Far from being intimidated by Gon's declaration, Knuckle even curled his lips into a faint smile.
"Quit yapping, brat! Come at me if you've got the guts!"
Gon raised his fist and said evenly, "First comes rock!"
As he spoke, Gon channeled all his aura into his fist. The incredible force stirred up a wind around them, while Knuckle, who had been perfectly composed until then-
At the sight, a flicker of alarm crossed his face.
Apparently, he hadn't expected the brat he'd looked down on to unleash such powerful aura. But Knuckle's expression soon settled back into calm.
A brat's still a brat. As long as I protect the spot he's aiming for with Gyo, I won't get a scratch!
But another problem soon arose: where should he use Gyo? Knuckle folded his arms, pretending to be relaxed, but his mind was already scrambling for an answer.
Where the hell should I use Gyo?!
If I don't protect myself with Gyo, I'll probably get seriously hurt!
My stomach? Most people would aim for the stomach, right? Right! My stomach. Stomach, stomach, stomach-protect my stomach!
The moment that thought formed, Gon threw his punch.
Fortunately, Gon was straightforward and hadn't overthought it. His fist landed squarely on Knuckle's Gyo-protected stomach. But when Gon looked up at Knuckle again-
Knuckle had already stumbled half a meter backward and collapsed on the ground.
Gon was baffled by the sight. And he wasn't the only one-even Killua, standing behind him, was a little stunned.
Gon stared at his hands in disbelief and murmured, "When did I get this strong?"
As he spoke, he looked up at Killua, who was walking over. Pointing at Knuckle sprawled on the ground, he asked in utter confusion, "What's wrong with this guy?"
Killua walked up beside him