Chapter 409

It turns out the SS-rank card "OneTsubo Coastline" is in Soufrabi. But this is not to say that no one has ever searched for such easily accessible information. You should assume this city has already been explored by many players.

However, I haven't actually obtained the card yet, so there must be something I overlooked. To avoid being wiped out by the Genthru group, it is worth spending the time to thoroughly re-examine it.

"Hey! We found an informant!"

However, we were prepared for the long haul, yet we unexpectedly found a lead. This town is ruled from the shadows by a pirate group called "Razor and the Fourteen Devils," and if they can get rid of them, it seems they can obtain "OneTsubo Coastline."

"Strange, when I came here before, no matter how I looked, I couldn't find any clues."

"Of course, the story is too good."

"Didn't you say you met some conditions to obtain information? 'Razor and the Fourteen Devils'... there are fifteen enemies, and a sixteen-person team gathered here; isn't that the condition for visiting this town?"

"So that's it. So is it a coincidence that more than 15 players gathered here at the same time in 'Companion'? It's normal for so many people to act together. Because there is no..."

Fortunately, I overcame the first difficulty in finding clues. According to the original plan, the joint party will proceed to claim the card. I went to a small Bar that pirates often frequent.

When I visited an old Bar that didn't look like a Bar, I saw four men inside. Wearing a two-holed hat with candy tucked in and long curled-toe shoes, they looked like clowns. However, the atmosphere could not be described as pleasant.

"What are you doing? Today is our charter, don't go home."

"I'm here to discuss with you, will you leave this town?"

The party representative Kazsur began to negotiate, but the pirates didn't listen and laughed it off. However, I thought we couldn't solve it through discussion from the start. It was inevitable that things would get tough.

"Whether to leave this town is decided by the captain. If you compete with me and you win, I will let you see the captain."

The largest of the four pirates spilled wine on the floor and lit it. Within the drawn circle of Fire, I stepped into the four-legged stance with a solid posture.

"Try to get me out of this circle. Cross the fire circle and enter inside, and the game begins. Whoever goes out loses. How many people can come at once?"

"Dohyo? Tower...? What are you talking about?"

"Guessed wrong, I don't even need to give you a proper Sumo match. In short, the person who pushes the opponent out of the fire circle wins. Other than that, rules are unnecessary."

I guess he is very confident in this match, just saying it doesn't matter how many people come. Rather than taking it into a battle of strength head-on, it is easier to use Manipulation and Materialization abilities.

"If it's a battle of strength, leave it to me, who is stronger."

Zeho of the Hanze-gumi put forward his name. He seems to be an enhancer. Well, there isn't necessarily a convenient ability user here who is compatible with the enemy. Even if they did, they might not step forward to hide their origins. Source information is the lifeline of capable people. Especially in the case of the Manipulation System and the Materialization System, countermeasures are easy, so don't expose them casually.

"Ahhh...! Pfft, pfft...!"

Of course, even if you are an enhancer, if you have the ability to defeat the enemy, that is perfectly fine, but... Zeho is just practicing and breathing every time, and he is full of spirit. Nevertheless, it is hard to say that the output, proficiency, and stability are high.

"Ha! Let's go!"

I don't go. Compared to the enthusiastic Zeho, there isn't much Aura on the pirate giant's body. Because there is no need. The lower body is strengthened, and there is no waste. It looks like a tree rooted in the ground. Even for someone with the same enhancement ability, it is difficult to move him.

You cannot win with Zeho. And from the pirate's expression, I can't help but have an ominous premonition, as if he is happily waiting for his prey. It would be fine if it just ended in failure, but if you get injured, it might affect your next match. I stopped Zeho.

"What are you!? Don't block my way!"

Zeho, who was about to pounce on the pirates, was burning with anger. When I offered to fight on his behalf, he became even more angry and out of control.

"Well, you two, calm down."

"But this guy is blocking my way..."

"Don't be angry at a child."

The one who intervened was a man like a gorilla. He might have also seen through Zeho's incompetence.

"Precisely because of this, I don't think such a child can win in a battle of strength."

"No, even if you are a Nen user, if you have played this game, I estimate there is a chance of winning. There is no need to face the opponent head-on in the ring. Nen battles are for this, right?"

I nodded firmly and answered the gorilla-like man's question.

"... Since you've said so much, do as you please."

Although Zeho was dissatisfied, he still withdrew. I faced the pirate again.

"Hey hey, how long are you going to make me wait?"

The man yawned, seemingly tired of waiting. However, contrary to his leisurely attitude, he didn't seem to let his guard down regarding the appearance of Six. On the contrary, I could tell he was more cautious than when dealing with Zeho.

Compatibility is important in Nen battles. As the gorilla said, the enemy knows that head-on combat is not always possible. I know that Aura is gathering in the pirate's eyes, and he is observing my movements with "Ryu."

