Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

'It seems that this woman determined to get 500,000 Jenny no matter what.'

Law shook his head slightly, then turned and looked up at the woman sitting on the wall, grinning. She was dressed in long sleeves and pants, with a lean figure and a flat chest.

Her short, flaxen hair and tanned skin gave her a somewhat androgynous appearance, and at a glance, she could easily be mistaken for a man.

"Are you from Desert Hawks?" Law asked.

"Huh? You're pretty unfamiliar. Are you here to cause trouble?"

The woman gripped her wrench and jumped down from the three-meter-high wall, landing steadily before glaring coldly at Law.

Her nickname was Yaya, and she was indeed a member of Desert Hawks.

Right now, Law's appearance was that of a sloppy drunkard, which was extremely unappealing… especially to women, who would find him even more off-putting.

"I need to talk to your leader about something. Would you mind introducing me to them?" Law instinctively smiled, unaware that his current face made the expression look sleazy and perverted.

Yaya wrinkled her nose, catching the scent of alcohol on Law, and when she saw Law's creepy grin, she subconsciously took a step back.

Her reaction made Law pause for a moment before he suddenly remembered he was wearing the face of a lecherous old man. He immediately toned down the smile.

'At least my teeth are pearly white. Was that really necessary?'

"Looking for my brother..." Yaya hesitated before correcting herself: "What do you want with my leader?"

'Your brother...?'

Law's thoughts flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. "I'd like to discuss a deal with him."

"Oh." Yaya hoisted the wrench onto her shoulder and said seriously, "No more talking. Pay the 500,000 toll fee first."

If money could solve the problem, Law wasn't about to complicate things. He took out a small piece of gold and handed it to her.

"Damn, you're loaded." Yaya's eyes sparkled as she took the gold.

"Lead the way." Law said.

Having someone introduce him was better than barging in unannounced.

"Come with me."

Yaya jumped up, planted a foot on the wall, and used the momentum to vault onto the three-meter-high alley wall, which is an impressive feat for an ordinary person.

Law simply leaped straight up, landing effortlessly beside her.

When Yaya saw this, her eyes widened in surprise. She quickly reassessed the situation, 'This old man wasn't simple. Bringing him to see brother was fine, but as a precaution, I should at least alert the rest of the group first.'

After hopping down from the wall and navigating a few turns, they arrived at a three-story building with a sizable footprint.

Along the way, Law noticed Yaya's subtle movements, but he didn't pay much attention to them and followed her inside.

The interior was a spacious hall filled with crates and sand sleds. At a glance, about fifty people were seated on various boxes… mostly men, with only two or three women among them.

Law took a quick glance and found that Gel was also there, which is really weird.

Fortunately, he had not used Ten on the way here. So in the eyes of Nen Users, he just looked like an ordinary person with uncontrolled life force.

Gel was standing next to a bald young man. When she saw Law, her expression shifted from surprise to disgust. She'd seen him just two hours ago, so there's no way she'd forget that face.

"Captain, this guy says he wants to talk business with you." Yaya said briskly as she walked toward the bald young man, her tone noticeably lacking respect when referring to Law.

Inside the room, everyone was sizing up Law, many of their gazes brimming with hostility.

Law met their stares calmly, focusing on the bald young man.

Including Yaya and Gel, there were fifty-three people present. Without using Gyo, he couldn't tell how many were Nen Users.

The bald young man was named Ali, the leader of Desert Hawks and Yaya's older brother… though they weren't related by blood.

He scrutinized Law openly and asked, " Let's hear it. No beating around the bush… I don't have time for that."

Law nodded and cut straight to the point: "I want to go to the Forbidden Zone."

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

Ali fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then shot a glare around at his comrades before suddenly erupting, "Which one of you idiots leaked that we're heading out the day after tomorrow?"

Those sitting on crates, leaning against sand sleds, or just standing around exchanged confused glances, all looking equally baffled.

Veins bulged on Ali's forehead, his anger palpable.

Gel crossed her arms, watching the scene unfold with detached calm.

"You're setting out for the Forbidden Zone the day after tomorrow?" Law asked in surprise after hearing the bald man's words.

Ali was stunned when he heard this, and the atmosphere became awkward for some reason.

'Damn it, did I just accidentally reveal our plans?'

The expressions of the people around him shifted subtly.

Yaya facepalmed, looking like she was in physical pain.

After a brief pause, Ali cleared his throat and bluntly admitted, "Yeah. Since you came all this way, why don't you stick around for a few days?"

The moment he finished speaking, he snatched up a wooden club beside him and lunged at Law, aiming to knock him out with a single swing.

Law sidestepped the heavy strike, hooked his foot around Ali's right calf, and grabbed his arm in one fluid motion, twisting it behind his back. Then, he asked in confusion, "What's with the aggression?"

Upon seeing this, the others in the room immediately raised their weapons. There were knives, guns, clubs, swords, crossbows, and even a uniquely oversized wrench. They all glared at Law with hostility, and the tension in the air thickened instantly.

"Who the hell are you?" Ali gritted out through the pain, refusing to back down.

He was confident in his own combat skills, but before he could see clearly, he was already subdued by Law. His face suddenly felt a little hot, burning with humiliation.

The other members of the Desert Hawks also knew their leader's abilities, yet this mysterious old drunkard had effortlessly captured him. They couldn't help but see Law in a new light, and his disheveled, lecherous appearance now carried an air of an unfathomable master.

Gel, watching Law calmly, was also slightly surprised. She could tell from the movements Law had just displayed that his skills were exceptionally refined. She thought to herself, 'Despite this old man's sleazy appearance, he clearly had some real ability.'

At this time, Gel still hadn't realized that this 'old man' was actually Law… the last person she ever wanted to deal with again.

Just as Law was about to answer Ali's question, the twang of a crossbow string echoed through the room. A bolt shot straight toward the back of his head.

He tilted his head slightly to the left, catching the bolt with his free hand. It was a peculiar projectile, a blunt stone wrapped in thick cloth at the tip. A hit to the back of the head wouldn't be fatal, but it would definitely knock someone out.

After catching the bolt, Law tightened his grip on Ali's arm, causing the man, who had been trying to break free, to let out a muffled groan and immediately stop struggling.

"If you're heading into the Forbidden Zone, count me in."

As Law spoke, he twisted the crossbow bolt in his hand before suddenly stomping his foot on the ground.

The mud-concrete floor shattered into a web of cracks, spreading across a diameter of over ten meters.

"And don't get too worked up. If I really wanted to do something to you all, I wouldn't be this polite."

Ali and the other members of Desert Hawks were dumbfounded when they saw the ground being shattered by Law's kick.

'The ground cracked with one kick, you bastard… and you call it polite?!'

Clang!

Yaya's oversized wrench dropped to the floor, the wrench itself completely unharmed.

Watching Law's display of overwhelming strength, Gel raised an eyebrow.