Chapter 162: The Dondom Without a Crown
To the eyes of true power, gangs were nothing more than a flock of chickens and stray dogs.
They were not a regular army.
They might be deeply involved in various industries and social sectors, but they could never compare to a nation.
To V5, they were like little dogs wagging their tails and begging for scraps.
When Haze became one of the Ten Dons, that V5 official ... Rodman ... had been a minor figure in the organization. Yet when facing the Elders, he had been arrogant and dismissive.
That was capital ... shadow capital.
And gangs had none of it.
Although they seemed to monopolize most of the world's black-market industries, they could only function by bowing to the whims of multiple nations, living off the leftovers of those in power.
Worse still, gangsters loved to fight among themselves. Each faction acted independently, and so, to outsiders, their vast numbers looked like nothing more than chaotic disorder.
But now, things were different.
Once the underworld was unified, and with the covert influence of several nations, the Field Family would undergo a complete transformation.
This was Haze's true plan ... a chain of interlocking steps:
To turn the Field Family into a kingdom without a crown ...
a nation without land.
Only a state-level war machine could secure their place in the human world.
But there was no longer any available land for expansion or development on any continent.
Those that remained ... tiny, isolated countries like East Godot or NGL ... had limited potential.
Thus, if they wished to gain influence in international diplomacy and compel V5 to take them seriously, something had to change.
Unify the underground forces.
Then, Haze could even replace Netero as President of the Hunter Association.
Furthermore, through the Field Family's infiltration of royal lineages, he could manipulate international opinion and reshape the world order ... perhaps even prompting other nations to emulate Kakin, breaking away from V5's treaties and declaring independence.
All of these powers combined would form the true "nation" Haze envisioned.
Currently, relations with most nations were stable ... except with the Kakin Empire.
Kakin was a first-tier power on the continent. Not quite equal to V5's elite nations, but close enough to stand beside them.
This strength stemmed from the Ceremonial Egg of the Pot.
Once upon a time, Kakin was a small, arid country constantly on guard against invasion. To survive, the ancestors of Don Hui Guo Rou created the Egg of the Pot ... ensuring endless prosperity and selecting the most suitable heir to the throne.
This inherited ritual became the foundation of Kakin's power.
Today, the empire was prosperous beyond imagination. It had founded a Royal Military Academy to train elites, pursued scientific research, and regularly hosted global competitions that drew massive attention. Under such circumstances, even V5 found it difficult to touch them.
It was a testament to Don Hui Guo Rou's cunning.
His rise to power was no coincidence.
He and Beyond Netero had bonded instantly. Beyond wished to break through the blockade and reach the Dark Continent ... but what did the Kakin Emperor seek?
Did he truly wish to advance humanity's future, risking his life as a pioneer?
Of course not.
He wanted V5 to yield ... to let Kakin join them, turning V5 into V6.
Like Beyond, the corpulent king was boundlessly ambitious.
Once Haze unified the criminal underworld, the Field Family's power would be enough to draw the attention of the Kakin royal house.
Even the Ninth Prince, Halkenburg, would no longer dare ignore them.
And when the outside world realized the Field Family had the power to reshape the world, respect would follow ...
even from V5 itself.
Haze would show V5 what it wanted to see...
and hide what it could not ...
including the key agents he had already placed inside their organization.
Once the underworld was unified, the second phase would begin:
helping their own people succeed the thrones of different countries ... by coup, regicide, assassination, or manipulation.
The Field Family would spare no effort, pouring every resource and man into it.
"All I want," Haze said calmly, changing TV channels, "is results."
David nodded absently.
"The Dondom Without a Crown…"
Who would have imagined that a once-insignificant syndicate could become a giant, a power capable of influencing the entire human world?
All of it was thanks to the man before them.
Of course, both David and Field Lily were heroes in their own right.
The Phantom Troupe's heavy losses were merely a small piece of the grand scheme.
They were never the main players ... just pawns sacrificed in a game orchestrated by greater powers.
"By the way," Haze said, "if necessary, contact me. I'll handle it personally.
Once our people are in power, we'll infiltrate every nation ... technology, defense, medicine, fashion. We'll leave our mark everywhere."
"Yes, sir," David replied.
He turned and left.
It was no longer just about global upheaval or political transformation.
With the unification of the underworld and the integration of the Hunter Association, the Field Family would no longer have to bow before V5.
On the television, a fierce shootout raged.
Another reckless reporter was filming a violent gang battle somewhere abroad.
Under the blazing sun, two groups exchanged gunfire in the middle of the street.
Countless civilians were caught in the crossfire, lying dead in pools of blood.
There were no police ... no officials ... just chaos.
This was clearly a direct consequence of the Black Tide Incident.
