Opposing Sides × Infiltration × Heavy Fog and Thunder

Joey's intentions had been sound, and his plan aimed for a win-win outcome.

But what greeted him wasn't Chrollo's agreement—it was Shizuku suddenly vanishing and swinging her "vacuum" straight at his head.

In that instant, Joey had two choices: resist or drop his guard.

He didn't even hesitate—he chose the latter.

There was no point saying anything more. The Troupe had made their decision.

And resistance was meaningless—Joey knew his clone was no match for the Phantom Troupe.

He didn't know how the Troupe had made their judgment, but seeing Chrollo stand by as Shizuku attacked confirmed there was no deal to be made.

The only reason Joey could imagine was his support of Hisoka—enough for the Phantom Troupe to mark him as a kill-on-sight target.

Next time they met, it'd be to the death.

In Tier 1, Joey's expression didn't change as his clone was eliminated. But his mind spun through the next step—where to find a new substitute for the Twelfth Prince.

That was now the top priority.

If the Troupe refused to take his path, they wouldn't make it to Tier 1 easily—not even with Mafia support.

Since the killing spree began in Tier 3, the lower decks had been completely cut off from the upper ones. Even VIPs who hadn't evacuated with the first batch could no longer leave.

Joey knew this well—even Hunters had been blocked. Thankfully, Knov was still around on the Association's side.

But Knov was busy, and getting passage via him wasn't easy either.

Until the Tier 3 massacre ended, the route upward would remain sealed.

Especially after an infiltration incident in Tier 5 where Royal Army positions had been attacked—security at the Tier 3-Tier 2 gate had tightened significantly.

Now Tier 3 was under lockdown.

The Royal Army, Shu Wu Wu, and Kachia families were scouring the area for Ai Ai operatives. Soldiers were posted at key choke points.

The Hunter Association and civilian guards were also searching for the murderer.

Tier 3 had become the ship's most chaotic region.

Joey still wanted to search for a new substitute there—but that wouldn't be simple.

He only had two safe spots in Tier 3.

One was now occupied by the Phantom Troupe—off-limits.

The other was a safe house set up by Kite for Fugates and Kajo. Joey couldn't go there casually.

If that place was exposed, Fugates and Kajo would be in grave danger. Even with Pyorn and Kuruk protecting them, it wouldn't be truly safe.

Sure, with Fugates and Kajo's space-warping powers, traveling from there was low risk—but with the Phantom Troupe already after him, Joey now knew the two other crime families were also turning on him.

He wasn't surprised.

The Kachia family had never relied on him much. Joey had even killed one of their members in Tier 5. If they knew he was working with Hisoka, they'd see the Phantom Troupe as a perfect weapon to use against him.

And Joey didn't think much of the Kachia heir either—always adjusting his glasses, scheming constantly.

The guy had status, ambition, and probably wanted full control. Anyone unstable—Joey, Hisoka, the Troupe—would be threats to eliminate.

People with unwavering will and unpredictable behavior were always dangerous to regimes like Kakin's organized Mafia or the Royal Army.

As for Shu Wu Wu, once the Troupe came calling, they wouldn't side with Joey or Hisoka either.

Especially since the Third Prince's death wouldn't stay secret for long.

Given their alliance, it was highly likely Joey had made it onto their kill list.

The Third Prince had already targeted Joey. There was no way he hadn't told Onior, his father.

And if Onior—the man with a real shot at the throne—found out his son had been assassinated, of course he'd pin the blame on Joey.

Joey suspected all of Tier 12 might now be marked by Shu Wu Wu for extermination.

So from the moment he saw Chrollo, Joey knew—the entire situation below decks had changed.

Where once the three factions might have seen him as neutral or a potential ally, now only Ai Ai didn't want him dead.

And given what he knew of Golden Experience, even the Shu Wu Wu heir might be able to detect his clone's disguise.

Especially with Zakuro's blood-based tracking abilities.

Even with space-hopping and disguises, Joey couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be detected if he went back to Tier 3.

Especially now that the Troupe might share his clone's presence there with the Mafia.

But if Tier 3 was off-limits, Joey still had other footholds down below.

After thinking a moment, he split off another clone and notified Fugates.

Soon, her ability opened a gate on Tier 12's wall, and her head poked out, curious: "Something happen?"

Joey had summoned her to Tier 1—not Tier 3—so clearly something had gone wrong.

"Yeah, small problem. That room's burned. We're going to Tier 5 to grab someone."

People in Tier 5 might be more innocent than Ai Ai members in Tier 3, but Joey wasn't planning to kill anyone—just borrow them.

No accidents this time.

His safehouse in Tier 5 hadn't been discovered.

Last time, the Kachia family only tracked him after he'd left. And this room had been used before—even Hisoka had visited it yesterday. If it were exposed, Hisoka would've told him.

Finding a candidate was easy with Golden Experience. Joey wasn't picky.

Once he found someone with a similar build to the Twelfth Prince, he had them abducted on the spot.

The target never even woke up.

After some minimal adjustments, Joey left the clone behind in Tier 12 and departed.

It was Kurapika who escorted him out. Joey saw the worry in his eyes.

Because this time, Joey's target was Tier 2.

A bold, dangerous choice.

If he entered Tier 2, he wouldn't just face private soldiers—he'd be up against the Royal Army.

Joey said nothing. Just nodded at Kurapika and, cloaked in Mirage, left Tier 12.

The hallways were clear—no En users in sight. That eased his tension.

At Tier 4, Joey easily unlocked the sealed gate and stepped inside.

After the Fourth Prince's purge, Tier 4 was deserted.

His private soldiers had been the first to fall during the cleanup.

This place was now the closest launch point to Tier 2.

Inside a room, Joey dropped the Mirage and quietly sat down to calibrate his state.

A tough battle was ahead. He had to be at peak condition.

Repeated use of clones had drained his Nen. He hadn't rested properly in days.

By 10 a.m., Joey slowly opened his eyes.

Rising to his feet, he expanded his En forward in a cone. In seconds, it pierced Tier 4 and blanketed all of Tier 2.

Joey's En had a 50-meter radius—but focused in one direction, it could stretch nearly 100.

The Black Whale was large, but each prince's domain wasn't even close to that size.

As his En swept over Tier 2, he felt it—a familiar aura.

That had to be Melody!

At the same moment, a weather beast appeared on his shoulder, and dense fog erupted across his En, swallowing his body as he vanished into the mist.

The moment Joey's Nen invaded Tier 2, the Second Prince and her soldiers felt it instantly—a hostile presence.

She was sitting with the Second Queen, comparing designer handbags. Her brows furrowed before she could even speak—fog poured into the room, devouring her vision.

This had happened before—the same fog and thunder from when Hisoka escaped Tier 12.

Footsteps and shouting echoed around her, but they were drowned out by crashing thunder.

Thunder. Indoors.

She looked up—amidst the fog, blue sparks crackled.

So that was the source!

Fog and thunder. This was no ordinary attack.

Her first thought: This wasn't just one person.

Rage surged. Her face flushed.

She was the Second Prince of Kakin. The future monarch. Above millions.

And someone dared launch such a crude invasion?

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she snarled, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

But rage did nothing.

She needed intel—she needed to know the attacker's goals.

With that in mind, she strode through the fog toward the door by memory.

Her ability only triggered after death—an invincible effect.

She feared nothing.

She'd make whoever dared offend her pay with their life.

Fog clouded her sight. Thunder deafened her ears. She didn't care.

She pulled a pistol from her hip, racked the slide, and advanced.

Anything in her path was shoved aside.

If anything resisted—she fired without hesitation.

In her mind, anyone but herself could die. That was her truth.

Meanwhile, Joey broke through the Tier 2 gate.

He didn't have much time. The fog disrupted vision, the thunder masked sound—but neither were perfect.

His infiltration would trigger the Royal Army quickly.

He had to find Melody fast, make sure she wasn't tagged or marked, and escape without a direct clash.

Otherwise, it would turn into a bloody battle.

His fog ability wasn't new—it had been used in the royal chambers to attempt an assassination on Nasubi Hui Guo Rou.

The public didn't know. But Minister Nugui certainly did.

Joey had to be cautious of him.

Once a Nen ability was exposed, countermeasures would follow. That was common in Nen battles.

His fog had weaknesses.

It could be dispersed by wind, which would also break the cloud overhead and stop the thunder.

But conjuring wind strong enough to do that wasn't easy.

Joey could create wind himself—if someone tried that, they'd be fighting him directly.

More realistic methods? Radios, phones, headsets—they could bypass the thunder's noise disruption.

And En could pierce the fog's blindness—though it wasn't convenient, it was possible.

Thermal goggles, infrared—those too could be used.

And Joey's own vision was also blocked.

As he entered Tier 2, his En picked up the chaos.

Multiple other En users had detected his presence.

(End of Chapter)