Gon also turned his head and shouted with a smile, "You're cheating, Kyle! That doesn't count!"
Kyle, unhurriedly and skillfully, cast his fishing line, letting the hook arc gracefully and precisely latch onto the floating sea fish. He smugly replied,
"Don't you get it? This is my 'ultimate bait'! To attract those big guys in the sea, ordinary bait isn't enough."
"The best bait is often the fish itself! This is an advanced fishing technique; you guys should learn from it!"
With that, he exerted force with his arm and easily hoisted the fish, weighing about ten catties, onto the deck.
Just as Kyle was proudly displaying his 'trophy' and preparing to cut it into smaller bait pieces, a sudden, violent splash and Gon's suppressed gasp came from nearby.
Gon's fishing rod instantly bent into a breathtaking arc, as if it would snap at any moment! The fishing line was taut, making a 'sizzling' sound as it cut through the air.
Gon was suddenly pulled forward by a massive force, his feet pressed firmly against the ship's railing, barely preventing him from being dragged directly into the sea.
He gripped the fishing rod tightly, his arm muscles bulging, his face a mix of extreme excitement—a sure sign that a big one had taken the bait.
"Whoa! Only a big one could cause this much commotion!" Killua exclaimed, immediately putting down his own fishing rod and running over with Kyle to watch.
Below the surface, a huge, shadowy silhouette was struggling fiercely, churning the surrounding seawater. Judging by the commotion, the fish on the hook must have weighed at least a hundred catties!
Gon was completely engrossed in the struggle with the giant in the water, using the strength of his waist and arms, sometimes relaxing, sometimes tightening, trying to exhaust his prey.
The ordinary fishing rod in his hands emitted an unbearable 'creaking' sound, as if it would completely break in the next second.
Kyle watched the thrilling scene of Gon battling the big fish, stroking his chin with interest and chuckling. "Looks like Gon's in trouble. The quality of this fishing rod doesn't seem very good; I'm afraid it won't hold up."
His tone carried a hint of schadenfreude, clearly looking forward to seeing the fishing rod snap.
Killua also crossed his arms and nodded in agreement, "Hmm, it looks like a tough big fish. Gon, keep it up, don't let it get away, or dinner's on you!"
He seemed to be encouraging him, but in reality, he was 'adding fuel to the fire'.
Gon was fully focused, fine beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He could feel the violent power underwater and was aware of the fishing rod's limits; he didn't dare to use too much force right now.
Just as the fishing rod bent to its extreme, on the verge of snapping with a crisp sound, a glint flashed in Gon's eyes, as if he had made a decision.
He let out a low growl, and the Nen in his body surged again. But this time, it wasn't used for attack, but like warm flowing water, it quickly spread from his hands, covering and enveloping the entire fishing rod, the fishing line, and extending all the way to the hook underwater!
"It's Shu!" Killua recognized this unique application of Nen at a glance.
Seeing this, Kyle's face showed an "I knew it" expression, and he sighed with a hint of regret, "Oh dear, this guy finally remembered he could use this move. No more shows to watch."
'Shu' involves covering an object with one's aura, thereby greatly enhancing its strength and performance.
At this moment, the fishing rod and line, strengthened by Gon's pure Nen, were far more resilient than usual. The previously precarious fishing rod instantly stabilized, as if it had transformed into an indestructible divine weapon.
Gon felt the stability coming from his hands, and a wild, joyful smile spread across his lips. He suddenly exerted force with his waist and abdomen, shouting, "Come up!"
His arms suddenly pulled back! Accompanied by a 'rumbling' splash, a huge, shimmering silver-scaled figure was forcibly pulled from the sea, arcing in a powerful trajectory.
It slammed onto the deck with a 'thud'! It was a strangely shaped, thick-scaled, giant sea fish, almost as long as Gon's height, its tail still powerfully slapping the deck, making 'slapping' sounds.
Gon looked at his trophy, his face beaming with uncontrollable excitement and a sense of accomplishment. He announced loudly,
"Look! What a big fish! Haha, this fish is enough for us to eat for several meals! Killua, Kyle, you two need to work harder! Otherwise, dinner's on you!"
The sunlight spilled over the boy's brilliant smile and the still-flapping giant fish, full of vitality and the joy of conquest.
Killua and Kyle looked at Gon's smug face, then at the fish Gon had caught, showing excited expressions, and one after another, they returned to their original positions to bait their hooks and cast their lines.
Kyle was deeply focused, and his aura activated again.
Killua, on his side, once again felt Kyle using Nen and thought Kyle was going to cheat again. He turned to look and then realized that Kyle was actually using the advanced application of 'Shu' with 'Ten'.
Thinking that he hadn't learned it yet, his heart grew cold; how was this any different from cheating?
Kyle completely ignored Killua's resentful gaze, feeling the fish in the sea. When a small fish was about to eat his bait, he immediately adjusted his direction, directly avoiding the small fish, and moved his bait closer to a large fish.
The bait emitted an enticing aroma. The moment the large sea fish discovered it, it rushed towards Kyle like a hungry dog pouncing on food.
Feeling the approach of the big fish, Kyle showed an excited smile. The moment the big fish bit, Kyle immediately pulled up the rod. Because of 'Shu', the big fish was directly caught without any resistance.
When the big fish was thrown onto the deck, although it was half the size of Gon's fish, it still weighed about fifty catties.
Kyle looked at Gon, who was still fishing, and immediately changed his target to Gon. This first place wasn't something he couldn't contend for.
Killua watched as Gon and Kyle both caught fish. He was not to be outdone, and when Kyle caught his fish, he also caught one. His was the smallest, only about twenty catties.
Gon looked at Killua and Kyle and said, "Killua, Kyle, this is enough for us to eat. It would be a waste to catch so much that we can't finish it."
Kyle said carelessly, "It's fine, we'll just release them then."
At this point, Kyle was completely immersed in fishing and the pursuit of first place; he couldn't give up so easily.
Killua was even less likely to agree with Gon's view. After all, he was in last place now, and he didn't want to admit defeat so easily.
"Kyle is right, our match has just begun!"
Seeing their persistence, Gon naturally didn't want to spoil the fun, and the three of them, as if on a cheat code, kept catching fish. The fish caught later were only roughly estimated for their weight before being directly released back into the sea.
After the three-hour competition ended, the final calculation showed Kyle's total weight reached 5,100 Kg.
Gon had 5000 Kg.
Killua had the least, only 3000 Kg.
Killua, seeing himself at the bottom, could only dejectedly go to the kitchen and start cooking.
For an assassin, cooking wasn't something he was highly skilled in, but he was passable. In less than an hour, the aroma of fish spread throughout the pirate ship.
Killua watched them boast about their cooking skills while constantly encouraging himself to try harder next time.
Looking at their gloating faces ignited his competitive spirit, and he silently told himself, "Next time, I'll definitely win."