When Kent said "welcome," Joey immediately knew the man had intel on him.
As for where that intel came from, Joey had his guesses. The three major mafia families of Kakin always shared critical info between them. If not for Morena's sudden betrayal, even the most minor of gang scuffles would have required advance notice to the family heads before being greenlit.
At present, only the Xi-Yu Family knew of his arrival on the lower decks—and their boss wasn't a loose cannon like Morena.
Kent accepted Joey's proposal with a smile.
Just as Joey suspected, Kent knew of "Dio" and even knew he had a way of sending people to Tier 1. That information hadn't come from the mafia boss—but from spies Kent had planted within the Xi-Yu Family.
This kind of intel—vital for any prince—was far too valuable to be handed over for free, as Joey had hoped.
Right now, Kent had no use for Dio, but the future was uncertain. Rather than force or abduct him—a plan he'd considered—Kent chose to build rapport.
Because he understood Henrig well. If violence had been viable, Joey wouldn't be standing here on Tier 5.
As long as Dio's abilities and strength remained unknown, the best option was diplomacy.
Kent understood too well how dangerous an ability that allowed free movement between floors could be on the Black Whale.
That realization also made him link a dead warehouse manager from his family to Dio. From what the boss had shared, Hisoka had fled downward from the upper levels.
Which meant Dio and Joey were likely connected—or at least Hisoka had reached this level through Dio's ability.
And if Dio was still on Tier 1, then the Dio standing here must be a disguised individual.
But something else caught Kent's attention: Dio had supposedly been traveling with two princes.
So if Joey was now on Tier 5—where were the princes?
And did Dio have allies besides Hisoka?
Outwardly cordial, both men were already dissecting each other mentally.
"I also like the word 'deal,'" Kent smiled. "But before we talk, two things—I want to confirm your stance on the Heil-Ly Family. Is it the same as Hisoka's? And are you chasing the Phantom Troupe?"
"To the first," Joey replied coolly, "I treat all mafia the same. If the profit's right, I'll cooperate. As for the second—that's easier. I've got no ties to the Troupe and no interest in tracking them."
"So the Heil-Ly people also went to Tier 1?" Kent's eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
Joey's smile vanished. "Understand this—answering your questions is me humoring the Tier 5 landlord. It's not an obligation."
"My mistake," Kent admitted. "But since you treat us equally, that means we can use you to send people to Tier 1?"
"Correct. That's what I meant by 'deal.'"
Joey wasn't worried about them wanting to go up—only that they might see him as a threat and waste his time. He didn't want to deal with pointless mafia entanglements, just like the Spiders.
It wasn't that he couldn't crush them—it just wasn't worth the hassle.
They weren't players in the real game.
They all had their own goals.
"Then are you planning to send someone to Tier 1? Last I heard, the Seventh Prince is under surveillance by the First Prince's private guards," Joey offered a tidbit.
His real aim? Continue weakening the First Prince's influence.
As for Basha by the Seventh Prince's side—Joey wasn't concerned. They seemed almost like kindred spirits by now.
Kent shook his head. "Not yet. But perhaps we can trade something else? Heil-Ly intel? Hisoka's location?"
"No deals on mafia intel. And I don't know where Hisoka is," Joey shrugged.
That first question was a trap. Selling Heil-Ly info would instantly piss off all three families.
"In that case," Kent said, "we'll just stay in contact."
He was satisfied. To him, Joey was someone who understood the game.
If Joey had acted like the Troupe—treating friends and enemies alike with contempt, acting on whims—that would've been a problem.
Because both the Troupe and Joey shared one trait: strength.
Kent could feel it—Joey's aura spoke volumes. He didn't need secondhand reports. Joey didn't suppress his En, letting other users feel the gap.
A subtle but effective deterrent.
Joey did it perfectly—asserting dominance over both Henrig and Kent alike.
"Well then. I do like customers like you."
Since Kent extended goodwill, Joey didn't shut it down. As for how they'd reach him in the future? That was their problem.
"So," Kent adjusted his glasses, "let's talk deals for Tier 5."
If Joey wanted to stir up trouble, he'd better pay the price.
