Beyond training, Ronin's other goal was investigating the mafia.
If they wanted to recover Scarlet Eyes more efficiently, having a mafia background was the most convenient route—and Kurapika had already set the example in the manga.
For now, Ronin still left that task to Kurapika.
But instead of starting with the Ten Dons like Ronin had imagined, Kurapika—after gathering intelligence—chose to begin with smaller local gangs.
"Smaller gangs are easier to control. With the Ten Dons, even if you remove the current boss, if you can't control the core, a new boss will pop up after a while," Kurapika explained. "And from what I've learned, the Ten Dons also have a special unit under them.
They're called the Shadow Beasts. I suspect every Shadow Beast member is a Nen user. Fighting Nen users is risky, so I filtered for smaller regional gangs instead. Starting from them, we can also recruit professional Hunters—our goal can be achieved more easily that way."
Ronin had let Kurapika take the lead, yes.
But his baseline requirement was still the Ten Dons—not because he looked down on small gangs, but because Ronin felt that challenging the Ten Dons could serve as a trial.
More precisely, his real target was the Shadow Beasts.
Nen training could be like Netero's—hiding in the mountains.
But Ronin preferred the joy of combat.
Whether it was the tension of close-range fighting, or the overwhelming pressure of ninjutsu firepower, he genuinely enjoyed it.
Even the cheers of Heavens Arena crowds—he enjoyed that too.
So if the Phantom Troupe threat disappeared, Ronin might even return to Heavens Arena someday. Whether it was challenging Floor Masters or entering the biennial tournament, he'd likely participate.
"I still suggest we aim for the Ten Dons," Ronin said. "If we can take a seat at that table, it'll be a huge boost for our future."
"That means clashing with the Shadow Beasts," Kurapika said seriously.
"Afraid?"
"No." Kurapika smiled faintly. "If anything, I'm kind of eager."
After awakening Nen, Kurapika had used Water Divination to confirm his type.
In normal state he was a Conjurer. In Scarlet Eyes state, he became a Specialist.
For now, he still had no concrete idea for his Hatsu, and at this stage he was simply laying foundations alongside Neon.
But he already had a rough direction for what he wanted to conjure.
If he were an Enhancer, he might have chosen—like Ronin—to become someone who excelled in direct front-line combat. Enhancement was the best type for head-on fighting.
But he wasn't.
So Kurapika's self-positioning leaned more toward support.
He understood too clearly what they lacked if they wanted revenge and to recover the eyes:
1. Overwhelming strength.
After discovering he, like Ronin, had Specialist potential, Kurapika understood what they were missing: time.
Give them enough time, and their growth would surpass ordinary people by far.
And recent training had shown him where the biggest time sink really was:
Recovery.
Nen training was grinding work. Whether it was foundational drills or aura-capacity building, it constantly consumed stamina.
After heavy consumption—beyond basic food—any supportive method that shortened recovery time would indirectly accelerate their growth.
So the first ability Kurapika wanted was something that could help him and Ronin recover faster and relieve fatigue.
2. Information.
Only with better intel could they reclaim Scarlet Eyes more efficiently—and understand enemies' weaknesses.
Nen battles were information wars. Whoever understood the opponent's ability first gained the advantage.
Whether Ronin vs. Uvogin or Ronin vs. Omokage, Ronin always won because he understood the opponent's ability first and seized the initiative.
3. Healing.
Ronin's combat power was already tremendous, but injuries in battle were unavoidable.
Kurapika wanted to handle logistics—so healing belonged on his list.
4. Self-preservation.
He refused to become Ronin's burden. So he needed reliable ways to protect himself.
Finally, there was a more selfish desire:
He wanted the people who stole his family to feel the same pain of having hope taken away.
So he also needed a stealing ability.
And in all the Nen knowledge Ronin had taught him, Kurapika found one method that could potentially satisfy his greedy checklist:
Vows and Limitations.
If he conjured chains, could he make each chain—corresponding to a finger—hold a different ability?
And his Specialist ability could become the "key" that boosted all five.
Ronin didn't know Kurapika's full inner plan, but hearing Kurapika say he was eager, Ronin smiled in relief.
So it was decided.
Still, finding the Ten Dons wasn't easy. The key was starting from the mafia itself.
Only by drawing enough attention from the underworld could they force the Shadow Beasts to move. And to locate the Ten Dons, the Shadow Beasts were the best handle.
These special operatives, directly under the Ten Dons, were among the most likely people in the mafia to have actual contact with the Ten Dons.
"Let's pull a big job," Kurapika said, writing on a blackboard at their outdoor camp.
They'd finished training for the day, and the three of them were barbecuing by the river to rest and reset.
"How?" Ronin was intrigued.
"We don't have much money," Kurapika said, mapping out his thinking on the board. "So why don't we just steal from the mafia auction?"
Ronin felt like this Kurapika was starting to go a little dark.
But he didn't interrupt—he listened patiently. If they could get Scarlet Eyes without needing to earn money, Ronin wasn't opposed.
Still, if they robbed auctions outright, they'd likely become wanted criminals themselves, which was a bad identity to carry.
"Use the Troupe's identity to rob it."
That one sentence made Ronin understand.
Kurapika continued, writing Shadow Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu on the board.
"After all, the Phantom Troupe will definitely guess we'll come to Yorknew on September 1 for the auction. I even suspect the Scarlet Eyes in the auction house right now were submitted by the Troupe as lots.
So if that's the case, why don't we use the Phantom Troupe's identity to do bad things? They already owe too much—one more crime won't matter."
~~~
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