One day later, a gentle sea breeze was blowing.
The erald‑green water mirrored the azure sky, and on the distant horizon the outline of Whale Island had already co into view.
The portion of the island that protruded from the sea really did resemble a whale with its tail lifted—a most unusual sight.
Standing at the bow, Xiang Nan leaned on the rail and smiled faintly. "No wonder they call this place a paradise apart from the world."
Although he had been in the Hunter × Hunter world for several years, this was Xiang Nan's first visit to the protagonist's birthplace.
Orban, Pigeon, and even Beishi had all been here before.
For soone who knows the story line, taking a little ti to "check in" at Whale Island and et the young protagonist Gon was almost too easy.
"I ca to Whale Island once," Beishi said softly as he walked up behind Xiang Nan, seeming to know what he was thinking. "But at the ti the system restrictions were still in place, so even though I saw Gon I couldn't approach or talk to him. From what the islanders say, though, he's just as the original work portrays him—innocent, pure, kind… a very warm presence."
"Back then there were already quite a few players on the island. A lot of people chose to train here, maybe because they thought Whale Island had so kind of special aura…"
"Is that so?" Xiang Nan chuckled. He wasn't particularly excited about eting Gon; what mattered was that this was the starting point of the main plot and carried special aning.
"There might still be players on the island now," Orban added as he stepped out of the cabin and joined the conversation. "But if you're below Extinction level 6 it's pointless to co. Besides, before the story starts he's just an ordinary kid."
"Ordinary? He's anything but," Beishi laughed. "The story's about to begin. He'll soon haul up the Master of the Swamp, that giant fish. Five grown n together can't budge one of those—you need nearly ten people—and it's extrely alert; the slightest disturbance and it won't bite."
"I know he's a talent monster—I was just making a comparison," Orban laughed. "Still, Ging's younger sister Mito is really beautiful…"
Beishi and Xiang Nan said nothing.
"What? I'm serious—Mito's a real beauty, and her temperant is outstanding. After spending so long in big cities, all you see are won caked in makeup, utterly tacky. Then you et soone like Mito and she just… shines."
Obviously, once the system screen was lifted and they reached Extinction 6, Orban had co here.
"We players are already part of this world," he went on. "No different from the locals—basically natives ourselves—just living through our own 'ga.' We could even marry and have children here. I know so players who've had descendants in this world."
"So why didn't you win her over?" Beishi teased. "If you had, you'd be Ging Freecss's brother‑in‑law—related to one of the world's top five Nen users—and family to the main character."
"I don't have the leisure," Orban smacked his lips. "Besides, even though we're like locals, our identities are a bit… special. 'Fugitives' wouldn't be too strong a word. We could die on a mission any day. A woman that good—I'd hate to leave her a widow."
"Oh, please," Pigeon's voice ca from behind, rcilessly exposing Orban's "upright" excuse.
"Plenty of people have their eyes on the protagonist and the Freecss family. Why don't they make a move? Think about who Ging Freecss is. Sure, he abandoned his family, almost never returning to Whale Island—an unqualified scoundrel of a father—but with his power and shrewdness, he can anticipate future events that haven't even happened yet. If anything befell his family, no one would escape."
In short, it wasn't that Orban didn't want to chase Mito—she just wasn't interested in him. And everyone feared Ging's shadow. Even his student Kite is a top‑class Hunter; against him a few stray players—or even all the players together—would be nothing but fodder.
"Players co to Whale Island partly to check in, partly hoping the Freecss family might be a 'treasure chest,'" Xiang Nan said. "Maybe they'll turn up so special item Ging left behind."
"Yeah, that's basically the idea," Orban chuckled. When he first landed he went straight to Mito's little tavern, hoping for a windfall. What he found was a typical island household: a neat, simple cottage overlooking the sea, beautiful scenery, nothing unusual inside. Apart from eting Mito and Gon, he'd co up empty‑handed.
While they chatted, their boat gradually drew alongside the dock—the only small pier on Whale Island, right in the center of the seaside town.
Though the island wasn't large, the town's buildings and streets were clean and fresh, like sothing out of an oil painting. The sky and earth looked as though the sea had deepened their color, strikingly vivid. The air was moist; the environnt really was different.
Just now the street beyond the docks—more like a small plaza—carried the sll of fish. Many fishern were hawking their catch or working, and there were few tourists. Most boats were private fishing vessels. So visitors were villagers from nearby islets; others were fish rchants from the mainland coming to buy stock.
Xiang Nan's party of five disembarked. Island residents greeted them with warm smiles—simple, hospitable folk. So people sorting live fish even tried to give them a few to taste, refusing paynt.
"Whale Island doesn't really get tourists," Beishi explained. "People coming and going are nearly all locals or the occasional passing ship. But because of the players, in the last ten years more unfamiliar faces have appeared, and slowly a bit of tourist trade."
It was the sa principle as the Heavens Arena: any plot landmark would inevitably attract players.
"Let's find an inn first," Beishi suggested. On an island like this there were no hotels—just locals renting out rooms. Having been here, he confidently led the way.
"Hey… isn't that Mito?" Orban suddenly fixed his gaze on a spot ahead.
The group halted and looked.
Sure enough, there was Mito, auburn‑haired, dressed for work, chatting and laughing with her neighbors as they sorted the fresh catch—apparently lending a hand.
"She should rember … Should I go say hello?" Orban quickly straightened his hair and clothes, full of self‑admiration. But when he turned back, he discovered Xiang Nan and the others had already walked off into the distance.
~~~
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