Hunter × Hunter Chapter 169: Declaration of War

Against a black background, Razor stands with hands on his knees while a tiny image of Gon appears below him. A female character with a bandana and freckles states that Jin is no longer on Greed Island and that she does not know his current whereabouts. She adds that she was expecting something like that. Gon reacts with surprise. The woman then asks if they would still like to hear about Jin. Razor explains that, just like Bopobo, he has killed many people and is also a condemned criminal. He reveals that during their journey Jin requested he be transferred to the island and that Jin caught him, resulting in his sentencing. Gon shows a shocked expression with motion lines.

A close-up shows a young man with spiky hair in profile, eyes closed, as he speaks: "THEN YOU WILL BE SAVED..." Nearby narration reads, "MY SON WILL COME TO GREED ISLAND ONE DAY! THAT'S WHAT JIN SAID TO ME." A small boy wearing a crown-like hat stares forward with wide eyes while speech bubbles declare, "EVEN IF IT IS ONLY ONE PERSON, AS LONG AS SOMEONE BELIEVES IN YOU," and "IF THERE IS ONE PERSON IN THIS WORLD." In the next panel a determined boy with a headband and wrapped fists declares, "WHEN HE DOES, REMEMBER TO SHOW NO MERCY, GO ALL OUT ON HIM!" The scene shifts to a tense exchange where a hand grips another person's shoulder. Reiza shouts, "I'LL LEAVE EVERYTHING UP TO YOU!" A stern boy in a large hat asserts, "HE IS MY SON!" and "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HIM." From the side a spiky-haired man asks, "THEN EVEN KILLING HIM IS OKAY?" while Reiza's name is called out.

A flashback panel shows a kneeling child covering their face while an adult figure looms, shouting, "WHO DO YOU THINK BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS WORLD!?" and "WORTHLESS TRASH!!" Scattered words read, "THAT THING" "AND..." "OVER THERE!" "HEY!" "YOU!" A man with slicked-back hair speaks with his hand on his chest: "THAT IN FRONT OF SOMEONE WITH A DEATH SENTENCE, HE COULD TALK ABOUT THE GAME HE HAD MADE FOR HOURS ON END, LIKE HE WAS A LITTLE BOY" and "AND HE EVEN WANTS A CRIMINAL TO FIGHT HIS OWN SON..." He continues, "I THOUGHT YOUR DAD HAD GONE CRAZY." Reiza's hand tears fabric as the label "REIZA" appears. The man concludes, "IT'S UP TO YOU." In the final panel a close-up of the spiky-haired man with eyes closed shows a hand on his shoulder; he says, "THAT TIME, I WAS VERY MOVED."

Razor stands with his back partially turned, speaking with a calm, reflective expression. "JUST LIKE HOW JIN BELIEVES IN YOUR STRENGTH," he says, eyes half-closed. "LIKE HOW HE ENTRUSTED YOU TO ME." He continues, recalling the moment: "WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE SOMEONE CALLED ME BY MY NAME" and "BECAUSE THAT TIME...." Gon listens intently as Razor asks, "ISN'T THAT WHY YOU ATTACKED WITH ALL YOU HAD?" while holding up his bandaged hand. "I ALSO BELIEVE IN YOUR STRENGTH." Razor acknowledges the teamwork: "OF COURSE, THAT WAS EXCELLENT TEAMWORK." Gon responds thoughtfully, "BUT IF IT WEREN'T FOR EVERYONE'S HELP, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT," with Killua adding a quiet "HMMM" nearby. Razor turns away and states firmly, "YOU NEED TO FIND JIN!" as Gon shouts with fierce determination, "YEA!!" his face filling the panel with motion lines and a bold starburst effect.

A starry night sky stretches above the lighthouse. A narrator's note appears: "IT'S ALWAYS DARKEST UNDER THE LIGHTHOUSE." The group approaches the brick structure at night. Biscuit points and says, "RIGHT HERE." They descend the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse. "THE ENTRANCE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM... IN THIS VERY LIGHTHOUSE," narration explains. The group reaches a large open window overlooking the moonlit sea. Biscuit asks, "BUT HOW DO YOU GET TO 'THE PALACE OF THE SEA GOD'?" A bearded man replies, "IT'S TRUE THAT YOU CAN SEE THE COASTLINE FROM HERE..." while another character wonders aloud, "THE WINDOW...?"

In a dim stone room, a boy with a headband crouches and pulls a hidden switch on the brick wall. A panel slides open with a click. Nearby, several figures stand at a large window gazing out into the night. Outside, a powerful beam of light shoots from a tall lighthouse across the dark ocean under a starry sky, tracing a straight line over the water to the horizon. As dawn approaches, the group discusses the old legend. 'That legend about the treasure is nothing but an exaggerated myth,' one says. 'That is a holy cave, so only a few select fishermen knew of its location,' another replies. The woman with the headband turns and apologizes, 'I'm very sorry for deceiving you.' She continues, 'But there was never any treasure. That is where the underwater cave will be. This beam of light marks a spot on the ocean floor...' A boy asks from below, 'There really isn't?'

The woman with the headband continues explaining, 'It is a holy place to us. That means, no one ever knew how to find the means, the Palace of the Sea God? Those of us who were born from the ocean cannot do things which defile it. This is what everyone said before they were killed.' She adds that she always wanted to tell the truth but Reiza's group would not believe her. Gon, with spiky hair, protests, 'Come on, it was only part of a game scenario!' Killua stands silently beside him. Later, the woman stands alone at the stone window, looking out at the bright ocean view. She thinks to herself, 'To me, this ocean view is better than any treasure... The ships docking... the ocean surface reflecting all the colors of the rainbow... I can finally look out at the sea again, the sunrise...'

