The Strongest Assassin of the Zoldyck Family!

"Yes, big bro."

"Yes, older brother."

"Yes, Captain."

For a moment, everyone was filled with anticipation.

Not all of them necessarily liked fighting— But after so much time learning Nen, and training in coordination and tactics, they were all eager to put their efforts into real action.

Nina, in particular, was hoping to be of help to Ron.

Misty was deeply passionate about combat.

As for Ponzu, she simply followed Ron's orders without question.

The seven-person squad made their way to the underground parking garage. A stretch limousine was already waiting for them.

"Captain, I'll drive," Ruco volunteered.

She knew very well that her combat abilities ranked at the bottom of the group— about the same level as Ponzu.

But Ponzu was a support-type Nen user, and even at her current level, she was still extremely useful. So Ruco decided that she'd help however she could.

"Go ahead."

Ron nodded.

Ruco moved into the driver's seat.

Sally sat up front with her.

Ron, Misty, Ponzu, Nina, and Shizuku took the two rows of seats in the back.

The engine roared to life, and the vehicle pulled out of the garage.

Ron had decided not to take an airship for this mission. The destination wasn't far—traveling by car was more efficient and offered greater privacy.

"As for Gon and Killua, I'm not too worried about their safety.Wing voluntarily revealed his identity, so he'll definitely protect them. An A-rank Nen user wouldn't have much trouble in Heaven's Arena."

"And besides, there's TST."

Ron's position within TST was somewhat unique. He rarely participated in the group's events, and barely even visited the arena. But his strength alone demanded respect. Even if he did nothing, TST would still work to maintain ties with him.

"Not to mention, Hisoka's there too."

"Hisoka sees Gon as prey. Until Gon matures into a worthy target, he won't let anyone else harm him. Otherwise, Hisoka would lose one of his greatest thrills. And Gon would never abandon Killua."

"So protecting Gon is basically the same as protecting Killua."

Ron leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. A face surfaced in his mind—a woman with long purple hair.

Machi.

One of the founding members of the Phantom Troupe. Ron had seen her in passing when he left Heaven's Arena—just a flash, but he remembered her well from the Kurta clan massacre. They had worked together briefly during that incident.

At this point in the timeline, the Phantom Troupe's members

were mostly acting on their own.

Over the years, the Troupe had gained infamy through continuous crimes.

They were now officially classified as an A-rank wanted criminal group. For Chrollo's grand vision, the members were fully committed to making

the Troupe infamous, ruthless, and terrifying.

They stole, murdered, pillaged—nothing was off limits. To increase their reach, they operated in separate cells, allowing them to commit more crimes simultaneously.

Usually, very few could pose any real threat to a Troupe member. Up until the Yorknew arc, only the eighth member had ever been killed— and that was by Silva Zoldyck.

Most of the members worked alone. Some, like Uvogin and Nobunaga, preferred to act in pairs.

"I remember that in the original story, Hisoka fought Kastro and lost both arms. Machi was the one who reattached them."

"But now, Hisoka hasn't lost his arms, and it's unlikely he'll even fight Kastro in this version."

"So why is Machi here in Heaven's Arena?" Is she here because of me?"

Ron remembered what Hisoka had said back during the Hunter Exam— that the Phantom Troupe might be targeting him.

But even now, Ron still didn't know why.

"Maybe I can use the events of the Yorknew arc to find out."

Ron hated being someone's target.

"Then again, even if the Phantom Troupe does want to come after me,

what threat can they really pose?"

"Even Oster couldn't cause me any real harm."

Oster and his subordinates were, collectively, stronger than the Troupe.

The Three Hounds, Four Beasts, and Six Herds were all dedicated fighters.

In contrast, the Troupe's combat types included

Chrollo, Feitan, Phinks, Uvogin, Nobunaga, Bonolenov, and Franklin.

The support types were Pakunoda, Machi, Shalnark, and Kortopi. The unnamed eighth member was likely support-type too. Hisoka wasn't a true member.

And not all of the Troupe's combatants were even A-rank fighters.

...........

..

.

*Heaven's Arena, 200th floor.*

In a quiet café tucked into the corner— Hisoka sat in a booth.

Soon, Machi entered.

Hisoka raised a hand, signaling her. She walked over and sat down across from him.

"So? How's your progress with Ron?"

The Phantom Troupe had listed Ron as a candidate for future recruitment.

During the Hunter Exam, Hisoka had spotted Ron and reported to the Troupe. He'd volunteered to get close to him.

But Hisoka had hidden a lot— Ron's true identity, his real strength— none of it had been shared.

In fact, what Hisoka gave the Troupe was deliberately misleading.

"No real progress yet," Hisoka said, shaking his head. "Ron isn't the type you can approach easily. I've decided to win two more matches and qualify to challenge a Floor Leader."

"Then I'll pick Ron as my opponent."

"You can come and watch."

Machi nodded.

"That's not a bad idea. It'll give us a good sense of how strong Ron is now."

"But…" Hisoka added, smirking.

"There's just one problem."

Machi frowned.

"What problem?"

"Well... what if, during the match, I accidentally kill him?"

Hisoka knew full well that killing Ron was next to impossible. Ron had far too many hidden techniques. Even Hisoka didn't think he could win.

But in front of Machi, Hisoka made the claim on purpose— half-joking, half-testing the waters.

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