Joey quickly replied to the message, though what occupied his mind was something else entirely—Hisoka still had such up-to-date intel from Tier 1?
And even dropped everything because of it?
Could that bastard Morena be behind this?
It only took Joey a moment to identify the likely culprits who could've fed Hisoka information.
There were only a few people Hisoka had contact with on this ship: Morena, Illumi, and himself. No one else came to mind as a potential source.
Illumi had been spending all his time on Tier 3 fishing with Jag, so it was unlikely he had current info.
Still, Joey couldn't rule out the possibility entirely. Assassins like Illumi always had their own special channels.
But based on what he knew of Illumi, if Hisoka didn't ask, Illumi probably wouldn't volunteer info—
Unless…
Kortopi.
Joey had always been mentally prepared for the chance that Illumi might betray both him and Hisoka.
Still, that didn't mean Morena was off the hook.
After all, Morena had more reason than anyone to lure Hisoka back to the lower decks.
Chaos between Hisoka and the Phantom Troupe? That would be perfect for Morena's plans. It would help her Ei Ei Family's operation immensely.
Joey shook his head. Even for him, trying to unravel all these threads gave him a headache.
Too many variables. Too many unknowns.
But Hisoka's message had still offered valuable intel:
That news of a Phantom Troupe member being killed had already spread across the lower decks.
Meaning Joey's name would soon follow—especially since the Xi-Yuu and Gyasha Families had stopped bothering to conceal his identity.
The Xi-Yuu Family in particular would be itching to avenge their prince, the Third Prince, and Joey was now target number one.
Fortunately, the only one among them Joey truly regarded as a threat was Hinrigh, the heir.
The others? Judging by the strength of his two top subordinates, they weren't much.
He didn't wait for Hisoka to reply—no doubt the clown had vanished again right after sending the message.
Joey pocketed his phone, raising an eyebrow.
In his En, he sensed several gunmen approaching with hostile intent.
"So soon?" he muttered, then glanced at the map in his head—he was already near Tier 4's central cafeteria.
How fitting.
When Hisoka had first descended to Tier 5, his first fight had also happened in a cafeteria.
And now Joey, on Tier 4, was about to clash with the Xi-Yuu Family here too.
He just hoped the Phantom Troupe didn't show up as well.
Adjusting his route slightly, he didn't slow down in the least.
His En only had a 50-meter radius. The gunmen charging toward where he used to be ran headlong into empty space.
By the time Joey reached the cafeteria, they'd caught up again.
But Joey was already at the cafeteria entrance—calmly waiting.
The moment the first enemy crossed the threshold, a scalpel flashed across their throat.
No hesitation. Blood sprayed—and was caught in mid-air by a sudden gust of wind, falling quietly to the floor.
Two more went down just as quickly.
By the time their bodies hit the ground, Joey held two handguns and a rifle.
He wasn't unfamiliar with firearms. He'd used them against Chimera Ants early on, and later had ample experience handling guns.
He wasn't trained, but with his aura control and physical abilities, firing with precision was effortless.
Even if his aim was off, his Nen could guide bullets midair to their targets.
At this stage, Joey's Nen mastery had far surpassed normal understanding.
But the higher he climbed, the more he sensed the limits of the human body.
Though [Whisper]'s training boosts still worked, his aura growth had slowed significantly.
That was one reason he was heading to the Dark Continent—to solve his own limitations, and to seek methods or tools to advance further.
As the mafia members dropped dead, dozens of thoughts flooded Joey's mind.
He knew this mental drift was from a lack of focus.
Still, it confirmed something: Melody's early awakening hadn't disrupted his two-day plan with Hisoka to infiltrate the VVIP area.
Once he reconnected with the Tenth and Eleventh Princes, he'd take a break to regain his peak form.
And the downtime could also be used to gather intel.
Since leaving the upper floors, Joey had lost track of developments there. Kurapika's messages only mentioned District 12.
Without private soldiers, and without intel-sharing from District 3, the only remaining reliable intel source on Tier 1 was the Fifth Prince.
Hopefully nothing in the last two days had eroded that trust—or that dependency.
By now, the Fifth Prince should've also started moving against the First Prince's private soldiers.
Otherwise, after two weeks of surveillance, the First Prince's forces would uncover all of District 5's secrets—putting the Fifth Prince in mortal danger.
Now that the First Prince had been sent to the VVIP area, with most of his men wiped out, this was the perfect time for the Fifth Prince to make his move.
Joey's mind wandered.
Meanwhile, his ruthless gunplay had thrown the central cafeteria into a panic.
Civilians who had lined up for breakfast screamed, running deeper into the building, hoping to escape through a back door.
After seeing the weapons in Joey's hands and his brutal efficiency, no one dared approach him.
They knew full well what killing mafia members would lead to—the inevitable bloodbath that would follow.
