Kaya spotted Gon clinging to the mast with his legs like a monkey, swaying as he hung upside down, and called out, "Gon, catch a fish for us."
Gon asked in confusion, "Do you want fish?"
Kaya pointed at Leorio, who had his back to the crowd but was tilting an ear to eavesdrop. "I'm not hungry, but this old guy helped me out a teeny bit just now. He wants some."
Leorio couldn't stand it anymore. He shot upright and yelled at Kaya, "Stop calling me an old guy! Call me Leorio!"
Kaya covered his ears and grinned cheekily. "Why're you yelling sooo loud, old man Leorio?"
Fuming, Leorio rolled up his sleeves and prepared to climb the mast to settle the score.
Hearing that Leorio had helped Kaya made Gon like him a lot more.
He held the impulsive Leorio back, then hopped onto the side of the ship and cast his fishing line.
Looking back, he introduced them to Leorio. "I'm Gon, and he's Kaya. We came to take the Hunter Exam together."
"Are you two brothers?" Leorio studied them in puzzlement. No matter how he looked at them, they didn't seem like brothers.
Kaya nodded. "Yes."
Gon shook his head. "No."
Leorio complained, "Can't you get your stories straight before you talk? What's going on here? Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Gon explained, "Kaya and I grew up together. We're not related by blood, but we're just like brothers."
Leorio rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Sounds like a pretty complicated relationship."
Before long, Gon caught a huge flying fish and handed it to Leorio.
The previously lethargic Leorio sprang back to life. He eagerly scooped up the fish and rushed toward the kitchen, remembering to look back and thank Gon.
"Let's call it even! Thanks!"
Having witnessed everything, the captain walked over to Gon. "Not bad with a fishing rod, kid. You caught yourself a big flying fish. Who taught you?"
Gon answered politely, "I taught myself. Do you want one too, mister? I can catch another for you."
The captain said nothing, simply watching Gon in silence.
Just then, the seagulls that had been soaring through the sky suddenly gathered around the Sea God, flying low and giving soft cries.
Kaya perked up at once and drew his long whip, planning to knock one down and make soup, but Gon stopped him in time.
Gon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his nose twitching slightly. "There's a storm heading toward us. Kaya, get down here."
Long accustomed to Gon's abilities, Kaya didn't question him at all and jumped down onto the deck.
The red-nosed captain continued with a smile, "How do you know?"
Gon explained, "The seagulls told me."
A flicker of surprise crossed the captain's eyes, but quickly vanished. "You can understand their cries?"
"Just a little," Gon replied.
"Any other evidence?" the captain pressed.
"The air is very damp, and I can smell the salt in it too."
The captain looked up at the low-flying seagulls and took a puff on his pipe. His suspicions seemed to gain further confirmation. "You two kids boarded at Whale Island, right?"
"Uh-huh," Gon and Kaya answered.
This time, the captain turned to Gon. "Tell me, what does your father do?"
Kaya was growing impatient beside them. He couldn't be bothered to listen to the captain's endless questions.
He happened to be hungry too, so he simply took off toward the kitchen to find Leorio.
"My dad is a licensed Hunter. I've only seen pictures of him, but as far as I know, he's the best Hunter in the world."
Gon's eyes brimmed with admiration as he answered.
His answer confirmed to the red-nosed captain that this youngster was Ging's son.
He continued, "How long until the storm arrives?"
Gon closed his eyes and felt it out for a moment before replying, "About two hours."
"Understood." The captain nodded approvingly, then turned to order his crew, "Get to work, lads! Take in the sails and prepare for the storm!"
Meanwhile, Kaya was darting around belowdecks like a headless chicken, looking for the kitchen.
Bam!
He carelessly rounded a corner and collided head-on with someone.
Kaya rubbed his aching forehead.
"Are you blind? Pay up first."
Then he looked up to see who had been so careless.
The other person wore a traditional-style pullover cloak, mostly blue with small orange patterns. Underneath were an all-white shirt and trousers, paired with light blue flats.
His short blond hair covered his ears, making his skin look pale and translucent. His slightly blue, catlike eyes were filled with icy coldness. His stern expression gave his youthful face an air of distance.
He was practically the best-looking person Kaya had seen since arriving in this world. His delicate features made it difficult to tell whether he was a boy or a girl.
With looks like that, he must be a main character. Besides, Kaya remembered that outfit.
He simply hadn't expected him to look even better in real life than on the manga covers.
"I didn't say anything just now. Whatever you heard was a hallucination."
Following his principle of giving main characters some leeway, Kaya dropped his unruly expression and backed down with a smile.
Kurapika reacted quite differently. The instant he saw Kaya, his pupils contracted and his lips parted as he drew a sharp breath, freezing on the spot.
Kaya stared blankly at the motionless Kurapika and waved a hand before his eyes. "Hey? You okay? Did that bump knock you stupid?"
After coming back to his senses, Kurapika steadied himself.
It seemed this boy didn't recognize him.
But he looked remarkably similar to Pairo, right down to his hair color. Only his age didn't match.
Then another thought struck him. Could he be Pairo's younger brother, Oruto?
But even if he's Oruto, he should recognize me. There's no reason for him to act as though I'm a stranger.
Besides, Oruto was introverted, nothing like this brash, shameless boy.
At that thought, Kurapika brushed aside the hand Kaya was waving in front of his eyes and asked, "What's your name?"
Kurapika's strange attitude made Kaya wary, and he dodged the question. "Looks like you're fine now. I'll be going, then."
Before Kurapika could react, Kaya took to his heels and vanished.
Kurapika was left standing in the passageway, deep in thought.
Ever since the Kurta Clan had been massacred, Kurapika had desperately searched for surviving clan members.
As time passed, he gradually lost hope. That fading hope turned into endless hatred, driving him to become a Hunter and avenge his dead kin.
Kurapika had watched Oruto grow up. A boy's appearance might change with age, but that sense of familiarity was something even time couldn't erase.
If that boy really was Oruto, the younger brother of his closest friend Pairo, then he was nothing less than a ray of light in the darkness.
Hunter fans who had read the manga knew that Kurapika was an exceptionally calm person who could weigh advantages and disadvantages. He had always served as the brains of the main cast. (Except when he encountered members of the Spider.)
He never entered a fight unprepared, as his strategy of choosing Uvogin for his first battle made clear.
After all, Uvogin was the strongest member of the Phantom Troupe. If even he couldn't break free of the Middle Finger Chain of Restraint, the other members certainly couldn't.
So Kurapika still managed to steady himself and carefully analyze the situation.
From this chance encounter, he gathered the following clues and questions about Kaya's appearance:
First, his appearance closely resembled Oruto's, both in facial features and hair color.
Second, judging by his height, his age seemed about right as well.
Third, he didn't recognize Kurapika.
Fourth, Oruto and this boy had completely different personalities.
Fifth, Kurapika had yet to learn anything about the boy's past.
Sixth, and most importantly, he still didn't know whether this boy possessed Scarlet Eyes like his own.
If he could resolve these questions, he could essentially confirm whether the boy was Oruto.
But Kurapika also knew that since the boy didn't recognize him, he couldn't rush things. He would have to get to know him gradually before he could find the answers.
Being too impatient would only frighten the boy and backfire, doing him no good at all.
Now that he had a goal and a plan, Kurapika finally calmed down. He was relieved that he hadn't lost his composure too badly earlier, leaving him a chance to approach the boy and observe him more closely.
Before you continue