"Machi."
The remaining three members of the brigade immediately noticed the change in Machi's situation. As soon as Franklin spoke, Phinks had already charged towards Daniel Davis with incredible speed, his right hand forming a knife to slash at Daniel's neck.
Among the brigade members, in terms of speed, only the leader could surpass Phinks, and his arm strength ranked fifth among them.
"Shorty, not slow, huh." Facing the expressionless Phinks charging at him, Daniel chuckled. While speaking, he lightly tapped the ground with his right foot, retreating a step, and then raised his left foot to meet Phinks' hand-knife.
Perhaps the word "shorty" enraged Phinks, causing his momentum to rise even further, and his eyes to turn icy cold.
Bang.
In the next moment, Daniel's left foot collided with Phinks' hand-knife. Powerful energy burst from their point of contact, and then a cracking sound was heard. Phinks' right forearm broke, and Daniel's left foot kicked Phinks on the shoulder, sending him flying back at a speed no less than his initial charge.
"Phinks!" Phinks' body flew towards Franklin, who immediately stretched out his arms to catch him. Though he managed to catch Phinks, the force still dragged Franklin's feet across the ground for over ten meters, leaving deep marks.
"Strong, handsome, but a pity." Daniel shook his head slightly as he watched Phinks in Franklin's arms. He tapped the ground lightly, and in a few leaps, disappeared with Machi and Shizuku from the sight of the three brigade members. After ensuring no one else was around, he used Apparition to return to Yorknew City.
"Are you guys okay?" Shizuku, having just realized what had happened, quickly ran towards Franklin and Phinks.
"I'm fine. Phinks' injuries are serious, and Machi..." Franklin looked at the unconscious Phinks, worried and at a loss.
"Let's go back to find the leader." Shizuku suggested, both of them forgetting about the similarly captured Nobunaga.
"The combination of Nen and Haki is truly the way to go." Back in his hotel in Yorknew City, Daniel tossed Machi and Shizuku aside and began reflecting on his earlier actions.
The combination of Nen's Ken and Haki's Armament was something Daniel had been practicing since mastering Nen. Now it was paying off. Phinks' Ken was indeed strong, but unfortunately, there was a qualitative difference between his strength and Daniel's. Even without Nen, Daniel's martial arts alone would be enough to defeat the entire brigade.
Even if facing Netero at that time, purely in terms of martial arts, Netero wouldn't have been his match. The ceiling in the Hunter world was much lower than in the One Piece world.
The physical prowess from the One Piece world, coupled with the body conditioning from Kamar-Taj magic, formed a powerful foundation for Nen, drastically enhancing Daniel's strength. He was even considering testing his newfound strength against an Admiral when he returned to the One Piece world.
"Awake, huh?" In an abandoned building on the outskirts of Yorknew City, Daniel, wearing a mask, noticed Shizuku waking up and spoke softly.
"Who are you?" Shizuku took a few steps back, cautiously examining her surroundings and then looking at Daniel with a vigilant expression, though she didn't immediately use her Nen ability.
"You're smarter than the other Shadow Beasts. I rescued you from the brigade, but not for free. The price is that I want to see your Nen ability."
Facing Shizuku, Daniel didn't waste words, directly stating his purpose. He wasn't afraid of her refusal. If she were a good person, he might hesitate, but Shadow Beasts were different. Daniel wouldn't have any qualms about dealing with them. Unlike the brigade, the Shadow Beasts didn't have strong wills.
Although Daniel had decided to deal with the brigade, he had to admit that if the brigade weren't so indiscriminately murderous, they were quite an impressive organization. Daniel didn't care about their thefts. Even their massacre at the Yorknew City auction didn't bother him much.
Unfortunately, the brigade often targeted innocents. The Kurta Clan massacre was not an isolated incident in their hands.
The brigade acted wantonly and without restraint, killing indiscriminately even in public if they wished. They had no respect for life, a trait likely influenced by their upbringing in Meteor City. Daniel felt some pity for Meteor City but knew there was nothing he could do. Changing its status would require overthrowing the current V5.
