'Yes, a storm is coming. It would be good if I could push the [Water] characteristic up a bit more before it arrives.'
Sean stood with his back to the crowd, fishing rod held steady, completely motionless.
Countless "Nen threads" spread out, thoroughly sensing the entire sea area beneath the ship.
"Whoosh—" The headwind grew fiercer. Seeing the fires of St. Elmo, the Red-nosed Captain summoned the sailors to raise the sails to their fullest to face the storm!
But in the face of nature, the ship made by human hands was undoubtedly tiny.
"Boom!" The massive waves, like angry beasts, relentlessly slammed into the "Poseidon."
The "Poseidon" sailed on the crests of the waves as if treading on thin ice, pitching up and down, swaying left and right, letting out mournful groans.
It was almost enough to make a person vomit their guts out from the motion.
Cries of "Uwaa—" rose one after another. People on deck were like balls, tossed back and forth between the ship's rails.
The only ones who could remain relatively normal were Sean, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.
Kurapika leaned against the mast, resting with his eyes closed. Leorio sat cross-legged on the deck, munching on an apple. Gon, with his childlike heart, had put away his fishing rod and was standing on a barrel, happily playing "barrel rolling." As for Sean, he was like a steadfast rock, his feet seemingly nailed to the deck, still focused on unlocking the Aokiji template.
"Drip... drop..." Before long, oppressive dark clouds finally drifted over the "Poseidon." Rain began to fall, escalating rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, it became a downpour, soaking everyone to the bone.
"KABOOM!" A bolt of lightning struck—
The Red-nosed Captain craned his neck and shouted to the deck: "What are you four standing there for? Get into the cabin, quick!"
Leorio flicked the apple core he had finished into the sea and shouted to Gon, "Hey! Gon, let's go."
'Mhm, coming!' Gon scampered over to Sean's side, waving a small hand in front of his face. "Mister, it's raining! Aren't you coming inside?"
Sean's blind eyes rolled. He looked up at the dark clouds. 'Black clouds bearing down on the city, threatening to overwhelm it.' What was the next line?
'I think it was... "Armor glints in the sun, scales of gold opening."... How nice, how nice, haha.'
Sean suddenly grinned. As if blessed with sudden inspiration, the panel's notification sound, which he had been waiting for patiently for days, finally chimed!
[Capturing ripples, listening to the heart of [Water], feeling the rhythm of [Water]... Characteristic [Water] being explored...]
[Admiral "Aokiji" template unlocking...]
[Current unlock progress: 60% → 62%.]
[Move: "Ice Age" beginning to load...]
[Does the host wish to redeem "Ice Age" now?]
'Does he even need to ask?' 'Someone has probably been waiting impatiently for this, right?'
A faint arc formed on Sean's lips. He said softly, "Let him out."
[Yes!]
A familiar white light entered Sean's brow, and his consciousness space expanded. A low, suppressed laugh echoed in Sean's ears.
"Ararara... You finally remembered me." Wearing a naval overcoat with "Justice" printed boldly on the back, Kuzan appeared, immediately pushed up his sleep mask, and gave a huge yawn.
Thanks to the level of Sean's Nen ability, Sage had also grown considerably over the past nine years. Now, it could not only pull characters from comics into his consciousness space but could even extend them outward, allowing for a certain degree of integration with the real world.
Unfortunately, a consciousness body was still just that; it couldn't interfere with reality. This meant that none of the other exam candidates, including Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, could perceive Aokiji's existence. Only Sean could see him.
"Heh. Stop being so sarcastic, Kuzan."
"You were the one who didn't want to come out, alright." He lifted his fishing rod, and another flying fish cut through the sea breeze, smacking onto the deck.
Sean mimicked Kuzan's tone, sneering, "You were the one who said Kukuroo Mountain was too boring and that I shouldn't call you unless it was important."
"Ararara... How can mountains compare to the sea?"
Being near the sea, Kuzan instantly seemed to come alive. He stepped up to Sean's side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Watching the ferocious waves, the looming dark clouds, and the groaning ship, he pursed his lips. "Setting other things aside, the sea here doesn't seem very calm either."
