Chapter 851
Chrollo, Feitan, Phinks, Nobunaga, Hooker, Pakunoda, Franklin, Kurapika.
"Only eight?"
A full Phantom Troupe has thirteen members.
But recruiting new ones isn't that easy—especially after suffering so many losses in such a short time.
"Yes." Hisoka ended the call. Immediately after, Ron received calls from several others—Mizaistom, Gel, Pyorn… Most of them were individuals Ron had some level of rapport with.
Through these conversations, Ron could feel just how stirred the entire Nen-user community had become once Nasubi announced the Black Whale expedition.
"Those boarding the Black Whale are basically elites from all walks of life."
"But once they reach the Dark Continent, elite or not, it won't mean much anymore."
"In fact, many won't even survive the journey there."
"They'll die en route."
"Especially this time, since Nasubi has also arranged for the Succession War to take place during the expedition."
Time passed quickly.
A large number of people had secured tickets through their own channels and connections.
Ron had received four tickets—all from Morena.
They were for the Second Deck.
At this point, Morena had obtained relatively clear intel on the layout of the Black Whale.
First Deck: Reserved for the Kakin royal family and envoys dispatched by the V5.
Although the V5 each had their own vessels, they had still sent some personnel onto the Black Whale. The reason was obvious.
Second Deck: Occupied by wealthy business figures and celebrities from across the world.
Ron wasn't exactly a public figure. As an assassin, having too much fame was far from a good thing. Even the Zoldyck family—known as the world's greatest assassin clan—had members like Zeno and Milluki who weren't particularly well-known among ordinary people. Zeno was too experienced to let anyone see him, and Milluki...was Milluki.
Their notoriety was limited to the world of Nen and assassination.
But in terms of wealth, Ron absolutely qualified.
After creating Chii, his Conjured Beast, Ron had effectively achieved financial freedom. Beyond forming an intelligence network, Chii had also constructed numerous "fake" companies across the net. Not that they were truly fake—after all, the income and expenditures were real.
Ron gave himself the identity of a shareholder in one of those companies. Ponzu, Machi, and Misty had similar arrangements.
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Decks were for ordinary people.
Ron remembered that in the original timeline, members of the Hunter Association's Zodiacs, Hisoka, and the Phantom Troupe had all been situated on the lower three decks. Compared to the upper levels, conditions down there were far more complicated—and far more dangerous.
The Third Deck was the Heil-Ly Family's primary stronghold.
The Fourth Deck belonged mainly to the Shu-U Family.
The Fifth Deck was held by the Cha-R Family.
Each of these families had ties to one of Kakin's princes.
The Heil-Ly Family was aligned with Prince Tserriednich, a complete deviant.
The Xi-Yu Family was backed by the Third Prince.
Notably, it was widely speculated that the Third Prince might not actually be Nasubi's biological son. His true father was believed to be one of Nasubi's brothers—part of a secondary branch. That was one reason Ron didn't think the Third Prince stood a real chance in the Succession War.
Although the Third Prince had acquired a Hatsu through the Egg Ceremony that was well-suited for a king, his status as an illegitimate child was a major liability. Ron didn't believe for a second that Nasubi was unaware of this—or that he'd simply allow someone who wasn't truly his son to inherit the throne.
The Cha-R Family was working with the Seventh Prince.
With Ron's strength, he could survive comfortably on any deck. But the real battlefield for the Succession War would be every floor except the Second.
Ron had no intention of getting involved.
And he didn't think Nasubi would allow it, either.
An S-ranked Nen user interfering in the Succession War would completely skew the balance.
If Ron chose a side, that side would win. It was that simple.
Everyone who'd secured a ticket was already heading toward Kakin.
Ron glanced once more at the crystal orb before him.
"Progress: sixty-four percent."
The massive vessel bound for the Dark Continent was about to depart. But before that, Nasubi was hosting a grand pre-departure festival in the capital—a full-scale celebration.
"Ron."
Yorkshire's silhouette approached.
"Yorkshire-senpai."
"Ron, are you interested in joining the Hunter Association's Zodiacs?"
Yorkshire extended the invitation.
This time, the Association would be sending members aboard the Black Whale, primarily represented by the Zodiac Twelve.
But the Twelve were currently missing two members.
Ging Freecss and Pariston had both left the group.
Technically, Yorkshire had stepped down from the Zodiacs after becoming Chairman—but in urgent situations, she could still take on Zodiac duties.
That said, the roles of the Rat and Pig remained unfilled.
Ron shook his head.
"Sorry, Yorkshire-senpai. I don't have any such intentions right now."
"I see." Yorknew left, a little disappointed.
But Ron would never consider joining the Zodiacs.
Their mission aboard the Black Whale was to maintain balance, provide aid, and heal innocent bystanders caught in the Succession War.
Ron wasn't about to spend his time on that.
Once the ship reached the Dark Continent, the Zodiacs had two main objectives: exploring uncharted regions to obtain resources, and monitoring Beyond.
But Ron had boarded the Black Whale for something else entirely—to pursue the Sequence power.
.............
.......
.
The celebration carried on. The revelry continued.
For a while, it seemed everyone had forgotten that this was the eve of their journey to the Dark Continent—one of the deadliest places in existence. It felt more like they were heading for Gourmet Paradise.
Ron stood on a high balcony, gazing down at the crowds below.
"How many of these people will actually make it back alive?"
"Probably not even one percent."
In previous Dark Continent expeditions, for every ten thousand people, maybe just a handful returned.
That said, the current situation might be a bit more favorable.
The emergence of the Chimera Ants had significantly increased humanity's odds of survival. With their naturally powerful physiques, Chimera Ants had a unique advantage in the Dark Continent. Even from birth, they were strong. Once they learned Nen, their strength grew exponentially.
The next morning, the sun rose.
"Use Accompany, Ron!"
Misty took out her Zodiac card.
In the next moment, a surge of aura wrapped all three of them at once.