Greetings

Greetings (拝啓, Haikei) is the 6th chapter of Volume Nine and 76th chapter overall.

Plot
While watching different television shows, Light sees first hand how quickly the public’s perception of Kira has changed. Much of the world now does not view Kira as evil. However, he’s determined to catch Mello before Near and the SPK gets a hold of him.

Near is going to dissolve the SPK. However, he thinks it might be to their advantage because Mello probably wants to get in contact with former SPK members. He’s alone now, and he needs all the information that he can get if he’s to catch Kira. Near is convinced that Mello will try to contact the SPK members, especially Hal Linder who is a woman. Near instructs each one of them to tell Mello of the possibility that the new L might be Kira and that Near is in possession of Mello’s only photograph. Near also orders the members to find new recruits now that the SPK will officially go underground.

Light hears about the SPK disbanding and feels like Near is beginning to make his move. Nevertheless, Light decides to use the Kira-supporting zealots led by Sakura TV’s director Demegawa to spread Kira’s ideals.

Hal Linder is walking home when all of a sudden, Mello, with a scar on his face, pulls out a gun. She tells him to be quiet, leads him to the bathroom and takes a shower. Hal tells Mello that Near predicted that he would make contact with her. Although, he never realized that he already had. She tells Mello that Near thinks the new L is Kira, and Mello is puzzled that such an incompetent idiot like new L is Kira. Mello threatens her with a gun to lead him back to the SPK headquarters.

Hal, with a gun pointed to her by Mello, leads him to where Near is waiting for him.

Conception
Ohba said that the chapter's title "Greetings" simply just refers to the line Near says when he goes "Welcome, Mello."

Ohba went onto say that he did not remember the development process regarding the line well, however he believed that the line originally was maybe "Welcome Home, Mello."

Chapter Guide
...