Sean squinted. "It's alright. In any case, when Mother Ocean gets angry, we're the ones who'll have to bear the consequences."
"Oh?" Kuzan leaned against the rail and turned his head to glance at Sean. The young man was over three meters tall; compared to their first meeting three years ago, he was taller, stronger, and looked more powerful. 'What a monster!'
"Drip... drip..." The storm gradually approached, bringing rain.
Retracting his gaze, Kuzan held out a hand, trying to catch a raindrop. The drop passed right through his palm, landing on the deck with a "splat" and creating a tiny splash.
A small smile played on the Admiral's lips. He suddenly asked, "Kid, is that question you mentioned last time still valid?"
'One harvest, one question.' "Of course." Sean cast his line again. "You can ask now."
Aokiji nodded. "I've actually been observing you for a long time. I just want to know, what do you live for?"
"Some live for justice, some for dreams. What about you? You don't seem to lack anything, so why do you still strive to become stronger?"
And yet... "Who told you I don't lack anything?" Sean's eyes flickered, his thoughts drifting away for a moment, recalling many things.
It seemed that in his previous life, and in this one, he had never truly lived for himself.
'In my past life, as a child, I listened to my parents. At school, I listened to my teachers. In society, I listened to my boss. After getting married, I listened to my wife. In middle age, I listened to my son. In old age, I listened to the grim reaper.'
'No one had ever asked him, Sean, what he wanted.'
"So... Mr. Kuzan, if you must ask why I want to become stronger?"
"I can only tell you this: from beginning to end, I've had only one goal—to live for myself!"
The young man flipped his wrist, putting away the fishing rod. He stood up and spread his arms wide, letting the rain lash his face. Facing the storm, he said softly, "Me? I just want a world where not a single cloud can obscure my sight!"
"To truly be able to say: I came! I saw! I conquered!"
"Whoosh!" The sea breeze blew, bringing an even more violent storm.
Rain passed through Aokiji's body like bullets. The Admiral was momentarily stunned. He turned his head, watching Sean fearlessly embracing the world amidst the wind and rain. 'He looks so damn cool.'
"Arara... I came, I saw, I conquered, hmm?"
He kept repeating the phrase, hand to his forehead. Beneath his palm, those clear black and white eyes shone with a brilliant light, growing brighter and brighter.
"Well said. If one doesn't live for one's self in this life, it loses all meaning."
Aokiji looked at Sean with clear admiration. "Now, can you tell me your name?"
"Someone who would conquer the world shouldn't be a nobody. If possible, I'd really like to witness the day you ascend to the pinnacle of this world!"
'I told you to ask last time, why didn't you?' Sean shot Aokiji a look and said flatly, "Sean Zoldyck. My name is Sean Zoldyck!"
"Sean Zoldyck?"
Aokiji mulled over the name for a moment, then tossed a ball of experience to Sean. "I can feel it. In terms of physical conditioning, you're already on par with me. What's left is understanding the Fruit and training your Haki."
The Admiral looked deeply at Sean. "Ascending to the top of the world isn't just empty talk. You still need to work hard, kid!"
Sean reached out, caught the experience in his hand, and smiled faintly. "Setting other things aside, surpassing you won't be a problem."
"Oh?" Aokiji crossed his arms, glancing sideways at Sean. "It's not that I'm looking down on you..."
"But having not even mastered 'Ice Age,' you're not there yet."
'Experience doesn't mean mastery. But Aokiji seemed to have forgotten one thing.' "This is called 'redeeming.' I don't need to learn it at all."
"Take it and use it, you get me?" Sean gave Aokiji a playful wink, grabbed the experience pack, and pressed it to his brow.
With that, a wave of understanding flooded his mind.
He closed his eyes, reached out his hand, and made a casual grasping motion.
Boundless cold energy roared out from his body, instantly enveloping the "Poseidon" and the surrounding five hundred meters of sea!
"Voom—" The crashing waves stopped. The pouring rain froze in mid-air. The barrel that Gon had been gleefully rolling under his feet stopped moving!