Watching Shizuku demonstrate her Nen ability, Daniel began analyzing it with his own Nen. With Shizuku's explanations, his analysis progressed rapidly. Compared to Biscuit's magical beautician Cookie, Shizuku's ability was less complex.
"It's a materialization type."
"Incredible Convenience Cloth, what a magical ability. Too bad Shizuku is too weak. In the hands of someone like the leader or Hisoka, it would be much more valuable. Unfortunately, even though the leader obtained the ability, it disappeared after Shizuku's death."
The Hunter world had many wondrous Nen abilities, often in the hands of those with limited power. The effects of Nen abilities were unpredictable.
When the leader fought Hisoka later at Heaven's Arena, the Nen abilities he showcased weren't particularly powerful individually. However, when combined in his hands, they became deadly weapons against Hisoka.
"Since you're awake, there's no point in pretending anymore." In the same place, but this time with Machi. Unlike the compliant Shizuku, Machi immediately jumped up and charged at Daniel, wrapping him in her Nen threads.
"You're ruthless." Daniel chuckled, seeing the threads surrounding him, seemingly ready to tear him apart.
Machi's threads were impressive, but against Daniel's full-body Ken, they couldn't even scratch him, let alone harm him. Taking advantage of this, Daniel quickly analyzed Machi's threads. Compared to Shizuku's Incredible Convenience Cloth, Machi's threads were simple. Even without using his analysis ability, Daniel could replicate them with his understanding of Nen.
Machi's threads didn't have any special abilities; they were merely Nen turned into threads. Her ability to sew wounds was just an application of her thread manipulation.
"So that's how it is." With a slightly disappointed expression, Daniel tore the threads apart effortlessly.
"But since you're here, I might as well test Machi's ability." With this thought, Daniel took out the pouch containing Nobunaga and threw it. As the pouch opened, the surrounding cloth disappeared, revealing a black car in front of Daniel and Machi. As soon as the car appeared, Nobunaga slashed it open and jumped out.
Locked up for so long, Nobunaga was furious.
"So it's you. Machi, stay back." Freed, Nobunaga glared at Daniel, setting up a four-meter radius circle around himself.
"An iai technique, huh." Daniel smiled, sensing the aura around Nobunaga and watching his stance, then slowly stepped into Nobunaga's circle.
Nobunaga, a reinforcement type, was part of the brigade's assault and rear guard team. Compared to fellow brigade members Uvogin and Phinks, his physical attributes were weaker as he focused on his finger weapon, a high-level Nen technique called En.
Using his powerful En, combined with his circle's awareness and fast iai strikes, Nobunaga's strength shouldn't be underestimated. Although his circle's range was only four meters, it was his attack range, where he could exert maximum strength. Even Uvogin entering this range would struggle against Nobunaga's iai strikes.
As Daniel approached Nobunaga's circle, Nobunaga's aura became more concentrated, while Machi, now on the sidelines, watched with wide eyes.
Snap.
As Daniel's foot finally entered the circle, Nobunaga struck with a lightning-fast slash, his sword slicing towards Daniel's neck in a sure-kill move. However, just before the blade reached Daniel's neck, it stopped. No matter how much force Nobunaga used, the sword wouldn't move.
"Impossible!" Nobunaga stared in disbelief at Daniel's left hand, which had grabbed the back of the blade.
"Is this your ultimate move? Impressive, but unfortunately..." Daniel said, applying force with his left hand, breaking the blade. The next moment, he appeared behind Nobunaga, severing his right arm with a swift strike.
"Machi, are you okay?" Machi, seeing Nobunaga's arm fly off, was stunned for a moment before rushing to his side to stop the bleeding and numb the pain with her Nen threads.
"Aren't you going to reattach his arm?" Daniel calmly asked Machi as he discarded the broken blade.
Machi glared at Daniel, said nothing, and immediately threw her threads, retrieving Nobunaga's arm and stitching it back together with her ability.
"I see, Machi knows a lot about human anatomy." Daniel nodded, watching intently.
