#this is kind of shitposty but also I think it's interesting that Ging and Tonpa have definitely met

[ponzusauce]

Ging was the only person to pass the 267th Hunter Exam. When the main four took the 287th Hunter Exam, it was Tonpa's 34th time taking the exam. It is also stated that Tonpa was 10 years old the first time he took the exam.

In other words, Ging and Tonpa most likely met at Ging's first and only/Tonpa's 14th attempt at the Hunter Exam. At the time, Tonpa was 27 and Ging was almost 12.

It's stated multiple times throughout the series that that it's incredibly rare for a rookie to pass the exam.

I have a crack theory about this, hear me out: what if Tonpa hadn't been entirely truthful about his motivations? What if child Ging mesed with Tonpa so severely that he declared that going forward, he would no longer attempt to pass the Hunter Exam, but instead crush all first-timers at the exam?