I'll do it myself."
That same day, the Davia Police Department in the Republic of Batokia received an emergency call.
A response unit was dispatched immediately.
…They were all wiped out.
[Breaking News]
Suspect Photo Released Below
The public is advised to stay alert and avoid approaching the suspect.
If spotted, do not act on your own. Report immediately to authorities.
This concludes tonight's news broadcast. Thank you for watching.
"Ah~ The world's falling apart," sighed Jeno Zoldyck, watching TV while stuffing food into his mouth.
He was seated opposite Roy, enjoying the boy's cooking without an ounce of shame.
Roy narrowed his eyes and waved his fingers. "Did you pay for this?"
The old man had dropped in uninvited—fine. But free meals? No way.
Laughing, Jeno pulled out a thick wad of bills and tossed them across the table.
Roy raised his eyebrows. "Thirty, maybe forty thousand? Huh… you're more generous than Killua."
Pocketing the cash, he smirked. "Alright, old man. Out with it. Don't start pretending you care about world peace or whatever."
The Zoldycks thriving in a peaceful world? That'd be a joke.
"Can't a grandpa visit his grandson?" Jeno replied, popping a meatball into his mouth while eyeing Roy carefully.
In just under a year, the boy had grown taller—skin tanned, movements sharper.
Still… that wasn't what puzzled Jeno.
"Is this really the 'good grandson' Maha meant…?"
After getting cryptically "clicked" by Maha during a visit, Jeno had grown suspicious.
He'd gone down the family tree—Kalluto, Yellmi, even tried tracking Illumi—until he finally showed up here.
Roy noticed the stare and threw a meatball at Maomao (his pet), then shot Jeno a grin.
"You done staring? You can leave now."
Sword training time. He wasn't wasting it chatting with nosy old men.
Jeno frowned but said nothing. He pushed back his chair, and vanished in an instant.
Later that night, the temperature dropped. The wind rustled through the courtyard—a perfect atmosphere for sword practice.
Roy stood still, gripping his bokken (training sword) with both hands.
But instead of striking skyward like usual…
SWOOSH!
He suddenly slashed behind him—toward the nearby woods.
CRACK!
A towering tree was cleaved clean in two, crashing to the ground and revealing—
Jeno, hiding behind it with his hands behind his back.
Jeno blinked in shock, measuring the distance between them.
"His 'Nen'… is that wide? It's almost as large as mine… Incredible…"
But also… uh-oh.
Roy didn't lower his weapon. With a smirk, he called out:
"So that's what you meant by 'just visiting'?"
"Go back and tell Maha—don't bother me unless it's important."
"I'm busy."