Hunter x Hunter: Card Master, the Strongest in the World.

Chapter 168 String-String Fruit! Dual Nen Ability!

boom!

Tsunade stopped in front of Machi, her fair right fist finally landing above her left shoulder, creating a gust of wind near her ear.

The sound of fists whistling through the air!

Behind the arena, the gambling table was overturned, and a large number of colorful chips flew into the air.

Tsunade remained calm, simply looking at the silent Machi, slowly withdrawing her fist, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking composed and at ease.

She wouldn't kill anyone unless absolutely necessary, nor would she need to go to great lengths; a single punch like this would be enough to have a deterrent effect.

"I surrender." Machi stared intently at Tsunade for a moment, and seeing that Tsunade had withdrawn her aura, she gasped for breath like someone who had been rescued from the water, and said quickly and decisively.

The difference in strength is too great.

The difference in strength between her and this person is far greater than a fraction; even if the leader were here, he probably wouldn't be able to win.

It's strange. She clearly didn't see any Nen in Tsunade, yet Tsunade was able to create such a sense of pressure with a simple punch.

It could be some special training method of the Reges royal family, or it could be an extremely powerful enhancement expert whose physical strength has reached an astonishing level.

An absolutely formidable opponent!

Even if their entire brigade comes out, it's best to avoid a direct confrontation.

Although the fighting style of the Enhancement type is simple, they are still very troublesome to deal with. They have the purest stats: high attack, high speed, and high defense. One careless move and they can be instantly killed.

Machi has already tacitly acknowledged that Tsunade is a highly skilled member of the Reges royal family.

She left the casino directly, thinking to herself, "The Reges royal family truly lives up to its reputation as one of the great powers; their resources and strength are not to be underestimated. It seems it would be safer to make a move after Lynn leaves the capital."

After Machi conceded defeat, Tsunade successfully obtained Machi's share of the money, bringing her total earnings to 600 million Jenny!

Tsunade, who was overjoyed, planned to press her advantage, but Chopper stopped her. They couldn't let Tsunade get too carried away; they had already spent half a day at the casino, and it was time to go back.

When they returned to where Lynn and the others were, Tsunade said happily, "Look, this is the money that Chopper and I won just now, a total of 600 million Jenny."

Can Tsunade really win money?

Lynn blinked, and then learned the truth from Chopper. It turned out that the clever Chopper had Tsunade choose a target first, and then deliberately bet on another target.

This process of elimination is very useful when dealing with a 50/50 probability situation, such as rolling dice.

Six hundred million kyats is nothing to him, but it is certainly a cause for celebration for Tsunade.

Then, Tsunade mentioned sparring with a girl with pink and purple hair, and Lynn realized where the card she had just suddenly obtained came from.

Combining Tsunade's description with the [String-String Fruit] he had obtained, Lynn immediately thought of Machi from the Phantom Troupe.

It turns out that Machi and Tsunade ran into each other.

Not long ago, while he was browsing around, a card suddenly appeared in his mind. He initially thought it was dropped by Illumi or the Swordsman.

【Name: String-String Fruit】

[Grade: B+]

[Type: Item Card]

[Background: One Piece]

[Description: A treasure from the sea, one of the Paramecia-type Devil Fruits. The user can use various thread-like techniques, but is countered by Seastone and cannot eat other Devil Fruits.]

The Paramecia-type String-String Fruit, the Devil Fruit that Doflamingo ate in the original work. What was originally an ordinary fruit was used in many ways by him, including techniques such as the Five-Colored Strings, Parasite Strings, and Birdcage.

It can attack, defend, and even stitch up wounds and fly in the air.

However, it depends on who is eating it; not everyone is as gifted as Doflamingo.

He really couldn't find a suitable candidate in the short term.

He definitely won't eat it. If he eats the String Fruit, he won't be able to eat any other fruits, so it's not the best choice.

Other character cards — Capone and Chopper are already Devil Fruit users, and there don't seem to be any other suitable candidates.

At best, only Tsunade, the doctor, and Erina, the chef, could be considered a match, but that's still a bit lacking.

If possible, he'd like to give each character card a Mythical Zoan type, an overpowered Paramecia type, or a Logia type, like Tsunade eating a Blue Dragon Fruit, or Yuki-onna eating an Ice-Ice Fruit.

Collecting his thoughts, Lynn decided to put the Thread Fruit aside for now.

Even if you don't eat it, Devil Fruits are still valuable items that can be traded with others. For example, he traded the Eight Gates Formation with Orochimaru last time.

