The two old people suddenly fell silent and stopped talking about this taboo topic. Through the window, they quietly watched the black-haired young man on the deck, each lost in their own thoughts.
Law lay in the chair with his eyes closed and dozed off, unaware that that Linne and Netero were talking about him.
Two hours passed, and Buhara and Kuro had caught all sorts of fish.
Since Kuro always tasted the fish before catching them, the ones they reeled in were all decent ingredients.
With so many ingredients, there was naturally plenty of work to do.
Law got up from his recliner and helped them prepare lunch.
The highlight is of course the sushi, something neither Buhara nor the others knew about. This dish originated from an island nation in the Hunter x Hunter World.
Law had carefully studied the map of the Hunter x Hunter World. Not only were the continental plates somewhat similar to Earth's, but this island nation in particular bore many resemblances to Japan.
Whether it was the culture of ninjas, the culinary tradition of sushi, or even the shape of the island itself…
Although the 'Japan' in the Hunter x Hunter World and the Japan on Earth shared the same roots, its fame was far more obscure in this world.
As just one of countless small nations, its presence was hardly noticeable, so very few people knew about sushi.
As Law shaped the sushi, he briefly explained the process, mainly for Buhara to hear.
"Take a slice of raw fish, cover it with a layer of rice, and press down evenly with your thumb… only once."
"Then transfer the fish slice to your other hand, using your thumb and index finger to gently compress it inward, letting the sushi shrink slowly."
"Did you see it clearly?"
Law slowly formed a piece of sushi and placed it on a plate before starting on the second one. Compared with those old Sushi Masters, his technique in pinching sushi were only average.
Buhara nodded vigorously, though his eyes remained fixed on the sushi on the plate.
Considering the limited ingredients, and in order to enhance the flavor as much as possible, after making a large plate of nigiri sushi, Law took the remaining fish slices to grill.
Grilling would sacrifice the delicate texture of the fish but remove the excess fat. And with a bit of seasoning, the flavor could still be elevated.
While Law busied himself, the others helped by eating.
Teaching Buhara how to make sushi reminded Law of the sushi test Menchi had given during the Hunter Exam in the original work. (T/N: It's in the Manga and 1999 Anime, while it's removed in the 2011 Anime.)
Law didn't forget about Linne and Netero, and had Sanbica bring the prepared sushi into the cabin. short while later, Sanbica returned with a small glass bottle.
"What is this?" Law took the bottle from Sanbica.
"Linne asked me to give this to you. She said you could use it for the sushi, no need to grill the fish." Sanbica explained.
Law nodded slightly and held the glass bottle up to inspect it. The fine white crystals inside looked very much like salt.
Law poured a little onto his fingertip and tasted it, then he raised an eyebrow.
'It's salt...'
Law stared at the salt in the glass bottle for a moment before resuming his sushi-making. This time, he used the salt Linne had given him and skipped grilling the fish.
He quickly prepared a plate and had Sanbica take it into the cabin first. Then, he made another plate and let Buhara and the others try it.
"Huh? It tastes even better now." Buhara said in surprise.
"Hmm, it tastes different from what I had just eaten." Machi remarked as she stared at the half-bitten sushi in her hand.
Uvogin grabbed three or four pieces at once, threw them into his mouth, and said while chewing: "Really? Tastes the same to me, equally bland."
Hearing Uvogin's words, the others rolled their eyes and ignored him. Instead, they each grabbed their own plates, staking their claims before Uvogin could devour everything.
"Better? It's more than just better."
Law also tasted a piece himself, 'Just by changing the salt, the flavor had been completely elevated.'
'This salt, like that small dish of seasoning from before, was extraordinary. I wonder how it was made.'
'Perhaps sticking with Linne really would lead to many rewards.'
Law thought silently.
…
Ten days later, Kukuroo Mountain.
At the main entrance of the Zoldyck Family's 'estate', there's a magnificent and huge stone gate, which is also one of the must-see attractions for tourists.
On this day, under a cloudless sky, a tour bus drove along the mountain road to the huge stone gate of the Zoldyck Family's estate.
At the lower right corner of the gate was a small security booth, inside of which sat a slightly plump middle-aged man resting his chin on his hand as he watched the bus park in the open area before the gate.
"Is it tourist season already? We've had so many groups coming through lately."
The middle-aged man, who seemed to be a security guard, muttered to himself in a helpless tone.
This middle-aged man is named Zebro and he had worked for the Zoldycks for nearly a decade.
Every day, without fail, at least one tour bus would arrive to visit the Zoldyck family's gate. But during peak travel seasons, that number would rise to three or more.
Among all the assassin families in the world, perhaps only the Zoldyck Family would allow their front door to become a tourist attraction.
The tour bus stopped, the door opened, and a young woman in a guide's uniform stepped out. Waving a small yellow flag in her hand, she flashed a sweet smile and announced, "This is the main gate of the Zoldyck Family. Please disembark, everyone."
Before she could finish speaking, the cheerful tourists filed off the bus one by one, gathering in front of the tour guide.
Among the passengers getting off the train, there was a black-haired boy who stood out from the others. He was carrying a wooden lunchbox that was several times larger than an ordinary lunchbox.
This boy was Law, and inside the wooden box was a carefully prepared Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that had been freshly cooked at the foot of the mountain.
A thin layer of Nen constantly wrapped around the box, serving as his method of insulation.
'I'm finally here.'
Law adjusted his grip on the lunchbox and walked straight past the other tourists and the guide, heading toward the massive stone gate.
Without the Chairman of the Hunter Association, who can arrange a spaceship every time he travels, by his side, this time, Law took a tourist bus all the way up from the base of the mountain.
"Hey, young man, you...?"
When the tour guide saw Law actions, she was about to ask, but she was politely interrupted by Law, "Thank you, but you don't need to wait for me when you head back."
After saying that, Law ignored the tour guide's confused expression and walked straight towards the stone gate. Seeing this, the other tourists glanced at Law curiously.
Inside the security booth, Zebro looked at Law with a frown on his face, wondering what Law wanted to do.
Last time, Law arrived via airship and landed directly on Kukuroo Mountain, so the Zoldyck family's gatekeeper didn't recognize him.
When Law arrived in front of the stone gate, he noticed Zebro's gaze, so he turned his head to look, and said politely, "Hello."
"Uh…"
Zebro was caught off guard by the formal greeting.
"It's like this… I'm here to visit the Zoldycks. Can I just push the gate open and walk in? Or do I need to notify someone first?" Law asked.
Originally, Law wanted to push the door open and entered directly, but the middle-aged man kept staring at him, so he felt it would be awkward not to greet him.
"Oh, yeah, that's fine." Zebro came back to his senses and was still processing Law's words.
Before he could fully grasp the situation, he saw the young man, who was carrying a lunch box and seemed to be looking for a grassy place for a picnic, stretched out one hand and pressed it on the stone door.
Boom!
Hearing the sound of the stone door being pushed, Zebro was left gaping in shock.
"One, two, three... six?!"
Zebro watched with his own eyes as Law pushed open the six stone doors on one side with one hand, and then the stone doors closed automatically after Luo walked in. Even then, he still remained in a daze.
The tourists and the tour guide also had dazed expressions on their faces.
'What the hell? That kid just pushed open those enormous gates… and he came here on the same bus as us?!'