V5 Headquarters
On the podium of a towering building, a middle-aged man with a pot-bellied body and bald head leaned against the railing, enjoying a cigarette. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, his expression one of comfortable contemplation as he surveyed his domain.
From this vantage point, he could survey the entire city with a sense of godlike superiority. The bustling streets and buildings below resembled nothing more than crisscrossing lines and toy houses in his field of vision. Pedestrians, once individual beings with purpose and life, now scurried about like ants, humble and insignificant. Yet it was these seemingly weak creatures who, after centuries of evolution and adaptation, had created their own thriving civilization.
That was the truly terrifying thing about humanity.
While the unknown creatures of the Dark Continent were indeed frightening, determining the true danger level of a species required looking beyond individual specimens. The V5's ratings of the five major disasters mostly hovered around B or C, while the danger level of a single human ranked near the bottom of all threats. But raise that rating from an individual to an entire nation, and the situation changed dramatically.
In that world, community was power. The only entity with any real right to speak was, at the very least, a country.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the door to the outdoor terrace behind him swung open. A well-dressed young man approached him with measured steps. When he saw the middle-aged man, he sighed softly, "I knew you'd be here.
This rooftop was a sanctuary where department heads often came to breathe fresh air, especially those who smoked. Only leaders had both the leisure and the qualifications to take such breaks. Ordinary members were so overwhelmed with work that they barely had time to breathe. The V5 balanced countless unstable factors in the human world: diplomatic relations with numerous countries, suffocating threats to humanity, and countless other responsibilities. Running such a vast organization was far from the simple task it might seem.
"Sir Celine is dead," the young man announced when he reached his superior.
Hearing this, the middle-aged man flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it under his foot.
"He was killed by Oboro," the subordinate continued. "According to our intelligence, the Fells family wants to dominate the entire underground network. They're extremely unhappy with our interference."
"He's just a fool who doesn't know his place, a man who doesn't see the world clearly," the middle-aged man replied, walking away with no desire to learn more. He gave a direct order: "Get rid of these annoying gangsters. They are unpresentable and of negligible use. Keeping them alive will only bring disaster. The media in various countries report on them daily, and the public atmosphere is becoming increasingly chaotic."
From his dismissive tone, it seemed that the gangsters were merely reptiles on the side of the road to be crushed without a second thought, hardly worthy of concern.
Having delivered his verdict, the officer grabbed the door handle and prepared to leave.
"I'm afraid it's not as simple as you think," the subordinate said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
The middle-aged man frowned slightly and turned around with deliberate slowness.
"Is it so difficult to arrange for various countries to eliminate gangs within their borders?"
"Given what we know about Oboro, I checked his file after he killed Celine. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't dare disobey our orders. There must be some compelling reason."
"Tsk. You're being long-winded. There's no need to analyze such a situation," the middle-aged man replied. "Concentrate on the task at hand. Have the Hunters Association send Netero, or contact the Padokea Republic and send a separate military force. He's just a gang leader. How much trouble can he cause?"
The middle-aged man's expression darkened with irritation. "We could have the Padokea Republic blockade the Fells Family base and then mobilize some of our agents with the latest equipment. Hmph, those Nen users and three-star hunters are all overrated. They wouldn't stand a chance."
"There are countless ways to deal with him. Why are you hesitating?"
His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I appointed you as deputy to carry out orders, not to discuss trivial matters!"
"I've already considered every approach you've suggested," the subordinate replied calmly. "The reason I haven't made any arrangements yet has to do with exactly what you mentioned, countries and their sovereignty." He lowered his voice. "It has been nearly half a month since gang riots erupted worldwide. The catalyst was the simultaneous deaths of the Dons overnight. If our assessments are correct, this was a premeditated action by the Fells family. These riots have reached a level of severity rarely seen in recent years, and have provoked considerable social backlash. Scores of civilians from various nations have been killed or injured."
"But no country has taken any meaningful action. They've all turned a blind eye to the chaos unfolding before them. They've held a few press conferences, dispatched a few security teams for show, just enough to stabilize public opinion. Their basic approach has been purely superficial."
Silence hung between them.
After processing his subordinate's words, the middle-aged man released his grip on the door handle, understanding the implications.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Exactly that. The nations deliberately avoided intervening in the Kuroshio incident. At first, I suspected that the Mafia had been negotiating with certain politicians, but it seemed implausible that they'd wield such influence. Until I contacted the Director General of the Republic of Padokea. His reply was a single, telling sentence.
The middle-aged man waited for him to continue.
"He said, 'The affairs of the Padokea Republic do not require outside interference.'"
The subordinate handed over the document he'd been holding.
"Subsequently, I investigated the Fells family's recent activities and the backgrounds of key figures within the Padokea Republic government. I discovered that the nation's top political leaders all have close ties to the Fells family. More importantly, the Fells family serves as the primary financial backer of the Padokea Republic's military expenditures, and not just the military. They fund technology, social welfare, and more. The Padokea Republic, as the Fells family's base of operations, has fallen under their subtle control. In the last quarter of last year alone, nearly a third of the Republic's total economic output was managed by the Fells family through various business groups under their command. They've essentially become the shadow government of an entire nation."
The middle-aged man's previously composed expression gradually changed to one of shock as his subordinate finished his report.
"How is this possible? Supporting an entire country? Where do they get such huge resources?"
"The Fells family operates under rather unique circumstances. Beyond their usual sources of income, the majority of their income over the past two years has come from a game specifically targeted at Hunters, individuals with Nen abilities. Taking into account the other Dons, their combined wealth and total economic influence, both overt and covert, would account for perhaps 10% of a country's economy, and that's a generous estimate."
Silence fell between them as the implications sank in.
"The Fells family is inextricably linked to the Padokea Republic. Any attack on them would effectively be a declaration of war on the nation itself."
"As long as they stay within these borders, they're untouchable."
The subordinate continued, "Based on other countries' attitudes towards the Mafia, the situation is probably similar to that of the Padokea Republic. However, Padokea is a special case because its territory overlaps with the Fells' sphere of influence. For other countries, especially those on other continents, such direct control is impractical. Even attempted infiltration would prove difficult. I suspect that the Fells family intends to dominate the entire Mafia by leveraging the Dons' former industries in different regions, using those funds to replicate their success in the Padokea Republic."
"They control influential figures with decision-making authority in several nations, tying them to the national economy. Even with only a tenth of the total value, their position is almost unassailable. They function as classic 'parasites', their host prospers when they prosper, suffers when they suffer. Right now, they've probably bribed department heads to temporarily obscure the brewing storm. The Fells family's resources are already stretched to the limit funding the Padokea Republic; any remaining capital can only be used for strategic bribes."
"According to our intelligence, this Oboro is truly formidable."
"No!" The middle-aged man shouted as the full weight of the situation fell upon him. "We cannot allow him to succeed!"
"He must relinquish control of the entire criminal network!"
"Should we force negotiations with the Padokea Republic?" his subordinate inquired.
It went without saying that the Padokea Republic would defend the Fells family with everything at their disposal. The two entities had become inseparable.
"Send someone to find him again," the middle-aged man ordered, taking a deep breath. "If that fails, we will eliminate him at any cost."
"Understood."