The faint morning light filtered through the pale blue curtains, casting a gentle azure hue across the room. Though the space wasn't large, the softened light filled it with a quiet brightness. The wooden floor had taken on a light brown tint with age.
Sitting still on the bed was a boy, around twelve or thirteen years old. His expression was blank—almost dazed, as if his mind were far away. Just last night, he had been an eighteen-year-old named Jalen. He'd gone to bed drunk, only to wake up in a completely different body.
From where he sat, he could see himself clearly in the mirror across the room. Five minutes ago, he had finished assimilating the memories of this body. His new identity was Jon Berosovich: male, twelve years old, with black curly hair, black eyes, and tanned skin. He stood at 1.65 meters tall, looked decent, and was in good health with no bad habits. He wasn't an orphan—his parents were alive—but he had no house, no car, no little sister, and no mysterious star-shaped birthmark on his neck. No broken engagements, no rivalries with powerful nobles, no hidden magic powers. This world seemed peaceful, though clearly different from the Earth he remembered.
"Jon, come down for breakfast!"
He snapped out of his thoughts, stood up, quickly straightened his clothes, and hurried downstairs.
Jon's father was part of some kind of gang, though the details were unclear. Perhaps it had been deliberately hidden, as Jon's memories revealed very little about him. In fact, he had only seen the man once.
His mother was equally mysterious. According to what little he knew, she was a major shareholder in some company and had married his father for business reasons. She rarely showed any interest in him. While she was slightly more present than his father, she only visited once a year.
Jon had been raised by his mother's former butler. He had grown up in the old butler's home, even taking his surname. The butler and his wife treated him kindly, like their own son, never skimping on his allowance or care.
"Jon, why are you up so late today?" the butler's wife asked, glancing at him as she cleared the table.
Jon grabbed the mouthwash and stepped into the bathroom. He unscrewed the cap, gargled twice, wiped his face haphazardly with a damp towel, and then sat down to eat.
"Hey, Jon, are you alright? You seem a bit off today." She looked at him with concern.
His expression stiffened for a moment before he forced a warm smile. "It's nothing. I didn't sleep well last night. By the way, are we having apple pie today?"
"Of course! Hurry and wash your hands first," she replied, her focus shifting immediately. "Though really, we've had apple pie two days in a row now…"
Jon let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness I thought fast, he mused. Getting exposed less than an hour after transmigrating would've been embarrassing. Even with my predecessor's memories, some habits are hard to fake.
"I'm heading out now," the butler's wife said, picking up a small basket. "There's some ice cream in the fridge, but don't eat too much."
Jon rolled his eyes. "I'm not a kid anymore."
Only after she left did Jon finally relax.
He ate a few scoops absentmindedly, then headed back upstairs.
Because it was summer vacation, twelve-year-old Jon finally had time to explore and understand the world he had landed in. From the memories he had inherited, one thing was clear—this definitely wasn't Earth. None of the countries on the world map matched anything from his previous life. And those strange continental shelves… even a hundred million years of geological evolution on Earth couldn't have produced such formations.
Still, Jon was young, and his understanding of the world remained limited. Despite the inherited memories, he couldn't determine exactly where—or when—he was.
So, he turned on the computer, an old model that once belonged to the butler's son. It was slow and outdated, but the butler and his wife had passed it down to Jon, reasoning that it was better than letting it go to waste.
The server took over a minute to load. As the homepage finally appeared, Jon scanned the recommended posts and pinned discussions. He quickly typed a few keywords into the search bar and clicked.
As the search results popped up, Jon froze.
"Whale Island — a peaceful island surrounded by sea, known for its beautiful scenery, abundant rare wildlife, and a population primarily engaged in fishing."
Wait... Whale Island? That was the hometown of Gon Freecss, the main character of Hunter x Hunter!
His eyes widened as he skimmed through more entries. Several people on the world's rich list were described as Professional Hunters. That settled it—this was without a doubt the Hunter x Hunter world.
Jon sat back, dazed. Of all the fictional universes he could've ended up in... this one wasn't too bad. Compared to other shonen anime worlds, Hunter x Hunter could actually be relatively safe—if you knew what you were doing. That said, there were always places in fictional worlds with outrageously high levels of danger.
Still... what a nice world this is.
"I thought this was just a slice-of-life world..." Jon muttered, lying back on the bed. A mix of emotions stirred in his chest—excitement, confusion, and a creeping fear of the unknown. He remembered the comfort of his past life: unemployed, sure, but life was easy. Anime, sports, and a government that didn't let people randomly get murdered in the street.
Here? If someone like the Phantom Troupe killed you, who would you even complain to?
Suddenly, a spark of realization hit him.
Wait a second… In the webnovels he used to read, most transmigrators were gifted with some kind of system.
He sat up and whispered dramatically:"Old Grandpa... System-kun... God, if you're out there, give me a sign."
"System is activating..."
An ethereal electronic voice echoed in his mind. Even the wind outside seemed to pause.
What?! A system?!
I'm really the chosen one! Jon's eyes sparkled. God does love me!
This wasn't a dream. This was the start of a new life, one where he could crush his enemies, rise to the top, and—of course—build a harem fit for a king. With the power of the Almighty System, he could now begin his path of dominance. He grinned stupidly, already picturing himself flexing in the moonlight, surrounded by trembling foes and swooning beauties.
"Detecting energy system of the world... synchronizing..."
