Chapter 125: Collaboration with Milluki
The car sped away from Heavens Arena, eventually stopping at a secluded manor in the outskirts—a temporary safehouse Miria had prepared for them weeks ago.
"Has Chrollo made a move?" Ronin asked. He wasn't worried about Maha or Illumi finding them here.
Even if they did, he had contingency plans. The Zoldycks were legends, but they weren't immortal. If they pushed him into a corner, he'd make sure none of them walked away unscathed.
However, he knew this wouldn't end in a mindless brawl. The final resolution lay with Chrollo and Silva. As soon as Chrollo—the man who hired Illumi—was dead, the contract on Ronin would naturally terminate.
Of course, there was a simpler way: kill Illumi.
Ronin doubted Maha would play bodyguard forever. Once the old monster returned to the mountain, Ronin was confident he could end the eldest Zoldyck son.
As for locating him? Ronin had the ultimate double-agent: Hisoka.
He didn't know the exact status of the Hisoka-Illumi alliance yet, but if they had formed their "engagement" as they did in the manga, it would be perfect. With the right incentive, Hisoka would sell Illumi out in a heartbeat. Illumi likely knew this, but whether he could prevent it was a different matter.
"Yes, they're active," Kurapika said, having stayed in constant contact with their moles in Meteor City. "Nothing outside the predicted patterns, though. The only thing that bothers me is Chrollo's contact with Sheila."
"The concern isn't whether Pakunoda knows about us," Ronin added, "it's whether Sheila wanted her to know."
Ronin still didn't trust the "Saint of the Junkyard."
Kurapika remained silent, still wanting to believe in the girl who gave him his first book of adventures, but he didn't argue. He preferred to let the facts speak for themselves.
"By the way," Ronin noted, "the explosion in the arena was Milluki's handiwork. He was trying to provide cover for Maha's ambush. I spotted the drone early."
"It doesn't matter," Kurapika said, pulling out his laptop. "I've already contacted Silva and secured a direct line to Milluki."
Ronin nearly choked on his water. "You... what?"
"Milluki was coerced into this mission by Illumi," Kurapika explained with a smirk. "And according to Milluki, Illumi is a terrible boss—stingy with the pay and high on the demands. Most of the contract fee from Chrollo went straight to Maha."
"Milluki has some... grievances about working for free. It turns out he's much more cooperative when someone offers him professional rates."
"So you turned a Zoldyck into an informant?" Ronin laughed. "That's elite."
"Milluki's talent for digital surveillance is unmatched. Having him as an inside man saves us months of legwork. It's a highly efficient transaction."
Ronin nodded. He trusted Kurapika's management.
Furthermore, he understood the deeper meaning behind this move: they didn't need a total war with the Zoldyck family.
The Zoldycks held a trump card that Ronin had no desire to face: Nanika (Alluka). If the family truly felt their existence was threatened and triggered that power, the world would burn. Keeping things on a professional, business-aligned level was the only sane path.
"Now that Heavens Arena is behind us, we can move on," Kurapika said, his expression turning serious. "Milluki's first report was useful. He tracked a private collector on the Yorbian Continent who possesses a pair of Scarlet Eyes."
After the dry spell following the Yorknew heist, this was the breakthrough they needed. It proved that hiring Milluki was the right call.
"Wait, didn't Silva suspect anything when you asked for Milluki's number?" Ronin asked.
"The Zoldycks are a business, Brother. They sell information as well as lives. I didn't ask for 'Milluki'; I asked for an information brokerage service. Silva provided the contact naturally," Kurapika shrugged. "I thought I'd have to go through a butler first, but Silva is surprisingly direct when it comes to cash."
"A gesture of goodwill?" Ronin mused.
"Silva clearly doesn't want us as enemies. But Illumi's independent streak makes it complicated. For now, the status quo works. Especially since Silva agreed to a secondary contract: If we find a way into Greed Island, he and Zeno will accept a contract to enter the game and assassinate any Troupe members found inside."
Ronin whistled. That was a game-changer.
"Battera's estate is on the Yorbian Continent too," Ronin said, leaning back into the sofa. "Looks like everything is on the way. Neon, get me something to eat."
"Hey! I'm not your servant!" Neon grumbled, but she stood up to head for the kitchen.
Before she could reach the door, Shizuku intervened. Blinky appeared in her hand. With a soft hum, the vacuum began to vomit a mountain of fried chicken, burgers, and fries onto the coffee table.
"Kurapika told me to be prepared," Shizuku said.
As she spoke, Blinky even spat out a literal burger stand—stalls and all.
"Did you... did you actually pay for that?" Ronin stared at the metal cart now sitting in their living room.
"Yes," Shizuku said blankly. "I'm not a thief. I have plenty of money."
Kurapika had given her a substantial "settling-in" allowance, and in Meteor City, a few thousand Jenny went a long way.
"Kurapika is too good to you," Neon muttered, seeing the food. She immediately sat back down and grabbed a burger.
"Jealousy is a bad look on you," Ronin teased, grabbing a drumstick.
Only Kurapika, looking at the heap of fast food, let out a weary sigh. He had asked Shizuku to stock up on "nutritious, balanced meals." Clearly, her interpretation of "balanced" was "a variety of different burgers."
Next time, Kurapika thought, I'm sending Neon with her.
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