Good grief… he really caught it!
Turns out… the clown was me.
The laughter that had echoed across the ship moments ago still rang in everyone's ears. But now, the ones who had laughed at Roy stood red-faced, heads lowered in shame.
The catch was real. Even a fool could see who was wrong now.
Roy, still stepping on the severed hand of the man with the nose ring, looked down at the screaming wreck of a man beneath him. Calmly, he reached down and hoisted him up by the collar.
"Why are you putting your hand under my foot?"
"It's hurting me, you know?"
"You bas—!"
The man with the nose ring was practically choking on his rage, blood frothing at the corner of his mouth.
"You clearly stepped on me!"
"What was that?"
Roy leaned in and cupped a hand to his ear, feigning deafness.
"Did you say… you want to go down and retrieve your severed arm?"
"Alright. Let me help you."
Before the man could utter another word, Roy casually flung him into the sea.
Plop—!
The splash rang loud and clear. And as if rehearsed in perfect sync, the entire crowd visibly shuddered.
This devil was absolutely doing it on purpose. Who in their right mind still believed he was just blind?
Clearly, he was a deaf man pretending to be blind.
"It's hopeless… I messed up,"
Leorio mumbled, his face burning with embarrassment. He avoided Gon's accusatory stare and turned away, pretending to watch the ocean.
"Hmph!"
Gon rubbed the big bump on his forehead, ran excitedly up to Roy, and shouted:
"Uncle! You caught a flying fish!"
"They're really hard to bait, too!"
"Hard?"
Roy smirked and motioned Gon to come closer.
"Let me tell you a secret. There's a whole school of flying fish under this boat—just waiting to be caught."
"Really?!"
Gon's eyes lit up like stars. He was itching to try.
Of course, the truth was simple… the fish weren't biting. They were hooked by Roy's invisible Armament Haki thread, locked down before they even realized it.
And flying fish, apparently, sold for a good price. Passing up the chance to farm liver experience and make some cash? That would be the real waste.
Hmm… For the sake of Gon believing in him earlier… let the kid have one. Just one.
"Hey~ Flying fish!" Gon shouted.
"Kid, don't listen to that blind man!"
A gruff voice interrupted.
An old sailor, with a weathered sailor's cap and a rudder emblem stitched on the back of his coat, stepped onto the deck.
Behind him followed several rugged sailors chewing on pipes. Everyone nearby instinctively made way—none dared block his path.
"Captain!"
Goz, the ship's first mate, leapt down from the mast and respectfully stood at attention behind the man.
The old sailor gave a nonchalant grunt, blew out a smoke ring, and swept a sharp gaze over Leorio, Gon, and Kurapika, before finally fixing his attention on Roy.
Surprise flickered in his eyes when he saw Roy's unseeing gaze.
"You know Nen," he said simply.
"That so-called 'fishing line' of yours… must be your 'aura.'"
Roy raised an eyebrow.
Not bad. This no-name background NPC actually figured it out just from observing?
No wonder he was the Proctor for the Hunter Exam's Sea Phase. His ability wasn't impressive, but clearly, the man wasn't without insight.
"Panel. Check his attributes," Roy muttered in his mind.
"Yes."
[Status]
Name: Hayden Maxey
Bone Age: 57
Physique: 30 (Normal human: 10)
Speed: 24
Strength: 43
Aura Capacity: 71
Note: Aura nodes activated
So he had opened his aura nodes. Not surprising, considering his job.
Roy wasn't impressed by the numbers—but against a group of rookies who hadn't even awakened their Nen? This old guy was more than enough.
"So what?"
Roy smiled lazily.
"Flying fish? I think your understanding of that species is… a little outdated."
Captain Hayden Maxey chuckled, puffing on his pipe.
He was known as the "Sea Groom," a man who had lived and breathed ocean winds for decades. There was very little he didn't know about the sea.
"Flying fish are aggressive, solitary hunters. Everyone knows that. Any sailor could tell you that."
"Kid, don't go misguiding children just because you've got a few tricks."
He puffed out another smoke ring confidently.
"Well," Roy shrugged. "Let's bet on it then."
"If I can prove flying fish travel in schools… what'll you do?"
"Hah. If you can prove it, I'll eat my words one fish at a time,"
Hayden waved him off, clearly unconvinced.
"Perfect."
Roy flashed a crooked grin, gave Hayden a thumbs-up, and casually flicked his staff-blade forward.
A heartbeat passed.
Then—
Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!
Hundreds of flying fish erupted from the water in synchronized arcs, bursting through the air and raining down onto the deck like silver meteors.
Flopping, sliding, wriggling—one even slapped Hayden in the face.
The entire deck fell silent.
"…"
The old captain just stood there—mouth open, pipe dangling, and a fish stuck to his hat.