Whale Island. The hometown of the protagonist and the place where his journey began.
At this moment, the coast of Whale Island was bustling with people. Fishing boats returning with full loads were docking along the shore. A wide variety of fish were being unloaded in an orderly manner, sorted, and repacked into wooden boxes filled with crushed ice.
"Gon went fishing for that Master of the Swamp again today? That boy is really just like his father," said an aunt wearing a headscarf as she packed the boxes while glancing at Mito, who was busy nearby.
"Yeah, he's been at it nonstop for almost a week," Mito replied, shaking her head helplessly.
"Are you worried he'll actually catch that monster, Mito?"
"An agreement is an agreement. If he catches it, he can take the Hunter Exam," Mito said calmly, though deep down she was completely sure Gon would not be able to catch it.
For the residents of Whale Island, the Master of the Swamp was considered a monster. Its form was beyond imagination, and its power and speed in the water made it impossible for ordinary people to catch.
Mito, Gon's foster mother, did not want him to take the Hunter Exam and risk his life. That was why she made such an agreement with him, betting that he would not be able to catch the Master of the Swamp.
Only Gon's father, Ging Freecss, had ever caught the Master of the Swamp, and he had been only twelve years old at the time, the same age Gon was now.
"That kid's got guts. Even five of us old-timers couldn't catch that monster," said an old man with a thick beard as he hoisted a box of fish onto a cart.
...
Meanwhile, not far from the seaport, Gon sat high in the branches of a giant tree, intently watching his fishing line in the lake below.
*PLOP*
"Huh!?"
Suddenly, Gon's eyes lit up. The fishing rod in his hand trembled, and the buoy in the water rapidly sank.
"No matter what kind of fish you are, I won't let you get away this time!" Gon quickly stood up and pulled on the rod.
*SPLASH*
In an instant, a massive fish several times larger than Gon burst out of the water. It had the body of a scaly fish with sharp teeth, but bizarrely, it also had thin skeletal legs. Sixteen of them lined each side of its belly, resembling an arthropod.
"Fi-finally you showed up!" Gon exclaimed with excitement as he jumped up, wrapped the fishing line around the giant tree, and used his weight to pull the enormous fish from the lake.
"Mito-san, I finally caught it! I can finally take the Hunter Exam!" Using all his strength, Gon hauled the giant fish onto the shore, its massive body casting a shadow as it struggled in the sunlight.
...
After some time, Gon spotted Mito busy on the shore and waved to her from afar, "Mito-san!"
Mito turned around, startled, "Gon?"
"Wow! Look at this! What a huge fish!"
"Isn't that the Master of the Swamp? Did he actually catch it?"
"After all these years, someone finally caught it again."
Everyone stared in shock as Gon dragged the massive fish toward the coast.
"Gon... he really did it," Mito stammered, staring at Gon and the giant fish, which was several times larger than him.
"Mito-san, I caught the Master of the Swamp. Don't forget our agreement," Gon said, dropping the fish and flashing her an innocent, wide smile.
"If I had known earlier, I would not have made that agreement with you," Mito replied helplessly.
"Mito, I think you should let Gon take the Hunter Exam. He worked so hard for this goal and to learn about his father," said a kind grandmother standing behind her.
"Since the agreement has been fulfilled, I will not stand in his way, Grandma," Mito said dejectedly.
"Yosh!" Gon smiled after hearing his foster mother and grandmother, then turned and walked toward the house.
Seeing Gon leave, the grandmother beside Mito spoke slowly, "The blood truly tells."
Mito said nothing as she watched Gon walk away.
...
Inside the house, Gon packed his bag and cleaned his fishing rod while Mito stood silently beside him.
"Mito-san, I'm leaving," Gon said, turning around with a big smile.
For some reason, Mito's heart trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. Gon's departure made her deeply sad, but she knew she could not stop him.
"Truly, like father, like son," Mito said as she wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled Gon into a tight hug.
"Mito-san, I will definitely pass the Hunter Exam, and I will become an excellent Hunter."
"Just promise me you will come back safely, okay?" Mito said, stretching her pinky toward him, "Pinky promise."
"Pinky promise." Gon hooked his pinky with hers, then turned and ran out of the house, waving goodbye. "Mito-san, goodbye!"
...
Not long after, Gon boarded the ship at the port.
On the shore, many residents of Whale Island had gathered. They were all familiar faces, and they had come to see him off.
"Good luck on your journey, Gon!"
"Gon, you have to become an excellent Hunter!"
"Surpass your father and be the best Hunter, Gon!"
"And if you ever meet your father, punch him in the face for leaving you when you were a baby."
"That's right, Gon, GURAHAHA!"
The residents waved and called out as Gon stood on the deck.
"Goodbye, Mito-san! Goodbye, Grandma! Goodbye, everyone! I'll definitely find and surpass Ging, and I'll come back once I become a Hunter!" Gon shouted, waving as the ship sailed out to sea.
...
At this moment, high above Whale Island, a man stood on a flying carpet. He was short, only slightly taller than Gon.
He shared Gon's hazel eyes and had stubble, black spiky hair, and a visor wrapped in cloth on his head, with strands of hair sticking out beneath it.
"Find me? Surpass me? Become a top Hunter?" Ging spread his arms and looked at the distant ship as it gradually became a black dot.
"Go forward bravely toward your goals, son, because people's dreams never end, ZEEHAHAHA~"
"...Um, why do I sound like the villain?" He scratched his head awkwardly, "When Satoru said this, he sounded so cool."
Looking down at the carpet beneath his feet, he muttered, "Seriously, where did Satoru even get this thing? A flying carpet? Really?"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ging's blood pressure rose, "Damn that blue-eyed guy! He left me here while he went off exploring!"
"Well, I guess this flying carpet is my compensation, huh?" Ging said with a huff as he took control and soared into the sky, far from where Gon could see him.
"It's still too early, son. Let destiny take its course until we cross paths at the top."