Joey quickly adjusted his mindset.
Kurapika had trusted him countless times. Now it was Joey's turn to fully trust Kurapika.
So Joey stayed behind with Momoze in the VVIP zone to provide backup, while Kurapika went ahead alone.
It was a little past 7 a.m. Joey didn't extend his En too far—just enough to cover the room. He let Momoze lie down on the bed and pulled up a chair to sit and rest.
They had agreed to regroup at noon, so the time in between was Joey's brief window to recover.
Not ideal, but given the current conditions aboard the ship, it was the best he could get.
But barely an hour after closing his eyes, a familiar rumble entered his perception.
A Nen-induced roar—from District 9!
It had been more than a week since the Ninth Prince had awakened his Nen abilities.
Joey was surprised Harkenburg hadn't made a move until now.
What shocked him even more was that the roar wasn't coming from District 9 anymore.
It was happening here—in the VVIP zone.
And who was in the VVIP zone right now?
Only the First Prince was still being held there.
It was clear: after waiting for some time, the Ninth Prince had chosen to target the First Prince first.
To Joey, this was a terrible tactical move. As powerful as the Ninth Prince's ability was, it excelled more in defense than offense.
More importantly, Joey had already met with him and shared intelligence. For Harkenburg to still go on the offensive suggested deeper motives.
After all, once a prince attacks another, the Royal Army and the private soldiers of other princes gain full justification to retaliate.
It was the worst possible scenario for Harkenburg.
Even if he succeeded in killing Prince Benjamin, he'd be dragged before the Supreme Court. Initiating hostilities against a fellow prince was a grave crime—even royal blood wouldn't spare him from execution. The most lenient outcome would be being stripped of his right to succession.
Harkenburg was too smart not to understand that.
Which meant—there had to be something else. Something hidden behind this move.
Joey's mind raced, but he couldn't find a single concrete clue.
One thing was clear: the Ninth Prince's assault would draw attention upward, making Kurapika's mission on the upper decks easier.
From that angle, Harkenburg's actions benefited Joey more than they hurt.
But it also increased the risk of Joey and Momoze being discovered. Especially since their room wasn't far from Benjamin's.
If either side activated a wide-range En, their cover could be blown.
Harkenburg was unlikely to do that.
But Prince Benjamin's private soldiers—and the Royal Army guards still stationed here—definitely could.
Especially Balsamilko.
The Royal Army in the VVIP zone hadn't been reinforced. As Harkenburg's pressure mounted, more soldiers were collapsing, overwhelmed by his aura alone. The few remaining were being pushed steadily backward.
After more than a week of practice and communication with District 12, Harkenburg's Nen control had improved drastically.
Against regular soldiers, he didn't even need to attack directly—his sheer presence knocked them out cold.
At the front of his formation, Harkenburg wore a deep frown. As he neared the First Prince's room, his expression grew increasingly grim.
"Prince Harkenburg. This is not your place. Turn back now, and this can still be salvaged," said the Royal Army captain guarding Prince Benjamin—a Nen user and commander of the VVIP garrison.
Behind him stood Benjamin's quarters.
Benjamin himself stood openly in the doorway, arms crossed, gaze cold as ice—like a beast ready to pounce.
But even then, he didn't step forward.
He acted like a spectator. As if merely here to witness Harkenburg's attack on the Royal Army.
Harkenburg showed no surprise. He didn't even glance at the captain blocking his path.
He simply raised a hand.
A longbow of pure aura materialized in his grasp.
Instantly, Nen surged from the private soldiers behind him, forming a towering collective force.
Defense, interception—it was all meaningless in the face of this assault.
In Harkenburg's eyes, there was only one target: Prince Benjamin.
He'd assumed the hard part would be getting here. But if Benjamin intended to just stand and watch—then this was his chance.
He loosed the arrow. The projectile locked onto Benjamin's chest like a heat-seeking missile.
Its ability? Pierce all defenses, seize the Will of the target, and perform a body swap with one of Harkenburg's own soldiers.
If successful, Benjamin would become one of them.
That way, even if Harkenburg were summoned before the court, he could argue he only struck Royal Army soldiers.
And soldiers—even elite ones—were beneath a prince in status.
"Drop your weapon! Hands in the air! Or I'll invoke my right to self-defense!" the captain shouted, Nen flaring around him.
His legs trembled, but he stood tall in front of the bow's trajectory—right between Harkenburg and Benjamin.
In response, Harkenburg simply released the arrow.
