With the onset of efficient slaughter, V5 finally established complete control over the gargantuan ferry. The surviving Princes and Queens were swiftly placed under house arrest; those who refused to cooperate became, without exception, cold corpses upon the floor.
In dealing with the 14th Prince and his mother, Kurapika attempted to uphold his duty as a bodyguard. Unfortunately, under the combined assault of Bodoro, Baise, and a host of Chimera Ant soldiers, his meager strength didn't last ten seconds before he was pinned down and taken captive.
Elsewhere, the operation leader presented a V5-issued warrant to Cheadle, the Chairman of the Hunter Association currently on the third deck, ordering her to hunt down any illegitimate children of the Kakin Royal Family to ensure this tainted bloodline was thoroughly severed.
Of course, these mop-up operations had nothing to do with Allen.
At this moment, he was hovering above the terrifying, pitch-black deep sea, engaged in a final decisive battle against Nasubi, who had lost all sense of self and become a mere collective will manipulated by the Urn.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As massive waves over ten meters high crashed against the sea with a deafening roar, the two exchanged over five rounds in a single second. Every collision generated terrifying air currents and explosions. Allen no longer held any trump cards back, entering a full-throttle mode where every single arrow was imbued with at least three different Nen abilities.
Yet even so, it was difficult to inflict meaningful damage on Nasubi. The reason was simple: the immense post-mortem Nen stored within the Urn was now concentrated entirely on a single person. That level of power was not something ordinary attacks could easily breach.
Realizing this, Allen sighed softly. While carefully dodging the opponent's attacks, he issued a command to the Red Dragon: "Vaelastrasz! Merge all bow-related abilities into the Chimera Ant King's Cocoon!"
"What? Are you certain? I can't guarantee what the result will be," Vaelastrasz warned in surprise.
"It doesn't matter! I just want to fuse the principle of Zero Hand from the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva into my archery! Only then can I break through the exaggerated protective Nen on this guy," Allen responded nonchalantly.
"Very well! Give me ten seconds!"
As the last word left her mouth, countless Cocoons within Vaelastrasz's body surged together, beginning an unprecedented grand fusion. With every successful merger, the red dragon plate armor pulsed with a blinding light.
Once the fusion was complete, a tumultuous torrent of Aura erupted from Vaelastrasz, forming a floating black sphere of energy in the air around them.
"What is this?" Allen asked instinctively.
"A powerful support ability! When you attack, you can integrate this into it. Remember, choosing to use this means concentrating ninety-nine percent of your total Aura and abilities into a single point to fire at the enemy. After use, you will lose the vast majority of your combat effectiveness.
"Additionally, these energy spheres are divided into two types. One is the black type you see now, and the other is white. White spheres can be accumulated slowly over time, essentially an extra reservoir. Each white sphere is theoretically equivalent to your Aura capacity at its peak state, and they can only be used in conjunction with a black sphere, not to replenish yourself," Vaelastrasz explained briefly.
Without a doubt, the fusion was a resounding success. Both the black and white spheres could drastically enhance long-range lethality, perfect for dealing with troublesome enemies with absurd defenses.
Allen nodded thoughtfully. "I see! Then let's test its power on this guy!"
He drew a Doomshot arrow from his quiver, which instantly absorbed the black energy sphere. In a mere flash—no, in exactly 0.01 seconds, every ounce of his Nen was poured into the shaft.
Aimed Shot!
The moment his fingers released the string, the arrow vanished from sight. Before Nasubi could even register what was happening, a terrifying force punched straight through his abdomen.
Though the process took only 0.01 seconds, the destruction was staggering. Whether it was the intestines, kidneys, flesh, and bone in the abdominal cavity, or the heart and lungs within the chest, everything vanished. To be precise, they were torn apart and pulverized by the arrow's force, turning into a mist of blood and debris. Even the hardest bones were no exception.
No words could describe that bloody, cruel, yet magnificently spectacular scene. Even Allen himself was stunned by the impact of his own strike.
"Incredible... Is this the damage caused by merging Zero Hand with multiple Nen abilities? It's as if the arrow hits the target the very instant it's fired! It can't be dodged, and it's impossible for anyone to block it unless they can move at the speed of light!" Allen marveled, fighting off physical exhaustion.
"No! This isn't even its full potential! Your arrows could still become stronger!" Vaelastrasz corrected him with a hint of excitement.
"Stronger? Perhaps. But right now, I think we should worry about that guy," Allen said, pointing to Nasubi. Not far away, Nasubi's shattered body was still floating in mid-air, beginning to regenerate at a visible rate.
Clearly, the collective consciousness of the Urn now viewed Allen as a mortal enemy and was hell-bent on killing him right there.
"Do you need me to lend you my Aura? It won't be as seamless as your own, but it'll do for a temporary fix," Vaelastrasz offered.
But Allen shook his head with a smile. "No, that's not necessary. I'm tired of this endless back-and-forth. Besides, compared to these supernatural powers, I actually prefer to trust in science. With my last bit of strength, I'm going to teach him that the times have changed."
He pulled the long-hidden, enhanced version of the Poor Man's Rose from his waist pouch. He used his replication ability to create a copy, then tucked the original back away.
With a flap of his dragon wings, he lunged while Nasubi's body was still mending. He activated the device and tossed it directly into the mouth of the Urn, then immediately accelerated away.
A moment later...
BOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
A devastating firestorm swept across the surface of the sea. Vast amounts of seawater evaporated instantly. The rising smoke and fire formed the shape of a beautiful rose in the sky—the namesake of the weapon.
In addition to the blast, lethal toxins began to spread through the air and water. Within moments, a staggering number of dead fish floated to the surface. Nasubi had long since been vaporized in the explosion. He lacked the powerful exoskeleton of a Chimera Ant King, and his body had never undergone any rigorous training; he had only qualified to fight Allen due to the Urn's power.
Simultaneously, the Urn itself had been blasted open, several large holes gaping in its sides. Covered in a spiderweb of cracks, it struggled to stay afloat through the protection of Nen, appearing as though it might shatter and disintegrate at any moment.