Naturally, Ronnel didn't rely on death energy or corpse poison—if he had, the fight could have ended already.
These are Ronnel's trump cards, bringing fatal danger to those who face them. He would never use them lightly, even in life-and-death battles like this, though it seemed Chrollo didn't see it that way.
Having learned that Silva and Zeno had left, Ronnel deduced that the Ten Dons had been killed by Illumi. Without missing a beat, he went straight to Leiert.
"What did you say?! The Ten Dons were killed?!"
Leiert gaped at him, thinking Ronnel must be joking.
"I just saw the Ten Dons' broadcast, and you're telling me they're dead?!"
Leiert looked at Ronnel, who had reverted to his Kay Taylor persona with an expression of disbelief.
"You can confirm it yourself if you check. You're still my employer, after all. I wouldn't lie to you."
Leiert hesitated, not wanting to believe it. He raised his head and repeated,
"That's the Ten Dons, the apex of the underworld, almost untouchable!"
Ronnel gave a slight chuckle. "Invincible, until the Shadow Beasts fell. Consider it a test—if it's false, nothing's lost, but if it's true…"
For a moment, Leiert's heart raced. He licked his dry lips and, voice rough, asked, "How did you get this information, and why tell me?"
"As if that matters," Ronnel replied smoothly. "But I'm not telling you without reason."
Leiert looked skeptical, to which Ronnel added, "How about giving me a perfect job evaluation in return for this news?"
"A perfect evaluation… for this?" Leiert echoed in disbelief.
"What else? I have no interest in the underworld."
"Alright, alright," Leiert conceded. "Honestly, with your usual work, you deserve the perfect score even without this news!"
Ronnel gave a quiet nod and slipped away. After leaving Kay Taylor's disguise behind, he exited the building.
Leiert, however, was too busy pacing in excitement, barely noticing. He quickly pulled out his phone, instructing people to act immediately, his original goal—a rare gun at auction—all but forgotten. In his mind, the Ten Dons' legacy far outweighed a mere collector's item.
Meanwhile, outside, the clashes had started to subside.
"Let's go," Shalnark said, satisfied with the chaos they'd sown. "We'll have Kortopi copy the corpses and auction items, then head back."
As the others followed Chrollo's instructions, Ronnel quietly recalled his puppet, rejoining the troupe as they slipped into the shadows, leaving the commotion behind.
In the aftermath, mafia members discovered the 'bodies' of the Phantom Troupe and the copied auction items, rejoicing at the apparent victory. Bids soared as they flaunted their wealth, hoping to curry favor with the recently deceased Ten Dons.
Tonight, it was the Phantom Troupe that reaped the rewards.
They'd taken down over 2,000 gangsters, not to mention dealing psychological blows and venting the frustration that had accumulated after recent losses. By using Kortopi's ability to duplicate bodies, they'd played the gangsters for fools.
After 24 hours, when the replicas disappeared, one could only imagine the gangsters' shock and embarrassment.
Returning to their base after laying Uvogin to rest, the troupe was in surprisingly high spirits.
"What did you say? Those two brats escaped?!" Phinks looked at Nobunaga in shock.
"You're kidding, right? Those two can use Nen, sure, but they're clearly beginners. And you let them go?!" Phinks' expression became increasingly skeptical.
"You didn't let them go on purpose, did you?" he asked, a bit suspiciously.
Pakunoda, ever the theorist, chimed in, "Maybe those two really do have Zoldyck backing or something Ging left behind for them?"
Her guess seemed plausible enough that the rest of the troupe nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing them being led astray by Pakunoda's theory, Nobunaga, who'd been quietly sweating over the scrutiny, couldn't help but feel a bit relieved.
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