Previously, the Ayii Family had transported a large number of people down to Tier 5, causing chaos there.
If not for the Royal Army and the Gashya Family's quick response and suppression, Tier 5 might've descended into full-blown anarchy.
Joey understood this well. If the Association couldn't control or block the Ayii's teleportation ability, even finding and surrounding their hideout would be meaningless—
The Ayii would just scatter their forces across the ship.
That would turn the current evacuations to Tiers 4 and 5 into a recipe for disaster, possibly triggering a mutiny on the BW—or even sinking it.
And if the Association really had found a way to limit such teleportation, Joey was extremely interested.
Mizaistom nodded.
"The teleportation has limits. It can't send all Ayii members down. We've also set up some countermeasures in the lower tiers. Most importantly, once operations begin, key areas of the ship will be covered with special Nen. At that point, teleportation will be almost useless."
"There are specialists who can restrict spatial abilities?" Joey was surprised.
Not that such abilities existed—but at the range being implied.
Mizaistom caught the thought and gave a bitter smile.
"No one can seal an entire tier. We're only covering critical spots—basically gambling with our best calculations."
"But those spots were selected with help from precision-type abilities, so the odds are in our favor. Even if there are deviations, we have contingency plans."
Joey nodded, not pressing further. He could already hear the frustration in Mizaistom's tone.
"War is already unavoidable," Mizaistom sighed, confirming Joey's assumption.
Joey's phone buzzed—interrupting whatever Mizaistom was about to say.
He checked the screen.
"Piyon says she'll handle it remotely. You should be able to use your phone again soon," Mizaistom relayed.
"Can she trace the attacker?" Joey asked.
"I'll ask." Mizaistom messaged her.
Piyon responded quickly:
"No. It'd take too long. I don't have time."
The message went straight to Joey's phone. He appreciated her efficiency.
"Will it happen again? Is the hack purely technical, or is it Nen-based?"
Joey texted back immediately.
Piyon replied within seconds:
"It's a Nen user. Trigger condition unknown. But unless they get close to you for an extended period, it'll be hard for them to hack you again. Still, anything's possible. If it happens again, message me—I'll handle it."
Joey stared at the message, then smirked as he understood.
Even if his phone was compromised, messages to Piyon would still get through.
After confirming this with her, he let out a chuckle.
She'd called him an idiot in her reply—but he ignored it.
From now on, he'd message Piyon first, before contacting anyone else. That would ensure the next message was safe.
It might trouble her a bit, but Joey had no choice.
At least until he found the Nen user responsible.
He opened his contacts and dialed Kurapika.
The call rang for thirty seconds—no answer.
Frowning, Joey hung up.
He didn't message Kurapika again. Instead, he forwarded his number to Piyon.
And in his heart, a theory began to form.
It was soon confirmed by Piyon's next update—Kurapika's phone had also been hacked.
Previously, Joey had received two suspicious messages—one from Kurapika, one from Mizaistom.
Now he was sure: both had been faked.
But only Kurapika's phone had actually been compromised.
That revealed a condition.
Both Joey and Kurapika were people Hisoka had physically interacted with.
Joey had already suspected this. Nen abilities always needed a trigger—you couldn't use them on complete strangers without condition.
Earlier, he'd thought maybe the enemy could hack anyone via phone numbers alone.
But clearly, Hisoka having contact with Kurapika and Joey was the true variable.
The hacker had Mizaistom's number—either pulled from Joey's phone or found through other means.
But Hisoka never physically interacted with Mizaistom.
Whereas he did ask Joey and Kurapika for their numbers directly.
Putting all this together—Joey was now sure.
The hacker could only compromise phones Hisoka had personally acquired numbers for.
Which meant Hisoka had been collaborating with the hacker long before.
That ruled out the Gashya Family.
Only one other person on the ship fit.
Illumi.
Joey immediately sent him a message.
"I saw Milluki. Is he working with us too?"
Milluki Zoldyck—Illumi's younger brother, a hacker and computer expert.
If he was the one behind this, everything made sense.
And fixing the problem might even be simple—if Joey could find him.
