The Stage Was Set, Ready for the Show

Oboro stayed at the Ten Dons' estate for several days.

After the meeting ended, they had not let him leave immediately. Clearly, they wanted to have a more thorough exchange with him.

It felt as though they intended to cultivate Oboro into a confidant... but just as he had expected, before expressing their appreciation, there had been more "warnings."

For instance, it was a good thing that the Fills Family had ambitions... but Oboro needed to understand who was in charge. Without his tacit approval, the Fills Family would not be where it was today, and so on.

Oboro was more perfunctory than anything in his dealings with Brown... once the Kenny Family had been eliminated, the matter of the casinos was already over.

Whether he had come this far to borrow the authority of the "Ten Dons," make money to smooth the road for his future Hunter career, or simply play around with their private armed forces, at its core, the mafia was no different from Heavens Arena.

They were both merely stops along his road through life. When dawn came, he would leave.

"Keeping me here for several days was so you could observe me more closely, wasn't it...?"

At night, Oboro stood on the balcony of one of the palaces, cold wind blowing against him as he swirled a glass of red wine in his hand.

He gazed over the sprawling palaces and grounds, murmuring to himself.

For the past few days, no matter where he went, Nen users had followed him, watching his every move from the shadows.

They were probably reporting back to Brown...

Even now, within the room where he was staying... there was a "beast" crouched in the grass, watching him, ready to bare its fangs at any moment!

Oboro concealed himself well, as though he had not noticed the person's presence.

He liked this feeling very much...

The feeling of being regarded as prey by someone else. And the other party truly was a rare and capable hunter.

He tried not to let his expression look too excited... just as he had once said, the Hunter world was filled with powerful people. Beyond those characters from the story, there were capable individuals in every corner and every field.

That was what made such a world more interesting... wasn't it?

Draining his wine in one gulp, Oboro turned and returned to his bedroom to sleep.

The next day, the Ten Dons apparently had business elsewhere and needed to travel to another continent. Oboro was finally able to leave.

The only thing he had gained from this trip... was not the Ten Dons' stream of nonsense, but confirmation that there was a group of fairly capable Nen users around them, especially "that one" who had given him a sense of danger.

But it was not one of the Shadow Beasts...

There was still a long time before the story began to unfold... Oboro had also probed a little and could confirm that the Ten Dons' Shadow Beasts had not yet appeared. However, the concept of a private armed force had already begun to take shape. The "beast" that made him feel threatened was likely the current representative of the Shadow Beasts to come.

Ten Dons, ten Shadow Beasts... one followed each of them. Together, they formed a force belonging exclusively to the Ten Dons. The Ten Dons themselves were one whole, jointly controlling the underground mafia, a world-class conglomerate standing above the rest.

Sitting in the car back to Koke City, Oboro pieced together the fragments of information in his mind.

First, the Ten Dons' underground presence had caused the mafia's structure to become rigid for a very long time... no one could easily challenge their position. The Fills Family, currently enjoying limitless prestige, appeared powerful... but with a single word from Brown, every mafia group in the region would move against them. Forget several hundred families—even a few dozen could drown the Fills Family in spit alone... Brown would not even need to mobilize his own armed forces.

Brown had indeed been right. The Fills Family's glory existed under the protection of his wings.

For now, they were still "one of their own."

In the future, during the Kakin Empire's upheaval over its expedition to explore the Dark Continent, the Phantom Troupe had contacted mafia leaders while searching for Hisoka. The mafia organizations at that time were vastly different from those now. After the Ten Dons were wiped out in one stroke by the Zoldyck family, the underground forces fell into chaos without a leader. Countless gangs sprang up like mushrooms after rain, bursting forth with "new life."

The mafia now was a stagnant pool.

The Ten Dons did not permit any uncontrollable factors or signs of them to appear within their respective territories.

Those ten had held their positions for far too long... even if the current Ten Dons were not the same ten who would die in the future, and a few had stepped down early, their successors were absolute confidants chosen from within.

It was somewhat like a hereditary system.

If Brown suddenly died today, a new Don would emerge tomorrow... someone who had long since been "selected." Oboro and Badim's people would have to support them unconditionally, and the forces within the territory would not be greatly affected... because what the Ten Dons left behind were connections and military foundations that ordinary mafia families could not shake. Moreover, as fellow beneficiaries, even if some trouble arose, the other nine Dons would help.

Therefore, a family like the Fills Family... had no hope at all.

That was also why Oboro had to resort to special measures.

To bring down Brown... he had to ensure that the other nine Dons stayed out of it.

Of course, that would be difficult... practically impossible.

But in truth... he only needed to sway two or three of them... make them show an attitude favorable to him within the Ten Dons' small circle.

Put simply, one or two supporters... would be enough.

From Brown's idle remarks, Oboro could tell that the Ten Dons were not actually as united as they appeared.

There were people who did not get along with Brown...

They were mafia men, after all...

"Trying to rise to the top within a few short months really is a fantasy." Oboro had formed a plan.

Once he returned to Fills headquarters, he would leave it to Lily and the butler. With a woman's intelligence and thoughtfulness, along with David's efficiency, he would not need to worry about much.

Trying to win over the people of other Ten Dons outside their territory was taboo! Brown could not be allowed to notice.

But if they were Brown's "sworn enemies," it would not be much of a problem... it was worth trying.

People... always had weaknesses.

From the outside, the Ten Dons were one whole, but only they themselves knew what things were truly like within.

"Meteor City..."

Then Oboro mentioned another name.

The mafia's current scale was inseparable from Meteor City.

Because of their struggle for survival, the people of Meteor City possessed a ferocity and resilience that were exceptionally pure. Most had the courage to face death head-on, making them ideal "raw material" for the mafia.

The dealings between the two sides had begun long ago, though they had not been close.

Their true "connection" had been established a few years earlier.

Meteor City supplied manpower to the mafia, while the mafia protected Meteor City's safety... by now, conditions in Meteor City had improved considerably, and it no longer needed much protection, but their cooperation continued.

The origin of the arrangement... was that Meteor City, known as the "world's dumping ground," had often suffered persecution at the hands of outsiders in its early days.

"People from Meteor City aren't people, so... there's no need to fear legal punishment for doing anything to creatures that aren't human."

That had once been... the common consensus.

The situation only worsened.

Every year, nearly hundreds of children from Meteor City were abducted and vanished without a trace... many adults also died unnatural deaths. Their organs and labor were both profitable resources, and acquiring them was not difficult. For a time, Meteor City became a "money bag" for criminals. It had been utterly miserable...

This climate had also made the Phantom Troupe direct "victims."

Without such things, there would be no Spiders today.

The Phantom Troupe's original members had initially dreamed of touring the world, much like the Moritonio Troupe Oboro had belonged to years ago.

The difference was... the Phantom Troupe performed plays, while they had been a Circus.

Chrollo had wanted to become a great voice actor... Uvogin wanted to become the actor who played "the world's greatest villain."

What happened back then had forced Meteor City's elders to seek outside help. They found the mafia, and the two sides hit it off immediately.

Meteor City's management structure... was actually similar to that of the mafia. It had an institution resembling a Council of Elders.

Its unusual background, unusual experiences, and unusual environment also made Meteor City's people relatively more suited to becoming Nen users... providing some of the "high-level combat power" the mafia needed.

The Fills Family did not have people from Meteor City, though... because it had risen through casinos, it did not require as much manpower as other lines of business.

"If I have the time... I should go take a look..."

Oboro withdrew his thoughts and smiled faintly.

Over the next two months, the mafia forces within the territory became more peaceful, and the smell of gunpowder was no longer so strong.

The rapid rise of a family like the Fills Family was considered one of the mafia's rare major developments in recent years.

The Fills Family also began following the Ten Dons' arrangements, behaving itself "properly." Brown was very pleased by this, feeling that Oboro was being obedient and was quite compliant.

Most importantly, the Fills Family kept paying tribute!

Brown enjoyed that.

He gradually lowered his guard and slowly began treating Oboro as "one of his own."

But in truth, ever since their first meeting with the Ten Dons, the Fills Family had secretly been colluding with mafia forces on other continents. Although Brown had dispatched several Nen users to watch them... none could deceive Oboro, and they were skillfully misled.

By now, the people monitoring them had been withdrawn.

It was clear that Brown had developed an initial measure of trust in Oboro.

Meanwhile, Oboro had kept a low profile and rarely went out... he was in seclusion.

Preparing for the grand show to come!

When the time came, he would face the greatest danger yet... perhaps even the loss of his life.

"Family Head."

The next day, inside a pitch-black room, Oboro sat cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed, Nen aura surging from his body.

David's voice came from beyond the door.

"Come in."

Oboro opened his eyes.

"Family Head, we've made contact with two other members of the Ten Dons. The others seem far more difficult, and there would be risks. We probably can't manage it for the time being. These two are somewhat interested in us and said they could give us an opportunity to meet with you... as for the consequences, we'll bear them ourselves!"

"Only two... that will do."

"Go make the arrangements."

Oboro smiled.

To meet the other Ten Dons, one needed a certain level of strength and foundation. Clearly... the Fills Family was qualified.

For this outcome... Oboro had paid no small price.

"Yes."

David turned and left.

"It seems... everything is about to end."

Oboro slowly rose to his feet.

The stage... was almost complete.

Even without an audience, he would put on a magnificent performance...

So that all this time he had spent would not have been wasted.

The third update, ten thousand words complete. Salute!