After Elita left, Ron took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Have you gotten in touch with Ruco?"
Because Ruco was nearly killed in the exam and decided to quit, Ron had asked Ponzu to contact her first. Ron didn't want to wait until after the Hunter Exam ended to get in touch; that would waste too much time. Ponzu had already decided to join Ron's team, but Ruco was still on the fence. If Ruco truly wasn't interested, Ron wouldn't force her. On the other hand, if Ruco didn't meet his expectations, Ron also wouldn't accept her either.
"Ruco is right here with me," Ponzu said, glancing at Ruco.
"Give me your location. I'm about to head over."
Ponzu told him where they were, then hung up.
Ron focused briefly. A moment later, Chii reappeared at his side.
"Chii, let's map out a route."
Chii quickly plotted the optimal path. Ron took a look.
"Let's drive to that small town first…"
They reached a tiny town, where Ron rented a car. Sitting in the back seat, he listened to the engine rumble as they set off. During the ride, Ron mentally revisited the entire Hunter Exam.
"Because I participated, the exam changed a lot. Some who should've died are still alive, like Bodoro. Some who should've survived ended up dead, like Amori and Usoli. And Killua—he didn't lose his qualification; he actually earned his license."
At this point, Ron wasn't concerned with preserving any 'original storyline.' One reason was Killua was his junior, and Ron felt a sense of responsibility toward him. He figured it was only natural to help, just as he'd aided Gon during the early phases of the exam.
Ron traveled until he arrived at another town, then switched to a large bus for the next leg of the journey to the closest big city. There, he bought boat tickets. Two days later, he disembarked at the dock, where Ponzu and Ruco were waiting outside the station.
"Captain, over here!"
Ponzu approached first, waving eagerly. Her excitement to see Ron was obvious, while Ruco followed a step behind.
Ron exited the terminal, glanced at both of them, and said, "Let's find a hotel."
"Sure," they replied.
Ponzu had booked a suite—a set of spacious rooms. The lobby featured a large window offering a panoramic view of the distant skyline. Once inside, Ron sank onto a sofa, finally letting himself unwind. The Hunter Exam might not have been overly difficult for him, but it still demanded effort.
"Captain, can I see your Hunter License?" Ponzu asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
Ron pulled out his license and handed it over. She studied it intently, and Ruco leaned in as well. For them, obtaining a license presented a whole new set of possibilities—both had participated in the Hunter Exam, though Ponzu had dropped out partway because she wasn't strong enough at the time.
After dinner, the three returned to their hotel.
"Ponzu, Ruco," Ron said, "I want your opinions on something. Among all the applicants in this Hunter Exam, how would you rank their power levels? Who stood out to you as the strongest?"
Ponzu and Ruco exchanged glances.
"In terms of strength," Ruco said, "I'd divide them into three ranks. Anyone who didn't make it to Zevil Island is at the bottom. Gittarackur, Hisoka, Hanzo, and you, Captain—those four are at the top. Everyone else is in the middle."
"I agree," Ponzu said. "If we wanted finer distinctions, we could, but ultimately it's three groups."
"We can merge the second and third groups anyway. The gap between them isn't as large as the gap between them and the top tier of four. This brings us to the crucial point: it's not just about physical skill or battle experience. It's about a fundamental difference in energy control. The four in the top tier can all use 'Nen'—the life energy known as aura."
Ron picked up a slender metal stirrer and pointed it at Ruco.
"Remember when I mentioned on Zevil Island how I could pierce someone's body or a rock effortlessly with a leaf?"
"That was aura?" Ruco asked.
"Exactly. It's one of Nen's applications."
Ron then pressed the stirrer's tip against a golden metallic cup. The metal yielded as though sliced by a blade, and he did it slowly, without exerting obvious force.
"Now, I'm going to teach you two how to awaken Nen. First, you'll learn to sense aura, then we'll open your aura nodes. Given your current physical condition, you won't need any special training beforehand. After that, I can gauge your potential. It shouldn't take long."
Meanwhile, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio were on a bus heading toward Kukuroo Mountain. From the window, they could see the mountain looming in the distance.
"I never imagined the Zoldyck estate would be so easy to find," Leorio remarked.
"The locals treat it almost like a landmark," Kurapika noted.
"It's practically a tourist site," Gon added quietly.