Hunter × Hunter Chapter 125: 10 September - 2

A suited man with sunglasses stands on stage holding a microphone. He announces that unlike southern auctions, only the strongest will remain after the Greed Island selection test. He states that Nen mastery is required to participate and that the game will be performed on six consoles acquired by Mr. Battera. The notification of failure will be unbiased. The crowd reacts with shock; one man labeled “THE PROFESSIONAL HUNTER TSEZUGERA!!” is pointed out as being in charge of the selection test. Onlookers stare in surprise while the suited man continues speaking. Below, the same man walks away down a corridor as “Brouaha” sound effects echo through the hall.

A stern man with a goatee glares forward while surrounding voices identify him. 'I HEARD HE ONLY WORKS FOR MONEY, BUT HIS EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS ENABLED HIM TO GET A SINGLE STAR!' 'ZAT' 'TSEZUGERA THE BOUNTY HUNTER!' The evaluation begins as a suited man addresses the packed hall. 'LET'S PROCEED THE EVALUATION.' Two participants exchange tense glances. 'IT MUST BE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT TO WIN WITHIN THIS GAME...' 'IF HE'S HERE...' On the raised stage TADAN echoes as Tsezugera stands alone with arms crossed. 'THE STAGE WILL BE HIDDEN BY A DOUBLE CURTAIN, SO THAT THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS ARE UNAWARE OF WHAT IS OCCURING.' 'YOU WILL COME ONE AFTER ANOTHER ONTO THIS STAGE AND SHOW ME YOUR "REN."' A tight close-up captures narrowed eyes. 'WHEN WE HAVE REACHED THIS NUMBER, THE EXAM WILL BE CLOSED.' '32 PEOPLE!!'

Feet step onto the stage with sharp impact lines. 'I I I' A banner reading 'I I I' hangs above the empty platform where Tsezugera waits with arms folded. 'Shiiii...' Curtains part. Silhouettes of waiting participants line up as the examiner says 'ALL RIGHT.' In the crowd a spiky-haired man and others react with 'TAC' sounds. 'COME FORWARD.' 'WILL THOSE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART IN THE TEST...' A muscular man with a widow's peak glares intensely. 'ZAT' 'TAC' Beside him a small girl with pigtails and a frilled dress stands ready.

A large crowd of candidates rushes forward across the upper level, feet pounding with rapid TAP TAP TAP and TAC TAC sounds as they hurry toward the front. In the stands below, more examinees watch or begin to move. Killua stares in surprise, eyes wide, asking if that is truly all. A suited official stands at the doorway and calls for the first candidate to step forward. One examinee answers with a casual YEAH and walks ahead. Gon and Killua observe the scene; Gon notes that some people moved immediately while others stayed still, and Killua adds that no one seems surprised and everyone is participating without further explanation. In a large close-up panel, Killua sweats slightly, realizing the task is extremely important and that they must be among those who remain until the end. He concludes that the test is an elimination test.

Killua thinks that staying with the best group is wise and that they must guess the rest from the limited explanation received. He also considers that each person's choice is taken into account in the judgment. A tall man with an afro angrily declares that it cannot be the first time they have taken this test, insisting everyone has already understood the situation. In a wide panel, about twenty candidates remain visible in the stands. Below, roughly twenty others are shown waiting, with about fifty more people near the moving group and around one hundred lined up and queuing for the test. The spiky-haired man notes the twenty who are not moving and the need to figure out what to do next.

At the top of the page bold narration asks which group has chosen the right attitude. A boy with spiky white hair stands in line watching as a large man in a Viking helmet strides forward and enters through a curtained doorway marked 'ALRIGHT!' and 'ENTER!'. Nearby a suited man with sunglasses and a bearded man in a horned helmet wait their turn while an attendant calls 'NEXT CANDIDATE, PLEASE.' and 'NEXT!'. The white-haired boy thinks to himself that it is weird. Below, two boys—one with spiky black hair and one with spiky white hair—watch the proceedings. The black-haired boy laughs 'HE! HE! HE!' while the white-haired boy mutters that he does not like it and should have gotten in line too. Narration wonders if they can all have been enlisted already, noting that no one has left even though more than ten people have entered.

A close-up shows a gray-haired bearded man with his arms around Gon and Killua, both boys looking surprised. The man comments on the guys gathered around the failed candidates, wondering what the last ones are waiting for. Gon and Killua watch from behind a row of seats as the man continues that he is sure the failed ones hope to see what happens behind the curtain. Narration states that if the failed candidates had made inquiries before coming and acted according to their logic they would understand lining up has no meaning. Gon concludes that the selection is really tough. The gray-haired man explains that Battera wants to avoid access to the games being blocked at all cost. Killua wonders what he means.

The man with the goatee leans forward and declares, "Exactly. There won't be 32 players enlisted after the selection..." A close-up shows another figure replying, "I understand... And when the number 32 is reached..." He continues, "But the plug for player 1 of 4 of the 6 consoles Battera acquired is already occupied by a memory card. If we want to save the game data, 8 players may enter with each console." Diagrams illustrate the console connections as he explains, "In total, 32 players can connect to the game!!! And with the remaining two consoles, we can do the same thing with the two plugs of player one and two. That's 16 more possible players." Further diagrams show additional setups while he adds, "In other words, if you connect an adaptor onto the second player plug, four more players may enter the game..." The man concludes, "But if I were Battera, would it be in my best interest to have 32 people participate? So 32 is really the maximum amount of players who can enter the game." In a dramatic close-up he states, "Consequently, it's logical, for security purposes, to leave some slots open, in case a new, exceptional challenger arises...! Greed Island is a game no one has finished in 10 years! It's built so that as long as a player is alive within the game, no one may replace him..." Someone off-panel shouts, "Unlikely!"

