Chapter 8 – Read More Books
"Just in case."
Such simple words—yet they held weight. Gon admired it, and even Leorio had to admit he was impressed. Saying it was easy; actually preparing for the unexpected was something else entirely.
Still, Leorio had another question.
"But… if you had a boat, why didn't you just let us ride it with you?"
Osren replied without missing a beat, "The cost in Jenny for one person is very different from the cost for three. Turns out… I didn't have enough money."
Of course, Osren wasn't about to admit the real reason: he simply wanted to recreate that epic moment from the original story—Gon's legendary leap onto the ship. But even he was starting to believe the excuse he'd just given.
Leorio was speechless. Bring up Jenny, and he had nothing to say.
"Yeah, Osren's pretty short on Jenny," Gon chimed in. "He already paid for your five fish earlier. That was two thousand Jenny."
"You actually paid for that?" Leorio turned to look at Osren.
Osren just repeated one of his favorite phrases: "Times are tough—help when you can."
"…Naive brat," Leorio muttered, but his tone had clearly softened.
The three of them weren't exactly whispering. Their conversation was loud enough for others nearby to hear.
Kurapika, who had been sitting quietly on the deck, glanced up at Osren. He had seen plenty of darkness in the world, but rarely had he encountered someone who radiated such quiet goodness—so unaffected by petty things.
"Looks like it won't be a dull voyage after all," muttered Captain Red Nose as he watched Osren, Gon, and the others.
Wherever people gather, drama is bound to follow.
Naturally, with so many gathered in one place, there were plenty looking to stir up trouble. But after Captain Red Nose had thrown one such troublemaker overboard to make an example, everyone else quieted down—at least on the surface.
As for Gon—he'd been fishing ever since they boarded.
"Osren, I'll catch you something rare—a flying fish! They're hard to find, even on Whale Island!" Gon said excitedly.
"Sounds good. I'll be waiting," Osren replied with a smile.
Meanwhile, in his head, he was already calculating how much a rare flying fish could sell for. After all, the Hunter Exam was coming… and with it, maniacs like Hisoka and Illumi. If he didn't prepare in advance, he might not even know how he died.
That's why Osren was planning something big—and big plans needed big money.
The wind was picking up.
Survival meant effort.
"Got one!" Gon suddenly shouted with glee.
As he reeled in his line, a sleek, long-bodied fish with wings burst out of the water and shimmered in the light.
"Osren, look! It's really a flying fish!" Gon yelled excitedly.
"Quick—pull it in!" Osren urged.
"Just watch me!" Gon grinned.
Gon's actions quickly drew the attention of several people on the ship — including the red-nosed captain.
"Not bad, kid. That's a big catch — and it's a flying fish, too. Those rarely take the bait," the captain commented.
"Yeah, they're pretty rare," Gon replied casually, handing the fish over to Osren. "Here, it's for you."
Osren took the fish, eyeing the strange-looking creature curiously.
Suddenly —
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
A flock of seagulls circled low over the Ship, their cries sharp and mournful, as if warning of something ominous.
"Gon, aren't those seagulls…?" Osren asked, remembering something from the original storyline.
"They're warning us. A storm is coming," Gon said, inhaling the damp, salty air deeply.
"Come on, seriously? It's calm as ever right now," Leorio said, frowning. "Don't tell me you can understand bird talk or something."
"Just a little," Gon admitted. "Plus, the air smells heavy with salt... and the wind is warm."
"You'll have to teach me sometime," Leorio grinned, clearly intrigued.
"You're from Whale Island, aren't you, kid? What kind of man is your father?" The red-nosed captain's suspicions were growing, so he decided to probe.
"Yes. He's a Hunter. I've only seen his photo... but I respect him a lot," Gon replied.
That answer, combined with the boy's resemblance, confirmed the captain's hunch.
"How long do we have before the storm hits?" Osren asked.
"Roughly two hours," Gon estimated.
Suddenly—
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning split the sky. Atop the ship's mainmast, faint violet sparks shimmered, causing those who saw them to shudder.
"That's Saint Elmo's Fire," the captain said grimly.
As if those words had triggered something, the night sky exploded with lightning. Winds howled to life, and the once-calm sea surged, answering the storm's furious call.
Whooosh!
The ship rocked violently under the waves. It was difficult just to stay upright — those with poor balance were already tumbling across the deck.
Osren struggled to keep his footing. Without Nen, his physical strength was inferior to Gon's — and it was showing.
"They say everyone who sees Saint Elmo's Fire dies at sea," someone cried out.
The words spread like wildfire, igniting panic on deck.
Most people aboard the ship were competent — after all, they were here for the Hunter Exam — but the legend of Saint Elmo's Fire was infamous. Combined with the violent waves tossing the ship, fear rapidly spiraled out of control.
Panic is contagious. In moments, everyone was unsettled. Even Leorio and Kurapika wore grim expressions — morale was crumbling.
Then suddenly—
"People really should read more books," Osren said loudly, cutting through the noise like a blade. The entire deck fell silent as all eyes turned to him.
"Saint Elmo's Fire is simply a coronal discharge — a natural phenomenon caused by a strong electric field in the atmosphere. The voltage difference exceeds the dielectric breakdown strength of air, ionizing it and turning it conductive, which causes it to emit light," he explained in a serious, scientific tone.
He wrapped up with, "Put simply, it's just lightning — completely natural. That 'legend' is nonsense. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Silence.
99.9% of the people on deck were stunned speechless.
The remaining 0.1% — Gon — wasn't confused. He just thought Osren was amazing.
Coronal discharge?
Air ionization?
Dielectric breakdown strength?
What the hell did any of that mean?
Nobody understood a word of it. But one thing was clear: Saint Elmo's Fire was a natural event, nothing supernatural. And Osren's smug "clearly you're all uneducated" tone, while irritating, helped break the panic.
Everyone was too busy glaring at him to be afraid anymore — but the massive waves and rocking ship were still very real.
People were still being flung off the deck.
Osren, lacking Nen, had a hard time staying on his feet. This wouldn't do — he needed to come up with something fast.