Ron had brought some food for Ponzu from the dinner. Inside Sumas's space, there was no shortage of basic rations—mostly bread and similar items. They could fill you up, but the taste wasn't particularly great.
"Thanks, Captain," Ponzu said, finishing her training. She sat down across from Ron at a small table, each of them perched on a little stool.
The blank area of Sumas's dimension was being used as a storage warehouse. Roughly a third of it was piled high with various goods Ron had bought in bulk. Just the food and water alone would be enough for a single person to survive in there for a very long time.
Under the soft white light, Ponzu ate in small bites.
But quietly, off in the grassy region, Parker had begun his new life.
In the forest area, Sheila was still waiting.
The pyramid area had only a few surviving prisoners, and in the Trial Grounds, the bodies Ron tossed in were decaying at an accelerated rate.
Finally, the desert area was the calmest place of all.
"Captain."
Hearing Ponzu's voice, Ron turned his attention to her. She had finished her meal and neatly packed up everything.
"What is it?" he asked.
Ponzu met Ron's gaze.
"Can I stay with you forever?"
"I grew up in my village, but it's gone now, and my grandma is gone too. When I left the village, my sole goal was to get stronger, to gain power and save everyone. I trained relentlessly, traveled to all sorts of places, even took the Hunter Exam. But now the village is no more."
"I wanted revenge for my friends, for my grandmother and everyone else, but Oster is dead. I suddenly feel so lost…like I don't know where to go or what to do."
Until recently, Ponzu had lived for one thing: solving her village's crisis. When she returned and found the place ruined, sadness overwhelmed her, but it fueled her resolve to uncover the truth and avenge what was lost. Now that she'd learned of Oster's death, that motive vanished, leaving her adrift.
It was like a character in a game who painstakingly farmed minions to rack up a massive advantage, only for the opponent's nexus to explode right as they were ready to dominate. Even if it counted as a win, it felt empty. Ponzu's subconscious mind searched for something—or someone—to fill that void, and Ron was the perfect candidate. He was powerful, talented, kind enough to help her, and he also needed her support in his own way.
Ponzu's hopeful eyes locked on Ron.
Ron nodded. "Of course you can."
Before Ron could say anything more, Ponzu practically leapt up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Ron's eyebrows twitched in surprise, but he didn't push her away, only placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He caught a faint scent of girl and honey mixed together—Ponzu weighed so little, he hardly felt the impact.
She clung to his clothes as if letting go would make him vanish. Ron understood: for Ponzu, everything else in her life had been taken from her, and now he was all she had.
A while passed before Ponzu finally released him. She glanced down, noticing the wet spot on Ron's outfit from her tears. Her cheeks flushed.
"Captain, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Ron replied, looking at his shirt. "I needed a change of clothes anyway."
Then he noticed the dirt on Ponzu's own clothes. Sumas's warehouse area contained plenty of supplies, but there was no bathroom or hot water heater. It was a survival setup, not a living space.
"You could use a bath too," Ron said. "Let's head out."
"Okay."
Ron opened the portal, and they stepped back into his room at the Zoldyck estate.
"I'm part of the Zoldyck Family—you already know that. This courtyard is mine, and I'll be here for a few more days. After that, I'm heading to Heaven's Arena. You won't need to stay in the space anymore," he explained. "The bathroom is over there. There's no hot water drawn yet, so you'll have to shower. Shampoo and body wash are inside. I'll grab you a new towel."
Ron took a brand-new set of toiletries from a cabinet.
"Captain… I'll go now, then," Ponzu said softly.
"Sure."
In a moment, the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom, carrying a faint mix of shampoo, body wash, and other scents. Meanwhile, Ron pulled out the Six-Harmony Sphere and examined it.
"This Nen tool won't be as handy in everyday use as the Rotten Life Blade. But I can hang it from my waist with a cord or something, similar to how I carry Rotten Life Blade."
He grabbed a piece of magic beast leather and a short metal chain, combining them into a small net-like pouch. Slipping the Six-Harmony Sphere inside and tying the other end to his belt gave him the same quick-draw access as his blade.
"Killua and Gon probably haven't headed to Heaven's Arena yet, but they will soon. Maybe I'll go with them. Great-Grandfather said I should slow down and experience life. Once we reach Gourmet Paradise, maybe I'll bring everyone along. Still, I wonder exactly what he wants me to learn by taking it easy…"
Ron suspected it had something to do with the path from A-rank to S-rank; Maha Zoldyck had his reasons for saying so.
"Hopefully I can finish absorbing Gourmet Paradise's traits before Greed Island is cleared. That way, once Gon finishes the game, the absorption progress from my Observer Intention ability can reach 100%."
Not long afterward, Ponzu finished her shower and stepped out, now in pink pajamas. Her long green hair was wet and loose, and she held her hat carefully—her Bee Queen still lived inside it.
"All done, Captain."
Ron nodded, grabbed his own pajamas, and entered the bathroom. He could still feel the lingering warmth of Ponzu's shower. Outside, Ponzu focused a bit of aura—transmuting it into a gentle heat—quickly evaporating the water in her hair. Nen could serve as a convenient blow-dryer if used the right way.