The once-clear pond of the underworld had turned muddy…
The food chain of the strong devouring the weak had begun.
A few days later, Haze entered a guest room.
Inside, Kurapika sat weakly on the edge of the bed, staring blankly out the window.
His body was frail; he coughed softly.
A servant had informed Haze that the boy ... unconscious for days ... had finally awakened.
"Master!" Kurapika exclaimed, rising to greet him.
His current identity was that of a Field Family member.
He wanted to call him "Lord," but Haze stopped him.
It wasn't because Kurapika lacked strength ... it was because Haze had once told him:
"Stay away from me. Being close to me brings misfortune."
Since then, Kurapika had called him Master.
"Why aren't you eating?" Haze asked, glancing at the untouched meal.
"I don't have much appetite…"
"Heh."
Haze sat down, studying the boy's face.
"Three Spiders remain… Shall we continue?"
Kurapika said nothing, but his eyes were enough of an answer.
"I don't know about the other two, but killing Machi could be troublesome, considering Hisoka's presence.
Your Nen ability only works on the Spiders ... so if you face Hisoka directly, you'll probably die.
Unless you're absolutely certain, keep your distance.
Maybe… he'll die on his own."
Haze smiled faintly.
Kurapika clenched his fist, the chains on his hand jingling sharply.
"From this point on," Haze continued, "you no longer belong to the Field Family.
Your actions are your own responsibility.
If you wish to go to Kakin to recover your clan's Scarlet Eyes, you'll have to do it alone.
The royal family is… complicated ... especially the Fourth Prince you seek. He's dangerous."
Haze bowed lightly, turned, and left.
He had unfinished business with Kakin's royal family ... and bringing Kurapika would only hinder his plans.
"Thank you for taking care of me," Kurapika said, bowing deeply as Haze walked away.
Haze raised a hand in acknowledgment.
"My lord, they've arrived," David said as he hurried over.
Haze, hands in his pockets, smiled faintly.
He already knew.
Even if his agents held low ranks within V5, obtaining intelligence was simple.
He led David into the main hall.
There stood a woman with glasses and long hair, dressed like a secretary ... arms crossed, expression cold.
When she heard the footsteps, she turned and offered her hand.
"Hello. I'm Celine, envoy of V5. You must be Haze ... head of the Field Family, the last surviving Elder, and one of the few three-star Hunters of the Association, renowned for your work on ancient texts. No need for introductions, right?"
Haze glanced at her hand but didn't shake it.
"V5's messenger, then."
Celine's smile faltered. She withdrew her hand, her tone hardening.
"Let's get straight to the point. I don't care about your internal affairs, but your gang wars have gravely disrupted international stability.
Cities across multiple nations are in chaos. Civilian casualties rise by the hour.
This must stop."
She gestured toward a folder.
"I've just handed your butler a list of ten names. These are the ten individuals we've chosen to replace the Ten Dons.
Put them in power. Restore order to the underworld ... quickly. Don't cause us more trouble."
Then she brushed past him, as if finished.
But when their shoulders met, she paused.
"You wouldn't want me to come back, would you? You know what that would mean.
We ignored your little turf wars before ... but this time, you've gone too far."
She turned to leave.
But suddenly, Haze grabbed her wrist.
"What are you doing?" she snapped, her expression darkening.
"You do realize we could erase you with a single command? All nations would comply. Eliminating someone like you would be child's play.
Even the Hunter Association must obey our rules. You think your three-star rank protects you? We granted it ... we can strip it away."
"You're clever," she continued coldly. "If you don't want your entire organization taken over, then obey."
She looked disgusted, almost pitying him.
To her, Haze was just a criminal ... a man who didn't know his place.
Overbearing.
Arrogant.
Unreasonable.
V5 wanted to install ten new Elders ... and not one belonged to the Field Family.
They hadn't even bothered to give notice.
"Let go!"
Her voice trembled as the pain in her wrist grew, but her eyes remained defiant.
"Fine then. It seems your underworld needs someone more obedient…"
"You're mistaken," Haze said softly.
He smiled.
"I'm not an old boss of the underworld.
I'm the ruler of this nation. The first… and the only."
"Your nation?" Celine scoffed.
"A gang calling itself a country? You've gone mad."
"Don't delude yourself," she sneered. "You've angered me, and that means ... "
A flash.
Bang.
Her head exploded.
Haze let go.
Celine's lifeless body collapsed to the floor.
David walked up silently, took a clean white handkerchief, and wiped the blood from Haze's chest.
"This woman was out of her mind," Haze murmured. "Did you understand a word of her nonsense?"
David chuckled lightly.
"Perhaps… she really did lose her mind."
(End of Chapter)