Hunter × Hunter Chapter 204: About Jairo

Do not be a nuisance to people. In the tiny world of this young boy, his father was equal to God. No matter how harsh or how mean his father was to him, he respected his father greatly and believed that his father cared for him. Despite all the obstacles that Jairo had to overcome from his infancy, he always remembered this teaching. To Jairo, who was never even given any toys to play with, this message was his treasure. There were two reasons for his faith. His father watched over him all night without sleeping and changed the towel on his forehead. When Jairo was five years old, he had a severely high fever and almost died. These two things kept the young boy secretly proud. The other reason was because not once had his father ever asked him to leave.

A furious man with spiky hair leans forward, veins bulging, and shouts at someone off-panel. "IS CUZ YOU'RE HIS MONEY TREE!!" he yells, followed by "YOU DUMB SHIT, DA REASON WHY HE AIN'T ASKIN YOU TO LEAVE..." Enraged and having his pride destroyed, he threw himself at the guy in outrage. With his most painful secret said aloud so bluntly, feelings of hatred and anger overflowed inside him. He snapped when a young boy several years older than him so insensitively brought this back up. Deep within Jairo, he had bottled up this possibility. With his foot on the boy's face, the final words to finish him were uttered as ruthlessly as the spit that he spat out along with it. In the eyes of the guy, this young boy whom he had always been making fun of, Jairo, always obeyed the teaching of his father, so no matter what people said or did to him, he never got into a fight. Suddenly lashing out against him made him so mad that after beating him half to death, he still wasn't done. Even then, yer old man just sat in his room, drinkin' himself stupid!! When you were sick in bed, the one that looked over ya was the geezer next door!!

A close-up shows a foot pressing down on a black silhouette lying on the ground. The spiky-haired man continues his story with a fierce glare. "AND I'LL TELL YA WHAT YER OLD MAN SAID," he declares. Another panel shows him asking "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF THE KID DIES?" he asked. The geezer and yer old man got in a big fight that night. "YOU WAS IN DREAM LAND, SO YA PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER, BUT..." If he dies, then he dies. I don't care much either way. Nothing. Jairo saw something that he could not believe. While he listened to what the guy said... Bwa ha ha! you hear that?

A curly-haired man stands with his back to the viewer, a small thought bubble reading '2...' floating beside him. His face appears in close-up, marked by stubble, scars, and a distant, tired expression as he holds a small rectangular object. Below, a low-angle view shows his bandaged leg and foot while a tiny distant figure lingers in a doorway. Narration states that after making direct eye contact, showing no interest or empathy whatsoever, his dad just walked away. Extreme close-ups of an eye follow, with text declaring 'UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING. AT THAT MOMENT...' and 'JAIRO...' The final panel reveals a small image of Earth against white space, accompanied by the words 'THE UNIVERSE... HAS NO INTEREST IN ME.'

A dirty, clawed hand is shown with text stating if he died the room would be a little less cramped and a little more money would come in. The curly-haired man sits on the floor surrounded by bottles and debris, thinking that either way was just as acceptable and that to his father, whether alive or dead, it did not matter. A man in a suit and hard hat stands over him, declaring 'DO NOT BE A NUISANCE TO PEOPLE.' Narration explains the reason for this teaching was so people would not find out how badly he was treated and cause his father legal problems. A black panel reads 'PEOPLE ARE... LIKE FATHER.' The man in the hard hat insists 'NO. IT WAS 100 PERCENT FOR HIS OWN SAKE. THAT 'TEACHING' WAS NOT TO HELP HIS SON...' The final spread shows a large black shape with the words 'MEANS HUMANS.' and 'PEOPLE...'

A bold black banner stretches across the top of the page, declaring in stark white letters: "DO NOT BE A NUISANCE TO 'HUMANS.'" Below it, against an empty white expanse, a black silhouette of a figure tumbles helplessly through the air, limbs twisted and one arm raised, surrounded by scattered ink splatters. Beside the falling form, another line of text states: "I WAS NEVER A HUMAN."