"Who are you?" Nobunaga asked cautiously once his arm was reattached.
"Do I need to explain? Who do you think would target your brigade?" Daniel glanced at Nobunaga and Machi, a cold smile on his face.
"An enemy of the brigade?"
"Correct. I've waited a long time for this day. I will kill every member of the brigade, leaving none alive. Now, tell me the names and abilities of the other members, and I might leave you with a whole corpse." Daniel's expression was as if he had a deep-seated hatred for the brigade. Using the brigade's numerous enemies as a reason was convenient since they couldn't remember all their foes.
"Kill me if you want, but don't expect me to betray my comrades." Nobunaga spat disdainfully on Daniel, even spitting in his direction.
"I didn't expect the despicable brigade to value comradeship. How amusing. You want to die? I can arrange that. But this beauty beside you, it would be a shame for her to die like that," Daniel said, his eyes scanning Machi up and down, a wicked smile on his face.
"What are you planning? Machi, run!" Nobunaga's face changed drastically at Daniel's words and expression. He charged at Daniel, yelling for Machi to escape.
"Too late to run now," Daniel said as five chains emerged from his left hand, instantly binding Nobunaga and Machi.
In terms of understanding chains, Daniel far surpassed Kurapika. Let's not forget, Kamar-Taj's magic included many chain-based spells. After mastering Nen, Daniel could materialize five chains like Kurapika.
Of course, his chains were ordinary, without Kurapika's special abilities. But combined with his Nen, even without the special effects, anyone caught by them couldn't escape. Daniel's En was also highly advanced.
"This environment is quite nice. Maybe we can have a chat about life, Miss Machi," Daniel said, pulling Machi to his side with the chains. He then waved his hand, binding Nobunaga to a nearby pillar, disconnecting the chain linking Nobunaga.
"You bastard, stop!" Nobunaga cursed at Daniel.
"Tell me the names and abilities of the other brigade members, and I'll spare her." Daniel stopped a few steps away, looking back at the cursing Nobunaga with a smile.
"Don't worry about me, Nobunaga," Machi shouted before Daniel could reply, but he quickly subdued her.
"I'll give you one minute to decide. Either tell me their names and abilities, or wait here while we discuss life," Daniel said. He didn't actually intend to do anything to Machi but was more than willing to scare Nobunaga.
"Fuck you! You think I'll betray my comrades?" Nobunaga spat, rage and determination clear in his eyes.
"Then you leave me no choice," Daniel sighed. His chains wrapped tighter around Machi, pulling her closer to him.
"Do whatever you want to me, but leave Machi out of this!" Nobunaga's voice cracked with desperation.
"Too late for that," Daniel said, pulling Machi into the abandoned building. Nobunaga continued to hurl curses, his voice echoing in the empty space.
Inside, Daniel released Machi from the chains but held her firmly by the arm. "Let's see if your loyalty is worth more than your life," he said, his tone cold.
"You won't get anything from me," Machi replied defiantly.
Daniel smirked, "We'll see about that." He left her momentarily to bind the entrance, ensuring no one would interrupt them. "Now, let's start with something simple. How about the names of your leader's abilities?"
Machi remained silent, her eyes burning with defiance. Daniel admired her spirit but knew he didn't have much time. The brigade members would soon realize something was amiss and come searching.
"Fine. If you won't cooperate, I'll just have to make you talk," Daniel said, his tone darkening. He didn't intend to hurt her seriously, but psychological pressure might do the trick.
Machi, though visibly tense, did not waver. Daniel sighed inwardly, admiring her resolve.
"I'll give you one last chance, Machi. Think about it. Your life for some information," Daniel offered one final time.
"I'd rather die than betray my comrades," Machi spat back.
Daniel nodded, respecting her decision, "Very well. Then I'll have to try a different approach."
He stepped back, contemplating his next move. The brigade's unity was stronger than he anticipated, and brute force would not break their spirit. Perhaps it was time to rethink his strategy.
