Razor could tell that Ronnel had a cynical attitude—different from Ging's but, at its core, strikingly similar.
People like that, with both that kind of mindset and overwhelming strength, were never ordinary.
In some ways, they all possessed talents far beyond those of normal people.
Razor himself wasn't the type to dwell on losses. If he couldn't catch it, he couldn't catch it. If he lost, he lost. There was nothing to do but accept it.
"Hello!"
Gon cheered happily, immediately hugging Killua, who also had a bright smile on his face.
Nearby, Tsezguerra and his group, as well as Goreinu, all showed clear expressions of joy and relief.
Seeing this, Ronnel smiled, dispersing the aura bombs in his hands. Then, he turned his gaze to Razor, who had just dismissed his remaining aura beasts and was now approaching him.
"You're really strong. Honestly, compared to the others I've faced before, you might be the strongest."
Razor placed his hands on his waist and grinned.
"Oh?" Ronnel caught the implication in his words. "Are you saying there are others who might be stronger than me?"
"Ah~" Razor chuckled and nodded. "I had a friend with a personality somewhat similar to yours. He was only 24 at the time—wasn't quite at your level yet, but he was far stronger than me back then."
With that, Razor glanced toward Gon, who was still celebrating with Bisky, who had just walked over.
"And his talent is truly frightening. Nearly ten years have passed, and his strength has likely grown to an unimaginable level. I haven't seen him in a decade, but I'd bet his power has become terrifying."
"If you two were to fight now, I honestly couldn't say who would come out on top."
Maybe it was the nostalgia, but Razor found himself talking more than usual.
"You're talking about Gon's father—Ging, right?"
Following Razor's gaze and the direction of the conversation, Ronnel immediately understood who he was referring to.
"Yeah, that guy."
Razor grinned and nodded.
"If it's him, what a coincidence. I just ran into him a few days ago—we explored some ruins together."
Ronnel shrugged. "That guy's definitely a bastard who does whatever he wants."
At first, Razor was surprised to hear that Ronnel had met Ging, but after hearing Ronnel's evaluation of him—and remembering Ging's usual behavior—he couldn't help but laugh.
"Yeah, he really is a bastard."
At the same time, Razor had a realization.
Ronnel and Ging were very similar in certain ways, both possessing incredible strength. It made sense that their paths would cross.
Women might avoid people too similar to themselves, but men—especially oddballs like Ging—tended to see it as a challenge, something that gave them common ground.
If that was the case…
"Ging helped me find a game console when I first entered Greed Island." Ronnel casually added.
That explains it! No wonder Elena didn't say anything when GMs like Ronnel arrived—it was all an inside job.
Having put the pieces together, Razor's expression softened as he looked at Ronnel with more familiarity and ease.
At the same time, curiosity sparked in his mind. "Why don't you tell that kid anything about Ging?"
He was referring to Gon.
"Aren't you two close?"
"I promised Ging I wouldn't reveal anything about him to Gon." Ronnel shrugged.
"I never expected a father to be so secretive about his own son."
"Besides, I think Gon already has some idea. If he didn't, he would've asked me outright."
After what happened in Yorknew City, when Ronnel and Ging went to explore the Braga Grand Canyon, Gon had probably already guessed that Ronnel had met Ging. But after that, he hadn't pressed for details.
Even after reuniting on Greed Island, he hadn't brought it up once.
Because in Gon's mind, Ronnel was his friend. If Ronnel knew about Ging, he'd tell him whatever he could. And if he didn't say anything, it meant he had a reason not to.
That was how Gon saw it. And, surprisingly, his guess wasn't far off.
"Gon's definitely going to ask you about Ging sooner or later, so I won't keep you~"
With that, Ronnel turned to leave.
"You and Ging…"
But just as he took two steps, Razor seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke up.
"Who's stronger—you or Ging?"
Ronnel stopped and turned around, meeting Razor's serious gaze.
While the two had been talking, the others had respectfully stayed back, but they had been listening closely. And now, seeing Razor suddenly turn serious again, they could sense the shift in energy.
"…Is it about Ging?"
Gon had a feeling their conversation had something to do with his father.
"Me and Ging…"
Hearing the question, Ronnel folded his arms and thought for a moment.
"I've never fought him, so I don't know what the result would be. I don't even know the full extent of his Nen abilities. If we fought, it'd be hard to predict who would win."
The Nen that Ging kept hidden, his absurdly powerful talent—being able to mimic and refine any ability… Who knows how many trump cards he's still holding?
"But~" Ronnel grinned at Razor.
"If it were a life-or-death fight, to put it bluntly, I'd definitely be the one who survives."
"A life-or-death battle…?"
Razor repeated the words under his breath, then paused for a moment before breaking into a smile.
Ging had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, but so did Ronnel. His corpse poison alone could strike before Ging had time to react.
Not to mention, he had other Nen abilities that could save his life or turn the tide in an instant.
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