September 1st, 8:00 PM.
Only one hour remained until the start of the Southernpiece Auction, but business elites, political celebrities, and mafia bosses from around the world had already begun arriving at the venue.
According to the auction's regulations, each buyer was allowed to bring at most two companions and was prohibited from carrying weapons, recording devices, or communication tools.
Therefore, most buyers opted to bring two burly bodyguards, while the rest of their entourage could only stand guard outside the venue.
Battera was accompanied by Tsezguerra and a Conjurer from their team named Kess.
His ability, Silent Worker, allowed him to conjure a handheld radar device to monitor the movements of specified targets and alert him to approaching sources of danger.
Thus, as long as he discreetly used Silent Worker during the auction, he could detect potential threats faster than anyone else.
Tsezguerra and Kess entered the auction as Battera's bodyguards, while the other two Nen users in their team remained on alert outside.
Shortly after Battera's group entered, the Heil-Ly Family's leader Aibolan, along with Vick and Lopez, arrived at the Southernpiece Auction House's main lobby.
With an hour left until the auction began, mafia bosses from the six continents and ten regions were in no rush to enter the auction hall. Instead, they gathered in small groups throughout the lobby, smoking and chatting casually.
However, as Aibolan's group stepped into the lobby, the previously noisy conversations noticeably quieted.
Almost simultaneously, the gazes of many mafia members focused on Aibolan.
Although the three major mafia families of Kakin typically kept a low profile, those entrenched in the underworld immediately recognized Aibolan's identity.
In terms of status, Aibolan held a position in Kakin's underworld, a superpower, equivalent to the Ten Dons who controlled the six continents and ten regions.
But there were also rumors that the three major mafia families of Kakin were directly subordinate to the royal family. If true, these mafia families were clearly not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
The mafia bosses observed the newly arrived Aibolan and his companions with varied expressions.
The mafia forces from both sides had always kept to their own territories, rarely intersecting.
It was even rarer to see a heavyweight figure like Aibolan attending an auction in Yorknew.
Some keenly perceptive mafia bosses vaguely considered the possibility that the Kakin mafia was preparing for formal contact with the Ten Dons.
Aibolan paid no attention to the surrounding stares, walking toward the auction hall as if no one else was present.
He had no interest in the auction's items.
His attendance was merely a formality: under the pretense of an auction, he would transfer funds to the Ten Dons, with whom he had already established a transaction, and deliver a pair of Scarlet Eyes to the Fourth Prince.
As Aibolan and his group departed, the lobby gradually returned to its previous clamor.
Among the crowd was Nostrade, the leader of the Nostrade Family, his gaze heavy as he watched the direction in which Aibolan's group had left.
"So imposing…"
A hidden ambition flickered in his eyes, his lips moving slightly as he murmured in a voice so low only he could hear it.
One day, he too would stand at such heights.
Behind him, Dalzollene and Tocino shadowed him closely as his guards. Both of their gazes turned toward the elevator, but their attention had mostly been focused on Lopez moments earlier.
Just now, a seemingly casual glance from him had involuntarily tightened every muscle in their bodies.
Though they understood that such a sweeping look was meant to observe and assess the surroundings, the sheer aggression and pressure in that gaze were undeniable.
It also revealed something about his demeanor.
Dalzollene simply felt this guy was not to be trifled with; a normal enough reaction.
However, Tocino, another security member of the Nostrade Family, lacked such composure. He had even reflexively reached into his pocket, gripping the airbag used to assist his ability.
Had there been any malice in Lopez's glance, he might have been ready to activate his ability, "Eleven Black Children," at any moment.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't that Tocino was overreacting.
After all, the core of his ability lay in "controlling balloon people."
To some extent, it was similar in nature to Morel's ability; both required seizing the initiative and creating their ability mediums as quickly as possible.
Nostrade stared in the direction of the elevator for a long while before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
"Let's go in."
He said this to Dalzollene and Tocino, then headed toward the elevator.
He had gone to great lengths today to persuade Neon to wait for news at the hotel.
As part of the deal, aside from bidding on items like the Scarlet Eyes and mummies, he also had to secure a few extra lots for Neon.
It was foreseeable that tonight would likely cost him a great deal of money.
But this expenditure was necessary; it would both satisfy Neon and elevate his own standing as Nostrade.
Nostrade straightened his collar slightly, ignored the subtle scornful glances around him, and left the lobby.
—--
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Southernpiece Auction, numerous Nen users were stationed, observing and maintaining vigilance.
Among them were four security members of the Nostrade Family: Basho, Melody, Baise, and Ivlenkov, with two others remaining at the hotel to protect Neon.
