In HxH with Doraemon Pocket

"Now, out of the ten Shadow Beasts, nine are dead, and we've found the bodies of nine. The last one, Owl, who was responsible for transporting the auction items, is missing. I'm afraid he has been captured by the Phantom Troupe."

"Looking at it this way, most of the underground auction items have likely fallen into the hands of the Troupe."

"The old man is well aware of the terrifying potential of Nen abilities. If there's someone in the Troupe who can make people confess willingly, then things would be even more straightforward."

"The mafia has pinpointed the underground auction as being in the hands of the Troupe, and because of this, the Ten Dons have taken action."

Nostrade spoke gravely, "Not only have they put out bounties at various underground arenas, but because all the Shadow Beasts have been killed, the Ten Dons have specifically sought out experts."

"Experts?"

The group was a bit puzzled.

Lighto Nostrade nodded slightly, "For us in the mafia, killing is just a means of intimidation, not our specialty."

"To deal with the Phantom Troupe, such assassins, it's better to hire experts."

"The Ten Dons have already gathered several top-notch assassins to form a team. We don't need to get involved; they will handle the Troupe."

At this point, a wise gleam flashed in Lighto Nostrade's eyes:

"However, this is an opportunity to curry favor with the main syndicate, and I don't want all the credit to go to those assassins."

"So, I've decided to have you, Dalzollene, join this assassin team."

He looked at Dalzollene, the head of his bodyguard team, who had always carried his heavy trust.

In Lighto Nostrade's simple understanding, Dalzollene was a "master" of Nen who could stand firm even after being hit by ten bullets.

If he were to step in, perhaps he could earn some extra credit.

"Me...?"

Dalzollene's surface remained calm, but his heart sank.

He knew the terror of the Phantom Troupe. If he were to join this assassin team, half-hearted efforts wouldn't meet the boss's expectations.

Performing poorly would embarrass the boss; performing too well... was that even possible?!

Even if he showed just a bit more enthusiasm, he might get caught in the crossfire between the Troupe and those assassin experts, losing his life in the process.

From any perspective, joining this assassin team was not a good deal.

"I think Kurapika is steady and understands the big picture. Having him join should be fine."

Dalzollene cleared his throat, subtly recommending the newcomer in their team.

"I still need to ensure Miss Neon's safety and can't leave on my own."

"I'll follow the boss's decision."

Kurapika passed the ball back to Lighto Nostrade.

He knew that someone like Lighto Nostrade would only trust what he saw with his own eyes.

He was just a newly joined bodyguard, while Dalzollene had been with Lighto Nostrade for several years.

Being trustworthy, Dalzollene also deeply knew his own "strength."

In such a situation, Lighto Nostrade would certainly take the safest course of action.

He definitely wouldn't send a newcomer, who hadn't shown any remarkable skills, to join the team he had high hopes for.

Kurapika himself had no intention of getting involved in this mess.

Although he also wanted to quickly prove himself and rise in the mafia to achieve his goals, that didn't mean he wanted to throw his life away.

He had personally witnessed the terror of the Phantom Troupe, a group that seemed like monsters, astonishingly powerful.

Moreover, the Troupe included someone like Morin.

Just this fact made Kurapika abandon the idea of joining the assassin team.

As long as Morin was there, the assassin team would either disband or be wiped out.

Kurapika had more confidence in Morin's strength than in his own.

Besides, the Ten Dons' most formidable Shadow Beasts had all been wiped out.

Even if they found assassin experts, how much stronger could they be?

Killua's family was said to be the world's top assassin organization.

But according to Killua, even they had placed the highest-level bounty on the Phantom Troupe within their family.

Evidently, they were opponents who required risking everything, including their lives, to assassinate.

Kurapika didn't believe that the assassins the Ten Dons found could achieve any effective results. It would most likely end in a farce.

Joining would be a waste of time and energy, with the added risk of losing one's life.

Kurapika wouldn't engage in such a thankless task.

Besides, he had a cooperative agreement with Hisoka and other serious matters to attend to.

He had no time to play a deadly game with a doomed group.

"I'm planning to send Neon home first, and then we can plan further."

Sure enough, after some thought, Lighto Nostrade didn't accept Dalzollene's recommendation.

"Do well, Dalzollene. After this mission, I'll personally recommend you to the Ten Dons."

