The port at Whale Island was a cacophony of shouting merchants, the rhythmic thud of wooden crates, and the sharp tang of salt air. It was a small, insignificant hub in the grander geography of the world, yet today it served as the starting point for a shift in the global power dynamic.
Gabriel stood near the edge of the pier, his expression neutral.
He had already activated a minor application of his shapeshifting ability.
To any onlooker, he appeared as a plain, unremarkable twelve-year-old with dull brown hair and features that faded into the background.
It was a necessary precaution.
His true form acted like a gravitational well, pulling in unwanted attention that slowed down his movement.
Efficiency was his priority, and being swarmed by curious locals or starry-eyed travelers was an inefficient use of his time.
He looked toward the ship—the massive, single-masted vessel that would carry the examinees toward the first trial.
His eyes, though disguised, still retained the passive benefits of the Six Eyes.
He could see the structural integrity of the ship, the flow of the currents against the hull, and the flickering life-signatures of those already on board.
"One more! Come on, we're about to cast off!" a sailor barked, waving his arms at a small figure sprinting down the dock.
Gabriel watched as Gon Freecss skidded to a halt at the edge of the pier, breathless but grinning.
He was exactly as Gabriel's memories of this world's history suggested—energetic, loud, and possessing a raw, unrefined aura that pulsed with potential.
Gabriel didn't move to greet him. He simply stepped onto the gangplank, his footsteps silent.
[Ding! Encounter Sign-In Triggered: Gon Freecss.]
[Detection: The 'Son of the Ging' possesses a dormant destiny. Reward Tier: Growth.]
[Reward: 'Senses of the Wild' (Passive) — Your olfactory, auditory, and visual tracking capabilities are heightened to a level surpassing the greatest predators in nature.]
Gabriel accepted the reward internally. It was a minor boost compared to the Multiversal powers he already held, but it filled a niche in his sensory array.
As he stepped onto the deck, he felt the ship lurch. The journey had begun.
The deck was crowded with men who looked like they had spent their lives in back-alley brawls or high-stakes merc work.
They sized each other up with predatory glares. Gabriel ignored them all, walking toward a quiet corner of the ship near the stern. He sat down, leaning his back against a stack of thick rope, and closed his eyes.
He didn't need to look to know who else was on the ship. The Six Eyes provided a three-dimensional map of every soul on the vessel.
There was a man in a blue suit, his aura chaotic and leaking energy like a sieve—Leorio. And another, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, his aura tightly contained but vibrating with a deep, repressed vengeance—Kurapika.
Gabriel's mind began to calculate. In terms of raw power, he was already the most dominant presence on this boat.
The Captain of the ship, a seasoned man with a sharp eye for talent, was currently watching the examinees. Gabriel felt the Captain's gaze pass over his disguised form without stopping. Good.
[Ding! Milestone Sign-In: Boarding the Ship of Fate.]
[Reward: 'Observation Haki' (Source: One Piece) — Heightens your ability to sense presence, strength, and emotions; allows for brief precognition in combat.]
Gabriel's lips thinned into a barely perceptible line. Observation Haki combined with the Six Eyes. He was effectively creating a sensory net that made it impossible for anyone to touch him.
He spent the next hour recalibrating his brain to handle the massive influx of data.
He could hear the heartbeat of a rat in the lower hold; he could feel the shift in the captain's mood as the barometer dropped; he could see the exact moment a storm would hit the ship, ten minutes before the first cloud appeared.
The weather turned as he predicted.
The sky bruised into a dark purple, and the waves began to hammer against the wood. Panic flared among the weaker examinees.
Men who had looked tough minutes ago were now doubled over the railing, their stomachs turning with the sea.
Gabriel remained seated, his body shifting perfectly with the pitch and roll of the ship. He didn't use Nen to anchor himself; he used his high-level physics calculations to anticipate the movement and adjust his center of gravity.
"You're not seasick?"
Gabriel opened his eyes. Gon was standing a few feet away, looking at him with genuine curiosity.
Behind him, Kurapika and Leorio were also managing to stay upright, though Leorio looked a bit pale.
Gabriel looked at Gon. Under the Six Eyes, he saw the boy's Nen nodes—closed, but leaking a golden warmth.
"No," Gabriel said. His voice was clipped, devoid of the warmth Gon usually elicited from people.
"I'm Gon! This is Kurapika and Leorio," the boy said, undeterred by Gabriel's coldness.
Gabriel didn't offer his name immediately.
He looked past them toward the Captain, who was now walking toward the group.
