Chapter 46

As Nobara and Miu came up behind me and the false in-jump memories poured into me, I examined the boat in front of me.

It was massive, a hulking behemoth of steel and wood that dwarfed any galleon I had ever seen, even in pictures.

Its towering masts scraped the sky, adorned with sails that billowed in the salty breeze like the wings of a monstrous bird.

The hull, reinforced with thick iron plates and studded with cannons, exuded an air of both elegance and raw power, a testament to the maritime prowess of this world.

"The anime fucking lied to me about this ship." I said, "This doesn't even look similar to what I saw in the anime at all!"

Ignoring the throngs of aspiring Hunters jostling for position on the crowded docks, we effortlessly leaped onto the deck, our enhanced strength and agility making the jump a mere trifle.

The air buzzed with a cacophony of languages and accents, a testament to the diverse backgrounds of those seeking to join the ranks of the Hunters.

Many tried to project an air of intimidation, their faces twisted into scowls and their bodies adorned with weapons and scars.

It was obvious to me that they were nothing more than amateurs playing dress-up.

"This place is insane," Nobara muttered, her eyes scanning the crowd with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "It's like a circus sideshow, only with more knives and scowls."

She smirked, "Look at that literal clown!"

For a moment I panicked when she said clown, wondering if this was an AU world where Hisoka actually was in the first boat-

Only to deadpan when I saw a literal fat clown with knives plastered all over his body.

Miu chuckled, her gaze sweeping across the deck. "They're clearly just a bunch of wannabe tough guys trying to look intimidating. They have no idea what they're getting themselves into."

As we navigated the crowded deck, our false memories intertwined, weaving a shared history that felt strangely real.

We had been orphans, abandoned in the infamous Meteor City, a lawless craphole where survival was a daily struggle.

On our fourteenth birthdays, we had decided to escape, to forge our own destinies beyond the confines of that desolate place.

For five years, we had trained together, honing our skills and preparing for the day we would attempt the Hunter Exam.

Now, at nineteen years old, we stood on the precipice of our goal, Becoming hunters.

"This world's technology is surprisingly advanced," I commented, noting the sleek design of the ship and the various gadgets and devices I saw people carrying in my memory. "It's pretty weird to think this world is in 1999."

Miu nodded in agreement. "Maybe it's the influence of Nen and the Hunters who specialize in technology," she suggested. "They could be pushing the boundaries of what's possible."

We found a secluded spot near the railing, away from the prying eyes and boisterous chatter of the other examinees.

The vast expanse of the ocean stretched before us, its waves sparkling under the bright morning sun.

A sense of anticipation filled the air as the ship set sail. A few moments later, I noticed the protagonist of this world got onto the ship using his fishing rod.

I noticed the captain, and decided to mix things up. "Hey, preliminary mr. examiner! The ship is too damn crowded! If I kick some asses, will you disqualify me? I'm just trying to help out."

The old captain with the white hair, white beard, and sailor style clothing frowned.

"Damnit, kid, I was trying to pretend to be a normal ship captain and you ruined my facade. Well, since my normal way of weeding out morons won't work anymore, feel free to play examiner, just be fair alright!"

I nodded, "Sure, I'll just use martial arts and hold back my strength to what I think the minimum should be to even be here."

Everyone was scowling at me now except for the green themed protagonist, the blonde tabard wearing bro with the burning need for vengeance and-.

It looks like Leorio is also scowling at me.

I do remember him needing a reality check at the start of the series.

Whatever.

"Alright weaklings and morons! Fight me or fight me! You have no choice, because if you don't come to me, I'll certainly come to you!"

I rapidly use observe on everyone to gauge their strength, and there are only 5 others that meet my minimum and that includes the three protagonist people.

I point to Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon, along with a green haired dude in a fancy red suit and earrings- wait, is that a tojo clan emblem? I guess buying the Tojo clan into this world had some changes.

I then pointed to the guy next to him who also had a Gold Tojo Emblem.

"Spiky hair and suit, spiky hair and fishing pole with the green ensemble, blue-tabard-blondie, Green-red Tojo goldie, and the tojo with the other gold emblem who has a weird fashion sense and the ginger hair! You all already passed my test due to sufficient strength!"