If there is any suspicious movement in the Aura, he will try not to let it go and crush it first. I didn't pay attention to the Aura, and after moderate strengthening, I pounced on the pirate in the ring.

*Boom! *

Teamed up with the pirate man. No, it's more like hugging the belly of a big fat man. This is a spectacle not seen in the Sumo world.

"Pfft, hahahahahaha! What is that, a hug!? Oh, well, let's pat her head too. Although I grew up like this, I still like children, and I especially like the painful faces of children. Ah...?"

The strength on the pirate's body is draining away. The enemy has been weakened to the point that even with my medium-strength physical fitness, I can push him out of the ring without any problems.

"Pah, what!? My body suddenly...! Damn it, is it Poison!?"

That is correct. It is the paralytic poison of the insect itself. In order not to alert the enemy, the main body entrusted the backpack to Xiaogang and the others, but before the match started, the poison sprayed by the main body's fangs was sprinkled on Six's fingertips.

When I hugged the pirate, I released the poison from the scratches made by the toes. The poison itself is not just a product, it is the genuine article, so it won't look suspicious even if observed carefully. Deliberately suppressing the enhancement rate to invite carelessness, after hugging, I tucked a little Aura into the fingertips that were scratching into the belly.

"Hey, you came! Damn it!"

It would be fine if Biscuit was poisoned, but this pirate was able to neutralize it without any problems. The person who exits the ring loses; other than that, there are no rules.

"Crazy, pop pop pop, don't be stingy about the match you promised. The match is your victory. Come with me, I'll take you to find the boss."

Other pirates began to guide this giant who couldn't move due to the paralytic poison. According to the agreement, he would take you to see the captain.

That place is the lighthouse on the cape. It has been expanded and remodeled into a pirate hideout and has become a majestic fortress. As we walked through the building under guidance, we came to a place that looked like a large gymnasium. People who were considered pirates were enjoying various sports. I doubt if it is really a pirate, but it is a game, so it won't help if I dig into it.

"Who are they?"

Among them, only one man with a different atmosphere shouted at me. He looked like a pirate captain. When I told him I wanted him to leave this city, he suggested I try fighting him.

"The form of the match is sports! We will select one person from each team and let them compete according to the rules and items we decide. Continue these matches, and the team that wins eight victories first will be the winner. If we lose, we will leave this island."

I don't know why they are fighting in sports, but it is a match, so worrying about it is useless. Each of the 15 pirates seems to have a sport they are good at, and I have to keep up with that match. The rules are also unilaterally decided by the other party, so this is definitely disadvantageous. At the very least, I have no choice but to hope the referee is fair.

However, this is not a quiz-style death match. If you don't win 8 times, you will be kicked out of this hideout, and you can regroup and try again. We decided to fight.

"The first match format is Boxing, please choose a representative."

I raised my hand first. The first game is suitable for measuring the enemy's strength. It can be said that this is an important battle; if something goes wrong here, it might lead to a decline in the morale of the allies. But I still volunteered.

In the process of working with Gon and Killua, I have a debt, and up to this point, I have not been able to contribute to the capture. Due to my selfishness, I have let Biscuit spend a lot of time instructing me. If there is anything I can do to help make amends, I am eager to take the initiative.

"You again? Isn't that a bit too abrupt?"

"'Poison User' Jiu, hmm... once a poison attack is decided, it's very powerful, but looking at the training I just saw, it's not suitable for close combat. Isn't poisoning a foul to begin with?"

"There is no need to rush. Just win as a team."

However, he did not receive a good evaluation from his allies. It seems he was leading the way alone. There was also simple doubt regarding the part where he was insufficient as combat power. If you forcibly show off your strength here, the enemy will be unnecessarily alerted, and your relationship with your allies will also deteriorate.

I am sorry, but it is best to retreat here. When I was a bit frustrated, Gon shouted to everyone.

"Can you leave this to Jiu?"

"... I cannot accept remarks that favor family. From now on, I must win eight more matches. I cannot waste a single match."

"Because we still have eight victories. Looking at the results of the matches, almost everyone here has a chance to fight. There is no reason for Jiu not to fight here. Besides, Jiu will definitely win."

"You are quite confident."

"That is fine too. At the very least, we have learned more about Jiu's ability. Jiu will definitely win; you can bet our cards."

"Wait, hey, Gon!"

"Is that 'Lucky Alexandrite'?"

"Fine. If Jiu doesn't win, you can take whatever card you want."

"This idiot...!"

"Lucky Alexandrite" is a rare card that even the Genthru group does not have. Although it is an A-rank, due to special acquisition conditions, there are very few owners. Our group is the only one among this gathering of capture groups that possesses it. This is not a card that is easy to give away. Why would Gon go to such lengths to recommend me?

