025 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"Nothing unusual from the Fourteenth Prince's side. The numerous guards under his command, led by Kurapika of the Twelve Zodiacs from the Hunter Association, haven't made a move."

"Oh? Ever cautious, aren't you~"

I couldn't tell if I should be admiring or mocking them.

"To sway the succession war this much without lifting a finger… that one's quite the character, Hui~"

After both Tserriednich and Benjamin suffered setbacks, the ever-watchful King Nasubi observed the situation unfold with calm detachment.

And now, Kurapika—the visible spearhead of this power shift—had come under Nasubi's scrutiny as well.

Following Tserriednich's failure, he instructed Nugui to dig into Kurapika's background.

Against the prestige and notoriety of Kakin's rising factions, Kurapika's dossier was swiftly laid on King Nasubi's desk.

A member of the Twelve Zodiacs. Chief bodyguard to the Nostrade family. Sole survivor of the Kurta Clan. A man with a blood feud against the Phantom Troupe...

Everything was presented clearly, line by line.

It gave Nasubi a solid first impression.

And based on Kurapika's profile—his record, personality, accomplishments, and affiliations—Nasubi naturally credited all the recent maneuvering in the succession war to him.

"What's the next move, Your Majesty?" Nugui asked cautiously.

The current situation reminded him of past succession battles in Kakin history—occasions where multiple princes had resisted the war outright.

If things continued along this path, Nugui feared history would repeat itself.

"First, compile a booklet about succession wars under these… special circumstances from previous reigns," Nasubi said, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Send it to all the princes. Let my children learn from the past and see the consequences of choosing peace. I trust their intelligence will guide them from there~"

"Give them some breathing room. The Black Whale has already departed from the Six Continents. We'll wait for refueling at the sea border and the final inspection round. Then we'll see how they react."

"If they still insist on peace... or are arrogant enough to believe they can defy the iron law of Kakin... haha…"

Nasubi's small eyes gleamed with chilling amusement.

"Then I'll give them a little help, Hui~!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Nugui's body tensed, but he took a deep breath and responded with unwavering seriousness.

When Nasubi gave the order, his subordinates never hesitated.

Knowing the weight of the King's decree, Nugui quickly compiled the forgotten records of past succession wars into a single volume. Though the Thirteenth Prince Marayam's quarters couldn't be entered due to spatial constraints, Nugui had someone stand at the door and read the content aloud.

Once the pamphlets were distributed, every prince grasped the message behind it immediately.

Especially after Nugui's subtle commentary, the implication became clear: their father would personally judge their response once the Black Whale crossed into international waters.

The atmosphere on the first floor tightened noticeably.

...

As soon as Queen Oito received the news, she rushed to find Ronnel.

Kurapika, meanwhile, was under quiet pressure. Now that Nasubi had pinned him as the mastermind behind the scenes, things wouldn't stay quiet for long.

The King didn't act directly. Instead, he simply passed along information to Kurapika: the Phantom Troupe was wreaking havoc on the third, fourth, and fifth levels of the Black Whale.

A cruel nudge.

After all, didn't Kurapika have a personal vendetta against them?

And the Phantom Troupe hadn't just infiltrated—they had decimated the three major mafia families at the lower levels. A major affront to the Kakin Empire.

To Nasubi, even his country's trash should be handled internally. An outsider meddling in Kakin's affairs? Unacceptable.

This was the pride of Kakin. And so, Nasubi had no qualms about pitting the Hunter Association and the Troupe against one another.

Let them tear each other apart like wild dogs. Better if both sides were left bloodied.

...

Upon hearing that the Troupe was active, Kurapika's eyes immediately turned scarlet—but he didn't lose his composure.

He couldn't. He knew full well the Troupe had gathered in force, and in his current state, confronting them would be suicide.

More importantly, he'd recovered many Kurta eyes—and the head of Pairo—from the Fourth Prince Tserriednich.

Now that he had them back, he couldn't risk anything happening to them.

Until he could secure their safety, Kurapika wouldn't move recklessly.

As for the Phantom Troupe… they'd boarded this ship for one reason. Their true destination was the Dark Continent.

So be it.

They'd settle the score there.

...

After receiving reassurance from Ronnel—"I'll handle it"—Queen Oito felt a bit more at ease. But the unease lingered.

Nasubi wasn't just any king. He was the King of Kakin—a man whose name cast a long shadow across the royal court.

Even now, Queen Oito couldn't help but feel dread.

She wasn't alone. All the other princes and queens fell silent upon seeing the pamphlet Nugui had distributed.

Even Luzurus—who had full confidence in Ronnel's manipulations of Benjamin and the others—consulted Ronnel several times afterward, anxiety written all over his face.

They were all waiting.

But Ronnel understood—this wouldn't end unless the root cause was addressed.

King Nasubi…

In Room 1014, Ronnel looked off in a particular direction.

Then he slowly rose to his feet, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

After sitting quietly for so long… it was time to go out for a walk.

He was ready to see for himself just what kind of man this towering figure of Kakin truly was.

And along the way… he wanted to uncover the origins of those ancient inscriptions he'd read in the classic texts about Tyson.