The spiky-haired man with the goatee continues, "As for those waiting in line, and those trying to get any information at all, I can say that none of them will be enlisted...!" In the background, several people stand in a line including a suited man with crossed arms and others in formal attire. He adds, "In my opinion, they'll only keep 20 players, max." Turning slightly he notes, "The ones like you and me who understood the trick, and quietly sat down to concentrate... The only ones who stand a chance are those who left their seats without a moment's hesitation, and..." Gon and Killua appear in profile. The man asks, "Kid? Right?" Gon looks up with wide eyes and says, "Gon..." Killua stares forward as a large SFX "ZIII ZU ZU ZU" erupts beside them. Gon asks, "You understood all that?"

In the exam hall, a bearded man with spiky hair reflects that it would be surprising if the employer, after gathering so many exceptional people, did not take the time to check each candidate's skills. Gon, standing nearby, thinks the selection would be tough and that keeping only 32 players might not go that far. The spiky-haired man agrees that from the employer's view, even the first served might not be chosen. Two other men with styled hair complain that the candidates must not have heard only 32 players will be selected and question what the group is doing, calling them stupid. An older man in the background laughs heartily. The spiky-haired man, now identified as Poor-Hatto, tells Gon and Killua that the path to the solution becomes harder and more dangerous the more one must combine stupidity and intelligence to move forward. He quotes, "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE CONVICTIONS," and adds that with convictions and instinct one can move everyone. He notes they are still young. Poor-Hatto then waves and says farewell, revealing his name. Gon and Killua react with surprise as someone nearby remarks they heard that.

Poor-Hatto continues speaking to Gon and Killua, explaining they are trying to obtain something impossible to get. He warns that they will die and that is all they will get out of it. In a flashback panel, a suited figure walks up stairs while Poor-Hatto notes it was a fundamental error trying to get the best chances. Killua looks concerned and says 'ANYWAYS...'. Gon suddenly taps the floor with his foot, startling Killua who reacts with wide eyes. Gon declares 'YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING IF YOU DON'T TRY!' and decides to give it a shot. In the background, Killua runs down a hallway past a suited man while Gon urges him from the stairs with 'GO FOR IT!'. Killua continues running alone down the corridor as Gon cheers him on. Gon concludes that is the only way.

In a tense exchange, one character warns the other about their position: "IN OUR POSITION, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO WAIT... DON'T MOVE UNTIL YOU'RE 100% CERTAIN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO KILL HIM...! UNDERSTAND? DON'T OVERDO IT...!" The scene shifts to a bright flash with "TADAN" sound effects as a bearded man in a jacket stands with arms crossed facing a spiky-haired boy with his back turned. The bearded man then says, "SHOWING YOUR POWER BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE FIGHT IS THE MOST IDIOTIC THING TO DO..." and "SHOW ME YOUR REN." The boy responds, "AL-RIGHT." Close-up on the boy's boots with "TAC" as he declares, "BUT I'M NOT A KILLER ANYMORE...! THAT'S MY FATHER'S THEORY..." In a dramatic close-up, Gon looks up intensely and proclaims, "I'M A HUNTER !!!" while asking, "DOES 'HATSU' WORK AS WELL ?" and noting "WELL, UNOFFICIALLY..."

The bearded man challenges Gon: "PROVE THAT YOUR STRENGTH ISN'T JUST THE REN YOU SHOWED ME LAST TIME." He continues, "WELL, HOWEVER YOU WANT, JUST AS LONG AS YOU SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF." and explains, "IN THE LANGUAGE OF HUNTERS, 'YOUR REN' MEANS 'I WANT TO SEE THE RESULTS OF YOUR TRAINING'. IN OTHER WORDS, MEASURE YOUR SKILLS. HMM... I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT." Gon replies, "I'M STARTING." with a "zat" effect and the bearded man says "FINE." Gon begins his display as motion lines and "ZIM BACHI" SFX appear. The bearded man reacts with surprise "!!?" while Gon stands centered with hands extended, aura crackling around his feet in jagged lightning-like lines labeled "ZIM BACHI" as the bearded man watches from the side.

A stern bald man with a goatee faces Killua and declares, "YOU'RE QUALIFIED. BUT HOW ... HE TURNED HIS AURA INTO ELECTRICITY!!! NO, THAT'S FINE." Killua, shown in profile with a calm expression, replies simply, "SO?" The man continues in close-up, "YOU CAN'T LEARN SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN ONLY FOUR DAYS!" while a small panel shows Gon pumping his fist and shouting "YES!!" with spark effects. Killua stands with his back partially turned, aura crackling around him as the man presses, "REALLY POWERFUL ELECTRIC SHOCKS?" In the next panel the man sits on the floor looking up while Gon stands nearby; the man exclaims, "MANAGING TO FREE SUCH AN ELECTRIFIED AURA AND PROPEL IT... WHO THE HELL ARE YOU...?!" He adds, "EVEN IF YOU TRAINED EVERY DAY, RECEIVING POWERFUL ELECTRIC SHOCKS NEAR THOSE OF TORTURE, IT WOULD TAKE YEARS. BUT YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE LEARNED SUCH A TECHNIQUE OVERNIGHT!" The page ends on a dramatic close-up of Killua's face against radiating speed lines. Killua states, "FAMILY TRADITION. I'VE BEEN SWIMMING IN THEM SINCE I WAS BORN."

On a vast white background, Gon stands alone in the lower right, body angled slightly left. His right fist is raised and pressed against his chest while his left arm hangs at his side with fingers loosely curled. Gon's spiky black hair frames a determined expression with narrowed eyes and a firm mouth. His sleeveless shirt and shorts are drawn with clean lines, conveying a ready, confident stance.