In HxH with Doraemon Pocket

Chapter 396 - 396

Upon witnessing the actions of Morin and Ging, Morel and Knov were suddenly taken aback. The primary reason was the intense pressure they could faintly feel emanating from afar.

"Is it time for the King to be born ahead of schedule?" Netero remained unfazed, still sitting there with a cheerful demeanor.

However, upon closer inspection, one could notice that Netero's gaze followed the direction of Morin's eyes, with a subtle flame gradually rising in his eyes. Clearly, the old man wasn't content with idleness and was slowly igniting his fighting spirit. He had been waiting for this very moment!

Meanwhile, inside the ant nest, within the exclusive chamber of the Ant Queen, many eyes were fixed on the severely injured Ant Queen, who was continuously spewing black-blue blood. "Her Majesty's internal organs seem to be quite severely damaged!" Colt's eyes revealed a look of reluctance. Even though he had awakened memories of his past life, they were more of a fusion with his current memories, and he still held a sense of reverence for the Ant Queen.

On the other hand, Yapi and Bloster, who were adults in their past lives, had their own thoughts and were no longer blindly loyal. The two exchanged glances, reading the same meaning in each other's eyes. Hmm, let's observe the situation quietly.

"Has no one heard my command?" At this moment, due to the lack of response from the squadron leaders, the Ant King's brow gradually furrowed.

"Is the food ready? To him, the other ants probably seem no different from food." "Did the Ant King leave with his three royal guards? The other ants seem to have made no movement." "Perhaps the Ant King believes himself to be too powerful, and only the three guards are worthy to be his subordinates. To him, the other ants probably seem no different from food."

Morin stepped out from behind Netero, looking towards a certain direction in the sky. "However, we'll soon find out what's happening. A Chimera Ant is flying towards us."

"Hmm?" Knov and Morel immediately tensed up, entering a combat-ready state.

"Don't worry, it's not here to cause trouble. This aura belongs to one of our own," Morin chuckled. "Besides, even if it were here to cause trouble, it wouldn't make sense to come alone. I suspect something happened inside the ant nest, possibly due to the Ant King's birth, causing chaos among the ants who weren't prepared for it."

"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Morel and Knov's tense bodies slowly relaxed. "However..." They instinctively glanced at Morin, who stood in front of them, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Despite all being among the world's top five Nen users, why was there such a disparity between them? "From such a distance, he can sense the presence of the incoming ant. Just like when the Ant King was born, even though the distance exceeded the range of En, he could still detect the aura..."

"And in such a short time, he's already turned so many Chimera Ants to our side. There are already allies among them? As expected of someone on the same level as the Chairman, truly reliable."

Moreover... They subconsciously looked to the side, where Ging Freecss was picking his nose and carelessly flicking it into the forest below. Morel: "..." Knov: "..."

"What's the matter?" Ging tilted his head, noticing their strange gazes.

"Nothing, really," they both replied, averting their eyes. Despite all being among the world's top five Nen users, why was there such a disparity between them? They silently wondered, then stepped forward together, catching sight of a black dot on the horizon flying towards them. Just as Morin had said, there was only one figure, and something seemed off—the white flag it was waving was conspicuously obvious. Was this a surrender?

"We wish to surrender to you!" Even before the figure arrived, the voice reached them first. The anxious voice traveled from afar, reaching everyone's ears. However, upon careful listening, the tone didn't sound particularly urgent. So, it was a surrender after all! Morel and Knov exchanged glances. It seemed there was indeed some upheaval within the ant nest.

"What's going on, Colt?" Morin stepped forward, calling out his name. This also served to inform Morel and Netero that the approaching Chimera Ant had indeed been persuaded by him previously.

"Without using the excuse of 'asking humans to save the Queen,' I wouldn't have been able to come out so quickly."

---

Colt stepped forward, tossed the white flag aside, and solemnly declared, "It's about the Queen... something has happened."

"The Queen?!"

"Yes! She has already given birth to the King!"

