Chapter 147: Psychological Game ( Haze Chapter)
Nighttime Private Maritime Zone, Republic of Padokia.
Escorted by a fleet of gang ships, a new group of aspiring "players," having paid their entry fees, sailed toward a maritime base under the cover of darkness.
There were about twenty people on board.
Among them, seven or eight were members of the Mafia; the rest were ordinary individuals who had received information after completing the mobile game version and come here to experience the "real" thing.
The dozen newcomers chatted among themselves, wondering what the "Island of Heroes" in the real world would be like. Their curiosity led them to question the mafia members.
The leader of the mafia group ... a Nen user ... replied curtly,
"You'll understand when you arrive. All the information you want will be in the player manual."
He had seen plenty of new players like this before. Almost every batch asked the same questions.
"Was this game created by your gang?"
someone asked curiously.
After all, no one had expected to enter a private maritime zone ... or to pay an "entry fee" just to access a game.
But the fee wasn't high for a Nen user, so anyone could afford it.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't,"
the leader said coldly.
At that moment, Nobunaga and Uvogin exchanged glances. Their mission this time was to destroy the Field Family's maritime bases, the ones responsible for teleporting players to the island.
These bases weren't centralized; they were spread out across the sea. Once one base was attacked, the others would quickly send reinforcements and notify the island. Moreover, the Field naval squads constantly patrolled these waters.
The Swordsman had warned them clearly: under no circumstances were they to go to the island itself.
Due to the mysterious "gamification" effect there, entering might be extremely dangerous.
Their time was limited destroying even one or two bases would be enough to cause the necessary distraction for the Field Family's big event that night.
Moments later, the sea breeze sprayed mist over the ship, and Uvogin could already see flickering lights in the distance under the night sky.
He grinned and turned toward the gang leader.
"Your Field Family sure is rich."
"Hmm?"
The leader sensed the killing intent in Uvogin's tone and glared back coldly.
"Another arrogant fool. I don't care who you are. I've seen plenty like you none of them leave here alive."
The Nen users around him sensed the tension and raised their guard.
"What arrogance…"
Uvogin sneered.
The next instant, the ship shook violently. Like an unleashed beast, Uvogin lunged straight at the gang leader.
The leader reacted instantly, summoning twin blades of Nen that slashed across Uvogin's face but the sharp edges only screeched against his skin as if striking steel, leaving not even a scratch.
The man froze in disbelief, a chill running down his spine.
A moment later crack! Uvogin's enormous hand was gripping his skull.
"What's this? That's all you've got? Doesn't match your big mouth."
Uvogin twisted his neck slightly, grinning wildly.
"From now on, your Field Family is finished. This is how the Phantom Troupe shows gratitude to that man."
"Starting with you!"
With a squeeze, the gang leader's head exploded like a watermelon.
Gunfire erupted rat-a-tat-tat! as the rest of the mafiosos opened fire in panic.
But at such close range, their bullets only ricocheted off Uvogin's body.
Bang! Bang!
With each swing of his arm, Uvogin crushed or hurled gunmen into the sea.
Meanwhile, Nobunaga had already cut down the crew in the control room.
The ship, now powerless, drifted on the waves not far from the base.
Uvogin cracked his neck, turning toward the terrified group of new players unrelated Nen users who had joined by chance.
"Whatever you do, it's none of our business!"
someone shouted desperately.
Everyone could see it these two were monsters.
Nobunaga, his long hair falling across his shoulders, tied it back slowly and exchanged a look with Uvogin.
In the blink of an eye, one leapt to the bow and the other to the stern.
Then chaos.
Steel clashed, screams echoed, blood sprayed. Within moments, the ship was a scene of carnage.
When the slaughter ended, only Nobunaga and Uvogin remained standing amid the crimson stains.
Uvogin wiped his hands clean and smirked.
"Once you're on board, nobody gets out alive."
Nobunaga calmly sheathed his sword and turned the ship toward the teleportation point.
But just then a deep siren blared from the distant base, followed by a red flash lighting up the sea.
"Looks like the knight was right… the Field Family planned this well. Every step's connected."
Nobunaga frowned, glancing at the headless corpse at his feet.
They were sure the man hadn't sent a message before dying. That meant…
"A hidden life-sensor device… or a Nen marker,"
Nobunaga muttered.
"Hurry up, I can't wait!"
Uvogin roared, clenching his fists in excitement.
"Understood…"
Nobunaga replied.
Even though the alarm signaled the Field Family's response, neither felt any pressure.
He gunned the engines, steering the boat full-speed toward the glowing base.
