Chapter 161: The Black Tide Incident
The game of hunting spiders had come to an end.
The only three survivors were Machi, Nobunaga, and Uvogin.
Whether Hisoka would resort to some trick was yet to be seen.
The appearance of Nobunaga and Uvogin on Hero Island wasn't something Haze had anticipated. He had foreseen the Phantom Troupe's invasion into the Field Family's territory, but he hadn't known how many would come. Of course, he hadn't expected them to strike at Game itself ... this was merely a diversion, a distraction tactic… and not a particularly effective one.
Even if the entire Phantom Troupe entered Hero Island, they would pose no real threat to Game.
The island's defenses were simply too powerful and complete.
In addition to the Nen users under Morel's command, there were several highly skilled Nen users personally recruited by Haze to establish and enforce the rules of the "Player Contract." Entering the game meant becoming a player ... bound by its laws. Chrollo and the others couldn't cause any true damage.
The only thing they managed was to destroy a few marine teleportation points ... minor outposts, really.
Leaving Machi alone now was meaningless… Chrollo's death would undoubtedly shake Uvogin and Nobunaga. Both were known for their volatile tempers ... could they truly follow Chrollo's final order not to seek revenge against the yakuza?
Chrollo's last words to Machi had been crystal clear.
The Field Family ... or rather, Haze ... was someone they could not afford to offend.
Someone beyond their reach, no matter how much they schemed or struggled.
The near-annihilation of the Spider Family once again proved that Haze wasn't just powerful ... he was also a master of manipulation and cunning.
With Chrollo and Chrollo dead, the Spider Family had essentially lost both its soul and its mind.
Machi was fine… but Uvogin and Nobunaga were acting purely on instinct now.
They might very well throw their lives away.
By dawn the next morning, hundreds of yakuza members had almost completely cleaned the palace.
At the same time, yakuza organizations across the globe received the news ...
The signal from the Field Family!
There was no hiding it. Too many people, too many minor family leaders, had been in the underworld for too long ... they all knew exactly what this incident meant. Many had already contacted outsiders in secret… The boldest among them had begun acting, ordering their men to seize power, businesses, and territory from the deceased family heads. The less daring waited for David's instructions, too afraid to move on their own.
The Field Family couldn't monitor everyone.
Thus, the news couldn't be contained.
David and Field Lily began mobilizing personnel, dispatching their private armed forces to various continents ... led by Owl and his men ... to negotiate with local gangs. First, they supported a few respectable groups to stabilize the regions, then gradually planted the roots of the Field Family deep within.
However, fierce gang wars were expected to erupt soon.
It was likely that many local mafias wouldn't bow to the Field Family's rule.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shift the balance of power.
The long-unshakable dominance of the Ten Dons had been broken.
Several families now had a chance to rise.
Those who died had belonged mostly to mid- and upper-tier families; smaller ones, on the other hand, suddenly had the opportunity to gain prominence.
In a luxurious room, Haze stared at a list of attendees in his hand.
"Families from the Kakin Empire… None of them came?"
"No. Although the invitations were sent under the name of the Ten Dons, the top family heads of Kakin only sent recorded congratulatory videos," David replied respectfully, standing before the sofa.
"Honeypot No. 3 is dead?"
Haze crossed his legs and leaned back into the leather sofa, tossing aside the banquet attendance list.
"Dead," David nodded.
The failure of the Twelve Earthly Branches' western expedition meant that the spies the Field Family had planted in Kakin's royal household had been discovered.
Perhaps it was Yang De's doing ... or Pariston's interference ... or maybe the royal family had simply fallen into internal chaos.
But the first two possibilities seemed more likely.
After all, the timing was far too suspicious.
The death of Honeypot No. 3 had been inevitable, and Haze himself had chosen the scapegoat.
Currently, two other women were involved in the Honeypot Project. One was the mistress of Don Hui Guo Rou, who had already given birth to a child, though the child had not been officially acknowledged. The other had contacted the Ninth Prince ... and the two were romantically involved.
"The gangs within the Kakin Empire are quite peculiar. Even if the Ten Dons who once controlled them are still alive, their influence only extends over a few mid- to high-ranking families," David explained.
"It's because of the military's interference, right?"
Haze chuckled. "Exactly. No matter what, gangs can't compare to the regular army."
Gang influence extended only into industry, economics, and the social elite ... it couldn't shake the foundations of a nation. After all, the royal family were the true rulers; the gangs were merely parasites on their lands.
However, over years of gradual planning, the Field Family had managed to "corrupt" many royal houses. They had people embedded in numerous official institutions and key departments ... even within the army.
In some royal families, Field contacts had even obtained official titles.
In short, the Field Family could no longer be called merely a "gang."
Even so, their infiltration into the Kakin Empire had borne little fruit.
After all their preparation, they had only managed to find one woman capable of attracting Don Hui Guo Rou's attention ... but even she was just a second-tier candidate.
A second-tier ... or "double-line" ... candidate was essentially a stand-in.
Such heirs had no legitimate claim to the throne, couldn't appear in public, and were unacknowledged by name. From birth, their faces were slashed with knives ... left with visible scars.
It was a deal.
In exchange for living in the shadows, they were allowed to survive.
If they refused ... they were executed.
"The Ninth Prince hasn't made a move either. Honeypot wanted him to record a message as a prince ... to test his attitude toward us ... but he refused. He's a man of principle, and seems to harbor a strong disgust toward our organization," David added.
"So… the identity of Number 2 has been exposed. He knows that we're the ones behind the woman," Haze murmured.
"Yes."
"Then… it seems Number 2's days are numbered as well. That leaves only Number 1."
Haze picked up the remote from the table, turned on the television, and said, "Forget that for now. The most important thing is to unify the entire underground force. Once we do, the gangs ... those insignificant in the eyes of national powers, even the V5 ... will transform completely into something they can no longer underestimate."
"After all," Haze added with a smirk, "who would've imagined that a stray dog… could one day become a ferocious wolf?"
The TV screen flickered, showing a live broadcast.
A female reporter stood by the roadside, watching luxury cars speeding down the highway. "This is a live broadcast near the residence of a major mafia boss. As you can see, the cars are leaving in long convoys. The road ahead is blocked, and those vehicles are transporting high-ranking figures with ties to organized crime. According to reliable sources, last night ... up ahead, in that mountain our cameras can just capture…"
"That magnificent palace…"
"An event occurred that could overturn the power of the global underworld ... known as the 'Black Tide Incident.' This scene confirms our reports. We are currently investigating further leads and expect ... "
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before she could finish, a car screeched to a halt before them.
The window rolled down, and a mafia man pointed a gun upward, firing warning shots. The deafening cracks startled the reporter and cameraman, shaking the live feed.
"Get the hell out of here! You wanna die?!"
"What station are you from?! This isn't a place for you!"
"You think I won't shoot you right now?!" the gunman shouted threateningly, his curses echoing live on air.
And then ... the signal cut.
No one knew what happened afterward.
"It's everywhere in the media now… The Kuroshio Incident, huh? Interesting…"
Haze chuckled softly.
(End of Chapter)