Geretta, who had been following Gon from the very beginning, revealed himself.
The man bent down to take Gon's Number Plate, praising how quickly he had grown while criticizing his lack of vigilance.
"About seven thousand times. Do you know what that number means?"
Paralyzed by the poison, Gon naturally couldn't answer him.
The man continued talking to himself.
"That number represents how many chances I had to kill you for certain."
"It also represents how many times you swung your fishing rod. Every swing left you wide open, but your astonishing concentration and accuracy were still impressive."
Geretta crouched down, pulled the poisoned needle from Gon's neck, then took Gon's Number Plate along with the one that belonged to Hisoka.
"In the future-well, if you have a future, kid-here's some advice. The next time you hunt, pay attention to what's behind you, not just your concentration and accuracy."
Geretta left with his spoils.
Gon remained on the ground, one hand clenched into a fist, gritting his teeth in frustration.
I was so close, so damn close! I already had Hisoka's Number Plate!
How did I fall into someone else's hands right after succeeding?
Gon closed his eyes.
Before long, as he lay motionless on the ground, he suddenly heard footsteps.
The boy looked up just as someone tossed a bloody head in front of him.
Was that Geretta, who'd just left?!
Gon's eyes widened instantly.
Then Hisoka's familiar voice sounded above him.
"I'm quite surprised! ♥"
"Were you suppressing your presence the whole time you followed me? To think you waited for the opening when I attacked someone else, then used it to steal my Number Plate."
"Did you teach yourself how to conceal your presence? What an exceptional little fellow. Your talent is practically that of a wild