"JOJO's Bizarre Adventure System initializing."
Jon went completely still.
"...Huh?"
That name. That interface. That feeling...
He stared at the system window—it was unmistakable. A database filled with Stands and items from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, spanning Parts 1 through 8.
"…System? Are you there?" Jon asked tentatively.
No answer.
He sighed. So it wasn't a sentient system. He had heard of lucky protagonists who fell in love with their systems. Some even had sassy AIs to chat with. Jealousy stirred, but he was also a bit relieved. At least this system wouldn't kill him for no reason—or nag him endlessly with useless commentary.
Shrugging, Jon decided to get down to business. He navigated to the beginner gift pack. The interface was simple and intuitive—this system might not talk, but it got the job done.
Inside the pack were three sealed cards:
Item Card
Ability Card
Stand Card
Opening the Stand card would guarantee a Stand, but which one? That all came down to luck.
Jon stared at the cards.
Emmmmm...
Luck.
Jon hovered the cursor over the Ability Card. His heart beat a little faster.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what kind of cheat I'm working with…"
With a click, the card flipped over in a burst of golden light.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Ability: Ripple (Hamon) Energy]A breathing-based martial art that channels life energy through the body. Capable of enhancing physical abilities, healing minor injuries, and damaging unnatural life forms.
Ripple was a concept from the early parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, specifically Parts 1 and 2. It was a form of life energy, similar in essence to Nen, derived from the natural breathing of living beings. Through precise rhythmic breathing, Ripple—or Hamon—could be channeled from the body's cells to unleash powerful techniques. But if one's breathing rhythm was disrupted, the Ripple energy would vanish completely.
In essence, Ripple was a tribute to courage—an energy that demanded discipline, composure, and strength of will.
However, JOJO as a manga wasn't particularly popular during its early arcs. By Part 2, Ripple had already reached its creative peak. Then came Part 3—and Araki, being Araki, boldly scrapped Ripple entirely in favor of introducing a brand new power system: Stands. This seemingly reckless move didn't hinder the series' growth. On the contrary, it elevated JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to legendary status.
Even so, Ripple retained its charm. Lines like "The history of mankind is a paean to courage" and "This is my final Ripple!" stirred deep emotions among fans. Ripple wasn't just a combat tool—it was a philosophy.
Functionally, Ripple remained versatile. It could heal, enhance physical attacks, and even allow one to walk on water or climb surfaces, similar to chakra in Naruto. While Ripple lacked the overwhelming destructive power or diversity of Nen abilities, it compensated with its healing factor—something most Nen abilities didn't offer outside of a few rare specialization types.
Jon was quick to analyze this. Ripple and Nen, he mused, were both manifestations of life force—parallel concepts born in different fictional universes. If the chance ever came, he was determined to try combining Ripple breathing with Nen techniques. After all, there were rumors that Togashi was inspired by Araki when creating Nen.
Jon raised his hand and consciously focused on his breathing. A warm energy flowed through his body. The iron spoon in front of him bent with a soft metallic groan.
Jon stared, wide-eyed. "Is it… really this strong?"
His excitement shot through the roof, and in that moment, his breathing fell out of rhythm. Just like that, the Ripple vanished from his body.
"...Okay, that's fair." He laughed awkwardly. "Very in-character."
This wasn't a cheat code you could spam. Ripple demanded strict breathing control and emotional stability—two things that were incredibly hard to maintain in a real fight, especially in life-and-death situations. Jon was no trained warrior. Before transmigrating, he was just a regular anime-watching slacker. And while his new body wasn't weak, it wasn't exactly elite either.
Calm breathing in a crisis would be his greatest hurdle.
Still, the power boost Ripple provided couldn't be ignored. With it, Jon felt confident that no middle schooler could possibly beat him in a fight. Even most adults would struggle to keep up. But raw strength wasn't everything. In this world, thugs didn't play fair. Some carried guns—and Ripple, unfortunately, wasn't much help there.
The local law technically prohibited firearms, but enforcement was lax. Places like Yorknew City were crawling with Mafia influence. A Ripple master could be gunned down by a submachine gun if they weren't careful. In contrast, high-level Nen users were nearly superhuman, sometimes even capable of catching bullets with their bare hands. Their bodies could withstand punishment Ripple users couldn't dream of.
Jon nodded to himself. Ripple is useful… but not invincible. This wasn't a power to use recklessly. It was a tool for survival. And more importantly, it was a path to growth. Ripple training would strengthen his body, lengthen his lifespan, and sharpen his focus.
It was worth mastering.
With those thoughts settled, Jon finally turned his attention to the final card—the one that would shape his fate more than any other:
The Stand Card.
His hands trembled slightly with anticipation as he opened it.
A dark silhouette slowly emerged.
The figure wasn't tall. Its skin was mostly blue, though its arms and head were covered in black. Button-like bumps dotted its body from the chest down, and it wore distinct green glasses.
[Img Here]
[Stand Acquired: Stone Free]
Jon's lips curled into a smile. He couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Stone Free, huh?"
It wasn't a top-tier combat Stand like Star Platinum or The World, but it was nothing to scoff at. In the hands of Jolyne Cujoh, it had been a versatile and deadly force. The ability to unravel one's body into strings opened the door to a wide array of creative strategies—mobility, stealth, binding, slicing, even communication over long distances.
And so, with Ripple in his body and a Stand by his side, Jon's journey in the world of Hunter x Hunter was about to truly begin.