Far away, in a sea zone between the Six Continents and the Dark Continent, an area known for its brutal, unpredictable weather, much like the New World from One Piece, a storm brewed.
The skies flipped from sunny to pitch-black in a matter of seconds. Beneath the deep, dark ocean, countless threats stirred, making anyone who looked upon the waters feel a chill of primal fear.
In the middle of it all, a strange creature drifted, one that looked like a giant ant, roughly the size of a human. It was injured and unconscious, but not fatally wounded. Given time and nourishment, it would recover.
Slowly, unknowingly, it floated toward the Six Continents. Whether this was pure coincidence or someone's calculated plan was unclear.
But one thing was certain: this Chimera Ant, classified as a Level B Threat, was about to arrive in the human world. And the place it was heading to… was the NGL Autonomous Region, the perfect breeding ground.
"What? You want me to go there?" Larry raised an eyebrow, the phone pressed to his ear. "Old man, what's the deal?"
A few days had passed since Larry left Greed Island when he suddenly got a call from Chairman Netero. The chairman told him to head over to the Hunter Association headquarters in two days, claiming there was something "good" waiting for him there.
No, them. Larry and Menchi both.
The whole thing was wrapped in mystery. Larry wasn't sure what kind of "good thing" Netero was talking about, but judging by the old man's tone, it wasn't anything ordinary.
Still, Larry didn't rush out the door right away. Technically, if he were taking the usual route, he'd have to leave now just to catch an airship and make it there on time. But ever since the Greed Island event, Larry had acquired a Pokémon that turned the rules of travel upside down, Porygon-Z.
With its power, Larry didn't need ships or planes. He could open a passage through cyberspace and arrive at the Hunter Association within moments. It was like a cheat code for life.
Once Porygon-Z got stronger, it wouldn't just use networks, it would create them. One minute, Larry could be exploring the Dark Continent; the next, grabbing lunch at Gourmet Paradise. The convenience was unmatched.
But that kind of power was still a long way off. For now, they had to settle with the current limits.
The Hunter Association headquarters didn't look all that impressive from the outside. Just a tall office building with a unique symbol at the top, two large Xs crossing each other, representing the identity of the Association.
But on the inside, it was a different story. This was the heart of the hunter world. Countless people dreamed of joining its ranks.
While not every Hunter was overwhelmingly powerful, even the weakest among them stood far above the average civilian.
Today, the place was buzzing more than usual.
Elite representatives from the V5 nations had arrived. The heads of the World Mafia families were in attendance. High-ranking Hunter Association officials gathered in person. They had all come to witness something important, something big.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the building, a tiny dot of space twisted open, slowly expanding. In just seconds, it had grown into a full-sized portal, large enough for someone to step through. And just like that, Larry and Menchi arrived.
Peering through the shimmering hole, Larry saw a strange white space beyond it. The edges of the portal glittered like shattered glass, and faint streams of tiny green numbers flowed through its center, like digital rain. It felt otherworldly, like gazing into the heart of some vast, hidden system.
This was the passage that connected the real world with the online world.
"…Looks like we're here," Larry muttered as he stepped out of the portal and into the Hunter Association building.
He glanced around calmly, taking in the familiar surroundings. Menchi followed behind him, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
"From Gourmet Paradise to the Hunter Association in under a minute," she said with awe. "If I hadn't gone through it myself, I wouldn't believe it."
After receiving an invitation from Chairman Netero, Larry and Menchi hadn't rushed to leave. They waited until the scheduled day and only then made their move.
"Larry? Menchi?"
Just as the two were preparing to look for Netero, a clear and familiar voice called out from behind them.
Larry turned around with a smile. "Hey, it's been a while, Gel."
It was Gel, someone Larry had previously met in Gourmet Paradise. It wasn't strange to see her here, though. After all, she was one of the Zodiac, the elite top of the Hunter Association.
"What was that just now?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the closing portal behind them. She tilted her head, puzzled. "That hole in the air, what exactly is that?"
"Oh, that?" Larry replied casually. "It's a portal between the real world and the online world."
Gel blinked, stunned. Seeing the confusion in her expression, Larry gave a simple explanation of what it was and how it worked. As the realization sank in, her expression shifted from curiosity to genuine shock.
She knew about the digital world, of course, being one of the Zodiac meant she was privy to all kinds of classified information, but this was new. She'd never heard of anyone using the internet world to teleport in and out of places in real time. And to think Larry did it using a nen beast?
That meant… he could theoretically travel across most of the Six Continents freely.
Gel was genuinely taken aback. She hadn't expected that the first thing Larry would show her after so long would be something this unbelievable.
"…You really are something else," she said after a moment of silence. What she wanted to say was, "You're a damn monster," but she bit her tongue.
Larry and Menchi were just as surprised to see a familiar face the moment they arrived. It felt like a strange coincidence.
"You're here for that, aren't you?" Gel asked with a slight smile, her voice softer now.
"That?" Larry raised an eyebrow.
She tilted her head. "The big announcement."
"Ah… I actually have no idea," Larry admitted, scratching his cheek. "Chairman Netero just gave me a call and told me to show up. Said I was the 'main character' and had to be here no matter what."
"Main character, huh?" Gel murmured, her expression thoughtful. "So you're the new pick."
Seeing how confused the two still were, she decided to fill them in.
This major event was about the selection of the Top Five Nen Users in the World. It was a long-standing list, created years ago, that ranked the five most powerful Nen users known to the public.
Of course, it only reflected those whose names were out there, no one could say for sure if there were stronger figures hiding behind the scenes.