( Chorus vocalizing )
Kurapika: To verify,
are you pakunoda of the phantom troupe?
Pakunoda: Yes, I am.
Melody: She’s telling the truth.
Kurapika: Let’s begin.
I will present each of you with two conditions.
If you choose to abide by them,
I will release your leader.
Chrollo: Figure it out, pakunoda.
He’s more concerned about his friends
than killing me to satisfy his revenge.
That is the chain user’s weakness.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )
♪
Kurapika: I’ll start with the conditions for the leader.
First, I hereby forbid all further use of nen.
Second...
( Gasping )
( Thinking ) Is this really the right move?
If I eliminate the boss,
the spider will fall apart.
That was the idea, but...
Chrollo: I have absolutely no value as a hostage.
Melody: Everything that he’s saying right now is true.
Kurapika: But the spider can live on,
even without a head.
The leader isn’t everything.
The group would be more than willing to sacrifice him
if they felt it necessary.
That is the nature of the phantom troupe.
I can cut off the head,
but it’s no guarantee the spider will die.
The question is, is there any other alternative?
Is there some kind of miracle
that can get me out of this bind?
There isn’t, none that I can think of.
Yes, this is right.
In this moment, this is what I have to do.
I must get those two back.
That is my top priority.
I’ve lost too many people already.
I will not lose my friends!
Second, I forbid all contact
with other troupe members from now on.
Those are my conditions,
and to make certain you adhere to them,
I will stab your leader
with my judgment chain: Arbiter little finger.
It’s up to you now, pakunoda.
Are these conditions acceptable?
Pakunoda: Yes, I accept.
( Heart beats )
Kurapika: Pakunoda, you’re next.
First off, release gon and killua uninjured
before midnight and without any deceptions.
Second, you are also forbidden to reveal anything about me.
Accept, and i’ll stab you with the chain as well.
Pakunoda: Yes, go ahead.
- ( Chain whooshes ) - ( Grunts )
( Heart beats )
Kurapika: Hey, if gon and killua
were being controlled by a manipulator,
could you tell from their heartbeats?
Melody: Maybe.
I’ve met killua before,
so I know his normal heartbeat.
I should be able to tell if anything has changed.
Kurapika: Good enough.
( Heart beating )
Before the exchange, I have something to say.
Melody: Kurapika...
In the back of your mind, you sense something’s amiss.
You’re curious as to why pakunoda came alone.
If the troupe were as merciless as we expected them to be,
this hostage exchange would be impossible.
Chrollo: You are the one who is cornered.
Melody: Their rules are ironclad,
and their boss accepts them without question.
But what about the others?
This one appears to be different.
This woman whom you despise with your whole being
is driven certainly,
but by the very same motive that drives you.
She wishes to save her boss,
to save her friend.
You do realize this, don’t you?
Kurapika: Now return to your companions,
and inform them of the exchange.
I want you to bring the hostages to lingon airport
before midnight tonight.
Come alone, and tell no one where you’re going.
Pakunoda: I understand.
I will do what you ask.
Take me back to the airport.
Kurapika: You haven’t asked any questions.
You know who I am.
You must by now. Aren’t you worried?
You don’t find this deal unreasonable?
Do you actually believe i’ll return your leader?
- Pakunoda: I do. - ( Kurapika gasps )
Pakunoda: If you really wanted to deceive me,
you wouldn’t have asked me those questions.
( Thunder crashes )
Phinks: Does he really expect us
to simply accept those conditions?
Tell us where he is, paku.
We’ll kill the kids and go deal with the chain user.
Machi: You’re insisting?
Phinks: Damn right, I am.
If you don’t tell us, then you’re not leaving.
Pakunoda: I refuse to tell you anything,
and i’m taking the kids alone. End of story.
Don’t interfere.
Phinks: Screw that!
If anyone is interfering, it’s you.
Machi: Go ahead, pakunoda.
We can stop them, so don’t worry.
Feitan: Stop us?
How insulting.
Phinks: You’re serious, aren’t you?
I don’t get it.
Have you all lost your damn minds?
Feitan: I think the chain user got to them before we arrived.
They’re probably under his control.
We’re wasting time.
I’ll make them talk.
Gon: You really don’t get it?
( Phinks gasps )
Gon: You don’t understand
why pakunoda wants to leave without telling you anything?
And you don’t understand why machi would want to stop you?
You think it’s because they’re being manipulated?
It’s ’cause they want to rescue your boss!
What else would it be?
They want to save their friend from danger!
Don’t you understand that?!
Phinks: Shut up, pipsqueak.
You’re just desperate to leave.
Gon: I’m not saying it to save myself.
Take it back.
Killua: Man...
Phinks: Take it back?
Come over here, and make me.
I’ll rip your head off the second you take a step.
- ( Knuckles crack ) - Gon: Then I won’t.
You think i’m that stupid?
Kurapika isn’t like you.
