There was some credibility to Kite's intel, but Joey wouldn't rest easy until he confirmed it with his own eyes.
Under Golden Experience's control, the cockroach was the first to spot the two Phantom Troupe members. With cockroaches already in pursuit and the general direction known, tracking them down wasn't difficult. Creatures as common as cockroaches wouldn't attract attention even aboard this ship.
Once the distance was judged, Joey headed toward their location.
The simplest way to draw them into a trap was to manufacture a conflict—given the King's Guard's domineering nature and the Troupe's reckless arrogance, a fight would seem completely natural.
But just as Joey was moving in on Phinks and Nobunaga, something unusual flared in his En.
That aura—it was hiding inside the ceiling!
Luini!
Joey made the call instantly, flipping a coin into the air. It was intercepted mid-flight by Killer Queen, who had suddenly appeared, activating contact.
The coin didn't turn into a cockroach this time. It became a swallow, fast as a bolt.
Thirty meters—that wasn't much for either Joey or the swallow.
Joey followed behind, simultaneously activating Mirage, cloaking both himself and the swallow in warped light.
As long as the enemy couldn't use En—or wasn't using it—they'd never spot them.
This was the ideal assassination tactic.
Judging by the sounds Nobunaga had made when attacking Luini earlier, it was clear Luini could be hit even inside his warped-space hideout.
If the swallow could penetrate that space—he could eliminate Luini in one go.
If not, Joey would still be able to observe the technique and adapt accordingly.
The thirty meters vanished in a breath. Joey's gaze shot upward—he caught sight of Luini's back just as the ceiling began to seal shut.
The swallow surged toward the gap—but in the final instant, smashed into the closing ceiling.
Joey halted.
Was it luck?
Or had Luini noticed the swallow?
No…
Joey ran back through the clues. Then he understood.
Luini hadn't been here before. He was placing a spatial marker.
The moment he finished, he used his ability to leave.
That meant when Joey's En caught him, it was during the moment the ripped space was naturally closing after Luini's departure.
Problematic.
An ability that let someone open a portal and leave at will—it was like trying to hold water in your hands.
Still, if he hadn't been here before, it meant he might return to keep tailing the Troupe.
Next time, Joey wouldn't let him go.
"You investigating that guy too?"
A cold voice came from behind Joey.
He knew the voice. Slightly different through the earpiece versus in person—but Joey instantly recognized it as Nobunaga's.
Joey's expression didn't change much.
He turned and dispelled Mirage—Nobunaga and Phinks were standing nearby.
Their appearance wasn't a surprise.
He'd sensed another En while pursuing Luini—his own had briefly touched Phinks'.
The cockroaches could track visually, but they couldn't detect aura or the range of another's En.
His chase had been reckless.
From the way his En had brushed Phinks', the latter's range had to be at least twenty meters. Joey had capped his own to thirty meters to avoid alarming anyone, and even then, Phinks had still been fifty or sixty meters away.
That range far surpassed Nobunaga's infamous five-meter En.
En size didn't define power, but a large En user was rarely weak.
Joey suspected twenty meters wasn't even Phinks' limit.
His error lay in insufficient intel.
Most of what Joey knew came from the manga. In real life, his only direct encounters had been with Chrollo at Heaven's Arena, and with the corpses of Shalnark and Kortopi after Hisoka dealt with them.
He couldn't assume every Troupe member was on Hisoka's level.
Hell—he didn't even know the range of Hisoka's En.
After all, En size often adjusted to situational needs.
His own En, due to its integration with his ability, was unusually large—this was his specialty after all.
Kite's En stretched forty to fifty meters, optimized for spotting threats and prey in the wilderness.
"Right. Do you know where he might be hiding?" Joey asked, guarded.
"You with the Xi-Yu family?" Nobunaga looked surprised, but ignored Joey's question.
He could sense it—Joey's strength was in a whole other league compared to the mafia thugs they'd previously encountered.
The difference was like a kindergartener versus a college athlete.
Joey was a genuine threat.
"Yeah," Joey said firmly. "I'm assigned by the family to assist the King's Guard in securing the armory."
"My gut says he's lying," Phinks said flatly.
"Same." Nobunaga nodded, sliding into a battle stance. His eyes glimmered with anticipation.
Bloodlust.
Joey frowned slightly, but his swallow circling above was poised to strike.
The King's Guard's armory wasn't far—if a battle broke out, the Guard would notice quickly.