As expected! Morel and Knov's expressions tightened. After confirming the situation, it seemed the worst-case scenario had indeed occurred. They looked towards Netero, who was leading the group, but noticed he showed no reaction. Only Morin, standing beside him, could sense the powerful energy within Netero, which had been building up and was now beginning to stir.

"Can't hold it in anymore, old man?" Morin smiled slightly, then turned his attention to Colt.

"In addition to reporting the situation in the nest, I also wish to ask for your help in saving the Ant Queen!" Colt paused, then voiced his request.

"If the Queen passes away, the responsibility of the squadron leaders will be lifted, and things will spiral out of control!"

Knov remained cautious and asked, "Specifically, what will happen?"

"They might emulate the Ant King, each going out to establish their own nation and reproduce their offspring! Once the command system collapses, this behavior will appear at all levels, even among the military leaders! In other words..."

"In other words, they'll disperse across the world, disrupting the ecosystem?"

Ging shook his head slightly and stretched, causing a series of cracking sounds to emanate from his's body.

"According to expert studies, once the Ant Queen dies, the soldier ants surrounding her will scatter worldwide, maximizing their reproductive capabilities by forcing female creatures to mate with them, thus propagating the next generation."

This was a conclusion he had drawn from observing the ants over this period.

"If that's the case, it would indeed be quite troublesome."

Knov adjusted his glasses and looked at Netero.

"This suggests that what he's saying is true."

He only provided an assessment, leaving the final decision to Netero.

"Forced mating? That's truly in line with beastly behavior. Should I say, as expected of ants?"

After finishing his activities, Morin exhaled lightly and addressed Netero, who was still in thought:

"Regardless of whether what he says is true, why not go see for ourselves? Or should I go ahead first?"

"Hmm, if the Ant King is still there..."

"He's not!" Colt immediately interrupted Netero.

"The Ant King left the nest with his three strongest royal guards to search for delicious food."

"Delicious food?!"

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in the hearts of Knov and Morel.

"It should be humans, right?" Morin said softly.

"Judging by your appearance and the ants we've hunted, it seems your Ant Queen has a preference for consuming humans. And some ants can even wield Nen. I have reason to suspect that the 'delicious food' the Ant King refers to might indeed be humans, and if he's picky, his targets might even be human Nen users, right?"

As Morin finished speaking, Morel and Knov's gazes towards Colt became increasingly wary.

"Yes, Her Majesty the Ant Queen does indeed enjoy consuming humans." Colt's voice weakened slightly.

"However, I truly don't know what the Ant King prefers to eat~"

"Hmph!" Morel snorted coldly, though his disdain was directed not at Colt, but at the Ant Queen.

"In that case, it might be better to let the Ant Queen die. We can wait outside, and as soon as we detect any squadron leaders or military leaders attempting to cause trouble, we can take them out immediately!"

Morel spoke bluntly.

"Uh..." Colt showed a slightly troubled expression but eventually forced a bitter smile:

"If possible, I still hope to save the Ant Queen."

"Hmm? Aren't you one of us? Why are you still defending the Ant Queen, thinking of her at every turn?"

Knov's eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with a dangerous light.

"Although I've awakened memories and a personality from my past life, the experiences of these days can't be erased from my mind." Colt replied earnestly, "I know it's not right, but having served under the Ant Queen for so long, I can't just stand by and watch her die without doing anything."

"I want to do my utmost for her in these final moments, to repay her for her nurturing."

Upon hearing this, Knov remained expressionless, but Morel's demeanor softened.

"In that case, you can be considered a man of honor."

A person who knows gratitude and loyalty is someone Morel could appreciate.

"Then let me take the lead and scout the way."

Morin stepped forward, "And with my abilities, even if the Ant King returns, I have various methods and strategies to deal with him."

"Of course, if the opportunity arises, I wouldn't mind taking out the Ant King first."

Morin looked at Netero with a half-smile, "That way, you wouldn't have to trouble yourself, Chairman~!"

"Heh?"

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