AN OBVIOUS RESULT

The top panel shows a building at dusk with enthusiastic eating sounds filling the air: "DELICIOUS!", "SUCCULENT!", "SHRAM SHRAM", "MIAM MIAM", "THAT TOO!", "MMM, THAT'S GOOD!", and "CRUNCH CRUNCH". In the next panel Gon beams with a full belly, declaring "MAN, THAT WAS GOOD! I'M FULL!". Beside him, Buhara lets out a massive "BURP" while tapping his belly. The following panel reveals a massive pile of bones and skulls with a "CLANG" sound. At the bottom, Killua leaps forward and strikes a large gong with a mallet, producing a resounding "DONG".

Buhara sits enormously bloated in the center, surrounded by a towering mountain of bones and skulls. Menchi stands to the right by the gong, hand raised, and announces "IT'S OVER!". Speech bubbles from the shocked crowd below read "HE ATE 70 PIECES OF ROAST PORK...!!!" and "HE'S A MONSTER!!". The spectators stare in disbelief as the sound effect "DOOOOOON" rumbles across the ground.

Examinees react in shock as Buhara finishes an enormous quantity of roast pork. "It's no use worrying about that..." one mutters. "He consumed a quantity larger than his own body!" another exclaims. "This is impossible..." Kurapika stares in disbelief. Nearby, Gon and Killua watch wide-eyed. "It doesn't make me want to be like him..." Killua says. "Those hunters are incredible people!" Gon replies with awe. Leorio turns and declares, "Anyway, we're not here to judge the taste today!" Menchi counters from the side, "So what? We still eliminated a lot of the participants!" She adds, "This way it's not a test anymore!" and "All you ate was good!" A hand rings a large gong with a loud "DONG" as Menchi stands with a megaphone, announcing, "What's done is done... Remember that gourmet hunters must respect the sense of taste! You're too nice!" The scene shifts to a wide view of the testing grounds with the announcement: "70 qualify for the next round! Roast pork test!"

An examiner with glasses comments, "In this trial they had to prove their courage and dexterity... It didn't take them long to figure out you need to hit the pork on the forehead..." He notes the number of qualifiers: "70? That's a very good number." Another masked examiner adds, "She, on the other hand, is not kidding... It is now that the real trial begins..." Menchi stands confidently in the center as narration explains her background: "'Single Hunters': also known as Star Hunters, a title given to those who prove to be skilled beyond recognition. She possesses an unstoppable desire to try new things, and never forgets the taste of any meal she's eaten! Thanks to her contribution to the culinary art, she was promoted to 'Single Hunter' at the age of 21!! Menchi, the Gourmet Hunter!! She's part of the gourmets who believe you can express your artistic sense through cooking!" Menchi smiles and says, "I'm very cautious when it comes to taste! I'm warning you, it won't be as easy with me!"

Menchi leaps into the air with dramatic flair, shouting, "Here's my order... Second round, phase two... I WANT SUSHI!!" The impact creates a massive "TADAN!!" and "ばん!!" effect with radiating speed lines. The crowd of examinees reacts with varied expressions of surprise and tension. Leorio glares intensely from the side. Gon stares forward with wide eyes. Kurapika looks on with a serious, sweat-dropped face. Other participants show shock and confusion at the sudden demand.

Examinees stare in confusion at the sudden announcement. "NOPE." "YOU KNOW?" "WHAT'S THAT?" A large man with a ponytail sweats heavily. "HOW CAN WE COOK A DISH WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF..." "BROLIHA BROLIHA" "HOW DO WE DO IT? NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS..." Menchi points to a map labeled "JAPO N" and explains, "IT'S A SMALL ISLAND'S TRADITIONAL MEAL." She continues, "YOU ALL SEEM BOTHERED... BUT EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM, YOU CAN STILL MAKE THEM..." The scene shifts to a vast kitchen hall. Menchi gestures broadly as sound effects erupt: "TADAN" "じゅわん" "じゅわん" She declares, "LOOK OVER HERE !!!" "YOU'LL BE COOKING HERE!!" "I'LL GIVE YOU A HAND !!"

