( Queen chewing )
I have a duty to fulfill.
I have to give birth to the king.
I am the queen.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )
♪
Narrator: After using accompany,
gon and killua were transported to ging’s student,
a man named kite.
After gon remembered meeting kite when he was very young,
he felt that ging intended for this meeting to occur,
and his curiosity grew.
Gon: Hey, so what kind of work do you do, kite?
Kite: Biological surveys.
My main focus is discovering and researching new species.
For instance, have you heard of the camp tiger?
- Gon: Huh? - Killua: Can’t say that I have.
Kite: They’ve mastered fire.
They use tree branches
that were ignited by lightning as kindling.
Other than certain bipedal magical beasts,
they’re the first of their kind, a wild animal
that prefers its meat cooked as opposed to raw.
Killua: Hey, check it out! They’re actually cooking it!
Gon: They really are using fire!
So what else is there?
Killua: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.
You said the thing that attacked me
was a chimera ant, right?
Kite: Yes, the chimera ant.
It’s under a designated quarantine, level one.
It’s a dangerous insect
that normally no one’s allowed to be near.
Gon: So were you the one who discovered them?
Kite: No, I usually specialize in larger creatures,
but right now, i’m investigating these insects.
Something has been bothering me lately.
( Both gasp )
Kite: As it stands,
it looks like i’ll have to move to a different location now.
I need to make a call, but i’m not getting a signal here.
Gon: A phone call?
Kite: I’m working with others.
There are seven of us on the team.
I guess i’ll just have to wait for them to show up.
They’re all amateurs, but extremely skilled hunters.
I’ll introduce you to them.
♪
Man: Huh?
Oh, hey!
Killua: Huh? Well, speak of the devil.
Woman: Hey, kite. Who are these kids?
Kite: Some brand-new friends of mine,
dropped by for a short visit on their travels.
Woman: Is that so? Nice of you to come all this way.
My name is spinner clow, spin for short.
Pleasure to meet you.
Gon: Hi. I’m gon freecss.
Nice to meet you, spin.
Spin: Hang on. Freecss?
Wait. Does that mean you’re--
kite: Yep. This boy is ging’s son.
Surveyors: Seriously?
Man #2: What about you?
Are you ging’s kid, too?
Killua: No. That’s just gon.
My name is killua zoldyck.
Man #2: Zoldyck? Really?
Woman: Don’t take this the wrong way,
but are you a part of the famous family of assassins?
Killua: Mm-hmm. That’s right, but I quit the business.
Kite: That’s not all.
They’re both professional hunters,
so that makes them your seniors.
All: Oh, wow!
( Bags rustle )
Man #2: Man, what a surprise!
Spin: We’ve conducted biological surveys with kite
for three years,
but this is the most incredible organism we’ve ever seen!
( Man #1 laughs ) You got that right!
I don’t think we finished introducing ourselves.
My name is monta yuras, but you can just call me mon.
Gon: A pleasure, mon.
Stick: And my name’s stick dinner.
I handle all the cooking,
on account of my name being dinner, of course.
( Laughs )
( Gon laughs )
Nice to meet you.
Woman: That just leaves me.
I’m banana kavaro. Good to meet you.
( Dog whimpers )
( Barks )
Kite: Podungo and lin complete the team.
Where are they now?
Mon: They’re both heading toward the area of the sighting.
Kite: Those two always move so quickly.
Mon: Oh. What you told me earlier was accurate, kite.
This thing right here,
it looks exactly like the claw of a chimera ant queen.
( Both gasp )
Kite: Hmm.
Mon: We ran some computer analyses,
and it came back a 99% match.
Killua: Can I see?
Mon: Sure.
Killua: So this is a chimera ant claw?
It’s as big as a human finger.
Gon: Does that mean that there are huge ants?
Kite: We’re not certain.
Killua: Could one have mutated that big?
Kite: It is possible, although it may also belong
to a completely different species.
Regardless, we just don’t know right now.
That’s why we’re investigating.
Spin: It all started with a wonky assignment.
Stick: Mr. Wong, not wonky!
He’s an official from kakin, see? ( Laughs )
Gon: What does "kakin" mean?
Mon: This place. It’s the name of this country
that’s in the middle of the azian continent.
Banana: We had just completed
a biological survey that they’d requested.
Wong: Wonderful!
You’ve all managed to complete
200 years’ worth of work for our agency.
I feel just awful
that I can’t pay you a bonus for your efforts.
Kite: It’s fine, Mr. Wong. We were all happy to do it.
Wong: I’m sorry nonetheless.
Instead, i’ll be sure to recommend you and your team
to the other friendly nations we have relationships with.
Kite: Thank you. We appreciate it.
Wong: Oh, yes, one more thing.
Forgive me if I ramble, but southernpiece said
they recently acquired a segment of a very strange species.
