Gon wants to become a Hunter like his father but he and his friends Leorio and Kurapika must survive a sea voyage and endure a series of tests before they are given the clues to Exam Hall.

Gon and his teammates have been challenged by a group of criminals hired by the Hunter Association. Gon wins with wits, and Kurapika's red-eyed rage assures a victory. But leorio is all out of luck, and loses precious time for his team. It's up to Killua to save the day with a gruesome display of his assassin skills. With time running out, it takes ingenuity and brute force to beat the clock and the test.

Gon and Killua study the ways of Nen with master Wing at Heavens Arena. When Gon finally masters the use of Nen, he also passes the final portion of the Hunter Exam and Hisoka finally accepts his challenge.