Hello everyone. I'm Gon Freecss, and I've... well, "completed" myself for now. There's still a long road ahead; I've only just taken the first step on the path of the "Strongest Gon."
***
The members of the V5—the self-proclaimed guardians of the world's "garden"—had been meeting every few days. Unlike previous sessions plagued by headaches and stomach ulcers, this one was supposed to be a conclusion: the results of the Chimera Ant extermination mission.
Veins popped on the foreheads of the global leaders as they interrogated Isaac Netero. The Chairman now looked to be in his fifties, sporting a tight-fitting "Heart" T-shirt and shorts that he'd somehow squeezed into.
"...Let me get this straight," one leader snarled. "You're saying that the casualties for both your Hunters and the Chimera Ants were... 'minimal'?"
"What are you talking about?" Netero laughed. "We may be fine, but the ants lost all three members of their Royal Guard. Their King survived, but he's been significantly weakened. If that's not a total victory, I don't know what is."
"Tch. I recall you saying we could do as we pleased once the duel ended. If those insects are still alive, we shall take appropriate measures."
"Do as you like," Netero shrugged. "But the Hunter Association won't be involved. Just so you know, their military strength is higher than most nations, and even a weakened King is a force of one against ten thousand. Given their current popularity, you'll definitely be the ones coming off as the villains."
The V5 were furious that creatures from the Dark Continent were roaming free without shackles. However, they had no actual means to move against Memphis. They had watched the battle between Netero and the soldier ants through cutting-edge surveillance; the combat had been a supernatural display that defied human comprehension.
Furthermore, the transition to the Sun Nation of Memphis had been nearly bloodless. The former leader, Diego, was serving as an advisor, and no matter how hard the V5 searched, they couldn't find any evidence of human rights abuses or unjustified casualties.
The greatest problem for the V5 was that by "winning," the Hunters had proven that the ants could be managed.
"The threat of the Dark Continent is immense, yes," Netero said, his voice dropping into a colder register. "But if you're going to preach, remember that you lot are already 'keeping' several Calamities from that same continent. Compared to the dangers of the Five Great Calamities you've failed to solve, a nation of ants is remarkably easy to manage. Don't go throwing your weight around."
"You speak with quite the ego for the head of a small organization of a few hundred men," a leader barked. "We protect millions of lives from—"
"Shut your mouths, you children who have never even set foot on the Dark Continent."
Netero's aura erupted. The sheer pressure silenced the veteran politicians instantly. With his rejuvenated body and intensified presence, he projected a raw, simple terror.
"You think you're 'controlling' those Calamities? You haven't found a single solution or a way to utilize them. If I felt like it, you wouldn't even be able to protect those secrets, let alone dispose of them. You're in over your heads."
It was a truth they couldn't argue with. A species of ants that could be neutralized by a strong enough strike was infinitely more manageable than the cosmic horrors they kept locked in their basements. Ultimately, the V5 had no reason to interfere other than their own distaste for anyone else benefiting from the Dark Continent's potential.
"The reports show that the ant population will only decrease from here; they cannot breed. If you have a problem, handle it through the political games you're so fond of. Or is it that the V5—the 'Guardians of the World'—lack the confidence to win a debate against a species that hasn't even been born for a year?"
It was a blatant provocation. But for men whose power relied on image and authority, they couldn't admit to such a thing. As the V5 sat in silent, seething humiliation, Netero announced the Hunter Association's official support for the sovereignty of Memphis and walked out.
"What a pathetic sight," a voice rang out in the now-quiet room. It was Saiyu, the Observer. "Sorry to kick you while you're down, but it's our turn now."
He smirked at the empty air. "We're the ones who brought the ants in, but we're done with them. We won't touch your other Calamities, either. But from here on, we're going to be moving much more... publicly. I don't care about your schedules, I'm just giving you the heads-up. Good luck, 'Guardians.'"
Saiyu vanished. The sound of things being smashed echoed through the V5 conference room once again.
***
"So, the V5 should be staying quiet for a while," Saiyu said into a satellite phone. "But was it really okay to tell them we're moving?"
"Of course it was," a deep, hearty voice replied. "I kept my promise, but they were the ones who tried to play dirty. I'll give them a formal notice, but I have no obligation to listen to their whining."
The speaker sat in a functional, unpretentious room. He had long, jet-black hair, a thick beard, and a distinctive X-shaped scar on his face.
"Are you sure about this, Boss? Like I reported, Isaac Netero has become a total monster. You've already lost to him once—isn't this dangerous?"
"I know that," the man laughed. "I was a Hunter, and my old man was a warrior. Whether I can beat him in a fight now is irrelevant."
Beyond Netero, the biological son of Isaac, grinned ferociously. He looked like a larger, wilder version of his rejuvenated father.
"Honestly, I thought you'd switch sides if the old man won," Beyond continued. "You actually like him, don't you? Why stay on my team?"
"Eh, I do like seeing interesting things," Saiyu admitted, recalling the battle between the King and "Strongest Gon." "But there's a difference between wanting to see the deep sea and wanting to jump in without a suit. That fight... it was the greatest show on earth, but it was a tragedy of despair for anyone who isn't a monster. My wings are made of wax, Boss. I'm not crazy enough to fly into a black hole."
"I'm the best place for you, then. Keep showing me the fun stuff."
"Hmph. If the Dark Continent is only seen as 'that level' of danger, then we're finished. Though I suppose I'm the last person who should be talking, given I plan to lick every inch of it."