- Kite: Hmm? - Wong: They can’t list it,
since it could be an unregistered creature,
so they would, uh,
rather sell it to licensed hunter at a nice price
than have it confiscated by some government agency.
♪
Man: All right, then. Here we are.
Kite: Your thoughts, lin?
Lin: This clearly belongs to an unregistered species, yes,
and f-from what I can see,
it resembles an giant insect leg.
B-but no known species have l-legs that are this large.
Spin: It seems the claw exhibits a number of traits
that aren’t found in other insects.
Banana: Right.
A leg typically has two claws, but this has six.
It’s almost like the tarsus evolved
into something like fingers.
Spin: I know, and this segment is spiny.
Think it could be the tibia?
Podungo: If we take a sample with us and study it further,
we can learn a lot more.
Kite: So what do you say?
Do you think we could have a small piece?
Man: Well, I simply can’t refuse
anyone who was recommended to me by Mr. Wong.
Podungo: Thank you. We’ll look into this.
Mon: As soon as we have all the results back,
we’ll let you know.
Kite: Mm-hmm. Good luck.
Killua: The chimera ant.
Kite: So where did podungo and lin go off to?
Spin: Somewhere south of yorknew city, I think.
Banana: The person who found the leg
apparently lives in a city pretty close to the ocean.
Kite: I realize you just got back,
but we should really hurry after them.
Gon: Hey, would it be okay if we came along with you?
Kite: Hmm?
Yes, of course.
Gon: All right!
Mon: Glad to have you.
Spin: You mean we’ll have two pro hunters with us?
Great! That is so reassuring.
Banana: And they’re ging’s son
and somebody from the zoldyck family.
Oh, i’m sorry.
Killua: Oh, it’s no big deal.
( Vials clinking )
Mon: So you kids are already pros at your age, huh?
Stick: Well, we weren’t born with the talent ourselves,
but I wish they’d lent that ta-lent to me.
Do you get it? ( Laughs )
( Gon laughs )
Kite: They’ve become friends and in such a short time.
Good hunters are well liked by animals.
They’re often blessed with good friends as well.
♪
Gon is the real deal.
He’s sure to find you soon enough, ging.
♪
( Queen hisses )
( Bat squealing )
( Queen hisses )
( Chewing )
Not enough. Not enough!
I need more prey, bigger prey!
Kite: It’s been days--
no, it’s been months since it last rained here.
The weather this year has been so unstable.
It’s possible it’s even affecting the wildlife
in some way, though it’s hard to say just yet.
Spin: So the insect with the large leg
could be a mutation influenced by these conditions.
Banana: But why would it have grown larger?
Mon: In order to survive more easily?
If it were bigger,
it would have a much better chance of securing its food.
Banana: Yeah, that’s true,
but it’d need more, too, wouldn’t it?
It may be larger,
but that doesn’t always assist in survival.
Environment’s one thing,
but I think this is related to the chimera ant’s nature.
Spin: I agree. They do reproduce in a unique way
that isn’t found in any other organism.
Gon: They do? How?
Kite: They reproduce through a special process
known as phagogenesis.
Gon: Phagogenesis?
Killua: What does it mean?
Kite: When a chimera ant queen eats other creatures,
she’s then able to impart characteristics
of those creatures on to the subsequent generation.
So you see, in other words,
ingesting multiple species allows her to pass on
a mix of all kinds of different genes to her offspring.
With each feeding, she lays between one and five eggs.
The first generation of births are completely infertile,
so they become worker or soldier ants.
They live their lives in service to the queen
as well as her eventual successors.
Those successors
become the king and queen of the next generation.
The queen is always looking to consume
the genes of strong organisms.
This allows her to pass their traits down to her offspring,
and she may even devour her preferred fodder species
to its complete extinction.
Gon: Extinction? Really?
Spin: Yes, her appetite is voracious,
and it can drive her to consume her own body weight
many times over in a single day.
That’s why chimera ants
are under a designated quarantine, level one.
Killua: So if she sets her eyes on you, you’re finished, huh?
Judging by the size of that claw,
she’s at least two meters long.
That thing could eat a human in no time at all.
( Mon groans )
( All groan )
Kite: Yes, you’re right about that.
( Snake hisses )
Boy: Go away! Just stay back!
( Girl gasps ) Big brother.
Boy: It’s fine. Stay close to me, reina.
Reina: ’kay.
( Snake hissing )
( Boy gasping )
Take that!
( Snake hissing )
( Sighs )
There. It’s okay now.
Reina: Thank you so much, big brother!
Boy: See? I’ll keep you safe.
That’s what big brothers are for, right, reina?
( Reina giggles ) Yep!
Boy: Okay. Let’s go home.
( Insects chirping )
Reina: Big brother was so amazing!
There was this really big snake,
but then he was just like, "get outta here!"