Morena and another executive of the Heil-Ly Family were also outside, responsible for surveillance and monitoring.
In addition, there were members under the Ten Dons in charge of auction security, along with entourages from other mafia families...
The number of Nen users stationed outside the Southernpiece Auction House was considerable.
Killua and Gon easily passed through the mafia's security perimeter with their entry tickets and headed straight for the Southernpiece Auction House.
As soon as they reached the entrance, they keenly detected subtle gazes from elevated positions all around.
Are there really that many people watching the outer perimeter?
Killua was somewhat surprised.
His mind was solely on Greed Island and Battera, so he had no idea how many heavyweight guests were present tonight. Naturally, he had underestimated the security forces they brought.
"Killua, the auction is about to start. Let's hurry inside."
Gon also noticed the lurking security personnel around them but didn't dwell on it, his mind filled with the upcoming auction.
Killua nodded slightly, his eyes casually sweeping the surroundings before he entered the auction house with Gon.
Only ten minutes remained until the auction began.
On the rooftop of a building near the Southernpiece Auction House. Melody, with her unattractive appearance and short stature, stared intently at the entrance of the Southernpiece Auction House ahead.
Possessing extraordinary hearing, she could detect the heartbeat of everyone nearby without relying on her eyes.
"So many Nen users."
Using only her hearing, Melody accurately pinpointed the locations of these Nen users from various factions nearby.
Beside her, Basho, sporting a full beard and dressed in a somewhat cowboy style, leaned against the railing, his gaze fixed on the numerous heavily armed mafia members surrounding the entrance of the Southernpiece Auction House.
"I heard they moved many of the finale items to the first day of this auction, which is why it's so lively. When it comes down to it, there really are a lot of wealthy people."
The envy in Basho's eyes vanished in a blink, and his tone suddenly turned serious. "But... there are indeed quite a few Nen users present."
Not to mention other factions, their own Nostrade Family had brought six Nen users alone.
If not for the auction house rule limiting each group to only two companions inside, they wouldn't need to stand guard here but could instead go in to broaden their horizons.
"Almost every suitable surveillance spot nearby is already occupied."
Melody's gaze swept over some inconspicuous dark corners.
Hearing this, Basho looked down at Melody and praised, "Your hearing is truly impressive."
"..."
In response to Basho's compliment, Melody merely gave a slight nod.
Basho picked up his binoculars and looked toward the main entrance of the Southernpiece Auction House. "With this level of security, no one would dare cause trouble. By the way, what time does the auction usually end?"
"Captain Dalzollene said it shouldn't go past midnight at the latest."
Melody's voice was soft.
Basho put down his binoculars, resting his arms on the railing. "About three hours left; that's still pretty quick."
Melody fell silent, quietly gazing in the direction of the Southernpiece Auction House.
Outside Southernpiece, the night was still and silent, but inside, the atmosphere was fervent.
On the auction stage, rare treasures were presented one after another.
Below, bidding voices rose and fell, with amounts in the billions skyrocketing amid fierce competition.
Here, money seemed to have truly become nothing but cold numbers.
Time slipped away in this frenzy of bidding.
The night deepened.
—--
On the rooftop of the high-rise, Melody and Basho remained highly focused, periodically using binoculars to observe the area around the Southernpiece building.
As long as the mafia members on the periphery showed no unusual movements, it generally meant everything was normal.
"It should be ending soon."
Basho put down his binoculars and checked the time; it was almost midnight.
Melody nodded.
Suddenly, her expression shifted slightly, and she sharply turned to look toward the other side of the rooftop.
Noticing Melody's reaction and trusting her alertness, Basho immediately pulled out the notebook and pen he used to activate his ability.
"What's wrong?"
After preparing to use his ability at any moment, Basho finally asked.
Melody stared intently behind the stairwell structure. "Someone's there, right behind it."
"Huh?"
Basho's expression tightened. Without Melody's warning, he would have had no idea someone was there.
This was an extremely alarming situation.
If the other party launched a surprise attack, he would be virtually defenseless.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
Basho's aura output surged as he spoke coldly.
Tap. A faint footstep abruptly echoed from behind the staircase structure.
Morrow emerged from the shadows.
At this moment, he wore a black hooded sweatshirt and held a blade wrapped in white cloth in his hand.
By the faint glow of the city's neon lights, Melody and Basho caught sight of Morrow's utterly ordinary face.
This was another visage Morrow had crafted using the power of "Biological Mutation," prized for its plain inconspicuousness.
Morrow's gaze shifted between Basho and Melody before finally settling on Melody's face.
Based solely on their distinctive features, he instantly recognized the identities of the two before him.
They were none other than Melody and Basho, who had been recruited by the Nostrade gang in the original storyline.
