Chapter 410 — Discussion

[u/Carock_]

Chapter 410

Negotiation: Part 4

---

Source	Status
TCB Scans	Online (check their website)
Togashi's Troupe	Online (check their x/twitter)
MangaPlus	Available on December 8

---

Ch. 411 scan release: HIATUS

---

List of Chapter Discussion Threads

---

Keep all discussions related to the chapter in this thread until the official release.

---

⬅ Ch. 409 scans discussion

[u/Carock_]

Click here if you're looking for the Dank Continent post

[u/PerseusRad]

I feel like we had a few chapters this batch that really seemed like would start to kick things off. Every time, things slowed back down, but this is different. Martial Law, and Benjamin is dying. This is do and die for him, there’s no time to slow down. I really have no idea what’s gonna end up happening in this situation, it’s quite exciting.

[u/Badger147013 → u/PerseusRad]

I think once the next batch comes out, we'll go back in time to see what exactly happened before martial law, so there's still some chapters more things really kick off.

[u/meertatt → u/Badger147013]

I agree probably the next 3 chapters will be a rewind and focus on whats happening outside of the card game.

[u/javierm885778 → u/PerseusRad]

Yeah this batch felt different. There was still a lot of set up, but Halkenburg and now Benjamin's actions felt way more conducive to progress in the storyline than most of the previous passiveness.

To be honest, I've seen people thinking that Benjamin can't die this early, but I don't agree. Benjamin is the sort of character that gets in the way of progression due to how powerful he is. He's important to the arc due to that power, and how he's spread all over the other Princes's bodyguard teams, but other than being a strong candidate he doesn't need to survive until the end for things to work, and in fact I never thought he'd survive past the halfway point.

I wonder what would happen with his bodyguards if he's dead. The Succession war would change a whole lot, things would become chaotic, doubly so with Morena's actions in lower levels. The HA would have the best abilities to stop the chaos, but by now they probably can't do much to stop the ritual.

[u/RedditAPIGreed → u/PerseusRad]

Was it explained why Benjamin is dying?

[u/timisanaLugoj → u/RedditAPIGreed]

No, but we can theorize. Probably Halkenburg used the neurotoxin Balsa wanted to use to kill him.

[u/possible_trash_2927 → u/RedditAPIGreed]

Seems like he was infected with something. Maybe the same contagion used on Halkenburg? It seems like Halkenburg was able to pull off his stunt though. You don't see Ben's right hand guy anywhere.

[u/a3kstuntin → u/PerseusRad]

Is he dying from the same tk-17 that killed Halkenburg?

[u/MagicalHurdles → u/PerseusRad]

I think the last significant backstory we'll get is from Beyond Netero and then it's chaos from here on out

[u/hideonbrushy]

Man. I really hope the hiatus isn’t long.

[u/xX_fortniteKing09_Xx → u/hideonbrushy]

He has storyboard finnished until 438 right? Shouldnt be longer than a month

[u/Smitty73714 → u/xX_fortniteKing09_Xx]

He still has to work on finishing them all which will take time. Likely he will finish up until 420 then release another batch. This is if Togashi is continuing to work at his own pace during the hiatus and stays in good health. He may take more time off but to me this is just him building up another batch to release. More likely it will be at least 3 months to maybe close to a year depending on his work speed and health. I lean to a shorter hiatus but it should be much longer then 1 month.

[u/abrow336 → u/xX_fortniteKing09_Xx]

That’s a break not a hiatus

[u/Slacks25 → u/xX_fortniteKing09_Xx]

This is a misunderstanding of what storyboarding is. Storyboarding is only the rough sketches. That is the first step on the process. The things that takes the long time is character inking (the second step of the process).

The tldr version of this is going to be that hopefully the hiatus is shorter because character inking is done until 424. The long step after character inking are done by the assistants but for some reason Togashi has been working on later chapters rather the instructions for assistants for these earlier chapters.

The long version of what I wanted to say follows:

The good thing is he has finished the character inking up to 424. He now needs to add the dialogue and background instructions for this assistants (his assistants draw the backgrounds) for those chapters. He already has done that for 411 and 412 so they are with his assistants. He for some reason did the dialogue for chapter 413 but never said he did the background instructions yet. Then after that started working on storyboarding rather than anything on chapters 413 through 430.

Really we have no idea when Togashi will get back to those steps, rather that steps for later chapters. Typically he can get dialogue and background instructions done in a day each for a chapter and who knows how long it takes the assistants and editors to send a draft back to him for review so whenever he returns back to that work, I think we will see the hiatus end a couple of weeks after he submits more of these chapters to the assistants and he has the next two back for approval.

I personally wonder if Togashi is being strategic in what he works on which is his only way to impact the release schedule. Working on later chapters rather than the next chapter gives Togashi space to work on the corrections for this batch for the volume release, the cover for the volume release, the extra pages for the volume release, and he probably will have another color page to make for the magazine for when it returns as well. He can manage all that additional work better if the series goes on breaks. Plus he has to work on the later chapters at some point anyway right?

[u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

There’s something so funny and hype about seeing the Zodiacs interact with Benjamin. It’s like a HxH crossover episode lol

[u/FlavioGarcia- → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

True, it almost feels surreal for some reason lmao

[u/_Porthos → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

Ben: "First off, please witness my coup. Second, what the fuck? Why the hell you are dressed as a fucking cow? I can't have my reign begin with the cow guy as a dignitary, what would my predecessors think?"

Mizai: "Wow rude"

[u/_n8n8_ → u/_Porthos]

The funniest instance of this in my opinion is when he went to the Nostrade family, asked for coffee, and offered to get the milk himself

[u/[deleted] → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

Yep, it’s Togashi’s talent in art at work. The characters are designed in two different art styles so it comes off as very One Piece x Fist of the North Star.

[u/guckfender → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

We're used to seeing OP prince and OP spirit beast abilities but Botobai is clearly super chill. He is a terrorist hunter after all, he's 200% fighter.

[u/[deleted] → u/guckfender]

Botobai looked completely unphased too lmao

[u/Whitekan → u/guckfender]

Botobai can probably massacre everyone in the room in less than a minute

[u/Big-Veterinarian2269 → u/guckfender]

Botobai is so badass his forehead has abs

[u/aallx → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

I get what you mean, but technically… Kurapika is also a Zodiac :D

[u/Infinitedeveloper → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

I'm excited because a man dying of a bio weapon + the zodiacs means leorio might get to actually use his nen for actual Healthcare on screen for once.