"By then, there will be plenty of benefits for you!"

Dalzollene opened his mouth, seeing Lighto Nostrade's expression of "it's decided."

He could only swallow his words and reluctantly agreed:

"Yes, boss."

---

The Ten Dons were attempting to assemble a brand-new assassin team, but it was all in vain.

Moreover, while they were hiring assassins, Chrollo had already found more professional ones faster than they did.

The team of assassins that the Ten Dons spent a fortune on hiring probably wouldn't even be a match for Illumi.

As for the Zoldyck family, the Ten Dons failed to enlist them.

When they saw the price quoted by the Zoldyck family, they almost cursed out loud.

No, they had already started cursing the entire maternal lineage of the Zoldyck family.

A commission against the Phantom Troupe was more expensive than one for Netero, the world's strongest and the chairman of the Hunter Association?! What kind of joke was this?!

If it weren't for the Zoldyck family's previously solid reputation, the Ten Dons would have thought they were being maliciously extorted during a crisis.

But regardless, this operation marked the complete breakdown of cooperation between the Ten Dons and the Zoldyck family.

Originally, the Ten Dons were already struggling to handle the Phantom Troupe.

Without the Zoldyck family's involvement, they were even less of a threat.

On the contrary, their heads were now targets in a bounty posted by Chrollo within the Zoldyck family. Their lives were already on a countdown.

Elsewhere, Morin and Machi followed behind Uvogin and Nobunaga. The four of them, two in front and two behind, quickly left the city of Yorknew and arrived at a desert wasteland.

The Gold Desert, the original battleground between Uvogin and Kurapika, was also Uvogin's final resting place. Morin recognized this unfriendly place for Uvogin at first glance.

Meanwhile, as they assessed the situation, the desert below was already crowded with people. Omokage, alone, had surrounded Uvogin and Nobunaga.

With numerous puppets at his disposal, and seeing that Uvogin and Nobunaga had caught up to him and escape was impossible, he decisively released his long-cherished puppets.

Using a strategy of overwhelming numbers, he completely surrounded Uvogin and Nobunaga.

"This bastard..."

Uvogin's forehead bulged with veins, his teeth clenched tightly, wishing he could tear a piece of flesh off Omokage.

"He even made puppets of us, these impostors!!"

Nobunaga cursed beside him. Their anger and frustration stemmed from Omokage creating puppets of them. Anyone would be infuriated seeing their counterfeit standing so brazenly before them!!

Moreover, it wasn't just their puppets; there were also those of other Phantom Troupe members. Uvogin and Nobunaga both wanted to take Omokage's head off, but he was safely out of reach behind his numerous puppets.

Omokage spread his arms wide, laughing maniacally, "I've always been fond of Troupe puppets, and this time I didn't expect two genuine Troupe members to deliver themselves to me. With you two as specimens, my work will surely be perfect!!"

At this moment, Omokage seemed like a villainous boss from a TV drama, issuing a final declaration.

Uvogin and Nobunaga were so angry their livers hurt, but trapped in a sea of puppets, they couldn't break free immediately. Omokage had collected too many puppets over the years, each with bizarre Nen abilities.

Even with Uvogin and Nobunaga's strength, dealing with them required considerable effort. Not to mention Omokage lurking nearby, ready to take potshots at them.

"It seems Uvogin and the others are in trouble," Morin observed the scene from a distance, assessing the situation.

"Should we help them?" Machi asked, supporting her upper body with her hands. "Although those puppets are troublesome, Uvogin and Nobunaga should manage, right?"

"Yeah, the puppets aren't the issue, but facing Omokage next won't be easy," Morin replied.

"For Enhancers like Uvogin and Nobunaga, the most challenging opponents are those with Manipulator abilities and the unpredictable Specialist types."

"And Omokage's Nen ability happens to be a Specialist type with Manipulator traits, making him a tough opponent for Uvogin and Nobunaga."

"If they're not careful, they might end up in big trouble."

"Two troublesome guys," Machi shook her head. "Let's take Omokage out directly and get it over with."

"That's what I was thinking," Morin agreed. The pair reached a consensus.

"Oh la la la la, die, you!!" Omokage continued to taunt and activate his puppets' abilities from outside the battle zone.

Just then, while Omokage was completely unaware, a hand suddenly appeared behind his head.