Larry raised an eyebrow. He had heard of White-Purple Pufferfish before—it was infamous across all six continents. While its meat was said to be incredibly delicious, its rarity and the extreme difficulty in handling it made it nearly impossible to obtain safely.
The reason? Its poison sac contained a lethal toxin, one so potent that it was feared even by the most experienced hunters. The real danger lay in how the fish reacted to stress. If startled while still in the water, it would instantly puff up, and in doing so, its poison sac would rupture, spreading venom throughout its entire body.
A single touch of this toxin was enough to kill an ordinary person instantly. Even Nen users avoided direct contact with it unless they were highly specialized in poison resistance.
But even if someone was lucky enough to catch one in its uninflated state, that was only the first hurdle. The real challenge was in the preparation. One wrong move, and the poison would seep through the delicate flesh, making it completely inedible. Only a handful of master chefs with top-tier knife skills could successfully remove the poison sac and turn the fish into a meal safe for consumption.
Because of this, White-Purple Pufferfish was considered a rare luxury, worth a small fortune to those who could afford it. Very few people ever got the chance to taste it.
The vendor running the stall was offering a challenge—anyone who could properly process the White-Purple Pufferfish, removing the poison sac without contaminating the meat, would be rewarded with the fish itself. However, if they failed, they would be compensated with a generous sum of Yogis.
Right now, someone had taken up the challenge. "The one trying right now is Gel," Lika murmured, her eyes locked onto the stall. "I just met her yesterday. She's a Poison Hunter, so naturally, she's interested in the White-Purple Pufferfish's toxin. She's mostly doing this as a test to see if she can neutralize its poison."
Larry shifted his gaze toward the stall. Sure enough, Gel was standing there, completely focused. Her left hand had transformed, taking on the shape of a snake as it carefully slithered around the fish's belly.
That was part of her Nen ability—it allowed her to mimic a snake's form, giving her hands an extraordinary level of dexterity and precision. It was perfect for handling delicate, intricate work like this.
The White-Purple Pufferfish's poison sac was embedded deep within its soft, jelly-like flesh. The slightest pressure could cause the toxins to spread, ruining the entire fish. Larry could see the problem instantly—each time Gel's fingers moved, the fish's belly trembled like silken tofu, barely holding together.
Her snake-like eyes were razor-sharp, scanning every detail as she worked. She had experience with venomous creatures and had extracted poison sacs from deadly snakes before, but this was different. She had never attempted this with a White-Purple Pufferfish before.
Despite her precision, the risk was immense. And then—it happened. A single miscalculation. A moment's hesitation. The toxin spread.
The once pristine, snow-white fish was suddenly tainted with streaks of ominous purple. "…She failed," Lika whispered, saying what everyone else was thinking.
A sigh rippled through the silent crowd. The stall owner, an older man with a worn-out expression, scratched the back of his head, clearly frustrated. He had finally managed to get his hands on a batch of high-quality White-Purple Pufferfish, but he had yet to find someone capable of handling them properly.
If he lowered the price, no one with the necessary skill would bother taking the risk. But those who did have the skills demanded a price so high that it wasn't worth the trouble.
It was an impossible situation.
As he stood there, deep in thought, another few strands of his hair fell out. The vendor had initiated this challenge with an ulterior motive—he wasn't just offering a prize; he was hoping to find a skilled individual who could safely process the White-Purple Pufferfish. If he succeeded in discovering such a person, he could entrust them with preparing the rest of his stock, ensuring he didn't suffer any losses.
As the murmurs of the onlookers filled the air, Gel remained unfazed. She stood still in front of the pufferfish, her expression unreadable.
Larry, observing her closely, noticed something the others hadn't. Most believed she had failed, but to him, it looked like she was only just getting started.
Dark tendrils of Aura gathered around Gel's left hand, forming a concentrated, almost liquid-like black aura. Her snake-shaped hand flexed, sharp fangs protruding from its fingertips before she suddenly struck—her transformed hand biting directly into the poisoned pufferfish's body.
A ripple of shock spread through the crowd. "What the hell is she doing? Is she that frustrated?" someone whispered.
Even the vendor furrowed his brows. In all his years selling White-Purple Pufferfish, he had never seen anyone successfully reverse a failed attempt. Once the poison spread, the fish was ruined—there was no way to fix it. As far as he was concerned, whatever Gel was doing now was nothing more than a futile effort.
But Larry was intrigued. "So this is how her Nen ability works…" he thought to himself, watching closely.
Gel's Nen ability had two core functions—Absorption and Creation. She could transform her hands into snake-like appendages, which allowed her to absorb various toxins without being affected by them. However, the toxins could only remain in her body temporarily; she had to expel them before they built up to dangerous levels.
Beyond simple absorption, she also had the ability to analyze any poison she took in, breaking down its molecular structure. If she absorbed multiple toxins, she could even merge them, creating new, custom poisons tailored for specific uses. What made her even more dangerous was that only she knew how to neutralize the poisons she created.
It was clear that Gel's fascination with toxins wasn't just a profession—it was a passion, an ongoing experiment. She wasn't merely a Poison Hunter; her background as a coroner and apothecary suited her perfectly.
Slowly, the deep purple hue that had overtaken the pufferfish began to fade. Bit by bit, it returned to its original pristine white.
The vendor's jaw nearly dropped. "T-This… this is…!" His voice wavered, struggling to process what he was seeing.
The White-Purple Pufferfish—which had been completely ruined just moments ago—now looked as though it had never been tainted at all.
Gel exhaled slightly, her left hand returning to its normal form as she released her Aura. Even though she had handled the process efficiently, it had clearly taken a toll on her. The strain of absorbing and neutralizing such a potent toxin wasn't insignificant.