Close-ups show ingredients and tools laid out. Menchi announces, "THERE'S ALSO THE RICE, ESSENTIAL IN MAKING SUSHI." "EVERYTHING IS ALL SET UP." She raises a finger with a grin, "I'LL ONLY ACCEPT HANDMADE SUSHI!" "ONE LAST THING!" In the kitchen, she addresses the crowd of examinees: "YOU CAN MAKE AS MANY AS YOU'D LIKE, BUT DON'T FORGET THAT WHEN I'M FULL, THE TRIAL IS OVER!" "ALRIGHT! IT'S UP TO YOU NOW!" A box notes the current status: "PHASE TWO OF THE SECOND TRIAL : 70 PARTICIPANTS." Examinees begin moving toward the stations.

Kurapika and Gon examine a piece of sushi. Nearby voices mutter, "HAND-MADE SUSHI?" "HAND-MADE SUSHI..." Leorio looks skeptical. Killua wonders, "DO YOU THINK WE ONLY USE RICE?" Kurapika notes, "JUDGING BY THE COOKING WARE, I DOUBT IT." Buhara grins confidently, "A TEST ABOUT MY HOME'S TRADITIONAL COOKING!" "THIS TEST IS MADE FOR ME!" He lets out a loud "ARGH ARGH" as another examinee panics with "BARRRR". A bald man with a scarf smiles slyly, "I'LL DO AS I KNOW NOTHING! IT'S THE BEST WAY TO BE THE ONLY ONE QUALIFIED!" "I'D BETTER KEEP MY HEAD, OTHERWISE THEY'LL UNDERSTAND..."

Leorio bursts out laughing with a loud PFF-- HA HA! while clutching a rice ball. Beside him, Buhara stares intently at his own rice ball and mutters SUSHI... PF--. In the crowd, several applicants whisper HE KNOWS... as Leorio glares and realizes the truth. Buhara suddenly shouts HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO DO!! while the others echo HE KNOWS... HE KNOWS WHAT IT IS?! Kurapika and Gon lean in close. Kurapika admits I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM, EITHER, BUT I'VE READ BOOKS WHICH SPOKE ABOUT THEM... BUT... Gon adds I CAN IMAGINE THE SHAPE, BUT... Leorio finishes HAND-MADE SUSHI.... Kurapika points out the key detail THAT'S THE KEY. YOU ADD WHITE VINEGAR AND DRESSING TO THE RICE WHICH YOU MIX UP WITH RAW FISH.... Gon looks worried and says I DON'T SEE WHAT INGREDIENTS WE HAVE TO USE.... Suddenly Leorio yells at the top of his lungs WHY DON'T YOU SPEAK LOUDER MORON! THERE MUST BE POOLS OR RIVERS AROUND HERE!! A loud CLANG sounds as he bangs his head. He demands WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST ?! and the applicants echo FISH ?!

A massive close-up of Buhara's stern face looms as applicants sprint down a long wooden corridor. Motion lines and repeated TAP TAP TAP TAP fill the air while the crowd charges forward. A bold speech bubble declares FISH !! in the center of the hallway. Buhara clenches his fist and thinks I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO KNOW ABOUT SUSHI! Leorio, bruised and furious, shouts RATS!! THEY WERE ALL SPYING ON US !! DAMN! as he runs with number 403 on his jacket. He adds IF HE'S REACHED THIS STAGE, HE'S HOPELESS.... In the background, Gon and Killua keep pace amid the stampede. Far ahead, the corridor opens toward daylight with birds flying past as the runners continue TAP TAP TAP TAP.

The applicants burst out of the building into a vast mountainous landscape dotted with trees and a distant river. Someone yells HOP! as figures race across the open field toward the water. In the forest, Gon leaps across rocks beside a rushing stream while others follow. A four-panel sequence shows Gon tumbling forward, Leorio diving through the air with two fish visible underwater, a stern man gripping a large net, and a long-haired man holding a spear. At the bottom, Gon sprints at full speed with motion lines TAP TAP and a large onomatopoeia LLLL--LL TAP TAP as he charges ahead.