The Captain's eyes lingered on the dozens of incapacitated men on the deck before landing on the four of them.
"The storm is picking up," the Captain said, his voice gravelly. "Most of these idiots aren't fit to be Hunters.
But you four... you seem fine. Why do you want to be Hunters?"
Leorio began his loud rant about money.
Kurapika spoke of the Kurta Clan with a simmering, quiet rage. Gon spoke of finding his father.
Then, the Captain turned to Gabriel. The other three turned as well.
They realized they hadn't even noticed him until now. It was as if Gabriel was a ghost that had suddenly solidified.
"And you, kid?" the Captain asked. "You've been sitting there like you're in a park. What's your reason?"
Gabriel looked the Captain in the eye. He didn't care about the exam, and he certainly didn't care about the Captain's approval.
But he knew the "Sign-In" rewards for the Exam phases were tied to his progress.
"The License is a tool," Gabriel said.
"Nothing more."
The Captain grunted, seemingly unsatisfied but unable to find a flaw in the answer. At that moment, a massive wave slammed into the ship.
A rogue mast swing threatened to knock a sailor overboard. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio moved instinctively to save the man.
Gabriel didn't move. He knew they would succeed. He watched the mechanical efficiency of their teamwork with a detached gaze.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't a teammate. He was an observer waiting for the next opportunity to harvest power.
As the storm began to subside, the Captain stood on the deck, lighting a pipe. "Well. I like you four. I'll take you to the port nearest the exam site."
"Actually," Gabriel interrupted.
The Captain looked at him.
"We're going to Zaban City. But the path you're planning to take is a detour," Gabriel said. His intelligence had already mapped the geography based on the stars he had seen before the storm and the ship's current heading. "If we take the shortcut through the cedar tree on the hill, we save three hours.
However, the Kiriko are nesting there."
Kurapika's eyes sharpened. "How do you know about the Kiriko?"
"I read," Gabriel replied.
He wasn't going to tell them he had seen the Kiriko's energy signatures from miles away using his enhanced perception.
The Captain laughed, a deep, booming sound. "You're a sharp one. Alright, kid. We'll go your way. Let's see if you can handle what's waiting there."
As the ship docked at the port of Dolle Harbor, Gabriel stood up. He walked toward the gangplank, but a hand caught his shoulder. It was Leorio.
"Hey, kid! You never told us your name,"
Leorio said, grinning.
Gabriel looked at the hand on his shoulder.
His aura flared for a micro-second—not enough to be seen, but enough to make Leorio's arm go cold and numb. Leorio pulled his hand back instinctively, a look of confusion crossing his face.
"Gabriel," he said.
He walked off the ship without looking back.
[Ding! Arrival at Dolle Harbor. Narrative Weight Sign-In available.]
[Sign-In Complete.]
[Reward: 'Instant Transmission' (Source: Dragon Ball - Limited Version).]
[Note: You can teleport to any location within your line of sight or to any 'marked' aura signature.]
Gabriel felt the space-time coordinates click into his mind. This was the efficiency he craved. The journey to the exam site would take others days of trekking and riddles. For him, it was now a matter of seconds.
However, he chose not to use it yet. He needed the Sign-Ins that would occur during the trek.
He began walking toward the hill where the Navigators lived. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio followed him, drawn to his pace despite his coldness.
The city was bustling, but Gabriel's mind was elsewhere. He was calculating the power levels he had sensed from the ship's radar. There was a presence in the distance—sharp, jagged, and dripping with bloodlust.
Hisoka.
The 2nd strongest in the exam, according to his current assessment.
Gabriel felt a small, cold spark of anticipation. In his current state, his physical stats were already vastly superior to a normal human's due to the Limit Break, but his Nen was still raw.
He was the "2nd strongest" only because Hisoka had years of combat experience and a refined Hatsu.
'By the time we reach the long tunnel,' Gabriel thought, 'that ranking will change.'
They reached the outskirts of the town, where an old woman sat surrounded by masked figures. The "Long-winded Quiz."
"Stop," the woman croaked as the group approached.
"To pass, you must answer my question. If you get it wrong, you are disqualified from the Hunter Exam."
Leorio started to complain, but Gabriel stepped forward. His high-speed brain had already analyzed the situation.
The "Quiz" wasn't a test of knowledge; it was a test of resolve and the understanding that some choices were impossible. Silence was the only answer.
"The question," the woman began. "Your mother and your lover are captured by villains. You can only save one. Who do you pick? 1: Mother. 2: Lover."
