Time ticked by. Joey's phone remained silent, and there was still no movement from where his clone and Melody were stationed.
The former made Joey frown slightly. The latter was, at least, good news.
Pyon had said she'd contact him later, but ten hours had already passed since their last exchange. That meant she'd gotten tied up.
And anything that could hold Pyon back boiled down to two possibilities in Joey's mind:
One—the riot on Tier 5.
Two—the leak of Association intel.
Neither was a simple problem.
If no one eliminated the Ei Ei family's teleportation user, then the chaos on Tier 5 couldn't be stopped.
But tracking down that user would require both the mafia and the Royal Guard to scour Tier 3—yet the riot had already tied down the Gyasha family and much of the Royal Guard's manpower.
On Tier 4, people still had to stay alert for Ei Ei family movements.
The Xi-Yuu family, focused on Joey now, had slackened their grip on Ei Ei as well.
That only made the Ei Ei family act with greater impunity.
It wasn't an exaggeration: the lower decks of the Black Whale were now dancing to Ei Ei's rhythm.
Morena—now free from the leash of the Fourth Prince—was in full control, revealing the true ruthlessness with which she commanded her family.
And Joey knew something else: the Tenth and Eleventh Princes traveling with him were also on Morena's hit list.
As for the deal he'd made with her? He wasn't sure how much of it still held.
With the Ei Ei family expanding so rapidly, that deal could become meaningless—or outright scrapped by Morena at any time.
That meant Joey's plan to let his clone unlock an upgraded ability had to be shelved for now.
Still, Joey no longer cared as much about gaining an upgraded power. His expectations for it had faded.
Cooperating with Morena? Meh.
But her current moves were troublesome for him.
Morena wasn't after just one person—she wanted annihilation. If the Black Whale sank mid-journey, that might even suit her.
But that didn't suit Joey.
The riot on the lower decks couldn't be allowed to threaten the entire ship. The moment Morena's people began stoking unrest down there, she'd crossed the line.
Not that Joey planned to stop her.
There were plenty of others on the ship with the same goal as him: the Dark Continent.
Jeg and Illumi. Ging, who lay in hiding. Beyond's team.
None of them would let the situation spiral too far.
He couldn't possibly do everything himself.
He felt like intervening in the Succession War had already been above and beyond. If he also had to soothe a riot? Might as well let the Black Whale sink.
Then whoever reached the New World first would just have to rely on their own strength.
Joey trusted himself. Even if the ship sank, he didn't think he'd die easily in the ocean.
Especially since he doubted the Association had zero contingency plans.
Ten hours had passed. That was long enough to confirm Melody was safe.
Now, he just had to wait for Fugetsu to wake up.
But he couldn't bet everything on her—she was injured, and even if she woke, she'd only have strength for limited teleportations.
The best option was to have his clone and Melody return.
That way, if Fugetsu revived, they could teleport straight to Tier 3.
But for that to work, he had to contact Pyon—he'd need a safe location once they arrived.
The Exorcist's ward for the Twelfth Prince might do.
Joey sent a message to Pyon just as Melody and his clone began moving.
Tier 4 wasn't chaotic anymore, but after the cafeteria incident, it had entered a lockdown state.
Everyone had been herded back to their rooms. Food was delivered room by room, distributed by a joint team of Royal Guards and mafia soldiers.
That operation was also a covert sweep.
The Royal Guard and mafia didn't care if Joey had left Tier 4 or not—they wouldn't rest until they searched.
Armed guards stood at regular intervals in every hallway. It made movement extremely difficult for Melody and the clone.
The clone could only use basic Nen—nothing fancy.
Melody's hearing, though, became the key to their movement.
Still, by the time they reached Joey, it was 5 PM on Day 16 of the voyage.
Fugetsu had already woken up.
She wasn't in great shape—but opening one portal to the upper levels was still within her ability.
Just then, Pyon finally replied, telling Joey where the Exorcist was stationed.
She also briefed him on Tier 3's situation. While Tier 5 burned in riot, Tier 3—Ei Ei's headquarters—was no peaceful haven.
People were vanishing from Tier 3. There wasn't mass panic, but the mood was heavy—oppressive, fearful, tense, suspicious.
Even though Tier 3 had the most Royal Guards, they couldn't ease the public's anxiety.
The Hunter Association had to lend a hand. Some of its members helped guard the routes to Tier 2, where unrest was breaking out.
