Chapter 3 — Nen, Nonsense, and the Banana Wars
Three days after the "banana bomb incident," I was officially on Masadora's most wanted list.
Well—unofficially. Word spread fast in Greed Island. A rumor, whispered and mutated, like a virus:
> "There's a monkey using Nen."
"No, it talks."
"No, no—it throws bombs made of fruit!"
By the time the gossip reached the player hubs, I'd apparently evolved into a half-beast demi-god guarding a card that grants immortality.
If only I was that cool.
> [Reputation increased: +10 Infamy.]
[New title unlocked: "Banana Terror of Masadora."]
"Fantastic," I groaned. "At this rate, even chimps will start charging me rent."
> [You brought this upon yourself.]
"Hey, it's called innovation! Newton had apples; I have potassium-based destruction!"
> [And zero self-awareness.]
I ignored S.I.S. and scanned the forest. My senses had sharpened — aura threads danced faintly in my vision, like thin mist connecting life.
That's what Nen did when you stopped thinking about it and just felt it.
Humans learned Nen through discipline. I learned it through absurdity.
---
Around noon, I caught their scent — the same trio of wannabe Hunters from before.
They'd regrouped, this time with reinforcements. Six players.
One of them wore a bandolier of cards like ammo. Dangerous.
"Oh, good," I muttered. "Banana revenge arc."
> [Detected: Player 'Goggles' using card Book Return (Rank E). Intent: Capture.]
They moved in formation — sloppy but planned. I stayed high in the branches, suppressing aura.
This time, I wasn't just reacting. I was testing.
The theory was simple: Nen flows with emotion.
Humans fuel it with ambition, fear, anger.
What about beasts? Instinct. Territory. Survival.
If I could feel those instincts consciously — turn primal emotion into structured energy — I could bridge the gap between man and nature.
That was the essence of my developing Hatsu: Adaptive Instinct.
> [Warning: philosophical overload detected.]
"Shut up, I'm narrating."
---
"Spread out!" Goggles barked. "Monkey can't have gone far."
They moved through the brush.
I let my aura flare faintly, just enough for one of them to notice.
"There!"
Bait set.
The first player rushed in, sword raised. I dropped from the canopy, aura pooling around my hands. My energy flickered—wild, volatile, but deliberate.
"Let's see if this works…"
I focused emotion: fear.
Not my own—but the predator's fear before a kill. That instinctive pulse before you act.
My aura sharpened, condensed.
> [New ability manifested: Instinct Edge.]
I slashed the air. The pressure alone knocked the man's weapon aside and sent him sprawling.
"What the—what the hell kind of beast is that?"
The others panicked. Perfect.
"Okay," I said, tail twitching, "time to test banana bomb Mk. II."
I pulled out a half-ripe fruit from my pouch (yes, I had a pouch now—long story), charged it with Ren, and lobbed it.
BOOM.
Smoke and leaves flew everywhere. Two players screamed, one lost his hair, another his will to live.
> [Kill count: 0. Ego damage: 100%.]
Goggles staggered up, coughing. "You… you freak!"
"Technically correct," I said, landing on a rock like a smug anime protagonist. "Now tell me, which one of you wants to teach me In next?"
"In? You know about Nen?"
"Oh, buddy," I grinned. "I've written fan theories about your aura patterns."
He didn't get the joke. Few people do when they're bleeding from banana shrapnel.
They charged again. I focused deeper — emotion shifting. Not fear this time, but joy.
Joy of movement. Joy of mastery.
Aura wrapped around my fur like liquid light.
Every sense heightened. Time slowed.
> [Ren expansion successful.]
[Instinct synchronization: 87%.]
They didn't stand a chance.
I darted between them, disarming, tripping, slapping.
I wasn't even angry — just curious. Each movement taught me something.
How balance flows through tension.
How aura breathes with rhythm.
How killing intent tastes in the air.
When the last one hit the ground, panting, I stood over them, tail flicking.
"You came hunting monsters."
I crouched, smirking.
"Congratulations. You found one who reads theory threads."
> [Combat Complete. Nen insight gained.]
[New trait unlocked: Emotional Resonance (Lv. 1) — feel and mirror others' Nen emotion.]
"Nice. Emotional empathy, but make it violent."
> [You're basically therapy with explosions.]
---
Later that night, I sat by the river, cleaning my fur in silence.
The jungle had gone still.
My reflection rippled — glowing eyes, aura flickering gently. I looked… different. Less beast, more something in between.
I wasn't sure if that was progress or corruption.
S.I.S, I thought, why do I feel like I'm losing myself the more I master Nen?
> [Because comprehension rewrites instinct. To evolve, something old must die.]
"Sounds poetic."
> [Also terrifying.]
"Yeah. That too."
I gazed up. The night sky of Greed Island wasn't normal — it shimmered with data and stars, like a digital ocean. Somewhere out there, real humans were chasing cards, bickering, dreaming.
And here I was, a monkey with a god complex, reinventing the laws of aura.
For a moment, I laughed — soft, tired, absurd.
"Maybe… that's the point," I said. "To prove even instinct can learn philosophy."
> [Congratulations. You are now 2% enlightened and 98% unhinged.]
"Progress!"
---
But the peace didn't last.
From the jungle came a low, rhythmic thud. Then another.
Something massive moved between the trees — a silhouette too large to be human.
I felt its aura before I saw it: ancient, steady, wise.
> [Warning: Entity detected — Aura Signature: Beast-class Nen Lifeform.]
[Designation: The Old Ape of Masadora.]
The ground shook as it stepped into the firelight.
A colossal, silver-furred ape — eyes glowing like molten amber, Nen radiating with regal calm.
My fur bristled.
It stared at me — not as prey, but as kin.
And then it spoke.
"Little one," it rumbled, voice deep as mountains. "Why do you play with man's fire?"
My heart pounded.
S.I.S whispered quietly:
> [New quest initiated — Trial of the Old Ape.]
I swallowed.
"Well," I said, forcing a grin, "guess evolution's about to get personal."