At this moment, it was as if heaven and earth had been captured in a photograph by a camera spreading icy cold, instantly frozen solid!
On the deck, Leorio, who had just been about to call Gon back into the cabin to escape the storm, suddenly froze—
An apple, connected to an icicle, was hovering bizarrely in front of him.
The sight left him completely dumbfounded.
"What the hell? How did the apple suddenly freeze?" Leorio tentatively poked it. The icicle broke, flew sideways, and, as luck would have it, hit Gon right in the head.
Gon yelped in pain and turned to glare at Leorio, complaining, "Why'd you ambush me again?"
Amidst the frozen icicles filling the sky, Leorio cursed, "Idiot, look around you!"
"Oh?" Gon scanned his surroundings with wide, innocent eyes. The pouring rain was suspended, and the waves and flying debris had all been frozen into solid ice. He was instantly stunned.
"Woah!" The idiotic hedgehog-head finally reacted. Unable to find any words to express his shock, he could only open his mouth wide and shout, "Woaaaaah!"
'Thanks, that was loud.' Kurapika, who had been leaning against the mast, shot to his feet. His gaze pierced through the icicles, fixing on Sean.
The young man seemed more like a god than a human. He was three meters tall, standing on the ship's rail, holding his fishing rod. He closed his eyes and made a gesture; the rain, the waves, and the ship had clearly been frozen in an instant by the cold energy roaring from his body!
'So... what kind of incredible power is this? How can a human... a physical body, contain such immense cold energy?'
'Could it be... that he is the Sea God?' Ripples appeared in Kurapika's beautiful tea-colored eyes.
Clearly, he was experiencing great inner turmoil and was extremely unsettled. For the "Chain User," known for his calmness and intelligence, this was a rare loss of composure!
"That's 'Nen'!" The old captain, the Red-nosed Captain, walked out with his pipe in his mouth. He looked gravely at the frozen world, thoroughly shaken. "Only 'Nen' can do something like this!"
"But this level of 'Nen'... I've been sailing for so many years, I've carried countless candidates, and I've never seen anyone reach this level!"
The Red-nosed Captain took a deep breath, squinting at Sean. He suddenly thought of someone... Perhaps only a certain two-star "Ruins Hunter," whose achievements were said to be worthy of three stars, could pull off something this exaggerated...
'But...' 'Unfortunately, none of them hit the mark.' Aokiji glanced at the Red-nosed Captain, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and the others, gently shaking his head.
The people on deck couldn't see him, but he could see and hear all of them.
Although he didn't know what this "Nen" the Red-nosed Captain spoke of was, he figured it must be similar to "Haki" and "Devil Fruit abilities"—perhaps different, but without any fundamental distinction.
Aokiji's gaze burned as he watched Sean. "Fruit abilities are about control. First, control ice balls, then ice swords, then ice winds and ice storms... but cold energy of this magnitude..."
The Admiral let out an "arara" laugh. "You really learned it, you brat."
'A youth has his own brand of wild arrogance, daring to remeasure the sun and moon.' "That's why I said, surpassing you won't be a problem." Sean's eyes snapped open.
He stood alone on the rail, facing the storm. The storm grew even more violent, seemingly enraged by Sean. It transformed into a tornado, whipping up monstrous waves as it bore down on him!
It seemed determined to crush this detestable insect, Sean!
'Too bad...' 'What's the hurry?'
"Even if you didn't come, I would have come looking for you."
Though his tiny body was like an ant before the storm, Sean's expression was calm, completely unafraid. He pointed his fingers like a sword, aiming at the storm from a distance.
"Ice Age: Ice Dragon!"
Boom!
The surging, majestic Nen was all converted into cold energy. It swept up the ice pellets covering the ship, forming them into countless ice swords that shot out like electricity!
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The sword wind howled, its sharp edge exposed.
Leorio yelled, "My briefcase!"
The briefcase he treasured, which he wouldn't let go of or sell even if he starved to death, was unfortunately grazed by a passing ice sword, and a gash was instantly torn in it.
