Within the Hunter Association, the Twelve Zodiacs held considerable power and influence, particularly over regular hunters. However, for stronger hunters, the allure of the Zodiacs was minimal. In fact, many powerful hunters valued their independence far more than any potential benefits from being a Zodiac member. While the position provided certain privileges, it also came with obligations. Unlike ordinary hunters who could choose whether to take on missions, some tasks were mandatory for the Zodiacs.
If not for the conveniences that came with being part of the Hunter Association, Ada and Robin would likely never have joined. But that was as far as it went for them—there was no chance they would ever agree to becoming Zodiacs. After all, they weren't natives of the Hunter world and didn't share a deep loyalty to the association like Cheadle, who would sacrifice everything, even her life, for it.
In the original story, after Netero's death, Cheadle wanted the Zodiacs to venture to the Dark Continent to capture Beyond Netero. While the details of what happened afterward remain unclear, it's likely that few, if any, Zodiacs survived the mission.
Netero was known for his unusual mindset. He was willing to sacrifice himself for humanity, taking the Poor Man's Rose into his fight with the Chimera Ant King. But when it came to Beyond Netero, he left the Zodiacs to handle the mission themselves. He was fully aware of the dangers of the Dark Continent, having been there himself, and yet he sent them to such a perilous place. Even setting aside the threats of the Dark Continent itself, Beyond Netero alone was a formidable foe. In terms of raw power, none of the Zodiacs—apart from Ging—could match him, let alone deal with Beyond's ally, Pariston.
Daniel had once considered taking Netero to the One Piece world, but as time passed, the idea faded. Not because Netero was an old man—that wasn't a concern at all. Daniel could assure anyone of that with his integrity.
"You're in the Kakin Empire? Got it, I'll come over right away," Daniel said after learning that Ada and Robin were currently in the capital of Kakin. He immediately activated the protective barriers around his villa and prepared to join them.
Both Ada and Robin were naturally curious about the Dark Continent. For adventurers like Ada, the allure of the unknown was irresistible. And for Robin, an archaeologist at heart, the history of this mysterious place intrigued her just as much as the Poneglyphs of the One Piece world. Though she hadn't completely given up on uncovering the secrets of the Poneglyphs, her experiences in other worlds had broadened her horizons significantly. She no longer felt as urgent a need to solve the mystery of the Void Century.
Robin had already learned much about the Void Century, with Daniel securing several Poneglyphs and even two of the red Road Poneglyphs. Only the one on Zou remained to be found, and the last was likely hidden within the World Government's possession.
"It's been a while. I've missed you," Daniel said warmly as he appeared in the Kakin Empire using a magical marker placed on Ada.
"Is that so? I doubt it. How many girls did you trick while you were away in other worlds?" Ada replied, her tone sharp. Daniel flinched, knowing he couldn't provide a satisfactory answer.
"Guess I was right," Ada scoffed, turning away in a huff. She was dressed in a stunning red gown, looking more alluring than ever.
"So, this is a nightclub?" Daniel asked as they walked into a building. The music and the sight of women dancing on stage made it clear where they were.
Ada had likely chosen this location for intelligence-gathering. In the Hunter world, Robin mainly handled deciphering ancient texts and literature, using her love for books to master the world's ancient languages. Ada, on the other hand, took charge of gathering intel—something she had always excelled at.
Daniel didn't worry too much about Robin and Ada's safety. Given their abilities, no one on the six continents could pose a real threat to them, not even the world's top five Nen users.
In terms of survival, Daniel often felt he was lacking compared to Ada, Robin, or even Akame and Kurome. All of them had extensive experience in underground organizations or assassinations, skills far beyond anything Daniel had learned as an ordinary man before his powers.
"You're here," Robin greeted Daniel with a smile as she stood up from her seat in an outdoor booth. She had been sitting across from a well-dressed, clearly wealthy, but somewhat brooding young man.
"My friend is here, so I'll be leaving now," Robin said politely to the young man before grabbing her bag and walking over to Daniel.
Daniel gave the man a cold, impassive glance before turning and walking away with Robin and Ada by his side. Many of the men in the nightclub glared at him enviously. Ada and Robin were the kind of women that didn't appear in places like this often.
"Who was that guy? He looked like he was about to make a move," Daniel asked as they reached the underground parking lot. He had sensed the young man's dark intentions through his enhanced observation skills, noticing his growing anger after Robin and Ada left.
"That's the Fourth Prince of the Kakin Empire. There's more going on here than just the expedition to the Dark Continent," Ada whispered in response.
"Oh? What else is happening?" Daniel asked curiously.
"It seems that the king of Kakin plans to choose his successor during this journey," Ada explained. This information hadn't come directly from the Fourth Prince, of course. A prince wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal such a secret to a stranger.
"Looks like trouble's on its way." Just as Daniel was about to reach Ada's luxury car, six figures emerged from the shadows and surrounded the trio.
"Kill the guy, capture the women," the leader of the group ordered. The black-clad youth lunged at Daniel, while two others rushed at Ada and Robin.
"Nen users, huh?" Daniel muttered, shaking his head at the sight of the young man charging at him. Of the six attackers, only the leader possessed Nen. The others were ordinary thugs.
"You two go on ahead. I'll deal with this," Daniel said, his tone cold as his eyes filled with a dangerous glint. No one messed with Ada and Robin on his watch.
"Don't take too long," Ada teased, blowing Daniel a kiss before she and Robin entered the car and drove off.
The attackers suddenly froze, their bodies immobilized by thin strands of Nen-infused thread that wrapped around them. The five ordinary men, in particular, couldn't understand what was happening, but the leader, a Nen user, recognized the threads for what they were and paled in fear.
"Nen abilities," he muttered. He quickly realized Daniel was no ordinary man—he was a powerful Nen user, far beyond their capabilities.
"Take me to your prince," Daniel said coldly. He flicked his wrist, and the five thugs were immediately sliced into pieces by the threads.
"Y-You can't! This is the Kakin Empire!" the Nen user stammered, trying to use the empire's name to intimidate Daniel. That might have worked on others, but Daniel wasn't easily cowed. Kakin meant nothing to him, especially after they targeted Ada and Robin.
"You're not talking, huh? Guess I'll have to do it myself." Daniel placed his hand on the man's head and used his telepathic ability to extract the information he needed.
"Graygray Hotel, huh? Fitting name for a family of Graymeat and Reboiled Meat," Daniel mused after gleaning the details. However, what truly angered him was what he learned about the Fourth Prince, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou.
"You'll get what's coming to you," Daniel muttered darkly. He drew a transmutation circle on the ground with silver threads, his fingers tracing the intricate pattern.
The captured man let out a final, agonized scream as his soul was twisted into a Philosopher's Stone. Though Daniel rarely used this technique anymore, he reserved it for those who truly deserved it, like Tserriednich and his lackeys.
The Graygray Hotel, the most luxurious establishment in Kakin's capital, was a testament to the excesses of the royal family. The entire hotel was gilded in gold, from the walls to the floors and every decorative piece. It was opulence taken to the extreme. Even as a wealthy man, Daniel found the sheer extravagance overwhelming. He had seen grand palaces before—even the palace of Xianyang—but nothing quite like this.
While Daniel had plenty of gold himself, he had never considered building a hotel out of it. Even the infamous Golden Emperor from the One Piece world had a massive ship, the Gran Tesoro, made of gold, but Daniel had never visited to see it firsthand.
The Golden Emperor's ship was a well-known den of debauchery in the New World, frequently visited by the Celestial Dragons. Daniel felt conflicted about the Golden Emperor's story—a man who had once been a slave saved by the revolutionary Fisher Tiger, only to later become a symbol of everything Fisher Tiger had fought against.
"Maybe I should pay the Golden Emperor a visit sometime," Daniel thought as he approached the hotel. The Golden Emperor's Goru Goru no Mi, the Gold Gold Fruit, was a powerful Devil Fruit, and one of his subordinates possessed the Wapu Wapu no Mi, a lower-tier space fruit. There was also the Fortune Fortune Fruit, another potentially god
-tier ability, wasted on its current user, if not for Ussop's intervention.
Choosing Devil Fruits for Akame and Kurome had always been a tricky decision for Daniel. Should he prioritize combat-enhancing powers or opt for utility abilities? He was still undecided.
"The Wapu Wapu no Mi might be a good fit," Daniel mused as he entered the Graygray Hotel. He swiftly made his way to the eighth floor, where Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou resided in a private suite.
The hotel's security was top-notch, with numerous surveillance cameras and a number of Nen users employed as guards. However, none of these posed a challenge for Daniel. Using "Invisible Heaven," he passed through the hotel's defenses undetected, easily reaching the prince's suite.
"So many Scarlet Eyes," Daniel muttered as he entered a room that appeared to be the prince's study. The walls were lined with glass cases, each holding the prized red eyes of Kurapika's fallen clansmen. Tserriednich was notorious for his grotesque collection, but what truly disgusted Daniel was the room's other contents.
In addition to the Scarlet Eyes, the study was filled with various human body parts preserved in jars and cases. The most disturbing of all were the flayed skins of several women, carefully displayed on the walls.
"Disgusting," Daniel whispered, a deep fury rising within him.
Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou stepped out, wrapped only in a towel.
"Where the hell is Marco? He's taking forever," the prince grumbled to himself as he moved toward the bar, oblivious to Daniel's presence. He reached for a bottle of expensive wine and began to pour himself a glass.
"Marco isn't coming," Daniel said coldly.
Tserriednich flinched, the wine bottle slipping from his hand and spilling across the bar. Red liquid splattered onto his towel, staining it dark.
"You! What are you doing here?" Tserriednich shouted, his eyes widening in fear as he recognized Daniel. He darted toward a hidden button behind the bar, but before he could press it, a silver chain shot out and pierced his shoulder, lifting him into the air.
"You dare—" the prince began to snarl, but his words were cut off as another chain drove through his opposite shoulder, leaving him hanging helplessly.
"Save your breath. I know exactly who you are. You've got quite the collection here. I think it'll look even better with your own skin added to it."
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