Beyond hung up and thought of the monsters Saiyu had described. He considered whether he should forcibly recruit them for his expedition, but his instincts—and his aching scar—told him that would be the ultimate "bad move."
"I'm too old for a domestic spat. It's safer to leave the wild cards off the deck."
Beyond had spent decades in the shadows, preparing. He wasn't going to let this chance slip. He had lost the fight that gave him his scar, but he wasn't looking for a rematch.
"The debt will be settled. No one gets in my way now!"
The ultimate Hunter began to move toward his own ambition.
***
In the vast courtyard of the Memphis palace, humans and Chimera Ants stood side-by-side, awaiting the King. Meruem appeared on the balcony, and a hush fell over the crowd.
He looked almost entirely human now, his exoskeleton shattered. He wore regal clothing similar to his previous "armored" style. A massive scar remained on his chest, and his left arm—sacrificed as a catalyst in his final clash with Gon—was gone from the shoulder down.
"You all know the truth, but I shall say it plainly," Meruem began. "I was defeated by the Hunters."
A mournful silence followed. The ants felt a surge of directionless rage at their own inadequacy. Meruem waited for the ripples to settle.
"The conclusion is this: The Sun Nation of Memphis shall continue to exist under my rule. We will be under the surveillance of the Hunters, but we survive."
The crowd froze. Then, a roar of joy erupted that seemed to vent months of suppressed anxiety.
"LONG LIVE MEMPHIS! LONG LIVE KING MERUEM!!"
The humans, who had found the country infinitely more livable than under Diego's regime, offered sincere praise. The ants, proud to serve a King who was both strong and merciful, linked arms with the humans and shouted until their throats were raw.
Meruem raised a hand to quiet them and nodded to his subjects.
"I swear to you. I was defeated in strength, but I shall continue to win in all other things. I will make this nation a garden envied by all—the ultimate utopia! Follow me! Help me! Together, we shall realize paradise on this earth!!"
As he turned back into the palace, Meruem steeled his heart. He would never lose again.
***
In the room now known as the "Chamber of the Match," Meruem sat with Komugi. The official business of the day was done.
"...No. It's mate."
"That was a great game! So... um... if you're satisfied, could I... concentrate better if you let me go?"
"You say that, yet you play perfectly once we start. Let me rest until I am satisfied."
"Uuuu..."
Komugi was acting as a knee-pillow for the exhausted King. They were playing "Mental Gungi," their voices the only sound in the room.
"Meruem... you're so tired. Are my skinny legs actually helping you rest?"
"Yes. I am surprisingly at peace. Next match."
"I won't lose!"
They dove back into the board, their internal battle both peaceful and fierce.
"...Mate. I see... perhaps being too at peace dulls my edge."
"That's not true! That was a great move, I had to think so hard to counter it! ...You seem troubled, Meruem. If you want, I'm listening."
The two had reached a level of communication where Gungi was more eloquent than speech. Komugi sensed the lingering anxiety in Meruem's heart. She gently stroked his hair.
"...I lost my finest subjects," Meruem admitted. "It hurts emotionally, but more than that, I feel the loss of the 'limbs' that allowed me to act."
Pitou, Pouf, and Youpi had been his absolute allies—peerless in power and devotion. Without them, the burden of rule had increased ten-fold, cutting into his time with Komugi.
"Forgive me, Komugi. I may not be able to spend as much time with you for a while."
"..."
"Komugi? ...Wait!"
Meruem felt a surge of aura from the board and pieces beside them. The pieces began to move on their own, forming a Tsume-Gungi puzzle. It was a problem so complex even Meruem would have needed time to solve it, yet under Komugi's flickering aura, it reached a solution in an instant.
"Meruem... you haven't lost anything."
"What?"
"Everything is already inside you..."
"—?!"
Komugi leaned down, pressing her forehead against his. Their auras merged. And from the depths of his soul, a voice echoed.
"Lord Meruem, meow!!"
When Meruem opened his eyes, three shadows were prostrated before him. They were roughly 30 centimeters tall, with "chibi" proportions.
"Lord Meruem, I, Shaiapouf, humbly ask to serve you once more!"
"Lord Meruem, I wish to be your unbreakable armament again!"
"Meow!"
Pouf and Youpi were now tiny mascot-like entities. Beside them, a small cat that looked exactly like Pitou chirped happily.
"...I see. I haven't lost a thing."
A single drop of rain fell from Meruem's eye, but the sun did not dim. The Sun Nation of Memphis was moving toward its future as a global paradise. The King who had lost his raw strength had gained something far greater, becoming a True King.
***
"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"How adorable! He's the same size as the babies!" Kurapika laughed.
"Gunma?"
"The recoil must have been insane," Bisky mused, looking a bit pitying. "No wonder the Old Man is so depressed."
"He's so cute, Gon! ♥ Don't worry, I'll protect you! ♥"
"So this is how it ends, huh?"
Gon Freecss, having paid the price for his "Strongest" form, was now a 30-centimeter-tall mascot character, sitting on the floor and holding his head in his tiny hands.
***
Author's Notes:
Beyond Netero's Scar: My theory is it's from a fight with Isaac. I imagined they had a duel with specific conditions, which is why Isaac was so patient about Beyond's existence until his death.
Komugi's Hatsu: Gungi of All Creation. A ridiculous ability that converts any problem or calculation into a Gungi puzzle. Solving the puzzle provides the answer to the real-world problem. It can't solve impossible or answerless problems, though.
Pitou's "Cat" State: Because she died once and lost her sanity/reason in the fight with Hisoka, she reverted to a feral, animalistic state. She's still stronger than most Nen users, though.
***
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