No.087 ◆ 9月3日③

Gon and Killua sit cross-legged on the floor in front of two drawings. Killua holds up a framed picture with holes and declares he can draw like this too. Gon studies the drawings intently, wondering which one is fake. Two sketches lie on the ground in front of them, each showing a face-like figure with different patterns and percentages labeled on them.

A lavish table overflows with half-eaten dishes, bowls of soup, grilled meats, and empty plates. Uvogin sits at the table, scarfing down food with wild intensity. ARF ARGH! MUNCH MUNCH! He tears into another bowl. Nearby, a waiter at the counter calls out, "ANOTHER CHICHE-KEBAB, PLEASE!" Leorio turns with a puzzled expression, sweat on his face. "HUM ?" Gon looks up at him with wide eyes. "SAY, ZEPAIRU-SAN, I'VE THOUGHT A BIT, AND... THAT MAKES THREE!" Leorio exclaims, "THIS AGAIN?" Gon smiles brightly and says, "I THINK INVITING YOU TO LUNCH ISN'T ENOUGH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A COMMISSION."

Leorio faces Gon and Killua, stating, "IN EXCHANGE, YOU EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME, I'M SERIOUS, IT'S OK!" Gon and Killua look attentive. A waitress calls, "COMING!" and adds, "AH? NO, DON'T WORRY, THE MEAL IS ENOUGH FOR ME, LADY! A MISO SOUP WITH TOFU!!" Gon cheers, "YEAH! GON, SEE! HE ATE LIKE 10. I'LL TAKE RICE WITH CRAB!" A black panel shows Uvogin's intense close-up face as he asks, "HOW DID YOU SIZE UP THOSE THREE OBJECTS?" Leorio reacts with shock, "WHAT?!" and demands, "DON'T TELL ME IT WAS PURE COINCIDENCE!" Uvogin continues, "IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT 'SIZING UP' IS, HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THOSE THREE OBJECTS?" Gon and Killua react with confusion, "WHAT'S THAT MEAN? SIZE UP..."

Gon and Killua stand outside a building with a large fountain, debating whether to pay the appraiser or tell him the truth about their situation. "I'd be better than paying him wouldn't it?" Gon wonders aloud. "Bah... Think we can tell him the truth?" Killua replies. After some training they reached them, the boys recall learning about Aura and Nen. Inside, seated at a table with a checkered floor, the appraiser examines their wooden sculpture. "And also that you didn't have any interest in the other common objects with some value," he notes. "That would explain why you chose the wooden sculpture, ignoring what it could contain." The boys react with surprise: "What were the other ones?" "What?" A cup of coffee sits nearby as the appraiser continues, "But their prices suffer such variations that even experts rarely risk them." He gestures while explaining, "Fashionable watches, products from brand names, old phone cards... simply, objects that weren't directly made with the hands." Gon leans in, "C'mon. I thought you only had one question." "And why do you need money so much?" the appraiser asks.

The appraiser agrees to answer their questions first. "Alright." Gon then proposes a deal: "I'll answer you, but then it's our turn to ask you something. Let's make a deal." The appraiser asks what kind of object they want to bid on at auctions. Gon explains they need money for this. In a close-up, Killua asks how much the wooden sculpture could fetch. "Now, it's our turn," he states. The appraiser responds that it depends on the content but won't be under 100 million. Gon presses further about the Greed Island game they bought. "How much will you get from the weird pot you bought?" The appraiser reacts with shock: "What...? That stupid expensive game? That won't be easy..." Sweat drops appear on his face as he considers the request.

At a checkered table, the man leans forward and questions the boys. "WHY DO YOU WANT TO BUY SUCH AN EXPENSIVE GAME? IT COSTS AT LEAST 6 BILLION, DOESN'T IT?" he asks. He holds up a dark object and adds, "IT'S ONLY A TRINKET, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY VALUE." Gon and Killua stare in surprise. Killua murmurs "OH..." while Gon explains, "ACTUALLY, I'M SEARCHING FOR MY FATHER... AND IT SEEMS THERE'S A CLUE IN THE GAME." The man continues, "EVERYONE WOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE OBJECT WITH THE HIGHEST VALUE! BUT YOU, YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE THE 100 MILLION JENIS SCULPTURE, NOR THE 300,000 JENIS DOLL, BUT A POT WITH NO VALUE... WHY?" He presses further, "YOU KNEW WE WERE BOTH BIDDING ON SEVERAL OBJECTS, YOU MUST HAVE SEEN OUR NAMES ON THE TAGS." The boys look shocked as the man concludes, "YOU KNEW THAT IF YOU'D BOUGHT THE SCULPTURE, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SELL IT FOR AT LEAST 100 MILLION. HUH? WHY DID YOU BUY THE POT?"

