Baki's presence surged, rapidly increasing at a visible speed.
This caused Gluttony to feel a hint of pressure.
But soon, Gluttony found that hard to believe.
"I'm feeling pressure?"
"A mere Nen Beast is making me feel pressure?!"
A fierce anger arose in Gluttony's heart.
"Find that damn main body!"
Upon hearing Gluttony's shout, Kyler couldn't help but curse in his mind. He too wanted to find it, but when he looked in the direction Gluttony had indicated, there was nothing there.
He reappeared almost instantly right in front of Gluttony.
This high-level combat technique, involving extreme gasification to release pressure, allowed the user to reach the utmost speed in the blink of an eye.
Hanma Baki's body collided with Gluttony's.
The immense force bent Gluttony's body immediately.
He resembled a boiled Arctic shrimp. (IMG)
The powerful impact struck Gluttony's stomach.
This created a problem.
At that moment, Gluttony's stomach was full of food, as he had just indulged in a binge. The impact landed right on his abdomen.
As a result, Gluttony's mouth involuntarily opened.
The food from his stomach was forced out through his oesophagus and mouth.
In that instant, Gluttony's mouth opened wide.
A human arm fell to the ground.
The upper part had been severely corroded by stomach acid.
But it was still recognizable.
Ron, who was watching the surveillance footage, squinted.
"It really is just as I thought. The so-called Gluttony must refer to his ability. When he fought Hanma Baki earlier, he repeatedly tried to bite him."
"Based on this, it seems that Gluttony is an Enchanter-type Nen user."
"He even Enchanted his digestive system."
"This includes his teeth, oesophagus, stomach, and intestines…"
This kind of ability reminded Ron of one of the members of the Shadow Beast—Sick Dog.
But unlike Sick Dog, who only enhanced his teeth and excreted venom, Gluttony's ability seemed more similar to a character from another world.
A character from the One Punch Man universe—Pig God, an S-Class Hero.
Pig God had the ability to devour monsters whole.
Ron continued analyzing.
"Since even his intestines and stomach have been Enchanted, it's clearly not just a preference, but likely involves some kind of restriction or vow."
"Such as consuming something grants him power."
"Fighting Gluttony means avoiding being bitten."
"However, with Baki's strength, it wouldn't be easy for Gluttony to land a bite on him."
Gluttony hit the ground and his eyes turned bloodshot.
Gluttony's body suddenly inflated, transforming into a huge, bloated figure.
His height increased.
The image reminded Ron of a character from the Street Fighter world—Rufus.
After transforming into this form, Gluttony's presence clearly intensified.
"An ability similar to Hanma Baki's Demon's Back!"
Nen abilities come in many forms.
There are attack types, defence types, support types...
And then there's another kind, called Buff-type.
Just like Hanma Baki's Demon's Back, when activated, the user's strength increases.
And similarly, Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes gives a Buff.
When using Scarlet Eyes, the talent distribution for all Nen categories except for the Conjuration type becomes 100%.
Moreover, the amount of aura increases.
In the original story, right after Kurapika learned about Nen and made his Hatsu, he was able to defeat Uvogin of the Phantom Troupe. At that time, Uvogin's strength was considerable.
Among the Phantom Troupe, Uvogin ranked within the top three.
Of course, this ranking excludes Hisoka and, later, Illumi, who joined during the Chimera Ant arc.
The reason for Kurapika's success was largely dependent and due to his abilities being tailored specifically for the Phantom Troupe, which involved many restrictions and vows. However, the most important aspect was the Scarlet Eyes.
Hanma Baki threw a punch.
The strength of the punch was as more powerful than before.
However, despite receiving this blow, Gluttony was in better condition than earlier.
It was hard to tell if it was muscle or fat.
But it effectively absorbed Baki's attack.
He only staggered back a single step.
Gluttony grinned, showing a mocking smile.
"Now I've entered my absolute defence form. In this state, my offensive power drops dramatically, but my defensive abilities increase exponentially."
"You won't be able to harm me."
Gluttony's logic was simple.
Hanma Baki was strong.
He was also exceptionally skilled in close-quarters combat.
It was difficult for Gluttony's teeth to land on Baki.
Their combat styles didn't mesh well, and Hanma Baki had a clear advantage in direct combat.
But Baki was merely a Nen Beast.
If Gluttony could find the Specialists-type Nen user controlling him, and kill him, the Nen Beast would disappear on its own.
Gluttony's voice rang out again.
Gluttony had urged him multiple times, but Kyler hadn't seen a single clue. The Specialist Nen user seemed to vanish, and no matter how many times he searched, Kyler couldn't find him.
However, Kyler knew better than to voice his frustrations.
If Gluttony couldn't find something, it would be his own fault.
If he angered Gluttony, his future wouldn't be pleasant.
"Master Gluttony, I'm trying my best!"
Kyler felt immense pressure.
Baki observed Gluttony closely.
The next moment, Hanma Baki's posture changed dramatically.
Rigid Body Technique!
Baki's joints locked into place, and his entire body turned as solid as steel.
This stance allowed him to release all of his power.
Gluttony's expression became serious.
He could tell that the next attack from the nen beast wouldn't be weak.
Baki threw a punch, landing directly on Gluttony's stomach. Gluttony's abdomen vibrated visibly, sending out ripples like waves on a calm lake when a stone is thrown in.
Gluttony staggered back, step by step.
He continued retreating until his back collided with a wall.
However, Gluttony finally stopped moving.
Gluttony felt a rush of relief. He turned to Baki, a smug smile appearing on his face.
"That punch was probably your strongest, wasn't it?"
"I must admit, your strength is impressive."
"But even with your strongest attack, you couldn't break through my defence. What can you possibly do to me now?"
"Next, once I find your real body, you're finished!"