Undoubtedly, although the Phantom Troupe's actions in Yorknew City were considered small-scale disturbances that wouldn't even register on the global stage for the V5 or the Hunter Association, and were arguably less terrifying than a single 'Mad Chemist'…
For the Mafia Syndicate of this world, it amounted to a catastrophic blow and a complete realignment of power.
After all, Neon Nostrade's father, Light Nostrade, once said that the Mafia's true expertise was never the use of force, but rather maintaining their illicit businesses through intimidation, enticement, and threats.
In essence, they are merely a special group of "businessmen."
Only when absolutely forced would they choose to resort to violence to resolve issues and conflicts.
Moreover, unlike truly heinous criminals, the Mafia must adhere to certain bottom lines and rules. They dare not genuinely use weapons with devastating destructive power, such as heavy artillery, high-yield explosives, napalm, white phosphorus incendiaries, or large-caliber Gatling guns. Otherwise, simply organizing an overlapping cross-fire network would wipe out not just the Phantom Troupe, but ten more groups as well.
Of course, if they were to do that, it would be equivalent to turning the city into a battlefield, and the next thing they would face would be powerful suppression, sanctions, and annihilation from the V5.
Although Allen had no particular fondness for these Mafia figures, he didn't mind using this opportunity to earn a favor from Marcus.
After all, through the Mafia's channels, he could acquire some interesting, yet highly illegal, items.
"You mean... the Phantom Troupe will attack the Underground Auction organized by the Ten Dons on September 1st, thus triggering a war with the entire Mafia Syndicate? And in this war, both the Shadow Beasts and the Ten Dons will be eliminated by the Phantom Troupe, creating a temporary power vacuum?"
Marcus Cabrelli couldn't help but gasp when he finished hearing the explanation.
If all of this were true, the room for maneuver would be immense.
Especially in the time between the deaths of the Shadow Beasts and the Ten Dons and the news spreading, if he acted fast enough, he could immediately rally a large group of people to support his ascension.
By the time other competitors reacted and tried to take similar action, he would have already firmly established himself as the de facto leader of the Mafia Syndicate through the advantage of being the first mover.
Anyone wishing to join the circle afterward would have to pay a price or voluntarily submit.
Allen nodded seriously: "Exactly. What you need to do is continue to carry out the Underground Auction after the Ten Dons are dead, and quickly form an alliance to seize power. As for the Phantom Troupe, I will deal with them personally."
"Are you sure? As far as I know, the members of the Phantom Troupe are all A-rank wanted criminals, and every one of them is a master Nen user."
Undisguised doubt surfaced on Marcus's face; he clearly didn't fully believe Allen could handle the threat posed by the Phantom Troupe.
"Master Nen users? Heh, that depends on the frame of reference. If you compare them to the Shadow Beasts, then the Phantom Troupe are absolutely masters among masters. But when compared to the top Hunters in the Hunter Association, they are nothing more than a group of slightly troublesome bandits to deal with," Allen explained with a light chuckle.
Once upon a time, he, too, was greatly intimidated by the Phantom Troupe's formidable debut in Yorknew City and believed them to be a powerful criminal organization of Nen users.
But what happened later?
First, Uvogin, who was hailed as "the man standing at the peak of Enhancement," was toyed with by Kurapika, who had learned Nen less than a year prior. Then, the leader, Chrollo Lucilfer, was directly captured alive and had his Nen sealed.
While Kurapika's Judgment Chain ability is a natural counter to the Troupe, it also shows from a different angle that these individuals come from the 'wild,' so to speak. They may be outstanding in certain areas but have very clear shortcomings.
Most importantly, the Nen abilities of all members of the entire Phantom Troupe hold no secrets for Allen.
And their side?
They don't even know who their true enemy is this time!
Coupled with the help of the insider, Hisoka, the Spider's limbs will be completely severed during this operation.
Marcus clearly noticed Allen's casual attitude when mentioning the Phantom Troupe and cautiously probed: "You seem very confident?"
"Of course. If you check the Hunter website for my recent combat record, you'll understand why I am so confident. If I'm not mistaken, you've hired a few Nen user bodyguards, haven't you? Go ask them; they will give you the answer." Allen curled his lips into a meaningful smile.
"You can tell?" Marcus was visibly surprised.
"Hmm, it's not difficult. The moment I appeared, those few individuals were noticeably nervous, especially the tension in their eyes; they clearly know something. In any case, seize this opportunity and work hard. I look forward to seeing you become the new leader of the Mafia Syndicate. Also, if you have any enemies, try to find a way to get them to the auction site on the night of September 1st. The Spider will help you clean them out."
After saying this, Allen stood up, picked up the black reinforced case, and turned to leave.
In a short while, he and Bodoro had departed from the hotel controlled by the Cabrelli family.
Standing by the window, Marcus watched the two figures gradually walk away, and after a full minute, he asked without turning his head: "Calvin. You're a Professional Hunter, correct?"
"Yes, Boss!" A middle-aged man with black short hair, identified as Calvin, gave an affirmative reply without hesitation.
"Then do you have any information about Allen? Or rather, what has he been doing recently?" Marcus pressed.
"Boss, although Allen only got his license this year, he has two nicknames in the Hunter circle. One is the 'Divine Arrow,' and the other is the 'Grim Reaper.' The former was earned after he massacred over a dozen Floor Masters in Heavens Arena. It is said that only a handful of people in the entire Nen user circle are confident enough to take one of his arrows. The latter was given to him by the most vicious wanted criminals, because anyone he targets has a hundred percent chance of being caught, and a hundred percent death rate, no different from being targeted by the Grim Reaper himself."
Calvin, the Professional Hunter, did not hold back, openly stating everything he knew.
In fact, when Allen appeared on the top floor, he thought the boy was there to kill his employer and was tense to the point of being ready to flee.
"What? Are you sure you're not joking? As far as I know, he's only fifteen this year! He's still just a boy! If you were to fight him, who would win?"
Marcus's eyes widened, seemingly unable to believe what he was hearing, and his expression gradually became serious.
Upon hearing the question, Calvin immediately gave a bitter laugh and replied: "Boss. There is no comparison between us whatsoever. The gap between Nen users is vast. Based on the ability and Aura volume he has shown, killing me would likely be a matter of an instant, without even the time or opportunity to react. As for the age limit, for guys with monstrous talent, it's never an obstacle. Moreover, his abilities are particularly unique and terrifying."
"So, he really can take down the Phantom Troupe?" Marcus immediately grasped the key point.
"Barring any major surprises, the problem shouldn't be too big. After all, several extremely dangerous A-rank wanted criminals have already died at his hands. Even if he can't eliminate all of them at once, he can certainly heavily injure them," Calvin analyzed, rubbing his chin.
"I see. It looks like I really need to start planning immediately..."
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr-eon if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]