Outside, the ocean was relentless.
Waves as dark as the night sky rose up, towering over the ship and making the once-sturdy vessel look fragile and ready to snap.
When the ship finally cleared the last of the massive swells with a harrowing creak, the bearded old Captain in the bridge wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead.
"The storms this year are no joke! But hey... at least we made it through."
The worst was over. The sea was still rough, but the ship wasn't in danger of capsizing anymore, even without him at the helm.
Biting down on a hand-rolled cigarette, the Captain barked a few orders to his first and second mates, handing over control.
They were close to their destination: Dole Island.
And as Captain, he had another job to do.
"Let's hope this year's batch isn't completely wiped out by a little water," he muttered. He pushed open the bridge door and marched toward the passenger cabins.
Every year, the number of applicants for the Hunter Exam was staggering. Even if the Hunter Association mobilized every staff member they had, they couldn't possibly test everyone.
So, to thin the herd, they hired captains like him to act as a preliminary filter.
His job was simple: observe the candidates during the voyage and weed out the ones who couldn't handle the rough seas.
If you couldn't even survive the ride to the exam, your physical fitness was garbage, and you had zero chance of passing the real thing.
In a way, getting cut now was a mercy. plenty of people died before even finding the exam site.
---
The Captain reached the corridor outside the main cabin. Even from thirty feet away, he was already muttering to himself.
"I wonder how many are left standing this year."
One?
...Maybe none.
As the seasoned sailor made his grim predictions, he got within ten feet of the door and stopped dead.
Sitting on the floor in the hallway, leaning against the doorframe with his arms wrapped around his legs, was a young white-haired boy.
Fast asleep.
"..."
The Captain stared.
"Weird. Where did this kid come from?"
As a covert examiner, the Captain had honed a specific skill over the years: he could memorize the face, name, and key details of every single candidate who boarded his ship. He took pride in it. It was his way of being responsible to both the exam and the hopefuls.
But looking at this boy, he doubted his memory for the first time.
Getting old sucks, he thought.
He walked over and crouched down, examining the boy closely.
"Good looking kid..."
The boy had delicate, refined features. And that hair... there was no way the Captain would have forgotten someone who stood out this much.
He reached out and shook the boy's shoulder, shouting:
"Hey! Kid! Wake up!"
"Can you hear me?"
---
Yuu felt the world shaking and groggily opened his eyes.
A blurry figure was yelling at him.
He blinked a few times, and the figure sharpened into a scruffy middle-aged man with a captain's hat and a prominent, bulbous nose.
"Who are you?" Yuu asked instinctively.
"I'm the Captain of this ship," the man barked, his voice gruff. Seeing the boy was awake, he pressed on. "And that's my line!"
"Who are you? When and where did you get on my ship? And why are you sleeping in the hallway?"
The Captain...
Yuu's mind snapped into focus at the interrogation.
He looked at the man's bulky frame, simple clothes, and that beard. It clicked. This was the same guy who tested Gon and his friends in the original series.
Since he was here, that meant he was doing his rounds—checking which candidates were still standing so he could report back to the Hunter Association.
Yuu straightened up. This was serious.
In this world, having a Hunter License was the difference between living like a king and scraping by.
Right now, Yuu was alone. Sure, he had the "Limitless" technique and his newly awakened "Nen," but you couldn't eat superpowers. He needed money, status, and security.
"I'm Yuu Gojo."
Yuu stood up and introduced himself, processing the Captain's questions.
After a pause, he answered honestly, "I woke up on this ship. As for where I got on... I honestly couldn't tell you."
The Captain stared into the boy's eyes, looking for any flicker of deception.
He found none.
Yuu was telling the truth—or at least, his version of it.
The Captain had judged thousands of people over the years. He trusted his gut.
And more importantly...
The kid had incredible eyes.
Those sky-blue eyes were as clear as glacial ice, shining like sapphires. It was hard to believe any malice could hide behind a gaze that pure.
"So why are you sleeping out here?" the Captain asked again, his tone softer this time.
"Because there's no room inside."
Yuu remembered the scene earlier.
After testing his Nen in the bathroom, he had dragged his exhausted body back to the cabin, only to find his spot taken by some snoring, slobbering stranger.
The Captain raised an eyebrow and opened the cabin door.
He scanned the room, his eyes landing on a corner.
"There's a spot right there, next to that guy."
Yuu didn't even have to look to know he was talking about Hisoka.
"Don't you think... that guy looks a little dangerous?" Yuu deadpanned.
The Captain looked closer at the clown-magician and nodded. "Yeah... I see your point."
Yuu stepped up beside him and peeked in. Hisoka was still building card towers.
Does he ever get bored? Yuu wondered. And does he seriously just carry decks of cards everywhere he goes?
Trying to understand a "deviant" like Hisoka was a waste of brain cells.
Beside him, the Captain sighed. "Looks like a total wipeout this year..."
"Only one guy made it through the storm."
Huh? One?
Yuu looked at him, alarmed.
"What about me? I made it through the storm, didn't I?"
"You?" The Captain looked at him skeptically. "Are you even a candidate?"
"Actually, better question..."
"Are you sure you got on this ship to become a Hunter?"
"Because if you didn't, I can contact the Association when we dock. They'll arrange for you to be sent home safely..."
The Captain took a drag of his cigarette, waiting for the boy's answer.