117 StormXHunter

"Cabin #5... #4... #3... #2... here we go #1." Gon was about to knock when the door opened inwards. "Huh, it is open? Hello, I'm coming in." The door closed after Gon entered.

In the corner, a group of men were hiding and sticking their heads out. "How long do you think, he will last?" Said one man.

"1 minute." Said another.

"I bet it will be less than that, 30 seconds." Said anothe man.

"You are all giving him credits he is not due, I'd say 15 seconds." Said the huge man.

"Just because you didn't last more than 30 seconds it doesn't mean anyone can't do it. I'd say he will be able to take the other bed." Said the man with the katana.

"Hmmp. Let's see."

"15 seconds has passed." Said one man.

"30 seconds has passed. He still isn't out?"

"1 minute... do you think he's dead inside?"

"5 minutes, shit the kid is dead. I'm out of here."

"Count me out too!" The rest of the group escape from the vicinity leaving only the huge man and the katana wielder.

"Told you he will be able to take the other bed." The katana wielder then followed the rest of the group.

The huge man clenched his fist in denial. He wanted to know what is happening inside, but fear took over. He could still remembered what he felt when he entered the room. Death... Overwhelming death energy trying take over his soul. His blood turned cold as he hurriedly tried to exit the door. Only to find out that he has no strength to open the door. Then, at exactly 30 seconds the aura was vanished as he regained his wits and opened the door falling down on his butt. Then without standing, he crawled out of the door. It was humiliating, but he doesn't have the courage to enter the room again.

"Hi! I'm Gon! I heard there is room for young applicants like me here?" Gon introduced himself as he looked around the cabin.

The cabin is huge, relatively to other cabins, and can host 5-6 sailors. There are double decker bed on each side and a hamok at the middle by the window.

Gon realized that not one person is occupying any bed at the moment, so he focused his attention to the Hamok where it looks like another kid like him is resting.

"Oh, hello. Feel free to take any of the free beds. Mine is the top one on the right." Answered the kid.

"Wow, you have such unique eyes. I have never seen someone with white pupils like yours." Curiously asked Gon as he gazed at the pupils. He then also pick the lower bed on the right.

"Oh this? This is just a contact lense. I like my eyes always changing." The kid answered while pointing at his eyes.

"I'm Gon Freecss, may I know who you are?"

"Freaks? I think I might heard of it before. Where was it again?" The kid tried to recall but forgotten. "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Silver Croft." Silver stood up and bowed showing his long brown straight hair. "Nice to meet you, Gon." Silver offered his hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Silver." Gon took the hand and shook it. "Do you know where this will take us?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've been here for two weeks now and I have no idea where it is going next." Silver replied.

"Ohhh... Isn't it exciting? Going to places you never know where?" Gon can't help it but show his excitement. "It will be a great adventure!"

"It is, isn't? That is why I want to be a hunter as well. To travel this world and explore what it offers." Silver agreed and showed the same enthusiasm.

"Oh the open seas! Let's go outside, Silver!" Suggested Gon.

"Ah, but I've seen it before two mo-, years ago." Corrected Silver.

"Come on! It will be fun."

~~~~

"Look! It is the ocean!" Shouted Gon. "I can smell sea." He then went to the side and tried to look back. "I can no longer see Whale island, this is the furthest I have been to the island."

"Scared? If you go back now via a dingy I think you would still be able to return without a problem." Jest Silver.

"Scared? No. Excited? definitely. From here on out, everything I do every where I go will be an adventure." Gon said with his determined look. "Hmmmmm, weird. Where are all the people? There are lot of people a few minutes ago."

Silver didn't have to asked that everyone entered the cabins because they are afraid of him. "Maybe they are just scared of the dark night outside the ship's deck."

"Odd, I thought they are all warriors." Gon touched his chin.

"Some of them might not be as brave as you believe them to be." Smiled Silver. "I'll be going back now, the waves will kick in a few hours."

"Ok, I'll stay here for a while." -Gon.

~~~~~

That night huge waves shook the ship heavily. Kitchen wares, personal baggages, barrel of water and food along with passengers are tossed upon from left to right and vice versa following the ship's tilt.

~~~~~

"How are our passengers fairing?" Asked the captain to his crew. "We had a lot of 'little' waves after all."

"Uhmmm, they're almost dead, captain."

"Hahaha. This isn't for the weak. And they wan't to be hunters. Oh~~" The captain looked at Gon running around with hot towels and giving then to the 'dying' passengers. He then saw a blonde applicant sleeping quitely in one of the cabins and a man in business attire reading an adult magazine sitting in a barrel a few meter from the former. Lastly he looked at the closed cabin #1. "It looks like we have sailors tougher than others this year." He smirked and look at his crew. "Good work everyone and take a rest, we have at least two hours before the next one comes."

A few minutes later, Gon exited from the cabin and walk to the bow.

After another minute, Silver went to the desk as well and did some stretching. "Ahhh. That was a good night rest. Hmmm? You're here too, Gon?" Silver followed Gon to the bow.

"Oh hoh, what are you doing here, kids? Sick of the smell of vomit and piss under the deck?" The captain started.

"Me? I'm just here for the sun, captain. They say that Vitamin D is good for the immune system." Silver answered.

"There will be another storm, even bigger." Gon suddenly said.

"Hmmmm. What makes you say that?" Asked the captain.

*sniff* *sniff* "The smell of the sea, changed. A harsh wind is blowing, and the current is quite strong. And the gulls tells me to be careful."

"You understand the bird's language?"

"Not everything, but enough."

The captain suddenly saw a young man silhoute overlapping Gon's figure. "You're the one who embarked from the Whale Island, correct? What does your father do for a living?"

"I've only seen him pictures, but I admire him a lot. I was told he is a... Hunter."