Mother: Now, reina,
you shouldn’t be waving your spoon around.
That isn’t very polite.
Reina: But that’s what he did, mom. I promise!
Mother: I know he did, sweetie. I know.
That was very brave, what you did for your sister.
If a snake that size ever slithered up to me,
I might be too scared to move.
You’re truly a young man now, Kurt.
( Kurt laughs ) I guess so.
Mother: You’re already so reliable
at only nine years old,
and that’s why I want you to continue to look after reina.
I’m counting on you, Kurt. Understand?
Reina: I’m counting on you, too, big brother.
Kurt: I won’t let you guys down.
I promise that i’ll keep both of you safe,
no matter what happens, okay?
♪
Queen: Yes. This section is about the hatch.
( Eggs rustling )
( Chimera ants screech )
Queen: Heed me, my soldiers.
I have a solemn duty to give birth to the king.
I will require large quantities of highly nutritious food
so that the king will be strong and healthy,
so go, and find me the best food you can!
( Chimera ants screech )
Queen: This section will also hatch soon.
I need a large nest in which to birth the king.
I also need rest
free from outside disturbances during the pregnancy.
If I am to birth a strong king,
I must have strong soldiers.
( Reina coughs )
( Coughs )
Kurt: Are you all right?
Reina: Yeah. Thanks for asking.
- Oh, hey. So, big brother. - Kurt: Hmm?
One day, when i’m all grown up,
i’m gonna get married to you.
Kurt: Heh. Sure.
Hey, why don’t we wake up early tomorrow
and go fishing at the river?
Reina: ’kay.
Kurt: We can cook some fish for dinner.
Mom will be so surprised.
Reina: Yeah. Yeah, I can’t wait.
( Birds chirping )
There are so many.
We have enough for a whole fish feast!
- Kurt: Yeah! - ( Reina giggles )
( Both gasp )
( Chimera ant chittering )
Reina: B-big brother, what is that thing?
( Kurt gasping )
Reina: Help! Big brother!
Kurt: Reina, it’s fine!
♪
I-i’m your big brother,
and i’ll keep you safe, okay?
I promised mom i’d protect you!
You’re safe with me!
Go away!
I said go a--
♪
( Queen chewing )
This is delicious.
And so nutritious,
the best fodder!
I must consume more of this species.
Kite: Meet gon and killua. I mentioned them on the phone.
Lin: Hello there. My name is l-lin koshi.
Pleasure to meet you.
Podungo: And my name is podungo lapoy.
I’m happy to have you both on board.
Gon: Glad to be here, Mr. Lin, and you, too, miss podungo.
Killua: Likewise.
Kite: Back to business.
So where was the leg discovered?
Podungo: On the beach right over there.
Lin: And according to the locals here,
o-one day, it just washed up on the shore.
Killua: Hey, there’s a forest right behind us.
Banana: Well, if it ran in there,
it’ll be difficult to find it.
Spin: We can’t even be certain
that the chimera ant is still alive.
Stick: That’s a good point.
We don’t even know if it ended up
on the same island that its leg drifted to.
Banana: Let’s find out, then.
( Dog yips )
Banana: Here. Just remember this scent.
( Dog whimpers )
Gon: I can help, too!
- Banana: Huh? - ( Gon sniffing )
Killua: Gon’s sense of smell is just as good as a dog’s.
Gon: Hmm.
Banana: Shoot. He can’t find anything.
Spin: I suppose the scent may have disappeared.
It probably rained some since then.
Gon: Nothing for me either.
Mon: Guess that means the chimera ant isn’t here.
Kite: We should consider the possibility
it may have washed ashore elsewhere.
Which direction do the currents flow here?
Lin: I-it’s complicated.
The d-direction is reversed between day and night.
Podungo: And it changes with the seasons, too.
It’s can even be different on certain days.
Spin: It’ll be tough to pinpoint a precise location.
Gon: Well, it’s way too early to give up.
Let’s just split up and search.
Spin: Good idea.
♪
Gon: Still nothing.
Kite: It’s pointless to continue searching blindly like this.
Let’s go back to yorknew city.
If we’re lucky, we may be able to find a new lead to follow.
Killua: She’s at least two meters long.
That thing could eat a human in no time at all.
Kite: A voracious appetite,
phagogenesis.
♪
Chimera ant: My queen.
Queen: Oh, you can speak, can you?
Chimera ant: Yes, my queen. So that I may fully receive,
understand, and execute your orders.
Queen: That pleases me. In that case,
I hereby assign you to be a squadron leader.
Chimera ant: I am most grateful.
Queen: Now then, your first mission
will be to lead all the soldiers here to capture my food.
I want you to capture
more of those highly nutritious organisms for me.
Chimera ant: I shall.
Narrator: And so a chimera ant has been born with human genes.
With that, kite’s worst fears have finally come to pass.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )