Luo Ye was hardly in high spirits after leaving the cave that had driven Pokkle to despair.
"I've got four points total. Still need two more."
He looked at his own [406] badge, worth three points, and the newly acquired [191] badge, worth one, feeling a little bored.
"I thought I'd find some entertainment, but he turned out to be all show and no substance."
"If I'd known it'd be this easy, I might as well have found Kurapika and asked him for his badge. But that would've been even less fun."
He darted through the forest, considering his next move.
Should he find one unlucky sucker to rob for a point, then another for one more?
Or should he find his target, Kurapika, and complete the three-point objective?
"Whatever. I'll play it by ear. Let's find Spiky and the others first and see what fun they're having."
Having made up his mind, Luo Ye closed his eyes and let his powerful senses spread outward. This perception wasn't based on Nen, but on his evolved body's extraordinary awareness of its surroundings, down to the faintest sounds, scents, and currents of air.
Soon, he picked up two familiar presences in a dense stretch of forest a dozen or so kilometers to the east.
Gon and Killua.
"Found them."
Luo Ye smiled, then blurred into motion, racing in that direction.
Meanwhile.
Under a massive banyan tree, Gon and Killua were seriously working out a battle plan.
Their target was [44], Hisoka.
"Taking it by force is completely out of the question."
Using a twig, Killua drew a rough map and tactical diagram on the ground.
His expression had regained the cool professionalism of a member of the Zoldyck Family.
"Even together, we couldn't beat Hisoka with one hand tied behind his back. Any direct confrontation would be suicide."
Gon listened carefully and nodded.
After Luo Ye had talked him through it, he had calmed down from his initial fear.
He knew this was an uneven fight.
To win, they would have to use unconventional methods.
"So our goal isn't to 'hunt' him. It's to 'steal' from him."
Killua drew a circle on the ground to represent Hisoka, then an arrow outside it to represent Gon.
"We need to find an opening, a moment when Hisoka absolutely won't notice. Before you even get close to him, his badge has to be gone. That's our only chance."
"With my fishing rod?" Gon picked up his beloved weapon.
"Exactly."
Killua nodded.
"Your fishing rod is the best tool we have for this job. But ordinary fishing techniques definitely won't work. You need to practice hooking his badge precisely, without making a sound or stirring the air."
"Can... can that really be done?" Gon wasn't feeling very confident.
"Even if it can't, you have to do it." Killua's tone allowed no argument. "Starting now, we're doing special training. I'll be your practice target."
As he spoke, he took his badge from his pocket and hung it in the most conspicuous spot on his waist.
"Come on, Gon. Use your fishing rod to steal it from me."
"Without me noticing a thing."
Over the next few hours, Gon began his grueling practice.
He hid in the grass dozens of meters away, casting his fishing line at Killua again and again.
He was practicing an assassination technique passed down in the Zoldyck Family-Silent Step, which used special footwork and breathing rhythms to minimize the user's presence.
At first, his movements were always too large, his footsteps clearly audible in the silent forest.
The hook's flight path kept veering off target, too.
"No! Your footsteps are too heavy!"
"Failed! You're leaking killing intent!"
"Again! Your breathing rhythm is wrong!"
Killua became the strictest of instructors, constantly pointing out Gon's mistakes.
Gon didn't lose heart.
Again and again, he adjusted his posture and controlled his breathing, focusing all his attention on the slender fishing line and the hook at its end.
He had no idea how many times he had failed.
His arms ached so badly he could barely lift them.
Sweat had soaked through his clothes.
Finally, during one attempt, inspiration struck.
He imagined himself as the wind, the grass, the leaves, blending into his surroundings.
He flicked his wrist gently.
The fishing line cut silently through the air.
Like a slithering snake, the hook approached Killua's waist without a sound.
Then it caught the edge of the badge with perfect precision.
Got it!
Just as joy rose in Gon's heart and he prepared to reel in the line-
Snap.
Killua's hand shot out like lightning and caught the fishing line.
"Almost."
Killua turned around, approval on his face.
"You hid your presence really well. But the second before you succeeded, your heartbeat sped up."
"To a monster like Hisoka, that tiny physical change is as obvious as a torch in the darkness."
Gon lowered his head in frustration.
"Still, that was really good," Killua reassured him. "Once you overcome that last little problem, we'll have a chance."
"Hey, playing dress-up out here? One thief and one cop?"
Luo Ye's voice suddenly came from the tree behind them.
Startled, they turned to find Luo Ye lounging on a branch with a blade of grass between his teeth. Who knew how long he had been watching?
"Luo Ye! When did you get here?" Gon asked in surprise.
"Around your hundred and eighth failure, I think." Luo Ye yawned. "Seriously, your method is way too inefficient."
"Then what do you think we should do?" Killua asked defiantly.
"What should you do?"
Luo Ye jumped down from the tree and walked over to them.
"Even stealing has some ground rules."
"First, you need to create a situation where he absolutely can't spare any attention."
He looked at Gon with a mischievous smile.
"For example, find a piece of fruit that's even more 'delicious' than you to draw his attention."
"And I happen to know where to find one so ripe it's practically dripping."
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