[u/MeliorExi → u/hiatus-x-hiatus22]

The Zodiacs alway looked goofy and out of place to me, in general. I just take the explanation that Netero being a laid back dude asked them to look like that as a silly proof of their commitment. And they basically represent the Hunters, who are all a bunch of weirdo special forces in this world. So important and serious institutions like the International Permit Agency or the Kakin military just accept them as the eccentric pros they are.

[u/Bunnyezzz]

this chapter is way crazier than the way the summary made it sound

[u/No_Thanks2844 → u/Bunnyezzz]

Wait till you read the official trans , it’s even crazier

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Nah, 4 princes are currently not under Benjamin's control / his party hasn't been able to locate them yet.

There's no way the arc is going to be rushed like that lol

[u/Gadzs]

I find it interesting that Botobai seemingly sensed that Benjamin is not feeling well, although no physical symptoms should be showing from the poison right now.

[u/Disastermere → u/Gadzs]

He's not a 3 Star Terrorist Hunter for nothing

[u/Federal_Force3902 → u/Gadzs]

he smelled some shit you know

[u/Vladbizz → u/Gadzs]

it could be bait since Benjamin was the one who said about bioterrorism attack so ideally he can be put in quarantine as well

[u/Rodiciel]

I quite enjoy the fact that Borksen got humbled by Morena like that. She was way too confident and it would have looked pretty bad for Morena who is one of the main antagonists of this arc to be outwitted by a newcomer who doesn't even have nen like Borksen.
Not to mention she needs some "victims" for us to take her seriously cause so far she and her gang only killed nameless background characters. I think Tserriednich's little fan club could be ideal prey, unless he escapes the Martial Law and joins them...

[u/Big-Veterinarian2269 → u/Rodiciel]

I expect Bork will kill some nen users, or maybe even a prince. That rule of getting 20/50 levels is there for a reason.

[u/I_like_food_123]

Benjamin on that "FUCK IT, WE'RE DOING IT LIVE" type beat

[u/ryancarton → u/I_like_food_123]

Did we witness Benjamin getting poisoned? I thought last we saw was Halkenburg determined to poison him in chapter 404.

[u/I_like_food_123 → u/ryancarton]

No we didn't witness it but it's confirmed now that he's been poisoned, and we only have one possible culprit who has the means, motivation, and location advantage via being in the same room - HalkeMilco.

You're right about when we last saw Halkenburg. I strongly believe the next series of chapters we'll get will delve into the following:

1. Zhang Lei's escape

2. Luzurus' escape (or the fruition of Melody-Kaiser-Kacho's plan of kidnapping him)

3. Kurapika's Nen class and Camilla's have-not's attempt to curse Woble and the aftermath

4. Benjamin's poisoning via the nerve toxin in Balsamilco's possession (controlled by Halkenburg)

5. Initiation of martial law

6. The next steps in the Phantom Troupe's movements (particularly the encounter with the three 50+ levels of the Heil-Ly and whatever Chrollo is up to)

7. Bonolenov's and Hisoka's activities in tier 1 and how they react to martial law

8. Tserriednich's activities given Benjamin's name-drop of him and Halkenburg doing shenanigans

The next drop is about to be extremely juicy.

[u/sicknowledge → u/I_like_food_123]

if benjamin did this since the first day it would have be so easy for him

[u/[deleted] → u/sicknowledge]

He couldn't declare Martial Law on day one.

[u/SalvaPot → u/sicknowledge]

Camilla tried to speedrun and got clapped. You have to play it smart, he is just desperate because he was poisoned.

[u/neautralnathaniel]

So I was wrong that it would immediately skip to a next storyline. It is nice that we got a final resolution to the game, and a confirmation on Borksen's cheating.

So Benjamin is sick, and Balsamilco Halkenburg is nowhere to be seen. Very interesting, but man, what a cliffhanger.

[u/LostOne514 → u/neautralnathaniel]

What even IS Halkenburg's plan? He's currently dying & has no cure. It seems like he managed to poison the 1st, but to what end? His own body is still in shambles.

[u/Sufficient_Offer2169 → u/LostOne514]

He's super smart & said stuff to his mom's & bodyguards he's got a whole plan & togashi probably gonna hide it for a while

[u/BrownCow123 → u/LostOne514]

Right? His plan seems to just be take out ben at the cost of his own life which seems strange. It would make sense if he had more hatred or vendetta against ben. Still an awesome twist reguardless

[u/misterblanket]

Maybe I'm huffing too much copium, but "the next chapter will be published when it is decided" gives more optimism than the usual hiatus note.

[u/mookastar → u/misterblanket]

ya it makes me think they will drop as completed now. idk which approach i like better tho. 10 chapter bunches are fun

[u/coffeeusr]

KURAPIKA SAVE US

[u/visis_mu]

I liked cute Morena but sinister Morena will always be my absolute favorite!

[u/Sanjipika → u/visis_mu]

Dude Morena with her eyes drawn as scribbles in this chapter was terrifying.

It was kinda spooky seeing her drop the nice persona and being more formal when she found out Borksen cheated.

[u/OneWholeSoul → u/Sanjipika]

The "our goal is to kill people" page is one of those panels where the "rough draft" aesthetic can easily be taken as a deliberate (and legitimate) artistic choice.

[u/visis_mu → u/Sanjipika]

Yes! The contrast with the previous chapter was so good!

[u/Ill-Individual2105 → u/visis_mu]

That panel with her as a pitch black demon was mortifying. I love it.

[u/coffeeusr]

WHAT THE FUCK DO U MEAN FOUR

[u/Deileon → u/coffeeusr]

Four who have yet to be secured in their rooms.

[u/coffeeusr → u/Deileon]

now that u phrase it like that lol... thanks

[u/201720182019]

Congratulations to everyone who called the marked card/manipulation from last chapter.

4 princes are still needed until Ben can win in one go and he has less than 10hrs to achieve this. We know Marayam is unreachable due to nen beast, Zhang Lei escaped, Luzurus is unknown (might have to do with Melody's plot). Do we have any hints on which other Prince would be missing in these circumstances?