Gon and Killua cheer as they obtain the card "ONE YARD OF COASTLINE" from the book. The card depicts a cave known as the Palace of the Sea Gods that shifts its appearance and misleads seekers. The boys celebrate loudly while a bearded man urges them to hurry and use "Clone" to create three copies. Three small clones of the boys appear with a poof. The bearded man and another figure discuss taking the cloned copies while the originals remain with the group. Gon examines his card closely as Biscuit watches nearby. Hisoka, marked with a star and teardrop, smiles and states he is not interested in collecting cards. He tells the group they still need to gather cards and that he will monitor the movements of the Ryodan. Hisoka adds that if they need something they can use "Contact" to reach him. He then turns and walks away with another person, saying it is alright because he had a good time and asking if Hisoka really does not want a copy.

Killua reacts with shock, eyes wide and sweat drops visible, as he processes what just happened. Gon stands beside him looking surprised. In a narrow brick corridor the two boys stand facing a dark passage. Killua realizes they never used "Contact" while Hisoka was with them and calls him a lying bastard. He further deduces that Hisoka already knew about the existence of spell cards before meeting them. Biscuit appears and explains that liars fall into two categories: those who lie only for a purpose and those who lie for the sake of lying. She states that Killua and she belong to the former category while Hisoka belongs to the latter. Killua stands with arms crossed listening as Biscuit continues her analysis under a starry night sky with distant buildings visible.

Under the dark trees at night, a bearded man in a uniform stands facing Gon and the others. "We want to discuss something with you," he says. Gon replies with his name floating above him. Killua stands nearby with his back turned, while Biscuit watches from the side. The bearded man continues, "If you think about it too much, you'll just confuse yourself." In close-up panels, Gon looks surprised as the group discusses their plans. "Do you want to come with us?" Gon asks. The bearded man answers, "We've decided to work together." He adds, "But in terms of fighting ability, our side comes up short" and "I think we will have to confront Gensuru's group very soon." Suddenly a massive "DOOM!!" erupts as another figure appears holding an open book, declaring "Another player has used 'contact' on you." The bearded man states his opinion: "That's my opinion after hearing you guys describe his power" and "Even if I don't consider my injuries and such, I still can't take him on." He concludes, "And in terms of fighting tactics, there is a big difference between us" and "From the beginning he was remarkably cunning."

Two portable game devices display dark screens with a voice asking, "It's been a long time......... Do you still remember me?" The bearded man stares in shock at a spiky-haired man wearing glasses who holds up a book labeled "THE BOMB DEVIL!!" with a circular symbol on the cover. The spiky-haired man's face is shown in profile with exclamation marks beside him. The bearded man reacts with surprise, asking "...What do you mean?" The spiky-haired man replies, "First of all, let me congratulate you" and "Oh how flattering, you do remember." He then asks, "What is it, Gensuru?" In a circular panel below, a group of figures walks across an open field at night. The bearded man says, "Didn't you just receive 'one yard of coastline'?" while another voice answers, "Hehehe, playing dumb is useless."

A man with spiky hair and glasses sits casually on a rocky outcrop, speaking into a device while a young woman with a heart symbol on her shirt watches from behind. He proposes a deal: "AND IN RETURN YOU GIVE US 'ONE YARD OF COASTLINE'" and promises "I'LL GUARANTEE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR LIVES," adding that he has confirmed everything with "LIST." A bearded man reacts in shock, shouting "YOU MUST BE JOKING!!" The glasses-wearing man continues with a sly grin, suggesting that if they want to try beating his side in fair combat it would be interesting too, then mocks the bearded man's injury by asking if he is faking. In a wide shot of a distant city, he threatens to come after his opponent with everything he has and declares that failure to appear will be taken as a declaration of war. The bearded man, sweating and distressed, mutters that he knew he would be discovered eventually and that this is too soon, while the glasses man demands that Tsezugera meet him alone at the entrance to Masadora.

The glasses-wearing man points out that the approaching group consists of members of the "GROUP OF 15" named Leiguna, Mushilu, and Kafumelu. He reveals that they are no longer in this world and tells the others to check their book. A boy with a white headband frantically opens his book, which emits a bright flash and the word "BOOK!" as the bearded man reacts with surprise. Close-ups show the boy's shocked face with sweat drops as he asks "...WHO ARE YOU?" and shouts "GENSURU!" A black panel displays a list of names with dots: OIGEN, YEBIBI, MENDO, YASIDA, MANSHIRU, AISHE, HUANG, and SAKE. In the background, the group of armed men stands together while two small figures, one with spiky hair and one with dark hair, react with question marks.

Gon leans forward with intense determination, shouting at the top of his lungs, "MY NAME IS GON FREAKS!" and "I WILL BE YOUR OPPONENT!" His headband and chain necklace are visible as motion lines emphasize his bold declaration. In the next panels, Killua reacts with shock, yelling "DUMBASS!" while a small character beside him shows wide-eyed surprise marked by "!!". A distant view shows a small object labeled "0-10" flying over dark treetops. Nearby monitors display incoming messages: "WE'RE COMING TO YOUR LOCATION NOW", "THIS IS PHINX....... FOUND HIM", and "ANOTHER PLAYER HAS USED "CONTACT" ON YOU". In the final panel, a tall man with slicked-back hair and a sleeveless outfit laughs "HE HE HE HE HE" while holding open a book titled "GREED ISLAND" against a dramatic burst of light and shadow.