Hunter × Hunter Chapter 347: Inauguration

In a chaotic hallway, three armed men in heavy jackets and scarves fire upward at a massive explosion that rips through the ceiling, sending debris and bodies flying. Below, a blond character with short hair shouts in alarm, 'STOP IT! ARE YOU TRYING TO ACTUALLY KILL THEM?!' Beside him, a man in a chef's hat and uniform gestures wildly, '...!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!' In the lower panels, the blond character continues, 'HOW CONVENIENT. CORNER THEM CAREFULLY.' Armed figures move down a narrow corridor as voices call out, 'THEY'RE HEADING DOWN TO THE BASEMENT.' 'SEAL OFF THE EXITS.' 'KEEP OUTTA THIS.' The chef and others stand ready in the background.

On a grand staircase, a suited man tumbles down the steps while a spiky-haired youth leaps forward. A blond character on the right yells, 'A BASTARD IN A SUIT THAT'S ALL TALK AND A COWARD THAT GETS BEAT UP BY EVEN ROOKIES!! EVERYONE KISSES YOUR ASSES LIKE YOU ARE SO SPECIAL, BUT I'VE NEVER NOT HATED YOU JERKS!! WHAT A PERFECT CHANCE TO DEAL WITH THIS FOR GOOD!!' The suited man retorts from the stairs, '...AND SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!!' The spiky-haired youth adds, 'THAT'S JUST AN IMAGE OF ME THAT WAS PIECED TOGETHER FROM A BUNCH OF TOTALLY SEPARATE LITTLE "INCIDENTS..."' and 'YOU OF ALL PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE'S SERIOUSLY BAD TEMPER?' In the lower tunnels, the spiky-haired youth sits and says, 'BUT GENTLY.' 'YEAH ...' A small figure notes, 'HARSH! I WAS JUST GOING ALONG WITH YOUR FLOW, GING-SAN.' 'AND BESIDES, THIS IS ALL BECAUSE YOU PROVOKED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!' Armed pursuers advance through the dark corridors as the youth asks, 'SO THEN, SHALL WE?' and concludes, 'WELL, NOW THAT IT'S STARTED, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BACK DOWN, ARE THEY?'

Ging leans in close with a sly grin, asking if it is okay for him to witness what is about to happen. His expression shifts to confident determination as he notes that even though the opponents are emitter-types, they are the sort who would simply materialize guns, declaring that this will be a breeze. In the lower panel Ging assumes a low stance, aura flaring violently around his extended fists. Small black fragments scatter from the energy as he affirms with a focused glare, 'Yeah... No problem.'

Ging leaps through the air with fierce focus, body twisted mid-motion as massive stylized 'Hup Hup Hup' letters dominate the foreground. Below him the rocky ground is torn apart by the force of his attack. In a small inset panel Kurapika stares in shock, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. The next panel shows Ging crouched low in a ruined stone chamber, hands clasped together as droplets of liquid fall from his fingers onto the cracked floor. Kurapika's face appears in close-up on the left, watching intently.

Ging stands at the edge of a long, ruined corridor, his eyes narrowed as he surveys the scene ahead. A thought crosses his mind: 'THIS IS...'. In a flashback panel, Leorio unleashes a powerful strike, the impact labeled 'LEORIO'S ...7' as it crashes into several figures. The corridor itself is filled with countless sharp spikes erupting from the floor and walls, debris flying everywhere. Two armed guards in the foreground react with shock, their mouths open as a large '!!' appears above them. They grip their rifles tightly while sound effects like 'ZII' and impact marks scatter around their feet.

A massive impact erupts with dramatic jagged sound effects filling the upper half of the page. Below, Ging and Kurapika stand close together. Ging says, 'IT'S NOTHING SO AMAZING.' Kurapika asks, 'IS THIS A TECHNIQUE THAT'S ABLE TO TRACE OTHER PEOPLES' ABILITIES?' Ging replies with a confident expression, 'IT'S JUST A NATURAL TALENT, I GUESS.' He continues, 'IF I GET HIT BY A STRIKE-TYPE ABILITY ONCE, I CAN PRETTY MUCH IMITATE IT.' In the final panel, Ging and Kurapika walk deeper into a dark, rocky cave passage lined with glowing crystals and warning signs.

In the dim stone tunnel two armed men crouch and listen. The slick-haired man mutters, "You don't think all three of them were killed...!?" while his mohawked partner answers, "It's too quiet." A small "SIDE..." sound effect drifts from the rocks. Further down the passage Gon and another figure walk away from the pair. The two gunmen debate their next move: "Should we go in...?" and "Wait... there might be a signal..." Nearby, Gon presses his hands to the wall and explains the situation. "There's two people leaning against the other side of this wall... Letting out pulses of your aura like an ultra-sound scan... On top of that, it's a lot stealthier than using 'En'." A blond companion adds, "I think that ability was probably the result of trial-and-error using palpations and tapping. Leorio's training to be a doctor, right? I'm sure he did something like this, as well." In a close-up an eye widens as the observer realizes, "I see..."

