Ron studied the young man calmly as he spoke.
"Mr. Ron, have you ever heard of the Bomber?" the young man asked. Without waiting for Ron to answer, he continued, "He's a player, but unlike normal players, he doesn't play the game to obtain designated cards. Instead, he gets them by mistreating other players—taking the cards straight from their hands. On top of that, he kills for fun.
His ability is special; he can plant bombs on other people. Once they explode, survival is almost impossible. Only a Nen exorcist can remove them, but exorcists are far too rare. Many players have already been victimized by him. That's why we formed an alliance—to stand against him and root him out. Otherwise, his presence will always hang over us, like the Sword of Damocles."
Ron's brow lifted slightly. Of course, he knew about the Bomber. He even knew the truth: the Bomber wasn't one person, but three. He knew their ability as well—Little Flower, and the Sound of Life.
(Note: From the Japanese original source, "Sound of Life" could also be translated as "Countdown". Which one should we stick with?)
Their leader was named Genthru. The moment he touched another person and uttered the words "I'm the Bomber," he could plant an invisible bomb on them. The bomb couldn't be detected—not even with Gyo.
Once the Bomber's group explained their ability to the victim, the bomb became "activated" and visible. A countdown would appear, and when it reached zero, the bomb would explode. Under such an explosion, almost no one survived. Most of the Bomber's power was concentrated in Genthru's hands; the other two hadn't shown any abilities of their own, likely using theirs to reinforce Genthru's instead. That level of trust within their trio might even surpass that of some Phantom Troupe members. After all, the Troupe's numbers were large, and their personalities strong.
"How exactly is this alliance supposed to work?" Ron asked.
"We plan to gather all the players inside this game and check each one," the young man said. "Anyone who refuses to come will immediately be suspicious. They could very well be the Bomber. The time and place are already set."
He gave Ron the details.
"I'll see you then," Ron replied.
He returned to Shizuku and the others.
He handed over three Leave cards. But just as they prepared to go, Ron paused. Shizuku's team had improved after acquiring those cards, their training bearing fruit. Still, a real battle would temper their abilities even further.
The Bomber's trio could serve as decent opponents.
Ron had never met them in person, but from what he recalled of the original story, they weren't weak. Yet with most of their strength tied up and invested in the "Sound of Life" Hatsu, their combat effectiveness in sudden encounters was reduced. For Shizuku's group, they were suitable practice.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave," Ron said. "Since there are some decent Nen users here in Greed Island, before you go, you should test your new abilities in an actual fight."
Soon, the appointed time arrived. Ron wasn't certain the Bomber would appear, but odds were high. After all, Sound of Life required physical contact to trigger, and this gathering was the perfect opportunity to touch as many players as possible.
At that moment, Ron received a message. It was from the young man he'd spoken with earlier.
"Don't come—the Bomber is here!"
But this was exactly what Ron wanted.
"Shizuku, Elita, Ponzu—are you ready?"
Ron drew out a card. "Use Accompany."
In the next instant, the four of them appeared at the meeting site.
A massive explosion rang out, followed by several more in rapid succession. Shockwaves blasted from within the cavern.
Ron's aura flared. A Nen construct appeared before them, blocking the full force of the blast. From inside, three figures emerged.
Ron recognized the one in front—he matched the Genthru from the original story. The other two left no impression, but judging from their closeness to him, they were clearly the other members of the Bomber trio. Both bore markings on their foreheads, faintly radiating Nen.
Genthru smirked. "Didn't expect any dessert after the banquet, but here you are. Killing you should make things more enjoyable."
Ron's gaze was calm as he contacted Biscuit. "Bisky-senpai."
"Use Accompany. Bring Gon and Killua here. I've found a few opponents good enough to test my team's abilities."
Gon and Killua looked up at her.
"What's wrong, Bisky?"
"Ron-nii?" Killua blinked.
Gon was equally surprised. "Ron's in this game too? But when we went to Battera's place, we didn't see him. Did he come later?"
"Most likely," Killua said, "Ron-nii got a Greed Island console through another channel."
Bisky explained, "Ron said he has a battle and wants you two to see it. I'll use Accompany to take you there." She drew a card. "Use Accompany—Ron."
The three of them were wrapped in aura and teleported.
They landed on the rocky ground.
Genthru frowned slightly. "More arrivals?"
Gon and Killua immediately spotted Ron. Content originally comes from novel fire.net
Their eyes quickly shifted to Ponzu. Both of them knew her—from the Hunter Exam.
"Ponzu?" they exclaimed.
"It's been a while," Ponzu said, smiling faintly.
"You're part of Ron-nii's team?" Gon asked.
"That's right. I was even in Yorknew with him."
Killua's mouth tightened.
Shizuku, Killua, and Gon already knew each other. Now their eyes turned to Elita. They remembered her too—from the Hunter Exam.