This kid really thinks he's playing house, some people muttered inwardly. He doesn't even do it himself—he tells the fish to do the work. It's not a magical beast. Since when can fish understand human speech?
Others felt secretly relieved. Ghosts really are ghosts. Smart, sure—sharp enough to notice lots of details—but still too childish. Give him another couple of years.
One less powerful rival, at least.
Some merely scoffed inwardly. Let the fish swim by itself—ha.
"What's this guy up to now?" Hanzo frowned. His instincts screamed that something was going on here, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out.
Menchi, however, already viewed Lu Ou differently thanks to the beggar-style roast pig earlier. Though this still looked unreliable to her, she didn't think he was just trying to draw attention. Perhaps he had some kind of technique—maybe even a secret method.
As for Leorio and the others, they were already used to how absurdly wide Lu Ou's "connections" were. There didn't seem to be a living being he couldn't persuade. He'd even gotten cooperation from the Sea God before—what was one fish? Might as well watch and see.
Although Killua hadn't witnessed the sea ritual himself, he couldn't escape the constant praise from Lu Ou's biggest fanboy, Gon. He'd heard all about it long ago.
Now, Gon thought, is the moment of truth.
Despite everyone's skepticism, Lu Ou's serious expression discouraged outright mockery. Gradually, even the murmurs faded.
Splash—splash—splash.
The growing sound of water drew everyone's attention.
The fish, which had been swimming slowly, began to speed up—little by little, faster and faster—stirring the water in the tank and kicking up splashes.
Splash.
One lap.
Two laps.
Three laps.
Now.
Lu Ou's eyes sharpened.
He snatched up a thin-bladed knife, closer to a dagger than a cleaver, and in a flash—
Shhk—shhk—shhk.
Several rapid slashes.
"Hoo…"
"All done."
Lu Ou let out a breath and smiled in satisfaction.
The salmon was still swimming energetically in the water, completely unaffected.
On the cutting board lay five slices of fish, each about the size of an adult palm, precisely four millimeters thick—the ideal thickness for sushi. The red flesh, faintly marbled with white, looked exquisite.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed audibly.
As if a switch had been flipped, the stunned crowd snapped back to their senses.
"How many laps did that fish swim just now?" a short man in a hat muttered, rubbing his eyes. Maybe he'd stared too long.
"The fish is… still alive?" A man in green stared at the fillets on the board, then at the fish still swimming, then back again. No matter how closely he looked, he couldn't see any wounds.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Outstanding knife work," Menchi said, genuinely impressed. "To slice live fish with such precision—getting exactly the thickness you want while avoiding vital areas—this level of control is remarkable."
As for making the fish swim in circles, she chalked it up to coincidence. Fish weren't prohibited from swimming fast. No laws broken. No speeding tickets issued.
"Still a lot I need to learn," Lu Ou said modestly.
His journey as a Gourmet Hunter had only just begun. Everything lay ahead of him. Now was precisely the time to work hard.
"Then keep it up," Menchi said, blinking playfully. "I'm really looking forward to your dish."
She turned to leave, then suddenly roared, "Why are you all standing around?! Don't you need to take the exam?!"
When an examiner shouted, the whole building seemed to shake.
The surrounding examinees scattered at once, rushing back to their cooking stations.
"Ou, that was amazing!" Gon said once the crowd thinned, pointing at the fish slices. "Is this enough?"
"These are the fresh slices for sushi," Lu Ou replied. "One piece each—perfect. Hurry up. Don't let others beat you to it. Examiner Menchi probably won't eat very much."
"So cool, Ou! Watch me!" Leorio grabbed a slice and hurried back to his station. With conditions this good, not taking advantage would be idiotic.
"Extremely precise," Killua commented as he selected his own slice. "Though your control could still improve a bit."
Given his family background, Killua's standards were high. Still, he could tell Lu Ou had never received formal training—which only made this more impressive.
"Thank you," Kurapika said earnestly before taking his slice and returning to cook.
"Ou, I'm starting too!" Gon said cheerfully, moving to work nearby. What he'd end up making was anyone's guess.
"There shouldn't be any problems… right?" Lu Ou thought. He'd explained everything clearly. Surely there wouldn't be any live-fish sushi disasters this time.
…Then again, reality often had a way of defying expectations.
But Lu Ou didn't have time to worry about that now.
Time was running short.
He turned his attention to preparing the sushi vinegar and rice—far more time-consuming than slicing fish. Even though the rice was cooked, it still needed to cool. After adding the vinegar mixture, it had to be mixed thoroughly and cooled again before use.
While he worked, the remaining examinees returned one after another. The cutting boards filled with all kinds of fish—saltwater, freshwater, everything imaginable.
Menchi grew more excited by the second.
"This is great. I wonder what kinds of unexpected dishes we'll see," she said eagerly. "Honestly, I'd rather be here as a chef tasting food than as an examiner."
Her excitement showed clearly as she licked her lips.
"That's exactly why it's dangerous," Buhara muttered. He had a very bad feeling.
"What was that?" Menchi asked.
"Oh—nothing," Buhara replied quickly. He couldn't exactly tell her that an examiner shouldn't judge purely by a chef's palate.
A chef's perspective… Buhara sighed inwardly. Please don't let her bad habit flare up again.
He felt like he was worrying himself sick—both about Menchi and about the poor examinees.
Back at the cooking station, Lu Ou continued preparing the sushi rice at full speed. Meanwhile, Gon and the others—having received Lu Ou's guidance—were already rolling up their sleeves, ready to show their skills.
He'd explained it clearly enough. How hard could it be?
This was a contest of speed now.
Speed and passion ruled all.
Leorio, brimming with confidence, was already working at lightning pace—nearly finished.