"Ronnel~"
Ronnel smiled lightly and responded calmly.
"Ronnel?"
The smile on Razor's face didn't waver, but he repeated the name in his mind. It sounded familiar.
Meeting Ronnel was already a unique experience, so Razor had instinctively asked for his name. What he didn't expect was the lingering familiarity that name carried.
"I feel like I've heard it somewhere before..."
For someone like Razor, a name that left an impression had to belong to someone truly remarkable.
From their brief conversation, Razor could already tell that this Ronnel had a sharp mind. He was quick to analyze loopholes in the rules, something Razor had only seen in a select few individuals.
The last person Razor had encountered with such a keen sense of strategy was Ging Freecss, who had sent him to Greed Island over a decade ago.
Adding to that, the weight of Ronnel's presence, the almost imperceptible pressure radiating from him—it was clear this person was powerful.
Razor could see traces of Ging in Ronnel.
The difference, however, was that Ging had been in his twenties at the time—several years older than Ronnel was now. And yet, even back then, Ging's presence hadn't felt quite as overwhelming as Ronnel's did now.
'Could he be a monster whose talent matches Ging's—or even surpasses it?'
As Razor pondered this, one of the people behind him—sporting a ridiculous circus hat—suddenly snapped his fingers as realization dawned on him.
"Ronnel! I remember now! He's the champion of the last Battle Olympia!"
His voice was filled with excitement, and his eyes widened as he pointed at Ronnel in shock.
"And judging by his appearance, there's no doubt—it's him! He's the exact same person!"
Battle Olympia?
Razor's squinted eyes opened slightly, and the blurry memory in his mind became clearer. Then, it all clicked.
"So that's why the name felt familiar."
As a GM stationed on Greed Island for over ten years, Razor's responsibilities included keeping out unauthorized players and keeping an eye on the group of criminals who should have been executed.
It wasn't the most exciting life.
At first, playing sports—especially basketball—with the criminals had been a decent pastime. But after doing the same thing for over a decade, even the most enjoyable activity lost its appeal.
The prisoners felt the same way. Many of them had violent tendencies, and without an outlet, they were bound to cause trouble. Razor's overwhelming strength was the only thing keeping them in check.
But rather than constantly suppressing them, Razor sought alternative distractions. To break the monotony, he reached out to Elena and List, requesting broadcasts of matches from Heavens Arena.
That's how Ronnel first came to Razor's attention.
"Champion of Battle Olympia, huh? Looks like that title will be following me around until the next tournament~"
Hearing the exclamation, Ronnel simply shook his head with a relaxed smile.
"This is quite the surprise. Who would have thought the Battle Olympia champion would end up here? What a coincidence."
Razor's face carried his usual easygoing smile, but beneath it, something else simmered.
Even...
"Are you getting fired up?"
Ronnel's gaze flickered toward the dodgeball resting against Razor's waist. He noticed the slight indentations forming on its surface under the pressure of Razor's grip. His own expression sharpened slightly.
"Guess it's time for a little fun again~"
The moment they identified Ronnel, the entire atmosphere shifted. While Razor and Gon remained unfazed—already knowing about Ronnel's achievements—the rest of the peope began to stir.
"The champion of Battle Olympia?"
The bloodstained criminals exchanged wary glances, a tinge of fear in their eyes.
They were naturally at odds with warriors like Ronnel—those who stood in the light while they lurked in the shadows.
However, some of them displayed a different reaction.
A few criminals' eyes gleamed with something else—something darker.
There was a certain twisted pleasure in seeing a star fall from the sky. Those who lived in the darkness relished the chance to watch a so-called champion crumble.
Beyond the criminals, Goreinu and Tsezguerra's team also took note of Ronnel's identity.
"I didn't realize we had someone this strong with us."
Goreinu and Tsezguerra exchanged glances, their confidence surging.
"With him here, we've got nothing to worry about!"
Their admiration for the Battle Olympia champion bordered on blind faith. They even started thinking that if Bomber, the infamous Bomb Devil, appeared before them, they wouldn't feel the least bit afraid.
"Since you forfeited the first five rounds, that means those five over there are your designated players, right?"
Razor's gaze shifted to the five Nen users who had been standing quietly at the side, their presence almost forgotten. Though both parties already knew the answer, Razor still asked out of formality.
"That's right, they're the ones."
Tsezguerra cleared his throat before responding.
"Alright, that means the remaining four of you are the real contenders. If that's the case..."
Razor grinned, bringing the dodgeball in front of him. At the same time, his aura began to condense, filling the air with an overwhelming presence.
Tsezguerra and his team tensed instantly, channeling their Nen in preparation.
Then, behind Razor, eight glowing circles appeared on the floor.
From the apertures, humanoid figures of various shapes emerged, radiating powerful auras.
"A combination of Emission and Manipulation?"
Ronnel observed Razor carefully. Though the man still wore his usual smile, his entire body was coiled like a drawn bow, his muscles taut with anticipation.
The temperature in the arena seemed to drop.
The game was about to begin.
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