"Just in case."
Those four simple words really were prophetic. Not only Gon—Leorio too couldn't help but admire them. Just in case sounded easy, but actually living by it was extremely difficult.
However, Leorio still had another question.
"Since you clearly had a boat, why didn't you let us ride it?"
"The cost of renting a boat for one person versus three people is very different," Luo Ou replied calmly. "I only realized afterward that I didn't have enough Jenny."
Of course, Luo Ou wasn't about to tell Leorio that he wanted to recreate that dramatic leap exactly as it happened in the original plot. He had to convince even himself with this explanation.
Leorio was left speechless. The moment money came up, he had nothing to say.
"That's right," Gon added. "Ou doesn't have much Jenny left. Earlier, he even paid for the five fish you took—two thousand Jenny in total."
"You really paid?" Leorio stared at Luo Ou.
Luo Ou repeated his favorite phrase: "Times are hard. Help when you can."
"You're really something else," Leorio muttered. Though his words sounded dismissive, his tone had clearly softened.
Their conversation wasn't particularly quiet, so nearby passengers heard it as well.
Kurapika, sitting on the deck, couldn't help but glance at Luo Ou. Having gone through painful experiences himself, he had never encountered someone so completely free of low, selfish interests.
"A truly rare kind of person," he thought.
"It seems this year's journey won't be boring before we reach the destination," the red-nosed captain remarked as he watched Luo Ou, Gon, and the others.
Wherever there are people, there is conflict.
With so many gathered together, troublemakers were inevitable. But after the red-nosed captain forcefully suppressed the situation and kicked one person off the ship, everyone settled down—at least on the surface.
From the moment he boarded, Gon started fishing.
"Ou, I'll catch you a rare flying fish," Gon said excitedly. "Even Whale Island hardly ever sees them."
"Alright, I'll be waiting," Luo Ou replied.
Inwardly, he was already calculating how much Jenny a flying fish could sell for. After all, the Hunter Exam would soon pit him against perverts like Hisoka and obsessive brothers like Illumi. Without proper preparation, he wouldn't even know how he died.
That was exactly why Luo Ou planned to make a big move—and it would require a substantial amount of money.
The wind began to rise.
In this world, survival was the only option.
"It's biting!" Gon cheered.
As Gon reeled in his line, the catch finally surfaced—a slender fish with wing-like fins.
"Ou, look! It really is a flying fish!" Gon exclaimed.
"Hurry, pull it up," Luo Ou urged.
"Leave it to me!" Gon said confidently.
Gon's actions attracted the attention of many people on board, including the red-nosed captain.
"Not bad, kid," the captain said. "You actually reeled in such a big one—and a flying fish at that. Those hardly ever take the bait."
"They really are rare," Gon said, handing the fish to Luo Ou. "Here—this is for you."
Luo Ou accepted the strangely shaped fish.
"Ooo—! Ooo—!"
A large number of seagulls began circling low around the Sea God, their cries sharp and mournful, as if warning of something.
"Gon… aren't those seagulls—?" Luo Ou recalled the original plot and asked instinctively.
"They're warning us to be careful," Gon replied after taking a deep breath of the damp air. "A storm is coming."
"That's impossible," Leorio scoffed. "It's calm and peaceful right now. Gon, don't tell me you can understand bird language too?"
"Just a little," Gon said. "And the salt in the air is strong. The wind feels warm."
"Then you've got to teach me sometime," Leorio said, clearly intrigued.
"Kid, you're from Whale Island, aren't you?" the red-nosed captain asked, having already formed a guess. "What does your father do?"
"Yes," Gon replied. "He's a Hunter. I've only seen his photo, but I really respect him."
After hearing Gon's answer and noting the resemblance in their features, the captain was certain.
"Gon, how long until the storm arrives?" Luo Ou asked.
"About two hours," Gon estimated.
Crack!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Purple light suddenly appeared atop the Sea God's main mast, sending a chill through everyone who saw it.
"That's St. Elmo's Fire," the red-nosed captain said with a frown.
As soon as those words fell, it was as if a switch had been flipped.
The pitch-black sky was repeatedly split by lightning. Fierce winds rose, and the once-calm sea answered the sky's violent call, churning into motion.
Whooo—!
As the waves grew larger, the Sea God began to sway violently from side to side. Standing on deck became difficult; those with weaker balance were already rolling across the floor.
Luo Ou stood on the deck as well. Since he couldn't use Nen, his physical condition was worse than Gon's, and he was already struggling to stay steady.
"St. Elmo's Fire—people who see it are doomed to die at sea!"
That sudden cry was like tossing a bomb into calm waters.
Although everyone aboard the Sea God—as Hunter Exam applicants—had some level of ability, St. Elmo's Fire was infamous.
Combined with the ship's violent rocking, panic spread even faster.
Panic was contagious.
In no time at all, people lost their composure, forming a vicious cycle. Even Leorio and Kurapika wore grave expressions—their morale shaken.
"People really should read more books."
Luo Ou's sudden loud declaration suppressed all other sounds on the deck, drawing everyone's attention.
"So-called St. Elmo's Fire is nothing more than a corona discharge phenomenon. It's caused by strong electric fields during thunderstorms, which ionize the surrounding air. When the voltage difference exceeds the dielectric breakdown threshold of air, the air becomes conductive and emits light in the process."
He delivered the explanation with professional seriousness.
Then he concluded simply:
"To put it plainly—it's just like lightning and thunder. A natural phenomenon. All those so-called legends are complete nonsense. I really don't see what there is to be afraid of."
Silence followed.
Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people present were completely dumbfounded.
The remaining zero point one percent was Gon.
He wasn't confused—he just thought Luo Ou was amazing.
Corona discharge?
Ionized air?
Dielectric breakdown?
What were those things?
No one understood.
But there was one thing they did understand.
St. Elmo's Fire was just a natural phenomenon—it didn't signify anything supernatural.
And Luo Ou's unmistakable "you people don't read enough" tone made everyone feel extremely irritated. They glared at him angrily.
Yet strangely enough, that irritation instantly erased the panic.
Fear was gone.
Of course, the raging waves were very real. The Sea God continued to rock violently, and ever since earlier, several people on deck had already been flung overboard.
Without relying on Nen, it was genuinely difficult for Luo Ou to keep his footing.
This wouldn't do.
He needed to think of a solution.
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