September 4th: Part 1 (9
Synopsis
Throughout the city, people talk about the video of the Phantom Troupe's dismembered bodies, with one mentioning that the people may have had bounties on their heads. Kurapika receives a text from Gon and Killua telling him that they will be waiting at Dayroad Park. It's then stated that Shalnark is a Manipulator whose ability allows him to attach an antenna to his target and completely control them with a unique cell phone until the antenna is removed.
The Mafia hacker explaining that there are no records of the Troupe members' existence
Elsewhere, two Mafia members become upset with a hacker since he hasn't been able identify the dead Troupe members in six hours. The man tells them that the Troupe members don't exist, explaining that he checked various records going back 60 years and found that they never existed. The Mafia member asks if they deleted their records, but the hacker assures him that it's a severe offense to even try to hack into the International Human Databank. He adds that because of the databank's complex system, any deletions or changes would be fixed within seconds.
The hacker again repeats that the Troupe members don't exist, but the other Mafia member angrily reminds him that they have their bodies. The hacker coyly replies that they don't exist according to society and that their births were never officially acknowledged. The first Mafia member counters by saying that even babies who are abandoned receive an ID and have to register, but the hacker reveals that there is one place exempt from all that: Meteor City. He explains that the city's residents will accept anything abandoned there, from trash to dead bodies to babies.
The Mafia hacker discussing Meteor City and its residents
As the Mafia members continue to listen, the hacker says that eight million people reportedly live there and that the area is around the size of the Lapet Republic (6,000 km2). However, he adds that no one officially lives there since it's been considered the world's dump for 1,500 years. Although he is unsure what life is like in the city and what its citizens are taught or believe in, he says that they only have one message to the rest of the world: they will accept anything that is left there, but no one must ever take anything away from them.
He then recounts an incident that happened ten years earlier: a homeless man with no ID was arrested for murder, and the officials could find no trace of his existence. He told them that he was from Meteor City and assured them that he was innocent, but was prosecuted and found guilty after not being given sufficient defense. Three years later, after a drug addict was arrested and it was discovered that he was behind the earlier murder, 31 people involved in the case were all killed, with the aforementioned message left near their bodies.
The hacker warns the two Mafia members to avoid fighting the Troupe if they're actually from Meteor City, further explaining that the city's residents used suicide bombers to blow up all 31 targets simultaneously. He stresses that if they are willing to sacrifice 31 of their own to kill 31 others because one of their own was unfairly detained, they should not be confronted. Lastly, he adds that the Ten Dons would agree with his assessment.
Nobunaga questioning Chrollo's decision
At the Troupe's hideout, Chrollo tells the group that they will be leaving the city that night after they take the rest of the auction's loot. Even after hearing Chrollo's full order, Nobunaga refuses to accept it and says that they still need to find the chain user. Chrollo tells him not to worry about it, but Nobunaga refuses to back down. Franklin tells him to drop it and follow Chrollo's order, but as his aura swells around him, Nobunaga asks Chrollo if he's really speaking as their leader. In a flashback to Meteor City, Chrollo remembers tossing around a videotape with a young Franklin and Shalnark, saying that they just wanted something in the beginning but not completing his thought.
At Dayroad Park, as Kurapika approaches his two friends having an eating contest, Gon opens his mouth to say Kurapika's name and causes food to fly across Killua's face. Gon runs to meet him and notices his somber expression, but before Kurapika can say anything, Gon says that he's happy for him since he can focus on finding the eyes of his people now that the Spiders are dead. Before Gon can finish his offer to help, Killua appears behind him and smashes a piece of food all over his face. As the two tussle on the ground, Kurapika lets out a sigh of relief and begins to laugh.
Characters in Order of Appearance
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