In a chaotic top panel, a young boy stands over his father's body after cracking open the back of his skull with a hammer. The narration explains that the boy took all the money and left the commune. Shortly afterwards, the boy got up and picked up a hammer nearby. A black banner below recounts that nine years after that, it became a nation and he claimed leadership. Nine years later, Jairo established NGL. In the large lower panel, the adult Jairo is seen from behind, wearing a massive puffy jacket that completely hides his form, standing alone. Text states: "AND TODAY..." and "JAIRO HAS COMPLETELY DISCARDED HIS HUMAN-SELF."

Narration fills the top panels: The distribution of the drug was simply just the beginning... There were still plenty of schemes to carry out. Jairo's will is to spread evil throughout the entire world. A close-up shows a shadowy figure with the line, I'm starting from nothing... Jairo did not rush things. Another panel depicts a clenched fist: His determination for evil kept his memories from when he was a human intact. In a sense, he was reborn simply as Jairo. He was able to leave the queen's control most likely due to his own pride of being a king himself. Below, a foot steps forward as narration continues: His time spent at the construction site had given him the ability to think logically and constructively. Appropriate preparations must be made in order to achieve great things. The bottom of the page shows a small silhouette walking away with the text: Gon and Jairo did not end up meeting... and Jairo left this town and disappeared somewhere. Whether that was fortunate for the two of them or not, it will remain unknown until they eventually meet.

A massive black silhouette of a hand or wing stretches across a starry night sky. In a rocky cavern, a spiky-haired figure and a small creature converse: Yeah, looks like it. Perhaps the humans are striking back. Yes. The leader was the first to disappear, followed by the rest of the company. Was it similar to what happened to Reikei's division? And our food source has rather dispersed. Our forces have already been considerably depleted due to the 'selection.' Two figures stand in the tunnel. A bird-like creature suggests: Shall we suggest to the queen the possibility of relocating from the nest? A headband-wearing character replies: What a nuisance. Their strategy is to pick off the divisions that are venturing further away from the nest to seek out food. I'd prefer not to... Then shall we consult Neferpitou? I do not wish for her majesty to have to worry about such matters. No, we cannot.

Inside the castle, two voices discuss the defense plan. One says, "WE'LL DEFEND THE INSIDE OF THE CASTLE." Another replies, "TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER GOES ON OUTSIDE." In a rocky chamber, a black-haired boy and a spiky-haired companion observe a white-haired girl at a control panel. The boy notes, "WELL, AT LEAST SHE DIDN'T GIVE US ANY WEIRD ORDERS ON A WHIM." His companion agrees, "JUST AS WE EXPECTED." The girl considers, "HMMM... SHALL I INCREASE THE CONCENTRATION A BIT...?" Nearby, two small figures stand before a tall silhouette. One states, "MINUS CHONA, THERE ARE 28 LEFT." Another adds, "HOW MANY DIVISION LEADERS DO WE HAVE LEFT? FIRST, WE SHOULD DETERMINE THE STRENGTH OF OUR OWN FORCES." On a rocky outcrop, the spiky-haired boy and his furry companion continue the briefing. The boy explains, "AND EACH SQUAD CAPTAIN IS IN CHARGE OF AROUND 10 TO 15 SOLDIERS." The companion concludes, "EACH DIVISION LEADER COMMANDS AROUND FOUR OR FIVE SQUAD CAPTAINS."

