No. 335: Decision

Gon leaps forward through a chaotic, collapsing space filled with floating debris and motion lines. His face twists in anguish as he cries out "I'M SORRY!! IT'S MY FAULT..." and "IT'S MY FAULT THAT KAITO...!!!" The background shows blurred figures of onlookers and a woman with curly hair watching from below. In the bottom tier, Leorio's face fills a panel with a stunned expression, eyes wide behind his hat brim. Beside him, Gon's shocked face appears with mouth agape as a large bubble declares "TURNED INTO A GIRL!!" while "Ehh--!!" sound effects burst around him.

In a series of panels, a young boy with spiky hair recounts a traumatic memory while crying heavily. He explains that Kaito was rescued from the ant's nest by Shoot, but it was not Kaito himself. The boy describes being with Kaito when Pitou appeared, hearing that Kaito got caught by an enemy. Kaito's arm was cut off, he fell unconscious, and the boy had to endure an ordeal to escape. The boy sobs that Gaido was already dead and that he met Kaito again afterward. The scene shifts to the present where the spiky-haired boy, Gon, reacts with shock as another character with a headband discusses Ging. The headband character notes that Ging is trying to hurry him along because Ging said something selfish. Gon processes the information, agreeing to calm down first while the headband character suggests they both sit down. Gon stares intensely, muttering 'Gon...' and denying that the one who should have died is himself.

Kite continues explaining to Gon in close-up panels. He states that the reason Ging told Gon to run was because he felt his 'reading' of Gon was an overestimate. Kite adds that Ging brought Gon along because he thought Gon was capable. Gon listens with a shocked expression, tears still visible. Kite emphasizes there was no way Ging would bring Gon if he thought Gon couldn't do it from the start. A small panel shows Gon looking down with a sweat drop. Kite concludes that it is Ging's responsibility for his reading being off. Gon looks up with wide eyes and tells Kite not to make the same mistake, asking if Kite feels deep responsibility too. Kite acknowledges that he knows he is responsible for being weak.

Gon stares forward with wide eyes and tears streaming down his face. "OH.." he murmurs softly. "OKAY," he replies. In the next panels Ging, his head wrapped in bandages, glares intensely and shouts, "DON'T DO IT TO ME, DO IT TO KAITO!!" and "AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO APOLOGIZE," followed by "EITHER WAY, GO!!" Ging continues, "BASED ON YOUR STORY I CAN'T REALLY TELL IF HE'S ALIVE OR DEAD, BUT..." Separate speech bubbles ask, "DO YOU KNOW THEM?" and "THERE ARE RULES TO WHEN YOU APOLOGIZE TO YOUR COMRADES." Gon responds uncertainly, "NO... WHAT ARE THEY?" Ging leans in close with a fierce expression and declares, "'WHAT DO I DO NEXT'? YOU MAKE A PROMISE WITH HIM ABOUT THAT. AND YOU MAKE SURE TO HONOR THAT PROMISE!!" Gon clenches his fist and yells, "OKAY!!"

Gon turns slightly and asks, "CAN WE... TALK MORE...? AFTER...?" Ging's back is visible as he replies, "GING..." and then "OKAY, GO!!" with "OKAY!!" Gon runs off down stairs while calling "PITO..." Ging stands with arms crossed saying, "I'M KINDA BUSY AND STUFF...." and "HM... THAT'D BE A PROBLEM." The scene shifts to a chaotic group where Leorio yells at Ging, "LEORIO, GIVE THIS GUY ANOTHER WHACK!!" and "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO GON!! PROMISE FROM NOW ON YOU'LL BE A REAL DAD!!" Other voices shout insults like "YOU SUCK, GING! YOU SUCK, YOU SUCK, YOU SUCK!!" and "DO YOU HAVE NOT A DROP OF BLOOD OR TEARS IN YOU?!" Leorio continues, "CUT THE CRAP, GING!! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A FATHER?!" and "GON CLEARED GREED ISLAND, DON'T YOU? AND YOU STILL DIDN'T MEET WITH HIM!" Ging is shown in the middle looking overwhelmed as Leorio points directly at him from the foreground, shouting, "WAIT! YOU'RE GOING RIGHT? SO GET GOING!" and "AAAAAH!! SHEDDEEP!!! I GET IT!!!"