But he couldn't just ask outright if Milluki was helping Hisoka. This phrasing was the best way to bait a reaction.
Would Illumi catch on?
The reply came swiftly.
"No."
One word. But that was all Joey needed.
It meant Milluki was indeed on the ship.
Whether he was helping Hisoka wasn't even a question—Joey knew he was.
If Hisoka reached Illumi and paid enough, Milluki wouldn't hesitate.
Still… dealing with Milluki would be tricky.
Joey couldn't just kill him over this.
Illumi might act indifferent—but who knew how he'd really respond?
If Joey had to deal with Milluki, it'd have to be subtle.
Find him first. Then coerce him without killing him.
Just then, Piyon sent another message.
Kurapika's phone had been fixed.
Joey didn't hesitate—he called him.
It rang three times. Then picked up.
"Joey?" Kurapika's voice was low, confused.
"It's me. Where are you now? Did you get my message earlier?" Joey asked quickly.
"I did. I'm in Room 3107, Tier 3. Wait… you didn't ask me to come here?" Kurapika's tone shifted.
"No. That message wasn't from me."
Joey's face darkened immediately.
Room 3101 and its surrounding halls were under Royal Army and mafia control.
For Kurapika to sneak into Room 3107—impressive.
But very likely… a trap.
"I—"
Before Joey could speak further, the call cut out abruptly.
The signal was jammed.
Had the hacker been purged, triggering a trap?
Or had the appointed time arrived?
Either way, Joey needed to head to Room 3107 immediately.
He stood up. Mizaistom rose with him, blocking his path.
"I'll go."
Joey paused. Mizaistom must've heard the whole exchange.
And truthfully, it was safer for Mizaistom to go.
As a Zodiac, entering the 3100 section was perfectly legitimate.
And Kurapika, being a licensed Hunter, would be under his protection if anything happened.
But Joey knew official channels weren't enough.
The Phantom Troupe was nearby.
If Kurapika crossed paths with them, it might spiral into a fight to the death.
On a ship full of narrow corridors, once that kind of battle broke out,
neither the Royal Army, the mafia, nor the Association could stop it in time.
Joey thought for a moment.
"Together. You go loud—I'll go quiet."
At the same time, his clone near Room 3321 started heading toward 3107.
Joey pulled out his phone—switching to the bugs he'd planted near Room 3101.
These weren't Gold Experience constructs—just normal devices, hidden carefully in corners.
Static filled the phone. Nothing intelligible.
But Joey didn't panic. He began switching between channels, listening carefully.
Mizaistom said nothing. He understood—this was their best shot.
Kurapika was already on the Royal Army's wanted list.
Even if the Association tried to shield him, the military might still kill him on sight.
So without delay, the two of them left the room.
They moved fast—then split up.
Mizaistom would take the official route, likely joined by soldiers.
His progress would be slower.
Joey, with no such burden, advanced swiftly.
He reached the hallway near Room 3131 within minutes.
It was close now—but the security presence had increased.
Getting nearer would be hard.
But Joey had a trick—his light-bending ability.
As long as no one was using En, it would serve him well.
But the deeper he went, the worse it looked.
Gunfire rang out—sharp and violent—even through the static in his earpiece.
He recognized it immediately: a firefight.
Not a lone skirmish.
A full-on battle.
Soldiers and mafia ran past him, confirming it.
But oddly, the guards posted in the halls didn't move.
So Joey floated above them, advancing quickly through the corridor.
His clone had already reached the area.
Without access to weather-type abilities, its only entry option was disguise.
After stealing a uniform and posing as a soldier, the clone infiltrated.
Joey himself finally reached Room 3107.
And just as he feared—a gunfight raged.
But not from inside 3107.
It came from Room 3103, where squads of clockwork dolls were spilling out.
Each doll held a gun—and opened fire indiscriminately on the nearby soldiers.
Joey recognized the weapons instantly.
They were the same ones used by the soldiers and mafia who'd been teleported into the Ayii base.
The dolls were Conjured.
The guns were real.
A Nen-powered army, wielding live firearms, massacring real people.
It was a one-sided slaughter.