"Tie Dye clothing is in peak fashion! You wanna go?!"

The green haired guy pulled his colorfully fashioned friend aside.

He urgently whispered in his ear and then the ginger looked away. "Fine. Thanks for passing me, strong guy."

"NOW THEN! PROVE YOURSELF OR GET OFF THE NICE CAPTAIN'S SHINY ASS SHIP!"

A wide grin spread across my face as I surveyed the sea of scowling faces before me.

The challenge had been issued, and the weaklings were about to be separated from the worthy.

Miu and Nobara, sensing the impending chaos, wisely retreated to the top of the rigging, their amused expressions adding to the entertainment value of the spectacle.

"Don't be too harsh on them, Zack," Miu called down, her voice laced with a hint of playful mockery. "Remember, they're just a bunch of amateurs."

Nobara chimed in from the background, "Yeah, try not to break too many bones. We still need some of them around for the actual exam."

I chuckled, my excitement building as the first wave of examinees charged towards me.

With a deep breath, I settled into a stance, relying solely on the strength and skills honed through years of martial arts training and the enhancements provided by the body mod.

Nen and Ki would be overkill against these amateurs.

The next few minutes were a blur of motion.

"Ooh, that one was graceful! Like a drunken flamingo!" Nobara called as one man flailed backwards and hit his head on his way down.

Miu Laughed as another went face first into the drink, "Ten out of ten for that faceplant! Bravo!"

Fists and feet along with knives and assorted implements of cutting and stabbing flew towards me from all directions, but I met each attack with effortless grace, my body twisting and turning like a willow in the wind.

"Someone gets that man a life preserver... and a sense of balance. 1 out of 10!" was Miu's response to one guy charging forward and then just tripping on a hook for the rigging.

With my left leg and right palm, I twisted one man's arm and opposite leg into a spinning, flying trajectory across into the ship and over the rainbow. "He's spinning like a top! Someone get that man a prize!" Nobara cracked up.

"He's doing the backstroke... with his face! 9 out of 10!" Miu called out with a stunned proclamation as another man just skipped like a rock, face first, and somehow just kept skipping on his face without his body hitting the water.

One by one, the wannabe Hunters were flung overboard, their bodies arcing through the air in a symphony of flailing limbs and comical screams.

Miu's laughter echoed from above as she provided a running commentary on the spectacle. "Eight out of ten for that splash!" she declared as a particularly lanky examinee pinwheeled through the air before landing with a resounding splash.

"Bonus points for style!" Nobara's voice chimed in as another unfortunate soul was sent cartwheeling over the railing, his limbs flailing like a windmilling scarecrow.

I grinned, enjoying the show as much as they were.

My movements were fluid and powerful, each block and counter-attack sending another examinee tumbling into the ocean below. As the numbers dwindled, the quality of the remaining examinees began to improve to barely below not crap.

"Look at him go! He's flying like a majestic... potato. Like literally out of a potato launcher. To the moon, my friend. To the moon."

A few skilled martial artists managed to last a bit longer, their techniques showing a glimmer of understanding and experience.

But even though they were no match for my enhanced strength and speed, their efforts were ultimately futile against the redirecting power of the water stream rock smashing fist.

One by one, they too succumbed, their bodies joining the growing collection of floundering figures in the ocean below.

The final non-canon and non-tojo opponent approached. A large muscly guy slowly approached with a cocky grin on his face.

This guy felt weak though. I'm so confused right now.

He threw a punch.

It was telegraphed but he somehow expected it to hit.

I could tell he was somehow confident in his absolute trash technique.

I sighed, I punched forward and heard a sickening crack.

His neck broke from what was basically a love-tap to the jaw.

I just stared at the giant ball of stupid as it fell and then slid off the deck into the water.

"That's what you get for trying to look tough, you poser! 0 out of 10!" was Miu's final call.

I blinked.

I decided to just forget that stupidity.

It started raining, and the remaining 8 people, tye dye included, entered the cabin below.