Gon stands in the center of a massive hall, smiling upward as chaos erupts around him. Above, an enraged crowd of Hunters leans over the balcony, shouting threats and insults. One man yells, "IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH ME, COME HERE AND SETTLE IT!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU ALL ATTACK AT ONCE, COME GET ME, MORONS!!!" Another screams, "OOOOKAY, PUNKS!! HERE I COME!" A third adds, "YOU'RE HIS DAD, AIN'CHA?!" and "ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF US?! YOU GO WITH HIM!!!" Massive motion lines and impact effects fill the air. Suddenly a huge starburst panel erupts with the words "QUIET DOWN!!!!!!" as several furious Hunters glare downward. Another burst declares "EV-RY-ONE!!!!" Below, the vast crowd fills the hall floor, all eyes turned toward the stage where Leorio stands on the steps and a tall figure in striped stockings waits nearby.

Gon stands alone in a small panel, thinking "A NEW LAST CHANCE HAS SHOWN ITSELF...!!" He clenches his fist and declares, "YES!! I STILL...!! I CAN'T GIVE UP!!" In the next panel a woman with glasses and fox ears cheers, "IT'S STILL NOT OVER!!" and "THE ELEC-TION!!" She pumps her fist while another voice says "OKAY, GO AHEAD!!" A close-up shows her determined face as she calls "GON-KUN......!!" A suited man states, "BUT THIS IS THE GENUINE FINAL VOTE!!" and warns, "IF THE VOTE GETS TAKEN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUT RIGHT AFTER!!" He adds, "THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE UNLESS THE ELECTION ENDS, WE CAN'T LEAVE HERE!!" A close-up of the fox-eared woman shows surprise. She continues, "THERE'S ME, PARISTON, AN ALSO LEORIO-SAN!! WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD MAKE A BETTER CHAIRMAN?" and explains, "IF YOU MAKE A TATEMENT NOW, EVERYONE HERE WILL RECOGNIZE IT AS A VALID VOTE!!" Gon sweats nervously at the bottom while SFX and small text bubbles surround him, noting the previous chairman Netero's extended vacation after defeating the Ant King.

A close-up shows Cheadle's shocked face, eyes wide behind her glasses as she exclaims in disbelief. Below, Leorio stands with arms outstretched in the middle of a panel, shouting passionately while Gon watches him from the side. Narration explains that after Leorio's dramatic showing, everyone might get swept up emotionally and vote for him if Gon picks Leorio. A large panel features a smiling character with long hair urging Gon to be honest without any falsities in his heart. Smaller panels at the bottom show close-ups of various Zodiac members reacting with serious or surprised expressions, followed by a wide shot of the assembly hall where Gon stands alone on the stage facing the crowd. In a final close-up, Gon looks uncertain, sweat drop visible, as he begins to speak.

Close-ups show Mizaistom and Cheadle looking toward the stage. In the hall, a figure at the top of the stairs announces they will go with Pariston. Gon stands on the stairs as the crowd reacts with large SFX. Gon explains that Leorio wants to become a doctor so he cannot be chairman. A black panel states that for this time the speaker is completely defeated. In the next panels, Mizaistom thanks Gon while raising his hand, and Cheadle looks dejected with sweat drops. The final panel shows Mizaistom preparing to call for votes.