If they didn't escape now, they might never get another chance.
Joey ignored the chaos.
His gaze fell instead on the Royal Army soldiers stationed in the cafeteria.
With Tier 5 in full-blown riot, Tier 4 had also been put under martial law.
That meant the cafeteria was under armed guard.
There were also mafia members here, grabbing an early breakfast.
Back in Kakin, maybe mobsters didn't eat breakfast regularly—but on the BW's lower decks, where food was rationed, breakfast was a necessity for strength.
Now someone had drawn blood under both groups' noses.
Royal Army and mafia alike raised their weapons and aimed at Joey.
Joey didn't flinch.
He tucked the pistols into his waistband, gripped the assault rifle, and—
charged.
The Royal Army responded instantly—opening fire.
Suppressing potential rioters was part of their core duties.
The mafia, seeing the soldiers move, joined in without hesitation.
But as their bullets ripped through the air—
—they passed right through Joey.
He stood there, unmoved. The bullets simply phased through him like he was a ghost.
A phantom with a gun.
Everyone's expression changed.
Before they could react further, Joey opened fire.
Gunshots echoed.
Screams erupted.
As Joey's bullets tore through the air, soldiers and gangsters dove for cover.
But what cover?
The cafeteria had only plastic tables and chairs—
Easily pierced by bullets.
Joey's shots tore through them, shredding mafia bodies.
Curiously, the Royal Army wasn't targeted.
Joey's intent to kill was aimed only at the mafia.
But then—a bullet suddenly struck his arm.
Despite his Nen armor, pain shot through him.
The shot had aura on it.
And yet, it had slipped past his En completely.
That left two possibilities:
The shooter used In—an advanced Nen technique to conceal aura.
In wide-range En mode, Joey couldn't easily detect hidden aura.
The shooter's ability naturally suppressed aura signature.
Likely someone from the Enhancement or Emission categories.
Joey ruled out Manipulation, Conjuration, and Specialization.
He could tell from the feel of the aura on the bullet—
It wasn't strong, but had extreme penetration.
Normal caliber rounds couldn't break through his defense.
He'd been using Ken since the fight began.
And considering the bullet hit him even while he was cloaked by Mirage Illusion, the shooter must have calculated his location from his own bullet trajectories.
A seasoned gunman. A Nen user whose traits were stealth and penetration.
Most likely an Enhancer or Emitter.
The bullet on the floor was already losing its aura.
More evidence: it came from a pure Enhancer.
Joey's eyes swept toward the Royal Army—
—but none of them registered as Nen users in his perception.
Not among them?
His gaze slid past the soldiers and landed on a tiny hole in the wall.
A bullet hole.
The shooter was outside the cafeteria.
Joey's mind clicked into place.
But that raised a new issue.
If the shooter could track Joey through bullet trajectory, but Joey couldn't sense any En, it suggested there might be an accomplice inside.
And if they were outside the cafeteria, they were probably mafia.
Hinrigh's response time was impressive.
He'd already arranged for an operative to target Joey.
Joey licked his lips.
If Hinrigh was pulling the strings, was it possible he was nearby as well?
After all, there was no better surveillance than using Gold Experience—an ability Hinrigh shared.
And the cafeteria was full of animals.
A single glance from Joey's eyes and En revealed the swarm:
Cats huddled in corners, a python draped over a body, a parrot fluffed up on a soldier's shoulder, a hamster in a cage, a wolfdog barking at gunfire, a spider on the ceiling, and countless insects crawling everywhere.
No way to tell which were normal, and which were Hinrigh's constructs.
And the fact that they weren't fleeing this chaos? That was suspicious.
Joey dropped his now-empty rifle.
The mafia's rapid deployment—and Hinrigh's likely proximity—gave Joey a new sense of relief.
It meant the Tenth and Eleventh Princes, still protected by Tita, were probably safe for now.
The Gold Experience constructs he'd left on them hadn't moved an inch.
Neither had the clone with Melody.
A breath of relief.
Then his eyes sharpened. His focus returned.
He couldn't drag this out.
Hinrigh might've alerted Phantom Troupe members on Tier 4.
Every extra minute raised the risk of deadly reinforcements.
Joey changed position, blending into the cafeteria crowd under the mirage of Mirage Illusion.
As he moved, he raised a hand—
—and conjured a new face, completely different from his own.
A blank, civilian face. As he pressed it to his skin, Nen fused it perfectly to his real one.
Then thick fog began to roll through the cafeteria.
Joey's outline faded—then reappeared, disguised, melting into the panicking crowd.
Meanwhile, coins slipped from his sleeves, transforming midair into hummingbirds that flew out in every direction.
Their targets weren't people—but the animals and insects scattered throughout the cafeteria.
Simultaneously, Joey's En expanded—but this time in erratic, unpredictable patterns.
(End of Chapter)