"Heh, even if I can't taste the most exquisite apple, finding a couple of random ones to satisfy my craving isn't a bad idea."
Hisoka's face twisted into a sinister grin as his murderous intent flared up. "There's no rush, after all. The best fruit should be savored at the very last moment!"
Hisoka laughed without restraint, while Gon found his steps trembling with fear. "This killing intent... it's terrifying!"
Gon's teeth chattered as he struggled with the urge to run away. "I need to reach the right spot before Hisoka does, a place where I can definitely get the number badge..."
With that thought, Gon suppressed his desires and moved towards the area where Ponzu and Geretta were fighting. Just as he found a good vantage point, Hisoka made his move.
Swish!!
His speed, so fast, erupted in the forest instantly! The murderous aura spread, causing the surrounding birds and beasts to flee in terror.
Below, Ponzu and Geretta, caught in the heat of their battle, felt the chilling aura at the same time. They shivered in unison.
"Hi... Hisoka?!"
Separated, they looked towards the source of the killing intent, and the sight of that terrifying face changed their expressions drastically. Why him?! No, don't come closer!!
Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they realized escape was futile; the killing intent had locked onto them. With no other choice, they resolved to fight to the death.
"Damn it, bring it on!!"
They steeled themselves, one assuming a fighting stance, the other brandishing a katana. At that moment, they chose to face the enemy together. However, their opponent's strength was far beyond their imagination. Even teaming up, they couldn't avoid the inevitable outcome.
Just as Hisoka struck, a thin fishing line appeared from an unexpected angle, at an unforeseen time and place, catching everyone, including Hisoka, off guard. It deftly hooked Hisoka's number badge and whisked it away instantly.
"Got it!!"
Gon panted heavily, clutching the badge marked with the number 44. Not far from him, Hisoka stood by the bodies of Ponzu and Geretta, touching his empty chest as if accepting the reality.
Then...
Gon noticed Hisoka's pupils begin to tremble. There was a look of appraisal(?), a farmer's anticipation, and... excitement.JPG!!!
No one could comprehend Hisoka's thoughts. Gon didn't understand what Hisoka's gaze meant. He only knew one thing: run!! The farther, the better!!
Without hesitation, he turned and dashed into the forest with a "whoosh"!
This was the moment Hisoka truly took an interest in nurturing Gon as a potential "fruit." From then on, Gon entered Hisoka's sights and became someone he valued. Their future encounters and interactions, including their cooperation on Greed Island, were profoundly influenced by this badge exchange.
Later, having snatched Hisoka's badge by playing the mantis while others played the cicada, Gon was ambushed by Geretta with a tranquilizer dart, leaving him paralyzed on the ground. Geretta then took both his and Hisoka's badges, leaving Gon lying there in frustration.
Subsequently, Hisoka, carrying Geretta's head, wearing his hat, and surrounded by bloodthirsty butterflies, approached Gon. True to the original story, since Geretta was Hisoka's target, he had accumulated three points, plus three more from other examinees, totaling six points, enough to pass. Hisoka tossed both his and Gon's badges back to Gon.
However, Gon's strong sense of pride refused to accept what felt like a charity. He forced himself to stand and attempted to return the badge to Hisoka, only to be met with a heavy punch to the face.
---
At this point, the small number badge had forged a deep bond between Hisoka and Gon. The seven days passed slowly, and soon, it was time for the gathering. From the distant coastline, the sound of a ship's horn signaled the moment, and all the qualified examinees were ready and waiting.
"Is it time?" Morin slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. He was the first qualified candidate and the first to arrive at the beach. After Morin, the other examinees began to arrive one after another: Hanzo, Botobai, Illumi, and Hisoka. To Morin's mild surprise, Tonpa also made it through this round of the Hunter Exam.
In the original version, starting from the third round, Tonpa had already felt fatigued and didn't want to participate in the Hunter Exam anymore.
He truly wanted to earn a Hunter license and become a Hunter. In the fourth round, he even schemed to sabotage Leorio to get his number badge to pass. Even at the last moment, he didn't give up and desperately searched for the badges of any lone examinees.
It could be said that he already had a sense of dissatisfaction in his heart. Morin's presence only intensified this feeling in Tonpa.
After Tonpa, the trio of Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio arrived. They successfully ambushed the Amori brothers, gaining substantial rewards.
Due to the different sequence of exiting the Trick Tower, their luck was considerably better this time. This round of the exam was much easier compared to the original version, and they benefited from Morin's presence to some extent.
As for the other examinees? Pokkle managed to find the cave where Ponzu and Barbant were hiding through a stroke of luck.
However, Ponzu's warning prevented him from crossing the mass of venomous snakes to enter the cave. He lingered outside for several days before leaving reluctantly.
Later, he encountered Gozu, who was defeated by Hanzo, Siper, who was defeated by Botobai, and the Amori brothers, who were defeated by Leorio's trio. Although these individuals were still alive, they didn't have a single badge on them.
After failing to find Tonpa, who was still suffering from diarrhea and had no strength, Pokkle was left in complete despair.
When the final bell rang, he had his target's three-point badge but no other examinee's badge. This meant he was destined to be eliminated from this exam.
On the beach, just before the final deadline, Gon arrived last. He became the final examinee to pass. Morin immediately noticed something was off about Gon. His face bore the clear marks of Hisoka's heavy punch, and he still seemed to harbor a sense of dissatisfaction. However—
Morin also sensed something else. Gon's gaze towards him was unusual, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
Morin could tell that Gon had something he wanted to discuss, but for some reason, it was stuck in his throat. This was not typical of Gon, who was usually straightforward and outspoken. Whatever was troubling him must have been a significant and complex matter.
Once all ten qualified examinees had gathered, Miss Kara, responsible for the drawing lots, announced the results of this round of the exam after the deadline. Out of the twenty-five participants in the fourth round of the hunting exam, ten had officially passed.
In the original, replacing Pokkle with Tonpa made it nine, plus Morin. After the ship, the special airship for the Hunter Exam appeared in the sky.
The ship was there to take away the eliminated examinees, while the airship was meant to transport the successful candidates to the final test location.
The two modes of transportation—one by sea, the other by air—seemed to symbolize something. It was as if they represented a vast difference between heaven and earth.
Once all ten were seated in a room, many felt a genuine sense of relaxation and excitement. "Last time on the airship, it felt like we were packed in like sardines. Now, with only ten of us, the airship feels too big," Leorio remarked with a sigh, having endured many hardships to reach this final stage.
Especially when he looked around and realized that half of the people were familiar faces, he felt even happier and more at ease. With such a lineup entering the final round, as long as it wasn't too extreme, they were confident in their chances of passing!
Leorio could almost see that beautiful future beckoning him. He even felt the Hunter license was nearly within reach. The upcoming final round of the exam promised to be unexpectedly more relaxed than the previous ones!
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