Chapter 8: The Storm and the Stubborn
That night, Yuta brought Gon back to the Sea-Rat. Captain Grem was on deck, smoking a pipe and watching the fog roll in. His gray eyes narrowed as he saw two small figures approaching.
"I see you found trouble after all," Grem grumbled, pointing his pipe-stem at Gon. "Who's this? You picked up a stray?"
"This is Gon, Captain!" Yuta said. "He's... he's like me. He's here for the exam, too."
"I'm Gon Freecss!" Gon announced, his voice ringing with confidence. "I'm taking the Hunter Exam! Please, mister, I need a place to stay!"
Grem let out a short, harsh laugh. "Absolutely not. I bent the rules for one of you, and I'm regretting it already. I am not a daycare. Get off my ship, both of you."
"But Captain!" Yuta insisted, stepping forward. "You don't understand. His father... his father is a Hunter, too!"
Grem stopped, his pipe halfway to his mouth. He looked at Yuta, then at Gon. His face was a mask of pure skepticism. "Oh, is he now? And what a convenient story. I suppose you'll tell me he's some big-shot, famous Hunter?"
Gon puffed out his chest, his expression one of immense pride. "He is! His name is Ging Freecss!"
The clack of Grem's pipe hitting the wooden deck was the only sound.
Grem stared. His face, which had been leathery and amused, was now pale. Ging Freecss. The name hung in the salty air like a thunderclap. He looked from Yuta, the son of Kael Vance who carried the mythical Blade of Reflection, to Gon, the son of the legendary Ging Freecss.
What in the world is happening? Grem thought, a headache forming. What are these children? Is the world ending?
He let out a long, suffering sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he growled. "Fine! Both of you. You can sleep in the bunks below. But you are off my ship at dawn. You are Haku's problem. Not mine."
The next morning, a new ship had docked. It was larger than the Sea-Rat, more weathered, and its deck was already crowded with a rough-looking assortment of men. At the gangplank stood a man in a blue captain's hat, his face stern and his eyes sharp.
Yuta and Gon watched from a distance as Captain Grem spoke to the new captain, Haku. It was a low, urgent conversation. Grem pointed at Yuta, and then at the sheathed blade on his back. He pointed at Gon. Captain Haku's expression never changed, but he nodded, his sharp gaze flicking over to the two boys.
"All right," Haku barked, his voice carrying over the morning din. "All passengers, on board! We sail in five!"
Grem gave the boys a final, weary look. "Good luck, you two. You're going to need it."
Yuta and Gon boarded the Seagull's Nest, and the journey truly began.
For two days, they sailed. Then, the storm hit.
It was not a normal storm. It was a typhoon, a monstrous, swirling beast of wind and water. The sky turned a sickly, dark-greenish-black. The wind shrieked, a high-pitched, terrifying sound, and the waves were the size of mountains, lifting the massive ship as if it were a toy and slamming it back down.
The ship's hold, crowded with hopefuls, became a scene of chaos. The rough, tough men who had looked so intimidating were now pale, groaning, and vomiting. The air grew thick with the smell of sickness and fear.
Yuta, however, felt... fine. He stood in the main cabin, his feet planted, his body moving with the violent, chaotic rhythm of the ship. The forest had taught him balance. He looked across the room and saw Gon at a porthole, his face pressed to the glass, his eyes wide with excitement. "Wow! This is amazing! The whole ocean is standing on end!"
In the corner, a slender, blond-haired young man, dressed in strange, almost tribal-blue robes, was sitting calmly on a crate, reading a book as if he were in a quiet library. His poise was unnerving.
And leaning against the far wall, a tall man in a business suit with a briefcase was complaining loudly, "This is absurd! What kind of service is this?! I demand a refund!" He was, bizarrely, munching on a green apple.
The cabin door slammed open. Captain Haku stood there, soaked to the bone, a grim look on his face. He scanned the room, his eyes passing over the dozens of sick, moaning men, and finally settling on the four who were still standing.
"You four," he barked over the wind. "Tell me your names."
They gathered. "I'm Gon!"
"It is Mr. Leorio."
"I am Kurapika."
"Yuta Vance."
The captain's eyes lingered on Yuta for a half-second. "Good. Now, why do you want to become Hunters?"
"Hey!" Leorio shouted, jabbing a finger. "I'm not here to answer your questions! You're just the ferryman!"
"I am an examiner," Haku stated, "and this is your exam. Answer the question."
Leorio exploded first. "It's simple! MONEY! With money, you can have anything! A huge mansion, a fast car, the finest wine! That's what I want!"
Kurapika, the blond-haired reader, looked up from his book, his face a mask of cold disdain. "You are a disgrace. You would sell your comrades and your soul for a handful of Jenny."
Leorio's face turned red. "What did you say, you snot-nosed brat?! I'm older than you!"
"Your words are filth," Kurapika said, standing up. He was shorter than Leorio, but he radiated a cold, dangerous energy. "You cannot buy class, Mr. Leorio."
"That's it!" Leorio roared, pulling a small switch-blade. "Take back what you said about me!"
Kurapika calmly revealed two wooden training swords, one in each hand. "I refuse. Take back your own words first. Apologize for your disrespect to the Hunter profession."
"You...!" Leorio was shaking with rage. "Fine! This cabin is too small! I'll settle this on the deck!"
"As you wish," Kurapika said, his voice lethally calm.
The two stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door open, letting in a howl of wind and a spray of icy water. They were going to fight, in the middle of a typhoon.
Yuta and Gon were left alone in the sudden, ringing silence. Yuta's eyes were wide, his heart hammering. He couldn't believe what was happening.
Gon, beside him, was vibrating with a strange, nervous energy.
Their eyes met.
In that single, shared glance, a silent, identical thought passed between them: This is crazy! We have to stop them!
"Let's go, Yuta!" Gon shouted, already moving.
Yuta nodded, his hand instinctively closing around the familiar, purple-stone hilt of the Blade of Reflection. He was right behind him, running out into the storm.
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