The news of Akira becoming the new chairman was spreading like wildfire, yet he himself seemed unaffected by it all.
It was as if he stood at the eye of the storm, remaining untouched by the surrounding chaos.
At this moment, he was following Beyond, arriving at the team's headquarters to personally witness these so-called "cheap subordinates."
The headquarters was a standard Japanese-style courtyard, with an open space at the center of the building.
There was a small pond, along with what seemed to be a traditional Japanese garden feature—the shishi-odoshi (deer scarer).
The shishi-odoshi was a bamboo tube in the pond used to guide the flow of water.
When enough water accumulated, it would tip over, striking a stone and making a sharp sound.
"Hmm?"
Inside the room, a doll-like little girl suddenly turned her head towards the entrance, her gaze unusually intense.
She was the strongest in the team after Beyond—even Pariston wasn't her match.
Thus, she was the first to sense that presence.
Pariston, who had been leisurely sipping tea, glanced at the suddenly alert girl, his eyes growing more profound.
Though his strength was lacking and he hadn't sensed anything yet, he had brains.
Marione (the doll girl) was stronger than him, so she must have detected something he wasn't yet capable of perceiving.
Combined with Beyond's earlier summons to announce a new leader publicly... If Marione had reacted, it had to be a top-tier powerhouse!
There weren't many like that~
Aside from Pariston who was drinking tea and Marione who was on guard, two burly men were playing chess on the other side.
One had a bowl-cut hairstyle, his face looking rather simple-minded.
The other was dressed like a fisherman from head to toe, with a thick white rope tied around his head and an elongated chin.
"Honestly, it's really strange. Why did Beyond suddenly say he's changing leaders?" Usaman, the fisherman, casually moved a chess piece while stroking his chin, his tone in disbelieve.
"Isn't this way too abrupt?"
They were all companions gathered one by one by Beyond—how could the leader just change out of nowhere?
"Yeah, it really is too sudden." Mascher, the bowl-cut man nodded, his simple expression making him seem even more naive.
Tap, tap...
As the two conversed, footsteps gradually grew louder, approaching from a distance.
The floors of this house were all wooden, so wearing shoes would easily create noise when walking.
Now, nearly everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance, waiting for Beyond and the new leader to appear.
Under their slightly tense stares, two figures emerged at the entrance.
When Pariston caught sight of that familiar yet unfamiliar figure, a flash of astonishment passed through his eyes.
Even his facial expression froze.
Pariston truly hadn't expected him to be the one arriving!
"Well, well~" Pariston remarked with keen interest, his previously stiff expression returning to normal—even carrying a faint hint of excitement.
"To think our new leader would actually be you! Chairman Akira~"
Standing before them were none other than Beyond... and Akira!
"What?! Isn't that Akira?"
"Hey, hey, hey—the new Chairman is going to be our boss?"
"Beyond, is this for real?"
"..."
For a moment, the team members erupted into murmurs, their emotions varied.
But one thing was certain—they were all shocked by Akira's appointment as the new leader.
While they were engaged in heated discussions, Akira was also observing the people gathered here.
Apart from him and Beyond, there were ten others present.
Pariston, sitting on the sofa in front of the TV, was staring intently at him, though it was unclear what he was thinking.
On either side of the chessboard sat a burly man with a bowl cut and a guy that looks like a fisherman—the chessboard between them seemed oddly out of place compared to their rugged appearances.
At a small table nearby, a man with long bangs covering his left eye had just been typing furiously on his laptop.
Standing beside him was a chef dressed in lightning-patterned attire, holding two trays laden with drinks and food, seemingly playing the role of a waiter.
Unlike the unsettling gaze of Pariston, the chef looked at Akira with admiration.
Anyone who pursued gourmet cuisine would recognize Akira's name and hold him in high esteem.
Hovering on the periphery was another man with thick glasses and hair curled like the patterns of a Devil Fruit.
Closest to Akira were the two women in front.
One was dressed like a Yamato Nadeshiko, with everything from her hair to her clothes in shades of pink—even more so than Pyon.
The other, a childlike figure with a mushroom haircut, was sucking on a lollipop while playing a board game with the former.
In an inconspicuous corner of the room stood someone who was impossible to miss.
Though "person" wasn't quite accurate—it was a human encased entirely in a mechanical shell.
Akira recalled that this individual belonged to the [Stone Wall] mercenary group, possessing the ability to materialize various firearms and artillery as Aura Weapons.