"If I'm right," Phinks said, arms crossed, "those cockroaches crawling around—those are yours, right?"
He thought aloud.
"They started showing up before that space-manipulating guy came after us. Even though they switched out a few times, they never left our vicinity."
"If you hadn't kept your cool when we showed up, I wouldn't have guessed it was you. But now…
You've been watching us for a while, haven't you?
So who are you really? What's your goal?"
Phinks wasn't looking at Joey anymore—his gaze shifted above, to the swallow hidden in Joey's En.
Nobunaga's expression had been puzzled from the moment he saw Joey.
Now, hearing Phinks' reasoning, he began comparing Joey's face to a certain photo in his mind.
And then—his eyes lit up.
"You're Joey. Joey Joestar! That bastard working with Hisoka!"
The instant the words left his mouth, Nobunaga vanished.
But his aura exploded outward—pure killing intent.
Confirming Joey's identity had reignited his rage toward Hisoka—and now it burned toward Joey.
Joey hadn't expected his identity to be exposed so quickly.
But when Nobunaga attacked, he saw that Phinks still wasn't moving.
One Troupe member? That, Joey could handle.
And he hadn't come here looking for a deathmatch anyway.
As Nobunaga lunged, Killer Queen materialized before Joey.
Its left arm—Withered Heart Piercer—acted as a shield.
With a clang, it clashed with Nobunaga's drawn katana.
"A Nen beast?" Nobunaga's eyes narrowed—but he didn't let up.
His katana slashed in rapid succession, nearly invisible to the eye.
Yet every strike against the Nen beast's left arm barely left a mark.
Dozens of cuts had only painted pale streaks.
And the beast kept pace with him.
This guy was strong.
Then Nobunaga noticed something.
Joey wasn't attacking.
Another Nen beast perched on his shoulder.
He was retreating, step by step, using the beast's defense as cover.
Phinks still didn't move.
But his eyes were fixed on the passageway behind Joey—just around the corner was the King's Guard armory, as Joey had claimed.
Was Joey really with the Xi-Yu?
Phinks knew the name Joey.
He was the one who cashed in Shalnark and Kortopi's corpses.
Their true target was always Hisoka—but they weren't going to let small fry escape either.
Joey had simply been hard to find.
He hadn't expected him to board the Black Whale.
This confirmed it—Joey was likely an ally of Hisoka's.
Which meant catching him could lead them to Hisoka.
He may've even helped lure Machi into that trap.
And he wasn't weak.
If Hisoka accepted him, he was no joke.
Phinks' aura began to boil over as he stepped forward.
Joey felt the pressure.
It came from Nobunaga.
With every slash, his attacks grew heavier, faster—clearly a Transmuter.
Like Uvogin, his power scaled with combat.
But this type of fighter was exactly who Killer Queen was built to counter.
One touch was all it took.
Joey didn't need Nobunaga alive.
And if he could kill him—he would.
Just to see how tough Troupe members really were.
The weather beast on Joey's shoulder twitched a finger.
That tiny motion sparked violent friction in the air—flames ignited from nothing, hurtling at Nobunaga as Killer Queen raised its right arm for a palm strike.
The fire wasn't what Nobunaga had expected.
But his focus stayed on Killer Queen.
Its left arm had absurd defense—its right must be just as dangerous.
Left-hand shield, right-hand spear.
Classic.
He couldn't take it head-on.
As the flames surged, Nobunaga spun his katana in a flourish.
A web of slashes fanned out before him, slicing the fire into harmless embers before it could close the distance.
The blade web didn't stop—it swept toward Killer Queen.
Its left arm was sturdy, but only covered so much area.
This was a wide-range emission-type slash—not easy to block.
After the web, Nobunaga sheathed his katana.
His stance lowered. Aura gathered in his legs and right hand.
Joey saw it all.
A wide-range emission attack—bad news for Killer Queen.
And the stance, the aura flow—it was clear.
Next was the draw slash.
A finisher-type move.
Before the blade web hit, Killer Queen vanished.
At the same time, wind howled around Joey—lifting him and hurling him backward at high speed.
Behind him, the air grew dense, resisting the incoming slash.
The blade web dissolved before it even touched him.
But then—
BOOM!
A sonic boom echoed down the corridor.
Nobunaga vanished—only to reappear behind Joey in a blink.
Twin fountains of blood sprayed the hallway.
(End of Chapter)