For now, he decided to bind Machi securely and keep her as leverage, hoping to extract information when the brigade inevitably came for her. Daniel knew this confrontation was far from over.
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"Time's up. What a pity." As time passed, a minute went by quickly. During that time, Nobunaga simply clenched his teeth and glared at Daniel Davis. If looks could kill, Daniel would have been riddled with holes.
For Nobunaga, the information about his comrades and Machi's safety were equally important. If it had been any other brigade member in his place, Daniel's threats would have been ignored, including by fellow female member Pakunoda. Among the entire brigade, only Machi and Nobunaga had a slight semblance of normality, and even that was only slight.
Mostly originating from Meteor City, their personalities, thoughts, and worldviews greatly differed from the outside world. While Hisoka was considered quite perverted, he was nothing compared to the brigade members, who often killed without provocation.
"He's not talking. How about you? If you tell me the brigade's information, I won't harm you and will release you immediately. How's that for a deal?" Seeing Nobunaga's clenched teeth and the blood trickling from his lips, Daniel turned his attention to Machi, releasing her restraints to allow her to speak.
Machi, now free to speak, merely shot Daniel a cold glare before adopting a nonchalant attitude, as if she didn't care what he did to her.
"You all have such deep comradeship," Daniel sighed lightly.
"Forget it. I'm not like your Phantom Brigade, resorting to any means. I'm different; I'm a good person." Daniel waved his hand, binding Machi to another pillar.
Daniel entertained the thought of having a serious conversation with Machi, but he would never actually do such a thing. In fact, he despised those kinds of people. He was pure-hearted, after all.
"There are things I won't do, but I'm not joking about eliminating the brigade. Now, I'll give you a chance. Today, I'll only kill one of you. Choose who dies first." As he spoke, Daniel materialized a katana.
For mainstream Nen users in the Hunter world, conjurers usually had special effects. If one simply conjured an ordinary weapon, it would be better to buy a real one. Even Nobunaga, a reinforcement type, could conjure his katana if he trained.
The reason they didn't do this was that a Nen user's aura was limited. Wasting it on conjuring a non-special weapon was disadvantageous in battle. Unless they reached Netero's level, every bit of aura was crucial and couldn't be wasted.
"You bastard," Nobunaga finally relaxed his expression. "Then kill me. I'm a main combatant in the brigade. If you want revenge, killing me is the right choice. Machi is just support. You've seen her Nen ability; she's the brigade's medic and rarely kills."
"Nobunaga, what nonsense are you talking about?" Machi shouted after hearing Nobunaga's words.
"I'm not talking nonsense. You said you're here for revenge and that you're different from us. Machi hasn't done those things. If you kill her, you're committing an injustice. That would make you no different from us."
"Nobunaga, shut up."
"I understand your point. Since you said so, fine. I won't kill her, but that only applies to her. I won't spare the rest of the brigade. So, you can die in peace."
With that, Daniel plunged the katana through Nobunaga's heart, pinning him to the pillar behind him.
"This is what you said. Keep your word." Nobunaga, not immediately dead, spat blood and stared at Daniel, as if confirming something.
"I have no reason to lie to you now. Honestly, I have a good impression of you. But unfortunately, you're a brigade member." Daniel sighed. Of all the brigade members, Nobunaga and Machi left the best impression on him. But liking them didn't change his resolve to eliminate the brigade.
"I've never regretted being in the brigade."
"I know. That's why I won't hesitate to kill you."
"Do you know how many families have suffered because of the people you've killed? Seeking revenge against the brigade isn't just my mission alone. Remember the Scarlet Eyes, one of the world's seven beauties? Your brigade exterminated their clan, sparing no one, and even gouged out their eyes. The survivor of that clan is here, desperately seeking vengeance. Oh, and the one who captured Uvogin was him. Uvogin is probably dead by now."
"Uvogin, it seems we'll meet in another world."
"It's over." As Machi opened her mouth to speak, Daniel instantly appeared beside her and knocked her out.
