Poor kid. He still doesn't know his deadbeat dad is right here on Whale Island.
Ging had clearly noticed Gon's actions as well. He pressed down the brim of his hat and smiled, relieved. "That's right, time is short. I really don't want to see him right now."
"You're already here, why won't you even see him?" The kitchen curtain pulled aside, and Mito glared at Ging, gritting her teeth.
Ging's gaze softened. "Because his name is Gon Freecss, not Ging Freecss."
"I don't want him to live as Ging Freecss's son. It's that simple."
'Those who learn from me will live; those who merely imitate me will die.' "You don't want Gon to live under your shadow forever, right?" Sean, having just polished off two plates of omurice, wiped his mouth, still not fully satisfied. "That's why. That's why I said you're a deadbeat dad who abandoned his family."
Ging shrugged. "I won't deny the scumbag part, but you're wrong about one thing."
Ging looked at Sean with a serious expression. "I didn't abandon my wife and child. And the reason I came here today, really, was just to keep an eye on you, Sean!"
"You are too dangerous."
"I won't allow even the smallest incident to happen here!"
"Gon and Mito can't bear it, and I can't bear it even more!"
"Ahahaha... Miss Mito, do you think I'm dangerous?" Sean raised his glass to Mito from afar.
Mito shot Ging a cold look and huffed. "You must be joking, sir. Aside from being a bit tall, you look a lot safer than a certain bastard!"
"My thanks." Sean sipped his drink, leaned back casually in his chair, and said in a low, suppressed laugh, "Did you hear that, Mr. Ging?"
"Honestly, if I had bad intentions, do you think you could stop me?"
"Boom!" A surging, powerful aura suddenly burst from Sean's body!
"Bwoop!" It was as if time itself had a pause button pressed in that instant!
Ging's and Kite's hats were blown off. They felt their breathing stop, and their nerves tensed instinctively. But they never expected this overwhelming, world-dominating aura to come and go so quickly... With a cold laugh from Sean, it was retracted back into his body!
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
"No... this is a Conqueror's Haki based on 'Nen'!"
Ging's eyes flashed. He raised his hand, caught his hat, and put it back on his head. A bright light ignited in his eyes, and he let out a low "Guhoho" laugh. "Amazing. Straw Hat Boy was forced to awaken his during the Summit War, but it's not like you, Sean. You control it freely, with ease."
"So scary... So scary, Kite, let's go. I... I don't want to stay here anymore." Following Ging, one hand holding his hat, the other comforting Crazy Slots, Kite—who had always been known for his "calmness" and "seriousness"—gave Sean a deep look. Unconsciously, cold sweat had broken out on his back.
"You flatter me. I didn't mean to show off." Sean waved to Mito. "Miss Mito, a refill."
Mito froze for a moment, not understanding what had just happened. Hearing Sean's call, she snapped back to her senses and shouted, "Coming!"
She took the glass Sean handed her and went into the kitchen.
"Swish." The kitchen curtain was drawn, and the beautiful woman was gone. Sean tapped his fingers on the bar, glanced at Ging and Kite, and continued, "I just wanted to tell you two that eating at this tavern is my right as a customer."
"As for anything else... apologies, but I, Sean, have not yet fallen to the level of having malicious thoughts about women and children."
"Understood." Ging gave Sean a deep look, pushed back his chair, and stood up. "Let's go, Kite."
Kite said nothing, stood up, nodded to Sean, and followed Ging towards the door.
"Squeak..." The wooden door opened, and a gust of fresh air blew in. Ging paused, his back to Sean, and chuckled lightly. "Sean, I look forward to your performance in the test."
Then, he swung the wooden door shut, and, along with Kite, disappeared from Sean's sight.
"They left?"
"They left."
"He's always like this."
"That's why he's a deadbeat."
The kitchen curtain opened, and Mito came out carrying the refilled beer. She gazed into the distance outside, her amber eyes flickering before gradually dimming.
"They haven't gone far. If you go now, you might still catch them." Sean crooked his finger, and the beer swirled like a vortex before landing in his hand.
The young man opened his mouth and took a swig.
Mito shook her head, took a deep breath, and seemed to "pull herself together" again.
"No, having Gon is enough for me." The young woman smiled at Sean, radiant and moving.
Sean hummed lightly. "Is that so?"
He took another noncommittal sip. The beer was a home-brewed lager. It tasted good, but unfortunately, it was a bit bitter. Perhaps it was tinged with the sorrow of parting.
Sean turned his head, somewhat listlessly, and glanced out the window. On the green, shaded path, heading in the opposite direction from where Ging and Kite had gone, a spiky-haired boy dressed in green and carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder came running and jumping. The excitement on his little face was palpable.
"Aunt Mito! I caught the Lord of the Lake!" Even from far away from the tavern, Gon's "good news" could be heard.
Mito, who had only just pulled herself together a few minutes ago, seemed to foresee something, and the smile on her face slowly faded.
"Bang!" The wooden door was forcefully pushed open by Gon.
"Huh? There's a customer?" The spiky-haired little brat waved at Sean. "Hello, Mister."
Sean's face darkened. He almost couldn't stop himself from slapping the kid to death!
'Damn it, who are you calling Mister? I'm only 22 this year. If anything, you should call me Big Bro!'
Sean's mouth twitched. He turned and glared at Gon. "Nice fishing rod."
Gon protectively hugged the fishing rod. "Of course! This is a treasure my dad left for me."
'Tsk. A deadbeat dad meets a "dad-complex." Knowing Gon's personality, Sean had no doubt that even if Ging left him a fresh pile of crap, this kid would pick it up without hesitation and exclaim, "Smells great."'
"Hehe. Is that so? Then you'd better take good care of it."
Sean bent down, ruffled Gon's spiky hair, and said in a "meaningful" tone, "When you find your dad, smack him right over the head with that fishing rod. I bet he'll be 'thrilled' to death."
"Huh?" Gon looked completely baffled. Seeing this, Sean burst out laughing and urged Mito to "bring the food." After feasting, he waved his hand and pulled a bicycle out of the [Sage] space.
[Kuzan's Bicycle: Durable and frost-resistant.]
[Cost: 10 Reader Feedback Points.]
It was also an item Sean had redeemed and kept in stock for a long time.
The young man mounted it in one step and rang the bell. "Ding-a-ling!"
He stylishly left Mito's tavern.
"Goodbye, kid. The Hunter Exam is waiting for you."
From a distance, Gon stared, and it took him a long time to react before letting out a strange cry.
"Eh?"