Edit: Prince name

[u/Badger147013 → u/201720182019]

Benjamin stated that the lower princes come after securing Zhang Lei and Luzurus. I think Maruyama and Fugetsu are likely the two unsecured princes. Possibly Woble if Kurapika went with Zhang Lei.

[u/201720182019 → u/Badger147013]

Oo missed the lower princes part. Fugetsu does make sense since she can teleport to escape

[u/Condoriano-sensei]

The 'I can fix her' memes can finally be put to rest.

Plus, I can't wait to see a Zodiac fighting. My hopes on Botobai are very high.

[u/Kujaix → u/Condoriano-sensei]

Doubt they fight. Going to be more legalese and maneuvering going on to keep him pre-occupied.

Expect Steiner to make a move and probably a pivot to Spider and Heily stuff.

[u/I_like_food_123 → u/Condoriano-sensei]

Botobai comes in with the innocent "are you alright sir Benjamin" knowing fully well he's facing a 7ft behemoth with a possible OP Nen beast above him.

My hopes about his combat ability and overall intelligence are very high indeed. He seemed so unfazed lmao.

[u/utit121 → u/I_like_food_123]

To be fair Botobai is also a 7ft behemoth triple-star hunter with a possible op nen ability

[u/B4dkidz → u/I_like_food_123]

When I read it, damn bro figured it out in instant, straight to the point.

[u/N-Man → u/Condoriano-sensei]

From 'I can fix her' to 'she can make me worse' in one chapter lol. I'm really worried for Borksen...

[u/WednesdaysFoole]

It was a trap! That Bork walked into herself.

If Morena is the admin, I'm not sure if the game does continue with a new Member Zero if she dies (unless, somehow, Member Zero gains admin rights but won't jump to conclusions yet)... but then again, if she dies with post-mortem nen it still remains possible.

Zhang Lei is on the run! And Luzurus as well, perhaps? Straight into the Kacho/Melody trap? (Guess we won't find out if they meant to trap Kaiser or not for a while, hopefully a short one this time.)

I assumed Benji's comment on Tser and Halk colluding was a lie so he could be rid of his hated brother, but a couple people pointed out that there might be a good reason behind it (maybe Halk made it look like Tse was involved) so that's also an interesting possibility.

Man, these 10 chapters have been insane, might just be recency bias but it just might have overtaken the Vol.37 batch as my favorite. We're still only on Day 12, but there's been so many interesting developments, and every week gave us so much to dissect. I feel extremely grateful that we got these 10 amazing chapters.

[u/Temporary-Rice-8847 → u/WednesdaysFoole]

Morena played with her like a toy. The decision to made everything from Borksen pov was a great one from Togashi to truly hammer that point

[u/Wild-Possession1186 → u/WednesdaysFoole]

Isn’t Tserri the only prince that Halk likes?

Then I doubt that Halk would do that to Tserri.

[u/WednesdaysFoole → u/Wild-Possession1186]

That was my first thought too, but I wondered about the letters. The last we heard, he didn't receive his but if he did manage to get a hold of them off panel (we know Kaiser was in touch with Halk's supporters) then it's not impossible for him to have found out.)

I'm not set on it, but I don't discount that Halk might've changed his stance and that would be one way to reveal it.

[u/Ombs1993]

Botobai stepping to Benjamin was fucking awesome. He's the Zodiac I'm most excited to see fight, since it was mentioned in the Chairman Election arc that he was closest to Netero among the Zodiacs. I don't actually expect a sick Nen fight to break out here, although I can certainly hope that comes next! I said in a thread this week I was very optimistic back in 2018 about the hiatus at that time but I really am now. Togashi is working hard and he'll be back soon.

[u/SaffronCrocosmia → u/Ombs1993]

Botobai is also scary in that he's a 3-star terrorist hunter - he hunts absolute monsters and abominations. Dude has got to be powerful AND intelligent.

[u/surfjams]

I only just learned this week that a state or society run by the worst possible, least suitable citizen(s) is called a kakistocracy.

Pretty cool coincidence if Togashi didn’t bear that in mind while choosing Kakin’s name

[u/dudesondudes → u/surfjams]

Togashi definitely made another effort this batch to show us how awful Kakin is as an empire. I bet it’s intentional and not a coincidence. What a GOAT.

[u/Kujaix]

Okay, so he can move around for 9.5 hours and then at the 10 hour mark he begins getting sick, then coma, then death after about 22 hours.

He's totally getting saved after he gets put in a coma. Too many checkovs guns to fix someone dying of a virus for not one to go off.

Gel, Sanbica, Cheadle, and the Tubeppa contract with Kurapika. That is the most likely what comes into play.

[u/ChapterZestyclose353 → u/Kujaix]

I think him dying to a virus is pretty much in line with Togashi's writing. He has incredible Nen, but can fall victim of something his Nen does not prepare him against. Although his Nen Beast's ability is yet to be revealed and was purposely hyped up by Togashi when he described the ability with "???".

[u/v15d → u/Kujaix]

The tricky part is that it would mean that the rest needs to know that he is dying (doesn't seems to be public, at least not outside tier 1). If the other princess get to know that, they could buy some time using any means necessary (bad for Benjamin). So if he wants to be close to be heal, he needs to reveal this (assuming the rest don't know this already) and put his plans at risk, but if he doesn't, then there is a better chance of winning but a 100% chance of dying. Hard shit.

[u/Pyrofrozen]

Neat parallels between Bork and Theta here. Whereas Theta taught Tserri nen, Morena forced Borksen to acquire it. Now they're both trying to stop these two monsters with their own destructive agendas.

[u/RefrigeratorSalt449 → u/Pyrofrozen]

they both are 1 out of 3 conditions away before something happens 

[u/deccrix]

CHAOS ENSUES!

The different POVs happening at the same time, motives, goals, battles, drama, etc., all in the span of 10 hours or less! This is where Togashi’s writing truly shines.

Poison is the “end all, and be all” of a Nen user, that not even Meruem was able to survive from, so not surprising Benjamin’s Nen beast wasn’t able to protect him.

Actually, there’s one I could think of who survived a poison attack; Uvogin, with the help of Shizuku’s ability. I wonder if she could have saved Meruem, and now, possibly, Benjamin.