Originally, Morrow had chosen this spot because it was sufficiently distant from the Southernpiece Auction House yet allowed for a direct line-of-sight attack on its main entrance.
He hadn't expected Melody and Basho to be here.
Thus, despite moving with swift stealth upon his approach, he couldn't evade Melody's extraordinary hearing.
Strictly speaking, in the face of Melody's unique ability, even the most masterful Zetsu would be rendered useless.
Unless there was no heartbeat.
Basho fixed his eyes on Morrow and asked in a low voice, "Who are you? What is your purpose?"
"A bodyguard from the Hairo family."
Morrow casually tossed out the name of a mafia family he vaguely recalled, replying calmly, "My captain said the auction is about to end, so he sent me here to monitor the situation at the main entrance."
"He's lying."
Melody, her face full of vigilance, exposed Morrow's fabrication.
Upon hearing this, Basho immediately assumed a combat stance.
Unfazed by Basho's reaction, Morrow turned to Melody with curiosity. "I had controlled my 'heartbeat' to a normal state, yet you still 'heard' through it."
"..."
Melody didn't respond, only her wariness intensifying.
It was precisely because she discerned Morrow's subtle control over his "heartbeat" that she felt both shocked and vaguely sensed he was not to be trifled with, hence her heightened caution.
Seeing Melody remain silent, Morrow shifted his gaze to the space between her and Basho, where the towering Southernpiece building stood against the night sky.
"I won't be staying long, so... from now on, it's best if you keep quiet and do nothing."
Morrow's voice was so calm it bordered on indifference, carrying a sharp, oppressive force as he slowly walked toward the edge of the rooftop.
Each of his steps seemed to tread on Basho and Melody's nerves.
Both of their bodies trembled slightly before tensing up.
They could feel themselves locked by Morrow's aura, coiling around their throats like a python.
Instinct warned them that if they didn't heed Morrow's warning...
However, sitting idle was not Basho's style.
"Basho, do as he says."
As if sensing her companion's restlessness, Melody quickly spoke up to stop him.
Basho frowned but ultimately heeded Melody's words, refraining from any rash moves. Instead, he watched with a grave expression as Morrow passed by them and stood before the rooftop railing.
—--
At the same time. The auction had just concluded, and Aibolan's group was the first to leave, stepping out of the Southernpiece Auction House.
Their main purpose was to deliver funds; after bidding, they didn't need to take the auctioned items with them.
Except for the Scarlet Eyes...
After the auction dispersed, the Ten Dons' subordinates would deliver the Scarlet Eyes directly to them.
—--
On the rooftop of a distant high-rise building.
Morrow's eyes ignited with torch-like aura, and he immediately raised his right hand.
Gathering, projecting.
A Deceptive Shooting Star tore through the night sky.
Halted, gathering momentum.
Nearby, Basho and Melody abruptly looked toward the Shooting Star suspended in midair.
Such powerful Nen…
Their hearts trembled, only to see the Shooting Star suddenly reverse course, shooting straight toward the Southernpiece Auction House at an incredible speed.
An assassin?!
In that instant, Basho and Melody understood what Morrow intended to do.
But as their gaze shifted to the edge of the rooftop, Morrow's figure had already vanished.
The next moment.
A deafening explosion erupted from the direction of the Southernpiece Auction House.
Their expressions drastically changed as they looked toward the source of the explosion.
—--
Meanwhile. Several dozen meters in front of the Southernpiece Auction House entrance.
Lopez's body surged with immense aura output, the ground around him cracked and scorched.
Just moments ago, he had been the first to detect the Shooting Star hurtling from afar and had directly blocked it head-on.
The violent explosion and surging shockwave mercilessly flung aside the gang members stationed on guard duty nearby.
From various surveillance points in the vicinity, Nen users all turned their attention to Lopez, who had withstood the Nen bullet with his bare body.
Though their reactions weren't as fast as Lopez's, they could still assess the considerable power of that Nen bullet.
No one had expected Lopez to defend against it in such a manner.
Definitely an Enhancer!
The Nen users witnessing this scene almost unanimously reached the same conclusion.
At the entrance.
Vick shielded Aibolan, speaking gravely, "Old man, fall back for now."
However, there was no response.
Vick's expression abruptly shifted, and he spun around.
Only to see Aibolan's headless body and, beside it, a stranger radiating immense Nen output.
When did he…!?
Vick's pupils contracted sharply.
Thud.
Aibolan's headless body collapsed to the ground with a dull sound.
This scene was also witnessed by Lopez and the surrounding Nen users.
For a moment, the area fell into a deathly silence.
All eyes were fixed on the Nen user who had just taken Aibolan's head.