"Sorry, I lost my temper halfway through... but I didn't expect Jiu to lose."

The opponent has the right to decide the rules. Depending on the content of the match, it cannot be said that one will definitely win.

"Let's bet card number 75. Clearly, this is not entirely reckless. If you show that kind of determination, I cannot help but yield. Keep your promise."

"Wait, I promised to only take you, this is a matter for the whole party."

"I don't care who leads."

There are already people arguing about who will get this card under the assumption that I will lose. If Gon doesn't let me withdraw as soon as possible, even if I refuse now, it will be an uneasy atmosphere.

"Impossible."

"Hahaha, so, do your best, Jiu!"

Killua gave him a low kick, and Gon laughed.

"It's okay, even if we lose, we just need to collect one more card."

"I don't know about Biscuit, so I can say that, but if we want to get it again, we all have to throw away all our cards."

"Jiu, win at all costs. I don't care if you lose."

This is a big responsibility. If that's the case, I shouldn't have been keen on putting my name forward. My stomach hurts a little.

"Well, just kidding, I don't remember pulling this level of opponent to be ignored. As long as the rules aren't very vicious, you won't lose. The enemy's boss should judge fairly, I hope you can do it."

"Is it a game system?"

"It's just a hunch. I haven't polished my eyes to look at men yet."

"You always look hungry."

Killua's body was knocked down by Biscuit's powerful low kick.

"Anyway, it's a match worth winning, don't think too much about it."

"Jiu is fine! You will definitely be able to win!"

Biscuit and Gon cheered for me. Killua also fell down, trembling and giving a thumbs up. Rather than feeling a sense of responsibility here, it is better to face the game head-on to respond to my friends' trust. I don't want to lose, but I am even more excited.

As for the other party members, I, as the representative for the first match, basically had no objections. Even if I lose, it's just one match. If all the matches after this are lost, and I lose eight more, I think I can try as many times as I want, so there is no need to be so particular about winning. It seems to fit this situation perfectly.

"Representatives, please step onto the ring."

Put on the gloves on my hands and head to the ring. I let Gon take care of the main body again. Through training, the power of the Emission system has also been improved, and the Aura control and fuel consumption when the main body and two-sixths are used have also slightly improved. At this distance, it's not a big problem.

However, Biscuit stopped him there. Before the match starts, I want to say one thing.

"I just said that you just want to win, it's no big deal. You first see what the other party's ability is, what their plan is, and then deal with it. Don't attack us first."

Looking closely at the Ring, you can see that the entire floor is painted with a faint layer of Aura patterns. It is said that there is an effect of strengthening and assisting the Nen Ability called "Divine". In other words, there is no doubt that some kind of large-scale mechanism has been prepared. However, Biscuit is well aware of this and dares to let the enemy take the lead.

"Why did you bother to raise the Obstacle?"

"Everything is a matter of Cultivation. Gaining experience in actual combat with Nen Ability users is a good opportunity. It would be a waste not to let it produce a little more results."

Of course, it's not about not being able to win, but besides that, one must also learn to fight. I nodded at Bisque's words and then entered the ring through the ropes. The opponent has fully warmed up and is ready to fight. I also took a fighting stance.

"Do you know the rules of Boxing?"

When I replied that I had some understanding but did not know the detailed rules, I was told it was okay.

"If you knock down the opponent and get a KO, you win. However, as a special rule, you can use it just in case."

"Huh!? If you use Materialization, you can use weapons!? That's not Boxing!"

"Don't worry, I only use these fists."

Is the rule that allows the use of Materialization weapons a consideration for us challengers? Your opponent will explain the rules and ask if you are willing to exchange with others. Anyway, I didn't intend to change. Announce to continue.

"3 minutes per round, no judgment! Continue for any number of rounds until one of you is KO'd and loses! Fight!"

The gong sounded, and the match began. We kept our distance from each other to see what would happen. This state of staring at each other without even a single blow doesn't look like Boxing.

"Huhu... first, let's wait and see. Of course, it's scary to rush in without knowing the opponent's ability. But I'm not like that."

When I said this, the other player floated a ball of light on his glove. It was an energy body that separated Aura from the body, a Nen Bullet.

"As you can see, I am an Emitter. I said I wouldn't use weapons, but this is like a flying punch. The element that gives me an overwhelming advantage in Boxing is my reach! Infinite range. To deal with me who can reach it, you only have a limited Escape, called this Ring."

The opponent threw a series of fast jabs. In an instant, they turned into flying Nen Bullets and attacked me.

"Flying punch?! What do you mean only using fists! This isn't Boxing!"

"No, although the number of Nen Bullets is large, the power is not that great. Damn it, if I were an Emitter-type ability user, I could easily win...!"

