The Interview

The captain stood in the cabin doorway, a pipe between his teeth.

People lay sprawled across the deck. Vomit, seawater, broken planks. It was a complete mess.

He frowned as he looked over the candidates collapsed on the deck.

"A bunch of useless fools."

His gaze shifted into the cabin.

A blond boy lay in a hammock with a book in his hands. He turned a page, his expression calm.

A tall man in sunglasses sat in a chair, eating an apple with his legs crossed.

And a spiky-haired kid was running around the deck.

He handed water to the seasick candidates and helped the crew clear away broken planks.

The captain gave him a second look.

"Bring those three to my cabin."

He turned and went into the captain's cabin.

A crewman paused. "Three?"

"Three." The captain didn't look back.

Inside the captain's cabin.

The captain sat behind his desk, surrounded by smoke.

Three people stood before him: Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.

"You three. What are your names?"

"I'm Gon!"

"Kurapika."

"Leorio."

The captain drew on his pipe. "Why do you want to become Hunters?"

Gon spoke first.

"Because my dad's a Hunter! I want to know what kind of job could make him leave his own son behind just to do it!"

The captain's hand went still.

He stared at Gon's face for a long time.

"You're from Whale Island?"

"Yeah! How did you know?"

The captain didn't answer. He turned to the other two. "And you?"

Kurapika looked at him coldly.

"I'm under no obligation to tell you."

"Exactly." Leorio folded his arms. "You're not even an examiner. What gives you the right to interrogate us?"

The captain gave a cold laugh.

"I'm not an examiner?"

He set down his pipe and leaned forward.

"Let me tell you something. The Hunter Exam started the moment you set foot on this ship. Hundreds of thousands of candidates apply every year. The examiners can't screen them all, so captains like me conduct the first round."

His gaze swept over the three of them.

"Everyone else on this ship has already been eliminated. Only you three remain. You two won't tell me your reasons? Fine. I'll notify the screening committee right now that you're eliminated too."

The cabin fell silent.

Kurapika's fists slowly clenched, his nails digging into his palms.

"I'm a survivor of the Kurta Clan. Four years ago, the Phantom Troupe slaughtered my people and took their Scarlet Eyes. I want to become a Hunter so I can gain the authority to pursue them, catch them with my own hands, and take my people's eyes back."

His voice was quiet, but every word cut like a blade.

The captain was silent for two seconds, then looked at Leorio.

Leorio turned his head away. His voice came out muffled.

"I want to make money. A lot of it. When I was little, a close friend of mine got seriously ill. He died because he couldn't afford treatment. I want to become a doctor and treat poor people for free. But medical school costs a lot, and becoming a Hunter is the fastest way to earn that kind of money."

Kurapika shot him a cold glance.

"So it's just about money. How vulgar."

Leorio exploded. "What did you say?! You think you're so noble? What's the difference between killing for revenge and becoming a Hunter for money?"

"Take that back. Or I'll kill you."

"Come on, then! You think I'm scared? Let's settle this on the deck!"

They turned and headed for the door.

The captain stayed in his chair. Pipe between his teeth, he watched them go, the faintest smile at the corner of his mouth.

On the deck.

Saitama stood by the railing, wringing water out of his T-shirt. He looked thoroughly annoyed.

The cabin door flew open with a bang, and Leorio and Kurapika stormed out.

"Come on! We'll settle it right here!"

"Gladly."

They squared off.

Saitama glanced at them, then turned back to wringing out his shirt.

Gon ran out after them. "Don't fight—"

Before he could finish, a fierce gust swept across the deck.

Katz, a crewman, was collecting the last rope. He lost his footing, and the wind blew him over the railing.

"Ah—!"

Leorio rushed over first and reached for him. He missed by inches.

Kurapika was right behind him, but he couldn't catch him either.

Gon jumped over the railing without a second thought.

In midair, he grabbed Katz by the wrist.

But Gon was left dangling too. One hand held Katz while the other clung to the edge of the deck, his knuckles white. The ship kept rocking, and both their weights hung from that one hand.

Leorio rushed over and seized Gon's ankle.

Kurapika grabbed Leorio around the waist.