"Such a hassle. I need to master that Convenient Large Cloth ability soon." Though Pym Particles were convenient, they cost money and weren't as versatile as the Convenient Large Cloth, which only required Nen. The Large Cloth was essential for cleaning up after kills and moving house. Owl's ability was incredibly useful.
"Time to go back. I wonder if Kurapika has killed Uvogin yet." With this thought, Daniel quietly returned to the hotel. Gon, Killua, and Leorio were not there. After securing enough funds to buy Greed Island, they decided to explore Yorknew City and earn some money.
Even without needing to buy Greed Island, they still needed money for themselves. Despite having a fortune of millions, to Gon and Killua, it was a pittance. These were kids who could blow through billions in days, with Killua once spending two billion on candy.
Leorio, also keen on making money, was driven by his friend's death due to lack of funds.
"Damn it, who did this? I'll kill them!" Uvogin, who Daniel expected to be dead, was actually in the brigade's base, drinking beer and yelling. Though he had wanted to seek revenge on Kurapika, he was persuaded by Shalnark to return due to Nobunaga and Machi's capture and Phinks' severe injury.
Compared to their safety, the chain user could be dealt with later. Shalnark convinced Uvogin to prioritize their comrades.
At the brigade's base, except for Machi and Nobunaga, everyone else was present.
"The Ten Dons haven't reported capturing them, so it must have been someone else." Shalnark relayed all the information he had gathered.
Uvogin was rescued by the brigade members because the mafia family Kurapika served planned to present him to the Ten Dons, which allowed Shalnark to intercept them.
"I haven't received any relevant information either," Pakunoda added. She and Shalnark were responsible for intelligence and planning within the brigade, using their abilities to gather information.
The Phantom Brigade never acted rashly. Every operation was meticulously planned, like the robbery of the Ten Dons. Despite the severe consequences, their Meteor City origins meant the Dons had to swallow their grievances.
In the original story, even after the Ten Dons were killed, the brigade's bounty was rescinded. Though Meteor City was unofficial, it was infamous in the underground world.
Major criminal organizations, underground forces, and assassin guilds had deep ties with Meteor City. Look at the Zoldyck family: they had elders living there, and Killua's mother, Silva's wife, was from Meteor City. Historically, all Zoldyck family heads had wives from Meteor City. It's likely that Illumi, Killua, and their brothers would marry someone from there in the future.
"Leader." After everyone shared their information, including Hisoka, all eyes turned to Chrollo.
"Shalnark, Pakunoda, continue investigating. Uvogin, Phinks, go with them." Chrollo, after some thought, issued his orders.
This operation had not only yielded no treasures but also resulted in the loss of two members. It was the brigade's greatest failure, more significant than the deaths of their previous two comrades.
Since its founding, the brigade had only lost two members: No. 8, killed by Silva Zoldyck, later replaced by Shizuku, and No. 4, killed by Hisoka, who took his own place.
The brigade's rule was that new members had to defeat or kill an existing member to join. This rule was flexible; the reaction of the brigade varied depending on who was killed.
"So audacious," Daniel muttered, watching a news report about a convenience store murder. The surveillance footage showed Shalnark and Uvogin killing everyone inside, including two middle school students.
"By now, Owl should have returned." After analyzing Owl's ability, Daniel let him go, planning to use the stolen treasures to lure the brigade out again. Besides returning all the items, Daniel gave Owl Nobunaga's body to further provoke the brigade.
Aside from taking Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes, Daniel left the rest untouched. He wasn't worried about Owl revealing his identity, as he had disguised himself.
"The bounty for each brigade member is now two billion? The Ten Dons are finally willing to spend big. The Zoldyck family should be here soon."
To show they weren't afraid of the Phantom Brigade, the Ten Dons increased the bounties and announced the reopening of the auction. No one cared about the 500 people killed before.
To these mafia bosses, human lives were expendable. Even if the Ten Dons were killed, someone else would take their place.
For this auction, they even planned to auction Nobunaga's body. It was a Phantom Brigade member's corpse, a valuable item for collectors or enemies.
Over the years, the brigade had robbed many wealthy individuals and even national museums, though they targeted only smaller countries without influence in the V5.