Listening to the mockery outside the ring, I simply watched. Facing an enemy who was confidently firing Nen Bullet after Nen Bullet, I was completely unconvinced.

The attack was too crude. With this level of Nen Bullet, even just a single "Hard" would be enough to block it. No matter how many times you are hit, you shouldn't even be knocked down once.

Are you looking down on me, thinking this level of strength is enough? Or are you inviting me to set up a counter where I carelessly get close, letting my guard down? On the contrary, being too weak makes me suspicious. I couldn't say the Bullet itself had no tricks, so I temporarily avoided the Nen Bullet.

"Tch, what an unexpectedly good move...!"

As I dodged, I watched the enemy. I felt like I was still hiding something behind my back. Just as Biscuit requested, until I understood this, I had no intention of getting involved. I would use "my own" "Finger" to find out the enemy's true intentions.

It was a combination technique of Six's "Ren" and the main body's "Ren". I let Gon open the mouth of the backpack so the main body could see the scenery outside. I had two eyes fixed on the enemy.

Up until now, I had been keeping the main body in a backpack or a stuffed toy, leaving the fighting to Six. However, through Biscuit's Training, he began to explore how to use his own main body in battle. The "concentration" of the main body was one of them.

This was not just about securing the advantage of the six views of Six and the two of the main body. The main body's eyes were different from humans, possessing a structure unique to insects called compound eyes.

Human eyes have a camera-like structure, where light entering through the pupil forms an image on the retina through the lens of the crystalline lens. Spatial image recognition ability is high, but the field of view is limited to the direction the eyes are facing. In terms of viewing angle alone, it is quite wide, but in reality, there is a recognition bias centered on the viewpoint; even if you can see it, you cannot perceive every image uniformly.

On the other hand, compound eyes are composed of a large number of small eyes with telescope-like structures, forming a single organ with a very wide field of view. We cannot perceive images with the small eyes, but we perceive images by Collect-ing countless amounts of visual information and superimposing it. Since the entire image is extracted from the differences in information collected from the small eyes, subtle changes in the image can be detected quickly. You don't have to keep your eyes fixed on a moving object while focusing on it.

It is said that dragonflies can see the movement of small insects from 40 meters away. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages. Human eyes have advantages in perceiving three-dimensional effects and depth perception, as well as the ability to accurately identify the object itself.

However, as for me, I can perceive both human and insect eyes simultaneously. Combining the advantages and making up for the disadvantages, the double solidification produces further synergistic effects. At first, I was swayed by the processing of a large amount of visual information, but I succeeded in mastering it by making full use of the Split thinking reinforced by the covenant.

The field of view divided into thousands or tens of thousands not only Collect-ed the enemy's appearance information but also all spatial information within the line of sight. In this state, even an aura Hidden by "Hidden" could not launch a surprise attack. Tens of thousands of eyes captured the moment of the enemy's attack in detail.

It suddenly appeared at close range. A fist approached the back of Six's head. The enemy was still performing melee attacks from a long distance, not allowing for any accidental proximity. Only the enemy's fist suddenly appeared behind Six.

Looking closely, the opponent's right hand was gone. Was it a teleportation-type ability that teleports a part of the body to a distant place? The ability to directly interfere with space while ignoring the laws of physics is more difficult than a basic Emission-type ability that simply fires Aura as a Bullet. Were Divine Rune drawn all over the ring to support this ability?

Prioritizing quantity over power, the strafing fire would distract from the success of the main attack. For Six, who was dodging the Nen Bullet, his fist teleported at a timing when he couldn't dodge due to his posture. If you hide your fist in the rain of Nen Bullet and aim at the back of the head outside the field of view, it is usually impossible to dodge. Before you know it, you will be overwhelmed.

But as for me, I can see everything. Even the "unavoidable posture" was just a facade; in reality, there was still energy left. The teleportation surprised me, but I had enough time to wait for the attack to hit.

Retracting the Aura on my legs, I stepped into it. While dodging, I quickly approached the enemy's embrace. The opponent reacted slowly to my approach, eyes still looking forward. From the countless field-of-view divisions generated by the hyperbola, I chose the route where the enemy's attention was weaker.

Before they even noticed, I struck the body, and the enemy was blown away, their body bending into a dog-leg shape. They hit the ropes, fell into the ring, and never stood up again.

"Down! One, two..."

Even when the referee's count is coming, stay vigilant.

"Huh? You won?"

"It seems the enemy had the upper hand..."

Confusion from allies who didn't know what happened, rather than the joy of victory, was rising. In this situation, many people seemed to be unaware of the enemy's teleportation ability. I was a little worried about the upcoming match.

"Nine! Ten! Great, you won first."

The gong for the end of the match rang. It looked like we had a good start. He raised his gloved fist high, responding to Gon and the others who were cheering for him.