The giant catfish thrashed its tail, struggling with the force of a heavy truck. Roy recognized it instantly—the King of the Marsh, ruler of this lake, the very sa one Gon would catch in the future. Catching it was how Gon convinced Mito to let him take the Hunter Exam.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough ti now; eating it was out of the question. Besides, its massive size likely ant it had accumulated a strong muddy taste, its flesh coarse and tough. It probably wouldn't taste good anyway. Roy retracted his Nen thread and released it back into the lake.
"Young Master, we need to hurry." The official departure ti was three o'clock in the afternoon. It was already 2:55 PM. Gotoh wasn't sure if they could still make it. He stamped out the campfire and packed their bags.
Roy, however, remained calm. The Hunter License was important, but so was training. Naturally, staying composed and unhurried was the correct approach. He smiled at Gotoh. "Don't worry. Things will work themselves out." He flipped the tree branch onto his shoulder. "Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
Master and servant left the jungle, cut through streets and alleys, and hurried towards Dolle Harbor, where the transport ship, the Sea God, was docked.
They arrived a step too late. In the distance, they saw a massive, three-masted sailing ship, billowing steam and smoke, pulling away from the port. It was already about three kiloters offshore, having departed several minutes ago.
"Wait! I haven't boarded yet! Please, stop!" A few other unlucky souls, like Roy, had arrived late. They waved their arms frantically, shouting, hoping to catch the crew's attention and make the ship turn back.
But this was a serious examination, not so child's ga. Once the sails were raised, there was no turning back.
"Too late. The ship won't stop. Co back next year," a portly old captain erged from the cabin just then. Red-nosed, bearded, a pipe clenched in his teeth, wearing a sailor's cap. His skin was dark and weathered from years at sea. He cast a brief, indifferent glance towards the shore before looking away.
'Looks like a few kids. They don't take the job of a Hunter seriously enough,' he thought. Just then, figures moved on deck. Several people walked over—a blonde boy with two bodyguards, a strange man with pins stuck all over his face, and another wearing a blue cap, a katana strapped to his waist—as if rehearsed. Drawn by so unseen connection, they leaned against the railing, gazing towards the shore, and instantly spotted the figure leaning on a cane sword, a tree branch resting on his shoulder.
'Roy Zoldyck.'
'Big Brother.'
'It's that guy.'
'You finally ca.'
Pariston's mouth curved upwards. He turned to the captain. "Hey, I think we can turn back."
The strange man looked over as well, followed by Kite, who silently adjusted his cap.
"Heh heh heh. Sorry, I'm the captain here. I make the rules." The old captain, Mark Seam, unbuttoned his coat, revealing an official Hunter Association examiner's license. He looked coldly at the three and pointed towards the sea. "If you don't like it, you can jump off." Mark Seam had seen plenty of troublemakers. Wasn't his first mate, Gus, a forr troublemaker himself? Now thoroughly disciplined and obedient.
"Well, then there's nothing to be done," Pariston shrugged, looking regretfully towards the shore. Although highly displeased, he couldn't forget the main objective.
However, the strange man beside him, upon hearing Mark Seam's words, jumped overboard without a second thought.
Splash! Water erupted. The others愣了愣, stunned. Looking again, they saw the strange man, his conspicuous mohawk cutting through the water, swimming rapidly towards the shore. They exchanged bewildered glances.
"What the—is he an idiot?"
"He actually jumped? Just giving up on the Hunter Exam like that?"
"What's going on? Are they handing out gold bars on the shore?"
Murmurs arose. Many onlookers watched the spectacle with amusent, gloating. One less competitor was always a good thing. They almost wished for more fools like him.
"Young Master, what should we do?" On the shore, Gotoh reached for his phone, already considering booking return tickets. As the captain had said, they missed their chance this year; they could always co back next year. The Young Master was still young, with plenty of ti and opportunities.
But Roy just stood there silently, watching the Sea God sail further away, showing no intention of giving up. After a mont, a sea breeze blew past.
The boy suddenly said to Gotoh, "Zip up your bag properly. Don't drop anything."
Before the young butler's astonished eyes, Roy casually tossed the tree branch he carried onto the water. Then, grabbing Gotoh's collar, he leaped towards the sea, landing steadily on the branch.
Strangely, the branch only dipped a fraction of an inch before bobbing back up. As Roy willed it, focusing his Nen, it shot forward with a whoosh, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, speeding towards the Sea God.
Splash! Waves broke against the branch. A visible wake stretched from the shore, streaking past the strange man's face as it shot outwards. He had almost reached the shore, but his body suddenly stiffened, nearly cramping up and sinking. He turned his head, then frantically kicked his legs and swung his arms, changing direction to pursue the branch.
"Look! What is that?"
The wake drew closer, the two small dots on the branch growing larger. A cry of astonishnt erupted on deck. Pariston, Kite, the old captain, the bald ninja, the snake charr, the Kurta girl... all leaned against the railing, staring intently.
Roy stood poised, cane sword hanging at his waist, hands clasped behind his back, his loyal butler beside him. His thick black hair stread backwards in the sea wind. Propelling the branch like a small boat, he tore through the waves, gradually coming into clear view.
"Heh heh heh..." Pariston's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. "Roy Zoldyck... I... really... really adore you! You never disappoint, do you?"
That speed, that aura quantity... "Hey, little Hill, looks like you might be outmatched," Clark blurted out, noticing his master's strange reaction. The thin bodyguard shot him a glare, gripped the cross on his chest, his brow furrowed, clearly feeling the pressure. The boy's calm, composed deanor, like the sun high above, seed to place him above everything, looking down on the world. 'This is the kind that makes you feel no jealousy whatsoever...'
Whoosh! The sea wind tore past. Closer now... the wake was only two hundred ters from the Sea God. In just one minute, they had caught up.
Kite turned away from the railing, found a spot, and sat down. There was no need to watch anymore; the outco was certain.
Two hundred ters, one hundred, fifty... Amidst the shocked cries and gasps of the people on board... the wake reached the Sea God in the blink of an eye.
This ti, Gotoh didn't need Roy's help. He patted the bag slung across his chest and leaped, landing steadily on the deck alongside his master. As for the branch, casually broken off to serve as a fishing rod, Roy flicked his fingers, extended his hand, and with a 'pull', it leaped from the waves, flew through the air, and landed firmly back in his grasp.
He shouldered it once more.
☆ ☆☆
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