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Chapter 96
🕑 Added 2024-12-06 15:13:00 +0000 UTCHe desecrated the graves of Uvogin and Pakunoda to collect their eyes and even managed to steal Kurapika's and Gon’s eyes.
In doing so, he enraged both the protagonists and the antagonists, eventually drawing both groups against him.
Ultimately, Omokage was defeated by Gon, Kurapika, Killua, and Leorio, while the puppets he created were destroyed by members of the Phantom Troupe.
The end came when Reizi, unable to accept her brother’s madness and existence in such a grotesque form, painfully delivered a "justice backstab" to his kidney with a dagger.
In the end, the mortally wounded Omokage and his puppet version of Reizi perished together in the flames that engulfed their grand mansion.
“Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.”
Omokage was a lunatic utterly incompatible with the Phantom Troupe.
After taking just one look at Omokage, Morin lost all interest in him.
Omokage, on the other hand, found Morin utterly captivating after witnessing what had just transpired.
Omokage cast a sidelong glance at Morin, observing him closely out of the corner of his eye.
With a faint smile tugging at his lips, the small ring on the left side of his mouth swayed slightly as he spoke.
"I had thought Chrollo was already strong enough, but I never expected someone even more formidable to exist within the Phantom Troupe!"
As his emotions surged, Omokage's thoughts raced:
"Not only does he possess an exceptionally strong physique, but his talent and Nen ability are extraordinary!"
"This is the perfect material for my ultimate puppet!"
His lips curved into an involuntary smirk, unable to contain his growing excitement.
"Joining the Phantom Troupe was undoubtedly the best decision I’ve ever made."
Surveying the other members of the Troupe, Omokage mused to himself:
"I must find a way to turn these people into puppets."
"Even if creating puppets of some of them proves difficult, I absolutely must make a puppet of this vice leader!"
"Once I have a puppet of him, I can fuse it with myself to use his Nen abilities and talents. With that power, combined with my tools, I’ll be far stronger than I am now!"
Suppressing his inner impulses and desires, Omokage discreetly licked his lips.
"Now isn’t the right time. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Omokage’s arrival did not attract much attention.
He showed no interest in mingling with others, and the rest of the group had no inclination to approach him either. His presence was unremarkable.
Unaware that Omokage had set his sights on him, Morin sat with Pakunoda, continuing their unfinished conversation.
Sitting close together, Morin couldn’t help but notice the faint, unique fragrance emanating from Pakunoda—a distinctively feminine scent.
He wondered whether it was her natural body scent or something else entirely.
As Pakunoda spoke, Morin finally understood what it meant for someone's breath to be "as sweet as orchids."
Einstein famously used a relativity example:
"Spend five minutes sitting near a fire, and it feels like an hour. Spend an hour with a beautiful person, and it feels like only five minutes have passed."
At that moment, Morin felt he understood that sentiment entirely.
The other Troupe members paid no mind to Morin and Pakunoda's closeness.
To them, Morin and Pakunoda had previously traveled and trained together, so such interactions were expected.
For members with no interest or understanding of matters like romance, Morin and Pakunoda’s subtle intimacy wasn’t worth noting.
The only exception was Shalnark.
As a seasoned "veteran of the field," he alternated glances between Morin and Pakunoda, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
His expression gradually became one of realization, and a knowing smile crept across his lips.
Time passed quickly, and soon, two more figures arrived at the gathering.
The first was Franklin, the elder brother figure, followed by a strange man wrapped in bandages and wearing red boxing gloves.
Franklin's earlobes had grown even longer, and the scars on his face had become more menacing.
Clearly, he had spent the past three years training relentlessly.
Most notably, Franklin’s fingers now bore cutting scars, a result of his newly developed Nen ability, [Double Machine Gun].
Franklin had transformed his hands into gun barrels capable of firing chunks of Nen as bullets.
Although firing Nen bullets did not require such modifications, Franklin believed the changes increased the destructive power of his attacks.
This was an example of a restriction and vow, where Franklin’s finger amputations allowed him to produce more devastating bullets and fire them endlessly.
Franklin’s calm demeanor and unwavering determination made him someone who was even willing to endure such pain to strengthen himself.
The person accompanying him was a new member bearing the number "10," named Bonolenov.
Bonolenov, also known as the "Mummy," was a member of the persecuted minority known as the Gyudondond Tribe.
His bandaged body concealed numerous wind holes of varying sizes, created in his childhood by stabbing his body with wooden spikes.
When his body moved, airflow through these holes produced distinct sounds, a cultural trait of his people, who claimed to be "the most beautiful warriors."
During battle, Bonolenov removed his bandages, revealing his body, and fought with punches in rhythm to music.
His Nen ability, [Battle Cantabile], allowed him to produce music through his movements to unleash various attacks.
Examples of his techniques included:
[Prelude]: Summons his tribe's traditional attire and weapons for high-speed attacks.
[Jupiter]: Manifests a massive, planet-like sphere to crush opponents at supersonic speeds.
This formidable ability was a result of the torment he endured during his childhood.
After arriving, the atmosphere grew livelier.
Franklin greeted the older members and introduced Bonolenov to everyone.
As the big brother figure, Franklin always took care of new recruits.
He and Bonolenov also expressed gratitude toward Morin.
Both had benefited greatly from the training insights Morin shared, which accelerated their Nen progression.
With this gathering, the Phantom Troupe was nearly complete, save for three members—Uvogin’s group.
Morin found this unusual.
"Uvogin is usually the most punctual. He’s always the first to arrive, even if delayed by some unforeseen circumstance."
Before he could dwell on it further, a hearty laugh echoed across the beach from afar.