No matter how much he hates someone,
he would never lose control and kill them out of anger.
He’s not a murderer!
And you better believe if kurapika makes a promise,
then he’s gonna keep his word no matter what happens.
Doubt me? Ask pakunoda. She’s met him. She knows.
If you just do what he says, he will return your boss.
Phinks: All right, kid, that’s enough.
I’m starting to get real sick of your crap!
Franklin: Knock it off.
Just let pakunoda go.
Phinks: What, you’re siding with them now?
Franklin: Hey, shal,
what do you think our worst-case scenario would be?
Shalnark: Mm, that the boss is already dead
and paku and the rest are being controlled,
that we won’t be able to locate the chain user,
and the two kids find a way to escape.
Franklin: You’ve got it all wrong.
The worst-case scenario
is that we all die and the spider perishes.
What you’re talking about
would be pretty pleasant by comparison.
Am I wrong?
( Shalnark gasps ) No, you’re right.
Franklin: Whatever your reasoning,
you’re relying way too much on the boss,
and if the phantom troupe falls apart as a result,
that’d be more of a betrayal than anything else.
Keep bickering like this, and it might just happen,
so calm down, and let them have their way.
Pakunoda can take the kids.
If the boss doesn’t return,
then we’ll kill the members who are being controlled
and start rebuilding the spider.
It’s really that simple.
Machi: I’m fine with that if it’ll satisfy you,
though i’m not being controlled,
and killing me won’t be easy.
( Phinks scoffs )
( Cell phone rings )
Yeah, hold--
kurapika: Put the hostages on the phone.
Shalnark: Don’t break it!
Kurapika: Are you okay? Are they there?
Gon: Yeah, they’re all right here.
Shalnark: Hey!
( Phinks scoffs )
Look, we’re following your orders.
Franklin: Aren’t you going to go after them?
I mean, the chain user can’t monitor our location now.
Phinks: Shut up.
If I tried to follow them, you would just stop me, right?
I’ll just wait here for the time being,
and if the boss doesn’t come back for whatever reason,
I guess i’ll kill you, too.
Franklin: As you wish.
Kurapika: Board the airship.
The pilot knows where to go.
Melody: Just the three of them, as promised.
Kurapika: We can’t be sure yet, so stay on high alert.
( Leorio gasps ) There’s someone over there.
( Cell phone rings )
( Ring )
Leorio: It’s him, hisoka.
Hisoka: Hey.
Pakunoda: What are you doing here?!
Kurapika: Did you sneak out?
Hisoka: No need for concern. I left a double behind.
- ( Rattles ) - Illumi: Make it quick.
Without needles, my face will revert in four to five hours.
Kurapika: What are you up to?
Hisoka: Allow me to board the airship with them.
If you refuse, i’ll kill gon and killua.
Kurapika: Bastard.
( Hisoka thinking ) I’m only kidding.
I would never be so wasteful.
My target is chrollo, and chrollo alone,
and i’ll gladly get off the airship
as soon as he is released.
All I want is to fight him, nothing more. I promise.
( Kurapika shudders )
( Chorus singing in foreign language )
( Cell phone rings )
Kurapika: Killua, place the phone next to your heart.
♪
Melody: It’s fine.
There’s nothing wrong with him.
Kurapika: Okay! Begin the exchange!
Kurapika: If you make contact with a troupe member, you die.
Now you’ll know the pain of losing your home.
( Wind blowing )
Hisoka: I’ve waited a long time for this moment.
Come on. Let’s fight.
♪
Hisoka: I won’t be needing this anymore.
Now this won’t be considered in-fighting,
so there’s no need to hold back.
( Chrollo chuckles )
We can talk, because you aren’t a troupe member.
I can’t fight you,
or rather, i’m simply not worth the trouble,
because, you see,
he stabbed his judgment chain directly into my heart.
I can’t use nen anymore.
( Wind blowing )
Hisoka: It appears that we can leave now.
Pakunoda: I see.
Leorio: Hisoka returned to the airship
without fighting at all.
Kurapika: The leader probably told him about my chains
once he realized he wasn’t a member.
Kurapika: But i’m not surprised.
Fighting someone who can’t use nen
wouldn’t be of much interest to hisoka.
Leorio: So wait. He wasn’t a troupe member?
Kurapika: No.
Pakunoda: How did you sneak out?
Hisoka: I have a friend who’s good with disguises.
There’s no need to worry.
I no longer have any reason to kill chrollo.
( Pakunoda gasps )
I have no interest in broken toys.
Slip out when it pleases you.
One more thing.
My real fortune mentioned something,
that I would have a date with the boss on Tuesday.
It also said that by the time I left,
the troupe’s numbers would be cut in half.
Bit by bit,
fate seems to be changing.
Kurapika: I’m sorry for exposing you to danger.
Gon: You used your chains on the boss, didn’t you?
Kurapika: Yes, but something tells me
that this isn’t the end.