The V5, the five strongest countries across the six continents in the Hunter world, excluded the sixth continent due to its chaotic state and lack of powerful nations, much like Africa in the real world.
"Reopening the auction, Owl's return, and Nobunaga's body," Daniel muttered. The brigade quickly obtained this information through Pakunoda and Shalnark.
"I'm going to kill them all," Uvogin roared upon hearing about Nobunaga's death, releasing a powerful aura and stomping a massive crater into the ground. If not for Chrollo's intervention, Uvogin might have stormed the auction hotel to kill everyone inside.
"Calm down. Whatever you want to do, tonight, you'll have your chance," Chrollo said. For the treasures and Nobunaga's body, the brigade wouldn't back down.
After some thought, Chrollo devised a plan. If one brigade member died, a hundred people would accompany them to the grave.
This was the brigade's tradition. When No. 8 and No. 4 died, the brigade went on a killing spree.
"You can act now, as agreed," Chrollo said, walking to a corner and dialing a number.
"No problem," Illumi's emotionless voice responded.
***
As night fell, the auction house in Yorknew City became a battlefield. The brigade launched a full-scale attack, driven by revenge and the desire to retrieve their lost comrades' bodies.
In the midst of the chaos, Daniel positioned himself strategically, waiting for the right moment to strike. He watched as the brigade members ruthlessly eliminated anyone in their path, their efficiency and brutality on full display.
Chrollo's plan was unfolding perfectly. The brigade's assault was meticulously timed, catching the guards and mafia members off guard. Within minutes, the auction house was a scene of carnage.
Daniel noted the positions of each brigade member, his mind racing with potential strategies. He knew he had to be precise; any mistake could cost him dearly against such formidable opponents.
As the auction house descended into chaos, Daniel saw his opportunity. Moving with speed and precision, he targeted Pakunoda first. Her information-gathering abilities made her a significant threat.
Approaching from behind, Daniel struck swiftly, aiming to incapacitate her. Pakunoda sensed the attack at the last moment, but it was too late. Daniel's blade cut through her defenses, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Next, Daniel focused on Shalnark. Using the element of surprise, he engaged him in close combat. Shalnark, though skilled, was caught off guard by Daniel's relentless assault. Within moments, Shalnark was disarmed and subdued.
The remaining brigade members, realizing something was amiss, regrouped. Chrollo, Phinks, and Uvogin stood at the center, their expressions grim.
"Who are you?" Chrollo demanded, his voice cold.
"A ghost from your past," Daniel replied, his eyes locked on Chrollo. "Here to ensure the Phantom Brigade meets its end."
Chrollo's eyes narrowed, recognizing the determination in Daniel's gaze. "Very well. Let's end this."
The final showdown began. Daniel faced off against Chrollo, while Phinks and Uvogin prepared to back their leader. The fight was intense, each combatant pushing their limits.
Daniel's training and strategic thinking gave him an edge. He managed to keep Chrollo at bay while avoiding attacks from Phinks and Uvogin. The battle raged on, each side refusing to yield.
Amidst the fierce combat, Daniel saw an opening. With a burst of speed, he disarmed Chrollo, sending his weapon flying. Seizing the moment, Daniel delivered a powerful strike, incapacitating Chrollo.
Phinks and Uvogin, seeing their leader fall, hesitated. Daniel took advantage of their momentary lapse, swiftly neutralizing them.
The battle was over. The once formidable Phantom Brigade lay defeated, their reign of terror finally at an end.
Breathing heavily, Daniel surveyed the scene. It had been a long and arduous journey, but he had achieved his goal. The Phantom Brigade was no more.
As the dust settled, Daniel knew that this victory came at a cost. The memories of those lost to the brigade's brutality weighed heavily on his mind. But he had avenged them, ensuring that the brigade would never harm anyone again.
With a final glance at the fallen brigade members, Daniel turned and walked away, leaving behind the remnants of a once-feared criminal organization. The Hunter world was a bit safer now, thanks to his efforts.
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