Kael focused on the newspaper.
It really was Straw Hat Luffy.
A bounty of thirty million Berries meant that Luffy had already defeated Arlong and saved Cocoyasi Village.
His story was beginning to stir waves throughout the East Blue.
“Gon, you fought him before?”
Killua asked with great interest.
He was naturally curious about anyone capable of exchanging blows with Gon.
“Yeah!”
Gon nodded vigorously as he recalled what had happened when they first arrived in this world.
“We met him in Shells Town during our first visit.
He had probably only recently set sail at the time.”
“He’s a rubber man—a Devil Fruit user who ate something called the Gum-Gum Fruit.”
“A Devil Fruit?
A rubber man?”
Killua raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds a little like Hisoka’s sticky ability.”
“It’s different,” Gon explained seriously.
“His body can stretch and deform like rubber.
Ordinary punches and kicks have a hard time inflicting any real damage on him unless they’re reinforced with Nen.”
Seeing Killua’s curiosity, Kael took over and provided a more systematic explanation.
“Devil Fruits are a mysterious power unique to this world.
They can generally be divided into three categories: Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan.”
“Paramecia is the broadest category.
Its abilities vary enormously, granting users all kinds of extraordinary powers, such as altering their bodies, creating objects, or controlling particular substances.”
“Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit belongs to the Paramecia class.
Its primary effect is changing the nature of his body.”
“Logia Fruits are rarer and generally more powerful.
Their users can transform their bodies into natural elements or forms of energy, such as fire, lightning, or smoke.”
“Ordinary physical attacks are almost completely ineffective against them.
They’re practically walking natural disasters.”
“To strike them, aura—or rather, what this world calls Haki—is essential.”
“As for Zoan Fruits, the name is fairly self-explanatory.
They allow people to transform into animals and obtain their powerful physiques and natural traits.”
“Most Zoan users possess three forms: Human Form, Beast Form, and Human-Beast Form.
That gives them an enormous advantage in close combat.”
“There are also special varieties such as Mythical Zoans and Ancient Zoans, both of which are far more powerful than ordinary Zoan Fruits.”
A thoughtful light flashed through Killua’s eyes.
A moment later, he became eager to try them himself.
“Kael, that sounds really interesting!
Why don’t we find a few Logia Fruits and eat them?”
“We could turn into lightning or light or something!”
“Devil Fruits may provide powerful abilities very quickly, but they aren’t called the ‘curse of the Sea Devil’ for nothing.”
“Their greatest weakness is that every Devil Fruit user becomes unable to swim.”
“If they fall into the ocean, their entire body loses its strength.
They’ll continue sinking until they eventually drown.”
“And more than ninety percent of this world is covered by ocean.”
He paused and looked across the boundless sea before continuing.
“Imagine fighting at sea.”
“Your enemy wouldn’t even need to defeat you.
They would only need to destroy your ship.”
“Once that happened, anyone who ate a Devil Fruit would become little more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.”
“For us, cultivating our own strength is the true foundation.”
“So the side effect is that troublesome…”
Killua curled his lip.
Most of his interest in Devil Fruits immediately disappeared.
Having been born into a family of assassins, he understood perfectly well that relying on external powers was inferior to improving one’s own abilities.
“Devil Fruits are a shortcut,” Kael said firmly.
“But the truly supreme fighters of this world rely on Haki.”
“Our goal is to reach the New World, a place overflowing with powerful enemies and constant danger.”
“With our current strength and this small ship, we’re still nowhere near ready.”
“The New World?”
Gon and Killua both looked toward him.
“That’s right.”
“If we want to establish ourselves there, we’ll need greater strength, a sturdy ship capable of surviving storms and cannon fire, and…”
Kael’s gaze swept across his two companions.
“Trustworthy crewmates.”
“My preliminary plan is to gather at least twelve crew members.”
“Twelve companions?”
Gon’s eyes lit up with anticipation.
“Kael, do you already know who you want to recruit?”
“The three of us will form the core.”
Kael began counting on his fingers.
“Hisoka has already agreed, so he’ll be the fourth.”
“Hisoka?!”
Both Gon and Killua were surprised.
“Yeah.
He lives to fight powerful opponents.
The New World should be more than attractive enough to him.”
“Then there’s Kurapika and Leorio.”
“If we invite them, Leorio probably won’t refuse.
Kurapika is less certain.”
“But whether he accepts or not, I’ll reserve a place for him.
That brings us to six.”
“What about the remaining six?” Killua asked. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Kael considered the list he had spent a long time preparing.
“First, Chairman Netero of the Hunter Association—that perverted old man.”
“His strength and experience would be invaluable.”
“Then there’s Menchi, the Gourmet Hunter.
Her obsession with discovering new food is difficult to imagine, and this world contains countless ingredients she has never encountered.”
“Morel, the Sea Hunter.
His adaptability and experience on the ocean are beyond what most people could ever achieve.”
“Then there’s Knov, Kite the Beast Hunter, and Biscuit Krueger, the Gem Hunter.”
“After looking through the Hunter Website, I decided that these Hunters would all be excellent candidates.”
“They’re highly experienced, and each possesses their own specialties.”
Gon and Killua were relatively familiar with Netero and Menchi.
They knew almost nothing about the others.
Even so, they trusted Kael’s judgment.
The cabin fell briefly silent.
Only the sound of the hull cutting through the waves and the sails billowing in the wind could be heard.
Kael suddenly seemed to remember something.
He turned toward Killua’s refined face, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, right, Killua.”
“Hm?”
“What about… bringing Illumi with us?”
“…”
The air seemed to freeze.
The relaxed smile on Killua’s face vanished instantly.
In its place appeared a complicated expression containing shock, resistance, and a faint, almost imperceptible chill.
His silver hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze.
His blue eyes stared directly at Kael, as though trying to find some sign that he was joking.
Gon also noticed the abrupt change in the atmosphere.
He looked from Kael to Killua but remained silent.
Only after a long while did Killua slowly speak in an almost emotionless voice.
“Kael… are you serious?”
Kael did not avoid his gaze.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“His ability would be extremely useful while exploring the New World, especially when dealing with certain… special situations.”
Killua fell silent.
He turned his head and stared out of the cabin at the endless blue sea, which seemed capable of swallowing everything.
Invite Illumi?
His obsessively controlling older brother?
That would be like personally burying a bomb beneath calm waters without knowing when it might explode.
The sea breeze continued to blow.
The sailing ship cut through the waves and traveled toward an unknown route.
However, because of that single suggestion, the atmosphere aboard the ship had become subtle and heavy.
(End of Chapter)