For the next two days, Joey remained at home, using Palm's credentials to comb through publicly available data from the Hunter Association.
At the same time, he received a classified internal dossier from Mizai Storm—more detailed and in-depth than any standard intel.
Before even boarding the B.W., Joey now understood the ship's situation better than most people on it.
Looking back, Joey couldn't help thinking—had he known he'd accept Kurapika's commission, he would've just signed up as a Hunter in the first place. After all, there was no conflict. He could've simply hidden his identity and completed the mission onboard.
Given how many Association Hunters were boarding under false identities and secret assignments, it wouldn't have raised suspicion.
During this prep period, Joey used his alias—Dio Brando—to apply for a Prince's Guard position.
Each of the six princes issued recruitment commissions, but all with varying terms—rates, qualifications, and interview methods.
Joey couldn't remember the specifics of each commission, but after gathering extensive intel on the princes, he could start making educated guesses.
The Eighth Queen, Oito, mother of 14th Prince Woble, had the least influence. She likely couldn't afford high bounties—but she was clever.
A queen like her would need to disguise her commission, likely posing as another prince.
Only two profiles would be suitable decoys: 9th Prince Halkenburg or 6th Prince Tyson.
Halkenburg: A genius. Entered the world's top university—Miwaru University—at age 15.
Also a silver medalist in international archery.
But he was known to be emotionally detached from his family—especially his mother and older sisters, Princes Camilla and Tubeppa.
Camilla's nen: "Million Lives Cat", a post-mortem counter.
When killed, the user resurrects using the attacker's life force. High-risk, high-reward.
Joey also noted that Halkenburg had a cult-like following, and a radical political dream—to reform Kakin's monarchy into a democracy.
He was likely surrounded by true believers, not random mercenaries. If he posted a bounty, it'd be low—maybe even 0—to filter out anyone who wasn't ideologically aligned.
And yet, oddly enough, he'd once declared publicly:
"The only prince I recognize... is Tserriednich."
That made no sense to Joey. Why would a reformist admire a sadistic autocrat?
Regardless, Joey concluded: Halkenburg wouldn't issue a recruitment commission.
The other possible impersonation was Prince Tyson, a narcissist obsessed with beauty.
Her commission would focus heavily on ranking and appearance.
Which meant:
The fixed-price, no-adjustment listing = likely Queen Oito's disguised post.
Joey guessed Kurapika would select the same one.
So Joey submitted his credentials under the "Dio Brando" alias.
But by evening, just as Mizai and Kurapika arrived at his home with five others—Joey received a rejection email.
No reason given. Just a blunt "you were not selected."
Shoving the phone into his pocket, he welcomed the group into the living room.
Other than Biscuit, who Joey knew well, the rest were only acquaintances by reputation.
Izunabi – Kurapika's mentor figure, a serious, composed man.
Basho and Melody – Bodyguards affiliated with Nostrad's mafia.
Hanzo – Ninja-esque, stoic, surprisingly good-looking. A fellow Hunter.
Biscuit – Loud, sassy, and utterly relaxed. Already munching chips on Joey's couch.
"You too?" Biscuit cocked her head. "Planning to join the expedition? I thought your life goal was wine, food, and naps. You sure this death cruise is your thing?"
Joey smiled wryly. "I have my reasons. Besides, don't slander me—my goals are deeper than that."
He leaned closer. "You joining a specific prince? I'll tag along."
Biscuit narrowed her eyes. "Using me as your trainer again, huh?"
He winked. "Who could resist the charming, irresistible Biscuit-sama?"
She blushed instantly. "...Fine. Whatever."
Kurapika interjected. "Why not join my pick?"
"I tried." Joey flashed his phone, showing the rejection.
Kurapika's brows lifted. "You think that listing is from Prince 9?"
"Not quite." Joey shook his head. "I think it's imitating him."
He explained Halkenburg's ethos and concluded the prince wouldn't commission mercs.
"That post came from someone weak, smart, and desperate. Most likely Queen Oito herself."
As for Queen Seiko, mother of Princes 6 and 10—her duplicated posts suggested she was hedging her bets.
Joey laid everything bare, knowing full well Kurapika would respect his analysis.
"Whether you choose 14th Prince or not, it's your call. But don't get sentimental."
He clarified that saving Woble and Oito wasn't part of his concern—his only priority was survival and strategic advantage.
Kurapika, however, saw potential in controlling weaker pawns.
Joey countered. "They're too weak. Even if you control them, they'll slow you down. Focus on your goal."
Still, Kurapika persisted: "As long as I'm stationed on that deck, I can use events and parties to create a window of access to Tserriednich."
Joey agreed. "You only need three minutes. That's when Melody comes in."
Kurapika turned to Melody. "Can you do it?"
"I can create a three-minute distraction in a performance setting," she replied.
"That's enough. But we'll need full intel on Tserriednich's guards. If they catch on, it's over."
He looked back at Joey. "That's your job. I assume you've got some ideas?"
Joey nodded. "Not a concrete plan yet, but I have... possibilities. My ability will help."
They didn't press further. Sharing abilities was unnecessary.
Kurapika added, "But we can't put all our eggs in one basket. We need fallback plans—like embedding with a prince."
He tapped the floorplan of the B.W. "Joey's out of the running for 14th Prince. So let's wait for him to pass another application—then I'll follow to stay close."
Joey agreed.
He resubmitted his application to a new listing. On the third try—he got accepted.
Interview location: Huehue Hotel.
Soon, the rest submitted their profiles.
An hour later, replies came in.
All but Hanzo and Izunabi were directed to Huehue Hotel—owned by the Hui Guo Rou royal family.
Hanzo's post was also at a royal venue—just a different branch.
"Looks like a seminar-style info session," Basho noted.
"If anything comes up, contact me via Q," Kurapika said.
Hanzo and Izunabi nodded.
"Q" was the Association's covert messaging system—nine-digit codes transmitted through a private switchboard. Decoded by specialized software, completely trace-free, immune to interception.
Developed specifically for this voyage. Only vetted Hunters could use it.
Joey had access. Personally granted by Chairwoman Cheadle.