Chapter 35: The Train to Yorknew
The three of them boarded their ship, unfurled the sails, and set off once more, quickly shrinking to a speck on the horizon.
On the pier, the injured Smoker watched them go, completely helpless, his fists clenching in rage.
The merchants and disguised pirates who had stayed to watch were frozen in shock. That silver-haired boy... he moved like an assassin, taking down Smoker with terrifying, lethal efficiency. It was even faster than Kyle's victory.
Could it be... that Killua Zoldyck was stronger than his captain?
Tashigi and the stunned Marines couldn't process it. Their invincible Captain Smoker... defeated again, and this time, it was over in an instant.
The news of Killua's victory shot through the Den Den Mushis, reaching Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk, crumpling the report in his hand.
"What's wrong now, Sengoku?" Garp grumbled, not looking up from his rice crackers. "You're going to break your desk."
"The Hunter Pirates are back! They never went to the Grand Line. They're still in the East Blue! And they just defeated Smoker again!"
Sengoku's voice was incredulous. "And this time, it wasn't even Kyle. It was the other one—the 20 million Beri kid, Killua Zoldyck!"
"Killua Zoldyck?" Garp stopped mid-crunch, taking the report.
The photo showed a kid with striking silver hair, but his blue eyes were cold... with a sharp, lethal intent that didn't belong on a kid. A veteran like Garp could see it instantly. This kid was a killer.
"Sengoku, is there a video?" Garp asked, his voice suddenly serious.
"Yes. The East Blue branch caught a few fragments." Sengoku pointed to the Video Snail. "It was over in an instant. Look."
He pointed as the image showed Killua's hands, blackened with Haki, his nails extended. "His claws... they look sharper than any sword. And look here..."
The video shifted, showing the flash of yellow electricity from Killua's palm.
"He's using electricity? Another Devil Fruit user? A Logia? The Rumble-Rumble Fruit?"
Garp watched Killua's movements and shook his head. "No. If that were Enel's fruit, the whole pier would be gone. Look at his style. It's clean, precise, aimed at vitals. That's assassin-craft. He's trained to end the fight as fast as possible."
"Hmph. You're right," Sengoku agreed. "Many abilities can mimic lightning... even some advanced Haki. We can't be sure."
Garp suddenly shot up from the sofa, threw on his Justice coat, and strode out the door.
"Garp! Where are you going?!" Sengoku yelled.
"BWA HA HA!" Garp's laugh echoed from the hall. "To the East Blue! If I'm right, those three are still there. Kyle took his turn, then Killua. Logic dictates the third one, Gon Freecss, is next! I'll go to Loguetown and wait for them to deliver themselves to me!"
Sengoku rubbed his temples, furious. He knew exactly what those brats were doing. They were using a Marine Captain as an XP farm. It was a complete and utter humiliation.
Meanwhile, after half a day of sailing, Kyle's group landed back on their deserted island.
They hid the ship in the cove. "Ready?" Kyle asked.
Killua and Gon nodded. Kyle focused and activated his Hatsu: [Book of Resonance].
The book flipped to the Hunter World page. With a massive surge of Nen, the portal of light formed. The next moment, their feet were on soft earth. They were back in the forest on Whale Island, in the exact spot they'd left.
"Kyle," Killua asked, "are our travel points fixed?"
"Correct," Kyle nodded. "I have to 'imprint' a soul-mark at a specific location. One mark per world. All travel is fixed to those points." His ability was a fixed coordinate portal, not a free-roaming spatial power.
"We're... really back," Gon said. It felt surreal.
"Yep. We have three goals now. First, Yorknew. Second, find more contractors and a real ship. Third, Greed Island."
"I'll handle task two," Kyle said. "You two handle task three. You might find clues about Ging inside Greed Island."
Hearing they'd split up after Yorknew, Gon asked, "Can't we all go together?"
Kyle shook his head. "It's more efficient this way. By the time you two clear Greed Island, I'll be done. Then we can go back to the Pirate World. More adventures are waiting."
Killua understood. Recruiting the people Kyle had on his list... that wasn't going to be easy.
Talking, they left the forest and soon arrived at Aunt Mito's house. Mito wasn't worried—they had told her they'd be gone for a while. She just smiled and immediately started making them a huge dinner.
They stayed on Whale Island for two days, said their goodbyes to Aunt Mito, and boarded the train to Yorknew.