Abstract panels display scattered circles marked with the characters "長" and "師". A narration box explains, "WHILE THERE ARE THOSE DIVISIONS WHO ARE CENTRALIZED UNDER THE STRONG LEADERSHIP OF THE DIVISION COMMANDER..." A second box continues, "THERE ARE ALSO DIVISIONS WHO LACK ANY KIND OF COHESION AND RUN RAMPANT AS THEY PLEASE." In a forest setting, a pointed-eared character says, "EVER SINCE THEY REALIZED THEIR NEN ABILITIES, THEY'VE BECOME ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL." A companion replies, "YEAH." Another voice adds, "EVEN IF WE WERE TO WARN THEM, I HIGHLY DOUBT THEY WOULD LISTEN." In the stone hall, the pointed-eared character declares, "WE WILL SET UP A TRAP." A second speaker responds, "IN THAT CASE, WE CAN JUST USE THEM TO OUR ADVANTAGE." A narration box notes, "AMONG THE 32 REMAINING DIVISIONS, MORE THAN HALF BELONG TO THIS UN-RESTRICTED KIND." Another states, "ALL FOUR OF THE DIVISIONS THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED SO FAR BELONG TO THE LATTER CATEGORY."

Under a starry night sky, three figures stand among the trees. One man in a suit states, "DOESN'T MATTER. WE CAN STILL PROCEED WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN." Another replies, "...IS PROBABLY HOW THE ENEMY IS REACTING RIGHT NOW." In closer panels, a long-haired man with an eyepatch and a dark-haired man with glasses discuss strategy. The long-haired man says, "BUT I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD CAPTURE A FEW OF THOSE THAT BELONG TO THE 'TRAP.'" The glasses-wearing man adds, "WITH THE COMBINATION OF ME AND NOVU, WE CAN EASILY PICK OUT THE 'BAIT' FROM THE 'TRAP.'" He continues, "MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT FROM NOW ON, THEY WILL MOBILIZE TWO DIVISIONS PER GROUP, CONSISTING OF BOTH A CENTRALIZED DIVISION AND A SCATTERED DIVISION. IF THE DIVISIONS WITH A STRONG LEADERSHIP CAN SOMEHOW COME TOGETHER WITH THE REMAINING SCATTERED FORCES, IT WILL BECOME A PROBLEM FOR US." A close-up shows the glasses man saying, "BY THE TIME THE ENEMY FIGURES OUT THEIR NEXT MOVE, WE WILL HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED ANOTHER THREE OR FOUR DIVISIONS. IF WE START ATTACKING BOTH TYPES OF DIVISIONS RANDOMLY, THEN WE CAN CAUSE A BIT OF CONFUSION." In the final panel, a bald man with a mustache thinks, "I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA ON WHAT THEIR NEXT MOVE WILL BE AS WELL..." while another voice notes, "WE MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS BEFORE OUR REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE."

Gon and Killua train intensely, sweat pouring down their faces. Killua urges, "GO ON NOW." A small child cheers, "THREE HOURS ARE UP! OKAY!!" with arms raised. In the forest at night, Gon and Killua face a bear-like creature. Narration states, "THEY'RE ALREADY AT THEIR LIMIT... THE ONLY THING KEEPING THEM GOING RIGHT NOW IS THEIR WILL POWER!! THEY CONTINUE TO EXCEED MY EXPECTATIONS." A close-up of Biscuit shows her thinking, "HOWEVER, SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVING THIS RIGOROUS TRAINING WILL PROBABLY ALLOW THEM TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY. WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THIS RIGOROUS TRAINING, THEIR NEW CONFIDENCE WILL PROBABLY ALLOW THEM TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY." In a dramatic action panel, Gon shouts with intense motion lines, "NO WAY IN HELL WILL I LET THAT HAPPEN!" as he appears to strike or react powerfully.

Deep in a thick forest, a hooded figure in a dark cloak stands with their back turned among tall trees and dense undergrowth. A defiant voice rings out from off-panel: "C'mon, is that all you've got, you punks!!!" In the next tier, close-ups show bound hands gripping a tree trunk while internal monologue continues: "I doubt he'd sell me out, but there's a high probability that he'll let something slip. Considering Knuckle's personality, he's probably taken the enemy under his wing." The bottom half of the page erupts into a dramatic full-width panel against a black background with radiating speed lines. A stern young man with a long braided ponytail, multiple earrings, and layered robes stands with arms crossed, his expression intense. He thinks, "Before that happens... If I'm going to take the initiative, it will be on their way back..."