In HxH with Doraemon Pocket

"Who is it?!"

Squala's expression changed as he turned and shouted, thinking it might be a member of the Phantom Troupe's gang below.

Suddenly, Melody's ears twitched. "It sounds like there's an extra heartbeat approaching."

No sooner had she spoken than mounds of earth began to rise beneath Kurapika and his companions. Then, a face resembling a jellyfish or maggot emerged from the ground. Following it, a completely crimson body wriggled its way out of the hole.

"I am Worm of the Shadow Beasts," he said, glaring with his murky eyes. "Who are you people?"

"We are bodyguards of the Nostrade family," Basho replied.

"I see..." Upon hearing the family name, Worm gave them a second glance. Even he knew that the Nostrade family had a fortune teller particularly skilled in prophecy. 

It was thanks to their divination that they had been able to move the auction items in advance.

"Even though you can use Nen, it's best not to interfere. That guy isn't just any ordinary thief."

With disheveled hair, protruding teeth, and a sickly appearance but with a fierce gaze, Rabid Dog approached with his hands in his pockets. Beside him, other members of the Shadow Beasts began to reveal themselves.

"Never engage in a test of strength with an Enhancer-type! And there's more than one of such formidable individuals. Killing is second nature to them; simply put, they are murder specialists."

In a tracksuit, with no nose and an oval bald head, Porcupine trotted in with small steps. "So, they're people like us," he remarked, glancing at the group.

With hair parted in the middle, a big belly, and wearing tattered sneakers, Leech had a sly smile on his face. "Experts should be dealt with by other experts."

The strongest armed team under the Ten Dons, the Shadow Beasts, had gathered four members here!

"The Shadow Beasts under the Ten Dons have been mobilized," Squala said in disbelief. "Even if it's to make a statement by taking someone's life to show the Ten Dons' authority, is the enemy really this difficult to handle?!"

"If it's the Phantom Troupe, such a lineup is justified," Kurapika understood.

"The world's top criminal group, more vicious and possibly stronger than the Kuta Bandit Group, with S-class bounties."

Rabid Dog didn't even glance at Kurapika or Squala but still explained, "The one below, if I'm not mistaken, is a member of the Phantom Troupe named Uvogin. Back in the day, he and another member named Nobunaga were both Floor Masters at the Heaven's Arena. 

Later, they mysteriously disappeared, only to reappear in the Kingdom of Mosibia, causing great chaos and subsequently being placed under bounty. This is how the name of the Phantom Troupe began to spread across the world," Rabid Dog explained to the others.

Why explain? Because the stronger the opponent, the more impressive it would be when they subdued them, thereby showcasing their own prowess. That's the most effective way to boost prestige!

Kurapika had, of course, heard of the name Uvogin. What Rabid Dog said was indeed true.

"A member of the most vicious criminal group, and once a Floor Master at the Heaven's Arena..."

Squala swallowed nervously again. "No wonder the Ten Dons pay so much attention to the guy below."

"And you have to realize, there's more than one such formidable individual."

Melody looked at the Shadow Beasts stepping into action and at Uvogin, standing in the center with his arms crossed. Then, she glanced at the top of another slope where Nobunaga watched, with shadowy figures behind him.

"There are other members, and their leader as well."

The others fell silent again. Just one member of the Phantom Troupe displayed such immense power. And there were thirteen of such members, plus their unfathomable leader and deputy leader...

No wonder the Phantom Troupe was labeled as an S-class top criminal group, one that even the many bounty hunters of the Hunter Association couldn't subdue.

"Yo, are those guys the so-called Shadow Beasts?" Nobunaga perked up a bit as he saw the four bizarre figures enter the scene from his vantage point.

"They look pretty intimidating, but their strength...?" He sized them up, then let his eyelids droop again. "Just so-so."

---

Nobunaga yawned, losing interest in the Shadow Beasts. He had expected that the leaders of the underworld, the Ten Dons, who gathered the strongest forces among global gangs, would be formidable and powerful. But at a glance...

Well, it seemed he had wasted his anticipation.

In truth, the Shadow Beasts weren't as weak as Nobunaga made them out to be. In the original storyline, they could put up a decent fight against Uvogin. 

However, eventually, Uvogin took them down in one fell swoop, Shizuku eliminated four more, and Feitan took out another while capturing one. So perhaps they weren't that impressive after all?

Shizuku was considered one of the weakest in combat within the Phantom Troupe, aside from Kortopi. If even she could handle a few Shadow Beasts, it spoke volumes about their strength. 

Moreover, Nobunaga and the others had grown significantly stronger since then, making the Shadow Beasts hardly worth his attention.

"What? So they're just this level of opponents?"

Not only Nobunaga, but Uvogin below also found the encroaching group rather uninteresting. "With such bizarre appearances, no wonder their strength is mediocre," he remarked, scratching his chest hair in disappointment. "I really wasted my anticipation."

"Judging an opponent's strength by appearance, I think Uvogin and Bonolenov should have a good chat," Franklin commented dryly from the mahjong table, glancing at Uvogin below.

"Hahaha, he's just using small talk to provoke those Shadow Beasts, not specifically targeting you," Shalnark said, drawing a tile and smiling broadly. "Self-draw, I win!!"

Franklin leaned in, his expression turning odd. "Three ten-thousands?"

Machi glanced at Shalnark's tiles without expression and then overturned her own hand. "I have four ten-thousands right here." The four tiles stood out conspicuously.

"So I'd like to ask, where did your extra ten-thousand come from?" Machi asked calmly, looking at Shalnark.

Shalnark: "?????? You clearly have four ten-thousands, why didn't you declare a kong?!"

"Why do you care if someone declares a kong or not?!" Feitan's narrow eyes narrowed further. "I just want to know why you have an extra ten-thousand!"

"You're cheating, Shalnark. Does that mean...?" Feitan's gaze grew dangerous, a hint of killing intent flashing through his eyes. "You've been using these tricks to win all along?!"

Shalnark: "…Hahaha, the weather is really nice today!!"

"Don't change the subject!!!" Feitan brandished a knife, stepping onto the mahjong table. Shalnark quickly backed away to a safe distance.

"Looks like this game won't be finished," Morin sighed, pushing his tiles away and leaning back in his chair. He listened to Feitan's interrogation while observing the situation below.

At that moment, Rabid Dog, Porcupine, and Leech, the three Shadow Beasts, were closing in on Uvogin, forming a surrounding formation.

"Where are the auction items?" Uvogin asked casually, stretching his shoulders.

"Where did the guards and guests go?" Rabid Dog bared his fangs.

"I killed them all. You should be able to smell the blood," Uvogin replied, a murderous aura rising from him again. "I'll ask one more time, where are the auction items? If you don't tell me..."

Before he could finish, a shadow suddenly emerged behind him.