"Where would it be?" he wondered aloud, not fully understanding what Larry meant.
Meanwhile, far away in a massive mansion that looked like an ordinary estate from the outside, something far from ordinary was happening.
One of the Ten Dons, Arrogant, lived there, quietly pulling strings behind the scenes.
At first glance, the place seems peaceful, but if you look closely, you'll notice it's actually filled with gang members.
Pride not only lives here but has also stationed many subordinates throughout, gathering most of his power in one spot.
Among the people inside, there are both armed gang members and numerous Nen users.
The inhabitants can be roughly divided into three levels, from low to high.
The first group consists of individuals Pride has absorbed; they usually handle various tasks, much like guest officials in martial arts stories.
The second group is made up of new Nen users created by Pride through ongoing technological development.
These people represent a fusion of technology and Nen abilities, the Shadow Beast being the first example.
This is also why the Ten Dons invited Pride in the first place, they needed the "Seven Deadly Sins" to help with scientific research.
Initially, their plan was just to make money without necessarily making Pride one of the Ten Dons.
However, when Illumi was hired by Kuroro to eliminate the original Ten Dons, Pride stepped in and took their place.
Since then, Pride has continued to build on the existing scientific research, commanding an entire team of these new Nen users.
The third group consists of Pride himself and his only two remaining members, "Sloth" and "Lust," along with a group of powerful Nen users controlled by Sloth and Lust through Nen.
Pride's own strength is impressive, arguably the best among the Ten Dons, and he carries an aura that seems to command the others.
Yet, despite his terrifying power, he behaves like a turtle hiding in its she'll, rarely daring to leave the manor.
He still feels unsafe because he has crossed a line with an opponent that shouldn't be provoked.
Inside a large mansion on the estate, there's a spacious office filled with desks, coffee tables, and sofas, all decorated in a lavish style.
It's clear the owner is extremely wealthy.
Pride stands arrogantly by the window, dressed in a high-end suit, smoking a fine cigar as he gazes distantly at the sky.
Behind his gentle gold-rimmed glasses, a sad look lingered in his eyes.
He could now proudly say that his power surpassed even the combined strength of the complete "Seven Deadly Sins" from before.
Yet, despite this growth, he still lacked the confidence to face Larry.
Larry was terrifying, capable of defeating thousands of soldiers all on his own.
The one who knows you best is always your greatest enemy, and from past experience, Arrogant had always seen Larry as an almost mythical adversary.
At one point, he believed he was strong enough to challenge Larry and finally avenge the shame he had suffered.
But before he could make a move, his subordinates returned from a meeting with shocking news: Larry had been chosen as one of the [Top Five Strongest Nen Users].
Even the other top five Nen users openly admitted they weren't on Larry's level.
That meant Larry wasn't just among the strongest, he was the strongest in the World.
This realization hit him hard.
He had been ready to act with full confidence, but now he was paralyzed by the news that his opponent was the world's strongest.
To make matters worse, the subordinate who delivered the message had fled within two days, clearly convinced that defeating Larry was impossible.
This news forced him to suspend his revenge plans, and soon more reports about Larry kept coming in.
Larry showed his incredible skills during the martial arts competition in the Sky Arena, and Arrogant even watched the live broadcast.
He knew he couldn't defeat the mastermind behind the scenes, but seeing such a powerful figure torn apart by one of Larry's Nen beasts in a single encounter was staggering.
Then there was the Chimera Ant incident, though Arrogant didn't know the details, he understood that Larry had resolved it once again, leaving behind terrifying battle scars.
The massive crater covering countless miles haunted his dreams, and he feared his own manor might one day suffer the same fate.
Naturally, he knew that if that happened, his future would be bleak.
Later, news came that Larry had been elected as the new president.
Compared to everything else, even Arrogant felt that Larry becoming president was the most acceptable outcome.
These successive blows were why he never dared to act against Larry again.
Now, all thoughts of revenge had completely vanished.
Pride could only hope that Larry would forget he even existed.
That was his only chance at survival.
That's why Pride rarely showed himself in the outside world; keeping a low profile was the best way to stay alive.
But Pride didn't understand Murphy's Law: when you're most afraid something will happen, it's often exactly what comes true.
Suddenly, Pride's body trembled as he sensed an unfamiliar presence in the house.
He spun around to see a figure casually lounging on an expensive leather sofa, looking completely at ease as if he owned the place, showing no sign of restraint.
When Pride saw the visitor's face clearly, his pupils shrank, and the cigar he was holding slipped from his fingers onto the floor.
He didn't look anywhere else, focusing all his attention on the uninvited guest.
His expression shifted from sadness to a mix of gloom and shock, panic spreading through him like wild weeds, taking over every corner of his heart.
The day he dreaded had finally arrived.
"Looks like you're doing well," Larry said with a light smile.
To Pride, those words sounded like a low, deadly hum from hell, like the funeral song of the god of death, dragging him step by step into an endless abyss with no escape.
That face was all too familiar.
Whenever Pride had nightmares, it was always there.
But every time he woke up, the first feeling wasn't fear, it was relief.
Seeing Pride remain silent, seemingly choosing the "silence is golden" approach, Larry shook his head slightly.
"Do you really think you still deserve to be called 'Pride'?" he asked.
Pride's face darkened even more, and he clenched his teeth, letting out a faint, bitter sound, but he dared not reply.
Larry didn't waste any more time.
"You know why I'm here," he said casually.
"I'm sure you've been expecting this. I'm not here for a chat. I'll give you five minutes."
Larry held out his palm and said, "You have five minutes to gather all the strength you can here.