037 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"After the Succession War, Your Highness won't need to worry anymore. No matter who inherits the throne, none of the outcomes will pose a disadvantage to you. You can set aside concerns about your safety."

"Is that so?" Momoze's expression dimmed.

Ronnel had blocked even the excuse she wanted to give for her insecurity. His polite refusal was clear—yet behind his words, his eyes carried a trace of loneliness.

Still, she was sharp enough to catch the real implication.

"'Most of your thoughts,' huh? So, you will be investing energy elsewhere, won't you?"

"There are a few things~" Ronnel's eyes lit up again when he looked at her. He was about to elaborate, but Momoze cut in:

"If my guess is correct, then your remaining energy is aimed at our Kakin side, right?"

Her gaze grew brighter, her tone more confident.

"Sir, I don't believe you're the kind of man who'd help us escape the Succession War and ask for nothing in return."

"Then allow me to guess—you want to link your goal on the Dark Continent with the Kakin Empire. Add in your ability to create clones…" Momoze smiled sweetly.

"You're probably hoping the Kakin Kingdom will provide steady supplies and logistics for your expedition to the Dark Continent, right?"

So sharp!

This time, Ronnel was genuinely impressed.

Wasn't there a saying that women in love become less rational? Why did the one he met only seem to get smarter?

His actual plan was to leave a clone behind before the voyage using Beelzebub. Even separated, the clone could still access the spatial storage, making it extremely useful for transporting supplies.

At the same time, it would allow him to monitor Luzurus' movements—was he really conducting experiments or just bluffing?

If Luzurus was serious, great. But if he dared to play games with him—well, hahaha…

Ronnel also kept a clone as a last resort.

Just like the main body, the clone could use [Double].

If he ever encountered a disaster on the Dark Continent that even he couldn't withstand, the clone stationed in Kakin could activate the substitute ability. By swapping with his main body, he could instantly return to the Six Continents and escape danger.

Plan for defeat before chasing victory. Being prepared was always the right move~

"I'm not asking for anything else from you, sir," Momoze's voice suddenly softened. "Only this—whenever you come to the Kakin Kingdom to pick up supplies, please let me see you. Just one look is enough."

She looked up at him, hopeful. "Sir, can you tell me your real name?"

Ronnel: …

...

On the side of the Twelfth Prince, the mood had shifted into something resembling a romantic drama. Meanwhile, in the neighboring room, things were very different with the Thirteenth Prince, Marayam.

Aside from his mother, Sevanti, who felt grateful, Marayam—the real focus—paid no mind to Nasubi's latest declarations.

He was still too young to fully understand what was happening. All he cared about was eating and drinking like always.

As for the Fourteenth Prince, Queen Oito had completely set aside her worries, pouring all her affection into Woble.

The recent brush with death had only deepened her maternal devotion, far beyond what most would expect~

Bodyguard Bill, Servant Shimano, and the others had successfully completed their escort mission. Now all that remained was to wait for the Black Whale to reach the edge of the known world—they could finally relax.

After the upper deck's succession battle was resolved, Kurapika, a member of the Hunter Association's Twelve Zodiacs, returned to work—protecting the common people on the lower levels.

Previously, the Phantom Troupe had wiped out the three major Kakin mafia families stationed there. With no one left to take their place, a fragile balance had formed between the Troupe and the Hunter Association.

The Association focused on calming public anxiety and managing lower-deck affairs without sparking conflict.

This balance held—for a time.

But over the past two days, it had been shattered, plunging the lower levels into fresh panic and unrest.

Surprisingly, the Phantom Troupe wasn't to blame. They had been keeping to themselves lately, sticking to their usual "don't bother us and we won't bother you" approach.

The Hunter Association had also handled things properly, without any major slip-ups.

No—the panic had come from the passengers.

At this stage of the journey, after a refueling stop, the Black Whale had finally left behind the safe and familiar sea routes, entering the vast unknown waters.

It was as if the sea itself wanted to greet them.

A massive eight-armed octopus and a towering king squid—both beasts of the deep whose sizes rivaled the height of the Heavens Arena Tower—suddenly began battling right near the Black Whale's course.

The resulting waves surged skyward, and torrents of water lashed against the ship.

Though the crew, trained by V5, reacted swiftly and skillfully changed course, the encounter still caused noticeable shock to the hull.

And the consequences didn't end there.

The VIPs on the upper decks had been forewarned during a briefing in the Grand Theater. Most of them simply cursed and grumbled before moving on.

But the passengers in the lower decks, who had no prior knowledge, were thrown into chaos.

Their imaginations ran wild. What if the Black Whale, carrying so many lives, encountered deadly storms or unknown sea monsters and couldn't withstand the pressure? Would they all die out here?

Some even feared the appearance of mythical sirens or other nightmarish creatures from legends—fueling a wave of mass panic.

And where panic thrives, misinformation spreads.

There are always more fools than wise men in the world, and fools are easy to mislead.

Among the rumors came the self-proclaimed prophets.

Fanatics from fringe religions began preaching that "exploring the New World is a sin against God, and divine punishment will come."

It was nonsense. But, like all effective lies, it was simple—and many people believed it.