Chapter 192: Movements of the Three Major Gangs
Melody looked at Keeney with a calm expression and said, "It seems to be a Nen ability."
Keeney nodded, then continued, "With my En, I couldn't identify who the person that appeared was, but judging by how quickly they vanished and the fact that the Tenth Prince showed no unusual reactions throughout..."
The old hunter Keeney paused before stating his conclusion: "I suspect that person was the Eleventh Prince."
Though inwardly shocked, Melody maintained her composure and nodded. "I think there's a ninety percent chance you're right."
Keeney went on, "If we can cleverly utilize this mobility ability, we might break the current deadlock. But if others discover this ability has no combat power, the user will immediately become a target."
His pointed words sounded to Melody like a deliberate warning.
She raised her head and glanced at Keeney.
This old hunter was clearly no ordinary person—he'd accurately detected someone appearing mysteriously on Kacho's bed through his En, then quickly identified the person's identity based on minimal clues.
Finally, his well-intentioned reminder to Melody demonstrated his meticulous thinking.
At the same time, Melody sensed his genuine concern, as his words clearly reflected his worry for the two young girls.
"I understand. Leave this matter to me," Melody said seriously.
Keeney smiled. "Thank you. With all these troubles, maintaining En for extended periods is quite exhausting. But to protect the prince from other guards, I'll do my best to persist."
After careful consideration, Melody felt their plan could work—with Kacho's quick-wittedness and mobility, Fugetsu's Guardian Spirit Beast ability, plus her own assistance.
All conditions were in place. Now they just needed to secure the escape route and timing!
...
Lower levels of the Black Whale.
The presence of the restless Phantom Troupe had already begun making various mafia bosses apprehensive.
"The Phantom Troupe, I see. Quite troublesome indeed. Balance is crucial," said a fat man with two long scars on his head and an onion-shaped haircut, speaking into a phone in a lavishly decorated room.
Upon closer inspection, one could see this fat man somewhat resembled the Kakin King Hui Guo Rou.
While being fed by a beautiful maid, he continued into the phone: "With limited resources, the larger the denominator, the smaller each person's share. To protect the privileged class's holdings, most people must become cannon fodder. This is what we call balance!"
"Similarly, power must be carefully controlled. No, it requires even more precise adjustment. From intimidation to warfare, force is the most effective means for rapid wealth redistribution. We must never let the propertyless class obtain power!"
With self-interest as the center and armed force as the radius, he drew a circle, using military strength to radiate control over everyone within.
This was the political philosophy of Onior, the onion-headed leader of the Xi-Yu Family and half-brother (illegitimate son) of King Hui Guo Rou.
The Xi-Yu Family was also the mafia organization backing the Third Prince, Theta.
On the other end, the person speaking with Onior was a man with a hairstyle resembling cauliflower. His status was quite similar to Onior's—he was the leader of another major Kakin mafia family, the Cha-R Family, Brocco Li. He was also the illegitimate half-brother of the current King of Kakin, allied with the Seventh Prince.
He did not agree with Onion Head Onior's approach of using force to counterbalance the Phantom Troupe.
"That bunch from the Troupe has no regard for etiquette whatsoever. They unrestrainedly unleash their power without limits. Even in Meteor City, they're considered eccentric outliers. Controlling them won't be easy," Brocco Li remarked.
Brocco Li reached out to stroke the head of the cat in his arms, then continued, "They make no effort to conceal their strength, show no particular attachment to life or death, and frequently engage in barbaric acts. I've heard that even among the younger generation in my family, they have secret admirers. Heh, come to think of it, that recent rule-breaker who became a leader is cut from the same cloth."
"...Are you trying to get me to join in complaining?" Onion Head's mind echoed with that woman's voice as he spoke.
"No need. I just mean that even if we do nothing, those two mutually repelling groups will inevitably clash sooner or later," Brocco Li laughed.
Onion Head understood implicitly and said, "Understood. You want to schedule this inevitable timing, then."
Brocco Li responded with a knowing "Heh heh heh" chuckle.
Clearly, at least on this point, their two families had reached a consensus.
They would use the Phantom Troupe—this unstable element—to clash with another equally unrestrained mafia force, the Heil-Ly Family, and then reap the spoils.
After the call ended, both men almost simultaneously summoned their respective heirs.
The heir of the Xi-Yu Family was Hinrigh Biganduffno, a handsome man with flowing hair.
The heir of the Cha-R Family was Ken'i Wang, a man wearing rectangular glasses with an extremely gloomy gaze.
The orders given to both heirs were identical:
"Find the person the Phantom Troupe is looking for—for me!"
The two heirs quickly sprang into action.
The bespectacled heir of the Cha-R Family immediately issued commands to his trusted subordinates: "Gather all district captains. Tell them: a reward of 10 million for providing information related to Mord. If Mord is found, not only will the finder receive 10 million, but the captain of that district will also be rewarded 10 million."
His trusted subordinate was the bearded, bald man who had previously had a direct encounter with the Phantom Troupe in the fifth-floor cafeteria.
The bearded bald man said, "Boss, I heard Mord is a Two-Star Hunter. If he's really on this ship, he's likely on the upper decks. Shouldn't we coordinate directly with the princes? Also, won't this completely offend the Hunter Association?"
"Idiot, I'm just telling you to find him, not capture him," the bespectacled heir adjusted his glasses and replied.
Meanwhile, Hinrigh of the Xi-Yu Family was also issuing orders.
Watching his subordinates depart, Hinrigh decided to directly contact the Third Prince to obtain the specific list of Hunter Association members who had boarded the ship.
While the two major Kakin mafia factions were taking action regarding the Phantom Troupe, the leader of the third major mafia force—Morena, head of the Heil-Ly Family—also began her own plans.
As the most depraved prince's mafia controller behind the Fourth Prince, this woman with an exquisitely beautiful appearance possessed a heart even more insane than the Fourth Prince's.