It was about to be pierced through, but luckily Leorio reacted quickly enough, pulling it into his arms and saving it from disaster.
"Wow! Raindrops can turn into ice swords?" Noticing this, Gon was dumbfounded.
His mouth hung open. He stared intently as the droplets that had just been frozen into ice pellets were stretched and reformed before his very eyes. His big eyes sparkling, he shouted excitedly, "So cool!"
He reached out to grab one, only to be yanked back by Kurapika. "Don't touch those ice swords! They're no less dangerous than real swords!"
The boy from the Kurta Clan pulled Gon and dodged behind the mast, his tea-colored eyes faintly tinged with red.
He saw far more clearly than Gon. Those ice swords were coated in a thick, dark color, as if they could cut through anything. They effortlessly pierced the mast, their penetrating power utterly terrifying!
'And this is the "Nen" the Red-nosed Captain just mentioned?'
The intelligent Kurapika instantly thought of a possibility—
'If I also mastered this power called "Nen," could I finally avenge my clan?'
The desire grew wildly like weeds, a fire that couldn't be extinguished!
Kurapika stared at Sean with a burning gaze, then suddenly felt his body lighten. He, along with Leorio and Gon, was thrown into the cabin by the Red-nosed Captain!
"Idiots! Are you just standing there waiting to die?" The old captain followed right behind, slamming his body into the cabin and shutting the door hard with a "Bang!"
He was gasping for breath, a thin layer of "Nen" flowing over his body. As soon as he landed, he collapsed to the floor.
"Captain!" The first mate, Gus, cried out, rushing over with the sailors to help the Red-nosed Captain up.
The old captain's legs were trembling. He leaned on Gus to catch his breath, looking out the window in terror. The pipe he always had in his mouth fell to the floor with a "clatter." The cut was perfectly smooth—it had been sliced clean in two by an ice sword.
"Pass my orders! No one is to leave this cabin!"
The Red-nosed Captain ignored his weakness, signaling several sailors to guard the door. He looked with lingering fear at Sean, who was still standing tall on the rail. "That is not a battle 'humans' can participate in!"
"Rookies, you're in luck!"
"You get to witness a spectacular, world-class battle. It's enough for you to remember for the rest of your lives!"
'That's right... that three-meter-tall guy... he's not a person at all, but a god.'
Everyone, including Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon, held their breath, staring in shock at the scene outside.
The thousands of ice swords shooting into the sky changed again in mid-air under Sean's control!
Some formed a head, some formed a torso, some rushed to become sharp claws.
Flowing against the current, defying the storm's fury, they suddenly converged, gradually revealing a colossal beast with a terrifying aura!
"Roar!" A shrill cry tore through the wind, rising to the high heavens. A sliver of it leaked into the cabin, making everyone shudder and break out in goosebumps.
"Holy crap! What is that?"
Everyone looked up in horror.
They saw—
Where Sean's fingertips pointed, a magnificent monster appeared. It had the horns of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a rabbit, the neck of a snake, the belly of a clam, the scales of a fish, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger, and the ears of an ox. It trod on auspicious clouds, wreathed in Nen, and with one swipe of its tail, it stirred up monstrous waves!
It displayed its divine might, and the wind ceased and the clouds scattered. It didn't look like a creature of the mortal world, but rather like a legendary magical beast from the Dark Continent—a Dragon!
"An ice dragon... an ice dragon... I was thinking, I taught you 'Ice Age,' not 'Ice Block: Pheasant Beak'..." Aokiji tilted his head back, looking at this divine dragon formed from countless water swords and "Armament Haki-like Nen threads." 'I reckon even one of the great Four Emperors—Kaido of the Beasts—would only look this impressive after transforming.'
"Roar!" The dragon took form. 'Wind follows the clouds; it's time to stir up heaven and earth!'
On the ship's rail.
The moment the divine dragon appeared, Sean released his control over it. He basked in its draconic majesty, squinting at the storm. "You know, I don't like cloudy days. Go and call the sun out."
