'The number representing the time limit was rapidly decreasing...'
'Was it really because the percentage had reached 100%?'
'Well, the answer was no longer important.'
Watching the constantly changing number, as Law's spirits lifted, he also calculated how to clear the Zetsu time limit within a short period.
Finally, the white-smoke number settled at around three years. This time, as expected, no memory fragment appeared.
Law looked curiously at the score now devoid of black Nen.
Without a memory fragment, he wouldn't gain the violin's playing technique, nor understand the ability and price of the violin version of Dark Sonata.
However, every single note on that score was etched in his memory.
Even though he didn't know how to play it, he could recite it backwards flawlessly.
'Whatever, it doesn't matter.'
Even without the violin version's ability information, it was fine. Even if he had it, he might not necessarily use it.
Because each Sonata's special ability came with a significant restriction, leaving few opportunities for actual use.
Harp, piano, flute...
Out of the three Sonatas, based on the ability information, the flute version's [Phenomenon Exchange] seemed to offer the highest return with the smallest cost.
However, Law had experienced the terror of the unlucky crow in the white mist forest and would never underestimate something like [Luck]. It was completely unreasonable.
'Three years... Acquiring a large number of Nen-carrying artifacts and absorbing them. Who knows how long it will take to zero out the Zetsu time limit. However...'
The Aura surrounding Law's body noticeably thickened slightly, indicating the Aura Nodes had opened a bit wider.
Law channeled Nen to his right hand, constructing a weakened, basketball-sized Domain. Then, right in front of Kuro, he cleanly destroyed the score.
The amount of Aura he could currently mobilize was equivalent to the period when his attribute was at 20%. Once he successfully unlocked the final framework, both the total amount of Potential Aura, and his control were sure to reach a higher level.
It was just unclear whether absorbing Nen from artifacts afterward could still bring him benefits.
Law released his right hand, letting the fragments of the score scatter onto the floor.
"Eat it."
This was directed at Kuro. What he was to eat, of course, were the score fragments.
"Can you please not treat me like a vacuum cleaner?" Kuro said with a look of grievance.
"I'll try," Law replied seriously.
Then, Kuro still 'ate' the pile of score fragments.
To say 'ate' was actually a cleanup… sending useless trash to an unknown space.
In Law's view, back when they dug tunnels, they even had Kuro 'eat' the dirt, let alone some score fragments.
After Kuro cleaned up the score fragments, he looked at Law and asked, "How much time is left?"
"Three years."
"Won't that be over soon then?" Kuro's eyes lit up. He remembered back on the Dark Continent, hadn't Law cleared a five-year time limit in less than two years?
"Right, maybe I can recover in less than half a year," Law said, standing up and heading towards his room.
This time absorbing the violin version of Dark Sonata didn't yield a memory fragment, but he still retained his curiosity about the Dark Sonata.
'If all four were performed together, what exactly would happen?'
'Something good, or a disaster?'
If an opportunity arose in the future, perhaps he could find three Music Hunters unafraid of death to attempt a quartet. They could start with just one movement to minimize risk.
"You're going back to your room already? By the way, when are you taking me to a prison for another trip?" Kuro jumped to the floor and followed Law.
Hearing Kuro, Law stopped, stroked his chin in thought, then turned back to look at him. "Why not today?"
Hearing this, Kuro was momentarily stunned.
The next afternoon, a major news story broke in the nearby seahorse city.
Five thousand prisoners were brutally slaughtered overnight at the Reizan Penitentiary, with the perpetrator leaving no trace.
Reportedly, over ten similar cases had occurred in recent years. Based on the modus operandi, police believed the perpetrator was the same person.
The motive was unknown, there was no discernible pattern in location or timing of the crimes, and no clues were left.
These directionless cases were all filed together under the codename [Prisoner Killer].
When Reizan lost five thousand people at once this time, every corner of the police department was shaken.
This wasn't the first time, and the mastermind, Kuro, was lazily sunbathing by a window.
No matter how hard the police racked their brains, how could they imagine the perpetrator was a black cat?
Undoubtedly, it was big news, but amidst the national uproar about heading to the Dark Continent, the story's prominence wasn't as exaggerated.
Simultaneously, the Lawlin Museum issued a notice about purchasing a large quantity of artifacts.
Several days later, tragedy struck another prison… again, five thousand prisoners died.
A few more days passed, and an even more distant prison lost another five thousand prisoners.
The same perpetrator, the same number of victims, the same brutal method...
But these cases became mountains, crushing the police force, gasping for air, because no matter how many personnel were deployed, not a single clue could be found.
The perpetrator was like smoke… gone without a trace, arriving without a shadow...
Half a month passed. The police grew numb.
Noon, Hunter Association building.
Law looked at Kuro, who was wolfing down food and drink. "Had enough?"
"Pretty much," Kuro mumbled with his mouth full.
During this period, he diligently darkened pages, reducing the gap between white and black pages to around twenty thousand, placing him in a relatively safe zone.
Having blackened tens of thousands of pages at once, the amount of Nen he stored increased significantly.
Fortunately, he plundered Law's Potential Aura… if he plundered Manifested Aura, it would certainly be a losing proposition for him. After all, Law was still in a state of semi-open Aura Nodes, and compared to his peak, his Manifested Aura was pitifully small.
Kuro's growth in strength, for the current Law, was all benefit and no drawback… he would be a very reliable bodyguard.
Law paid no more attention to Kuro and went to help Sabro.
At first, Sabro thought Law had taken the wrong medicine, actually offering to help voluntarily, which moved him greatly.
Later, upon learning the reason behind Law's proactive help, Sabro felt his earlier sentiment wasn't worth five cents.
After the Lawlin Museum issued the notice to purchase artifacts, in just half a month, the company received over a thousand items. The previously ample liquid funds began to tighten.
Clearly, without digesting the acquired artifacts, continuing to purchase more was impossible.
However, what troubled Law more wasn't the funding issue, but the proportion of Nen-carrying artifacts.
Out of over a thousand artifacts, less than twenty carried Nen.
Even after absorbing them, it only reduced the time limit by less than a month. The efficiency was too slow… after all, not every artifact was the Dark Sonata.
Having gotten what he wanted, Law left company affairs to Sabro again. Selling off the purchased artifacts was a massive undertaking anyway.
In any case, Law had no time to deal with those matters. He directly went to find Biscuit, had her conjure Cookie, and then shut himself in a room for focused training.
Days passed, leaving only one month until the Departure Ceremony.
During this time, although Law focused on reducing the Zetsu time limit, he consistently monitored the Departure Ceremony situation, as well as the movements of the V5 and the Kakin Empire.
With Ickshonpe's help, he obtained a lot of intelligence.
The V6 was officially established.
And Ging absolutely had to board that large ship named B.W.
So, where to rendezvous remained an unknown.