His memory of the divination-focused young lady was fuzzy regarding her name, but he recalled her general appearance and the specific details of her Nen Ability quite clearly.
That ability seemed to be called Lovely Ghostwriter. It could predict events within the coming month through automatic writing that produced four-line poems.
This was a precognitive ability. Its terrifying nature lay in its absolute, 100% accuracy.
If a person knew in advance what would happen in the next month, they could potentially avoid their predetermined fate.
Law didn't know the young lady's name, and searching the Pro Hunters' dedicated intelligence network wouldn't yield relevant information either.
While there were ways to find her name and appearance, Law didn't want to bother Ickshonpe over such a minor matter.
The display laid out before him gave a distinct impression of prior preparation, which formed the basis for Law's assumption about a prophecy.
The nearly one hundred armed guards posed no threat to Law whatsoever. As for the five Nen Users approaching from the garden, their strength wasn't particularly remarkable.
Law looked calmly at the five Nen Users. The leader had scars on his face resembling shark gills and carried a sheathed sword… he was the strongest of the five.
Law had some recollection of this man, as he was the head of security.
As the five approached, the iron gate swung open automatically.
First, they surrounded him, then they approached. It seemed they had no intention of resorting to violence, yet their vigilant stance was unmistakable.
By typical mafia standards, they would have already opened fire and eliminated Law on the spot. But they hadn't, giving Law a sense of incongruity.
Perhaps this was their response, guided by the prophecy.
Law thought so.
The five Nen Users cautiously maintained a distance of about fifteen meters. The leader watched Law warily, as if aware of his capabilities, and said in a low voice, "You're here to see the young lady?"
This man was named Dalzollene, the head of security for the Nostrade Family, responsible for all protective operations.
Hearing Dalzollene state his purpose outright somewhat validated the conclusion Law had just drawn.
"Can you tell me her name?"
"Huh?"
A subtle shift flickered in Dalzollene's eyes, which Law caught.
That fleeting change vanished quickly.
Perhaps considering something, Dalzollene didn't answer immediately.
Law was patient, unconcerned by the dark muzzles pointed at him from all sides, and paid no mind to the four Nen Users ready for action.
"Neon," Dalzollene answered after a moment.
"Neon..." Law murmured the name quietly.
On-the-spot execution, or a warning to stay away.
None of the actions typical of mafia methodology occurred.
Not only that, but regarding this question that could reveal internal information, as the head of security, he should have classified Law as a threat and immediately initiated a purge.
Yet, Dalzollene didn't do that. Instead, he disclosed the young lady's name.
This behavior, if not dereliction of duty, could be considered a betrayal deeply despised by the mafia.
Law was nearly certain of his guess. Looking calmly at Dalzollene, he said, "She prophesied my arrival?"
Upon hearing this, Dalzollene's expression shifted slightly, and his right hand instinctively moved toward his sword hilt.
That reaction confirmed Law was correct.
Then, perhaps realizing his overreaction, Dalzollene swiftly moved his hand away and said with difficulty, "Yes."
Law observed Dalzollene's actions and the changes within those two seconds, gleaning some information from them.
Law glanced at the surrounding black-clad bodyguards and said calmly, "So, may I enter now?"
"..." Dalzollene remained silent. Law's arrival, along with his words and actions, all aligned with the content of the prophetic poem.
'Do not attack Law. Answer his questions.'
These were the necessary actions to avoid risk, because the consequences outlined in the prophetic poem were too catastrophic… so severe that even the Boss didn't dare take the risk lightly.
However, the end of the prophetic poem unusually presented a fork leading to the unknown.
Namely, the request Law just made: to agree or to refuse.
Neither option could be chosen, or rather, they were incapable of choosing.
Observing Dalzollene's reaction, Law contemplated for a moment and said, "Neon cannot perform divinations for herself. So, for her to predict my arrival, from an interest-based perspective, the subject of the divination must have been her father, correct?"
"After all, having a daughter with such a convenient ability, it would be a waste not to use it. That's the norm."
"Therefore, the basis for identifying me must be the severed arm."
"You don't dare attack me, presumably because the prophetic poem has already shown you the consequences of doing so."
"Judging from your first words upon seeing me, the prophetic poem also indicated I'm here for Neon. And you asked to confirm it further."
"After confirming my identity and being aware of the risks and consequences, when I made my request, you neither agreed nor refused."
"This is also an action to avoid risk based on the prophetic poem's content, isn't it?"
"In other words, you clearly understand you have no choice, or rather, you lack the right to choose."
"Actually, things were never that complicated from the start."
Hearing each word spoken in Law's calm tone, Dalzollene and his four subordinates all showed expressions of disbelief.
"Adhering to the principle of 'do not attack' to avoid the foreseen consequences is all you needed to do."
Law took a calm step forward.
His Domain expanded, and immediately, the screeching sound of twisting and grinding metal filled the air.
Nearly a hundred automatic rifles were simultaneously contorted into useless scrap metal in an instant.
This sudden development provoked cries of shock from the armed guards.
Dalzollene and the others were dumbstruck. They were Nen Users too, so they understood that the near-instantaneous destruction of nearly a hundred firearms was Law's doing.
But precisely because they understood Nen, they could fully grasp how terrifying Law was.
Forget how he did it… the speed alone was astounding. Even more staggering was that only the guns were destroyed, and every single guard remained completely unharmed.
Those were nearly a hundred targets! To wield such destructive power while maintaining that degree of control was simply breathtaking.
Even more frightening was that this man had accurately deduced the general content of the prophetic poem.
With a placid expression, Law walked past the stunned crowd, entered the garden, and strode towards the palace-like mansion in the distance.
Behind him, the guards and others stood frozen like stone statues.
'If he could twist rifles into pretzels, human heads would be child's play.'
'If this man wished it, there was simply no stopping him.'
Dalzollene turned around with great effort, watching Law who was already dozens of meters away, his brow deeply furrowed.
"Follow."
He gestured for the armed guards to return to their posts, then led his four Nen Users subordinates to follow Law.
Law, acting as if he were the host, pushed open the mansion's main door.
Using En, he pinpointed Neon's location and walked towards it with clear purpose.
A minute later, Law entered an opulent, European-style hall and saw the young girl sitting on a sofa alongside a middle-aged man with partially grey hair.
The girl was Neon, and the middle-aged man was Light Nostrade, Neon's father.
Seeing Law's arrival, a shadow passed through Nostrade's eyes, but he didn't inwardly blame his security team for negligence.
Neon clutched her doll tightly, her fear unconcealed, appearing very tense. Her usual young lady demeanor had vanished like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Looking at the father and daughter, Law stated calmly, "I mean no harm. I am only here to confirm a few things."
Hearing Law's words did little to reassure Nostrade or Neon.
In truth, aside from confirming whether the Phantom Troupe would come to Yorknew City, Law was quite interested in the future-telling divination itself.
If possible, he wanted Neon to perform a divination for him.