The two gunmen remain tense, one whispering "...And here..." while the other says "Let's see... here..." Leorio's voice continues the explanation: "Can be destroyed from the outside... Tumors and blood clots that can't be reached or accessed with a scalpel..." Suddenly Gon unleashes a powerful strike. His hands slam forward, releasing a massive burst of aura that erupts through the wall like a cannon blast. The impact is labeled "LIKE THIS...!!" accompanied by huge stylized "DON" lettering and motion lines. The two gunmen are hurled backward, eyes wide in shock, blood and saliva flying as they scream "HINCH..." and "HAAH..."

In a rocky outdoor setting, the spiky-haired man stands with his back partially turned while the blond man in a pinstripe suit faces him. The spiky-haired man reacts with surprise, saying 'Eh...?' as speech bubbles discuss whether the mission has been completed. He questions if they gave up, noting it doesn't look like anyone else is coming and that it seems more like the opposite. The blond man states the whole thing was obviously staged and accuses the spiky-haired man of putting on a show. The spiky-haired man replies that if given the choice he might have taken it, then explains there were rough edges but the biggest mistake was with the pissed-off mohawk guy who didn't bring up kicking them both out. He walks away down a path with the blond man following behind, admitting he went with it and fought them because he felt bad they had to act out the self-serving scenario, but warns that next time the blond man should come at him himself. A close-up shows intense eyes glaring from the shadows.

Inside a spacious room with hanging lights, the blond man with elf-like ears sits casually while the spiky-haired man and another blond figure react with shock. The spiky-haired man exclaims they were figured out. The blond elf-eared man comments on the ridiculous monotone delivery and questions why the spiky-haired man was easy on himself. He reveals he thought his own acting was good too. The spiky-haired man insists it is not a problem, noting backup reserves at the best level can handle the Dark Continent. The blond elf-eared man advises worrying more about soldiers than acting. In another area, a man in military gear holds documents while discussing sniper cover-fire, reconnaissance, and artillery support, with the spiky-haired man and blond elf-eared man listening nearby.

In a spacious room, a massive armored robot kneels with its enormous gauntlets clasped. A small boy with spiky hair sits on a couch in the background while a dark silhouette stands nearby. The robot states, "HE'LL BE HANDLING THE SHOOTING." Another voice replies, "EXACTLY." The robot continues, "A JOINT-TYPE, HUH?" In a larger panel the robot's damaged shoulder is shown as it explains, "WHICH IS MANNED BY AN EMITTER-TYPE WHO CREATES THE BULLETS, HE MATERIALIZES A POWERFUL, HEAVY WEAPON... BY DOING SO, THEIR POWER BECOMES MUCH GREATER THAN IT WOULD BE SEPARATELY." The spiky-haired boy looks up and says, "I SEE..."

The conversation continues as the robot discusses battlefield efficiency. A woman with long hair comments, "THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING." Gon asks the robot, "YOU'RE NOT BAD... WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" The robot replies about long-term group warfare and Nen bullets, then states, "SO THIS IS HOW THOSE NEN WEAPONS WERE SENT TO THE SOLDIERS?" A flashback panel shows a ruined city with the caption about the legendary unit "LUBO" from the civil war. The robot is called "GOLEM" by its comrades. A blonde woman and a scarred man discuss the robot's aura and voice. In the lower panels a man with slicked-back hair asks about money while Gon leans forward and addresses someone named Muhel directly: "YOU'RE THE ONE IN CHARGE OF ALL THE DIVISIONS AREN'T YOU, MUHEL?"

The long-haired man with pointed ears stands against a swirling dark background, his expression stern as he speaks in multiple overlapping speech bubbles. "It's the same as with the title of a book, or where you put your remote control on the table... they're all decided upon. And you don't want them changed. Tossing money around so freely as if it were clean and simple made me sick to my stomach. You must know at the very least that we soldiers value each others' trust more than anything else, right? If rumors were to start popping up about people being bought out with money, those people would be ostracized." In a series of smaller panels showing wooden architecture and a partial view of another figure, the spiky-haired boy replies, "I don't." The man continues, "If you have an explanation, I'd like to hear it. And the truth is, I've been pissed off about this situation as well. I even heard from people who wanted to quit after hearing what you said." In a close-up, the man adds, "But... for those that have already accepted, I can't just suddenly take it back. I'm sorry for causing so much disturbance. Not even a whimper... there's nothing I can do but say sorry." At the bottom of the page, the long-haired man stands facing the spiky-haired boy, who sits on a large suitcase against a black background dotted with a halftone circle. The boy asks, "Do you think... we can settle this with donations to the Nowell Foundation?"