As they approached, gunfire erupted boom! boom! water splashing everywhere.
Cannonballs streaked down like fire, blasting the sea and engulfing the vessel in smoke and flame.
When the echoes faded, someone from the mafia's defense squad laughed.
"They're dead, right?"
"Watch out!"
A Field Nen user suddenly stiffened, scanning the darkness.
"The enemy's here!"
"Too slow…"
Before he could finish, a towering figure appeared behind him Uvogin.
Crack!
One slap his neck snapped instantly.
Dripping wet, Uvogin and Nobunaga stood side by side, facing the armed guards of the Field base.
"Quite a crowd,"
Nobunaga observed calmly.
"They're practically a private army. Including the dead one, five Nen users per teleportation point. The Field Family's been expanding too fast these years."
He rested his thumb on his sword hilt, ready to draw.
"They're not that strong. The real monsters are on the island,"
Uvogin said with a grin.
And then whoosh! both charged.
The night erupted once more in flames, roars, and blood.
Thirty minutes later… silence.
Uvogin tossed the last corpse into the ocean.
Nobunaga, sitting atop another body, pulled out his phone.
"We've destroyed one teleportation base. You can begin the operation,"
he said calmly.
"Got it,"
a cheerful voice answered.
"But be careful. There are some terrifying people on that island. If you get involved with them, you'll die. Just stir up chaos no need to wipe the place out. From what I've seen, the Field Family and the Island of Heroes operate separately. They only alert the Family if things get completely out of control. Keep it subtle, and if things go bad, retreat first."
Then, after a pause, the strategist added ...
"Oh, and don't tell Uvogin. If you do, he'll insist on fighting those powerful Nen users and ruin everything."
"I know,"
Nobunaga replied, ending the call.
"They've already departed?"
Uvogin asked.
"They should be on their way,"
Nobunaga answered, standing up.
Meanwhile, on a distant road, several members of the Phantom Troupe were traveling in a luxury car. Pakunoda was driving, while Chrollo smiled quietly in the passenger seat.
"How much longer?"
Machi asked from the back, beside Shizuku and Chrollo.
"Almost there about ten minutes,"
Pakunoda replied.
Chrollo noticed Chrollo's expression.
"What's wrong?"
" Haze isn't in the Republic of Padokia,"
Chrollo said calmly.
"Isn't that better?"
Chrollo chuckled.
Even if Haze wasn't directly involved in Cheko's rise to power, such a massive event would have drawn his attention. That was why Chrollo had hired the Zoldyck Family to ensure Haze appeared if they struck the Field Family headquarters.
"There was no battle,"
Chrollo added.
The moment Zeno and Silva arrived, Haze would have sensed it meaning he knew exactly what the Troupe was planning.
Yet his calm reaction not fighting, not fleeing was too strange.
"Could it be… the Field Family has already surrendered?"
someone wondered.
"Or he realized resistance is useless,"
Shalnark analyzed.
"Even if he's strong, against those two? Impossible. The Zoldycks never fail."
"Then maybe,"
Shizuku murmured,
"he's choosing to watch everything he built collapse before his eyes unable to stop it."
Even the usually carefree Shizuku seemed thoughtful.
"Maybe he already informed David and the Field Family?"
someone asked.
"Pointless,"
replied the Knight, leaning forward.
"The entire gang's here already. It's too late. The banquet starts in half an hour. Even with David's abilities, there's no way to gather all that intelligence in just a few days. This event's huge global even. The Field Family was too confident, flaunting their strength… never expecting we'd show up."
Chrollo stayed silent, deep in thought.
Everything the Knight said made sense the Field Family's moves were irreversible, and so were the Troupe's.
It was the perfect setup a one-time opportunity.
The Field Family was a butterfly trapped in a spider's web, waiting for the inevitable.
But Haze… wasn't that butterfly.
He was the hunter waiting in the shadows.
Chrollo's mind spun. Haze's reaction to the Zoldycks was too composed. It unsettled him.
Should he call for a retreat?
It wasn't too late… yet.
But what if Haze was deliberately using the Zoldycks as a psychological weapon?
What if this calm façade was meant to scare the Phantom Troupe into backing off?
Like a fox borrowing the tiger's might…
That cunning man even without fighting might still outplay them.
Chrollo felt a faint chill run through him.
After a moment, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his gaze was calm and resolute.
"Almost got me…"
he muttered.
For a brief second, he had nearly fallen into Haze's trap.
But Haze's absence was a fact and no matter what tricks he tried, the Phantom Troupe trusted their own strength.
"You've underestimated us, Haze."
(To be continued… End of Chapter 147.)