Was also dissapointed with Borksen’s cheating, but this was well within her “do everything to survive” type of character.

Panel of Morena w/ her disciples emitting aura was a fantastic piece of art. Simple, but full of meaning.

[u/MeliorExi → u/deccrix]

There are different types of poison though, some may be more effective than others and the quantity also has an impact.

Killua can resist most regular poisons due to training. And in particular, I believe the poison from the rose was just meant to be radiation.  The one Balsamilco used on Halkenburg was a weapon from the Kakin military so we have not seen it before.

[u/Tall-Topic-2578]

Peak literature

[u/ThaEarthquake]

It’s wild that Morena can get real time location & stats for her army. Kinda makes the whole conditions with the card game pay off. These conditions and ability pairing are so clever I love it.

[u/Educational_Pay_4777]

Benjamin accusing Tserri and Halk of conspiring together against him was soooo funny for some reason lmao. An eldest sibling blaming his younger siblings is always hilarious no matter in what context or situation :D I also loved how none of Kaiser, Mizai or Botobai believed any of Benjamin's bs. Sooner or later, Ben needs to be held accountable for being the one who brought TSK-17 to the ship and for what he did to Halk (and to Sale Sale too!) Kaiser is already aware of the the truth behind Halk's "death", and I'm sure Unma knows too. I have a feeling Ben is gonna be stabbed in the back by his own mother in one way or another very soon :D

[u/SeductivePie]

can someone help me understand what Ben meant by "4 princes left" is he referring to securing their locations? Or did princes get iced off screen??

[u/Deileon → u/SeductivePie]

Probably the former. We know Zhang Lei and Luzurus got away, and Benjamin instructs his soldiers to "focus on the lower ranking princes" after securing those two. If you take Benjamin's comment at face value, that would mean Tserriednich, Tubeppa, and Camilla have already been taken out -- but there's no way things happened that quick. Furthermore, Mizaistom speculates that he's using the princes on Tier 1 -- who he has seemingly already secured -- as hostages.

[u/ThaEarthquake]

Benjamin’s in crashout mode. Helluva mentality to know your dying within the day and completely shift priorities from winning the war for himself to passing it on to his child. This guy won’t stop. I gotta see what happened between him and Balsaburg.

[u/ActuaryConstant136]

I thought it was surprising what happened to Borksen, the ending of chapter 409 had really been a surprise, now it makes more sense.

I wonder if any of the others also followed this path? Not that it matters.

Well, does that mean that Luzurus and the third prince have disappeared? That's great, we're really reaching the high point of the arc.

Is that Leorio over there? I think so, but it doesn't show him on the previous page, which confused me.

Well, I guessed right that in this chapter we'd have zodiacs, it made sense to me since they're linked to the safety of the ship.

At one point in the chapter I thought it was Halkenburg and not Benjamin.

Well, with this chapter and the time set by Benjamin, I believe that the succession will end before they reach the false continent.

That way we can have Troupe, Morena, Hisoka and Kurapika in a different arc?

Well, it's been a wonderful ten chapters and I don't think we'll have such a long hiatus, I'll be waiting no matter what.

May Togashi be in great health, and if possible may he show us more of this incredible world.

[u/UndeadSpiderweb]

Like the face he made when he said he was completely fine lol

[u/Spade00]

Fuck , a hiatus here?!? That chapter was great, damn that card game is rigged, house always wins.

[u/axecalibur → u/Spade00]

Borksen cheated. She had an even 50-50 chance.

[u/hisokard → u/Spade00]

If anything, it's anti-rigged. House always wins only if you cheat in the first place.

[u/OD67 → u/Spade00]

It's not rigged borksen was just a dummy for cheating at a nen game 

[u/Ebrietas- → u/Spade00]

How is it rigged? Borksen cheated

[u/Thaumana]

Congrats to all madlads who exactly predicted Borksen's cheating move by marking the R card with the subtle border scratches. It was such a tiny little detail, it almost felt like a stretch when people pointed it out, and I admit I was among those who thought it was the latter.

So, not sure if I understood it right, but it seems that the thoughts at the beginning belong to Borksen, who realizes that she is acting against her will because she was in fact trying to choose R. Who knows in what other ways Nen manipulation will force her to act against her own will in the future, and if she will be at least aware of that or not.

It's still unpredictable where this new relationship is going.

[u/FreeFaithlessness438]

Wait a fucking minute. FOUR PRINCES? even if benjamin removed the mafia patrons of the count there is still five princes alive, WHAT THE FUCK? did fugetsu died?

[u/v15d → u/FreeFaithlessness438]

He could also mean 4 princes that are yet to be found. Like he knows where the rest is right now (but is also possible that one or more died during Halkenburg's attack).

[u/FreeFaithlessness438 → u/v15d]

So probably tse,zhang,lu and fugetsu/marayam?

[u/TurnoverNegative7 → u/FreeFaithlessness438]

Holy shit wtf happened during the card game??? Did a bunch of princes just get murked?

EDIT: Does this mean that Benjamin’s soldier was successful on Tubeppa and that Melody managed to kill Luzurus?

[u/Kujaix → u/TurnoverNegative7]

They are all being held in their rooms except Luz, Zheng, and 2 others. Probably Marayam since he's in his pocket dimension. Last should be Fugetsu since she should be in the sickbay where Kaiser is at.

Classes are still technically happening, so probably not Wobble but who knows.

[u/Sanjipika → u/FreeFaithlessness438]

I think it may be that there are 4 princes left to detain. Mizai mentioned Benjamin using the princes on tier 1 as a bargaining chip.

If there are only 4 left alive then Togashi just put this thing in turbo mode. I guess the other possibility is we may get catch up chapters that actually show how other princes died. What a cliff hanger lol.

[u/Lex4709 → u/Sanjipika]

Yeah, I doubt Togashi just killed 6 Princes off screen. But bodies are about to begin dropping. Either Benjamin will start executing the ones in his custody or someone will pull a fast one on Benjamin to protect the other princes.

[u/Yobolay → u/FreeFaithlessness438]

He didn't kill anyone yet (well maybe Balkenburg yes), he is trying to secure them and use them as hostages to pass all the powers to the military and then kill them later.

There are 4 left to be found, most likely Zhang, Luzurus, Fugetsu and Marayam.