Their job? Identify hidden members of the Ei Ei family.
Because as their kill count grew, new Nen users emerged.
And they weren't skilled enough to fully suppress their aura—unable to pose as civilians.
So the Hunters' task was simple: spot suspicious Nen.
Then the Royal Guard would move in.
If suspects resisted—they were arrested.
If not—they were detained for questioning.
So far, no one had gone quietly.
Over a dozen Royal Guards had died, but seven Nen users were neutralized or captured.
That was significant progress.
Whether the method was sound, Joey wasn't sure.
Pyon also confirmed that intel from the Hunter Association had indeed been leaked to the First Prince—just as Joey had suspected.
After Fugetsu opened the portal, she looked visibly more drained.
For someone like her—a non-combatant—even with her wounds healed and blood replenished, her body needed time to fully recover.
And the mental toll couldn't be treated.
Joey could only watch, helpless.
A soft breeze lifted Fugetsu, and the group stepped in line, passing through the portal one by one.
They emerged in a spacious meeting room on Tier 3.
To Joey's surprise, waiting inside was not only the Twelfth Prince and the Exorcist—who held a puppet and dressed like a shrine maiden—but also Hunter Association Chairman Cheadle!
"Chairwoman Cheadle?" Joey blinked as he stepped out of the portal.
He had known the endpoint was the Tier 3 medical district—but hadn't expected to see her in person.
Cheadle adjusted her glasses. "Three princes. You sure love giving me headaches."
Joey scratched his head, feeling like a schoolkid caught by his homeroom teacher. "Not my fault. Blame Nasubi Hui Guo Rou."
"No need," Cheadle replied flatly. "The Succession War has nothing to do with the Association. If it weren't for Mizai and Pyon insisting your intel was sound, I'd never have let the Association get tangled with Kakin royalty."
Her stance caught Joey off guard.
He'd assumed Cheadle was one of those advocating to end the war.
But after a moment's thought, he understood.
Cheadle was a textbook conservative. Keeping the Association clean of royal politics was, from her view, the best path.
But that assumed one thing: would Nasubi target civilians on the lower decks?
If yes—then the Association had no choice but to oppose the monarchy.
If no—then staying out of it was best.
But really, who would believe the answer was no?
There were 200,000 people below deck!
Yet some still believed the king wouldn't act.
Which meant Cheadle had been forced to covertly support Joey. Luckily, the Tenth and Eleventh Princes had Nen abilities useful enough to prevent exposure.
But the First Prince's investigations had brought the whole thing to the brink.
So in Cheadle's eyes, the best solution was: cut ties immediately.
Let Joey take the princes and go.
That way, if Kakin came knocking, she could throw everything on his back.
And Joey wasn't even a registered Hunter.
Joey figured it out instantly—his brow furrowed.
The Black Whale was massive, but finding a place to safely stash this group wasn't easy.
Cheadle noticed. She looked to a corner of the room and checked her watch.
Joey tilted his head, confused.
She murmured, "He should be here."
Suddenly, another man appeared—suited, well-groomed, silver-rimmed glasses. Someone Joey knew well.
"Perfect timing. Long time no see, Joey."
Joey's eyes lit up. "Not that long. But damn—I didn't think you'd bring Knov!"
As he understood it, Knov was handling logistics for the voyage.
His 4D Apartment ability was a linchpin in this entire operation.
"Leave the princes to him. You'll be more at ease. But you won't be able to use their powers while they're with Knov," Cheadle said seriously.
"Right," Joey nodded. "Check Melody first. She was tagged."
"No need," Cheadle waved. "I already verified her the moment you arrived. She's clean."
Pyon had briefed her ahead of time. No delays.
Joey trusted her. This wasn't an ordinary room—if Cheadle had pre-set a checkup, it'd be silent and seamless.
He nodded. "Alright. But the Twelfth Prince should return topside soon. My fake won't last much longer."
"The exorcism is complete. You can take her anytime. She's just weak and needs rest," said the Exorcist, softly. "Also, she's not suited to travel with Knov. Her ability's dangerous."
Joey understood.
Her Guardian Beast targeted Nen users automatically.
If Knov didn't feel protective toward her, he'd likely be attacked.
"Thanks," Joey smiled warmly at the Exorcist.
Then he pulled out his phone and started texting Kurapika.
Zone 12 was still under surveillance. Replacing the prince—and traveling there himself—required coordination.
