Chimera Ant Apocalypse: Meruem's Unstoppable World Domination

The Rise of an Unstoppable Force

In the world of Hunter x Hunter, few threats have ever matched the sheer power and potential of the Chimera Ants. But what if their ultimate creation, the Ant King Meruem, had survived the Palace Invasion? This chilling scenario explores the consequences of Meruem's continued existence and his path to world domination.

The Survival of Meruem

In this hypothetical situation, we remove one crucial factor from the original story - the poison from the Poor Man's Rose. While Netero's sacrifice still occurs, detonating the miniature nuclear weapon, Meruem is able to reform thanks to his Royal Guards. Without the poison to finish him off, the Ant King emerges even more powerful than before.

The aftermath of the Palace Invasion sees some changes:

• Meruem survives and becomes stronger
• Shaiapouf and Youpi survive, albeit in diminished states
• Komugi survives
• Neferpitou still perishes at the hands of Gon

This leaves us with an immensely powerful Meruem, supported by two of his Royal Guards, and accompanied by his human companion, Komugi.

Meruem's New World Order

Before his original demise, Meruem had come to some important conclusions about the future of humanity under his rule:

1. Some "deserving" humans would be allowed to live in his new ant-based society
2. Less deserving humans would be granted a special preserve
3. Many humans would still be used as a food source

In our scenario, Meruem never reaches the moral clarity he achieved just before his death. Instead, he moves forward with a modified version of his original plan, focusing on three key missions:

1. Identify special humans who will receive diplomatic immunity in the New World Order
2. Find a suitable location for a permanent human reserve
3. Achieve complete world domination

The Sorting Process

Meruem's first step towards his goals is to complete the sorting process that was interrupted during the Palace Invasion. Originally, the plan was to evaluate nearly 5 million citizens of East Gorteau, which would have resulted in an estimated 50,000 Nen-using Chimera Ants and hybrids.

In our scenario, Meruem sees this process through to completion. While he has recognized that some humans should be allowed to live, his cold, logical side understands the necessity of consolidating power before implementing his ideal world.

As Meruem himself stated, "At first, I will use terror to rule, but once I have control, it's onwards to some sort of insect utopia." His vision of fairness, however, may differ greatly from human understanding.

The March of the Ant Army

Conquering the Yorbian Continent

Given East Gorteau's location on the Yorbian continent, Meruem's first logical push for expansion would be further into Yorbia. This immediately brings him into conflict with several well-known locations and groups.

Meteor City and the Phantom Troupe

One of the first major collisions would be with Meteor City, the infamous junkyard metropolis and birthplace of the Phantom Troupe. Meruem would likely see little value in Meteor City beyond a potential food source for his army.

This would inevitably trigger a conflict with the Phantom Troupe. While individually powerful, even the infamous Troupe would struggle against an army of 50,000 Nen users. Their options would be limited:

1. Flee and regroup, potentially taking years to formulate a plan (similar to how Chrollo needed a year to prepare for his fight with Hisoka)
2. Engage in a suicidal last stand
3. Attempt to join Meruem's new society as "special humans"

The last option is not beyond the realm of possibility, especially for someone like Chrollo Lucilfer, whose abilities and intellect might be recognized by Meruem.

York New City and Beyond

After dealing with Meteor City, Meruem's next major target on the Yorbian continent would likely be York New City, a major metropolis in the United States of Saherta (one of the V5 nations).

Rather than using brute force, Meruem would likely opt for a more tactical approach:

1. Infiltrate positions of power using his Chimera Ant soldiers
2. Use manipulation Nen abilities to control key figures (similar to how Neferpitou controlled East Gorteau's leader)
3. Conduct a secret invasion to avoid open warfare and preserve resources (primarily human population)

This approach would make it difficult for characters like Kurapika to notice the threat until it's too late. Even then, Kurapika alone would be powerless to stop the invasion.

Interestingly, Kurapika's singular focus on recovering the Scarlet Eyes of his clan might lead him to attempt joining Meruem's new order, if only to achieve his goal. Meruem, recognizing Kurapika's intellect and power, might consider him one of the "special humans" worthy of survival.

The Fall of Whale Island

Whale Island, estimated to be located off the coast of the Yorbian continent, would fall quickly to Meruem's forces. The small, isolated community would have no means of defending itself against the Chimera Ant army.

Consolidating Power

Once Meruem has assumed control of the entire Yorbian continent, he would possess military might equivalent to (or surpassing) any of the remaining V5 nations. This would likely dissuade them from declaring open war.

At this point, Meruem would have the ability to create millions more Chimera Ant soldiers if needed:

• Assuming only 1% of the continental population was sorted, it could result in 5 million new hybrid ant soldiers
• However, the need to feed such a massive army (potentially consuming 5 million humans per day) would be unsustainable
• A more manageable force of 50,000 to 100,000 soldiers is more likely

Expanding the Empire

The Unnamed Continent (Not-South America)

With his power consolidated on the Yorbian continent, Meruem would set his sights on the next landmass - an unnamed continent that bears a striking resemblance to an inverted South America.