Leorio stands at the counter rapidly chopping and preparing fish while Menchi watches from the side. Nearby, Buhara sits with arms crossed, commenting on the process. Menchi raises a finger and explains, "SO THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE TRADITIONAL SUSHI... USUALLY SUSHI IS MADE WITH SALTWATER FISH, RIGHT?" Buhara laughs heartily, "HO HO! YOU'RE EVEN MORE UNDERHANDED THAN ME..." Menchi turns with a confident smile and declares, "IT WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM THE SUSHI I'M USED TO EATING. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING..." Leorio looks flustered and mutters, "OH... NEVER MIND..." as Menchi adds, "TODAY I'M HERE MORE AS A COOK THAN A JURY MEMBER. WITH ALL THAT'S OUT THERE, I WONDER WHAT THEY'LL COME UP WITH."

Menchi glances back at Leorio and thinks, "IF HER BAD HABITS DON'T COME UP IT'LL BE FINE. BUT..." Leorio concentrates intensely, thinking "A COOK..." He begins assembling the sushi, declaring "HAND-MADE THAT'S IT!" and "ADD RAW FISH TO THE RICE..." With growing excitement he shouts "YES! THAT'S IT! ALRIGHT!" Leorio then dramatically presents his creation, yelling "COME ON, TASTE IT!!! I CALL IT 'LEORIO'S SPECIAL'!!! I'M THE FIRST ONE TO FINISH IT!!! IT'S READY!" as he lifts the covered plate with a flourish. A small "TAC" sound effect marks the reveal.

Menchi hurls the sushi plate high into the air with a furious "ORI ORI" and "KUK KUK" as the misshapen creation flies apart. She yells "WHAT?! IS IT EDIBLE?" Leorio stares in shock. Menchi points accusingly and snaps, "A SHAPELESS SUSHI CAN'T BE GOOD! LISTEN! THE SHAPE IS VERY IMPORTANT! YOU FAILED. WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY? WHERE WERE YOU TAUGHT TO THROW AWAY FOOD LIKE THAT?!" Gon, Killua, and Kurapika react nearby. Gon asks "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Killua wonders "DON'T TAKE IT TOO HARD, GON!" while Kurapika notes "AS BAD AS #403..." Menchi continues raging, "IT'S AS BAD AS #403! BAD!!" Leorio sweats and mutters "DAWN! I WAS SURE I DID IT RIGHT!"

Menchi slams her hands on the table, furious. "YOU WANT ME TO STARVE?! WHAT'S HAPPENING? CAN'T YOU TRY HARDER? I HAVEN'T TASTED A SINGLE ONE!" Applicants' attempts at sushi appear one after another: a dark block that vaguely resembles sushi, a fish-shaped mass, and a spiky failure, each rejected with "WHAT'S THAT?!" and "NO!" Kurapika watches closely, thinking, "ALL I CAN DO IS FIND THE LOGICAL SOLUTION... SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT-SO-EVER ABOUT THE SHAPE..." Menchi fumes, "I GAVE THEM A LOT OF 'HINTS'... THEY AREN'T LISTENING AT ALL... THIS MAKES ME MAD! THIS MAKES ME MAD!" She recalls the instruction about "HAND MADE," realizing applicants imagined a steak or croquette instead of sushi. "BUT THE SHAPE IS WHAT MATTERS! WE CAN MAKE AS MANY AS WE'D LIKE..." Kurapika deduces, "THAT'S IT! AS FOR THE FISH YOU PUT ON TOP... MEANING THE SIZE CANNOT EXCEED THE SIZE OF AN EGG!!! I DEDUCE THAT THE SUSHI IS PUT IN THE LITTLE SAUCER BEFORE IT IS EATEN... BUT IF I LOOK AT THE SET-UP SHE USES..."