"Roar!" The divine dragon obeyed. Its whiskers twitched, and its winding body soared upward, carrying an unrivaled sharpness and Sean's indomitable will, plunging straight into the eye of the storm!
It roared, scratching, tearing, biting, and lashing its tail. The sheer density of its attacks and the ferocity of its slaughter, chasing down the storm in a brutal fight—that scene was reflected in the eyes of the crowd—
It left everyone gaping, utterly speechless.
"So cool!" Gon raised his fist, jumped up, and shouted, "Go, divine dragon! Charge!"
When he landed, he accidentally stepped on Leorio's foot. Leorio winced in pain but couldn't be bothered to smack him on the head.
'Never mind that idiot being excited, even an "old man" like him felt his blood pumping, wanting to rush into the sky and fight the storm!'
'Dammit!' "We're both candidates, but the gap is just too huge!" Leorio adjusted his glasses and couldn't help but slap himself. "He makes one casual move, and a divine dragon appears! I make one casual move, and I'm only fit to peel an apple!"
"I really hope I don't run into him in this exam!"
"Krrk..." 'Is this a matter of you not wanting to run into him?'
Kurapika stood next to Leorio, clenching his fists.
His knuckles cracked from the excessive force.
The blond-haired youth stared intently at the sky, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart. 'Beaten time and again, yet still fighting.' His pupils were tinged with red, flashing in and out of existence.
The thoughts in his mind were like boiling water, churning endlessly—
'Power! This is power! I need it! I must have it! My people are waiting for me! I can't stop!'
'Right! I have to talk to him! I must talk to him!'
'For power! And even more so, for my clan!'
'Calmness shattered. It seems that in the face of absolute power, nothing else matters!'
The Red-nosed Captain, standing next to Kurapika, sensed this. He removed his sailor's hat and looked up at the sky—
The storm was letting out mournful cries, faltering as it was torn apart by the dragon.
The dark clouds weighing on everyone's hearts couldn't withstand a blow from the dragon's tail. They shattered, and sunlight could be faintly seen piercing through the gaps, dispelling the gloom.
In the blink of an eye, the battle was ending. The Red-nosed Captain waved Gus over and said directly, "Didn't you register the list of all the candidates?"
"Go, bring it here for me to see."
"Someone with this kind of strength can't possibly be an ordinary person. This year's Hunter Exam is probably in for a major shake-up!"
"Yes." Gus took one last deep look at Sean, still standing on the rail, before turning and heading deeper into the cabin.
"Clack, clack, clack..." The footsteps faded into the distance. As he left...
In the sky above, just as the old captain's experience told him...
The "Sea God" that had sent down St. Elmo's Fire, caused the huge waves, and battered the ship, ultimately failed to escape the divine dragon's judgment, perishing under its claws.
In an instant—the dark clouds receded, the storm was annihilated, and the bright sun reappeared in the sky, shining down on the world!
Only the magnificent divine dragon remained. It let out a heaven-shaking roar, then dove headfirst into the sea.
"Wonderful!" The sound of clapping echoed.
Aokiji clapped, watching the young man stand with his back to the sun, calmly withdrawing his power. Only four words remained in his mind: 'The younger generation is formidable!'
"Haha. Not bad, right, Mr. Kuzan?" Waving his hand to disperse the last remnants of the storm, Sean leaned against the rail, his back to the waves stirred up by the "Nen Dragon."
Aokiji's mouth twitched. He closed his hand into a fist, brought it to his lips, and let out a whistle. "It's passable."
"As for surpassing me..." Aokiji shot Sean a sideways glance. "Arara... we can talk about it after you've learned how to Awaken your Fruit."
"Is that so?"
Sean pursed his lips, unconcerned. 'Someone's being stubborn.'
'Just like a certain shameless old man. Is this... a common ailment among the strong?'
"Pah! What common ailment? This old man has never been weaker than anyone in his life!" In the Zoldyck estate, Maha, rocking in his chair, suddenly sneezed. He glanced at the sky outside the window and sighed inwardly.
'That brat must be badmouthing me again.'
'Sigh... but then again, these last few days without him have been really boring.'