The island shrank into the horizon until it was only a green blur behind them. The ship pushed into open water, sails snapping in the rising wind.
Renzo leaned against the railing, his stance wide and loose. Each tilt of the deck rolled under his feet like breath. Jack's words came back easily: Don't resist the ground beneath you—flow with it.
"Renzo!" Gon jogged up, his fishing rod bouncing on his back. He sniffed the air, nose wrinkling. "Smell that?"
Renzo raised a brow. "Salt."
"Not just salt." Gon's grin spread as he tipped his head to the sky. "A storm. The gulls know too."
Renzo followed his gaze. A flock of birds circled overhead, crying sharply before they turned inland, wings beating hard. The wind had shifted colder.
Renzo smiled faintly. "You noticed before I did."
"Mito says my nose works like an animal's," Gon said proudly.
"Useful nose," Renzo replied.
On a bench beneath the awning, Leorio sat with a thick book on his knees. His suit was neat, his glasses fogged by spray. He flipped a page with more force than needed, jaw tight.
"You don't fool anyone," a cool voice said. Kurapika stood nearby, arms crossed, blond hair stirred by the breeze. His red eyes were calm, unreadable.
Leorio snapped his book shut. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You pretend to read, but all I see is a man desperate to look important," Kurapika said flatly.
Leorio shot to his feet, taller and broad-shouldered. "Listen, kid, I don't need some golden-eyed brat judging me."
"Brat?" Kurapika's eyes narrowed.
In a flash, Leorio swung his book like a club. Kurapika slipped aside, the strike brushing his sleeve. He pivoted, catching Leorio's arm, and twisted.
Leorio cursed and shoved him back, fists raised. "You want to talk about greed and justice? I'll show you which one matters when you're bleeding!"
Renzo stepped between them, palms raised. The deck shifted beneath them as the wind picked up. "Enough. You're fighting the wrong enemy."
Leorio's chest heaved, but he lowered his fists slowly. Kurapika released a breath through his nose and looked away.
Thunder rolled across the sky. Crewmen rushed to tie down lines, shouting over the wind.
"Secure yourselves!" the Captain bellowed from the wheel. "If you can't keep your feet here, you'll never last the Exam!"
Rain came hard and sudden, hammering the deck. Waves slammed the hull. Several applicants cried out as they slipped across the slick planks.
Kurapika grabbed a rope, calm even as the ship pitched. Gon crouched low, laughing with wild delight. "This is amazing!"
Leorio staggered, clutching the rail. His glasses nearly flew off. "This is insane!"
Renzo caught his shoulder. "Breathe. Four in, six out. Match it to the waves."
Leorio barked, "I don't need—" Another crash cut him off. He tried the rhythm anyway, teeth clenched, and steadied just enough to hold on.
Lightning split the sky, showing a young deckhand sliding helplessly toward the rail. His scream tore through the storm.
Renzo moved. His stance dropped, Ten firm around him, and he caught the boy's wrist a heartbeat before he went over. The pull wrenched Renzo's shoulder, but he waited for the ship to rise with the swell, then hauled him back onto the deck.
The sailor gasped thanks, scrambling away.
The Captain's sharp eyes were on them. He saw Gon braced against the storm, Kurapika's poise, Leorio's stubborn grip, and Renzo's calm rescue.
"You four!" he roared. "Up here!"
They climbed the slick steps to the wheel, rain soaking them through. The Captain's beard dripped with seawater, his grin fierce.
"Hunters need more than ambition," he said. "They need grit, instinct, and the calm to face chaos. Remember this storm—the Exam will be worse."
The ship groaned, but none of them faltered. Gon grinned wide. Kurapika's gaze was steady. Leorio muttered curses, but his legs held. Renzo simply breathed with the rhythm of the sea.
When the clouds finally broke and sunlight spilled through, the deck was littered with groaning, seasick applicants. Only a handful still stood.
Renzo leaned on the rail, lungs full of salt air. His shoulder throbbed, but his vow burned stronger.
The Exam has begun. I will not fail.