At the port of Whale Island, the Poseidon had already set sail, gliding across the turquoise sea.
On the deck, a hedgehog-headed boy dressed in green held a fishing rod and watched the water intently.
Gon had been fishing from the moment he boarded.
Suddenly, the rod trembled. Gon immediately pulled upward with practiced precision.
As the line tightened, the prey broke the surface—a slender fish flapping a pair of delicate wings.
"It's a flying fish! I'm lucky! These are rare even on Whale Island."
Several Whale Island examinees glanced at Gon's cheerful excitement and shook their heads in disdain.
His sunny personality clearly did not match the tense, heavy atmosphere aboard the ship.
Gon's actions drew plenty of attention, including that of the red-nosed captain observing from the side.
"This kid's not bad. Catching a fish that size—especially a flying fish, which rarely gets hooked," the captain said with amusement. Anything related to the sea always interested him.
"Gull ga~ gull ga~ gull ga!"
At some unknown moment, flocks of seagulls began circling the Poseidon at low altitude, crying in a mournful, uneasy rhythm.
"A storm is coming." Seeing the birds' strange behavior, Gon sniffed the air deeply, breathing in the moist breeze.
"How is that possible? The wind's calm right now. Don't tell me you understand bird language?" leorio leaned over suspiciously.
"A little. Also, there's a strong salt smell, and the wind feels warm," Gon replied.
"Teach me later," leorio said instantly, already imagining how he could use this to make money.
"Boy, are you from Whale Island? Who's your father?" the red-nosed captain asked. He already had a guess, but needed confirmation.
"Yes. He's a Hunter, though I've only seen pictures. I still respect him a lot," Gon said honestly.
Hearing that, and seeing the familiar silhouette, the captain confirmed his suspicion.
"How long until the storm hits?" he asked, testing Gon's instincts.
"About two hours," Gon estimated.
The captain nodded. That matched his own judgment.
Crackle!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky. On the main mast of the Poseidon, a purple glow flickered to life. Everyone who saw it felt a chill run through them.
"It's the fire of St. Elmo…" the captain muttered with a frown.
As if triggered by his words, the sky roared. Lightning continued ripping through the darkness. The wind rose sharply. The once-calm sea began churning in response.
"Wooooo!"
As the waves intensified, the Poseidon rocked violently. People staggered, barely managing to stay on their feet.
"The fire of St. Elmo… legend says whoever sees it dies at sea!" someone shouted.
The words dropped like a burning stone into a quiet pond.
Even though the people on board were Hunter x Hunter exam candidates and possessed some ability, the fire of St. Elmo was too infamous. Coupled with the violent swaying of the ship, panic spread quickly.
Fear is contagious. Within moments, a vicious cycle formed. Even leorio and Kurapika looked tense, their resolve shaken.
Only Roy and No. 18 stood firm, enjoying the storm's rocking as if it were a gentle breeze.
"Seriously, it's just a storm. This group keeps chattering—so annoying."
Roy opened his eyes, then noticed No. 18 tilting her head, her eyes shining with fascination as she whispered, "It's so beautiful…"
"?"
Roy followed her gaze. The purple glow in the sky shimmered brilliantly against the backdrop of stars—an undeniably breathtaking sight. Even he could not help admiring it.
"It really is beautiful…"
"What beautiful?! That's the fire of St. Elmo! We're going to die out here!" a sailor cried, shivering.
"So uncultured," Roy said casually.
He stretched, stood up, and continued:
"The real cause of the fire of St. Elmo is cold-light coronal discharge, also known as electrical excitation light. It occurs when the air around a strong electric field becomes ionized during thunderstorms. Despite the name, the 'fire' is not hot at all. It is low-temperature plasma. When the electric potential around the ship exceeds the dielectric breakdown of air—about three million volts per meter—the air becomes conductive and emits light. It is a common natural phenomenon during strong storms at sea."
Before crossing over, he had graduated from one of the country's top universities. This kind of maritime knowledge had been covered in his general education courses.
Roy snapped his fingers lightly.
"In short, it's a normal natural phenomenon caused by thunderstorms at sea."