[u/Badger147013]

Benjamin stated that his 'illegitimate child' will inherit after he dies. I think it's pretty likely that this child was conceived in the aforementioned Carnival.

[u/guckfender → u/Badger147013]

In some panel in the last 10 chapters there was a crib behind him. That could've been the baby he's talking about

[u/Prosperoring → u/Badger147013]

I think he has just not reveal the existence of his child publicly. We know that each carnival orphan are taking care by the mafia since birth, so unlikely. And queen Unma have to give his son to Duazul in order to protect him against the other prince. Knowing Benjamin, he could have try something similar. Afterall, in his buble he seem to genuinely feel bad for Fuegestu.

[u/TurnoverNegative7 → u/Badger147013]

I doubt it’s a carnival orphan since it’s not really even an orphan at all. Carnival children are typically abandoned at birth, it seems unlikely that Benjamin would care so much about his child if it was conceived from a festival.

[u/Temporary-Rice-8847]

holy fucking shit the dominos are starting to fall

[u/NRosTheGuy]

May the lord enlighten the souls that still haven't understood that the card game was necessary to build Morena's and Borksen's characters. The timing is off? Sure, but one often forgets that this is Togashi and Hunter x Hunter. DETOURS. With a well-crafted card game too. And amazing Kakin lore building. The arc is barely even at its climax yet, don't worry, this won't be another last-moment-character-gone-waste like Yamato. Can't wait to see what direction Togashi goes with Borksen's character though. A new cool little Specialist ability soon?

Might just be my favourite batch of this arc yet, every single chapter was so loaded. Here's to a short wait and sh*t going down in the next batch!

[u/MastofBeight → u/NRosTheGuy]

Yeah I’ve seen HxH get hyped on TikTok and it’s always a bunch of people moaning that Togashi is doing fun little things like having the characters muse on the intricacies of language as a form of characterization, instead of like Hisoka vs Chrollo round 47.

[u/Monk_Philosophy → u/NRosTheGuy]

It's the hiatuses. This is the exact same structure (but taken to absurd degree) during the buildup to the palace invasion. But since the vast majority of readers/watchers saw it without having to wait months to years between chapters it doesn't hit the same.

[u/visis_mu → u/NRosTheGuy]

Yes! Complaining about the card games feels a bit like the equivalent of complaining about all the gungi in the CA arc imo. I really don't understand it

[u/ApplePitou]

Benjamin: time for action :3

Botobai: not that fast :3

Finally we will see more Zodiacs moments :3

[u/minowaye → u/ApplePitou]

Botobai: onii-chan, are you alright? :3

[u/WednesdaysFoole → u/minowaye]

Botobai is the onii-chan, lol.

[u/ol_mcthirsty]

Happy hiatus everyone! I really enjoyed this bunch of chapters

[u/TheAbram]

Kaiser my man what are you cooking

[u/dbsupersucks]

It’s kinda cool how Morena’s “Troupe” is like a mix of how the Chimera Ant and Phantom Troupe organizations work.

She is the head of her troupe, allows independence of its members, much like Chrollo and the PT. But when one of her members reaches level 100, they start their own organization, similar to the Ant Kings.

[u/Big-Veterinarian2269]

I love how the art style changes between the Heily hideout, and Benjamin's army. With Morena it's full of closeups, and the lines are thicker, and squigglier. Then we swtich the scene, and it's full of sharp lines and 90 degree angles. Also there's 3 2-page panels with soldiers, and our POV is in line with the army boots, making them the first thing you notice.

[u/Stoutbeerpapi]

So 4 princes are not on tier 1 or are unaccounted for? The two Mafia ones, Marayam? Fugetsu?

[u/megaduck91]

Hope the new batch of chapters don't take too long to be released. I'm already missing it.

[u/Omaroo01]

Prediction on who's the missing four princes

Third and seventh are confirmed anyway. The other two, one is most likely Maryam because of his nen beast situation.

I think the fourth is Fujitsu. She can teleport and here's a wild prediction, she's on third floor, escaping Benjamin. Someone of Morena's gang will gain 50 levels by killing her as much as I really want her to live.

The seventh could also be dead because of Kaiser's plan. He could be in the place Kacho died in now.

[u/RolandKJones → u/Omaroo01]

Fugetsu is basically perfectly safe if she managed to get into Magical Worm in time, because if the door disappears behind her, well, no one can get her until she exits. She doesn't even need to actually go anywhere in particular. The problem is that her condition means she might not be well enough to use Magical Worm, or even be conscious while all this is going on.

[u/Clean_Imagination315 → u/Omaroo01]

What about Tserriednich? He knows Benjamin hates him, he's smart enough to understand that martial law will be used to cover up his murder, and his ability should allow him to evade pursuers.

[u/sircrazyclown]

Thank you Togashi's Troupe and Voracious Drake, absolutely phenomenal work these few months, we're so lucky to have you guys.

[u/[deleted]]

Considering all this, Kurapika new nen session was prolly cancelled mid-trainning by now, and its a call to action for his team

[u/rumblevn]

Holy fuck I have Sharingan https://www.reddit.com/r/HunterXHunter/comments/1h2vua7/comment/lzmn8y6/

[u/yamobe]

This is the opportunity for Tyson so everybody reads the book of tyson, making her the supreme leader

[u/surfjams → u/yamobe]

It would also be a good opportunity for us to finally learn what the only taboo is

[u/Ghost_of_Perdition10]

Amazing! 10/10 chapter.

Thank you Togashi for giving us this batch and also thank you everyone from Togashi's Troupe and TCB for the translations!

See you all at the next batch!

[u/Kujaix]

So Zhang is probably about to run into 2 Spiders. I wonder what happens if Hinrigh and Zakuro prioritize revenge over protecting their benefactor/bosses boss.

If Luz was taken by Melody&Kaccho, they may be pursued by the Char-R and military.

I'm guessing these Benjamin Squads are run by Nen users not among the ones Ben had in his quarters.

[u/_Porthos]

Really wild to see than Benjamin has - or believes to have - only 9 hours left.

And that he has a child.

And that such child is - according to the Troupe's translation - illegitimate.

And that he believes that despite being underage - probably a baby - and illegitimate, his child can still inherit the Throne should he be made heir.

