"Coagulation."
Kaizen rembered that in the original plot, Gon and Killua had stumbled upon several valuable items at this very flea market, earning a tidy profit by using their mastery of Gyo to inspect them.
But Kaizen wasn’t interested in replicating that.
Making money that way was too slow.
Selling just a few pieces of Altan’s intel could bring in a much higher return.
Still, Kaizen wandered the flea market, partly to observe the unique culture of this world’s underground markets and partly to see if he could spot any hidden treasures.
His solitary presence didn’t go unnoticed.
To the vendors, Kaizen looked like an easy mark—an innocent kid ripe for exploitation.
"Hey, co check this out!" one vendor called.
"Special deal just for you, kid!" shouted another.
Kaizen ignored them all, weaving through the labyrinth of stalls and piles of wares, scanning everything with sharp eyes.
Then he stopped, feeling a faint twinge in his aura.
Soone was following him.
Kaizen glanced back discreetly and caught a glimpse of a young man trying too hard to look inconspicuous.
"Tracking ?" Kaizen frowned.
He recalled seeing the man with lina earlier.
Is this because I exchanged a few words with her? Pathetic.
Choosing to play along for now, Kaizen led the tail toward a lively area of the market.
...
The Stall
"Co on!"
"Show him who’s boss!"
"Next!"
The crowd’s cheers grew louder as Kaizen squeezed his way to the front. At the center of the commotion was a crude arm-wrestling setup.
A burly stall owner stood beside his table, surrounded by an eclectic assortnt of items. He was challenging anyone to defeat him at arm wrestling. The prize? A chance to pick any item from his stall—for free.
But there was a catch.
If you lost, you were required to buy sothing at full price.
The stall owner cracked his knuckles, exuding confidence as yet another challenger fell to him in seconds.
Kaizen’s eyes road over the items until one thing caught his attention—a glossy, black object resembling a sharpened feather, glimring faintly under the sunlight.
Crystal Feather Bone.
The na flashed in Kaizen’s mind. One of the Seven Beauties of the World, the Crystal Feather Bone was both rare and deadly. Its shimring surface masked a lethally toxic property, so potent that even the Zoldycks—masters of poisons—approached it with caution.
Kaizen’s thoughts drifted to Zeno’s teachings.
"Never underestimate the weapons this world can throw at you, no matter how small they seem."
The stall had it mispriced at a re 13,000 jenny—a laughably low figure for such a dangerous artifact.
Amateurs.
Kaizen smirked.
The Challenge
"Can I try?" Kaizen asked, raising his hand.
The crowd turned to look at him in disbelief.
"A kid?"
"You’re joking, right?"
The stall owner narrowed his eyes. "Hey, brat, this isn’t a ga. Go ho."
Kaizen remained unfazed. "I want to try."
The stall owner sighed. "Fine. I’ll humor you. But if you lose, I won’t make you buy anything. Deal?"
Kaizen nodded and stepped forward.
The stall owner sat across from him, lowering the table to accommodate Kaizen’s smaller fra.
As their hands locked, the man grinned. "You’re stronger than you look, but don’t think that’ll help you, kid."
Kaizen said nothing, his calm deanor unsettling the crowd.
The stall owner roared as he poured all his strength into the match. His veins bulged as he tried to push Kaizen’s hand down.
Kaizen didn’t budge.
The stall owner gritted his teeth, increasing his effort, but Kaizen had already assessed his opponent’s limits.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Kaizen slamd the stall owner’s hand down.
Bang!
The crowd fell silent, stunned.
"He won?"
"That kid actually won?!"
The stall owner gawked, his pride shattered. He had underestimated Kaizen and paid for it.
Without a word, Kaizen reached out and picked up the Crystal Feather Bone. He turned on his heel and pushed his way through the crowd, leaving behind whispers of disbelief.
Confrontation
Kaizen’s victory didn’t go unnoticed by his pursuer. The young man stiffened as Kaizen approached him directly.
"Care to talk?" Kaizen asked, his tone flat yet commanding.
The young man’s eyes widened in surprise. After a brief pause, he nodded.
The two found a quiet corner in a nearby café.
Kaizen leaned back in his chair, his aura subtly pressuring the man.
"I don’t know who you are, and frankly, I don’t care," Kaizen began. "But if you think tailing because of lina is a good idea, think again. I don’t appreciate being followed."
The man’s eyes darted nervously.
"I’ll make it easy for you," Kaizen continued. "Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. But if I catch you again..."
Kaizen’s aura flared briefly, enough to make the young man’s breath hitch.
"Understood?"
The man swallowed hard and nodded.
"Good," Kaizen said, leaning back and finishing his drink in silence.
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