Kaizen straddled the bike he had taken from them.
Even though it was adult-sized, he had no trouble using it.
Not long after, the two thugs groggily opened their eyes.
"Where... are we?"
"What just happened?"
Then, they saw a sight that would haunt them for life.
Both of them were hanging naked from a streetlamp, fully exposed under the harsh glow of the light.
A crowd had gathered below, pointing and laughing.
"AAAH!"
A chorus of gasps and laughter followed their agonized screams.
Humiliated and furious, one of them gritted his teeth.
"You little brat! Don't let us see you again!"
But deep down, both knew the truth.
If they ever crossed paths with Kaizen again, there was nothing they could do.
The power gap between them was insurmountable.
"What are you staring at?! Mind your own business!" one of them roared at the crowd.
But one woman scoffed, unfazed by their bluster.
"If you think people are so eager to see something that small, you're sorely mistaken."
Their faces burned with shame, their anger mounting—but that was no longer Kaizen's concern.
By then, he had already left Locks City, heading towards Brock Town.
Those two? They were nothing more than a fleeting joke in his life.
Kaizen pedaled steadily along the road, the night air cool against his skin.
"Now I get why Zeno didn't bother with the Leopard Division in the Chimera Ant conflict."
"The difference in level was too vast."
"At this point, ordinary people and I... we're not even the same kind anymore."
Brock Town was a stark contrast to Locks City. While the latter still buzzed with life, this small town had already settled into sleep. Most of the lights were off, leaving only a few dim glows scattered here and there.
Ordinary. Quiet.
But Kaizen sensed something unnatural lurking in this peaceful town.
"Gyo."
His enhanced vision immediately picked up on it—a marker, shaped like an arrow, left by someone using aura.
"A trail?" Kaizen hesitated for a moment before following its direction.
Then—
"Whoosh!"
A sharp whistle cut through the night air.
Kaizen instinctively sidestepped.
"Clang!"
An arrow embedded itself into the ground where he had stood moments before.
Immediately, a shadow dashed towards him at high speed—a young man dressed in black night gear.
This time, Kaizen didn't dodge.
"Don't move!"
The young man raised a compact crossbow, the bolt aimed squarely at Kaizen's chest.
At this distance, there was no way he could miss.
"Hands up."
Kaizen complied, raising his hands lazily.
"Turn around."
Kaizen sighed and turned.
"A kid?" The young man sneered. "Showing up in Brock Town at this hour... You must be after it too. What do you know?"
"Speak, or I'll pull the trigger."
He tilted the crossbow slightly. "This bolt is laced with poison—worse than a bullet wound."
Kaizen stared at him, unimpressed.
To be honest, he was disappointed.
He had sensed this guy long before the attack, but he hadn't expected such a pathetic display.
Kaizen mused. "This guy isn't even a Nen user."
"There's no way he's one of them."
"Then what? A disposable pawn? Cannon fodder?"
Kaizen's thoughts sharpened as he expanded his aura.
More presences.
Someone else was watching from the darkness.
That's why Kaizen hadn't retaliated yet.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kaizen said.
The young man scoffed. "Still playing dumb? You're not from this town. If you don't cooperate, I'll have no choice but to kill you."
"Now, tell me—where's the treasure?"
Kaizen almost laughed.
Treasure? Heh.
There was no treasure in Brock Town—only a token.
But clearly, this guy had no idea.
"Sorry," Kaizen said with a shrug. "Still don't know what you're talking about."
"Tch. Looks like you want to do this the hard way."
The young man tightened his grip and fired.
Kaizen watched calmly as the poisoned bolt shot towards him.
At the last moment—
"Ghost Step."
In a blink, Kaizen vanished.
Dozens of afterimages flickered in the darkness.
The young man's eyes widened in shock. "W-what?!"
A dozen Kaizens advanced on him from all directions.
He had no time to react.
"Shhk!"
A blade pierced his throat.
Kaizen withdrew the knife, stepping back as a crimson spray filled the air.
The young man staggered, clutching his throat, gasping for breath.
"Thud."
His body collapsed, twitching once before going still.
Kaizen turned toward the shadows.
"Are you just going to keep hiding? That was your best chance to make a move."
A new figure stepped forward.
Another young man—black coat, short black hair.
But unlike the last, this one had an unmistakable aura.
Nen.
"Are you with the Zoldyck family?" the newcomer asked, his tone surprisingly respectful.
Kaizen frowned. "Who are you?"
"Dick," the man answered. "Full name: Dick Bodo."
Kaizen raised an eyebrow. "Bodo? The world's second-ranked assassin group?"
Dick chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah."
The Bodo family had earned the title of the world's second-best assassins.
But that was only an achievement when compared to anyone other than the Zoldycks.
Because the Zoldycks had held the number one spot for centuries.
They had few members, but their legacy crushed all challengers.
Even massive groups like the Bodo Assassins, who boasted thousands of members, including skilled Nen users and modern weapons specialists, couldn't dethrone them.
"Was that guy one of yours?" Kaizen gestured at the corpse.
"Yeah," Dick admitted. "Just a disposable pawn. No big deal."
Then, he fixed Kaizen with a serious look.
"As an assassin, I've heard the name Zoldyck too many times. Now, I finally get to meet one."
He smirked.
"Care to fight me?"
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