The 200th floor of Heaven's Arena was the highest peak in Tonpa's life, without a doubt.
Unfortunately, before he could even savor the thrill that came with this status, Law dragged him away.
After bidding farewell to Killua and Wing, the trio of Law, Biscuit, and Tonpa boarded a car and left Heavens Arena, heading toward the airport.
The trial by combat at Heavens Arena had concluded, and the ship Ellie was preparing would take at least three more months to complete.
To continue honing Tonpa's Nen Ability and further master navigation technique, Law first went to Spice City to borrow a sea vessel named the Babylon from Ellie. After stocking up on sufficient supplies, they set sail directly from the port of Spice City, heading toward the Pita Continent across the sea.
The dense Amaromi Forest is where Law had first met Tonpa, and it was also where they would continue Tonpa's training.
The sky was cloudless, and against the seamless line where the sea met the sky, white figures darted swiftly past.
White phosphorescence shimmered on the sea's surface as the ship's bow cut through the waves, churning them into sheets of snowy foam.
Law and Kuro were in the captain's cabin, manning the helm. On one corner of the control console, a small mountain of books was piled up.
Setting sail from any of the six continents, it would take at least three weeks to navigate out of the world's mapped oceans.
In other words, a three-week voyage would only bring them to the boundary between the world's Territorial Waters and the Dark Waters. There, a continental plate known as the Imaginary Continent existed, partly controlled by humans, with a base on the continent where fuel could be replenished.
It would take three weeks to reach the Imaginary Continent, and then at least another five weeks to journey to the Dark Continent.
If the entire voyage proceeded smoothly, it would take eight to ten weeks to reach the coastline of the Dark Continent.
Compared to sea travel, air travel was faster and more efficient.
However, humans could only reach the Dark Continent by sea because the skies above the Dark Waters were even more terrifying than the ocean.
Brutal climatic changes such as storms, tornadoes, and thunderstorms could occur in the blink of an eye.
Climate conditions alone weren't enough to deter humans from attempting air travel. What made the skies most fearsome were the competitions among various enormous flying creatures.
Just as land and sea creatures had concepts of territory, so did the skies.
In that airspace contested by numerous massive flying creatures, humans attempting air travel would be placing themselves on the edge of a cliff with no retreat.
Setting aside how to avoid various climatic and biological threats along the way, navigation technique was also crucial, especially for a long voyage lasting about ten weeks.
While teaching and training Tonpa in Nen Abilities, Law and Black Cat had been continuously studying navigation technique. This voyage from Spice City to the Pita Continent served as a practice run.
As for fuel and supplies, they were hardly an issue. With the experiences left by pioneers as reference and only three people on board, they might not even need to refuel at the Imaginary Continent after three weeks of sailing.
A week later, the Babylon docked in an inner bay of the Pita Continent.
The trio disembarked and passed through a bamboo house district built over the water in the inner bay, heading straight toward the Amaromi Forest.
Before setting sail, Tonpa had known they were coming to the Amaromi Forest, so he wasn't surprised. However, upon entering the forest, his feeling couldn't help but grow complex.
This was where he had encountered Law during that year's Hunter Exam. At first, he had seen Law's unfamiliar face as prey, never expecting that he would end up being disciplined by Law.
And that wasn't the end of it, as almost every year after that, he would run into Law during the exam.
One thing Tonpa never quite understood was why Law took the exam every year, why he saved so many examinees each time, and most importantly, why he always targeted him.
Looking back now, it was a miracle he had survived, and having come this far, he wasn't sure whether to thank Law or curse him.
After entering the Amaromi Forest, the first thing Law did was throw Tonpa into the most dangerous area.
The Hunter Exam's venue from years ago was only a small corner of the Amaromi Forest. The truly dangerous areas lay in the heart of the forest, and Law believed the most perilous of all was the legendary Golden Lake.
The training continued.
Tonpa once again plunged into a trial of fire and water. Law would not offer him any assistance and had made it clear that even if he found himself in a life-threatening situation, he would not be rescued.
Knowing full well that Law wasn't joking, Tonpa utilized the Nen Ability he had developed to proactively avoid creatures that could pose a fatal threat to him.
Ambush, sneak attacks, lying in wait… creatures proficient in these tactics were everywhere in the Amaromi Forest. Many people died without even knowing what had happened.
However, these terrifying beings, with their supremely stealthy methods, were completely exposed before Tonpa. He carefully avoided each one.
Tonpa's Nen Category was Transmutation. His Nen Ability was called [Foresee the Future], though it didn't actually predict the future. The name was likely chosen to satisfy his own flashy ego.
He could transmute his Aura into a property similar to ultrasonic waves, even surpassing ultrasonic functionality by a level. It's used for detection, and the effect was more comprehensive than radar.
Its function was somewhat similar to En, but its range and effectiveness far surpassed En.
The dispersed Aura was omnidirectional, even capable of penetrating the ground. As it continuously spread, it fed Tonpa countless pieces of information.
Tonpa didn't need to mentally process this information. Much like his innate ability to sense danger, it autonomously formed vague danger signals, allowing him to avoid threats before the information became clear.
If a broader term were needed to describe it, it would be 'premonition'.
However, in Law's view, although Tonpa's combat prowess was lacking, his Nen Ability could work wonders in detection, making it highly suitable for unknown and extremely dangerous environments.
By throwing Tonpa into dangerous areas, not only could his Nen Ability be honed, but he might also develop extended functionalities.
The first day quickly came to an end. Tonpa successfully survived and returned unscathed to the temporary camp by the Golden Lake.
With too many beasts around, Law used his Nen Ability to build three treehouses on towering trees. These would be their homes for the foreseeable future.
"Come with me."
Under the twilight sky, Law led Tonpa to the lakeside.
[En]
On the way to the lake, Law used En first, slowly sweeping it across the lake. After confirming it was safe, he stood by the shore.
Tonpa came to Law's side, still unsure what Law wanted him to do.
"Use your Nen Ability to sense the lake." Law said, turning to look at Tonpa.
The lake was very deep. Kuro had ventured down once but turned back due to light issues. Moreover, he hadn't encountered the giant tentacled monster Law had faced here before.
So, Law wanted to test Tonpa's Nen Ability.
Tonpa complied, transmuting his Aura and swiftly penetrating the lakebed.
After a while, Law asked, "Are there any octopus-like creatures?"
"No."
Tonpa replied.
Hearing this answer, Law was quite surprised.