Heavens Arena, June 23, 1999—6:00 a.m.
The first light of dawn had only just begun to appear, yet the atmosphere inside the room was so heavy it almost felt tangible.
Three days earlier, Gon had formally challenged the formidable Hisoka.
Now, only seventeen days remained before that seemingly unwinnable duel.
“Kael, I’m ready.”
Gon’s eyes were clear and resolute.
He completely ignored the worried gaze beside him that was practically cold enough to form shards of ice.
“Gon!”
Killua could no longer hold himself back and stepped forward.
His icy-blue eyes were as sharp as blades—the same look members of the Zoldyck family used when sizing up their prey—and they locked firmly onto Kael.
“Are you sure you want to do this?
An ability involving souls and unknown worlds is far too dangerous!”
“I trust Kael.”
Gon’s answer was simple and direct, yet it carried tremendous weight.
That trust had been forged through the life-and-death experiences they had shared during the Hunter Exam.
Kael said nothing more.
He merely nodded solemnly.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind completely on the palm of his hand.
As he activated Ren, a visible current of aura began spiraling around his hand.
It gradually took shape, eventually conjuring an ancient bronze book whose cover was engraved with strange and intricate patterns—the Book of World Resonance.
The moment his fingertips touched the cold bronze cover, two brief yet horrific fragments of memory stabbed through his mind.
The cold flash of a blade in the world of One Piece.
And the kunai that had come whistling toward him on the night of the Uchiha massacre in the Naruto world.
The chill of death made his fingertips tremble, but it also strengthened his resolve.
In this Hunter world, which was even stranger and more dangerous than the previous two, he had to seize every possible opportunity to become stronger.
“Gon Freecss.”
Kael’s voice carried a solemnity befitting a sacred ritual as the pages began turning on their own.
“Are you willing to form a resonance contract with me, explore unknown worlds together, and share a portion of your training gains—as well as the risks?”
“I am!”
Gon answered without the slightest hesitation, simultaneously unleashing his Nen at full strength.
His pure, life-filled aura burned like a blazing golden flame.
Answering the call of the ancient contract, it transformed into a dazzling thread of light and slowly flowed into the Book of World Resonance.
Vwoom—!
The pages suddenly erupted with a gentle yet brilliant radiance.
On the first page, golden light moved like the strokes of a living pen, firmly and powerfully writing out the name:
Gon Freecss.
The instant the name was completed, Gon and Kael both trembled slightly.
A strange mental connection formed between them, like an invisible bond linking their souls and causing their auras to faintly resonate with one another.
It worked…
Kael’s heart settled slightly, but establishing the contract was only the first step.
He immediately sank his consciousness deep into the Book of World Resonance.
Guiding his aura through it, he activated the soul imprint representing the world of One Piece.
“Urgh—!”
The next moment, Kael groaned as his entire body began trembling violently.
He felt like the floodgates of a reservoir had been forcibly torn open.
The enormous amount of aura he had accumulated through five years of relentless training was being extracted at an unprecedented speed, pouring madly into the illuminated soul imprint.
A tearing pain spread through his aura nodes.
His face rapidly turned pale, and sweat soaked through his clothes within moments.
Under Gon and Killua’s shocked gazes, the air in front of Kael began to distort violently.
Streams of light appeared from nowhere, gathering and weaving themselves together.
Eventually, they formed a radiant gateway whose edges continuously rippled like the surface of water.
The scenery beyond the gate was indistinct, but a damp, salty sea breeze was already blowing into the room.
The distant sound of waves could also be faintly heard.
“This… is the gate to another world?”
Killua’s icy-blue eyes were filled with unprecedented astonishment.
He instinctively took half a step forward, assuming a defensive stance as he positioned himself slightly in front of Gon.
He was fascinated by the miraculous sight, yet his instincts as an assassin kept him at the highest possible level of alertness.
Kael was nearly drained of all strength.
He gasped heavily, feeling as though his entire body had been hollowed out.
Forcing himself to remain conscious, he explained, “The… passage won’t last long.
We have to go through immediately!”
Gon nodded.
He looked at Killua and gave him one last determined glance.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he stepped into the flowing curtain of light.
His figure vanished instantly.
“Killua.”
Kael turned toward the silver-haired boy and used the last of his strength to promise him:
“We’ll definitely be back in three days!”
With that, he staggered into the gateway as well.
The instant Kael disappeared, the curtain of light began fluctuating violently and rapidly shrinking.
An idea flashed through Killua’s mind.
He abruptly rushed toward the vanishing gateway, attempting to force his way through.
However, the moment his body touched its edge, a gentle yet irresistible force erupted from the gateway and hurled him backward.
Killua flipped gracefully through the air and landed on his feet.
He stared at the place where the curtain of light had completely disappeared.
A trace of understanding and complicated emotion flashed through his icy-blue eyes.
“Just as I thought…”
“Only those who have signed a contract with Kael can enter another world.”
The world of One Piece, Shells Town Harbor.
The moment Gon and Kael entered the curtain of light, an immense force swept them away.
They experienced a brief yet dizzying sensation of the entire world spinning around them, as though they had been thrown into a multicolored vortex.
When the feeling of solid ground finally returned, the two of them found themselves in an unfamiliar harbor filled with the damp, salty scent of the sea.
“Waaaaah!
They appeared!
People just came out of the light!”
An exceptionally loud and penetrating voice rang out.
A black-haired boy wearing a straw hat stared at them with eyes as wide as bells and his mouth forming a perfect O.
He pointed at them while jumping excitedly up and down.
His rubber-like cheeks wobbled with every movement, and he showed no fear whatsoever.
In stark contrast, the green-haired swordsman beside him instantly placed his right hand on the hilt of one of his swords.
His eyes sharpened like those of a hawk.
His muscles tensed, and his entire body entered a battle-ready state.
“Luffy, get back!”
He shouted in a low voice, moving slightly in front of his idiotic captain as he cautiously examined the two unfamiliar boys who had fallen out of the light.
“Who are you?”
“Kael, is this the other world?”
Gon curiously examined the nautical buildings and strangely dressed people around them, though he remained vigilant against Zoro’s hostility.
“That’s right.
It’s a world made up of oceans and islands.”
Kael leaned against a massive wooden crate, his face pale as he gasped for breath.
A powerless weakness had spread through every part of his body.
Even maintaining the most basic form of Ten had become extraordinarily difficult.
In his current condition, he was barely stronger than an ordinary person.
He took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward the rubber-bodied boy wearing the straw hat.
Lowering his voice, he quickly explained to Gon:
“Gon, pay attention to the one wearing the straw hat.”
“He’s a Gum-Gum Fruit user.
His body can stretch and contract freely like rubber, so his fighting style is completely different from that of any opponent we’ve encountered before.”
“The trajectories of his attacks can’t be predicted using common sense.
Fighting him will be the perfect opportunity to sharpen your combat instincts and your ability to deal with unfamiliar powers.”
“Hisoka’s ability shares a fundamental similarity with his.
Fighting him should give you valuable experience.”
“Huh?
Are we going to fight?”
The moment the boy named Luffy heard that, he immediately tossed his curiosity aside.
His rubber arm stretched out with a sharp snap, and he clenched his fist until his knuckles cracked.
A brilliant smile filled with fighting spirit spread across his face.
“I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”
“Come at me with everything you’ve got!”
(End of Chapter)
TL Note: Hi Everyone, starting a new translation.
this one was being done by someone but got dropped at ch 80+ so i was curious to where the story was going and he we are.
i will try to get fast to the point where to other Tl was…Hope you enjoy it