Chapter 2 – The Face Fruit of Nen
Osren's mind went blank for a moment. The gift box shattered into particles inside his head, and then a stream of text slowly appeared before him:
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[Specialized-Type Nen Ability: Face Fruit]
First Ability: Equal Face
In exchange for food, the target must offer the Nen user face (respect) equal in value to the food received.
Second Ability: The Rights of the Face Fruit Owner
As the owner of the Face Fruit, the Nen user cannot be denied when formally inviting someone to dine with them.
Third Ability: No One Has More Face Than Me
Your face is greater than heaven and earth. You can forcibly demand "face" from a designated target — they must give you face.
Limitation:
This can only be used once per person. After using it, you must repay the target with food worth five times the "face" you demanded.
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Face Fruit?
Osren immediately thought of the internet joke about Red-Haired Shanks being a Face Fruit user. But that was just a meme. How could something like this actually appear?
Togashi's Nen system was intricate and well-designed, something Osren admired deeply. One crucial aspect: a person's Nen ability is strongly tied to their personality.
Think of Hisoka — fickle and unpredictable, his ability is a Transmutation-type that embodies elasticity and deception. Or Gon, who is straightforward to a fault — his Enhancement-type ability reflects his directness and power.
Osren turned out to be a Specialist-type. This was typically linked to those with strong individualism or natural leadership. But… trading food for face? If that's his ability, just how obsessed with "face" is he?
As for food—well, in his past life, Osren was an IT guy who specialized in digging into game exploits. A total homebody. His one true passion? Eating. Eating everything. So maybe… this ability actually tracks. Still, it was kind of ridiculous.
Thoughts flooded his mind—memories of his past life, of the world of Hunter x Hunter. But now that the die was cast, there was no turning back. He had to accept it.
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"Hoo…"
Osren let out a long breath, as though exhaling every last bit of fear, anxiety, and frustration. Only by doing so could he steel himself for the trials ahead.
He glanced over and saw Gon already prepping the Fish. Osren gave it a quick look, then shifted his focus inward.
Technically speaking, he'd just been gripped tightly in the claws of that beast. If not dead, he should at least be seriously injured. But somehow, he didn't feel that hurt. A few scratches at most?
Scratches?
He checked himself thoroughly—no deep cuts, no broken bones. Just surface abrasions with minimal bleeding.
Sure, anime bodies were always stronger than real-life ones—just look at The Prince of Tennis with its lethal-level tennis moves—but in Hunter x Hunter, ordinary people didn't have that kind of physical resilience. The Great King Fish was supposed to be the swamp's apex predator.
Osren gave himself a serious once-over. Still just light injuries. Nothing major. Not even Gon, who was normally very attentive, offered to help treat him.
"This body…"
The thought hadn't even finished forming when Osren's eyes sharpened. He noticed something strange—his skin had an incredibly thin film covering it. So faint it was almost invisible, like it could vanish at any moment.
A membrane? Something different?
That's when he remembered the text that had flashed through his mind earlier—the Face Fruit, a Nen ability tied to the Specialist category. If he had that ability… then it meant he already had Nen.
After carefully recalling the anime's plot, Osren concluded that the current state of his body likely corresponded to one of the four fundamental Nen principles—Ten, Zetsu, Ren, or Hatsu. Specifically, this felt like Ten.
It was the feeling of aura stabilizing and flowing throughout his entire body, enhancing his defense in combat. That would certainly explain how he managed to withstand the claw attack from the Giant King Fish.
He needed to properly study his Nen ability. After a rapid self-examination, Osren more or less grasped the essence of Ten—he focused his mind and drew the aura inward. As he did so, the subtle currents of energy around him gradually faded away.
Just as he finished doing this and returned to full awareness, he found Gon suddenly inches from his face—startling him.
"You need to pee or something?" Gon asked with genuine concern. "You looked like you were about to burst. Want me to take you into the woods to, y'know, sort it out?"
"…No need," Osren quickly composed himself and replied with a straight face.
"I'm Osren. I got caught in a storm while out at sea… and well, here I am." He introduced himself calmly.
"Osren, I'm Gon!" Gon grinned. "Since we ran into each other like this, and you probably lost all your stuff in the storm, why not stay at my place for a while? It'll be more fun that way, and Aunt Mito will be happy too!"
Osren didn't refuse. Though Gon was simple-minded, he radiated warmth and sincerity. Being new to this world, sticking with someone like Gon was the safest route—and it was the only way to stay close to the main plot.
"Osren, I'm heading off to take the Hunter Exam soon. You wanna come too? By the way, how old are you?" Gon asked as he packed up his fishing rod.
Osren glanced at his own height and gave a rough estimate. "Twelve. Am I allowed to take the Hunter Exam?"
"Of course you are! I even caught the Giant King Fish today, so Aunt Mito's definitely going to let me go. We can go together! Catching it on the sixth day… talk about lucky!" Gon said cheerfully, dragging the massive fish along the trail.
"Sixth day… so, the second to last day of the deadline?" Osren thought to himself.
In the original plot, Gon and Aunt Mito had a deal: he could only leave if he caught the fish within a week. Gon caught it on the final day. Clearly, Osren's arrival had shifted the timeline forward by a full day.
They walked through the woods together, eventually reaching the inn. Along the way, they passed by a strange fruit tree bearing berries in three different colors. When Osren asked, Gon said they were edible—rare due to the season—so he picked a few for himself.
All the while, Gon carried the colossal fish with ease, walking cheerfully ahead. Osren followed close behind. He wasn't lagging, but he still found it unbelievable.
After all, he was the one who had awakened Nen—but in terms of raw physical ability, Gon had him beat by several leagues. No surprise though… he was Ging's son. Those genes didn't lie.
By the time they reached the island inn, the sky had begun to darken, casting a beautiful glow over the sea.
"Aunt Mito, I'm home!" Gon called out, leaving the massive fish outside and dragging Osren through the door with a bright smile.
But the moment they stepped inside, a cold female voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Why are you only coming back now? Why can't you just give up already? What's the point of stubbornly clinging to this?"
Osren looked up and saw her: short orange hair, delicate features, and a faint crease of frustration between her brows. Despite the scolding tone, she exuded a quiet strength. That was his first impression of Aunt Mito.
"I won't give up, Aunt Mito," Gon said softly, eyes downcast—but they shone with unwavering determination.
"You stubborn child! Why won't you ever listen to your elders?" Aunt Mito glared at him, clearly upset.
Gon stood firm and said nothing more. He didn't argue, but he didn't budge either.
Osren watched the two of them in a silent standoff, awkwardly standing off to the side like a piece of furniture. As an outsider, it felt uncomfortable just to be there.
Then, an idea struck him.
He remembered his Specialist-type Nen ability. And just so happened—there were chairs and stools nearby in the inn.
Time to use the Face-Fruit ability… for the very first time.