Kurapika glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "That is truly one of the most foolish questions in the world, Leorio."
Hearing his na used directly again, Leorio's face darkened.
"That's the third ti. Co outside; let's see if I can't put an end to that filthy Kurta bloodline of yours right here."
With veins throbbing on his forehead, Leorio gave Kurapika a long, piercing look before turning toward the door, leaving behind a harsh threat.
If it had been anything else, Kurapika might not have cared, but the mont his kin were ntioned, his expression shifted instantly.
"Take that back, Leorio!" Kurapika glared at Leorio's back as he reached the door.
"It's Mr. Leorio!"
Pausing in his tracks, Leorio looked back with a glare of his own before storming out of the captain's quarters.
Seeing this, Kurapika chased after him in a rage.
"Hey, you two! I wasn't finished talking yet..." The rosy-nosed captain tried to stop them, seeing them actually leave like that.
"It's fine. There's a saying that a good fight can lead to a great friendship. Letting them go at it might actually help them bond," Zane remarked as he followed them out.
Before a natural disaster, all living things are equal.
Although he hadn't stopped the conflict between Leorio and Kurapika, he needed to keep an eye on them for safety. If that kid Leorio fell into the ocean, Zane wouldn't be able to explain himself to Angus.
"That's right. Their reasons for being angry must be very important to them, so it's best to let them handle it themselves," Gon said, staring blankly at the door before turning to smile at the captain.
The captain was left speechless.
*Are the examinees these days all this headstrong?*
They were either making threats or running off to fight.
"Captain, look ahead!"
Suddenly, the helmsman shouted urgently.
The captain turned to look, and his face changed imdiately as he saw where the sailor was pointing.
Through the glass, a terrifying waterspout had manifested on the sea ahead at so unknown mont.
"Oh no! If we get caught in that, the whole ship will be destroyed!" another sailor nad Kazuo cried in horror.
"Go furl the sails! I'll take the helm!" the captain barked, taking direct control of the vessel.
Not just the two sailors from the bridge, but Gon also rushed out behind them.
Soon, every sailor on the ship was scrambling.
Braving the wind and rain, they worked together to haul the ropes, desperately trying to bring in the sails.
anwhile, Leorio and Kurapika, who had stepped out first, were facing off on one side of the deck.
The wind howled and the waves surged.
Massive swells crashed over the deck, soaking the two and making them sway as they stood their ground.
Nearby, Zane leaned against the outer wall of the cabin with his arms crossed, silently watching the confrontation.
In their anger, the two had completely ignored the natural disaster unfolding around them.
One demanded a retraction of the insult to his people, while the other felt he had been treated with contempt.
After a brief standoff, they quickly engaged.
Leorio pulled out a dagger, while Kurapika drew his twin wooden swords.
'Both of them are just stubborn guys with soft hearts.'
Zane watched the clash with interest.
With his keen eyes, he could see that while the fight looked intense, both were holding back.
For instance, Leorio's dagger was more of a threat than a weapon; every strike carefully avoided Kurapika's vital points.
Kurapika was even more obvious.
He hadn't even removed the sheaths from his blades.
Furthermore, while his strength was far superior to Leorio's, he was making the fight look like a stalemate.
"Aaaaah!!!"
A sudden scream rang out across the deck.
Under the fierce wind, a sail rope whipped about like a maddened giant serpent, flinging aside the sailors who were trying to pull it.
Unfortunately, the sailor nad Kazuo didn't let go of the rope in ti. He was flung into the air and was about to be blown off the deck and into the sea by the raging wind.
In this storm, falling into the water ant vanishing without a trace instantly.
"Kazuo!!"
The other sailors turned pale at the sight and shouted in panic.
Gon, who was helping, rushed toward the edge.
"Watch out!!"
Not just Gon—Leorio and Kurapika also noticed the sailor flying over their heads. Their expressions changed, and they both leaped toward him.
*Whoosh!*
A black blur, like an arrow shot from a bow, sliced through the storm, passing right between Leorio and Kurapika.
Kazuo, whose body had already cleared the deck and was about to hit the water, ca to a sudden halt.
A hand had grabbed him by the right calf.
Looking at the hand's owner, it was Zane.
Gripping the man's leg, Zane stood firmly on the deck railing. With an agile twist of his body, he threw Kazuo back onto the deck.
"He's safe!"
"Thank goodness!"
"You scared to death! Kazuo, you idiot, I thought for sure I'd never see you again."
"..."
The sailors who were rushing over surrounded the fallen Kazuo, their faces filled with joyful, relieved smiles.
Seeing that Zane had already saved Kazuo, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika stopped their movents, their expressions relaxing.
"Phew... that was a close one. Zane, you're really fast," Leorio said with a sigh of relief, wiping the seawater from his forehead.
"At that speed, I might not have been able to catch him. Mr. Zane, your movents are indeed very swift," Kurapika said, nodding with admiration.
Then, he turned back to Leorio. Rembering how Leorio had rushed forward to save the man just as he had, Kurapika couldn't help but smile. "I was a bit too rude earlier. My sincerest apologies, Mr. Leorio."
Leorio looked at Kurapika in surprise, feeling a bit sheepish about being addressed so formally.
He scratched his head and said, "It's Kurapika, right? There's no need to be so formal. Just call Leorio."
He continued with an apologetic look, "I'm also at fault. I take back everything I said. I'm truly sorry."
Kurapika shook his head. "No, it's fine."
He knew that people often say hurtful things in the heat of anger, but those words don't always represent their true intentions.
Given his character, since Leorio had apologized, he naturally wouldn't pursue the matter further.
"It looks like you two have reconciled."
Leaping down from the railing, Zane looked at the two with a light smile.
"Mm-hmm! Leorio and Kurapika both apologized to each other. They're friends now!" Gon chid in happily as he walked over.
"Ahem, enough talk! Let's get back to work!"
"Right, the storm isn't over yet. Let's go help them."
Leorio and Kurapika felt quite embarrassed by Gon's friends comnt and quickly changed the subject, running over to the busy sailors.
"They're both pretty thin-skinned," Zane joked before heading off with Gon.
User Comments
0 comments from readers