While Joey was still lost in thought about the King's Tier and the Fourth Prince, a message popped up on his phone from Mizai Storm.
"I spotted Illumi on the third deck. He's with Kalluto Zoldyck. Looks like Kalluto's officially part of the Phantom Troupe now."
It was the intel Joey had asked for once he'd located Hisoka.
He had instructed Mizai to drive Hisoka into the lower tiers and unleash him on the Troupe—let them tear each other apart. That way, Kurapika wouldn't risk exposure, and Joey would get one massive problem off his plate.
Illumi himself didn't seem to have joined the Troupe. Likely Joey's doing.
His appearance probably made Illumi accept another job instead of taking up Hisoka's bounty on himself—thus, no need to join the Troupe.
But Kalluto joining revealed the Zoldyck family's stance toward the Troupe.
Still, that wasn't too surprising. One was a bandit crew, the other a family of assassins. Different trades, both black.
Joey also knew Kalluto had joined the Troupe as early as the Chimera Ant invasion.
So in the end, the intel wasn't especially valuable.
Joey had no interest in seeing Hisoka and Illumi duke it out on the ship. He still needed Illumi for their joint expedition into the Dark Continent.
And Kalluto? Not tempting enough bait. Hisoka would probably be more aroused by the idea of taking on Benjamin than hunting Kalluto.
Besides the Troupe info, Mizai's message also included a quick update on the current state of the lower decks.
Thanks to the Ayii family's meddling, the underworld down there was on the verge of war. If an all-out fight broke out, chaos was inevitable. Mizai preferred Joey keep Hisoka busy a while longer.
Joey thought briefly, then quickly typed a reply. He forwarded the latest intel on Morena's location to Mizai—and flat-out refused Mizai's request.
"Mizai, Hisoka is a time bomb. I can already feel him reaching his limit. Keeping him around risks a chaotic fight up here—or worse, he might wander into the lower decks and stir up mayhem on his own.
So your broke little client sincerely recommends the best use of Hisoka is feeding him intel on any isolated Troupe members still onboard."
On the third tier, Mizai, currently investigating a murder case, adjusted his horned cap as he read Joey's reply.
"Good suggestion. Much appreciated." Then he typed another message. "Let me know in advance when you're ready to make delivery. I'll provide the drop point. If you can do direct handoff, I'll be extra grateful."
"No need for formalities. Mutual support, shared goals. All the best! :)"
Joey pocketed his phone just as the ringtone suddenly flared.
Kurapika answered the call, then walked toward Joey with a serious face. "We've been summoned by the First Prince."
"Summoned? Why? Is he turning on us?"
Joey's mind jumped straight to Shurikov's death. He asked quickly.
A summons felt too aggressive. Considering their alliance, Joey hadn't expected Benjamin to use such a forceful term.
"No idea. But I do know this: the Second and Third Princes also sent invitations," Kurapika shrugged, resigned. "Looks like your clone didn't do the job. Better wrap up whatever you've planned with Tita and Salkov."
"You mean they already know the Fourth Prince is dead? But how?"
Joey was baffled.
He trusted the deception from his clone. No one had checked the Fourth Tier. So how could news of the Prince's death have leaked?
Unless, just like he'd feared, it involved Nasubi Hui Guo Rou's plan with the fourteen coffins.
That would mean the upper princes had gotten the info straight from the Royal Guard.
Which could only mean the King had intentionally leaked it.
But why?
Joey couldn't figure it out. Not now. What mattered more was that the Fourth Prince had last interacted with him and Kurapika—making them prime suspects.
Still, if the top princes were willing to summon or invite them under such suspicion… that meant something.
Especially Benjamin. Was he not afraid of what happened in the Fourth Tier repeating in the First?
Or did he, like the Fourth Prince, believe he had an ability that made him invincible?
They had no reason to refuse the summons. When Babimaina rang the doorbell of the Twelfth Prince's quarters, Joey and Kurapika stepped out once again.
They hadn't expected Babimaina himself to escort them to Tier One.
Hanzo hadn't contacted them in a while. If Joey didn't know for sure Hanzo was still alive, he might've suspected Babimaina killed him.
But due to the lack of contact, their intel on Babimaina was sparse.
Joey only knew Babimaina was a Counter-type Nen user—annoyingly tricky to deal with. Attacking him without knowing his exact ability would risk a dangerous retaliation.
And with his En constantly active, he left no openings.
As the three of them walked toward Tier One, the miniature copy of the Twelfth Prince's Guardian Beast perched on Joey's shoulder silently hopped to Babimaina's.
"Are you free? If so, come find me~ I've got something real nice for you~"
Babimaina visibly tensed. A second later, a massive tiger erupted from his aura, jaws snapping at his own shoulder.
Joey and Kurapika instantly leapt back and shouted, "Stop! If you continue, we'll file charges with the Tribunal!"
Babimaina turned to them—but before he could speak, that eerie voice whispered in his ear again: "Are you free now?"
He glanced at his shoulder. The fist-sized Nen Beast was gone. But the voice echoed in his head, like something had crawled into his ear.
The tiger spun around and lunged at Babimaina again.
At that moment, the trio was passing between Tier Nine and Ten. Joey and Kurapika made no attempt to keep quiet. As their voices rang out, the doors to both sectors flew open.
Guards flooded into the corridor. Among them emerged Ninth Prince Halkenburg and First Prince's soldier Shikaku, stationed in Tier Nine.
A glow surrounded the group—Nen so intense it looked like small suns lighting the hallway.
"Cease!" Halkenburg's voice boomed with authority.
He locked eyes with the tiger, which had stopped and was now facing them, teeth bared.
From another room, the disguised Hisoka—posing as Tenth Prince Kacho—stepped out.