At that moment, the captain thrust both hands upward.
A pair of giant Nen hands erupted from the floor, striking upward at Harkenburg's feet—aiming to toss him and his squad away.
"I'll throw all of you out!"
That was the captain's ability: forcibly eject all those who ignored his warnings.
Not a powerful attack, but its Vow and Limitation made it highly effective in close-quarters.
Even the Ninth Prince's united aura force only resisted it for less than three seconds.
But that was enough time.
The arrow pierced straight through the captain's chest—and drove into Benjamin's.
All defenses crumbled before it.
Thump. Thump.
Two almost-simultaneous crashes echoed—Benjamin and the captain hit the ground at the same time.
Only one person behind Harkenburg stayed conscious, caught their comrade before he fell, bound him with rope, and slung him over their shoulder.
Harkenburg said nothing.
He turned and extended both hands toward the Royal Army.
It was obvious:
He surrendered.
The soldiers hesitated until the fallen captain rasped, "Arrest him."
Only then did they approach and cuff Harkenburg.
Joey watched from afar and shook his head.
Because the person struck by that arrow wasn't actually the real Benjamin.
Not Harkenburg's fault—the resemblance was uncanny. Might as well have been a clone.
Joey had met the real Benjamin up close. He remembered the man well—savage but cunning.
And Balsamilko was still in the area. No way he'd let Benjamin be exposed so recklessly, not even with buffers between them.
Especially since this wasn't the first time Harkenburg used his ability.
Benjamin's private troops weren't blind. They had even relayed intel about Harkenburg's ability after its last use.
And if even Shikaku—a defensive type—had died to it, Benjamin wouldn't take that risk.
So… didn't Harkenburg realize this?
Why did he fire anyway?
Why walk into such an obvious trap?
What was his real goal?
Joey's thoughts spiraled.
He wanted to use En to check the First Prince's room—but held back.
Right now, he and Momoze were still safe. Better not risk exposure just for curiosity's sake.
The smart move was to stay hidden.
Surprisingly, Harkenburg's private soldiers weren't arrested. The Royal Army just took their names and let them go.
Only Harkenburg was taken away.
And medics soon arrived to carry "Benjamin" back into his room.
Within minutes, the tense hallway returned to a quiet, orderly state.
To Joey, the whole event felt… loud but ultimately toothless.
Still, something told him it wouldn't end there.
He returned to the room with the equally confused Momoze, deep in thought.
Momoze didn't ask questions. She knew she lacked the context—and figured she'd step up only when needed.
So she just went back to bed and drifted off.
At noon, Joey took out some dry, tasteless military rations and split them with a drowsy Momoze.
Right then, Kurapika returned.
Right on schedule. He looked the same as when he left.
Joey felt a bit ashamed for ever doubting him.
He'd gotten cocky—questioning someone like Kurapika, of all people.
Reflecting inwardly, Joey asked the one thing that still mattered: "How's Izunavi?"
Kurapika gave a bitter smile. "He's fine… but like I said, he's not planning to leave District 6. He wants to stay with the Sixth Prince—not to protect him, but to save Juliano."
"Juliano?" Joey recalled the name. Only he and Izunavi were Hunters in District 6.
"Juliano's been brainwashed. He's the one who destroyed Momoze's eye monster."
"So what's Izunavi's plan? He has a way to counter it?" Joey asked.
Kurapika shrugged. "That's his problem now."
"Damn. That guy's really something. What about Basho and Hanzo?"
"Can't bring them. I couldn't reach Basho at all. District 7 is like an iron fortress—there's more than one Nen user there. I sensed at least four."
Kurapika's voice held concern. "Seventh Prince might be a dangerous sleeper."
"He's linked to the Gashya Mafia. Not surprising," Joey said. "And if his bond with the Second Queen is stronger than hers with her own son, then getting close recklessly would be suicide."
Kurapika nodded. "So the one truly in danger is Basho."
He jotted down Joey's insights.
"Hanzo's stuck too. His room's guarded by Benjamin's private soldiers. Plus, there are jellyfish floating nearby. The moment I approach District 14, those things appear.
"No idea what their abilities are. But given Woble's tiny body, he probably can't use them many times. I didn't want to provoke them."
"Alright. Then it's just the three of us from now on."
They'd prepared for this. If their allies couldn't be retrieved, they couldn't afford to linger.
First, protect Momoze.
Then slowly resume gathering intel.
(End of Chapter)