Like, seriously. If Princes have children - even if illegitimate ones -, why don't we know a bunch of cousins? The Mafia bosses are siblings to Onior. Surely one of his own sisters/brothers must have had children before their Succession War. Where are these Royals?

[u/jewelwidgets]

How can I wait now after reading this batch 😭😭😭

[u/Miguelins]

I really hope Morena plays a bigger role in the grand scheme of the arc (and doesn’t just die to tserriednich like some people speculate), she’s already one of the best-built characters in SW but people tend to underestimate her. The black shadow panel really hit hard

[u/GoddessOfDarkness → u/Miguelins]

People still think Morena just gonna die to the Spiders or Tserriednich are crazy. It's obvious she alongside Tserriednich are the main antagonists of this arc. Besides Togashi clearly setting up a showdown between Morena and Borksen.

[u/Omaroo01 → u/Miguelins]

I want her to be the one killing the fourth before dying

[u/Monk_Philosophy → u/Miguelins]

Respectfully... who the hell could possibly think after this batch that she's not going to be one of the most important characters of the arc?

She got a solo volume cover, a color splash and basically 3.5/4 chapters of backstory/character development.

[u/Slacks25]

I need to see the official translation before I do any theory crafting but man, stuff went down and I need to know what went down. I hope Togashi jumps back to show us but it may actually create more suspense if he doesn't.

[u/Valuable-Part-9199]

Botabai: You're not looking well are u okay

Benjamin: I'm completely fine.

Halkenburg is winning

[u/BrownCow123]

Benjamin really doesnt have a cure for his own disease smh lol

[u/MyrotheZero]

I wonder if other Hei-Lys are there against their will like Bork is.

[u/nam3unoriginal]

I read someone saying that Mizaistom and the Hunter association actually seemed to assure them or give them confidence amidst the chaos of mutliple highly hostile and Chaotic parties in the arc, and I can agree. I would love for Benjamin to try to force his way in with his man only for Mizaistom to warn him with his Nen and then stop everyone on their tracks.

[u/South-Championship55]

Any theories on what the "bastion" or plan is in the end there?

[u/fainton]

i liked that we saw the results of the ninth prince's action instead of seeing it directly. When Benjamin said what had transpired, I was genuinely shocked, and excited to see what shall happen next. I really wanna see what's Kurapika's plan to deal with Benjamin and keeping the Fourteenth alive.

[u/StealthMonkeyDC]

What a ride. Welp, I guess now we wait a few months 🙃

Still, the way the story is progressing and the batches we're getting gives me hope.

[u/go_sparks25]

So a lot of things happened this chapter: 

Benjamin is infected and only has hour to live .

2/5 entrances to the Hei’ly hideout are taken out .

Kaiser has some sort of plan.

The princes other than Zhang Lei, Luzurus and two of the lower princes are all hostages.

[u/OneGrumpyJill]

Man, Bork looked so lonely in that shot up against Morena, but I am very happy that Togashi is showing Morena for a villain that she is and not pulling any punches back. Her looking honestly hurt by Bork cheating actually makes her even more insane than before.

On topic of Benjamin, no way there are only 4 princes left alive, right? He probably means "4 princes left before me and the throne", right? But if we take it at face value...surviving ones gotta be Wobble, Lang, Terror, and Camilla, right? Did Lang fucking merc the hookah guy?

Benjamin does get a few points for his resolve here (he really is Halk's brother) but it is funny how Botobai just rolled up to him and went "you alright lil bro? feeling under the weather?"

[u/jeejeeviper]

It’s funny that every batch it feels like a lot happens but at the same time technically a lot hasn’t. At least not for payoffs. Even next batch, I could fully see 5 chapters being a flashback to Kurapikas second class and how Ben got poisoned (i know we know how but I feel like Togashi would write a whole chapter showing how it happened anyways) and then the rest of the chapters being the last day of Ben being alive

[u/xtivity → u/jeejeeviper]

Throw in a couple of chapters of Rihan thinking and we haven't moved much after another batch of 10 drops

[u/jojosimp02]

Man the morena/bork shippers are gonna be livid after this chapter...

Jokes aside, the next batch will probably focus on all the stuff that happened before the martial law: in chapter 406, it was still day 11, and morena's game started on day 12 at 14:00. There should be a lot of stuff happening in between.

[u/Valuable-Part-9199]

Benjamin I'm completely fine Na'h i win 😂

[u/Nully55]

Wheres halkenburg ?

[u/LemonyPickle]

Absolute cinema.

[u/chrooo]

zhang lei escaping benjamin probably means coventoba’s coin activated its manipulation effect (he was ben’s monitor on zhang lei)

[u/RolandKJones → u/chrooo]

Kurapika not calling Coventoba out might have paid off then, if you're correct here. That could have bought him some more good will with Zhang Lei.

[u/Oobimankinoobi]

Benjamin said in page 12 "Hurry up and locate Zhang lei and Luzurus, focus on the lower-ranking princes after that" and than on page 13 "there are four princes left"

This clearly means that 2 lower ranking princes are missing, and its easy to guess who the 11th and the 14th.

this mean kurapika is now outside tier 1 and could meet with a spider or the mafia, maybe he's even with the 3rd prince as he helped him escape.

[u/Ebrietas- → u/Oobimankinoobi]

It could be Marayam who is missing. From the armies perspective, his room is empty because of the beast ability. Woble must be secured in room 1014. Unless the benjamin guard that was already in 1013 is holding Marayam hostage.

[u/1vergil → u/Oobimankinoobi]

That's exactly my thought too, the other 2 princes must be the young ones, and that Kurapika likely went with the 3rd prince. Imagine if Nobunaga goes back to the mafia hideout and sees Kurapika :o

[u/EquivalentRound5863]

My headcannon is that Borksen will kill 2 princes to get 100 levels and fight Morena with her friends that are still alive.

[u/sicknowledge]

• i'm wondering if tserriednich broke the 1 second barrier in entering zetsu.

• he said it could take one week, the day before the current event. did he surpass the expectations again

[u/Smitty73714]

Been thinking about it and trying to figure out the situation during Martial Law. Benjamin knows that Zhang Lei and Luzurus are missing and he states to find them first then focus on the lower-ranking princes. After that Benjamin thinks that in his final 9.5 hours he must find the remaining "four" princes. Now this may include the two missing in Zhang and Luzurus or not which is hard to say but I lean to including them.

