Chapter 885
Morena had never fully accepted her place in the world. It wasn't until Ron explained the nature of the Sequence system that she began to feel any hope for the future.
Whether Tserriednich won or lost didn't matter to her. In fact, none of the Heil-Ly Family's previous plans ever truly concerned her. The voyage aboard the Black Whale—what so many considered a pivotal chapter—was, to Morena, just a temporary trip.
Her real beginning would start once they reached the Dark Continent. She figured that must be true for the rest of the Heil-Ly Family as well. They couldn't be that different from her.
But she hadn't expected someone in the Heil-Ly Family to actually want revenge for Tserriednich.
Their target was the Phantom Troupe.
And beyond their immense strength, even if they succeeded in revenge, there would be nothing to gain. Tserriednich was already dead.
"When did someone in the Heil-Ly Family become so loyal to Tserriednich?"
"No… more accurately, when did Tserriednich manage to infiltrate the Heil-Ly Family so deeply?"
"Even I had no idea."
Morena's eyes flickered with a rare trace of unease.
"If he hadn't died so suddenly… maybe I would've ended up being dragged into it too."
A portion of the Heil-Ly Family remained near Morena. Others had already broken away.
Meanwhile, Chrollo stepped in front of Machi.
"Machi."
"Chrollo."
"…I'm sorry."
Chrollo lowered his head.
"Sorry?" Machi frowned slightly. She didn't understand why Chrollo would suddenly apologize.
"Pakunoda is dead. Nobunaga's come down with a strange illness. It looks more like a curse than anything biological." Chrollo's voice was quiet but firm. "It was my mistake."
"Machi, I want to ask a favor. Nobunaga's condition is serious. If there's anyone on this ship who can help him, it's probably Ron. I want you to ask him for help. If we don't do something soon, Nobunaga might die…"
Machi's pupils contracted.
First, from the news that Pakunoda had died. She hadn't been one of Machi's closest companions in the Troupe, but they'd shared a mutual respect. As the only two women in the Troupe, both with support-type roles, there had been a natural camaraderie between them.
Pakunoda's death stunned her—but even more than that, it was Nobunaga's condition that shook her.
Among the Troupe, she'd always been closer to Uvogin and Nobunaga. Even before they met Chrollo, before the Troupe was formed, the three of them had been close friends.
Now, Uvogin was dead. And Nobunaga was at death's door.
Whether it was as a comrade or as an old friend, Machi couldn't bear the thought of watching him die in front of her.
Still, as she thought more seriously about it, her expression grew visibly troubled.
From what she understood, Ron was a pure assassin. He took jobs for profit. He wouldn't act without compensation.
That had been clear back in Yorknew, when Machi negotiated with him to get the Phantom Troupe's help—he'd agreed, but only on the condition that she join his team. At the time, she had just left the Troupe and had no plans to join another group. She'd only agreed because it was the only way to get Ron's support.
So what about this time?
Machi couldn't think of a single reason that would compel Ron to help. After all, Nobunaga wasn't a member of Ron's team. He was an outsider.
"Machi, is something wrong?" Chrollo asked.
"I'll do my best," Machi replied.
But once Chrollo left, she didn't immediately seek Ron out. Instead, she sat quietly in a corner, deep in thought—trying to figure out what reason, what offer, could get Ron to agree to help.
"Machi-nee, what's wrong?" Misty had noticed the shift in her mood.
After a brief hesitation, Machi shared her dilemma.
"That's not hard to solve," Misty said.
"Not hard?" Machi was taken aback. She hadn't expected Misty to say it so easily—this felt like an impossible task.
"Misty, do you have an idea?"
"Of course."
"What is it?" Machi asked, staring at her.
"It's you," Misty replied, as if it were obvious. "If you offer yourself to Big Brother, he'll definitely help. That way, you and Big Brother won't just be captain and teammate anymore."
Machi's face flushed red on the spot.
She was a powerful Nen user. A member of the Phantom Troupe. But she had never experienced anything like that before. In that regard, she was completely inexperienced. Yet Misty spoke about it so casually, so bluntly.
"…"
Seeing Machi hesitate, Misty's eyes twinkled. She added, "Machi-nee, you don't want to just stand by and watch your childhood friend die, do you? Besides, in this world, you won't find a better man than Big Brother. He's strong, handsome…"
"After being around someone like him, could you really be attracted to anyone else?"
"It's bound to happen sooner or later."
Machi fell into silence.
"If you're shy, I can set it up for you. You won't have to think about anything. Just leave it to me," Misty said.
Machi still didn't reply—but in that silence, Misty could tell she had already made up her mind. She was just too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Evening came quickly.
Misty appeared in front of Ron, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she leaned in close. "Big Brother, I've got a surprise for you tonight. Want to play a little game?"
Ron glanced at her sideways. "What kind of game?"
"You're not allowed to use any perception abilities," she said, spinning lightly on her heel. "You have to guess—am I Misty, or am I Ponzu?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Ponzu agreed to this?"
He wasn't surprised Misty would pull something like this. She'd always been a troublemaker—whether it was the trap she set back in Heaven's Arena or that absurd prank with Shizuku's diary in Gourmet Paradise.
She didn't do it with bad intentions. Ron had scolded her a few times, but in the end, he let her antics slide. These little stunts, while chaotic, gave their everyday routines a strange kind of color.
"She did," Misty said, voice light. "Otherwise, I wouldn't dare. You'd get mad again."
Ron exhaled through his nose. "If I guess wrong and call you Ponzu when you're not, she's going to be mad."
Misty grinned. "She might pout a little. But she also said it would be funny."
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