Gourmet Hunter (HxH Fanfic)

There are many ways to board the ship, but the captain of the Goddess has always focused on only one of them, that is, reef racing.

Crossing dangerous waters by swimming might be commendable in terms of courage, but he classified it as reckless.

Strictly speaking, using one's wealth to persuade others and thereby secure favorable conditions wasn't considered cheating, but rather a way of making good use of one's resources.

Apart from the few who found unconventional ways, there were still plenty who chose to go with reef racing.

In the eyes of the old captain, it was the reef racing in the reef zone that truly deserved his attention.

The undercurrent in the reef area is very peculiar. It is a large-scale spiral undercurrent that rotates continuously. As long as one crosses the edge of the circular undercurrent, they can take their boat into the shallows, or out of the reef zone.

However, in this undercurrent circle, there are irregular undercurrents and numerous reefs, making navigation extremely perilous.

The residents of Marvando didn't bother investigating the origins of the currents, and instead focused on finding ways to adapt to them.

The old captain watched the reef zone through his telescope. There were about three hundred people rowing into the undercurrent, and wherever he saw, there were capsized boats. The capsized candidates relied on their strong bodies to be thrown onto the reefs, waiting for the current to carry their boats back.

It was this strikingly chaotic scene that made Law's presence stand out and made the old captain notice him immediately.

Was it the stark contrast between a tiny spark and the brilliance of a sun?

"His technique is solid, but there's something missing... Is it because of that fat guy..." The old captain murmured as his telescope entirely on Law, completely ignoring the other candidates.

Law did not realize that he had become the center of attention. He was still concentrating on rowing, skillfully navigating around the reefs as if going with the flow.

After the reef racing started, Law realized the potential difficulty. Because there are more than 300 boats were in the reef area at the same time, he had to choose the route more carefully to avoid being disturbed by other wooden boats.

This was completely different from his normal training. The capsized wooden boats bounced off reefs like elastic tennis balls, disregarding the currents and flying unpredictably in all directions.

Since the boats were made of special material, they will not be easily destroyed if it hits a reef after capsizing, but it will become obstacles for everyone else, which is both a benefit and a detriment.

Even the most experienced fishermen familiar with the reef zone wouldn't dare claim they could navigate it safely under these conditions.

Therefore, the safest way to board the ship was to pay a fee and transfer from one of the two large ships on the harbor to the Goddess. The downside? It required a race against time.

"There are many ways to board the ship, but I prefer the reef racing." The old captain snorted softly and said to himself, "Because it's the dumbest method, but I just like stupid people who face challenges head-on."

This is different from the usual time when fishermen travel back and forth. There are too many people entering the reef area together, making it chaotic and more dangerous.

To the captain, all the examinees in the reef zone were 'idiots', but these idiots were precisely the kind of people he admired.

Law didn't know that he was listed as one of the many idiots by the old captain. Focused on the path ahead, he rowed with a smile, cutting through the waves.

The occasional wooden boat flying in the air never caused any trouble to Law.

The first batch of examinees who had rowed out were mostly stranded on the reefs, patiently waiting for another chance, and then, they all noticed Law's presence.

"How did that guy do it?"

"It looks like he can control his boat with ease."

Many examinees stared at Law in astonishment.

Some stranded on the reefs still had another chance, provided they held onto their oars when their boats capsized, while those who let go of the oars have completely lost their chance.

After a while, almost all the 300 participants in the reef zone were eliminated. While waiting for the next opportunity, they all silently watched Law who was navigating through the chaotic currents.

From their vantage points, they could see many flying boats, which was a very bizarre sight. Several unlucky guys, who were stranded on particularly small reefs, knocked back into the water by the flying wooden boats.

At this moment, the more than 300 overturned wooden boats became a more troublesome obstacle than the undercurrents and reefs.

This was where the advantage of being first came into play.

By staying ahead of everyone else, Law avoided facing the more troublesome obstacles.

However, when Buhara clung tightly to the edge of the boat and too scared to move, Law kept smiling.

He could easily remove all the obstacles with his Nen Ability, but he chose not to.

After all, this is a rare experience, and using Nen would make the experience boring.

Law observed all the drifting boats and the myriad potential routes. Factoring in the erratically flying boats, he carefully picked the most optimal path, narrowly avoiding both flying boats and reefs with each maneuver as he steadily approached the outer seas.

Aboard the Goddess, the old captain lowered his telescope and suddenly burst into hearty laughter, startling the crew.

"The captain actually laughed?"

"How long has it been since we last saw him laugh like that?"

"About a year, I think. Last time was when he made a killing from the 'Tides' haul."

"Ah, I remember! That was close to a disaster. We nearly capsized, but ended up with an unprecedented haul."

"But that kid's pretty impressive."

The old captain paid no mind to the whispers of the young crew members. He took a long, deep look at Law, who was nearing the edge of the reef zone, then pulled a bottle of liquor from his pocket and took a deep swig.

After downing more than half the bottle, he turned and walked toward the captain's quarters and shouted to the crew on the deck: "I'm going to take a nap. Call me at twelve o'clock."

Hearing the old captain's words, the crew members all responded. They each stood at the edge of the deck, ready to assist the examinees who would come later.

There are only 300 spots available. Even examinees who come via the two large ships have to compete for a place, and the 'first-come-first-served' rule is always implemented.

In the reef area, under the incredulous gaze of a group of examinees, Law carried Buhara successfully out of the reef area. At this time, Buhara's tense expression suddenly relaxed.

As the pair approached the Goddess, their boat was hoisted onto the deck, bringing them aboard.

After getting on the deck, Law did not pay attention to the other examinees. However, he was not idle either. He borrowed a fishing rod and bait from the crew, and then found a spot to fish.

When Buhara saw the fishing rod in Law's hand, he also went to borrow it from the crew, but was rejected.

He came to Law's side and said in a muffled voice: "Law, why are they willing to lend you a fishing rod but not to me?"

Law, keeping his eyes on the bobber floating on the water, replied with a grin: "Maybe because I'm more handsome."

Buhara rested his chin on his hand and thought for a while. After a while, he suddenly nodded in realization, "So that's how it is."

"…"

…

In the end, exactly 300 examinees successfully boarded the Goddess.

Except for Law and Buhara, all other examinees who chose to go with reef racing were wiped out.

Two large ships docked at the port received more than a thousand examinees, and then docked a few hundred meters to the side of the Goddess. Some of the more resourceful examinees had swum directly to the Goddess and were subsequently brought aboard by the crew.

After the number of people who arrived reached 300, the Goddess raised its anchor and set sail immediately, leaving the remaining examinees behind.

Roughly 3,000 examinees had arrived at Marvando, but before the Hunter Exam had even officially begun, 90% had already been eliminated.

With so many people on board the Goddess, Law had no suitable place to practice his Nen, so he spent his days fishing at the stern of the ship to pass the time.

According to his memories of original work, the ship should have encountered a storm, which was also considered one of the tests, but several days passed with calm weather.

The Goddess continued its slow voyage toward the Pita Continent, one of the six continents.