As dusk approached, it was time to gather and return to the palace.

At the other end of the festival street, Leorio, who was shopping, received a text message and hurriedly headed towards Lynn and the others.

In the evening, the flow of people on Celebration Street not only did not decrease, but even increased, with crowds stretching as far as the eye could see.

The festival street remained bustling until late at night.

Perhaps it's because there are more people that conflicts are more likely to occur.

"You bumped into someone and didn't even apologize!" A burly man with a bare chest and large tattoos grabbed someone by the collar and said angrily.

The latter, also hot-tempered, glared angrily at her with a strange look in his eyes, saying, "It's clearly you who's blind! Why did you have to run right into me!"

"What did you say?!"

"Want to fight?"

Before they could exchange more than a few words, the two were locked in a fierce fight, each ending up with bruises and blood splattering onto the other, which frightened the others into retreating three feet away.

Leorio, who was passing by, shook his head upon seeing this scene, withdrew his light, and continued on his way. It must be said that the martial culture of the Kingdom of Reges was truly deeply ingrained.

Since arriving in the capital, this was the sixth time he had witnessed a street fight.

At first, he thought about trying to break up the fight, but when he saw that other people who tried to mediate not only didn't get any benefit but were instead dragged into the beating, he stopped paying attention to it.

Ultimately, this is their cultural tradition. I may not understand it, but I respect it.

A man wearing a celebratory mask watched the scene unfold from a corner, a smirk playing on his lips as he saw the fight escalate.

The more fiercely they beat them, the more satisfied they are.

This is how the "seed" can spread.

The man then left and went to a secluded corner of an alley, where two people had already gathered.

One was his companion, and the other was his employer, Ibaraki.

Ibaraki looked at Yoken, the Satanic tribesman who had returned, and asked in a deep voice, "How is the situation?"

Yoken removed his mask, revealing a withered, rotten-wood-like face, and sneered, "How could my Satanic race fail?"

"Everything is ready. During this time, Theodore and I have planted 'Seed 4' throughout the capital."

"And it's already ripe, ready to explode at any time."

"Just wait for your notification."

Ibaraki nodded slightly. As expected of the legendary and famous Shigenori clan, he had managed to summon two of them to fight at once.

He only knew part of the information; Yoken's seed of death was hidden.

Before it is activated, no changes can be seen; it only makes people irritable. Once it matures, it can be activated, turning people into mind-destroying corpses driven by death thoughts, launching attacks on various life forms.

Theodore's Death Seed has a strong ability to spread, making it suitable for combining with other people's Death Seeds.

Whether before or after activation, it can spread rapidly, and the more people each spirit corpse spreads to, the stronger that spirit corpse becomes.

With the two combined, as long as it is planned in advance, a large-scale commotion can be created, plunging an entire city into chaos.

When the Nen zombies run rampant, and with the Seven Deadly Sins' forces on the line, the Reges royal family will definitely deploy troops and Nen users to control the situation.

They, the Yingren Kingdom, can use this opportunity to storm the royal palace!

This was a move he made out of desperation.

Currently, Yingren Kingdom's strength is no match for Reges Kingdom, especially given that it is on the eve of the king's inauguration ceremony and the royal family's power is concentrated.

But they are not without advantages!

The royal capital is both an advantage and a disadvantage for the Reges royal family!

As invaders, they can cause chaos and destruction in the capital at will, and the royal family must step in to control the situation, divert their forces, and thus create opportunities for them.

This time, the Yingren Kingdom has mobilized most of its fighting force, along with the assistance of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Satan Clan. However, the strength of the Reges Royal Family should not be underestimated, and with the addition of external assistance such as Bisge, he believes the outcome is about 50/50.

Even if there's only a 50% chance, it's worth the effort!

"It's settled then. Notify us if we encounter Lynn," Yorkn said, his eyes flashing with malice. "We're going to finish off this blasphemer who dared to blaspheme!"

The Satanic people worship a demon king, and in their belief, death thought is the power wielded by the demon king, who has bestowed upon them the gift of using death thought.

Exorcists, especially those with formidable strength who can remove death thoughts, are considered absolute heretics in the eyes of the Satanic race.

Coincidentally, Lynn gained fame for removing Amy's seal and the death wish of the Sares ruins, and was thus targeted by the Satanic tribe early on.

So when the Satan tribe received Ibaraki's request, they readily agreed.

It allows one to cultivate the Seed of Death in the capital, complete commissions and receive rewards, and also deal with Lynn, this heretic—a triple win.

