Beans's panic didn't elicit much reaction from Netero, who calmly waited for him to continue.
"A member of the Phantom Troupe appeared at Bino Plaza. Bushidora took people to subdue them, but the result..." Beans paused here, almost out of breath, before he managed to adjust his breathing.
"The result?" Netero shifted his posture slightly. If an A-Class criminal dared to cause such an open disturbance here, then they shouldn't expect to leave.
"All the Association's members who went to subdue them, including Bushidora, were defeated by Law," Beans said, having caught his breath, his tone urgent.
"Oh?" Netero stroked his beard. He knew Law was from Meteor City and had some connection to the Phantom Troupe, so he wasn't particularly surprised. He then asked, "Any casualties?"
Beans shook his head, "Unclear. And someone is organizing things behind the scenes, so amateur hunters from the city are all heading towards Bino Plaza."
Slurp.
Netero picked up his drink very calmly and took a sip, "Is that so? No need to worry. That brat knows what he's doing."
He understood Law's way of handling things and knew Law wouldn't act recklessly here.
If he hadn't played that volleyball match with him a few days ago, he would definitely go to check out the commotion.
"Huh?" Beans looked at the relaxed, calm Chairman and stammered, "Chairman, but if there are heavy casualties..."
Netero put down his cup and said seriously, "That won't happen."
As he spoke, he stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, put his hands behind his back, and looked out at the cityscape, "Beans, who do you think is mobilizing those amateur hunters?"
Upon hearing this, an image of a certain person flashed in Beans's mind. His lips moved, but he said nothing.
Netero silently looked in the direction of Bino Plaza. He knew the root of many things clearly but didn't intervene, allowing them to take root and sprout. That's what made things much more interesting.
Suddenly, Netero narrowed his eyes, sensing the Aura emanating from Bino Plaza.
It was Law's.
...
Bino Plaza.
Law looked at the hundreds of amateur hunters surrounding them. He could see only excitement and greed on each of their faces, not a trace of fear or apprehension.
In their eyes, they seemed to see only the potential reward, or perhaps the courage drawn from their numbers.
"To gather so many people in such a short time... is someone stirring the pot behind the scenes?"
Law thought silently, then suddenly raised his hand and flicked his finger. A Nen Bullet the size of a fingernail shot into the sky, shattering a flying machine, which dissolved into specks of Nen and disappeared.
On a rooftop elsewhere, the sunglasses man's heart trembled.
'Discovered.' He thought to himself.
Thinking this, he immediately retreated without another word.
'That man... was simply untouchable.'
That was the only thought in his mind at that moment.
After destroying the annoying flying machine, Law looked calmly at the hundreds of restless amateur hunters. By releasing his En, he could sense even more people arriving from further away.
Conspicuously, no police were dispatched.
"Machi, let me handle this."
Law once again stopped Machi, took a step forward, and freely released his Aura. It was like a sandstorm blotting out the sky in the desert, suddenly sweeping over everyone present.
Abruptly, the amateur hunters felt as though a colossal black shadow shot up behind Law at lightning speed.
From the moment it appeared, it reached into the sky, revealing evil eyes and a gaping, bloody maw.
They looked up instinctively, their hearts gripped as if by dark hands.
A fear rising from the depths of their hearts turned into icy blades of winter, relentlessly cutting at their spirits.
Law took a second step, his Aura concentrating to its peak.
The amateur hunters felt as if they had been struck by a wall. Their bodies jolted violently, their eyes gradually glazing over. Then, some fell to the ground, losing consciousness.
Like dominoes, they fell one after another.
Law had directly used his Aura to knock out the hundreds of amateur hunters around them.
Even those with strong willpower found it difficult to resist the Aura tempered by the Dark Continent.
Instantly, only the five Pro Hunters who had withstood his earlier domain attack remained standing. Protected by their Nen, they weren't crushed by Law's Aura, but they felt an even deeper fear.
To create illusory images on their retinas with Aura alone... this wasn't something an ordinary Nen User could do.
After dealing with the troublesome crowd, Law left Bino Plaza with Machi.
Instead of returning to the Association, they headed out of the city.
Realizing someone was pulling strings behind the scenes, Law decided to take Machi and leave the city directly, putting an end to this trivial matter.
He planned to go find Linne.
Once they left the city, he would inform Sanbica and the others.
After Law and Machi disappeared from view, the five Pro Hunters, who were at the end of their rope, all felt their knees go weak. They knelt on the ground, their chests heaving violently.
Compared to being killed in one blow, this mental impact was even more torturous.
With difficulty, they turned their heads, looking at the hundreds of people lying unconscious around them, falling into silence.
'So many people, yet they hadn't even touched the hem of the target's garment. Even a Single-Star Pro Hunter like Bushidora was defeated in an instant.'
A moment later, one of the Pro Hunters managed to stand up and went to check on his companions. He found that everyone, including Bushidora, was only injured… no one had died.
'That man held back.'
Looking in the direction Law had left, the Pro Hunter thought with trepidation.
Precisely because he had held back, it was even more terrifying.
After all, killing and capturing alive were two entirely different concepts in combat.
A while later, a tall, sturdy man arrived at Bino Plaza.
This man had solid facial muscles, with red and white paint around his eyes, cheeks, and even his mouth.
A long, thin mustache hung below his nose, proportional to his flowing eyebrows.
He looked at the hundreds of unconscious people and the undamaged Bino Plaza. His calm eyes showed no hint of what he was thinking.
The five Pro Hunters, seeing the newcomer, felt as if they had found a lifeline. Their spirits stabilized, and they called out, "Botobai-sama!"
The newcomer was Botobai, the [Dragon] of the Zodiacs. Among his professions was that of an inspector.
"Where did they go?" he asked.
One of the five carefully pointed in a direction.
...
Law and Machi walked side by side on the street as if nothing had happened.
"I'm going to find Linne. Are you coming?" Law looked ahead.
"Yes!" Machi replied.
"We can't exchange the clothes now. I'll buy you a new set next time," Law said.
"Okay."
Just like that, the two merged into the flow of people side by side.
They seemed to have forgotten the incident at the plaza. After leaving, they didn't discuss it at all.
At that time, Machi had wanted to kill everyone on the plaza to avoid causing trouble for Law.
But Law had stopped her. And she knew that if Law acted that way, he must have his reasons. So, she simply let it go.