The three of them pulled together.

But the ship rocked too violently.

Leorio's feet began to slip. Kurapika's shoes inched forward across the slick deck. All three were tipping toward the railing.

Katz hung in midair, his face deathly pale. He couldn't get a word out.

Saitama stood nearby.

He had watched the whole thing.

He sighed.

Then he extended one finger.

He hooked it lightly into the back of Kurapika's collar.

And tugged.

All four came tumbling back like a bunch of grapes and landed on the deck.

Leorio lay facedown, gasping for breath.

Kurapika pushed himself up, his blond hair disheveled, and looked back at Saitama.

Saitama had already turned away.

He went on wringing out his T-shirt.

As if nothing had happened.

Katz lay sprawled on the deck, gasping for breath.

He stared at Saitama's back. His lips moved.

But he couldn't get a word out.

Leorio sat up and scratched his head. "What... just happened?"

Kurapika said nothing. He stared at Saitama's back for a long time.

Gon scrambled to his feet and grinned. "Great! Everyone's okay!"

Leorio and Kurapika exchanged a glance.

Both looked a little embarrassed.

Kurapika spoke first. "About what I said... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you vulgar."

Leorio looked away. "I was wrong too. I shouldn't have said that about your people."

After two seconds of silence, they both held out a hand. They shook.

Gon's grin widened.

Then he turned to Saitama.

"Saitama! Thanks for saving us!"

Saitama didn't look back.

"I was right here."

Gon paused, then beamed even brighter. "You're still on our team!"

Leorio got up and brushed off his pants. "All right, all right. Just don't hold me back during the exam."

Kurapika smoothed his hair. "Likewise."

The captain stood in the cabin doorway.

He had seen everything.

Ash fell from his pipe onto the floor, but he didn't notice.

His gaze moved from Gon to Leorio, then to Kurapika.

Finally, it settled on Saitama.

It stayed there for a long time.

Saitama was wringing out his shirt.

He wrung out the front, then the back. Then he turned it over and wrung out the front again.

The captain watched him for a full five seconds.

Then he turned and went back into the cabin.

In front of the television, Genos stared at the screen.

The captain's interview. Gon said he was looking for his father, Kurapika said he wanted revenge, and Leorio said he wanted money. Exactly as in the original story.

Kurapika and Leorio argued. Exactly as in the original story.

They rushed outside to fight. Exactly as in the original story.

The wind blew Katz over the railing. Exactly as in the original story.

Gon jumped after him, and Kurapika and Leorio rushed to help. Exactly as in the original story.

Then things changed.

Just as the three were about to be pulled overboard, Master extended one finger. He hooked it into the back of Kurapika's collar and tugged. All four came back onto the deck.

Genos replayed the footage frame by frame.

The instant Master's finger caught the collar, Kurapika's body shifted slightly. Zero point zero three seconds later, Leorio's body shifted too. Zero point zero six seconds later, Gon and Katz were back as well.

Path of force transmission: Master's finger → Kurapika's collar → Kurapika's spine → Kurapika's hand gripping Leorio → Leorio's spine → Leorio's hand gripping Gon's ankle → Gon's leg → Gon's hand gripping Katz → Katz.

Four people. Master had used only one finger.

And Master's expression hadn't changed once. He had paused wringing out his shirt for just one second. Once he let go of the collar, he went right back to it.

Katz had seen it. He lay on the deck, staring at Master's back, his lips moving without a sound.

Kurapika had seen it too. He turned to look at Master and watched him for a long time, but said nothing.

The captain had seen it as well. He stood in the cabin doorway, so absorbed that he didn't notice ash falling from his pipe. He stared at Master for a full five seconds.

Then he turned and walked away.

He didn't ask a thing.

Genos wrote in his notebook: Chapter Three. Master's first time taking action to save someone. Method: one finger. Expression: wringing out his shirt. Response afterward: said, "I was right here." Of the four people he saved, Katz saw what happened, and Kurapika saw what happened. The captain saw it too. Leorio had no idea what happened. Gon knew Master had helped, but not how.

The captain hadn't asked a thing.

Smart.

Chips remaining: half a bag.