His materialization skills were formidable, allowing him to conjure numerous weapons in a short time and distribute these Aura Weapons to an army.
Effortlessly, he could arm an entire military force.
As a result, the 'Stone Wall' mercenary group he belonged to was one of the most legendary on the six continents.
Currently, there were ten people present!
But Beyond's team was far larger—some members hadn't even arrived yet.
"Hohoho, since everyone has met the new leader, I won't waste time explaining. I'm sure you all know who this is." Beyond announced. "The newly appointed Chairman of the Hunter Association! The man hailed as the World Strongest—Akira!"
Seeing their reactions, Beyond knew further elaboration was unnecessary.
Akira's fame was too great—even if they hadn't met him before, they had undoubtedly heard of him.
Having someone like him as their leader was an undeniable advantage.
"Boss, I know Akira is incredible, but isn't changing leaders so suddenly a bit rushed?" Usaman scratched his head, still struggling to accept the reality.
"Usaman, don't dwell on whether it's rushed or not." Beyond shook his head, shifting to explain why he had invited Akira to take the role.
"Just know that under Akira's leadership, our expedition to the Dark Continent will be far safer, and our gains far greater."
Clearly, Akira was far more suited to lead them than he was.
Or rather, what truly mattered was Akira himself.
With him in the team, every aspect of their capabilities would skyrocket.
"That's certainly true." Pariston faced Akira as if he were a completely different person, not displaying the usual "mischievous" demeanor he showed toward others.
"Chairman Akira not only possesses a vast array of abilities but also boasts strength that rightfully earns him the title of the World's Strongest!"
"With someone like you leading us, this trip is sure to be much safer."
If the Twelve Zodiac were to see this, they'd likely suspect Pariston was brewing some new "scheme" in his mind.
Pariston was different from ordinary people.
Most people felt happiness when giving or receiving love.
But the more he encountered something cute or interesting, the stronger his urge to destroy it became.
When others showed him kindness, he felt no joy—only when they despised him did he experience true happiness.
But even this hatred had to come from the right people.
Those whose strength was on par with his or weaker, he could easily provoke into hating him.
But Akira... Pariston still wanted to live a few more years.
If he said one wrong word and ended up dead on the spot, he wouldn't even be surprised.
Thud… thud…
After a brief glance at Pariston, who was playing the role of a "good boy," Akira couldn't be bothered with him.
After all, he was just a hired hand for now.
Instead, Akira turned his attention to the "robot" approaching from deeper within.
Clad in an extremely durable metal exoskeleton, Golem every step produced a heavy, resonant sound.
"Mr. Akira, your strength is truly remarkable!" Golem stated. "There's something I'd like to ask you, if I may?"
"Go ahead." Akira raised an eyebrow, curious about what this robot wanted to ask.
Come to think of it, that mechanical exoskeleton was quite impressive.
He wondered if Meowth could eventually craft something like that.
Right now, Meowth was absorbing knowledge in the digital world while also planning to modify some tools.
This had been Meowth's own initiative.
He wanted to invent and refine equipment so he could contribute to Akira's efforts.
Seeing this, Akira naturally agreed, ordering Porygon-Z to fully support Meowth by providing all necessary materials.
He even handed over some rare items and Aura Tools he had acquired, curious about what kind of inventions might emerge.
"The war weapon testing grounds of the Republic of East Gorteau have been completely obliterated—I know that much is true." Golem continued. "But rumors say you did it with a single strike. Is that accurate? The scale of destruction is unimaginable—it would take multiple large-scale bombs to achieve something like that."
Hearing this, the others nearby also turned to Akira, wondering how he would respond.
Surely, it couldn't actually have been a single strike?
Facing Golem's question, Akira calmly replied, "That was indeed the result of a single strike—delivered by my Nen beast."
The group collectively held their breath, stunned that Akira had outright confirmed the truth of such an outrageous claim.
"I see..." Golem's voice, muffled by his thick exoskeleton, came out deep and resonant.
"Thank you for your answer."
Though it sounded almost impossible to believe, Golem still felt Akira was telling the truth.
With years of experience as a mercenary, he had fought in countless battles and witnessed many powerful individuals.
Without exception, they all shared one trait.
They disdained lying.
At their level, there was no need for deceit.
For example, Beyond and Akira right in front of him.
Compared to others, he was the one who could best appreciate Akira's terrifying prowess.
As a mercenary, he frequently handled firearms and explosives—even his Nen ability materialized weapons like rocket launchers.
Thus, he knew all too well that achieving such cataclysmic destructive power was impossible through human capability alone... Only the might of technology could accomplish such feats... But now, things were different.
A man had emerged who could single-handedly rival the power of technology!
That man was Akira!
This represented an utterly terrifying individual combat strength, truly worthy of the title "Strongest in the World."
He alone symbolized countless large-scale bombs ready to detonate!
"Let me introduce you to the team members. First, this person who just asked you a question is called 'Golem'..."
After Beyond's introductions, Akira had thoroughly familiarized himself with everyone—they were all his future subordinates after all.
"Does anyone else have questions?" Beyond asked. "From now on, Akira will be the leader of our team, while I'll serve as his second-in-command."
Beyond glanced around the room; their expressions showed no objections whatsoever.
After all, they'd unexpectedly gained an immensely powerful ally—the mightiest in all six continents was willing to lead them.
As mere team members, Akira's inclusion brought them no disadvantages, only increased survival rates.
The only one whose interests were truly affected was the original leader—Beyond himself.
Yet it was Beyond who had personally invited Akira.
Complaining now would just be ungrateful.
"Do you want to play Mario with me?" The small mushroom-headed boy who'd been playing board games moments ago suddenly asked Akira while licking a lollipop.
For a second, Akira thought he'd misheard—since when did Mario exist here?
But then he remembered—in the original story, this child had also invited Ging to play Mario.
So the Hunter x Hunter world did indeed have Mario games.
"I'm a bit busy right now." Akira replied. "Tell you what—I'll introduce you to a friend who's really into games. You can play with him instead."
After brief consideration, Akira decided to introduce old P to the mushroom boy—if he recalled correctly, the kid's name was "Pekotero"?
As soon as he finished speaking, Nen fluctuations erupted around Akira and the form of Porygon-Z materialized from them.
'This is!'
The team members' expressions shifted slightly—judging by the Nen fluctuations, even this single Nen beast far surpassed their own strength!
Ignoring the tense atmosphere, Porygon-Z flew straight to the room's television.
Streams of refined Nen burst from Porygon-Z, completely enveloping the TV.
Green data codes flashed across the television screen, followed by a brilliant white light shining through.
'Is this Nen Beast... connecting to the digital world?'
'So the friend Akira wants to introduce to Pekotero is Ickshonpe?' Pariston quietly observed the brightly glowing television, his mind rapidly analyzing the situation.
As the Vice-Chairman of the Hunter Association, he naturally knew about the digital world's resident—Ickshonpe Katocha.
Pariston roughly understood Akira's intentions, but the others remained clueless.
Their confusion vanished instantly as the scene on the television screen appeared.
The screen suddenly displayed a figure with an extremely abstract face.
At the same time, this unidentified creature was holding a sign with words written on it: [Akira, what do you need from me?]
"Nothing much, It's just that someone here wants a friend to play games with you. Are you free now?" Akira pointed at the little mushroom-headed kid beside him and spoke softly.
Ickshonpe's large eyes shifted, and the words on the sign suddenly changed to another message.
"Alright, let him come in."
"Some of the games you told me about before—I've already made part of them. Want to come in and play together?"
Though Ickshonpe didn't speak, the words clearly conveyed a sense of anticipation.
"Next time. I have something to attend to later." Akira shook his head, declining Ickshonpe's kind offer.
Under the astonished gazes of the others, the little mushroom-headed boy vanished on the spot in a flash of light from the television.
"Don't worry. he'll be sent back once he's done playing."
These team members were indeed handpicked by Beyond—each one formidable in strength, most with specialized skills.
With just a glance, Akira could roughly gauge their abilities.
The strongest among them was likely the puppet girl who resembled Hatsune Miku—Marione.
Akira turned and walked outside, with Beyond following naturally behind him.
Only the team members, still stunned by Akira, remained behind.
'So Akira is the new leader. This Dark Continent expedition is bound to be even more interesting now.'
Pariston watched as Akira and Beyond left, casually picking up a cup of coffee from the table and taking a sip.
The fake smile on his face now carried a hint of genuine amusement.
As Ging had said in the story, within the entire Hunter Association, Pariston was actually the one who most inherited Netero's legacy in spirit.
They shared one thing in common—a love for interesting things.
****
Once outside and seeing no one around, Akira turned to Beyond and said quietly.
"Beyond, you once went to the Dark Continent through V5's channels. Now I have a question for you."
"Where is the V5 Navigation Bureau?"
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