Chapter 110: St. Elmo's Fire x Sword Practice in the Storm
Squawk... squawk... Seagulls circled overhead, flapping frantically to escape. One clumsy bird, panicking, flew straight into the mast, fluttered twice, and dropped onto the deck.
The voyage to Dolle Island wasn't always smooth sailing. Large waves, tossing the ship up and down and side to side, were common. Some people, even if they weren't hunted, couldn't hold on due to seasickness or the harsh conditions, becoming easy prey for others. Once their number plate was stolen, they were immediately out, forcibly confined to the ship's hold. As time went on, this situation only grew worse.
In the end, the only ones left standing on deck were familiar faces: Roy, Gotoh, Kurapika, Kite, and the bald ninja, Yusuke.
"Looks like this is it for this year," Mark Seam muttered, patching up the Sea God with Gus. His gaze lingered on Roy for a few seconds, filled with resentment he didn't dare show. The boy was too monstrous, too detestable—a veritable ship-killer. A single slash had left a ten-meter gash. It was a good thing the hull was sturdy and the keel was solid, or he might have actually dismantled the whole vessel.
But this was no time for complaining. "She was right. The storm is here!" The old captain took a hard drag from his pipe, squinting at the sky. Dark, oppressive clouds were massing, and in moments, they had completely blotted out the sun, plunging the world into darkness.
BOOM! Several bolts of lightning struck. A purple, eerie glow appeared on the mast.
Kite frowned. Standing so high, he had almost been struck. He hurriedly slid down the pole.
"That's St. Elmo's Fire! You've got guts, kid!" Mark Seam glared at him, his weathered, rough face tensing with a new gravity. "Legend says, anyone who sees St. Elmo's Fire is destined to never return."
"Kid, count yourself lucky."
Kite adjusted his cap, saying nothing. He glanced over at Roy and Gotoh. Master and servant, one sitting, one standing, remained perfectly still.
Kurapika, yearning to see the wider world, had read extensively. She had seen this phenomenon in science books before and added an explanation, "It's not actually that mysterious. It's just an electrical discharge, a glowing plasma, caused by static electricity from the air or charged rainclouds affecting the electrons on the main mast."
"You certainly know a lot," Gotoh remarked, giving her an unexpected look, a faint sense of crisis rising within him.
Kurapika smiled, thinking to herself, At least I can be useful.
Just then, Mark Seam bellowed, "Gus, take the helm! Everyone else, with me! Secure the sails!" He immediately rallied the sailors, furled the sails, and began to turn the ship, bracing for the storm!
WHOOSH! The oncoming sea wind grew fiercer. Before the power of nature, man-made ships were undeniably small.
BOOM! Tidal waves, like furious beasts, slammed relentlessly against the Sea God. The ship rode the crests of the waves, tossing up and down, swaying violently, groaning as if in agony. Those with severe seasickness... were practically vomiting up their insides.
The sound of retching filled the air. People on deck were thrown about like pinballs, bouncing from one railing to the other.
The only ones who managed to stay upright were Roy, Gotoh, Kite, and the bald ninja Yusuke. As for Kurapika, she had wisely hugged the mast to avoid being "bounced" overboard, but her face was pale, her lips pressed tightly together, desperately trying not to be sick.
The difference between having Nen and not having Nen was starkly clear. Gotoh's feet were like spikes, nailed to the deck, unmoving. Kite adjusted his cap and simply sat cross-legged, catching a flying apple and taking a bite. The bald ninja, Yusuke, even had the leisure to stand on a wooden barrel, rolling it back and forth while practicing a one-handed handstand. As for Roy...
The boy sat at the bow like a meditating monk, his cane sword resting flat on his knees, contemplating how to merge "Sun" and "Water." He paid no heed to the approaching storm.
Drip... Before long, the dark, heavy clouds were directly over the Sea God. Rain began to fall, growing in intensity, and in the blink of an eye, it became a torrential downpour, drenching everyone to the bone.
KABOOM! Another bolt of lightning struck. Mark Seam craned his neck and yelled at the deck, "What are you all standing there for? Get into the cabin!"
Yusuke wiped his bald head, leaped off the rolling barrel, and sensibly headed inside. Kite followed him, tossing his apple core into the sea.
The deck was now empty, save for Roy, Gotoh, and Kurapika.
"I can't... I can't hold on..." The girl opened her mouth and dry-heaved. She gave Roy a weak look. "Young Master, I'll wait for you in the cabin."
Gotoh instantly glared at her, his pupils radiating killing intent! "Mind your station," the young butler's voice was dangerous.
Kurapika looked at Roy.
The boy ignored her, waving a hand at Gotoh to let her go. Kurapika, as if granted amnesty, stopped trying to hold on and stumbled into the cabin.
BOOM-CRACK! Another thunderous explosion!
Gotoh said worriedly, "Young Master..."
Roy, who had been meditating, opened his eyes, looked up at the black clouds, and paused. The city is about to be crushed by the weight of dark clouds... What was the next line? "Armor glinting in the sun, scales of gold." Good... how very good.
The boy suddenly stood up. In the midst of the downpour, as if blessed with sudden insight, he drew his cane sword with a sching!
He instructed Gotoh, "Don't mind me."
He took a step forward, a "web" of Nen forming on the soles of his feet. Activating "Water Walking," he stepped onto the waves, turned his back to the ship, and charged straight into the storm!
The waterfall had been child's play. Only a storm, only this storm, could truly provide him with pressure.
'Be reborn in the pressure, or die in it.' The thought flashed through his mind. He immediately unleashed a "Water Surface Slash," dancing with abandon in the heart of the storm!
"Young Master!" Gotoh was dumbfounded, frozen at the bow, unable to advance or retreat.
His shout attracted Mark Seam, who was busy ordering his sailors to hold the sails. He followed Gotoh's gaze and saw the boy, like a lone leaf, dive into the storm.
"He's completely insane!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!... Second Form: Water Wheel!... Third Form: Flowing Dance!..."
The typhoon winds were so strong they made Roy's face feel tight. The pressure made it difficult to even lift his arms. Visibly, the great tendons in his body bulged like coiled dragons beneath his skin. At this moment, the boy's face was a mask of fierce concentration, two suns fwoosh burning in his pupils. He endured, swinging his blade, and with every exhale, a searing dragon of mist shot from his nostrils!
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