Zazan's Palace is a spider-webbed covered palace that acts as a personal Chimera Ant Nest for the self-proclaimed Queen Zazan. It's also where she transformed various Meteor City residents into Chimera Ants.[1]
Overview[]
Sometime after leaving the Chimera Ant Nest, Zazan with her squadron, arrive in Meteor City and usurp a palace-like edifice, making it her nest. She then colonizes it by subjugating and transforming many of the indigenous residents into Chimera Ant mutants that became her slaves.[1]
Plot[]
Chimera Ant arc[]
The Chimera Ant mutant swears fealty to the Queen
Zazan announces to the citizens of Meteor City. It entails them either surrendering to her or dying; chosen ones will be given a permanent place in paradise. Sitting on her throne, Zazan gloats about her superiority over her mother's reproductive process. However, in the same breath, she compliments her mother for giving birth to her. A disconcerted male individual is then brought to Zazan's throne room, pleading to die. Humored by the man, Zazan injects him with her Queen Shot and transforms him into a Chimera Ant mutant. Given a warm welcome by her servants, the Chimera Ant mutant then pledges his loyalty to her. As Zazan feels euphoric being the Queen, unbeknownst to her a group of trespassers enter her palace.[1]
Bonolenov faces against an Ant
Immediately after entering the palace, the small group of Phantom Troupe members go their separate ways, intending to hunt down the Queen. Zazan's loyal subordinate Pike reports this to her, who elatedly decides to fight them. Although Pike advises against this, she reassures him and sends her loyal subordinate after them with a flattering remark. While in a rush, Bonolenov encounters a spiky fish-like Chimera Ant. The two briefly skirmish, and after Bonolenov uses his Nen ability Battle Cantabile: The Prologue against the Ant, he intends to leave. However, the Ant is not incapacitated, and it disparages Bonolenov, infuriating him, though he feigns ignorance of it. At that moment, several of the other Phantom Troupe members face off with their endeavors against the Queen's minions. Phinks faces off against a gorilla-like Chimera Ant. The Ant offers a free hit to Phinks as he compares the Spider's prior punches to mosquito bites. Phinks gladly accepts the offer, all while claiming that 15 should suffice. Shizuku struggles against Pike, both of who analyze their opponent's special abilities. Shalnark has trouble trying to manipulate a Chimera Ant soldier because of its tough shell. Feitan encounters Zazan, the Queen, who praises him for his serendipitous find; however, Feitan acts unamused by the comment. Unbeknownst to the Troupe members, all of them were being eavesdropped on by the newest member Kalluto. The boy cogitates a plan to intercept the fight between Feitan and Zazan but is approached by a beetle-like Chimera Ant. The Ant, planning to capture the boy, pulls out a steel rope; on the other hand, Kalluto readies himself for combat.[2]
Phinks prepares his ability
Kalluto uses a paper fan and tiny triangular confetti against the Ant to locate a weak point in the Ant's left arm. In a Nen ability known as Dance of the Serpent's Bite, Kalluto severs the Ant's left arm and intends to do the same with the right. Shalnark's fight with the soldier Ant continues, and he finally manages to manipulate the soldier Ant... or so he thought. The Ant immediately restrains Shalnark, which perplexes him, as he manages to stick his antennae into a vulnerable area. Another Chimera Ant appears by the name of Boki and deduces Shalnark as a Manipulator, and the restrained Shalnark deduces the same. With Boki's intention of bringing her to the Queen, Shalnark cogitates that he's left with no other choice. Back to Phinks, he winds his right arm 15 times, causing it to amass a tremendous surplus of aura. Using his free hit, Phinks uses his Nen ability, Ripper Cyclotron, against the gorilla Ant, obliterating him. After the deed is done, Phinks decides to flip a coin to either go left or right. The fight between Feitan and Zazan begins, and Feitan destroys Zazan's dress, hiding her tail.[3]
The Spiky Ant struggles to land a hit on Bonolenov, so he flees, hoping to find Pike to assist him against his opponent. Bonolenov, not allowing the Ant to escape, uses his Battle Cantabile: Jupiter to crush the Ant dead. Meanwhile, Kalluto finishes his fight with the beetle-like Ant and chastises himself for his bad habit. Shalnark manages to escape from Boki and Pell and, in the process, kills them both with his "autopilot mode" Nen ability. Shizuku and Pike's fight continues. Pike entraps Shizuku in a giant web; however, she manages to escape and lands several blows on the spider Ant. Sequentially, Shizuku then announces that she has won as she has thoroughly analyzed Pike's skills and abilities. Zazan and Feitan's skirmish continues, and Zazan disparages her opponent's fighting technique, to which he agrees. In a sly retort, Feitan says Zazan will be good practice.[4]
Finishing off her skirmish with the dim-witted spider Ant, Shizuku exsanguinates every last drop of blood from Pike's body. As Feitan and Zazan's death match continues, Kalluto is astounded by Feitan's technique and realizes his inferiority to them. Amid the battle, Feitan fires off a spiked projectile from his umbrella, scratching Zazan's face. Zazan tears off her tail in a rage and transforms into a massive monstrosity. Feitan's attacks are now rendered ineffective due to Zazan's durable skin. The monstrous Zazan counterattacks with a weak emitted aura, shredding the upper part of his coat. The Troupe members who watch don't intervene as it's a race. On that note, Phinks and Bonolenov flip a coin to settle a dispute about who should fight next as they arrive simultaneously.[5]
Feitan defeats Zazan
The outcome of the coin toss is Bonolenov, the winner. In Kalluto's inner monologue, he realizes his inferiority towards the other members. On the other hand, his resolve to retrieve his older brother remains unchanged. Feitan, now in trouble as his left arm was broken, loses it, causing his fellow Troupe members to flee to avoid the inevitable outcome. Suited in a conjured outfit known as Pain Packer, Feitan creates a massive fireball called Rising Sun. The fireball incinerates Zazan, leaving her as a burnt husk of her former self. With Zazan dead, the Chimera mutants are emancipated from Zazan's control and beseech the Troupe to kill them. Phinks agrees to it but only on the condition that they do so by attacking them. The other Troupe members agree, and the mutants concede and go off in style.[6]