As he reels, the line snaps with a sharp hook flick (乙), echoing “kyū!”-just like the Japanese word for Nine.
He remembers: on the 9th day of the 9th month, the Chrysanthemum Festival (Chōyō no Sekku) celebrates double yang-so Nine is power, myth, and balance all in one.
Whenever you see 九, picture the hook, the bend, and the snap that calls forth Nine.