Joey got the Third Prince's intel from First Prince Benjamin's private guard, Gangidor.
Clearly, the First Prince had grown more cunning—he didn't send one of his soldiers who hadn't yet been affected by the Twelfth Prince's Guardian Beast. Instead, he dispatched Gangidor, already marked and under surveillance, assigned to monitor the Seventh Prince.
Such a brazen move left Joey a little speechless.
After the incident with Babimaina being manipulated in the corridor, the alliance between Tier 1 and Tier 12 was believed to be broken.
But now, with Tier 1's private guard not entering Tier 12 to monitor the Twelfth Prince, but instead bringing information directly to them, it was obvious: there was still something between Tier 1 and Tier 12.
That was a double-edged sword. The arrival of the Royal Army and Judicial Bureau had already shown that some upper prince had a problem with Tier 12. Aligning with the First Prince meant drawing the ire of the others.
Joey imagined himself in their shoes—how would the other princes view Tier 12? Only the Second and Third Princes, he concluded, were still active threats.
Now holding the exact location of the Third Prince, Joey wouldn't act himself. Instead, he planned to sell the information to the mafia from the lower tiers.
He knew someone from Morena's crew would be very interested.
After all, the Third Prince supported the Shu Wu Wu family. Killing him would be a massive blow to them.
More than that—killing a prince grants a huge level boost.
That temptation was massive for the Ai Ai Family.
For someone with no Nen-user bodyguards, a prince was the most profitable prey.
Contacting Morena was easy for Joey.
On the 14th day of the voyage, around 9 PM, Joey sent out a clone to replace himself and, with Fugates' help, left Tier 1.
Tomorrow was the second banquet—tonight was unlikely to hold major events.
Before leaving, Kurapika reminded him: check up on Melody if there was any chance. She hadn't returned to Tier 11, and Kurapika feared she'd fallen into Second Prince Camilla's hands.
Joey was worried too.
After finishing the assassination setup, he planned to link to Tier 4, extend his En into Tier 2, and scan for Melody's aura.
He knew her Nen signature well and was confident he could identify her presence or absence.
That act would no doubt alert Tier 2. But once he confirmed her location, he'd take action.
He wasn't about to let Camilla use Melody for whatever plan she was cooking up.
He'd already been played once—when the Twelfth Prince was cursed.
Now it was time to hit back.
And Joey had little fear of Tier 2.
Aside from the prince, head maid, and exorcist, everyone there practiced Curse-based Nen.
Great for ambushes—but terrible in open combat.
Joey had spent the last year sharpening his skills. If he couldn't handle a bunch of curse-users in straight combat, then he might as well have trained a dog instead.
Reaching Tier 3, Joey found locating Morena easy.
They both wore linked rings that allowed mutual tracking.
Though neither trusted the other enough to use them casually, Joey was sure that if either of them wanted to find the other, the rings could help pinpoint a contact method.
Joey hadn't brought his ring to Tier 1, but Morena could still find her way to its stored location: Joey's room in Tier 3.
And once there, she could call the phone he'd left inside—connected to him on Tier 1.
But things went differently.
Using the ring's signal, Joey tracked her down—but he found not just Morena, but a room full of Ai Ai Family members.
He wasn't fazed.
"Must be something important," Morena teased from the couch. "Otherwise, my honored guest wouldn't drop by."
Joey smiled, settling onto the sofa opposite her.
"Indeed. I bring good news."
"Oh?" Her mood was playful. "Should I guess?"
"If you'd like." Joey gestured politely, glancing at the others in the room.
There were only three:
—A short-haired woman with black-and-white hair, splattered with blood like she'd just come from a kill.
—A young boy, barely a teen, wearing a high-collared outfit. His face held constant surprise, though his eyes glimmered with devotion when looking at Morena.
—A haggard middle-aged man, scruffy and absentminded. He looked lost in thought, difficult to read.
All three gave Joey an indifferent vibe. The woman even licked her lips when looking at him—like a predator staring at prey.
But Joey judged them as fresh meat.
He could feel it. All three had only recently awakened their Nen.
Under Morena's rules, they'd likely just completed the "Ten Kills" task to earn their Nen rights.