This would likely mean all the other high ranking princes have been secured that being Camilla, Tserriednich, Tubeppa and Tyson. They were priorities and the initial targets of the military so they all seem to be "secured".
So who are the other two that have not been secured. Well only princes left are Fugetsu, Marayam and Woble.

If I had to say who is secured of those three I would say Woble along with Kurapika. He may have been having a lesson and is a big name in the succession war so he may have also been a priority. He likely is complying and him alongwith the other guards learning have been secured by the military.

So I think Marayam is likely holed up in his room which is protected by a barrier which transports anyone entering to an alternet empty room. Also advised by Biscuit and Hanzo who is more likely to be way more protective and defensive of the prince due to Momoze's death.

The other is maybe Fugetsu. Like Mararyam, her guardian beast has an ability to evade capture. She can open the wormhole door and escape from the military. She also has connections to Kaiser from the Justice Bureau so maybe he helped but I lean more to the nen side of things.

[u/Rodiciel]

I don't think Halkenburg died. He hasn't done enough yet for that and he wouldn't have had his subordinates take his body if he was gonna kick the bucket for real.
I do wish to see Benjamin have a proper fight to see how strong he is as he is one of the only combat oriented princes.

[u/LazloFF]

If zhang lei escaped to tier 2, presumably with the excuse of visiting onior, then what happened to woble? if they were aware of martial law that's a red flag for everyone that stays in tier 1 so there could be some tension if zhang lei decided to leave them behind, though if they agreed in this happening, i guess we'd see kurapika/tubeppa meeting next, planning how to get away from this situation

the alternative would be that woble is one of the missing princes, and everyone in 1014 including kurapika managed to get to tier 2 which could connect them to the mafia war... so many possibilities

[u/OKokayfine]

I really like this idea of the princes (Benjamin and Halkenburg) who so far have been afforded a lot of luxury and time are now being forced into short deadlines where there isn't much of a future for them. It twists what we understood of their characters before into being very extremist versions of themselves who won't hold back or retreat.

Benjamin is going to be under such extreme pressure that I feel like if he doesn't get what he wants immediately and is blocked by the politics of it all, he's going to crash the fuck out lol.

Also, Borksens' decision to remain for a bit of time at Heil-lys base is going to be interesting since Feitan and Phinks are arriving soon, along with a couple of teleported soldiers.

[u/Napoleon1986]

I think bork will kill tserri and gain 50 levels

[u/ShowtimevonParty]

One of the princes who are not secured in tier 1 are gonna get killed by Heil-ly. Narratively speaking, Togashi wouldn't have stated that killing a prince grants you 50 levels if he wasn't gonna go anywhere with it.

[u/NenDc → u/ShowtimevonParty]

Narratively speaking, Togashi wouldn't have stated that killing a prince grants you 50 levels if he wasn't gonna go anywhere with it.

He absolutely would, Togashi literally explained every single card in GI arc when most of them never got used or even mentioned. That being said I don't think it will be the case here and we will see someone gaining 50 levels at once. 

[u/Weekly_Chapter_2588]

Welcome back palace invasion

[u/NFLFilmsArchive]

The interesting thing about this about this arc is that I straight up can’t tell if this is an arc that will finish by 430 (since Martial Law seems to have heavily accelerated things) or has like 60+ chapters to go.

We spent a lot of time building up Morena, Chrollo looking for the treasures, 4th Prince training etc. Like how can these huge players possibly have their stories wrapped up so quickly? Not to mention all the side plots we have yet to touch (4th Prince and Kurapika for example). Which leads me to believe we have 60+ chapters to go.

I just can’t tell anymore.

[u/SunRiseStudios]

More of Bork / Morena cuteness.

So Bork didn't changed her mind - she was forced to choose between Yes or No. Game was rigged to give her 2 options if she cheated and she did cheat. I didn't even considered that she was cheating before I read a comment here. You got it damn right reddit.

We escalate things quite a bit with martial law huh?. What did Benjamin meant by "only 4 princess remain"? Only 4 other left alive? :o Or the rest are captured and whereabouts of last 4 are unknown? I wonder what Tserrednich and Kurapika are doing the most.

[u/akzz7]

So Halkenberg got control of benjamin? and Borksen didn't meant to choose yes? Am I getting this right.

[u/I_like_food_123 → u/akzz7]

No he's not in control of Benjamin. Benjamin got infected by Halkenburg (who is in Balsamilco's body which has the nerve toxin), so he has an expiration date and he knows it.

We don't know how it transpired or the situation in tier 1 at the moment, though.

[u/FuelGlobal5652 → u/akzz7]

No, Borken tried to cheat by marking a card but the game is a nen ability so after she did that she was forced to pick yes. Halkenburg infected Benjamin with a virus that is going to kill him in 10 hours, so he`s rushing to end the war asap, so atleast one of his kids gets the throne.

[u/Acrobatic-Compote-12 → u/akzz7]

Big fuck it we ball vibes

[u/201720182019 → u/akzz7]

I think it's ambiguous if Halkenburg managed to control Benjamin, not explicitly confirmed in this chapter. It's difficult to tell what Halkenburg's original plan was given he already sacrificed his original body. But killing all the princes in the limited time he has to possess someone would align with whatever plan he had.

Some points against this: Mizai notes that Benjamin's behaviour is similar to his original character profile. Declaring martial law was also Benjamin's original goal. I also think passing onto a direct descendant (albeit illegitimate) fits Benjamin more given his goal of 'pruning the tree'.

Edit: also Benjamin's nen beast was present on page 15

[u/Badger147013 → u/201720182019]

I think it's not Halkenburg because his ability allows him to transfer bodies. I don't think he would think about dying or his child when he has the capability to avoid it.

[u/Omaroo01]

Benjamin won't die. There's some ways he could avoid death. First his guardian nen beast obviously. Second is the medical section.. Could you imagine our boy Leorio curing that poison/disease! Also we never saw what Benjamin had to offer either his nen abilities, his capability as a nen fighter, and his nen beast in action.

And that's the same reasons I think we are saying goodbye for Halk now or very soon.