Gon laughs and apologizes, "HAHA! SORRY FOR SAYING THAT IT WAS A WEIRD POT." Killua chuckles beside him. The man wipes his face and admits, "I'M ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO MADE THE POT." He adds with a tired look, "I'M THE ONE WHO MADE IT, BUT I'M NOT ITS CREATOR." A close-up reveals the man holding a cigarette as he states, "A COUNTERFEIT. IT'S A COPY." He continues his story, "THEN, I BEGAN SIZING UP THE COMMUNITY, AND I EARNED SOME MONEY, SO I DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT ANYMORE. WHEN I WAS REALLY POOR, I MADE SOME TO BUY FOOD." The boys listen intently while the man smokes and reflects on his past.

The man with slicked-back hair stands before a checkered wall, holding up a rough, lumpy sculpture. He recalls, "When I go to a market, sometimes I fall on one of my old works. When I look at it right now, I can't be proud, a failure... That's my first sculpture." Gon and Killua listen nearby. Gon asks, "What's your dad's occupation?" The man replies, "It's my turn." Killua presses, "How much would the real pot be worth?" The man answers that even the original wouldn't exceed 40 or 50,000 jennis. Gon exclaims, "He's a professional hunter." The man continues, "Don't think that I was able to copy real artwork at that time... So how much would the real pot be worth?" In the next panel the man sits with a cigarette, saying, "Ah, uh... Now it's your turn to ask something!" He thinks, "Is he kidding me? He must travel around the world, work somewhere, then leave... It's not research, a kid should make, you know... Professional hunter... There are several in the antique dealer community, but they're all a bit crazy..." Gon leans over an ashtray and declares, "Alright, but it's the last one... Don't be so sure! I'm a pro hunter myself!"

The man leans forward with a confident grin and asks, "Is there any way I can help you?" Gon and Killua exchange glances. Gon wonders aloud, "What do you think?" The man explains, "In other words, if you know how to do this, you're sure to earn money in York Shin. If you want to get a lot of money in auctions, you have to know how to size up." The man leans over a table with a cup and states, "Fine... I too want to ask one last question. I'll let you decide my commission rate." He continues, "So it's quite normal for me to offer my services to the ones that need them. Because sizing up is my job." Killua asks directly, "Why do you want to help us?"

Gon and Killua stand before a strange unfinished sculpture. Gon exclaims, "ON THAT SCULPTURE, WE CAN EASILY FEEL YOUR NEN!!" and declares, "IT'S NOT A TRINKET!" The bald man with the scar replies that the piece touched him, explaining he proposed a price for an unfinished ugly trinket because it made him happy, though he admits the rest was sweet talk. In a large panel Gon energetically teaches, "GIVING OUR AURA TO AN OBJECT IS CALLED TEN. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF TRAINING AND CONCENTRATION!" and adds that aura is something everyone releases but mastering it is completely different. At a table laden with food the bald man admits, "IT'S TRUE THAT IT'S A WEIRD POT, BUT..." and praises Gon: "YOU REACHED IT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT NEN IS... IT'S EASY TO SEE THE REFLECTIONS THAT WERE NEEDED TO MAKE THIS POT!!" Gon answers, "MY EYES DIDN'T DECEIVE ME," and the man concludes, "YOU REALLY ARE TALENTED!"

In close-up the bald man continues, "WE DON'T LIMIT OURSELVES TO OBJECTS, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE THAT BUY, AND THE ONES THAT SELL," and adds that in this domain they start observing people by sizing them up. He gives his answer: he wants to work with Gon and Killua, accepting to sell to one but never buy from the other, because his internal gauge whispered something when he first saw them. Killua asks, "WHAT'S YOURS?" The bald man concludes, "CONCERNING THE COMMISSION, WE'LL SEE WHEN THE WORK'S BEGUN." Gon and Killua beam and reply together, "WITH PLEASURE!!"