Of the three, the boy seemed the cleanest, and oddly enough, gave off the strongest presence.
It reminded Joey of the saying: "Biting dogs don't bark." The loudest ones were often the weakest.
"A chance to kill a prince, perhaps?" Morena asked casually.
Joey was impressed. Smart as ever. He nodded.
"You guessed right. Interested?"
She showed no change in expression—but her three underlings' faces lit with surprise, desire, and anticipation.
Despite their complex emotions, Joey knew one thing: they all wanted blood.
"Which prince?" Morena asked in a flat tone, as if killing a royal wasn't a big deal.
Joey didn't mind her calm.
"Third Prince," he said, watching their reactions.
Morena blinked, surprised.
"Unexpected. Weren't you pretty close with the Shu Wu Wu family not long ago? Why sell them out now?"
Joey shrugged.
"That was then. Things change—we both understand that."
The others looked shocked again, but Joey stayed cool.
"The Third Prince is in the VVIP section. I've got his exact location. I can send someone in at any time.
If you want to assassinate him—I'll handle the transport.
And one more thing: he currently has no Nen-users guarding him."
That last detail made Morena's thoughts spin.
She knew Joey had sent Nen users from Shu Wu Wu to protect the Third Prince. If he now claimed there were none, it could only mean one thing:
Joey had eliminated them.
Why?
There was only one reason that made sense:
The Third Prince tried to kill Joey.
But was he crazy? Picking a fight with Joey, who was clearly a cut above the average Nen user?
The prince must've misjudged him—thinking Joey was weaker than he truly was.
Meanwhile, Morena noticed her underlings.
Their faces were lit with restrained ecstasy.
One word from her, and they'd all be clamoring for the honor of killing the prince.
Even if it was a one-way trip—they'd take it.
She had no doubt. Especially now that they'd tasted Nen—a poison more addictive than any drug.
These weren't people who blinked at murder. They were beasts. Telling them to restrain themselves would be like expecting a lottery ticket to win.
"Quite the tempting opportunity," Morena said, smirking. "And what about you? Not planning to grab it for yourself?
Killing a prince grants a 50-level boost. That's no small thing."
She licked her lips. "Want a celebratory kiss if you do it?"
Joey chuckled, waving her off.
"Thanks, but I don't need extra levels right now."
That wasn't the real reason.
His concern was that he couldn't guarantee the Third Prince's surroundings.
He knew there were no Shu Wu Wu Nen users there—but what if Royal Army Nen users had taken their place?
After all, when the Third Prince betrayed him, it had been in collusion with the Royal Army.
So it made sense they'd send protection in return.
The two Shu Wu Wu Nen users had definitely returned to Tier 3.
And when Morena's people struck the Third Prince, Joey himself would be striking Tier 2.
He couldn't divide his attention. He had to let this risky job go.
Morena grinned.
"Sounds like the VVIP section's more dangerous than it looks."
Joey rolled his eyes.
"Obviously. He's still Kakin's Third Prince."
"If you're not interested, we'll drop it. I've got other things to do. And if we miss this chance, the Third Prince will soon be protected again. The window's closing."
"Don't rush me," Morena teased. "I didn't say no. Just give me two hours. I'll send someone to you."
Joey checked his watch.
"Deal."
Two hours later, it'd be near midnight. That was manageable.
But he wouldn't be stupid enough to wait around.
There were too many Nen users in Morena's den—he wasn't afraid of them, but Nen abilities could be tricky. One mistake and it'd be over.
So he stood up.
"Have them come to my room. I'll send them straight to the Third Prince's location."
"Got it. One more thing—there's someone snooping around Tier 3.
They moved in after the Royal Army and Shu Wu Wu Family retreated, and unlike them, they're not tracking me or Hisoka.
They're looking for the princes you sent to the lower decks.
Watch your back."
Joey nodded.
"Understood. If I run into them, I'll test them—or kill them."
He knew what Morena was saying.
Whoever these people were, they weren't with the Royal Army or Kakin's mafia.
That left two options: private guards of other princes, or voyage bureau agents tied to V5.
The latter weren't involved—they only cared about the Dark Continent.
So this had to be a prince's private force.
(End of Chapter)