"Ironwood Mountain's entire economy and livelihood are based on this ore from Ironwood Mountain.
"It's safe to say that at least eight out of ten people in the entire city rely on this stuff for their livelihood."
"If someone really wants to come here and destroy this city, and dig up their roots..."
"The people here will fight tooth and nail for it."
"So their surveillance of outsiders was already part of their routine."
"I was originally thinking of following that vendor tonight and tracing things back to the mastermind here."
"But it seems now... I can't make any rash moves just yet..."
There were so many people here watching him. According to the way real mafia would act, they would either look at this group of guys with utter contempt and disdain, not paying them any attention at all.
Or they would directly bark at them rudely, scolding and driving them away.
And according to the man in black and white clothes, even if he chose the latter approach and drove them away, they would probably retreat on the surface, but the covert surveillance would only intensify and become more complicated.
"So if I disappear from their sight, the vendors will probably get the news."
"This is a test of my identity. Even if I'm truly a member of the mafia, as soon as I disappear, the operation to obtain the goods will cease immediately."
"No matter how greedy and money-hungry they are, these basic security measures must be followed."
"After all, even if there are truly high-ranking individuals blinded by money, having so many surveillance personnel will calm them down."
"Looks like I need to think things over a bit more carefully... I need to find the right opportunity."
The man in black and white clothes pondered as he walked.
"First, I have to make that vendor's group lower their guard, then see if I can dig out more information about his so-called brother-in-law, the biggest shareholder here."
"If I can pinpoint his location and where he lives, then I can disregard everything here."
"I can just go straight to him, and ignore the surveillance..."
The man in black and white clothes was walking when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
He stared intently at the scene ahead.
The group of people who had been surrounding him, tasked with monitoring him, immediately became restless.
They cursed and shouted angrily, charging forward with hostile intent.
But they didn't attack him; they ran past him, no longer paying attention to him at all.
Because something more important than monitoring him had just appeared.
Before them, a group of men, just as ferocious as they, lay on the ground.
Those guys were clearly their comrades.
Naturally, they were all carrying out the same job: monitoring unidentified outsiders.
And the outsider they were monitoring was…
"I just glanced at you once, and you actually dared to glare at me..."
Amid the group of fallen men, Luke's figure stood out.
He stood alone, standing out prominently.
"You even wanted to attack me."
He chuckled and simply waved his hand.
"That's completely irrational."
It seemed like he was just swatting a fly, a trivial act.
And then, he seemed to have noticed the gaze coming not far away.
Seeing the familiar black-and-white attire, though not yet as exaggerated as it would become in the future, he couldn't help but laugh.
"It seems I've had quite a connection with the future members of the Zodiac Twelve."
Well, first it was Ginta, the sheep, then Ging Freecss, the Boar.
And now, there's a new one in front of him.
The serious man before him, in his standard black and white attire, was far from the flamboyant look he would later become.
Especially since it hadn't yet developed into that spotted, cow-patterned style.
"Seems like he just liked the simple black-and-white look, so later on, he stuck with the cow-patterned outfit that matched his zodiac title."
Luke looked up and down at the still-young Mizaistom Nana before him.
Yes, the one before him was none other than Mizaistom Nana, one of the future Zodiac Twelve.
The Zodiac Twelve were all utterly devoted to Chairman Netero.
To match their codenames, they had gone to great lengths to change their names, even altering their attire, and making agonizing efforts.
In Luke's opinion, the future Mizaistom Nana donning that cow suit had come at a greater cost than bloodshed and tears.
Plop!!
Luke casually caught the first burly, sinister-looking individual who rushed towards him and shoved him into the wall nearby.
Half the man's body was buried in the wall, his nose and mouth spurting blood nonstop.
Sizzle!!
Seeing this brutal sight, the group charging at Luke skidded to a halt.
Without even spitting a threat, they spun around and ran off at full speed, faster than they had come charging in.
The way they fled, it was as if they wished their parents had given them extra legs to run with.
Because of the special nature of this city, they had seen all kinds of monsters before.
And when faced with someone clearly far beyond their ability to handle, they weren't about to gamble their lives.
When it came to retreating, they were very experienced.
In the blink of an eye, the group vanished without a trace, not even sparing a glance at their comrades groaning on the ground or stuck in the wall.
The only ones left standing were Luke and Mizaistom Nana.
As Luke studied Mizaistom Nana, the latter was also looking at him.
"I've never seen him before. He doesn't appear to be a hunter from the Hunter Association."
Mizaistom Nana's eyes swept across Luke's face, but he couldn't match him with anyone in his memory.
As an excellent Crime Hunter and lawyer, Mizaistom Nana was accustomed to memorizing the information of his colleagues.
After all, those who passed the Hunter Exam were no pushovers.
Some might have good character, but others could easily lose control of their inner evil.
Some even became hunters simply for the legitimate right to kill.
These individuals were potential criminals and unstable factors.
Every year, many professional hunters defected or became wanted criminals because their actions were too extreme.
Thus, out of professional habit, Mizaistom Nana memorized every professional hunter in the Hunter Association.
"Of course, it's also possible that he disguised himself or used some ability to alter his appearance..."
Mizaistom Nana's gaze remained serious. Especially in this particular situation, the other party's every word and action made him tense and vigilant.
But the first thing the other party said after looking at him was...
"You are Mizaistom Nana, right?"
Luke looked at him and said casually.
"Hmm?"
Mizaistom Nana's eyes narrowed. "You know me?"
"You're a famous Crime Hunter."
Luke kicked the struggling, burly man aside.
"So I have heard of you."
Luke chuckled. "I have almost known any professional hunter with some reputation."
Mizaistom Nana didn't doubt it; instead, he found it quite reasonable.
Because he did the same thing himself. For a Crime Hunter, especially one who is also a lawyer, collecting enough information is extremely necessary.
Just like his current move, he planned to gather enough evidence against the local boss here, then send it straight to the court of justice!
"So, a Crime Hunter like you came here primarily to deal with the mastermind behind this city, right?"
Luke easily saw through his thoughts.
"That's right!"
Mizaistom Nana nodded without hesitation.
"As long as there's evil in this world..."
He said solemnly: "I will make sure it is brought to justice!!"
Mizaistom Nana truly believed this from the bottom of his heart, and he always put it into practice.
He chose to do so without reservation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have developed the court-based Nen ability, Cross Game.
Comparing it to the context of Luke's world, Mizaistom Nana was a true legalist.
But, unfortunately…
In this world, relying solely on the law can't solve all problems.
"Good idea."
Luke praised. "Well, good luck then."
With that, he turned and left.
"Wait a moment."
Before he could take two steps, Mizaistom Nana's voice called out from behind him.
"You don't seem very optimistic..."
Luke turned around and saw Mizaistom Nana staring at him with a frown.
When it came to the law, the one he believed and upheld most, Mizaistom Nana was not willing to back down.
"Indeed."
Luke didn't mince words and asked directly:
"You came here to find the culprit behind the world-threatening ore industry in Ironwood Mountain, right?"
"Yes."
Mizaistom Nana nodded.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"Collect evidence, find the source, arrest them, and bring them to court..."
Mizaistom Nana spouted without a pause: "Then, let the law judge them."
A very straightforward approach, and the most direct course of action for someone with a legal background.
"Which court do you plan to send this case to?"
Luke first asked: "It can't be the local court in Ironwood Mountain, right?"
Mizaistom Nana: "I'm not that stupid!!"
He felt his intelligence was being insulted.
Handing the biggest local source of evil over to the local court and judges to try... How many years of brain clots would one need to make such a move?!
"That's more sensible."
Luke nodded.
No matter where you go, there will always be entrenched interests, especially for a place that's the birthplace and continuous nurturing ground of these evils.
"You must understand, the mining industry here is tangled up with too many vested interests..."
Luke said: "Anyone profiting from this industry won't stand by and watch you act recklessly against this place."
"They'll do everything they can to stop you..."
"So what?!"
Mizaistom Nana blurted out: "If I were afraid, I wouldn't have come here!"
His eyes were incredibly determined.
"Ever since I began this path, I've already considered the dangers and difficulties involved."
"But I won't give up. I'll keep going!"
Luke met his gaze. "I have no doubt about that."
"I can sense your inner thoughts and convictions."
"But that's not what I meant..."
Luke shook his head slightly. "If there are difficulties, overcome them. Otherwise, what difficulties are they?"
"What I want to express is the fundamental difference between you and them."
"I just want to ask you one question."
Luke met his gaze. "Would you resort to illegal means when gathering evidence or apprehending criminals..."
"Absolutely not!"
Before Luke could finish, Mizaistom Nana shook his head without hesitation.
"I'm a lawyer! A lawyer who upholds the law!"
As a lawyer and Crime Hunter, he would never do anything illegal.
Even if doing so would greatly facilitate and benefit his efforts in finding evidence and apprehending criminals, he would never do it.
Some things are like Pandora's box.
Once opened, they can never be closed.
For a practitioner of the law, he would never cross this line.
It was something more important than his life.
"As expected."
Luke looked unsurprised. "You truly can hold fast to your own heart and will. But precisely because of that, your actions will be more difficult."
"And more importantly..."
Luke whispered: "You wouldn't resort to such tactics, but the enemies you face have no scruples."
"They'll use any means to stop you, pin you down, even if it means killing you."
"Although I know you're not afraid of such difficulties..."
Seeing Mizaistom Nana about to speak, Luke shook his head and interrupted: "But I'm not optimistic about your actions and the future outcome of this matter."
"You have your own boundaries that you won't break, but your enemies don't care at all."
"One imposes constraints on oneself, while the other acts recklessly and unscrupulously..."
"Then I can only wish you good luck."
Luke once again expressed his pessimism.
And that was exactly what happened.
Anita's father wasn't brought to justice by Mizaistom Nana.
Instead, he was assassinated by someone from the Zoldyck Family. This kind of mafia-on-mafia, fighting violence with violence, ultimately destroyed the Ironwood Mountain ore industry.
It was truly ironic.
"I will win!"
Mizaistom Nana's resolve remained unwavering.
Even though he knew what Luke said was true and was merely a friendly reminder, he remained unwavering, stubbornly determined to do this to the end...
"Some things have to be done by someone."
Mizaistom Nana clenched his fists and spoke word by word.
"I agree with that, but..."
Luke looked at him, then raised his head to the distant sky. "This shouldn't be done by you."
Well, even Mizaistom Nana could clearly see the dangers and evils posed by the ore in a place like Ironwood Mountain.
Luke absolutely refused to believe that the higher-ups, the V5, didn't know, didn't understand, and weren't aware of it.
Unless they were blind and deaf, but that was clearly impossible. They turned a blind eye, making no move, even pretending not to see it.