In a quiet ruined alley, two small figures stand near a damaged building entrance. Inside a cluttered room, a bald man in a light jacket sits cross-legged, gripping a large dark sack with both hands while holding a tool. Gon and Killua watch from the side as the man works. Close-up panels show his hands striking the sack repeatedly with metallic tools, producing sharp impact sounds. The man focuses intently on the object. At the bottom of the page, Gon and Killua stare forward with wide eyes and open mouths, reacting to what they see.

Gon and Killua react with shock as a massive pile of treasure spills into view from a large opening. The bald man confirms the aura they sensed earlier. He states there is no doubt the treasure is real. Gon and Killua exclaim in surprise at the sight. The man explains that even at a low price the items would fetch at least 300 million. He notes they will bring the goods to the small market today because the merchant market is closed for liquid-payment reasons, meaning they would only lose the entry cost. Gon asks what that means while Killua questions the plan.

In a bustling outdoor market filled with merchants and shoppers, voices explain the nature of the place. 'It's the best place to let the merchants know what day you'll be selling what.' 'It's there that the merchants go to size up and decide the price to attribute.' 'It's the market where the objects that couldn't be indexed in the catalogue because of lack of time are auctioned.' A man with a scar on his face speaks with Gon and Killua. 'It's best to be aware of this.' 'Even if we have objects of high value, sometimes we can't get a good price out of them.' 'It's impossible to know how we'll be treated.' 'The merchant world is full of traps.' 'But I have to warn you of something.' Gon asks, 'That kind of thing happens?' The scarred man replies, 'Because they're of high quality, we can't sell them at a high price...' The group walks through the crowded street. In a large panel, the market organizer Koneruto greets them enthusiastically. 'I've been told that you have some nice objects.' 'Welcome! I'm Koneruto, the organizer of the market.'

A massive spread of valuable objects fills the page, including rings, watches, and jewelry. Koneruto examines items presented by the scarred merchant. 'We would like to present them at the small market auction tomorrow.' 'Understood.' Koneruto admires a ring. 'They're wonderful.' 'And perfectly preserved.' 'Hmm... magnificent...' The merchant says, 'I won't keep it from you that they interest me personally.' 'But they're really nice...' Koneruto offers, 'I'll offer 250 million for them. What do you say?' The merchant responds, 'Thank you, but no...' A guide in uniform directs them. 'This way, please.' 'At the bids, you'll have strong chances to get a lot more...' 'Yes, I understand.'

In a spacious exhibition hall, a crowd of bidders and onlookers gathers around display cases and pedestals. A large mechanical figure stands near the doorway and addresses the group. "IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A LOOK," it says. "IT'S THE PRESENTATION OF THE OBJECTS THAT WILL BE SOLD TOMORROW." Murmurs fill the air as people examine the items on display. The scene shifts to a quieter corridor where a stern bald man with a scar over his eye stands in shadow, his expression grim. He utters a single ellipsis. Nearby, a man in a striped vest walks down the hallway toward an open doorway where other figures wait.

The crowd reacts with shock as a wooden chest is revealed inside a glass case. "THAT'S INCREDIBLE!!!" someone shouts. "A WOODEN CHEST!!" Large onomatopoeia "TADAN" and "どよ" emphasize the impact. Gon and Killua watch with wide eyes. In the next panel an older man with slicked-back hair comments, "SUCH AN OBJECT MUST COST A REAL FORTUNE." Another man adds, "NO TRACE OF SECONDARY USE." A third notes, "THE USED SEAL IS FROM THAT ERA..." Gon and Killua exchange glances while a bald man in a dark shirt states, "DOESN'T MEAN THE OBJECTS ARE TOO." He continues, "JUST BECAUSE THE CHEST IS AUTHENTIQUE..." Someone replies, "REALLY?" The page ends with a dramatic close-up of the stern bald man with the scar, his eyes narrowed as he declares, "HERE WE ARE."