The sudden appearance of this cowardly dwarf skeleton didn't make anyone present underestimate him.
That dense, tangible Nen earlier was plain for all to see.
If the skeleton hadn't surrendered prematurely, subduing him would probably have taken some effort.
Seeing Ging agree so readily to let him go, the skeleton didn't feel happy at all… he had a feeling some trap was waiting for him.
"Really?"
The skeleton asked cautiously.
By now, everyone had gathered around.
"Of course." Maintaining his smile, Ging said seriously, "But, you'll have to answer a few questions for me."
"No problem!"
The skeleton had no choice now. He first glanced furtively at the expressionless Stargie, then nodded frantically at Ging.
"Little Nana, get us some 'headphones' too," Shiro said to Bruna, quite irreverently.
"Okay."
Bruna softly agreed, extending numerous tentacles to attach to everyone gathered, pulling them all into the same 'chat room'.
Watching Bruna's actions, the skeleton exclaimed in surprise, "I remember now, you're from the Blu Tribe!"
"Yes, I am."
Bruna's dark, glistening eyes reflected the skeleton's figure. She showed no particular reaction to his words, answering straightforwardly instead.
"That's not right. The Blu Tribe was exterminated during the purification operation hundreds of years ago," The skeleton said, puzzled.
"Because our ancestors migrated inside the Rock Island Crab's body, that's how we survived," Bruna explained.
"Hey, Little Nana, guard against those with a bone to pick. Don't just answer whatever others ask," Shiro's tone held a touch of helplessness.
"Ah? I understand."
Bruna nodded obediently.
Ging stared at the red dot lights in the skeleton's eye sockets and said seriously, "You seem to know quite a lot."
"Not too much, not too much."
The skeleton replied modestly.
"Just now, what was this 'purification operation' you mentioned?" Ging smiled, pinpointing the key point.
The skeleton remained silent for a moment. The red dot lights in his eye sockets expanded slightly as he said gravely, "Simply put, it was a major rectification operation targeting the entire Dark Continent sphere. Of course, from the perspective of a weak party like me, it was a purge."
At this point, the skeleton instinctively looked at Bruna, saying with a tone of admiration, "For a tribe like the Blu Tribe, who had no means of self-defense, extermination was a foregone conclusion. But still, her ancestors truly made such a bold decision under those circumstances."
"Thank you," Bruna smiled.
"..."
The skeleton shook his head slightly, then looked at Ging, "You said you'd let me go after answering a few questions. Ask quickly now."
Ging nodded and smiled, "Yes, but I've changed my mind now."
"You!!!"
The skeleton was shocked and dismayed.
Though no one could see it, the skeleton's tone conveyed his feelings.
"Don't worry. As long as you don't pose a threat to us, we won't take action against you." Ging first reassured him, then got straight to the point: "You seem to know a lot. So as long as you tell us everything, we'll let you leave."
"..."
The skeleton fell silent.
If that was all, it wasn't too much for him.
"What do you want to know?"
"No hurry. Let's get acquainted first. You can call me Ging, and this person who stated the facts is Tonpa..."
In Ging's view, the skeleton was practically a trove of information delivered to their doorstep. But he wasn't in a rush to extract information… instead, he first introduced his teammates to the skeleton.
Before communication, knowing each other's names was basic courtesy.
After quickly finishing the introductions, Ging asked, "And you? What's your name?"
"Forgotten long ago. Just call me Skeleton. I'm just a skeleton anyway," The skeleton said with self-mockery.
Of course, no matter what expression he made, outsiders couldn't see it.
"Alright. I'm curious: were you born like this, or did some incident cause you to become this way?"
"Have you ever seen skeletons reproducing?"
The skeleton stared at Ging with a look that said 'idiot'.
Ging sensed it but wasn't angry. He asked, "Then how did you become like this?"
"Because of a piece of music."
The skeleton instinctively glanced at Stargie.
Ging raised an eyebrow and tested, "The Dark Sonata?"
"What's that?"
The skeleton sounded puzzled.
Ging's mind was agile. He shifted his question: "The Demon King's melody?"
"How do you know?!"
The skeleton's tone couldn't hide his astonishment.
A glint of understanding flashed deep in Ging's eyes. He didn't answer the skeleton's question but glanced at the scene reflected by the fox Nen Beast, then continued asking, "In your understanding, what exactly is the Demon King?"
...
Lava Core Region.
Law picked the fourth stalk of Grass Jelly, completely unaffected by the surrounding high temperature.
This was a forbidden zone for humans, but Law could move through it like a fish in water.
"Where have all the Fire Chickens gone?"
After searching all the way without finding any Fire Chickens, Kuro was utterly disappointed.
Law glanced at him and continued searching for Grass Jelly growing on the lava ground.
When he came here before, he'd discovered Grass Jelly by chance, so he didn't realize how rare it was.
Now, coming here specifically to find it made Law aware of its preciousness.
Not to mention how difficult it was for humans to reach this place… compared to Nitro Rice or the Herb, Grass Jelly's quantity was pitifully small.
To find more Grass Jelly, Law and Kuro ventured deeper into the core region while remaining vigilant of any activity from the depths.
Venturing this deep was actually a very dangerous move.
If they encountered a lava surge like last time, it was hard to say if they could retreat in time.
But to obtain enough Grass Jelly, Law could only take the risk.
The surroundings were all fiery-red, high-temperature rock ground. Occasionally, whether from the ceiling or walls, streams of lava would splash out, not to mention the lava-covered ground itself.
While searching for Grass Jelly, Law also constantly monitored these signs.
If the eruption frequency increased, he'd have to consider whether to go deeper.
Law wanted to find more Grass Jelly, while Kuro remained fixated on Fire Chickens.
The man and cat traversed vast stretches of flat lava ground, arriving at the edge of a cliff. The scenery before them had undergone a dramatic change.
What met their eyes were dozens of flowing rivers of lava, streaming out from cave openings in various rock walls, turning into waterfalls that intertwined mid-air, resembling bridges.
And the Fire Chickens Kuro couldn't forget were sliding down the waterfall lava like ducks, then shaking their feathers and swimming leisurely on the lava rivers.
Kuro immediately locked onto one of the Fire Chickens. While Law was astonished, he noticed that not only Fire Chickens but over a dozen other species of various sizes were present within the lava waterfalls.
Moreover, even the fire elemental beings, which he had once exterminated using withering on Whale Island, were commonplace here.