"Hahaha! Looks like we’re not too late after all!"
The loud and cheerful voice carried unmistakable vitality and incredible lung capacity.
"That idiot?"
Feitan dug at his ear. "Still as energetic as ever."
Without needing to see, Feitan knew exactly who it was just from the sound of that booming voice.
The sheer volume and reach of the voice were enough to wake Phinks, who had been lying on the ground in a daze. Slowly opening his eyes, he groggily asked, "What’s going on?"
The first thing Phinks saw after opening his eyes was three figures rushing toward them in the distance.
Leading the charge was none other than Uvogin, his wild, muscular frame radiating excitement as he grinned from ear to ear.
"It’s been ages, Morin, Chrollo, Pakunoda, Feitan, Franklin!!"
From afar, Uvogin was already shouting his greetings.
"Idiot, it’s supposed to be Boss and Vice Boss!" Nobunaga’s voice carried a teasing rebuke from behind him.
Machi followed silently, her face composed, but her eyes lit up slightly upon spotting Morin. However, her gaze subtly shifted upon noticing Pakunoda beside him, now more stunning than ever, and her expression momentarily hardened.
After a brief flicker of emotion, Machi’s face returned to its usual calm.
The three of them had clearly been traveling for some time, as their appearances were somewhat dusty and weathered.
"What took you so long?"
Seeing the trio finally arrive, Morin’s face broke into a smile. Stepping forward, he extended his fist toward Uvogin.
"We ran into a little trouble on the way, got held up for a bit," Uvogin replied, laughing heartily as he raised his massive fist to meet Morin’s in a friendly bump.
"Looks like you’ve gotten even stronger, Morin!"
"And so have you all," Morin replied, giving the three a quick once-over. They seemed to be in good shape.
"Looks like you’ve gained some valuable experience at Heaven’s Arena?"
The trio’s aura was heavy and substantial, though it also carried traces of a recent battle.
It felt as if someone had been pursuing them, only for them to turn the tables and escape.
Did they come straight from Heaven’s Arena? Morin made a mental note to investigate later.
"It’s all thanks to the guidance you gave us, and those training notes Pakunoda delivered," Uvogin said, his grin widening.
"Seriously, thanks a ton, Morin—wait, I mean, Vice Boss!"
"Come on, no need for all that between us," Morin said with a chuckle, giving Uvogin’s thick, muscular arm a friendly slap before turning his attention to Machi, who stood just behind Uvogin and Nobunaga.
"Hey there."
He mimicked Shalnark’s casual tone, offering a relaxed greeting.
"Long time no see, Machi."
Morin’s face, now more refined and striking with age, softened into a charming smile—a smile that would have made any young girl blush and her heart race if she had been there to see it.
"You’ve become… even more impressive than before," Machi commented, her tone carrying a subtle undertone.
Morin maintained his smile, but inwardly he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Morin almost repeated the compliments he had given Pakunoda earlier—this time to Machi.
Although such words could be effective in praising a woman, Pakunoda was likely watching from behind.
Complimenting one woman in front of another with the exact same lines? What kind of godlike tactician could pull off such a stunt?
While Morin swiftly changed his approach to avoid a misstep, Machi’s reaction was less than encouraging. She gave him a calm glance, her eyes briefly flashing with an unreadable emotion, then nodded perfunctorily before turning away.
“Huh?”
Morin was baffled. What had he done to offend her just moments after she arrived?
But soon, with his keen observational skills, Morin noticed Machi’s occasional glances toward Pakunoda.
Pakunoda, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed and a confident smile. Casually, she adjusted her stance, emphasizing her natural assets—setting off an impressive display of her figure.
Meanwhile, Machi’s reaction was telling. She glanced down at herself, her eyelid twitching slightly before resolutely ignoring Morin entirely.
Even though she’d been eating well and her development had been decent, she couldn’t compete with Pakunoda’s impressive physique.
This difference had always existed. Back in Meteor City, Pakunoda’s figure was already beginning to show promise, far surpassing Machi's in natural development.
“Ah...”
Morin finally understood what was going on.
After some thought, he realized there was nothing he could do about the situation.
The more he said, the more mistakes he would make, so he silently chose to distance himself.
Caught between two formidable women, especially ones with this level of strength, wasn’t a situation easily managed.
And in Machi’s case, there wasn’t much Morin could do to help.
None of his tools were particularly suited for resolving this kind of issue.
After all... Doraemon was a children’s manga, not a niche adult series.
Uvogin’s arrival marked the completion of the Phantom Troupe’s gathering.
Chrollo allowed some time to pass, waiting until Uvogin finished exchanging greetings with Feitan, Franklin, and the others. Uvogin even bumped shoulders with Phinks in a friendly competition of strength.
“All right, everyone,” Chrollo said, rising from his seat on the reef and clapping his hands softly.
The chatter stopped immediately. All eyes turned to Chrollo.
Looking at the gathered members, Chrollo noted with satisfaction that the Troupe had finally come together in full. The Spider had reached its complete form.
His lips curved slightly into a rare smile, and he closed his eyes for a moment.
“It’s been a while.”
With that, the Phantom Troupe’s lineup was officially complete:
Leader: Chrollo Lucilfer [No. 0]
Deputy Leader: Morin [No. 1]
Members:
Feitan [No. 2]
Machi [No. 3]
Men’ei [No. 4]
Phinks [No. 5]
Shalnark [No. 6]
Franklin [No. 7]
Nobunaga [No. 8]
Pakunoda [No. 9]
Bonolenov [No. 10]
Uvogin [No. 11]
Kortopi [No. 12]