He'd planned to have Fugetsu teleport him directly to the VVIP area, but with Cheadle saying her power was off-limits, he had to switch plans.
Two teleports might've been doable, but time wasn't on his side.
When Knov glanced at his watch, Joey got the message.
"Sorry. I'm on a tight clock," Knov muttered.
"I get it," Joey said.
A reply came in. Kurapika must've been waiting.
Babysitting a fake prince was stressful.
"Fugetsu, let's go," Joey turned to her. Then paused. "Chairwoman Cheadle, anything else?"
She said nothing at first. Then handed him a small package.
"Be careful. The Association won't offer much support going forward. If you fail, we might even publicly disown you. This is from Pyon. Your promised equipment. Use it wisely. Resupply won't come until the New World."
Joey opened the pouch.
Two cameras. Seven bugs.
His eyes lit up.
Exactly what he'd been lacking.
With only one camera, his movements had been restricted. This boosted his capabilities significantly.
Cheadle's warning didn't surprise him.
He'd always known the risk of working with the Association—especially as an unregistered agent.
And her words were clear: "We'll disavow you publicly."
But that was enough.
She was still the Chairwoman. Making that distinction in secret already showed her support.
Breaking ties with Kakin before reaching the New World carried heavy costs.
The Association needed V5 support.
V5 could always create a new Association.
Joey understood that well.
"I understand. Tell Pyon thanks." Joey pocketed the gear, smiling.
Cheadle nodded.
Fugetsu approached the wall. Joey gave the nod.
She activated her ability. A door to Zone 12's royal quarters appeared.
Joey lifted the real Twelfth Prince, already awake and quietly listening, with a breeze.
"I'm off. Fugetsu, Kacho—please take care of them."
"You have my word." Knov adjusted his glasses.
Joey entered the portal with Kurukiyo, the real Twelfth Prince.
Knov, meanwhile, activated his own ability and took away the Tenth and Eleventh Princes.
Tita and Salkov were reassigned to Mizaistom.
With Knov guarding the princes, their job was done.
And chaos on the lower decks was worsening. The two Hunters were now free to help there.
Mizaistom even gave them new identities—civilian guards.
As Joey stepped into the Zone 12 bedroom, the first person he saw was Kurapika, waiting.
The weather beast activated silently. Then Joey spoke:
"The Twelfth Prince's curse is lifted. But I can't use the other two princes' powers right now. So I'll have to go to the VVIP zone from here."
"The Judicial Bureau guards are mostly civilians. You should be fine if you're cautious," Kurapika said. "But the problem's the Royal Guard. Their strength makes me suspect they're Nen users, maybe using En on patrol."
"You'll need to stir something up on Tier 1 to sneak into the VVIP zone. Zone 9's operation should be starting soon. Wait here, if you can."
Joey lifted the fake prince from the bed with a breeze, then turned to Kurukiyo, standing obediently beside them.
"You can rest now, Your Highness."
Killer Queen emerged silently behind Joey.
"I can help you," Kurukiyo said firmly.
She still looked fragile—but her voice was resolute.
Joey and Kurapika blinked, surprised.
Kurukiyo had always seemed gentle and indecisive.
Now, her eyes burned with resolve.
"You've all done so much. I've got power now, too. Let me help."
Joey and Kurapika exchanged glances.
Maybe they'd misjudged her.
"What can you do?" Joey asked, serious.
Behind her, her Guardian Beast appeared.
"I can't see my beast," she said. "But during exorcism, lying in bed, I realized—if I close my eyes, I gain a second perspective. A unique view I can move freely with. Using it, I can scout the VVIP zone!"
A special viewpoint?
Joey raised an eyebrow. "Try it."
Kurukiyo's smile broke through. She hurried to the bed and lay down.
Joey and Kurapika locked eyes on her beast.
As Kurukiyo shut her eyes, a giant eyeball emerged from the pocket on the beast's chest.
Black wings flapped on either side.
It floated upward—toward Joey and Kurapika.
"You can see me?" Kurukiyo asked, puzzled. "That's odd. During tests, no one ever looked directly at me."
"Selective visibility? Only certain people can see it?" Joey glanced at Kurapika.
"Hard to say." Kurapika looked at Joey's shoulder.
There, a miniature of Kurukiyo's beast perched.
"But worth testing," Kurapika added.
Joey nodded.
Kurukiyo beamed, her small fists clenched tight.
(End of Chapter)