Of course, Archibald Fanobi was aware of the existence of Mind.
After all, the ultimate guardian of their manor, Jeff, wielded Nen.
Even knowing of Mind, Archibald Fanobi had always assumed it was at best a minor advantage enough to take out one or two, maybe eight or ten armed men. But a hundred? A thousand?
The Fanobi family had grown to its current power through money, manpower, and firepower. Nen was interesting, but personal abilities could only supplement the army, not replace it.
And yet, Rimo and his troupe had already wiped out over 500 of their gang members on this single mountain. This didn't even count the other Fanobi bases.
Do they think the Fanobi family, which had dominated Cambie Town for sixty years, relied solely on that town?
No their influence extended far beyond Cambie, and their operations spanned multiple territories.
This was why Nosla had guaranteed that as long as Rimo and the troupe destroyed the Fanobi residence, at least twenty-three strongholds would fall to them.
One reason was Bart, the strongest "incompetent" in Gambi Town, whose presence could stabilize Nosla's position.
Another reason: once the Fanobi family lost its leadership, internal power struggles were inevitable something all family-run gangs suffered.
With poor intelligence, rival families would rush to claim Fanobi territory and seize the weapon caches, consolidating their strength like the Nothra family swallowing an elephant.
To Archibald Fanobi, Nen was best applied as elite security or assassination forces, able to take out leaders quietly. To challenge an army head-on, one relied on manpower and firepower.
Honor could only be upheld at the tip of a sword; control could only be enforced within cannon range. Personal power maintained dignity at most; numbers and artillery forced obedience.
Before meeting Rimo, Archibald thought that way.
Now, he could only mutter: "How can a monster like you exist…"
Even Jeff, the last security force Archibald could rely on, a Nen user in his prime, was breaking into a cold sweat, frozen in place. He dared not disobey orders but even surrounded by Rimo's brigade, including Uvogin, Nobunaga, Machi, Chrollo, Feitan, Franklin, and Pike Norton, he was powerless.
Jeff could see that these fighters were relatively young, their Nen only recently developed. They might have been slightly weaker than himself physically, but their aura, honed through battles on Meteor Street and tested against seasoned Hunters, surpassed his.
In a Nen battle, Nen mastery was paramount, followed by physical skill, then willpower. Jeff had failed to overwhelm them; in the same way that Killua could dispatch the rookies in the Sky Arena, the brigade could swarm and eliminate him in seconds if he acted rashly.
Ultimately, Jeff was just a lucky Nen user. If he were truly powerful, he wouldn't need to hide in Gambi Town.
"Wait a moment!!"
Eisenhower Fanobi, the patriarch, aged ten years in an instant as he realized resistance was futile. Even as the last head of the Fanobi family, he could still judge the situation.
Though furious over his grandson's death, he understood: being weak was the family's original sin. Continuing resistance would only add three more corpses, and the Fanobi family would be finished.
"What… what do you want? Name it! Whatever it is, if it's possible, I will comply!" Eisenhower Fanobi said, neither bargaining nor testing Rimo.
"Father !" Archibald Fanobi protested.
"Hmm~ As expected of the old patriarch, sharp and decisive. Speaking of which, yes, we do want something from you, and it seems you can actually provide it." Rimo's tone was playful, almost sympathetic toward Niao Archie. Bart Fanobi's bullets hadn't even been aimed at them seriously.
"Please, tell me whatever your request is, our family will comply to the best of our ability." Eisenhower bowed slightly, submitting.
"Before that, one more thing first. I hate it when people try to shoot me!" Rimo glared hard at Archibald.
"Stop!" Eisenhower shouted, realizing Rimo's intent but it was too late.
Rimo's thoughts pierced Archibald's body directly, and six blood flowers bloomed across his chest in a perfect circle.
Eisenhower closed his eyes in grief at the sight of his fallen son. Though his grandson and son had been killed in quick succession, he forced himself to maintain composure.
He knew now was not the time to break; he must survive to take revenge. "If I survive today, I will make them pay," his thoughts vowed.
A flicker of resentment flashed across his eyes before he masked it with his usual calm, old-fashioned demeanor.
"Okay… since Your Excellency has vented, can you now tell me exactly what you want?" Eisenhower's humility increased with every word, revealing the cunning and restraint of a true patriarch.
"Oh ? I killed all your heirs. Don't you hate me?" Rimo asked, voice calm yet biting, leaving Eisenhower Fanobi to silently reckon with the scale of his defeat.
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