Gon stands in a small upper panel, looking toward the side with a knowing expression as he says, "I KNOOW." In the adjacent panel, Leorio turns back with a grin, raising one finger while declaring, "MAKE THAT ONE MORE VOTE FOR PARISTON!! SEE YA!!" He adds with a casual wave, "AH, SORRY, I'M GOING WITH HIM, TOO!!" Below, Ging stands alone in the distance as Gon, seen from behind with spiky hair, shouts desperately, "GING!!" The page explodes into a massive lower panel where Gon leaps forward with an enormous excited grin, one arm thrust high as he yells at the top of his lungs, "I'M GOING, OKAY?!?!" Beneath him, Ging lies flattened on the floor, eyes narrowed in irritation, muttering a weak "UUUH!" as Gon towers over him in triumph.

Chaos erupts in a wide hallway as Ging sprints away while Gon chases after him. Onlookers yell in panic, with one voice shouting, "SOMEBODY STOP THIS CHILD NEGLECTING PIECE OF SHIT!! GEBOH" and another crying, "WAAAAH GING SNAPPED!! BUHOGH!" Ging himself roars back, "YA SHOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE 'GOODBYE AND BE CAREFUL'!! WHERE THE HELL'S YOUR COMMON SENSE?!" and "'UUUH' MY AAAASSS !! ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" while motion lines and impact effects fill the air. A side note reads "Twelve Zodiacs, quit laughing and do something!!" and "WE CAN'T!!" In a smaller panel Gon suddenly stops and exclaims, "I REMEMBERED SOMETHING!!" as he turns toward a doorway. Ging, now wearing glasses, comments, "HM~ YEAH, I GUESS" and "AHAHA. IN A WAY, GING'S PRETTY POPULAR, HUH?" The page culminates in a dramatic close-up where Ging grabs a spiky-haired person by the collar, declaring, "I'M THE ONE WHO TAUGHT KAITO NEN ABILITIES!! AND HIS TECHNIQUES!!" while the captive wheezes. Gon watches with wide eyes as voices continue, "THAT INCLUDES HIS 'CRAZY SLOT'!" and "THAT'S PROBABLY THE REASON HE SURVIVED!" with Ging adding, "THAT WON'T COME OUT UNLESS YOU FEEL REALLY SERIOUS!!" and "AND THERE'S ONE NUMBER CALLED 'LIKE HELL I'M GONNA DIE!'"

Gon stands in the hallway and calls out cheerfully, 'OKAY, I'LL BE WAITING!!' A voice answers from off-panel, 'GOT IT!! I'M GOING NOW!!' The unseen speaker continues, 'SACrifice HIMSELF IN YOUR PLACE OR ANY OF THAT!' and adds, 'SO DON'T THINK HE DID SOME SHIT LIKE THAT!' Gon leans forward with a fierce grin, shouting, 'I'LL BEAT THE SHIT OUTTA YOU NEXT TIME!!' The other voice retorts, 'YOUR APOLOGY IS WRONG!!' Gon walks away down the corridor beside a figure in a dark suit. He pauses, murmuring to himself, '"NEXT TIME"...?" Suddenly he breaks into a run, feet pounding as large SFX explode around him: ワ バ ダ ダ ダ ダ ダ. The sound effect reads: DOTAN WAAA GUOH WAAA BATAN WAAA. The page ends on a close-up of Gon's face, eyes wide and smiling brightly as he looks forward.

A large sign displays the election results: 'THE 9TH VOTE TOTAL FOR THE ELECTION OF THE 13TH CHAIRMAN', 'TOTAL HUNTERS - 635', '1ST PARISTON 458 VOTES (72.1%)', '2ND LEORIO 157 VOTES', 'VOTER TURNOUT 96.8%', 'VALID VOTES - 615'. Pariston stands on stage before a crowd of collapsed bodies. He speaks into a microphone, 'I KNOW THIS IS SUDDEN, BUT I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!' The crowd reacts with shock. Pariston continues with a wide smile, 'EVERYONE, I AM YOUR 13TH CHAIRMAN, PARISTON!!' He then declares, 'AND I NOW RESIGN FROM MY POSITION AS CHAIRMAN!!!' and finishes, 'I, PARISTON, NAME CHIDOL-SAN AS MY VICE-CHAIRMAN!!!' Large SFX emphasize his words across the panel.

