The call connected.
"Hey, Gorilla. What's up?"
Netero's lazy voice came from the other end of the line.
Dafifi sighed silently, giving up on correcting Netero's nickname, "I ran into Law."
"Where?" Netero's tone suddenly became urgent.
"Yoru City."
Netero's reaction was beyond Dafifi's expectations.
"Where is he now?" Netero asked quickly.
"He vanished in the blink of an eye. He should still be nearby," Dafifi replied in an uncertain tone.
Netero fell silent, 'So he's finally back.'
'Yoru City... isn't that where the unknown phantom beast appeared? It's not strange for Dafifi to be there, but Law showing up without a word is probably related to that unknown Magical Beast.'
'Thinking further, it was highly likely the unknown Magical Beast was something Law brought back from the Dark Continent.'
As someone who had been to the Dark Continent, Netero had seen truly enormous ecosystems.
'That would explain the exaggerated size.'
Bringing back a Magical Beast was one thing… the fear was bringing back an unsolvable Calamity.
In a way, that sort of thing was bound to happen eventually.
The thought made Netero worried.
The five Great Calamities still remaining in the human world could be said to have been deliberately brought back by the Gatekeepers as a warning.
So what Calamity might Law bring back this time?
"Chairman? Chairman?"
The voice from the phone interrupted Netero's thoughts.
"Hmm?" Netero came back to his senses, coughed twice, and said, "I see. You did well. This call was very timely."
A strange look crossed Dafifi's face. He felt Netero was a bit different today, 'Was it an illusion?
He paused, then said, "Chairman, there's something I'm not sure I should say. It's just my personal feeling."
"Go ahead," Netero replied.
"Law's current strength... gives me the feeling of being unfathomable," Dafifi said gravely.
"Oh?" A gleam flashed in Netero's old eyes, whether it was fighting spirit, expectation, or something else, it quickly vanished.
He chuckled a few times and said with emotion, "Well, he's been gone for several years."
Hearing this, and remembering Law said he had just returned, while Netero said he'd been gone for years, Dafifi wondered, 'Where had Law gone?'
"Chairman, where did Law go?"
"Hmm, I forgot," Netero said, stroking his beard and spouting nonsense with a straight face.
Dafifi's face darkened. He knew Netero wouldn't answer that question. It also showed, indirectly, that Law seemed to have gone to an incredible place.
But that question was less important than the main issue.
"Chairman, I'd like to ask a favor," Dafifi said, his tone becoming somewhat awkward.
"What is it?" Netero asked.
"Well, it's like this. Earlier, when I met Law, he gave me a small piece of jerky," Dafifi said awkwardly.
"And then?"
"I was hoping, when you see Law, you could ask him for a piece of jerky for me."
"..." Netero was silent for a moment, then said, "Was it that good?"
"It was freaking delicious!" Dafifi said from the bottom of his heart.
Hearing Dafifi's words, Netero felt a sense of déjà vu.
…
Law's body passed through the white light, crossing the boundary between virtual and reality, arriving at the data world constructed from 'cubes' by Ickshonpe.
"Let's play a game!"
This was the first thing Ickshonpe said upon seeing Law. Then, before Law could respond, he noticed Law's left arm was missing.
Law's coat was loose, so it wasn't obvious unless observed closely. But they were in Ickshonpe's [My World], so he spotted it immediately.
"Where's your left hand?"
Ickshonpe darted to Law's side, grabbing the empty left sleeve.
If they were to play games, missing a hand wouldn't do. It would be too unfair.
"It's a long story," Law said, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
He thought to himself, 'Will I have to explain this every time I meet an old friend?'
"Then don't say it," Ickshonpe shook his head, utterly unconcerned, "You can find Ging and have him ask Old White for help. Old White's [Fool's Method] can make your arm grow back." (T/N: I don't know who he is talking about, so I'll just translate it literally for now.)
As he said this, he frowned, "But I can't wait. I'll fabricate a left arm for you first."
Hearing this, Law just smiled at Ickshonpe.
He knew that with one arm missing, Ickshonpe would absolutely refuse to play games with him. It was the same principle as his intolerance for cheating.
Ickshonpe raised his hand, and a glow composed of tiny cubes flew out, landing on Law's empty left arm.
Law glanced down, calmly watching the glow.
After about ten seconds, a look of confusion appeared in Ickshonpe's eyes.
Another ten seconds passed, twenty, thirty... the cube glow didn't produce the effect he wanted.
"How can this be?" Ickshonpe was puzzled.
Law looked at him, smiling as he repeated, "It's a long story."
"Then say it quickly!" Ickshonpe pressed his hands against his cheeks.
"Simply put, the left arm appears to be gone, but it's actually still there. So, it doesn't need to be restored, and naturally, it can't be restored," Law explained.
"Is it caused by Nen?" Ickshonpe asked.
Law placed his right hand on his left shoulder and smiled, "Yes, but there's a deeper reason. I used it to seal away something very dangerous. I had no choice but to do it."
"So, unless you release that dangerous thing, your arm can't be restored?" Ickshonpe scratched his head.
"Mm."
"Then how about I take you to the [Data Storm]? You can put that thing there. I can digitize it instantly, then use the [Data Storm] to crush it!" Ickshonpe suggested.
"It won't work," Law shook his head.
"Then there's no other way?" Ickshonpe said unwillingly.
"Maybe there is. Let's not talk about this. Check if Ging is online. If he is, have him come over. If not, see if you can recover the data from this."
Law took out a small, incredibly fragile memory card.
"Alright."
Ickshonpe hung his head and summoned a virtual interface. Strings of data flowed rapidly across it.
In less than two seconds, he found Ging's location. He was online at that moment, watching an extremely obscure lecture.
Just as Ickshonpe was about to send a message to Ging, Ging's voice came through.
"If you keep being this willful, I won't be polite."
This sentence was directed at Ickshonpe.
The moment Ickshonpe's ability connected to Ging's computer, Ging had noticed.
"As expected of Ging," Ickshonpe praised first, then continued, "Law is here. He wants you to come over."
Hearing this, Ging immediately closed the lecture and said bluntly, "Send me over quickly."
Ickshonpe didn't dawdle. He used his Nen Ability to send Ging into [My World].
A flash of white light later, Ging appeared before Law and Ickshonpe.
"Your left arm? Is it Divine Script? No, it's a bit different."
Unlike Ickshonpe, Ging, relying on his keen observational skills, noticed instantly that Law's left arm was missing.
Moreover, he detected a faint aura of Divine Script around the severed area.
'Again.'
Law sighed softly and said seriously, "I'll explain it to you later."
"Fine. Then show me what you got first."
Ging's eyelids drooped as he unceremoniously reached out his hand toward Law.