"Don't worry, Lynn will be at your disposal then." Ibaraki nodded; Lynn was no longer worth his attention.

As the person in charge of Yingren Kingdom's operation, he had long set his sights on preventing Amy from completing the ceremony, or even killing Amy to weaken the entire royal family's power.

He didn't need to bother with a mere Lynn.

Having been targeted by the Satanic tribe and the Seven Deadly Sins, his fate was predictable.

Today is the 23rd, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to take action the day after tomorrow.

Success or failure hinges on this!

Royal Palace.

After the banquet, a group of people appeared at the martial arts arena, ostensibly to "digest the food."

Lynn and the others watched from below the stage. The fighters on stage were Kurapika and one of the royal family members. They were similar to Lightning and Bull, whom they had met before, and both had B+ rank strength.

Kurapika was only B-rank before, but since he created his own Nen ability some time ago, his strength has reached a new level, and he now has B+ rank combat power.

On the arena.

The jackal had sharp claws on both hands and thick fur on its body. With a push of its feet, it quickly approached Kurapika.

Kurapika's eyes, hidden beneath his contact lenses, transformed into double-tomoe Sharingan, allowing him to see every move the jackal made.

After breaking through to obtain the Sharingan with two tomoe, Kurapika's strength also increased. Even when facing a jackal whose strength was superior to his own, he remained fearless in the face of danger.

The jackal was very fast, but its eyes could still catch its form!

Swish!

The claws came down vertically, but Kurapika dodged to the side in time.

【shave】!

Immediately, Kurapika channeled his Nen energy into his hands, forming two swords of different shapes.

The left-hand knife is slightly shorter, while the right-hand knife is longer, but both knives have intricate patterns, making them look exceptionally cool.

Kurapika reacted swiftly, using his left hand to parry the jackal's attack with his sword, while his right sword emitted a burst of Nen light. The jackal's attention was drawn to the right sword, and he momentarily lost consciousness.

The next moment, Kurapika's right sword struck the jackal's chest with a dull thud, the impact forcing the jackal to stagger backward.

The jackal snapped out of its daze, and even with its thick hide, it couldn't help but wince in pain, but it quickly launched an attack while remaining vigilant.

There's something wrong with the knife in his right hand—don't pay attention to it!

The jackal's claws suddenly doubled in size, and its speed increased dramatically as it rapidly approached Kurapika. Its claws slashed wildly, creating loud whooshing sounds as they ripped through the air, each strike easily tearing hard rocks into powder.

Kurapika remained calm and composed, accurately dodging or parrying each attack before seizing the opportune moment.

The left blade pressed against the jackal's claws, its light gleaming slightly. The jackal felt its body stiffen as the swift right blade flew to its neck.

The jackal paused, glancing down at the sharp, longsword and the dense spiritual energy above it. He slowly took a half-step back and said helplessly, "I concede."

"You're very strong." Kurapika sheathed his twin swords, smiled, and extended his hand.

Amidst applause, the two stepped off the stage. Lynn looked at Kurapika, who had grown up so much, and nodded slightly.

After gaining Nen abilities, Kurapika became even stronger.

Because of his Kurta clan bloodline, Kurapika still possesses two Nen abilities. In his normal state, he is a Conjuration type, but instead of conjuring chains, he conjures dual swords.

In fact, Kurapika has been practicing with dual swords since he was a child, and he carried two wooden swords with him when he took the Hunter Exam.

Lynn then told him to follow his previous habits, and so he materialized two swords, which also possessed multiple abilities.

The left-hand knife is named "Discipline," and its current functions include restraint, lie detection, and tracking.

The sword in his right hand is called "Judgment," and its current functions include illusion and enhancement.

The name is very simple: [Discipline and Judgment].

Because of his butterfly effect, Kurapika successfully maximized his talent and even surpassed it by a large margin, possessing the Sharingan and Gourmet Cells, thus his Nen abilities also differed.

For example, the illusionary effect of the right-hand sword [Judgment] originates from the Sharingan.

When Kurapika activates his Scarlet Eyes, his Nen ability is still called "Absolute Time," which allows him to unleash the full potential of all six Nen types for a certain period of time, including enhancing his Sharingan.

The cost also changes depending on the [Gourmet Cells].

In the original work, Kurapika activates "Absolute Time," which requires consuming one hour of his lifespan for every second, making it a life-risking strategy.

There is still a lot of room for error now, so we can use the body's energy as the initial source of energy and replenish it by eating.

Lifespan is reduced if too much energy is consumed in a short period of time and there is no time to replenish it.

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