A grid of intense close-up faces fills the upper half of the page: Leorio in his spotted hat looking tense, a tall figure in an ornate hat, an older man with a headband grimacing, a wide-eyed woman, and a spiky-haired man baring his teeth. Below them, more hunters react with varied expressions of shock and concern. In the center, Gon floats forward with wide eyes and an open mouth, declaring, "I DIDN'T CALCULATE THAT FAR......" A small speech bubble nearby reads "OH...." Suddenly a massive impact erupts with the huge SFX "BAN" as motion lines explode outward. In the lower scene, a suited man stands in a long hallway while a small figure in a dress faces him from a distance, both figures dwarfed by the dramatic black impact shapes and radiating speed lines.

Pariston speaks from off-panel at first, explaining he refused the vice-chairman position because he wanted to be chairman instead. He continues that Netero found him entertaining and would tease him, which secretly pleased him, and that he only wanted to hinder the chairman. A close-up shows Pariston with glasses, fluffy hair, and a wide grin as he asks how far one must go to make fun of him before being satisfied. Smaller panels depict his feet shifting and a hand gesture while he admits wanting to play with the president more. The page ends with a profile close-up of Killua looking to the side with a neutral expression.

A stern-faced person with spiky hair and a headband leans forward, declaring, "IF THE ORGANIZATION YOU MAKE IS A BORING ONE..." A speech bubble nearby reads "CHIDOL-SAN...". In a close-up, the same speaker continues with intense eyes, "MAKE FUN OF YOU. THEN I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO". Below, a small figure with cat ears, glasses, and a cross necklace stands with hands clasped, accompanied by the sound effect "SPX: ZUZU...". On the right side of the page, a tall figure in a pinstripe suit stands against a radiant background and states, "GET THE REVISION OF THE HUNTER EXAM AND THE 10 COMMANDMENTS". A smaller speech bubble adds "DONE SOON...". Farther down, a diminutive cat-eared figure in a dress appears within the same glowing aura.

Outside a large multi-story building, a voice answers a phone call, "WELL~~~ I DUNNO. HE'S NOT PICKING UP HIS CELL." Another asks "HM? AH~~~" while a third bubble inquires "LEORIO, WHERE'S KILLUA?". Inside a vehicle, Leorio with glasses and a suit faces a spiky-haired youth. The youth admits, "I LOST MYSELF... AND SAID SOME TERRIBLE THINGS." Leorio replies, "WHEN WE FOUGHT THE ENEMY... I... HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO KILLUA...". Leorio then says, "WELL, YOU'LL SEE HIM AS SOON AS WE CAN CONTACT HIM. I HEARD IT'S BECAUSE HE WAS GOING AROUND LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HEAL YOU." In a closer shot, Leorio looks surprised. The bottom panel shows the spiky-haired youth reacting with shock, "WHAT? WHAT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!" while Leorio continues, "WELL~~~~ I'M SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH THOSE HARD TIMES...... WHY'RE YOU APOLOGIZING, LEORIO?!" The youth adds, "NO, REALLY, I REALLY MEAN IT..." and Leorio responds, "I KINDA FEEL SORRY, TOO." The sound effect "SPX: ZULLIN..." appears at the bottom.

A pair of large, intense eyes fills the top of the page, staring forward with heavy shading and detailed lashes. Below, a wide view shows a tall, weathered building marked by a large black cross on its facade. A figure with long flowing hair and casual clothing walks away to the right, back turned. In front of the building entrance, a spiky-haired boy sits hunched on the ground, knees drawn up and head lowered. Two distant silhouettes stand near the doors. The caption reads "AND ONE MORE CONCLUSION..." At the bottom, another close-up reveals a different pair of wide eyes framed by messy hair and motion lines, conveying shock or realization.