Chapter 32: Tiger-striped Shark? Hunter x Oilcloth
So many fish—tiger-striped sharks!
"All mine, all mine!"
Master Karin had his whole feline body pressed against the enormous fish tank. If not for the last shred of rationality preserving his image, he would've jumped in to catch the fish himself.
Trying hard not to look at the tank, Master Karin turned to Yamcha and said, "Alright, meow—how much do you want?"
Yamcha held up one finger.
"One tank for one tank!"
Yamcha actually wanted all of Karin's Senzu Beans. Rather than letting some meathead Yasuo ruin them later, it was better to keep them well-preserved in his own hands.
Of course, if he asked for them all, Master Karin definitely wouldn't agree. One tank was good enough for now—especially since it'd be a while before that meathead Yasuo showed up anyway.
And obviously, the tank of Senzu Beans wasn't nearly as big as Yamcha's tank of fish.
Master Karin was about to refuse when Yamcha pulled out another capsule.
"Two tanks of fish for one tank of beans!"
But it was just too much to pass up. Two full tanks of fish—so many he couldn't even count them all.
Anyway, they were just Senzu Beans—nothing that valuable.
Anyway, it wouldn't take long for another batch to grow.
Anyway, Senzu Beans were like leeks—cut one batch, and another grows. A renewable resource.
Deal!
Master Karin immediately hugged a tank of Senzu Beans over and quickly snatched up the capsule filled with fish.
Yamcha carefully stored the exchanged tank of Senzu Beans in a capsule and kept it close to his body.
Their actions didn't escape each other's notice. Man and cat met eyes and burst into laughter at the same time.
"Master Karin, next time we meet, I'll definitely take the Ultra Divine Water from you!"
"Hahaha! If you've got the guts, come and get it! If you manage to steal the Ultra Divine Water from me, I'll even give you something nice."
What else did Master Karin even have?
The power-unlocking poison—Ultra Divine Water.
The legendary flying artifact—Flying Nimbus.
Yamcha couldn't use the Ultra Divine Water for now. As for the Flying Nimbus—honestly, it was a pretty good transportation tool, but only those pure of heart could ride it. Yamcha didn't think of himself as a bad guy, but he wouldn't call his heart "pure" either. So he hadn't even bothered asking.
As for the Black Flying Nimbus, the one used by evil-hearted people—that only appeared in the Dragon Ball TV anime.
One day later, Red Ribbon Army, Fire Mountain Branch
"Bro, where have you been all month?"
After a brief chat with Lieutenant Leopard, Yamcha handed over a list.
"Commander Leopard, can you help me get these things together? Usual deal—put it on the card."
"Bro, you planning to go to war or something?"
Commander Leopard was a bit surprised by the items on the list, but he didn't ask much and just sent his men to take care of it.
"I got a notice yesterday. General Silver will be dropping by in about three days. You better stay put for now. When he comes, you need to make a good impression."
"We're gonna get rich, man."
'Three days? That's enough time to hop into another world.'
The Red Ribbon Army's efficiency was pretty solid—it only took a few hours to prepare everything Yamcha had listed.
"Don't forget—three days from now!"
Lieutenant Leopard reminded him again before he left.
He was serious about wanting to recruit Yamcha into the organization.
"You know what? Maybe you should just get a place here. That desert of yours is deserted—nobody around for miles. It's way too inconvenient."
A house, huh?
The first image that popped into Yamcha's head was that ant's nest of a place in the desert—full of holes, barely passable as a home.
'I should find time to renovate that place. At least make it sturdier.'
It was only because Yamcha had a fearsome reputation that the desert remained empty. But with his growing wealth, it was bound to attract attention eventually.
'Might as well hire some guards too.'
Monsters, rare beasts, treasure, secret relics, mystical realms—the allure of the unknown drew countless powerful people like moths to flame.
The world called these people—"Hunter !
This is the world of Hunter x Hunter—a world driven by adventure and the unknown.
Under a dim streetlamp…
"Goods."
"Money." Familiar scent. Familiar formula.
After acquiring a bag full of this world's currency from a man in black, Yamcha weighed it in his hand. Not quite as much as he hoped, but enough to get by.
Not that this world was any shadier than others—mainly that its arms trade was just as rampant, maybe even worse than the Dragon Ball world.
Weapons like the strategic-level "Poor Man's Rose" could be bought if you had enough money.
Here, trading firearms only fetched a small cut. Rare treasures fetched real cash.
Yamcha's main goal was just to get some travel expenses. He had better stuff—no need to fence it through underground markets when there were public auction houses.
Seated on a high-speed train, Yamcha stared blankly out the window as the scenery rushed by.
Yorknew City.
Yamcha's destination.
A city of wealth and depravity. A place run by gangs. As long as you had money, it was paradise—where you could enjoy anything you could imagine.
But if you had no money…
You were lower than a dog.
From September 1 to 10 every year, the world's biggest auction took place here, attracting over 50,000 people—every one of them rich or powerful.
Yamcha arrived in Yorknew on August 28. Just a few days until the auction began.
The night is the root of all evil. Especially in a flashy, debauched metropolis.
In the dark, everything was amplified—unfulfilled desires, restless souls, unchecked dopamine.
Yorknew's night was no different.
A lavish hotel ablaze with lights. The first 20 floors were real hotel rooms. The next five? A different world altogether.
This was a gang's headquarters. A sign on the stairway to the 21st floor read:
"Restricted Area – Gang Private Territory."
Not "covert"—just bold.
The city's police didn't care. To be precise, the police were part of the gang.
Kylar Mojito—head of the Mojito Family, one of Yorknew's many gang factions.
Not quite on par with the Ten Dons, but still an old-school syndicate. Lately, though, they'd been going downhill after losing their economic lifeline.
Now, Kylar was trying to come up with a way to score big money.
"At least four billion Jenny… that's no small number."
A strange voice suddenly sounded in his ear. The hair on Kylar's neck stood up. In a flash, he pulled out the micro-handgun hidden in his sleeve and pointed it at the man who had just appeared in front of him.
"Who the hell are you?!"
(To be continued...)