022 (Vol 4) HxH: Tombbound Power

"She didn't look surprised," the attendant said nervously, "but she asked with concern—'If the Seventh Prince is behind all this, will he grow ambitious and start plotting for the throne? Could he do something terrible to us?'"

...

In Room 1014, Queen Oito was asking Kurapika the same thing.

"That should be impossible," Kurapika replied after a brief pause.

"Things have developed too far. I believe the Seventh Prince himself understands that becoming the final victor is out of the question."

"Why?" Queen Oito asked, visibly puzzled.

Kurapika smiled faintly. "Because he no longer has the strength to do so."

"No more strength…" Oito murmured, and then her eyes lit up in realization.

That's right. Luzurus had already been involved in the earlier conflicts with Benjamin and Halkenburg. His forces had taken serious losses.

After that, Tserriednich rose in power, Benjamin killed Halkenburg, and the blow dealt to Luzurus was devastating. Now the only person he could still rely on was Basho.

The rest of the guards had been replaced with Kurapika's allies—people with influence, strength, and a growing voice.

In that situation, Luzurus didn't even have the manpower left to threaten any of the lower-ranked princes.

Not to mention the underworld forces below deck had long since been wiped out. He was, for all practical purposes, powerless.

And if he dared act alone... well, the cautionary tale of Tserriednich was still fresh.

More importantly, Ronnel wouldn't let him entertain such ambitions in the first place.

Of course, Queen Oito didn't know that.

From her perspective, while she was anxious about the Seventh Prince, she had no idea that Luzurus was even more afraid of the Fourteenth Prince, because...

As she spoke with Kurapika, Queen Oito began evaluating the power they had on their side—royal Nen guards like Vincent and Babimyna, not to mention outsiders like Morgan, Bill, and Kurapika himself.

Wait a minute... weren't they currently the strongest faction?

Her heart began to race.

A dangerous new thought started to creep into her mind.

Maybe... maybe...

"Our job is only to protect the queen," came Ronnel's even voice from the side. "Nothing more."

Queen Oito snapped out of it.

She turned and looked at Ronnel—calm, detached—and opened her mouth, as if to speak.

But then she glanced toward Kurapika and Bill, both of whom had noticed her change in demeanor. The silent looks they exchanged said everything.

Oito lowered her gaze, swallowing her words.

Yes. Everything she had now—her life, her safety—had been given to her by these people.

Without them, she probably would've been killed on the very first day aboard the ship. Who was she to expect anything more?

She gave a small, bitter smile to herself.

She was a clever woman. Once the thought had formed, she dismissed it quickly.

The moment her child—the Fourteenth Prince—began crying, she immediately retreated into the next room to nurse him.

She had to remind herself to simply be a mother. Let go of thoughts she shouldn't have...

...

Ronnel watched her retreating figure and gave a subtle nod.

Fortunately, she was wise enough to see the truth.

As Oito had guessed, Luzurus was afraid. With the Fourteenth Prince now possessing the greatest power and influence—especially after that battle with Benjamin—Luzurus was paralyzed by fear.

He wasn't planning to harm anyone. On the contrary, he feared he might be eliminated by the Fourteenth Prince next.

Kurapika had been quietly observing Oito's change in expression, and he felt a rare sense of relief.

If he could get through the rest of this voyage in peace, that would be more than enough.

His eyes drifted toward Ronnel, who was silently deep in thought.

Hanzo and Melody had also expressed concern recently. They feared that now that the Fourteenth Prince held the upper hand, he might take drastic action.

But Kurapika had given them his solemn word.

And Kurapika believed it himself—for one specific reason.

Morgan.

This seemingly indifferent, Buddhist-like guard wouldn't allow Queen Oito to act recklessly. Kurapika was sure of it.

Even so, Kurapika couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. Who would have thought the Fourteenth Prince's side would become the strongest?

...

Ronnel, the catalyst for all of this, sat still and quiet—his mind quietly churning.

"The succession war has reached a temporary standstill. It'll take time for Nasubi to go from suspicion to confirmation and finally make a move. My new Nen concept is just about ready. It's time to start the next phase."

"My third Nen ability... Ability Encyclopedia."

...

Benjamin's body was retrieved by the royal chief steward, Nugui, who came in person.

Compared to Camilla, Benjamin's resentment ran deeper. But even he was suppressed by the enigmatic Nugui, unable to stir up trouble.

Bill, who handled the transfer, reported back: Nugui's ability seemed similar to a sealing technique.

A powerful specialist among the Kakin royal retainers.

Once Benjamin's body was sealed and placed into one of the fourteen royal coffins, no further movement came from their side.

It was as if they had decided to step away from the succession war altogether.

But everyone knew... this was only the calm before the storm.

...

Still, for now, the upper levels of the ship experienced a fleeting moment of peace.

And during that pause, Ronnel's new Nen training finally began.

He already had the general structure of the new ability figured out.

By now, no one could surpass him—not in aura capacity, not in telekinesis, not even in raw potential.

Not even Don Freecss, who was currently exploring the Dark Continent.