Halkenburg's gaze shifted to the square-faced soldier: Shikaku, from Benjamin's private army.
Shikaku gave a tiny nod—then suddenly drew his sidearm and aimed it at Babimaina.
"A traitor from the First Prince's army has attempted to murder the Twelfth Prince's guard. As a member of the First Prince's forces, I now invoke the right to self-defense."
Without waiting, he pulled the trigger.
Before the bullet could reach Babimaina, the tiger lunged, intercepting the shot—its body riddled with holes. It landed before Shikaku and sank its teeth into his skull.
Shikaku didn't move an inch, like a man unaware of Nen. Only the slight twitch in his eyes betrayed his tension.
To an outside observer, it might've looked like he froze from fear.
Either way, the tiger tore into his head. Shikaku collapsed, skull bitten through. Dead.
It all happened in seconds.
Babimaina couldn't believe a simple escort job had turned into this.
The moment the gun went off and the tiger attacked, he was guilty—no way to deny it.
Knowing that, he tapped his earpiece and drew his own gun, firing wildly toward the Ninth and Tenth Princes.
As he fired, he shouted: "It asked me to! It wasn't my fault!"
"He's been controlled!" a voice rang out.
Not from the Ninth or Tenth Prince's side—but from two more of Benjamin's private soldiers rushing in from the Sixth and Seventh Prince's quarters.
From the Sixth Prince's room came a wrinkled middle-aged man—he had been observing Babimaina and recognized his condition.
From the Seventh Prince's side came a fat, round-faced man like a pumpkin—Kangjidol, responsible for monitoring that area.
Behind him, Bajou could be seen standing beside the Seventh Prince, who glanced out, curious, before turning and walking back inside.
The two soldiers rushed to Babimaina—but the tiger, now back at his side, blocked their approach. Its posture said it all: it would strike again at the slightest threat.
The bullets headed for Halkenburg were stopped by his overwhelming aura.
"How can we be sure he was controlled and not acting of his own will?" Halkenburg pointed to Shikaku's headless body. "All we know is that he was killed while exercising his right to defend himself."
"That was murder! I'll press charges!" cried "Kacho," safely pulled aside by Melody. "He deserves execution!"
Joey saw it clearly. Babimaina wasn't controlled.
He was faking it.
Trying to cover his own ass.
As for the tiger killing Shikaku—two possibilities. Either Babimaina couldn't control it, or he wanted Shikaku dead.
Shikaku had already fallen out of contact with them—perhaps a loose end.
"Let the Royal Guard decide," Joey said. "I've already reported everything. They'll make the call."
The Sixth Prince arrived, surrounded by followers.
He wore a tiny crown and held a black book.
"If only people loved and understood each other, such tragedies wouldn't happen. You're all the pillars of Kakin," he said, tearfully.
He walked toward Shikaku's severed head.
Handing his scripture to a nearby guard, he knelt, unbothered by the blood, gently closed Shikaku's eyes, and carried the head back to the corpse.
Even Izunavi—standing at the back—looked visibly moved.
Those constantly flanking the Sixth Prince were already in tears.
"His Highness is too kind!" they whispered in awe.
Joey turned his gaze back to Babimaina.
His magazine was empty. The tiger hadn't vanished.
Then Joey noticed Babimaina's eyes roll back—he collapsed to the floor.
Foam frothed from his lips.
He had taken poison.
Just then, Orau—the Sixth Prince's monitor—rushed in. While Kangjidol held back the tiger and took injuries to his arms and chest, Orau shoved an antidote pill into Babimaina's mouth.
The tiger, calmed by his breathing, slowly faded away.
Kangjidol exhaled in relief despite his wounds.
Minutes later, the Royal Guard arrived. They took Babimaina's unconscious body and removed Shikaku's corpse.
Orau nodded at Kangjidol and left with the Sixth Prince.
Kangjidol, still bleeding, approached Joey and Kurapika. "From here, I'll escort you. His Highness Benjamin has been waiting. Please follow me."
The corridor returned to silence.
Kacho—still Hisoka—threw a mini tantrum at his attendant, then retreated to Tier Ten.
As Joey, Kurapika, and Kangjidol passed into the corridor between Tier Three and Four, Kangjidol stiffened.
Joey and Kurapika knew what that meant—the Twelfth Prince's Guardian Beast had moved.
Kangjidol's ability was clearly no longer Counter-type.
And so, under the burden of the Beast's psychological games, they reached Tier One.
Before entering, Joey gave Kurapika a slight nod.
Just as expected, Benjamin was already waiting.
He didn't mince words. "Now that you've gotten what you wanted, it's time you delivered your part of the deal."
He didn't ask directly whether the Fourth Prince was dead—he knew they wouldn't admit it.
So he chose "got what you wanted" instead.
"Your intel network is impressive, Your Highness. Did that info come from the Royal Guard?" Kurapika didn't deny it—just asked where the leak came from.
"That's right. But nothing beats confirmation from the source," Benjamin said, barely containing his glee.
There was a hint of regret—but the joy at learning the Fourth Prince was dead far outweighed it.
"We must thank Your Highness for the opportunity you created. Without it, the deal wouldn't have gone so smoothly." Kurapika handed over a small notebook filled with detailed notes on Guardian Beasts.
Benjamin didn't look at it. Barusamilko picked it up and flipped through it.
"Not as detailed as the last batch," he said after a minute.
"Of course," Kurapika replied. "Their abilities evolve. What I've recorded only reflects their state at the beginning of the voyage."
Still, the notebook was thorough.
It included abilities of Beasts not yet seen and confirmed details they hadn't gathered themselves.
Barusamilko could tell Kurapika hadn't tricked them—just withheld a little.