A loud "DONG!!" rings out. Applicant #403 asks, "HEY, OH! IS THAT OFFENDING?" while #404 stands nearby. Menchi hurls a plate, shouting "NO BETTER THAN #403!" as a failed sushi lands on the floor. Gon cries out in shock. Menchi explodes in rage, "YOU DON'T HAVE THE SMALLEST SENSE OF CULINARY ART?! I'M BOILING! THIS CAN'T BE TRUE!" Another applicant presents a plated dish, saying "LOOKS CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHAT I ORDERED." Menchi reacts with surprise, "OH!" The large bald applicant #294 proudly holds up his creation, "HOW ABOUT THIS?" and declares "SO?" while Menchi cheers from the side, "HI HI HI HI I BELIEVE IT'S MY TURN."

Menchi reacts in shock, "WHAT ?!!" as Buhara looks on saying "HUH?" She rejects the rolled rice, "NOPE. NOT GOOD!" and tells the applicants, "AND YOU, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THERE ARE GREAT DIFFERENCES IN TASTE DEPENDING ON THE PERSON WHO MAKES IT?! ROLLED RICE SHAPED TO BE EATEN IN ONE BITE WITH A LAYER OF RAIFORD... ALL OF THIS COVERED BY A FINE SLICE OF RAW FISH MEAT! IT ISN'T MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT!" The crowd reacts as someone yells "OF COURSE! THAT'S IT!" and another mutters "DAMN! OOPS!" Menchi continues her tirade, "AND YOU, BUNCH OF IGNORANT FOOLS, EVEN IF YOU REPRODUCE THE SUSHI'S FORM, YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD SUSHI! ARE YOU KIDDING?! IT IS SAID THAT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD SUSHI, IT TAKES AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF PRACTICE!!" An applicant asks "WHAT?" while another growls "GRRRRRRRRR" and threatens, "SHUT UP, BALDY, OR I'LL KILL YOU!! THEN WHY DO YOU ASK US TO?!" Kurapika observes quietly, "I KNEW IT'D HAPPEN... SEE... GOT ANYTHING TO SAY?!"

Menchi sits on a couch with her arms crossed, visibly furious. "NEXT!" she shouts. "That's what you get for making me angry! I'm even hungrier now!" A total loser applicant slumps defeated nearby. Another panel shows her warning the crowd: "Cooks who fit into Menchi's standards can be counted on the fingers of one hand... and that's an understatement." A frantic applicant cries "IMPOSSIBLE!" while another voice yells "YOU GOT IT?!" and "HUH!" as Menchi looms over them. In a wide shot, dozens of applicants scramble around a long counter preparing sushi under a large clock. Menchi perches on a hanging platform above them, tapping impatiently. "I see! In that case, I can only judge on taste!" one applicant declares. "Because of Baldy, everybody found out how to make sushi!!" another complains. "NO, ME NEXT!" someone else shouts. Close-ups capture the big applicant with a smug grin telling a smaller one "YOU, SHUT UP!" and "AREN'T YOU OVERDOING IT?!" while Menchi samples a piece and declares the rice too hard. "NO!" the big applicant protests as she walks away saying "LET'S SEE."

Menchi continues her harsh critique of the sushi. "It isn't at the right temperature, and it's unpleasant for my palate!" she states. "The rice isn't the right shape! Make it flat or slightly bulky, nothing different!" "The fish isn't cut the right way! I want pieces with straight angles!" she adds. "AS BAD AS THE OTHER!" "BAD!!" The applicants react with despair. One exhales a long "AAAH..." while another drinks desperately with "GLOUP GLOUP" sounds. In the final large panel Menchi sits on the couch and announces in a massive speech bubble "IT'S OVER!!" A giant foot appears as an applicant begs "SORRY... I'M NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE!" The page ends with the official notice: "PHASE TWO OF THE SECOND TRIAL. MENCHI'S ORDER. NUMBER OF QUALIFIED CONTESTANTS: NONE." accompanied by a loud "DONG" sound effect.