A sandbag heavy enough to crack the ground and leave a hole?
What kind of concept was this?
"Lan Fei, this sandbag…"
Mito's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the cracks in the ground.
"Lan Fei, how much does this sandbag weigh?"
The bearded uncle, who had seen many strong men in his life, found this sight completely unbelievable.
"Each of my two sandbags weighs 50 kilograms. Together, they're 100 kilograms."
Lan Fei smiled nonchalantly, as if such a weight was nothing to him.
"100 kilograms?"
Mito's expression shifted to one of deep concern. The 13-year-old orphan had been so harsh on himself just to strengthen his body?
For an adult, carrying such a weight would be a tremendous burden. But Lan Fei had been doing this since he was ten years old—running five kilometers every day, rain or shine, without fail.
Mito felt a pang of distress in her heart. She had raised Lan Fei like family, and though Gon was also under her care, he at least had his father, Ging Freecss—a man who had proven himself to be among the most powerful Hunters in the world. But Lan Fei…he had no one but himself.
"100 kilograms of weight?"
"Lan Fei, are you out of your mind, kid?"
"Just for the Hunter Exam?"
The bearded uncle looked at Lan Fei as though he were looking at some kind of monster.
"Of course it's worth it."
Lan Fei took a deep breath. His eyes burned with determination, a faint golden glow flickering in them.
"If I become a Hunter, I'll have the chance to stand at the top of the world. I also want to challenge Gon's father one day."
"Lan Fei, that's amazing."
"Yeah, this kid has real guts."
"If that's your goal, then go for it!"
"Still, you'll have to get through Aunt Mito first."
The villagers who had gathered around all expressed their admiration. A 13-year-old with such lofty ambitions—and the unwavering dedication to match—was truly rare.
"Aunt Mito, don't forget the deal we made."
Lan Fei grinned mischievously at Mito.
"You…you're really going to—"
Mito's voice trembled slightly as realization dawned.
"Aunt Mito, I'm going to catch the kingfish myself."
With that, Lan Fei turned and leaped into the sea.
"Lan Fei!"
Mito shouted after him, her face filled with worry. But the only response was the roar of the waves as his figure vanished beneath the water.
At the same time, high up in a giant tree near the coast, Gon sat cross-legged. He wore a sun visor woven from large leaves, his eyes fixed on the fishing rod in his hands.
Compared to 13-year-old Lan Fei, 12-year-old Gon was noticeably more carefree and innocent. Their training methods were completely different—Gon relied on instinct and natural growth, whereas Lan Fei pushed himself to the extreme, constantly pushing his body past its limits.
As a result, Lan Fei's physique was already far beyond Gon's, even though they were close in age.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Gon's eyes lit up. His fishing rod trembled violently, and the float was yanked beneath the surface.
"It's biting!"
The force behind it was incredible.
"This one's big!"
Gon jumped up excitedly. With a strong pull, he lifted a massive fish out of the water—its shimmering scales reflecting the sunlight as it thrashed in mid-air.
"A kingfish?!"
"I did it—I finally caught one!!"
Overjoyed, Gon secured the fishing line around a thick tree branch before using his body weight to haul the massive creature onto land.
"Hahaha!!"
"Aunt Mito, I caught it!!"
"Now I can take the Hunter Exam!"
Gon flexed his arms and triumphantly dragged the giant kingfish toward the shore.
"Aunt Mito!!"
Soon, Gon spotted Mito among the crowd. He waved excitedly, his energy never fading.
"Gon?"
Mito squinted, then suddenly gasped in shock.
"Wow!!"
"That's a huge kingfish!"
"He actually did it?"
"After twenty years, someone has finally caught one again!"
"Tsk, these two boys are absolute monsters."
"Yeah! Lan Fei's brutal training and Gon's instinctive talent… These two are something else."
"I can't believe Gon was the first to catch one."
"Well, he is Ging Freecss' son. At the same age, Ging did the exact same thing. The resemblance is uncanny."
The villagers were stunned as they watched Gon drag the massive fish onto the shore.
"A kingfish?"
"Gon actually did it…"
Mito's hands clenched into fists. She felt a mixture of pride, excitement, and deep anxiety.
"Aunt Mito, I caught the kingfish, so don't forget our deal!"
Gon beamed, his youthful enthusiasm on full display.
"Gon…what am I going to do with you?"
Mito sighed and shook her head with a helpless smile.
"I don't care!"
"You promised! If I caught it, I get to take the Hunter Exam."
Gon puffed out his chest defiantly.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, just as the villagers gathered around the massive fish, a thunderous sound came from the sea—about 100 meters from the shore.
Everyone turned to look.
A massive whirlpool churned in the ocean, green and golden lights swirling within it.
Then—
A second kingfish burst from the water.
But this one was several times larger than Gon's catch—easily over 1,000 pounds!
"What the hell?!"
"This one's enormous!!"
A figure emerged from the vortex.
Lan Fei.
His body was wrapped in a faint green aura, his limbs coiled with swirling energy.
With a powerful kick, he launched himself from the ocean—his entire form moving as if he were weightless.
Then—
CRACK!!
With a single heavy punch, Lan Fei smashed his fist into the kingfish's skull, the impact instantly knocking the massive creature unconscious.
Silence.
The villagers gaped in shock.
Mito's eyes widened.
Gon stood frozen, still holding onto his own kingfish.
"…"
"…"
"…I win, right?"
Lan Fei grinned.