Machi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Hisoka, what are you trying to say?"
Hisoka spread his hands with a casual shrug.
"Nothing much. Just saying... it's a fight. Danger comes with the territory, doesn't it?"
"If I slip up and accidentally kill Kaizen—"
"Or I panic and go overboard, and he dies because of that—"
"Or maybe I'm the one who gets killed in the ring."
"All of that's pretty normal, isn't it?"
He tilted his head with a smirk.
"And when did you start caring so much about your members' lives, anyway?"
"Didn't I join the Phantom Troupe after killing your Number Four?"
"Kill a member, take their number—that's how it works, right?"
"Besides, Kaizen isn't even a member of the Troupe yet."
...
That was indeed the infamous rule the Phantom Troupe revealed to the outside world.
It helped reinforce their reputation—ruthless, lawless, loyal only to strength. A message: Phantom Troupe members didn't fear death... and others feared them even more.
But in truth, that rule was more legend than law.
So far, it had only been invoked once.
Hisoka killed the former Number Four, replaced them, and claimed the number.
And even that wasn't the whole story.
Because the previous Number Four hadn't truly died.
It was staged—a faked death to quietly exit the Troupe.
...
Machi was quiet for a while.
"The Troupe needs strength. Kaizen's got potential—you and I both know that."
"Most powerful Nen users are under tight control by the major nations."
"There aren't many wild cards who can reach our level."
"If you're not confident, Hisoka, then let me test Kaizen's strength."
She stood up, calm but firm.
Hisoka smiled, eyes gleaming.
"Don't be so serious. I was joking. Of course, I won't kill Kaizen."
Machi shot him a long glance before turning and leaving.
Once she was gone, Hisoka's smile widened, his eyes glittering with anticipation.
"Wonder how you'll react when you find out Kaizen's a Zoldyck..."
"Your Number Eight died at the hands of Silva Zoldyck, didn't they?"
"Deliciously ironic."
He licked his lips.
He couldn't help but recall the time he targeted Kaizen, only to realize the boy was Ilumi's cousin.
His emotions had been all over the place then—conflicted, surprised... intrigued.
And now, someone else would get to feel exactly what he did.
...
A day later.
Kaizen arrived at a nearby town. He stayed just long enough to restock supplies, then continued toward his destination.
A vast desert.
Despite its barren appearance, people were constantly coming and going.
It lay along the border between two countries—ripe for illicit trade.
Smugglers thrived here, dodging taxes, reaping massive profits.
On the surface, it looked like a wasteland, but small buildings were scattered throughout, each a node in the underground economy.
Everyone had the same look—dusty, low-profile, like they'd vanish tomorrow.
But many of them were richer than city lords.
The chaotic environment made it a haven for criminals.
Some of them Nen users. Some—dangerously powerful.
As for Kroll's hideout?
No one knew the real location.
...
Approaching the border, Kaizen stored their vehicle inside Sumas's Nen ability space.
The seven of them proceeded on foot.
"For info gathering, Ponzu and Nina—you're up."
"Got it," the two replied.
Kaizen didn't specialize in intel-gathering, and Altan's Nen wasn't much use here. No networks. No cameras. No tech.
That's why Kaizen had formed this team.
Even the strongest Nen users had limits.
Even Kaizen.
Hundreds of bees buzzed out from Ponzu's Nen ability, scattering in all directions.
...
A large, weather-worn tent.
Seven of them sat in a circle.
All unfamiliar faces—but in this border zone, no one cared. People came and went daily. No questions asked.
Kaizen opened his laptop.
"Here's everything I've dug up on Kroll."
A few blurry photos, a sparse history.
And most importantly—six subordinates. Three men, three women. All likely Nen users.
"Ponzu, Nina—use this as a reference during recon."
"Understood."
...
That night, they rotated shifts for watch duty in the tent.
Outside, Ponzu's bees never stopped.
Until they found the target, they wouldn't return.
Kaizen left information gathering to Ponzu and Nina.
He, meanwhile, logged onto the PageDive platform to check up on Blade Teeth.
Views, favorites, comments—the numbers were climbing.
It was gaining traction. Fast.
The manga's art was crisp. The pacing sharp. And Kaizen updated often.
The readers were hooked.
He scrolled through the comments.
"This is amazing!"
"Killer art style!"
"A true brawler!"
"More updates, please!"
"The author's a tentacle monster!"
Kaizen nodded to himself.
"Seems like this is working. I can go ahead and upload Bungo Stray Dogs next. That'll help boost Uchiha Sasuke's power tier too."
He switched accounts.
The art style for his different manga was deliberately varied, the release speed intentionally high.
It made readers think they came from a studio, not a single author.
Some fans didn't mind—it was all about quality.
Others were less accepting, suspicious of corporate content.
...
The next morning.
Nina approached Kaizen with a strange look on her face.
"Hey, um... Kaizen..."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)