Never mind Chimera Ants born knowing Nen. Even if they didn't know Nen, the number 2,500 alone is staggering.
The quantity is simply too large. To deal with them would require dispatching at least 500 elite Hunters. However, the Hunter Association has less than 1,000 Pro Hunters, and over a third of them are Temp Hunters affiliated with Pariston's faction.
Most crucially, they have no idea to what extent Pariston controls the Chimera Ant eggs.
If Pariston, before the eggs hatched, had Temp Hunters with Manipulation-type Abilities impose control conditions, that would be a disaster. Just thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.
That would already be an army capable of easily crushing a country!
Moreover, as Cheadle said, if Pariston released a dozen or so Chimera Ants in a city, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The worst-case scenario is Netero having to wear a blame of inaction. No, not just one blame… maybe three, or even five. By then, with a simple push from the hawkish faction, Netero would probably have to step down.
"How could this happen? How could this happen!"
Ginta scratched his hair vigorously, seeming very agitated.
In contrast, the other three, despite the bleak situation, appeared relatively calm.
"The Chairman knows about this matter. He told us to first investigate the whereabouts of the Chimera Ant eggs," Cheadle said.
She concealed one piece of information: That Law had also made this request of her.
"Regardless, we must completely eliminate the threat," Botobai said gravely.
Cheadle and the others couldn't help but fall silent.
Getting rid of them wouldn't be simple at all.
That's not 250, but 2,500… a number that would make any Nen User's scalp tingle.
But in reality, would every Nen User really feel that way?
…
The Nightclub.
Nique had plunged into the dance floor crowd, long gone, probably seeking cheap thrills.
It didn't take long for Uvogin and Nobunaga to head to the dance floor to have fun. They weren't there to dance but to pick up girls.
As energetic men, they needed to address their physiological needs from time to time.
In the end, unsurprisingly, Biscuit also went in, likely having spotted a target.
So, a whole group came to have fun, but the booth ended up with only Law and Machi.
The two of them occasionally accompanied Uvogin and Nobunaga to such places, but in reality, they usually never entered the dance floor.
"Law."
Machi pushed a glass of liquor towards Law, softly reminding him.
"I know."
Law nodded slightly, lowering his right hand to probe the floor.
Under the table, unseen by anyone, Kuro emerged like smoke.
"How to handle it?"
Kuro half-crouched on the table, its voice reaching Law's ears.
"Use your own judgment. Killing is fine too," Law said flatly.
"Judgment? What's that? Your latter sentence is enough."
Kuro extended its seductively long tongue, looking spirited.
A faint killing intent rendered it a vivid demon cat.
If it could kill, it certainly wouldn't hold back.
If Law allowed it to do as it pleased tonight, it wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone in the nightclub.
Immediately, Kuro transformed into a wisp of black smoke, slithering snake-like along the ground towards the peepers' location.
There were two peepers, ordinary-looking middle-aged men with wireless earpieces hidden under their overly long hair.
Their clothes were light shirts, but a few buttons on those shirts were anything but ordinary… they were rather sophisticated intelligence-gathering hardware.
Transformed into black smoke, Kuro stealthily approached, reaching behind the two men. It immediately heard them speaking in some obscure language.
Kuro didn't understand, but their tone didn't sound like reporting something… it was more like recording something.
What exactly they were saying, Kuro wasn't interested in the slightest. It released two strands of Aura, silently piercing the backs of the two middle-aged men, reaching their hearts and boring small holes through them.
After doing this, Kuro meticulously destroyed the eavesdropping devices on the men's bodies, then returned along the same path, smoke-like.
Back at the booth, Kuro didn't retract into the back of Law's hand. Instead, it sat upright on the booth seat.
"Done."
As it spoke, Kuro picked up the snacks on the table and started eating.
Law nodded, not probing further.
The peepers were likely members of some intelligence organization. Targeting them was probably because of Uvogin and the others.
If there was any hint of disadvantage, Law wouldn't be polite, so he simply had Kuro kill them.
"Machi, it's about time you all left this place."
Law looked at the dance floor as if trying to spot Uvogin and Nobunaga.
"Where you are, I'll be," Machi said calmly.
"..."
That was the biggest problem.
Law fell silent.
After all, time was running short. Before the Kakin Empire's plan surfaced...
Before going to the Dark Continent, only by placing Machi with Linne would Law feel at ease.
The problem was how to achieve that.
…
Meanwhile, on top of the Association's building.
Ging was originally drinking alone, but soon, Shiro also arrived. He too was drinking.
"Ging, I really want to ask you a question right now."
Shiro gazed at the prosperous night scene under the starry sky. The long, dragon-like streams of lights were denser and more dazzling than the stars in the night sky.
"What question?" Ging squinted, slightly tipsy.
"How to leave home and family behind without any pressure," Shiro said with a long sigh.
"Just grit your teeth and get through it."
"Just like that?"
"Yeah, what else?"
"You think it's like constipation?" Shiro was shocked.
Ging immediately spoke earnestly. "Take the first step, and the rest will be easier. People must have courage!"
"Sigh."
Shiro sighed again, immediately emptying a bottle of alcohol.
Ging slowly turned his head, looking at the melancholic Shiro, and smiled. "You're tempted."
At the same time, he was curious about what exactly Law had said to Shiro that could soften this hard rock.
He knew Shiro's reason for not agreeing was his family.
Before a person has a family, they are free. But once they have a family, responsibility naturally settles on their shoulders.
The difference between the two has always been clear. When single and unattached, one can run around freely without pressure. But after having a family, it's different… one needs to consider many more things.
"In the end, I am a Hunter," Shiro said with a bitter smile, using a tone of resignation. "So, damn it, I am tempted."
"What did Law tell you?" Ging couldn't help but ask.
"What else? Tobacco, of course," Shiro said, flicking the vermilion pipe in his mouth with his finger. Even while drinking, he wouldn't put the pipe down, giving the impression of being a heavy smoker.
Ging reached out and patted Shiro's back. "There's still plenty of time. Think it over carefully before deciding."
For some reason, he felt a tiny bit of guilt at this moment.
Of course, this guilt wasn't directed at Shiro, but at Shiro's family.
However, the decision was in Shiro's hands. And if the team encountered danger, either they would protect any teammate's life, or he and Law would die first.