Whale Island lies directly north of Meteor City, close to the Republic of Bartochia. If you want to land on the island, you still have to take a boat from the harbor to get there.
The name "Whale Island" comes from the fact that when viewed from afar, the shape of this small island looks exactly like a whale.
Very few people ever set foot on this island, which is far from cities and noise, and most of the island's residents make their living from fishing.
At dusk, a sailing ship docked at the harbor.
A white-haired boy jumped down from the high deck onto the pier. He turned around and waved to the captain who was watching him from the deck:
"Uncle Trey, thanks for all the trouble these past few days!"
The middle-aged captain on the deck grinned broadly.
"Have fun! Little guy—!"
Kisho watched as the sailboat set off again, the towering mast gradually disappearing beyond the sea's horizon.
He lifted his head and gazed at the sky burned red by the setting sun. The evening glow reflected on the sea, shimmering with dazzling ripples that made one unconsciously squint.
The salty sea breeze blew past, carrying with it the crisp cries of seagulls.
It was the same ocean, yet this stretch of sea felt far more refreshing and open than the waters near Lashan Mountain Harbor.
"Ah~~ha..."
Kisho stretched lazily, then yawned, looking out at the winding stream and the forest at its far end as he sighed with emotion:
"This is way more comfortable than Meteor City's garbage mountains!"
"Once I figure out Noah Barton's situation, maybe I'll just buy a place here and retire—ocean-view houses here can't be that expensive. Plan approved!"
He slung the bag in his hand onto his back and walked slowly along the stream.
"Anyway, there are still a full four months before the exam. Taking some time to relax doesn't hurt—let's call it a vacation."
Kisho muttered to himself as he walked, rubbing his stomach, which was growling loudly from hunger.
"Let's be realistic. I should find somewhere to eat first."
After looking around, Kisho walked over to the dock and blinked at a woman who was packing up her stall.
"Hello. May I ask if there's somewhere around here to eat?"
The woman froze for a moment, then broke into a gentle, friendly smile.
"Are you here alone to play? You hardly ever see tourists like you on Whale Island."
Kisho nodded.
"Mhm~"
The woman pointed in a direction.
"Just follow the stream straight ahead and you'll find the village. There's a tavern in the village that serves food."
She looked at Kisho again.
"But it's a bit far and takes a long time to walk. You're just a child—walking at night is really unsafe. How about staying at my place for the night?"
Kisho smiled and waved his hand.
"No need, I'm used to walking at night."
Seeing him refuse, the woman didn't insist. She smiled, handed him an apple, and said:
"Take this and eat it on the way~"
Kisho took it and smiled in thanks.
"Thanks~"
...
After passing through the dock, Kisho walked along the stream all night. It wasn't until the next morning that he finally entered the village on Whale Island.
"This is not 'a bit far' at all. It's 'absurdly far.'"
Seeing smoke rising from the chimneys of every household, Kisho shook his arms and complained.
After entering the village, he quickly found the tavern she had mentioned.
Compared to the other houses in the village, this tavern stood out far too much.
The first floor of the tavern was built beneath the roots of a massive tree, shaded by emerald-green foliage, while the second floor was entwined with the great tree itself, giving it a unique appearance.
There weren't many people in the tavern in the early morning.
Kisho pulled open the half-closed red wooden door and stepped inside.
Inside the tavern, there was only a girl who looked not yet twenty, wiping down the tables.
She wore a pink top and a necklace inlaid with green gemstones. Her reddish-brown short hair was combed back, revealing her forehead, and her eyes were a clear green.
—It seemed she was the owner of this tavern.
"A customer? We haven't officially opened yet."
She straightened up and looked toward Kisho, but when she saw that the "customer" was just a child, she changed her tone.
"But if you want something to eat, come on in."
"Thank you. Sorry to disturb you."
After thanking her, Kisho went inside and sat down at the bar counter.
The wooden counter was kept very clean. On the wine rack were bottles of champagne and red wine, as well as a photo frame.
In the photo was a man sitting in front of a motorcycle, smiling confidently at the camera. He wore a hat and a gray scarf. One of his eyes was hidden beneath the brim of the hat, while the other shone brightly.
Kisho stared at the photo for a while and evaluated it in his heart.
"Mm… pretty handsome."
He raised a hand and scratched his head.
"And I don't know why, but from a certain angle, I feel like this person might belong to the same world as Chrollo and Hisoka."
Kisho frowned, resting his chin on his hand.
"This feeling… it's really strange."
"What would you like to eat?"
The girl's voice interrupted his thoughts.
She walked over to him and smiled faintly as she looked at him.
"Mm, just some stir-fried dishes and a bowl of rice will do. I'm not picky."
After thinking for a moment, Kisho raised his hand and pointed at the liquor behind the counter.
"And a bottle of alcohol too!"
"The food is fine." The girl suddenly put on a stern expression, her presence becoming so intense that Kisho actually felt scared. "But alcohol is not allowed—children are forbidden from drinking."
Kisho fell silent and surrendered.
"…Okay."
Only then did the young tavern owner show a satisfied look, her tone softening again.
"Wait a moment."
A short while later, the food was served. The natural fragrance unique to seafood and mountain produce powerfully tempted the appetite of someone who had nearly thrown up from eating canned food at the troupe's base.
Like a whirlwind, he devoured the food, wolfing it down.
Placing a bottle of soda on the table and watching the way Kisho ate, the girl seemed to think that this child must have been abused for a long time. She looked at him with a complicated expression.
"You… have you been hungry for a long time?"
"No. It's just because it's really delicious."
Kisho praised her without restraint. Anyone who ate nothing but canned food for a whole month would find normal meals delicious—let alone when the owner's cooking was genuinely good.
Tears of happiness slid from the corner of his mouth as Kisho looked at her with sparkling eyes.
"May I ask how I should address you? I'll be staying on Whale Island for quite a while, so—"
"Mito," the girl replied. "You can call me Mito. But this shop doesn't do delivery."
Kisho nodded, about to say something, when a hearty greeting rang out as someone entered the tavern.
"Yo, Mito! You've already got customers this early?"
A villager in a brown shirt walked in, followed by several fishermen who had come early to buy alcohol.
"Tsk, a new face. Kid, did you come from outside?"
The enthusiastic villager greeted Kisho without any sense of distance.
Before Kisho could answer, he turned to Mito instead.
"Where's Gon? Why haven't I seen him?"
"Obviously off playing in the forest again," Mito replied, her expression displeased.
She sighed and muttered quietly, almost imperceptibly.
"Honestly… just like his father, always running into the forest."
"Hahaha, being energetic is a good thing!" the villager laughed teasingly. "Maybe Gon will pass the Hunter Exam someday too, just like Ging?"
When Kisho heard the words "Hunter Exam," his ears immediately perked up.
At that, Mito's expression turned cold.
"Don't mention the Hunter Exam, and don't mention that guy Ging either!"
The villager raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. Won't mention it."
Kisho looked at Mito in surprise. Although he didn't know why she reacted so strongly to the words "Hunter Exam," still—
Well, if he wanted to keep eating here in the future, it would be better not to mention that he himself had come here for the sake of the Hunter Exam in front of her.