As Akira fully opened the chest, its contents were revealed to both of them.
"This is… a pearl?"
A single pearl lay quietly inside the dark brown chest, its quality unremarkable.
A pearl that wants to fetch a high price must meet standards in every aspect, such as shape, color, size, and more.
The one in this treasure chest wasn't particularly large and its shape was far from ideal, with many small pits and uneven surfaces marring its appearance.
The only commendable feature was its color—it was white, a pure white with a faint glow, the kind of hue that could be considered top-tier.
Unfortunately, every other aspect fell short.
Clearly, Akira had taken a loss spending 50,000 Jenny on this flawed white pearl.
But Akira didn't care about the pearl shabby exterior.
What caught his attention was the faint trace of Death aura lingering on its surface.
The eerie, pitch-black Death aura coiled like a shadowy serpent, undulating across the pearl pristine white surface.
The stark contrast between the two opposing colors—white and black—stood out vividly on the pearl.
So his perception hadn't been wrong.
Akira casually picked up the pearl and tossed it straight into his shadow.
The calm surface of the shadow rippled suddenly, as if a stone had been dropped into a lake.
The pearl sank rapidly, vanishing as though swallowed by water.
Handing the now-empty treasure chest and key back to the old woman, Akira asked again.
"Ma'am, where did this pearl come from?"
If he could find out where the pearl had been obtained, he could roughly pinpoint the location of the Dark Sonata.
"Oh, this pearl? I picked it up on the beach around here. Must've been washed ashore by the waves."
Found on the beach, huh...
Could the Dark Sonata be deep in the ocean?
Akira brow furrowed slightly as an uneasy thought crossed his mind.
If the Dark Sonata was in the deep sea, then it really would be hard to track down.
He then scanned the other treasure chests, but none of them carried the faintest trace of Death aura.
It seemed the influence wasn't widespread—just a few remnants had drifted here.
"Young man, the stuff I have here isn't all that great. You might want to check out the auction house" the old woman suggested kindly, seeing that Akira wasn't buying any more chests.
If the items sold at the Sea Market catered to ordinary people, then the auction house dealt in things far from ordinary.
Some were high-grade ingredients, usually handled by Gourmet Hunters.
Others were antiques salvaged from the ocean, infused with Psychic Energy.
Given its proximity to the Dark Continent, this place occasionally yielded other peculiar items.
Some were "hopes" that brought benefits, while others were "disasters" that carried danger.
Of course, nothing that appeared here ever reached the level of the Five Great Calamities and Hopes.
Otherwise, V5 would've locked it down long ago.
The most famous example was the Blood Pearl that had surfaced at the auction house a few years back.
That pearl was exceptionally unusual.
Ordinary pearls were usually white, purple, or similar hues.
But the Blood Pearl looked as though it contained actual blood, its entire surface tinged with a deep crimson.
Some found it repulsive and unsettling, while others were fascinated, considering it strikingly beautiful.
Its size was also unlike ordinary pearls—it was as large as a clenched fist, a true giant among pearls.
By conventional reasoning, the mollusk that produced it must have been enormous.
And indeed, the discoverer had found an exceptionally large shell, from which the Blood Pearl had been extracted.
The shell itself was massive, its patterns exquisitely ornate. Judging by the shell alone, the inside must contain very thick and substantial meat.
Strangely, when people opened it, they found almost no meat inside.
Only shriveled, mummified remains of shellfish and some similarly desiccated seafood fragments.
The Blood Pearl lay quietly amidst a pile of these "mummies," emitting an eerie yet captivating glow.
Such a peculiar item was naturally handed over to the auction house for processing.
The auction house employed several Nen Users who, after a series of examinations and experiments, finally uncovered the truth.
This Blood Pearl could nourish itself by absorbing the life force of surrounding organisms.
The richer the crimson hue, the more life force it had absorbed.
Once it had absorbed enough life force, wearing it could slow aging and enhance one's appearance.
By regularly replenishing it with life force, the wearer's aging process could be delayed.
In essence, it transferred the life force of others to the wearer, making it a rather sinister object.
It was said that the Blood Pearl was later auctioned off to a high-ranking official in the V5, though its current whereabouts remain unknown.
After the Blood Pearl incident, the reputation of the auction house in [Carter Port] grew exponentially, becoming renowned across all six continents.
Even today, many people continue to visit.
The auction house, anticipating this, underwent multiple renovations and now occupies an enormous area.
The large building is divided into three floors, capable of accommodating a vast number of people simultaneously.
The first floor serves as a trading area, primarily for exchanges between individuals, requiring only a small rental fee paid to the auction house.
The second floor houses the auction halls—one large and two smaller ones, totaling three.
The third floor is reserved for guest receptions, item appraisals, and other such matters.
In this bustling auction house where countless items circulate, one is bound to find more objects related to Death Aura.
The difference between the inside and outside is immediately apparent upon entering.
Outside, most vendors simply spread a cloth on the ground and begin selling.
Here, there are dedicated stalls with goods neatly displayed on counters.
Most of the visitors are tourists, driven by curiosity.
Their attire is similar to Akira—beach-themed short-sleeved shirts and casual outfits.
On the surface, Akira appears to be browsing casually, but secretly, he has Gengar searching for traces of Death Aura.
Within the seemingly ordinary shadows, Gengar crimson eyes faintly gleam, as if capable of devouring souls.
Gengar, highly sensitive to Death Aura, soon makes a discovery.
It's a blue jellyfish displayed on a stall, encased under a transparent cover.
Some items on the stall are covered this way, allowing visibility while ensuring safety.
Such an arrangement suggests the item is anything but ordinary.
The blue jellyfish shows no signs of movement, clearly dead.
Yet its death is peculiar—there are no visible injuries, as if it had simply fallen asleep.
A thick layer of Death Aura clings to its azure surface, visible only with a strong enough 'Gyo'.
"Boss, how much for this jellyfish?"
Before Akira could speak, someone suddenly stepped forward and inquired.
The voice was slightly deep, with a hint of softness.
Akira glanced sideways and realized it was a "familiar face."
Though this "familiar face" was one he had only seen in the original story. The man was dressed in a loose purple robe, somewhat resembling Fujitora outfit from One Piece.
His face was slightly gaunt, his complexion rather pale, as if he suffered from malnutrition, with a single ponytail tied atop his head.
The most distinctive feature was his empty sleeve, indicating he was a "one-armed hero" like Shanks.
While Shanks lost his arm by saving luffy, this man missing limb was related to his own Nen ability.
This was none other than Shoot McMahon from the original Chimera Ant Extermination Team, a disciple of Morel, just like Knuckle.
He was a Unidentified Beast hunter who specialized in tracking unknown creatures.
Normally proud, he would become timid once flustered.
So... was his appearance here just a coincidence?
For some reason, Akira felt that Shoot was similar to Cluck, whom he had encountered earlier.
It wasn't just a coincidence that they were here!
'Looks like this one is the same too.'
Shoot indifferent eyes were fixed on the jellyfish inside the transparent case.
At this moment, a dense layer of Aura coated the surface of his eyes, allowing him to detect the abnormality in the blue jellyfish.
"Finally found something?"
"Seems like splitting up was more efficient after all."
A hearty voice came from behind Shoot.
Morel, holding a large smoking pipe, approached with his other disciple, Knuckle.
Though "holding" wasn't quite the right word.
Morel resembled Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, with the large pipe resting horizontally on his shoulder, his hands casually draped over each end of the stem.
The pipe was currently wrapped in a wide, long cloth, making it hard for others to guess what it was just by its shape.
It looked more like a large hammer.
No matter where or when, he always wore a pair of sunglasses, his bronze skin a testament to his identity as a man of the sea.
Morel was always dressed like a businessman, wearing a light-colored suit and black dress pants.
Eyebrowless, with a square nose and jaw, his muscular build made him the epitome of a burly figure.
Knuckle appearance was even more peculiar—sporting a boxy pompadour, a fierce expression, and thick eyebrows.
He looked like a delinquent straight out of a Japanese manga.
Despite his rough exterior, he was kind-hearted, easygoing and full of vigour.
Like Gon, he had a natural affinity for animals and took great care of stray dogs and other small creatures.
This was why he became a Beast Hunter.
"Yes, there's a fairly obvious trace of Death Aura on this" Shoot said darkly, pointing at the blue jellyfish on the stall.
Morel two disciples were quite the odd pair—their appearances and personalities were complete opposites.
Neither Shoot nor Knuckle looked like good people, resembling the duo of Wrath and Envy in style.
Yet, in truth, they were both very kind at heart.
They had performed admirably during the Chimera Ant arc.
"Seems like the intel is mostly correct" Morel remarked, glancing at the blue jellyfish. The thick aura of Death clinging to it was clearly abnormal...
"We'd better brace ourselves!"
The moment Morel deep voice rang out, both disciples' expressions turned serious.
What they were about to face next was no simple matter.
"Oh? I wonder what it is? Mind filling me in if it's convenient?"
Hearing this, Morel and his two disciples turned toward the source of the voice.
When Morel got a clear look at Akira face, his pupils behind the sunglasses contracted sharply and his hands instinctively tightened around the large pipe.
These subtle reactions betrayed his inner turmoil.
"I never expected to see you here?!"
Shoot and Knuckle didn't recognize Akira at first—they hadn't been qualified to attend the announcement ceremony for the new Top Five Nen Users.
Moreover, Akira current casual attire was a departure from his usual style.
But Morel, who had met Akira just days ago, recognized him immediately.
The terrifying presence of those five overwhelming auras had seared Akira appearance into his mind.
Even if he hadn't tried to remember, he'd probably never forget it for the rest of his life.
"Just here for a bit of sightseeing. You're Morel, right?"
"That's correct."
A flicker of surprise passed through Morel eyes—he hadn't expected Akira to know his name.
At this time, Morel had not yet participated in the Chimera Ant extermination, so his reputation wasn't as widespread.
"Master, who is this?"
Knuckle beside him asked hesitantly. It was the first time he'd seen his teacher show such respect to someone.
Even Chairman Netero probably wouldn't receive much more deference than this.
"This is Mr. Akira—the 'Strongest in the World' and the Strongest Floor Master of Heavens Arena."
Seeing that neither of them had recognized him, Morel quickly repeated the introduction, finally jogging their memories.
"So it's that legendary Akira!"
Knuckle voice brimmed with excitement.
However, his fierce expression made him look less like a good person and more like a street thug when he got worked up.
Morel glanced around, noting the heavy foot traffic, and spoke in a measured tone.
"This isn't the best place for conversation. Please follow me to somewhere quieter."
Neither the first nor second floor was suitable for discussion, so Morel led the group directly to a reception room on the third floor.
As a single-star Hunter, he was entitled to a high-class reception room provided by the auction house.
"Actually, we're here on an Association mission—to investigate a potential threat."
"According to multiple reports, there's a possibility the Dark Sonata has appeared in this area."
"...So we're the advance team, scouting things out. We can call for reinforcements at any time if needed."
Facing Akira, Morel held nothing back. There was no reason to conceal anything from him.
As one of the new Five Strongest Nen Users personally designated by Chairman Netero—and even the Strongest in the World—Akira was completely trustworthy.
Moreover, Morel couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
'If Mr. Akira took an interest in this matter, perhaps they could enlist his help'
With him on the team, there would be absolutely no safety concerns.
The title of "Strongest in the World" was no empty boast!
Having personally witnessed Akira overwhelming presence, Morel had no doubts about his strength.
To put it bluntly, any one of Akira Nen Beast could effortlessly crush him.
"I see." Akira sat on the sofa, deep in thought.
Morel explanation aligned perfectly with the information he had uncovered earlier.
About two weeks ago, the disappearance rate of ships departing from Carter Port had gradually increased.
Despite sending multiple search parties, no traces were found—only more people lost.
Even the V5 had taken notice, dispatching their own forces to investigate, but they too came up empty-handed.
The only lead was a dense, nearly impenetrable mist deep in the ocean.
At the edges of the mist, faint music could be heard, but beyond that, there was no other intelligence.
Every ship and person that entered the mist never returned.
Subsequent search teams withdrew immediately after confirming this much.
Now it was the Hunter Association turn to act—and they weren't sending amateurs.
Given the possible connection to the legendary Dark Sonata, they dispatched Cluck of The Twelve Zodiac.
Since the phenomenon was occurring at sea, Morel—the famous Sea Hunters—and his disciples were also assigned to the mission.
A four-person elite squad.
Perfect for reconnaissance and easy to retreat if things took a bad turn.
Morel Nen ability, Deep Purple, was also well-suited for investigation. This also explains why Cluck appeared here.
It seems Hisoka is quite invested too—this should count as classified information.
Who would have thought I could even find this for myself.
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