I really enjoyed this chapter, much like the earlier. It helps a lot that Kurapika's my favorite character, and the political thriller elements on display here are pretty fascinating to watch play out (I'll admit, it's a bit late on the thriller so to speak, I haven't felt much tension through most of these encounters, but we're still in the build-up, we're still in the process of learning about the players, and I appreciate the fact that we're getting information on them at a steady pace interspersed with challenges that allow us to see Kurapika's thought process, his intelligence has always been really satisfying to see). The most tension I felt here was when Kurapika picked up the phone to Zhang Lei because Shimano disregarded his order, though this was mostly due to strong panel work on Togashi's part, with the devious looming black gradient mixture background and the sweat bead on Kurapika (who managed to handle that surprise adroitly, which again, really satisfying to see). I also like that Shimano didn't have any devious intentions behind the switch, but actually really well-thought explanation based off her knowledge of the Princes involved. Despite Kurapika taking charge, it's interesting to see how everyone is being involved in this war, from Oito holding the stolen bug nen ability, Bill being stationed with Benjamin's Royal Army dude, and Shimano's advice/knowledge being something that Kurapika's stated he'll be needing. It's fitting, especially after that flashback with his teacher earlier in the arc, prior to his steal Chain.
Perhaps my favorite moment of the chapter was the glance at Tserriednich's quarters though, a nice small reminder of Kurapika's main motivation, really excited for those two to finally meet. I imagine it'll be quite a while before that, and I suspect the Phantom Troupe & Hisoka might even get involved with the plot again before that happens. But with this arc, and several arcs before, I don't really have a strong idea how any of this is going to play out, and I love that.