This continent is home to:

• The site of the 287th Hunter Exam
• The Kukan'yu Kingdom (one of the V5 nations)
• A region resembling Japan

Given Meruem's overwhelming force and the lack of significant opposition, this continent would likely fall quickly and with minimal resistance.

The Conquest of Not-Africa

Moving northward, Meruem's next target would be a continent resembling Africa. This landmass contains several major locations of interest:

Kukuroo Mountain and the Zoldyck Family

The infamous family of assassins would likely not engage Meruem directly:

• The Zoldycks are businessmen, not heroes
• Zeno Zoldyck has experienced the Ant King's power firsthand and would be unlikely to accept a contract against him
• Meruem would likely recognize the Zoldycks as "special humans"
• With Meruem's vast resources, he might even hire the Zoldycks for his own purposes

Heaven's Arena

Heaven's Arena presents a unique opportunity for Meruem to demonstrate his power publicly:

• By this point, the silent invasion would be over, with much of the world aware of the Chimera Ants
• Meruem could participate in televised matches, fighting his way to the top
• This would serve as a psychological blow to humanity, proving that even their strongest fighters are no match for the Ant King

The Hisoka Factor

Hisoka Morow, being a Floor Master at Heaven's Arena and always seeking powerful opponents, would inevitably challenge Meruem. This confrontation would likely end in Hisoka's death, unless Meruem saw some special value in the unpredictable magician.

Swaldani City and the Hunter Association

The headquarters of the Hunter Association in Swaldani City would be Meruem's next major target. However, the Association would be severely outmatched:

• Meruem's army would number in the hundreds of thousands
• The Hunter Association has fewer than 700 licensed Hunters

Faced with such overwhelming odds, the Association would likely take on a more diplomatic role:

• If Cheadle Yorkshire became chairman, she might try to facilitate Meruem's takeover with minimal human casualties
• If Pariston Hill became chairman, he might do the same but in a more manipulative and self-serving manner

Many Hunters, particularly the Zodiacs, would likely be considered "worthy humans" by Meruem. Ging Freecss, in particular, might adapt well to the new world order, given his intelligence and adaptability.

The Final Stages of Conquest

The Begerosse Union (Not-Australia)

With the Hunter Association neutralized, the remaining V5 nations would likely negotiate surrender terms. The Begerosse Union, located on a continent resembling Australia, could serve as an ideal location for Meruem's human preserve.

The Greed Island Conundrum

On the way to the Begerosse Union, Meruem would discover Greed Island, presenting a unique challenge:

• The game's mechanics prevent Meruem from taking it by force
• Razor and the game masters can continuously evict intruders
• Meruem would be forced to play the game legitimately

Given Meruem's love for games and his vast resources, he would likely:

1. Acquire multiple copies of Greed Island
2. Insert enough soldiers to form a team for the dodgeball challenge
3. Defeat Razor (likely resulting in Razor's death)
4. Complete the game and become the island's new overlord

The Kakin Empire and Asia

The final continent to fall would be the Kakin Empire in the Asia-inspired region:

• Prince Benjamin's Nen Army and the three Mafia families would be no match for Meruem's forces
• The succession war would never take place in this scenario

More importantly, Meruem might encounter Beyond Netero here. As the son of Isaac Netero (Meruem's most respected human opponent), Beyond would likely be considered a "special human."

The Dark Continent: The Ultimate Challenge

With the known world under his control, Meruem would turn his attention to the mysterious Dark Continent. Whether informed by Beyond Netero, Ging Freecss, or Pariston Hill, the Ant King would see this as the ultimate challenge to his power.

Meruem's famous quote becomes particularly relevant: "If this is the Mandate of Heaven that I've been given, I fear nothing except the tedium it will bring."

Having conquered the "tutorial level" of the human realm, Meruem would set out to face the main challenge - the Dark Continent. This homecoming of sorts (as Chimera Ants are theorized to originate from there) would be the final test of Meruem's power and ambition.

Conclusion

In this hypothetical scenario, the survival of Meruem leads to a complete reshaping of the Hunter x Hunter world. His unstoppable march across the continents, coupled with his evolving philosophy on human-ant coexistence, presents a future that is both terrifying and fascinating.

The established powers of the world - be they governments, criminal organizations, or individual powerhouses - all fall before the might of the Chimera Ant King. Even the Hunter Association, with all its resources and powerful members, can do little but adapt to the new world order.

What remains unclear is how Meruem's rule would ultimately shape human society. Would his idea of a "fair" world truly eliminate inequality, or would it simply create new forms of disparity between ants and humans? And what challenges await in the Dark Continent that could potentially threaten even Meruem's seemingly absolute power?

This scenario serves as a chilling reminder of the potential consequences when a being of overwhelming power and alien morality gains dominion over humanity. It challenges us to consider questions of power, morality, and the very nature of civilization itself.

In the end, Meruem's conquest leaves us with a world forever changed - a world where humanity's place in the natural order has been fundamentally altered, and where the future remains uncertain under the rule of the Chimera Ant King.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZSG7SZM7pU