Chapter 23 - 23

Words : 1059 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

"Ron's abilities are even more complex and dangerous than I initially anticipated." ---- On the airship, Ron sat by the window, watching as white clouds drifted by. A small green bird flew past, fluttering through the open sky. Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared, striking the green bird with ruthless speed. "Chirp?" The green bird barely had time to react before it was killed by the black shadow. Ron redirected his gaze back to the cabin. But then, the calm atmosphere shattered. "Everyone, stay where you are!" "Hand over all your money and valuables!" Several masked figures appeared, one blocking the exit, another guarding the entrance, and others systematically moving through the rows, threatening each passenger and searching them. The air in the cabin instantly grew tense. "Ten!" Ron instinctively activated Gyo, focusing his aura on his eyes to heighten his perception. But after scrutinizing the robbers, he realized none of them were using Nen. They were ordinary people. "The proper term should be sky pirates," he mused. In this world, with airships being widely used, many criminals specialized in hijacking airships, making a living off such raids. Ron scanned his surroundings. Most passengers were visibly distressed, yet a few were surprisingly calm, much like himself—observing the scene carefully. He could tell that some of these people were waiting for an opportunity to strike back at the hijackers. One of the robbers approached a young man with pale green hair, holding out a bag. "Hand over all your valuables," the sky pirate demanded. The green-haired young man trembled, feigning terror as he handed over his wallet, his hands shaking visibly. The sky pirate smirked, seemingly satisfied. But Ron saw through it—the young man was faking it. As soon as the pirate's guard dropped, the green-haired man struck. His hand shot out, gripping the sky pirate's throat with force. "Crack!" The pirate didn't even have time to react. In an instant, his throat was crushed. "What?" The other sky pirates turned at the sound, immediately alert. But before they could act, several passengers who had been lying in wait lunged into action. "Bang!" "Snap!" "Ahhh!" Within moments, two of the pirates were subdued. The pirate at the rear of the cabin turned and tried to escape. But the leader of the pirates, showing far more skill, dodged an attack, lifted his gun, and fired. "Bang!" The attacker was struck in a vital spot by the pirate leader's bullet and collapsed, dead. "Anyone else dare to move?" Ron flexed his fingers, and with a quick flick, he sent a coin ricocheting off the top of the cabin, striking the pirate leader directly in the back of the head. The leader of the sky pirates stumbled from the impact. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the green-haired young man lunged forward. "Attack!" he shouted, as another person charged the pirate leader from behind. Together, the two of them subdued him. Just then, the airship security personnel finally arrived, escorting the captured sky pirates away. The group who had fought back gathered and began talking amongst themselves. Ron chose not to reveal himself and remained seated, gazing out the window. One sky pirate, however, had already escaped using a glider and was now a tiny speck in the distance. The security officers, realizing they couldn't catch him, did not attempt pursuit. The group conversing seemed to enjoy each other's company, sharing stories. Ron initially paid them no attention. But then, a particular name caught his interest, and he looked over curiously. "My name is Sadaso," the green-haired young man introduced himself. Ron froze. "Sadaso ?" "The rookie killer from the Heavens Arena?" He recalled, "Sadaso was the one who fled the Arena in fear after a confrontation with Killua, not even daring to fight in the ring." Ron scrutinized the green-haired youth. "His hair color matches the Sadaso from the original story—light green" (T/N its the 1999 version) "But in the original plot, Sadaso had short hair, while this youth's hair is long." "Facially, they look slightly different as well. Sadaso's eyes back then were much smaller, and his arms were intact." Ron rationalized. "But that's understandable. After all, in the original storyline, Sadaso appears much later, when Killua is already twelve years old, and right now, Killua is only five." Ron turned his gaze back out the window. "It's likely this Sadaso here is the same one who'll eventually become the rookie killer, Sadaso ." "If everything goes as expected, he's probably heading to Heavens Arena now. After struggling there for many years, he'll finally climb to the 200th floor." "But what he thought would be the beginning of a bright future turns into a brutal awakening." "That "rookie baptism" not only disfigures Sadaso but also costs him his left arm." "It's because of this incident that Sadaso later develops his "Invisible Arm" technique—a skill of little actual value." "It's amazing how much time and experience can transform someone. Now, Sadaso still seems righteous and honorable, but he'll eventually become a despised rookie killer." "I wonder, if Sadaso knew what the future held, would he still choose to go to Heavens Arena?" --- Two days later, the airship began its descent. Once it had come to a stop, the doors opened. Ron joined the crowd disembarking from the ship. A vibrant, modern city stretched out before him. The sight was almost jarring. *This city is unlike anything back at the Zoldyck estate, which, despite its modern amenities, retained a traditional style.* Since coming to this world, Ron had stayed within the Zoldyck estate. This was his first time in such a bustling, modern city. *This must be one of the most advanced, prosperous places in this world.* A massive tower caught Ron's eye. It was none other than Heavens Arena—a 251-story building that stood far above everything else in the city. No other structure came close to rivaling it. From the top of the 251st floor, one could overlook the entire city, taking in every detail from above. Ron approached the entrance of Heavens Arena. He hesitated for a moment, then walked inside. Unlike Gon, Ron wasn't in any rush to sign up for a match. He preferred to observe first and act later.

Chapter 23 - 23

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