"I'm investigating an area guarded by Royal Soldiers," Joey said directly.
"You sure you're not after the Troupe?" Kent raised a brow.
From his intel, the Troupe was heading there. And now Dio was too. Seemed too convenient.
"You're saying the Troupe is already there?" Joey feigned surprise. "I paid a lot for info pointing to something valuable in that spot."
"You're after weapons?" Kent looked confused.
"Weapons?" Joey caught the keyword. "You're saying the Royal Army is guarding an armory?"
Kent nodded. "Tier 5 is the supply hub. Naturally, it holds weapons—gear prepped for Dark Continent deployment. The area is under heavy Royal Guard protection.
They even drafted Kashai members to help. If you're after military stockpiles, I'd suggest backing off. If anything explodes, none of us are getting out alive."
Kent's warning was fair. The intel sounded legit.
That made Joey's trip here feel pointless.
Also—it made him wonder. Did Morena really know nothing about this?
"Is this info classified?" Joey asked.
Kent heard the underlying shift in tone and noticed Joey's hesitation.
If he wasn't after weapons, then maybe someone misled him. Kent analyzed while replying: "It's important, yes, but not exactly secret."
Joey nodded. If this was indeed a weapon cache, Morena's spot on his "trustworthy allies" list just dropped a few places.
He didn't want to trade with liars.
If Morena did know and still insisted he come here, then she had an agenda.
Joey rubbed the ring in his pocket. If Morena planned anything, she'd likely make her move now that he was confirmed on Tier 5.
After all, he could soon uncover the truth.
"You want to check it yourself? I can have someone escort you," Kent offered, sensing Joey's shift.
Or maybe he was just starting to understand Joey's personality.
Someone egocentric, untrusting—a dangerous combo. Best eliminated, if possible.
One of Kent's men took the hint, lowered his rifle, and stepped forward.
Before he could speak, Joey said, "No need. I'll go alone. I won't stir trouble."
"We're not on good terms with the Troupe right now," Kent replied. "I don't want more chaos here. If my man escorts you, even if the guards spot you, it won't raise alarms.
The Royal Army doesn't negotiate. Anyone caught near the armory is assumed hostile—shot on sight."
Joey understood. They wanted to monitor him—and probe his powers.
"Fine," Joey smiled.
They split. Joey headed toward the armory with a mafia escort.
"Will the Troupe not clash with the Royal Guard?" Joey asked casually as they walked.
The escort clearly lacked Kent's finesse. "No idea."
Or maybe he genuinely didn't know.
Joey didn't care. As far as he was concerned, the man was just walking into his own death.
The warehouse housing the armory wasn't far.
In minutes, they were near its perimeter.
Subtle signs marked the shift—workers whose stance and focus were just slightly… wrong.
Some were Royal soldiers in disguise. Others were genuine mafia.
But with a guide, Joey moved freely, reaching the edge of the zone.
"Can't go much further," the escort finally said.
As he spoke, he felt a tap on his right shoulder.
Joey had been on his left. The contact startled him.
He turned—and saw a pink face.
The sound of a pen clicking echoed in his mind.
The next second, Joey's escort turned to ash.
If they wanted to test him, they should've been ready for a corpse.
With the kill done, King of Killers returned to Joey's body.
He'd sensed Nen on the escort—but the gap in power was vast. So vast the guy couldn't even react before dying.
Unless it was a conditional or counter-type Nen, it wouldn't pose a problem.
Given there was no Nen backlash, and the body gave no resistance—it was clear: a disposable pawn.
Waste of observation time.
With the nuisance gone, Joey pulled out several coins from his pocket and began flicking them.
His cockroach bugs weren't tailing Phinks and Nobunaga closely—he didn't want to risk detection.
Too persistent a bug and the Troupe might catch on.
These coins served two purposes: help him locate the Spiders—and probe the armory itself.
Earlier bugs had been destroyed.
Anyone with awareness could notice their unusual death—some turning into other objects—and realize they were being watched.
If a fresh wave of bugs appeared, it'd provoke a response.
And where there's a reaction—there's a weakness.
Joey's goal was to exploit those weaknesses and investigate the armory from within.