( Cat meows )
Pakunoda: Meow.
Phinks: Where’s the boss?
Pakunoda: He can’t come here.
Phinks: Huh? You’re kidding.
You’d better explain.
- And if we don’t like it... - ( Knuckles crack )
Pakunoda: Yes, I know.
But don’t worry.
I can only shoot six bullets at once,
enough for the founding members.
Feitan, phinks, machi,
nobunaga, shalnark, Franklin...
( Chorus singing in foreign language )
...will you trust me
and accept this completely?
( Machi thinking ) Paku, you’re not...
Phinks: Hey, don’t tell me you’re being controlled--
nobunaga: Be quiet.
It’s paku. You can trust her.
( Pakunoda thinking ) All my memories,
my heart and soul...
I give you everything.
( Gunshots )
( Gasps )
Please, let me be...
The last.
- Phinks: Paku. - ( Heart beats )
( Thunder rumbles )
Shizuku: She’s dead.
What’s going on here?
Phinks: I’ll explain everything.
( Thunder crashes )
Now we know.
She did this, because...
Gon: I sure hope kurapika’s fever doesn’t go down.
Killua: Yeah.
Hold on. What did you just say?!
Gon: I feel like kurapika
shouldn’t fight the phantom troupe anymore.
Killua: Huh?
Gon: When he told me about his abilities,
I thought of something.
If all he had really wanted was to get revenge,
then he probably would have taken on different abilities.
- Killua: Think so? - Gon: I do,
because if he had only wanted to kill the troupe,
he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble
of chaining their hearts. I wouldn’t have.
Killua: Maybe, if you only had one target.
Instead, he was dealing with all of them.
He couldn’t catch and kill one right away.
He’d need to extract information about the others.
Gon: Oh.
Killua: I think his ability
was created solely for revenge.
Gon: I see.
( Thinking ) But that was his original objective.
Kurapika’s different now.
Kurapika: I’m blessed with good friends.
( Gon sighs )
Killua: But you’ve got a point.
He really should stay still for a little while.
If their boss doesn’t come back,
they’re gonna be even more determined to find him.
- Gon: Yeah. - Killua: Either way,
we’re gonna have to be careful when we go to the auction house.
So do you really have a plan,
something to help us get our hands on "greed island"?!
’cause that’s all we have to to go on!
Gon: Uh, yeah, but it’s only a 50-50 chance.
Killua: Wait. Didn’t you say 70% earlier?
I get it.
That’s pretty clever,
and it might be our only shot.
It’s practical and sound, too.
Yeah, the way I see it, our odds are 80%.
- Gon: Really? - Killua: Really. Let’s do it.
♪
Gon: The auction is in hall b.
Killua: That’s it over there.
( Overlapping chatter )
Gon: Wow.
( All gasp )
Gon: What the heck are those guys doing here?!
Killua: How would I know?!
Phinks: You know, that was cold.
No need for you to run away.
Killua: Why wouldn’t we run?
Feitan: Yeah, don’t worry.
We’re not here to kill you two or anything.
Phinks: He’s right.
It’s not like we can kill the chain user now, anyway.
Gon: Wait. What do you mean?
Phinks: Well, he used his chains on the boss, didn’t he?
That means we can’t kill him.
Gon: I thought it was the opposite.
Killua: It’s nice to have someone around
who never shies away from asking questions.
Phinks: When you die, it doesn’t mean your nen disappears.
♪
Nen that’s driven by hatred and regret
can last a long time after death,
and it will direct itself toward the target of those emotions.
Since the boss can’t use nen himself anymore,
he’s all the more vulnerable to that kind of assault.
Scary, that residual nen.
That’s why we can’t kill the chain user.
( Thinking ) Am I talking too much?
Fine, then.
I won’t say another word.
There are nen users, a few, anyway,
who can remove nen from other people.
( Wind blowing )
Chrollo: Hmm. East, it is.
Phinks: So as you might have guessed,
we’re pretty much done with the two of you.
The only reason we’re even here is to enjoy the auction.
The other members decided to pack up and go home already.
Gon: Hold on.
How’s miss pakunoda?
( Phinks sighs )
She died, actually.
( Gon and killua gasp )
Gon: Oh, I see.
Pakunoda: I don’t get it.
Why don’t you run away?
Gon: What do you mean by that?
Pakunoda: With my injuries, you could escape easily,
and if you did, I would lose my leverage,
and the chain user could kill the boss,
so why not run away?
Aren’t you on his side?
Gon: Well, we’re his friends,
and we all care about him,
and we don’t want him to turn into a murderer.
Killua: If an exchange will do the job,
that’s what we’ll do.
♪
Gon: What’s wrong?
Killua: Let’s go.
Phinks: Paku...
Paku was very thankful to both of you.
♪
Narrator: Tune in next time,
when the "greed island" arc begins.
( Singing in Japanese )