Even though they failed to kill Netero with the help of the Chimera Ants, it was still a relief that Netero planned to step down as president.
As long as Netero stepped back from leading the Hunter Association, they could consider leaving him alone.
After all, as the former strongest player in the world, President Netero's influence was so massive that even the V5 and other countries were wary of him.
Pariston saw Netero's decision to resign as a smart move.
If Netero didn't step down voluntarily, he would have become a constant target for other countries testing his strength and influence.
Then, Pariston himself would have had to push for his resignation.
The Chimera Ant incident had shaken the world deeply, leaving many countries devastated.
The V5 and others could easily blame Netero, making the public believe the disaster was due to the Hunter Association's mishandling.
Eventually, Netero would probably have been forced to resign anyway.
But now, having predicted all this and with his mindset changed, Netero simply chose to retire on his own terms.
Of course, this meant the Hunter Association needed to elect a new president.
If this had happened before, Pariston might have been interested in the position, but things were different now.
The appointed day was drawing near, and he was set to follow Beyond to the Dark Continent.
Even the current vice president, if he were to become president, planned to resign.
Yet, Pariston couldn't help but think, "Why not have a little fun with this election before leaving?"
A sly smile crept across his usually calm face, hinting at some mischief to come.
In the Hunter Association's meeting room, the Doumian people had gathered all twelve zodiacs to discuss the details of the upcoming election, following Netero's voluntary resignation.
Miyang Ginta, a towering figure from the Miyang branch, was in tears as he shouted, "Why do you have to resign, President?"
His tears weren't as heart-wrenching as when President Netero had passed, but the sadness was still palpable.
Many of the local branches were bewildered and disheartened, most had joined the twelve zodiacs out of admiration for the president, so what reason did they have to stay now that he was stepping down?
"Come on, Ginta, stop crying. Don't make it seem like the president has died," said Cluck and Gel, frowning as they tried to calm the distraught Ginta, who sat nearby and was clearly irritated by the sobbing.
"Is Pariston still not here? Even Ging's arrived," Saiyou remarked, stretching with his hands behind his head and glancing sideways at Ging.
"What do you mean 'even'?"
Ging crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.
"Don't compare me to someone like Pariston."
The others were genuinely surprised Ging had shown up this time.
He was notorious for skipping meetings, barely considering himself part of the zodiacs.
Usually, he'd just have someone place a small panda doll inscribed with the word "gold" to stand in for him, hardly a serious presence.
Just then, the door opened with a soft creak, and two figures stepped inside.
"Looks like I'm not the last to arrive," President Netero said lightly, entering the room with a calm stride, followed by his secretary, Doumianren.
He had called this meeting to discuss a better way to handle the upcoming election with the twelve zodiacs.
At the same time, the other branches of the Hunter Association would likely hesitate to elect a new president because of him, so he needed to be clear about his intentions.
No matter what, this time he was resigning as president.
It was time for him, an old man, to finally enjoy some downtime.
To show just how serious he was about stepping down, Netero had even swapped his usual blue-and-white presidential robe for simple sportswear.
"President! Aren't you planning to continue leading us?" Ginta's emotions surged as he saw Netero appear, and he quickly asked.
"Hohoho, I'll explain everything once everyone is here," Netero replied with a chuckle, settling into the main seat.
His eyes briefly flicked toward the empty spot where the seat of Pariston should have been but left no sign that he'd noticed.
Just then, a knock came at the door, and Pariston appeared.
"Oh, sorry for being late. I had some things to take care of," he said with a serious tone, though in reality, he had just been chatting to himself in his office and wasn't busy with official business at all.
Seeing Netero in the main seat, Pariston's eyes lit up, and he made his way over to take his seat.
"Tsk," Kanzai muttered, curling his lips in obvious disdain.
Pariston's fake smile always rubbed him the wrong way.
"Ha ha ha, now that everyone's here, I'll make the official announcement," Netero began, stroking his newly
He stroked his beard with a smile.
This wasn't a burden for him; it was a relief.
"I, Isaac Netero, hereby resign as president of the Hunter Association."
Several faces in the room shifted, even though they'd been prepared for this moment.
Hearing it out loud still brought a wave of sadness.
"I'm getting old, and I feel powerless handling the duties of president. It's time to elect someone new," Netero explained.
A few people exchanged doubtful looks.
Looking at him now, full of vitality, it was hard to imagine he felt powerless.
But Netero knew the truth himself, and honestly, that's what mattered.
His attitude was what counted most.
What truly mattered was his attitude toward resigning.
"President, are you really going to step down?" Cheadle adjusted his round glasses and asked seriously.
Yet, deep down, everyone already knew the answer.
"I've really made up my mind to resign," Netero said firmly, nodding as the last flicker of hope among the Zodiacs faded away.
They all knew him well; once Netero decided something, there was no turning back.
No matter how much others tried to persuade him, his mind was set.
After his battle with the Ant King, he felt no regrets and had finally found peace.
That's why when Larry asked if he wanted to fight again once he recovered, Netero refused.
He'd fought enough.
With everything going on, including the V5 situation, he chose to step down and enjoy his old age.
"Is that so..." he murmured quietly.
Then, suddenly, Pariston piped up with a grin, "Hey everyone, I've got a great idea! Since the president's stepping down voluntarily, shouldn't I, as the vice president, just take over as president?"
He raised a finger dramatically, playing it up like a B-movie villain.
Of course, Pariston said this on purpose, fully aware it would annoy the Zodiacs.
He actually enjoyed being disliked.