Oster's current belief—that Ron wouldn't harm him—was entirely the result of Ron's earlier setup.
Ron had intentionally led Oster to believe that he was merely acting on behalf of someone else, and that his true motive was to obtain Oster's experimental research. In Oster's view, that was the only possible reason for being targeted so thoroughly.
So once the contract was signed, he truly believed there was a chance he might live.
He didn't have many options anyway. His position was too weak to negotiate.
"All the data about my experiments... I've told you everything," Oster said, his voice thin. He looked directly at Ron. "So now, can I leave? Can you tell me where Ponzu is?"
Ron nodded. "I can. But the Phantom Troupe is still outside. Wait until they're gone—then I'll let you leave."
"Alright," Oster replied, but he hesitated, unease flickering in his expression. "You won't go back on your word, right?"
"Of course not. We've already signed a contract. If I go back on it and lay a hand on you, the backlash would kill me. That's not a risk I'm interested in."
Ron's tone remained steady. "Just wait a little longer. It won't be long."
With that, Ron vanished.
When he reappeared, he was back outside, with one thought, and Lampent's ability was cancelled. The thick mist faded away.
Hisoka and Chrollo both turned to him immediately.
"Ron, have you seen that guy?" Chrollo asked.
"No," Ron replied, shaking his head. "That's exactly why I cleared the mist. You didn't see him either?"
"Then he must've escaped," Chrollo said, his tone growing serious. "He clearly has other abilities besides that snake."
"What do you plan to do?" Ron asked.
"He's strong. If he escapes, he'll come back for us. There's no doubt about that. We'll have to rely on the Underworld Mafia for information."
"You're aware of the job we hired Illumi for, right?" Chrollo continued.
Ron nodded. "To kill the Ten Dons."
"We're still going through with it," Chrollo said. "We'll stage a fake retreat—make it look like we've taken heavy losses. That should push the Underworld Mafia to resume the auction."
"When their attention is back on us, that'll be your window—yours and Illumi's—to kill the Ten Dons."
"Once you dig up anything on that guy, share it with us. He's our mutual enemy now."
Ron nodded. "Fine."
After a brief pause, he added, "Now that things here are settled, let's talk about the Dark Sonata. When can I get your copy?"
"It's in Meteor City," Chrollo said after a moment. "Once the Underworld Mafia situation is dealt with, come find me. I'll give it to you then."
"Good."
Ron vanished again.
He disappeared entirely from Chrollo and Hisoka's view, heading straight back to the hotel.
................
.......
.
Ding-dong.
He pressed the doorbell.
The door opened, and a figure stood in the entrance.
"Captain."
Ponzu looked at him, visibly relieved.
Behind her, Mistry, Shizuku, and Nina came to greet him as well. Machi stood to the side, silently watching the doorway.
"Big brother."
"Ron-nii."
"Captain."
Ron nodded to them all, then turned to Ponzu.
"Ponzu, come with me. I have something to talk to you about."
"Okay." Ponzu seemed a little confused, but didn't question it.
Inside the room, Ron raised his hand and lightly touched the wall. A hidden door appeared—the entrance to Sumas's internal space.
In the pyramid zone, Oster lay unmoving on the floor.
Even though Ron hadn't inflicted further injuries—and even though he had loosened the chains to let Oster access a bit of aura—his wounds were still too severe. He was in no condition to recover quickly.
Staying alive at all was already a stretch.
Oster, at this moment, was incredibly weak.
"Captain, what is it?" Ponzu asked, her voice quiet.
Ron was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, "Ponzu, do you remember what happened in your village?"
"Of course! How could I ever forget something like that?"
"Hmm, you were the only one who survived. Everyone else—even your grandmother—was gone. It was like a disaster swept through the entire village."
Ron's voice grew more solemn.
"Gogus's unit was wiped out there too. We finished investigating it. The person responsible was Oster—the former minister of the United Republic of Saherta."
"When the truth came out, the Sahertan royal family claimed to have executed him. But he didn't die. He escaped, and later joined the Underworld Mafia."
"But now, he's in my custody— and severely wounded."
"He's right next door."
"Ponzu, do you want to kill him yourself? Take revenge for your village?"
Ron couldn't harm Oster because of the contract. But Ponzu wasn't bound by that.
Oster probably realized this—he just didn't think Ron had a reason to act against him. And even if he did, he had no bargaining power to change anything.
But the truth was: Ron didn't need more reasons. Tuck's death, the massacre in Ponzu's village—those were reason enough.
Oster just didn't understand that.
Ponzu's eyes widened. She was silent for a long time, as if trying to process everything.
Ron didn't rush her. He simply waited.
Eventually, Ponzu looked up. Her voice was low, but firm. "Captain... he's really next door?"
Ron nodded. "Yes. He's injured, and he can't fight back. You can kill him."
"Can I go now?"
"You can."
Ron walked over to the wall and pressed his palm against it.
Click.
With a soft mechanical grind, the entrance appeared.
Ponzu stepped through the door.
Oster was curled up in the far corner of the room.
Ron didn't follow.
The moment Ponzu entered, Oster's entire body tensed. His voice trembled.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What are you trying to do?"
A cold, creeping sense of dread began to settle in his chest.
Somehow, he already knew—this wasn't going to end well.