Leorio began to fume, shouting about how the question was unfair. Kurapika went silent, his mind racing. Gon tilted his head, thinking deeply.
Gabriel didn't hesitate. He stood in front of the woman, his disguised face looking bored.
The seconds ticked by. Leorio was about to scream an answer when Gabriel's voice cut through the air.
"Silence," Gabriel said.
The old woman looked at him, her eyes narrowing.
"The correct answer is silence," Gabriel repeated, his tone flat. "There is no right choice in a false dichotomy. The test is whether we recognize the impossibility of the question."
The woman stared at him for a long time. Then, she gestured to the masked figures. They stepped aside, revealing the path.
"Correct," she whispered. "You may pass."
Kurapika looked at Gabriel with a newfound respect, though there was a hint of wariness in his eyes. Gon just beamed. "Wow, Gabriel! You're really smart!"
Gabriel didn't acknowledge the compliment. He kept walking. Every step was bringing him closer to the main stage.
They reached the cabin of the Navigators—the Kiriko.
The creatures were already in mid-performance, pretending to be a wounded husband and a kidnapped wife.
Gabriel didn't wait for the drama to unfold. He walked into the cabin.
One of the Kiriko, disguised as a man, lunged at him, testing his reflexes.
Gabriel didn't dodge. He didn't flinch. He reached out and caught the Kiriko's wrist mid-air.
The creature gasped, its disguise flickering for a moment. It felt as if its arm had been caught in a vice made of cold iron.
"You're fast," the Kiriko hissed, trying to pull away.
"You're loud," Gabriel replied.
He looked at the creature with his disguised eyes, but the Kiriko felt a chill go down its spine. It felt as if it were being dissected by a gaze that saw through its skin, its muscles, and its very soul.
"We're here for the Exam," Gabriel said, releasing the wrist. "Stop the theatrics and take us to the site."
The Kiriko dropped its disguise, revealing its beast-like form. It looked at Gabriel with genuine fear. It had met many powerful candidates over the years, but this boy... this boy was different. He didn't have the "smell" of a human. He felt like something that had descended from a higher plane.
"Fine," the Kiriko said, its voice shaking slightly. "Grab on. We'll fly you to Zaban City."
As the Kiriko took flight, carrying Gabriel, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio across the sky, Gabriel looked down at the world.
The Zaban City tunnel was ahead.
[Ding! Milestone Sign-In: Entering the Exam Grounds.]
[Reward: 'Soru' (Source: One Piece) — A high-speed movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow.]
Gabriel felt the muscle memory of the technique integrate into his legs.
'Hisoka,' Gabriel thought as the lights of Zaban City appeared on the horizon. 'Enjoy your status while it lasts. You have approximately three hours before you become 2nd place.'
The Kiriko landed in a small, nondescript elevator hidden behind a restaurant.
"This is it," the Kiriko said, looking specifically at Gabriel. "Good luck, kid.
Though I don't think you'll need it."
The doors of the elevator closed. Gabriel, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio stood in the small space as it began its long descent into the earth.
The air grew cooler. The atmosphere grew heavier.
Gabriel felt the auras of hundreds of examinees waiting below. Most were weak—flies in the wind. But a few stood out.
He felt the pin-prick sharpness of Gittarackur (Illumi Zoldyck).
He felt the chaotic, playful malice of Hisoka.
Gabriel reached up and touched his face.
With a thought, he shifted his appearance back slightly—not to his full, transcendent form, but to a mid-point.
He was still "Handsome," enough to make the people in the elevator glance at him, but not enough to cause a riot.
The elevator dinked.
The doors slid open.
A sea of faces turned toward them. A small man with a purple nose and a green suit walked up, holding out four badges.
"Welcome," the man said. "I'm Tonpa. Here are your numbers."
Gabriel took his badge.
Number 406.
He pinned it to his chest and stepped into the tunnel.
Directly across from him, leaning against a wall with a deck of cards in his hand, was a man with pink hair and a painted tear on his cheek.
Hisoka looked up. His eyes met Gabriel's.
For the first time in years, Hisoka felt a genuine shiver of excitement. He didn't see a twelve-year-old boy. He saw a fruit that wasn't just ripe—it was glowing with a power that threatened to burn his hand if he touched it.
Gabriel didn't look away. He didn't smile. He didn't acknowledge the bloodlust radiating from the magician.
He simply walked past him, his footsteps echoing in the sudden silence of the tunnel.
The Hunter Exam had officially begun.