A wide establishing shot shows a refugee camp with tents, soldiers, and civilians under a cloudy sky. Narration explains that a soldier named Nowell began providing guidance and life assistance using money deposited into his personal account by fellow soldiers; this "miracle account" now relies on deposits from so-called third-generation accounts. The Nowell Foundation offers mutual aid including financial support, spiritual guidance, unemployment services, education, and childcare to families of fallen soldiers. In close conversation panels, the long-haired man asks the spiky-haired boy if he is being serious about making a grandchild account and questions his angle. The boy responds with surprise, asking why the man is going so far to try giving away his money. The man replies that he does not understand at all. Additional speech bubbles from both characters reveal past happiness, the assumption that others were dazzled by money, and the man's admission that he got himself into the situation by talking too much and later wondering why he said those things.

Close-up panels show a character in a polka-dot hat, a wide-eyed figure in a striped beanie, a clenched fist, a stern face marked by tears, and a woman with spiral glasses all listening in silence. In a wide riverside scene a lone figure stands with hands in pockets and explains, "I just wanted to blow off some steam... And to be honest, I came here without straightening my feelings out. But when I look back on it, beyond challenged it before I ever did. Originally, when I realized my secret voyage plans that I had been looking forward to were speared through the side, I was pissed off..." A profile shot of long straight hair follows as the speaker recalls, "Were 'let me join, too.' ...I even surprised myself a bit. But when I got here, the first words that came out of my mouth..." In the next panel the striped-beanie character asks, "I remember asking him about it myself," while the long-haired figure replies, "Well, Marshall?" A spiky-haired man with stubble adds, "I don't really remember how things got to the bit about the money." The final tier shows a hooded figure and the striped-beanie character continuing the discussion: "But at the same time, without knowing any of this either, I accused Ging-san of trying to manipulate people into getting his way. After seeing both of their discord over causing the incident with the previous president and hearing Ging's personal feelings towards the Dark Continent, I suppose I pardoned all that. My first impression was that Ging kept this air about him of always stirring up trouble, and that he was a dangerous person. I had a chance when he and Pariston were arguing."

Inside a grand hall a voice states, "I see. I think I get it now. That's all." Larger bubbles continue, "And since we prioritized solving our problem, we found that there were undeniable merits in having Ging command us. Marione and I created war preparations in the event that we should need to gain control over a chaotic situation." Ging, now in a sleeveless top, recounts, "I was absolutely serious when I said I wanted to take him out of his Number 2 position in order to stop his schemes. And I was also serious when I said I wanted to help with Beyond's plan. My relationship with Pariston is... complicated to say the least... but I'm not trying to stir anything up here. At that time, I didn't really think that the money was going to cause a problem!! Well, I was trying to be cool about it... And just how... does this connect to the money?" Ging extends his hand and declares, "Will you take it or won't you? It's up to you to decide, Muhel. This money may be a parting gift from me, but it also has self-interest. Accept me." A small figure bows while the long-haired character watches. At the bottom of the page a mysterious figure behind bars asks, "Explain it as such to begin with? Why did you not..."

Inside the building, Kurapika stands beside a large mechanical pod and mutters, "If only you had, everything would have gone smoothly." Ging, looking away with a sweat drop, replies, "Ah well, I guess this is probably my fault, too... yup." A small figure in a striped hat asks, "What was that?" Kurapika continues, "C'mon... try and feel this out!" while explaining in parentheses, "The reason I couldn't was that I had to get him to acknowledge and become aware of his shame in order to quell the disorder." The group discusses the money going to the Norwel Foundation in exchange for the soldiers' understanding. Kurapika offers to keep the soldiers together on the scene. A close-up shows Ging and another man exchanging glances. Kurapika insists, "Let me just be clear about this first, I'm okay with you being no. 2..." The small figure and Ging salute with "SIR YES SIR!!" and "UNDERSTOOD, NO. 2...!" as the discussion about the battlefield orders and the grandson account continues.

Kurapika walks down a wooden corridor and confirms, "Everyone just agreed." The man in the striped suit replies, "Yeah." They discuss that the guys coming back won't object any longer to Pariston acknowledging Ging as No. 2. A translator note appears about a Japanese proverb. A hand holds a smartphone displaying a list of names and numbers while transmitting it. The man states they can go ahead and send the money freely since the infiltration failed. Ging tells the blond man, "As always, you can take the lead." The blond man replies, "In name only, that is." Ging is congratulated on his inauguration as No. 2. Ging smiles and says he wants to see how well the other handles things, receiving the response that it will have to be refused. Ging declares, "Then I won't hold back." The other answers, "I see." The page ends with the Hunter x Hunter No. 347 / END logo.