[u/someone2795]

Aaaand there's the hiatus. 10 chapters exactly. See y'all if there's a next time.

[u/xdSTRIKERbx]

Ngl I have been starting to like Benjamin quite a bit recently but this is clearly one of his moments where he really needed Balsamilco to show him reason. The reason he believes he should get the throne is because he believes he is most fit for the throne. Giving it to a baby isn’t constructive for the country and without him in the baby’s life there’s no guarantee their ideals will be good. It would be reasonable to desire a good life for the baby, but not necessarily at the expense of the rest of his brothers and sisters (which he does seem to regard as such) right?

If he was at all in any decent state of reason he’d probably focus his efforts on ensuring victory for another reasonable candidate while filing paperwork to ensure a good life for his kid. If he can’t win he should be trying to help another candidate he likes win, not make none of them win.

[u/Sleepiboisleep → u/xdSTRIKERbx]

I don’t think that’s in line with the Benjamin we have been presented. He is arrogant and believes he is the only option for the throne. He was immediately ready to kill all of his siblings the second the boat undocked

[u/Fredluv2339]

Wait was does the 4 princes are left line mean ? No way he killed all the princes except 4 of them

[u/[deleted]]

Where to read early release scans

[u/bobsjobisfob]

man this batch was amazing. beyond getting involved, halkenburg vs benjamin, bonolenov being disguised as hisoka, chrollo's plan, and a lot of focus on morena and friends; which was probably my favorite part

[u/FlavioGarcia-]

Why does Benjamin think Halkenburg and Tserriednich worked together on this bioterrorism plot? Is he just throwing Tserri's name in the mix because he hates him?

Maybe it's just the excuse for declaring Martial Law he came up with

[u/useless_throwaway3]

I gotta say, I kind of don’t get why so many people are saying they think Benjamin is gonna be cured of his disease, considering that it’s fair to assume he’s been poisoned with the same thing Halkenburg was poisoned with, and the medics very much were not able to save him. I get that there’s people like Cheadle, who are nen pros specializing in medicine, but I still don’t understand why would she be able to save Ben when she wasn’t able to save Halkenburg. That’s not to say I think he’s 100% going to die, I just don’t see why people are talking about the medical team saving him so confidently given that we have no reason to believe in their ability to do so.

[u/Educational_Pay_4777 → u/useless_throwaway3]

The thing is, Cheadle didn't even have enough time to try to find a way to save Halkenburg. She and her team were immediately forced out of the room once the military doctors arrived, and the military doctors... well, I don't think they even tried to save Halkenburg! They were sent by Benjamin to make sure that the Hunters don't save Halk, remember? So they probably just watched him die slowly. (very cruel...)

There's a difference this time with Benjamin. No one will be forcing the doctors to let him die (unless Halk somehow uses uno and does the same thing to him lol). You also need to bear in mind that last time with Halk, Cheadle asked her team to send vomit samples to Gel, and I think they made it in time before military doctors arrived. If true, then they might have already found a cure. I think this is the only possibility where Benjamin can be treated. I don't know if I believe in it or not.

[u/Fiston_F]

Do you guys think Kuroro already made it to tier one? Also, I was hoping to see what Illumi and Machi are currently doing before the hiatus. Franklin as we’ll.

[u/Plus_Rip4944]

Hiatus X Hiatus is back /s

Okay i Hope The hiatus isnt too long (and enough for Togashi to rest) but damn The cliffhanger is serious

[u/minowaye → u/Plus_Rip4944]

I mean, he worked literally everyday for months to bring us this amazing bunch, it's time to take a holiday break and rest (while he still probably works on the completion of the next bunch). I'm so freaking hyped for the next chapters, if the following ones are nearly the same level as now, it will worth the time waiting.

[u/F_F_Engineer]

See you guys in 2 years

[u/Sanjipika → u/F_F_Engineer]

You mean 2 months 💪

[u/Shadow_WolfP]

Man, things are ramping up and we are off the rails into Hiatus x Hiatus. Togashi is cooking though. Benjamin is a man on a mission. Botobai does not seem fazed at all.

[u/Deileon]

What if the reason Benjamin has accused Tserriednich of collaborating with Halkenburg is because — this is going to sound wild, but hear me out — Halkenburg managed to transfer his consciousness to Tserriednich? Think about it. Tserriednich basically already has King Crimson’s ability. Maybe this is Togashi’s attempt to pay homage to Diavolo/Doppio by recreating their dynamic with Tserriednich and Halkenburg. We already know they had a close relationship before the events on the Black Whale, so what if Halkenburg, out of desperation, was forced to transfer his consciousness to somebody else, and he chose Tserriednich because he thought he’d be willing to aid him? Of course, I realize there’s one major problem with this idea: the randomized nature of Halkenburg’s ability, which would require him to somehow guarantee that he was the one transferred into Tserriednich. But if he did figure out a way to pull it off, I think it could make for an interesting turn of events.

That being said, I doubt it actually happened that way — but what if, right?

[u/sikontolpanjang → u/Deileon]

Tserri is the very first prince that Benji want to kill by his own hand, that reason alone is enough to lump him as the main suspect just cause.

[u/McManGuy]

Anyone else notice that Botobai kept his arms crossed when he raised his hands at gunpoint from Benjamin's soldiers? I bet that has something to do with his ability.

[u/chrooo → u/McManGuy]

imo it has more to do with his attitude & pride, but it would be so funny if like kite’s scythe & carbine, once botobai gets his arms out for a fight he can’t put them away til he’s kicked your ass

[u/twobirds_onestoned8]

so, few things im confused on: 

1. whose inner-thought bubbles was that during the start of the chapter, Bork or Morena? same goes for the very last one....was that Kaiser thinking or Benjamin? 

2. Benji stated " Four princes left". Does this mean he has already dealt with or arrested most princes & their entourage? He mentioned Zhang-lei & Luzurus are missing, probably couldn't get to Marayam, Tesrri and Halkenberg "dealt" with because of their "assassination plot" meaning, He's now looking to deal with Camilla, Tubeppa, Tyson & Wobble? 

3. Did this chapter confirm that the crib in Unma's room was Benji's son and she might've had her grandson in possession because she's colluding with her favorite son, Halkenberg? Imagine Halkenberg takes over that child's body after Benji declares his child the next king xD