The meeting was brief, lasting barely fifteen minutes.
By the time Allen stepped out of the building, it was already midday.
Baise, who had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time, was the first to approach and inquire, "Well? What did those fossils have to say to you?"
"Nothing new, just the usual political posturing. But more importantly, I secured the detailed records of the V5's past expeditions to the Dark Continent. With these, that land is no longer an entirely unknown territory to us." Allen unceremoniously shoved the thick stack of documents into the hands of the "Seductress," mainly to distract her from continuing to tease the poor Sanbica.
"Are you truly planning to move against the Kakin Royal Family?" Baise's tone held a rare note of gravity.
Allen nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Of course. Especially the current King, Nasubi, he absolutely has to die. Furthermore, the urn used for the Succession Contest ritual must be completely destroyed."
"Fine then. It looks like we're going to be very busy during these two months at sea," Baise sighed helplessly.
"Will there be intense combat?" Bodoro's eyes flickered with excitement and anticipation.
Ever since his clash with the helpers brought by Beyond, he realized that through his constant training and combat, he had unconsciously reached a level close to the Zodiacs of the Association.
Particularly with the aid of his gear and his two powerful shields, there were few people left who could breach his Defense of the Indestructible. Because of this, the martial artist craved opportunities to test himself against the strong more than anyone else.
"Mmm… it's hard to say. Since King Nasubi will be on the ship personally, they'll maintain a semblance of order on the surface. But in the shadows, those Princes will do everything in their power to eliminate their siblings to emerge as the sole victor. Combat is inevitable; we might even face sudden raids or assassinations," Allen analyzed, rubbing his chin.
Although Togashi had tried his best to frame the Succession Contest as a "battle of wits," in Allen's eyes, the Princes' actions were more akin to a game played under specific rules.
First, the Princes cannot personally take action, or they are immediately disqualified. Conversely, if they want to eliminate someone, they must utilize their subordinates and allies.
Simply put, this was a contest of leadership, management, conspiracy, charisma, and political maneuvering. Whoever could best allocate their limited resources and enlist the most capable followers would win. Any Prince who could survive such fierce competition to the end would undoubtedly be an outstanding, albeit ruthless, King.
This meant that the type of Guardian Spirit Beast a Prince received or the specific Nen ability they awakened wasn't actually as important as one might imagine. If a Prince were forced to take the field personally, they were likely already on the verge of losing.
"Sudden raids and assassinations? It sounds like this ship will be quite the deathtrap," Bodoro remarked with a slight sigh.
Just as Sanbica was about to speak, Allen's phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
He quickly pulled it out and pressed the answer key, only for a soprano scream loud enough to pierce his eardrums to explode in his ear.
"AAAAAAAHHH!!! Lord Allen! Something's happened! The child born from the Queen! She... she says her name is Kite!"
There was no need to ask; the caller was the only surviving Chimera Ant—Hina. She had been living under the surveillance of the Hunter Association recently, tasked with caring for the rapidly growing infant.
"Oh? Have the memories finally awakened?"
Allen's expression remained calm; he had clearly anticipated this outcome long ago.
"Eh? You aren't surprised?" Hina's voice was thick with shock. When she had first heard the name, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Not really. You didn't call just to tell me that, did you?" Allen asked bluntly.
"No! Of course not! K-Kite said she wants to talk to you," Sheila explained hurriedly.
"No problem. Put her on," Allen agreed without a second thought.
Two or three seconds later, the slightly immature voice of a young girl came through the receiver: "The Grim Reaper, Allen! Nice to meet you. I've heard plenty about your exploits from Gon and Killua. If I'm not mistaken, you're assembling a team for the Dark Continent, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," Allen gave a firm confirmation.
"If you don't mind, can you count me in?" Kite took the initiative to apply for the team.
"You?" Allen paused. He couldn't figure out why the other party wanted to join his team, nor did he know how much power Kite retained after the reincarnation.
"That's right! It's also Ging's idea." Kite made no effort to hide her intentions, openly stating her primary motivation.
"You spoke with Ging? Why does he want you to join my team?" Allen asked, feeling somewhat bewildered.
Kite replied with a light chuckle, "Because he wants to have a contest with you. Ever since Beyond's death, Ging has become the de facto leader of that team, and Pariston is with them as well. His exact words to you were: 'Let's see who can solve the calamities (threats) first and bring back new hope for the human world.'"
"Huh? What is this? A challenge?" Allen was amused by Ging's somewhat childish behavior.
"It is whatever you think it is. Besides, Cheadle's Zodiacs from the Hunter Association are also competitors. So, are you interested in accepting?" Kite seemed exceptionally excited, her pitch rising a couple of octaves.
"Of course I accept! How could I miss out on something this fun? But let me be clear, during our time on the ship, I will be moving against the Kakin Royal Family. You okay with that?" Allen asked with a playful smile.
"The Kakin Royal Family? Are they the masterminds behind the Chimera Ant invasion?" Kite was no fool; she instantly pieced the situation together.
"Yes. Not only are they the culprits behind the Ants, but they also intend to use the lives of 200,000 civilians on the ship as sacrifices for that bloody Succession Contest. What I'm going to do is end it all," Allen provided his justification.
"OK! I'm in! I have a score of my own to settle with them, after all," Kite's voice suddenly turned cold and dark.
It wasn't surprising. She had been captured and treated as a slave before being eaten alive by the Chimera Ant Queen. That level of pain, despair, and humiliation was not something an ordinary person could endure. Now that the true culprit had been found, it would be impossible for her to find peace without making them pay a heavy price.
"Heh, then on behalf of the whole team, welcome aboard. Oh, right, bring the little rabbit along too; her abilities will be useful to some extent. Finally, here's to a successful partnership. See you in Kakin."
"OK! See you in Kakin!"
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