"Looks like this year will be more interesting than most."
Captain noticed the branch slung over Roy's shoulder and, for a split second, remembered someone—he liked fishing, too.
First time they met, he also had a rod on his shoulder, a red bead on the tip. He was the only one who passed that year… name was—Ging Freecss, wasn't it?
Captain vaguely recalled the name.
"Welcome, welcome—Roy Zoldyck, we meet again."
Applause rang out as Pariston spread his arms, smiling as he stepped up to welcome Roy aboard.
Roy ignored him, walked straight past, settled cross-legged at the bow, flicked his rod—and went right back to fishing, honing his Nen.
Dead water isn't the open sea; fishing from a moving ship is much harder. Roy sat solid as a reef, body swaying with the Kaijinmaru's roll. Behind him, Gotoh stood silent, facing the crowd, quietly guarding his back.
"Heh-heh—Hill-chan got ignored again. First the weirdo… now the Zoldyck…"
Clark glanced over the rail; the blue sea lay flat—no sign of the weirdo. He was just thinking the guy might've drowned when a hand hooked the gunwale and a dripping body hauled itself aboard…
Illumi saw it—the blond was looking at big brother.
He spread his arms—what, a hug?
Danger! A chill ran up Pariston's neck. He turned—and met a pair of hollow eyes.
The weirdo.
Cre-eak… cre-eak… Illumi slid down to sit by the rail. Feeling Pariston's gaze, he simply shut his eyes—as if to say "out of sight, out of mind."
The thin guard, Gaal, sensed it too and murmured, "He's not normal."
Pariston stared long at Illumi, then shrugged. "All the better."
Roy Zoldyck was here—nothing else mattered. He and his two shadows found a spot and settled.
Seeing most had gathered, Captain clapped and had his first mate Katzo lug out a crate. He swept the deck. "Eyes on me!"
"One number tag each!"
Heads turned. Katzo, a red kerchief on his head, flipped the crate and spilled a heap of tags—white backing, black numbers, a red button on each. A rough count: well over a hundred…
"What's this—registering exam numbers?" The bald ninja flickered forward, grabbed a tag, and reached for the red button—only for Captain to bark him short.
"If you're keen to get eliminated right now, go ahead and press it." The captain puffed on his pipe. The bald ninja jolted and nearly dropped his tag.
"So serious—old man, why didn't you say?" Yusuke scowled.
As an elite jonin of the Hidden Cloud stream from Sakuranokuni, to be booted before even reaching the test grounds? He couldn't face his master—might as well commit seppuku. Humiliating.
"Why didn't I say?" Captain swept the deck and raised his voice. "Don't think stepping on board means you're safe!
"From the moment your feet touched this deck, the Hunter Exam began!
"If you're here to gamble, best quit now!"
"We came all this way—who the hell's quitting? Old man, spit it out! What do we do?" someone snapped.
"Good!" Captain didn't flinch. He picked up a tag and held it up. "Each tag is one point. This stage is simple—it's called Points Scramble!
"Between now and when we reach the main venue in Doli City, whoever has the most points wins."
He paused, squinted down his pipe, and raised a finger. "Top ten only."
No…
"You're making us kill each other!" someone realized. Points Scramble? More like fight until only ten remain.
A stone in a still pond—waves of whispers. Yusuke, the snake handler, the bow boy, the Kurta girl… Kite, Gotoh—all looked over. Captain chuckled and took a long draw. "Hence the surrender button in advance."
He pressed the tag's red button; it gave a sharp beep. "Can't take it? Surrender. We'll intervene.
"Of course," he glanced at Yusuke, "pressing it means you're out."
A gust swept the deck—taking the noise with it.
Pages rustled as the Kurta girl broke the silence. "As far as I know, it's not usually this harsh. Even last year, large-scale eliminations only happened at the exam site."
"You said it yourself—'usually,'" Captain said flatly. "Each batch has its own rules. Don't like it? File a complaint with the Association.
"Orders from above—don't look at me," he added to himself.
"Then there's nothing more to say." After the rash bald ninja, Pariston stepped up first, took tag #1, pinned it to his chest, and let his gaze sweep—lingering a beat on Roy—before smiling thinly.
"I fully support the Association's decision. Trash should be cleared early—spares the Association's reputation."
"That guy again!" The image of Donovan slapped to paste was fresh. Yusuke, the snake tamer, the bow boy, the mummy glared—but none dared charge. Only after Pariston, Clark, and Gaal had taken tags and moved off did they file up, snag numbers, and vanish to cover.
Midway, a scream split the air—someone had stabbed the man ahead in the kidney and snatched his tag before bolting…
A rock thrown into the lake—the first knife started the butchery.
"Welcome to the real Hunter world." Captain watched the white blade go in and the red come out, told Katzo and the crew to intervene immediately when they heard a surrender beep, and turned for the wheelhouse—closing the door behind him.
Too old to watch the blood. And "above" had no mercy for an old man…
He sighed, slumped in his chair, and shut his eyes—leaving a deck full of examinees to play a sloppy battle royale…
Swish— A flying knife whistled dumb and blind—straight at Roy.
~~~
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