Although the strike wasn't fatal, it briefly knocked Kaya unconscious, and he plummeted from the mast.
"Kaya!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Gon hurled himself toward the falling Kaya like a madman.
His heart-wrenching cry brought the two duelists back to their senses.
Seeing what had happened, Kurapika and Leorio threw down their weapons without hesitation and rushed after him.
The bond between Gon and Kaya went without saying.
Although Leorio usually seemed unreliable, his heart was full of kindness and a sense of justice.
The same was true of Kurapika. Besides, the similarities between Kaya and Oruto had made him pay particular attention to Kaya.
Although the two were closer to the mast, they reacted a beat too late and failed to catch Kaya as he fell toward the sea.
Gon couldn't care less. Even if a sea of fire had waited below the ship, he would have leaped without hesitation.
He sprang into the air, stretched out, and firmly caught Kaya's calf.
Seeing this, Kurapika and Leorio each grabbed one of Gon's legs.
Kaya regained consciousness with nothing but open sea beneath his head.
He glanced at the worried Gon and the two behind him.
"What's all this? Using me as bait to catch fish?" Kaya feigned nonchalance.
"Hey, hey, hey, you little brat! Want me to actually throw you down there to feed the fish?"
Despite his words, Leorio secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Kaya was all right.
"Really? I don't believe you."
Seeing that Kaya was fine, Gon broke into a radiant smile.
Even Kurapika's cold face softened into a smile.
The sky gradually brightened after the storm, and the sun slowly rose above the horizon.
The Sea God sailed across the calm sea.
With the storm over, the deck came alive again.
The sailors raised sails, made repairs, and moved supplies in an orderly fashion. Everything seemed full of life and energy.
Leorio stripped off his soaked clothes and let out a long sigh as he watched the sailors bustling about.
Kurapika sat quietly beside him, resting with his eyes closed.
Gon kept scolding Kaya without pause.
"If you do that again, I'll send you straight back to Whale Island!"
"Do what? Seriously, what am I supposed to say? Weren't you the one who told me to help?"
Gon's nagging gave Kaya a headache. He covered his ears and buried his head between his knees.
Gon sounded utterly confident despite not having a leg to stand on. "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"
"Okay, okay!" Gon's logic left Kaya at a loss. "Yes, you're right about everything. I deliberately got struck by lightning because I was tired of living. Can you stop nagging now?"
"Uh..." Kaya's words left Gon speechless. Finally, he said helplessly, "Fine. I'll handle the dangerous stuff from now on."
After listening to their bickering, Leorio offered his verdict. "Hey, Gon, Kaya, if you ask me, you two were idiots."
"Why didn't you call me if you needed help? Did you think I wasn't there?"
"Exactly. And you were far too reckless," Kurapika agreed with a nod.
"If we hadn't caught you, both of you would probably be fish food by now," Leorio added.
Gon replied as though it were perfectly obvious, "But you did catch me."
That seemingly childish answer left Kurapika and Leorio at a loss for words.
Kaya promptly rubbed it in. "Besides, you two were so busy fighting. Who would've dared interrupt?"
"So how did your duel turn out? Who won?"
Leorio turned his head away haughtily. "What duel? I don't remember any duel."
Moved by Leorio's willingness to risk himself to save them, Kurapika sincerely felt that he wasn't as shallow as he appeared.
Since Leorio had offered him a way to make peace, Kurapika took it. "Please forgive my earlier rudeness, Mr. Leorio. I'm sorry."
Leorio hadn't expected someone as cold as Kurapika to apologize first, and it left him embarrassed instead.
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. I was being too sensitive. I owe you an apology too."
Then his expression grew serious. "I take back every cruel thing I said about your people. I'm sorry."
That was what mattered to Kurapika as well. Hearing Leorio's solemn apology put his heart at ease.
At just the right moment, the captain approached with his pipe and burst into hearty laughter.
"All four of you brats passed my test."
The captain's news added even more joy to the harmonious atmosphere.
"Really?" all four asked in unison, their faces lit with delight.
The captain nodded. "Of course. I'll get all four of you safely to Doli Island."
Kaya, however, looked distinctly unimpressed. "This lousy ship won't survive another storm."
Looking around at the battered ship, Leorio nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Are you sure this thing won't sink?"
Their remarks made the captain laugh heartily, and Kurapika and Gon joined in.
The Sea God sailed through calm waters.
Gon caught fish every day to improve their meals. After all, the food aboard the ship was all canned and tasted terrible.
Aside from being dragged off by Kurapika and forced to read every day, the one thing Kaya enjoyed was probably bickering with Leorio.
After all, Leorio couldn't beat him in an argument.
Whenever Leorio lost an argument and tried to settle things physically, Kurapika and Gon would grab his arms first.
Kaya would then seize the chance to swipe his sunglasses, put them on, and jump onto the mast, leaving Leorio fuming below.
The four thoroughly enjoyed this rare stretch of leisure, because the real challenge would begin once they left the ship.
Amid the pleasant cries of seagulls, the Sea God docked smoothly at Dori Port.
The port was bustling.
Clutching his precious briefcase, Leorio looked at the crowded throng and marveled, "So many people. Are they all here for the exam?"
Kurapika nodded. "Pretty much everyone coming to the exam by sea gathers at Dori Port."
Leorio looked around. "Where do you think we can catch a bus to Saba City?"
Kurapika looked at him as though he were an idiot. "How would I know?"
Meanwhile, Gon was saying goodbye to the captain, while Kaya stood beside him, bored out of his mind.
"Thank you, Captain. I really enjoyed the trip."
Leorio and Kurapika came over as well, saluting the captain and thanking him.
The captain smiled. "Although you've passed my test, you still have a long road ahead."
Kaya spoke up. "Captain, you haven't thanked me yet."
The captain laughed. "What do you want me to thank you for, brat?"
"For saving your sailor, of course." Kaya rubbed his hands together. "Come on, thank me. Give me something tangible."
The captain's smile faded, and he said solemnly, "Very well. I'll give you a generous thank-you gift."
"What is it? Come on, bring it out." Kaya and Leorio both grew excited and held their hands out toward the captain.
The captain slapped their hands away and continued, "My thank-you gift is a special piece of information."
With that, he pointed into the distance.
The four turned to look and saw the enormous Great Tree towering atop a distant mountain.
"Just head toward that tree, and you'll reach the exam site."
Leorio suspiciously took out his Hunter Exam guide and flipped through it. "Doesn't the guide say we're supposed to take a bus to Saba City?"
The captain didn't answer directly. He merely said, "If you understand, then get moving. And one more reminder: the test has already begun."
With that, the captain turned and left with his pipe between his teeth.
"Thank you, Captain." Gon and Kurapika politely bowed to his retreating back.
Leorio was still poring over his lousy Hunter guide, muttering, "That doesn't make sense."
Kaya looked disappointed.
"That's it? That's the thank-you gift?"
Gon slung an arm around his neck and reassured him. "All right, all right. Let's get going."
Before you continue