Kurapika bowed slightly to Queen Oito before stepping out of the room to take the call.
"Ashton? What's going on?"
"I can't help you right now," came Mizaistom's tired and slightly frustrated voice on the other end.
"Right now, I have to focus on the third and fourth floors where most of the civilian passengers are. The rate of incidents is way faster than we anticipated."
"Forgery and smuggling of ferry tickets, robberies, ethnic clashes, drunken brawls—there's no end to it. Petty theft is rampant, and there've even been incidents of random explosions. What's worse, a lot of the reports coming in turn out to be false alarms."
It was clear that the overcrowded lower decks were turning into chaos. Mizaistom sounded overwhelmed.
"The rumor behind all the false reports—the one about [criminal behavior invalidating tickets and redistributing the share to others]—it's spiraled out of control."
"Now it's being said that [reporting a criminal increases your own ticket quota]. But Kakin's military has shown almost no initiative in squashing these rumors."
"They're practically letting the panic fester on purpose. If this keeps up, we're going to have a full-on riot."
"So, Botobai and I have decided to serve as acting adjutants, commanding a mix of army and civilian forces for security. That means we won't be joining the Twelve Zodiacs' meeting before departure."
Mizaistom's tone grew heavier.
"And we seriously underestimated Kakin's bluster. Their whole plan is nothing but paper promises. Worst of all is their medical support!"
"There are three medical facilities on the third floor, two on the fourth, and only a handful more scattered elsewhere. The fifth floor doesn't even have a resident doctor!"
"What they delivered is only a fifth of what they promised the V5. And the number of doctors? Barely one-fifteenth of the original plan."
"Meanwhile, the royal nobles get one doctor for every 20 people. It's absurd. Poor Cheadle's been running around nonstop trying to restaff the whole medical team."
Mizaistom sighed. "This might be the last time I get to contact you before departure. Just… stay sharp out there."
"Got it~"
As the call ended, Kurapika rubbed the spot between his eyebrows.
The situation in the lower levels was far worse than expected. The Twelve Zodiacs were all tied up elsewhere—he could rely on no one but himself in this deadly succession war.
Fortunately, Kurapika wasn't the kind to complain. Even now, his thoughts remained cool and focused.
If the timing is right, maybe this lower-deck chaos could be used to his advantage...
He turned and made his way back.
...
Just as Kurapika reached the door, he heard Ronnel's voice from inside:
"Your Highness, you can rest assured. During the succession battle, these seven guards will follow your orders without hesitation—even if it costs them their lives."
"With us here, Prince Woble will be safe."
Entering the room, Kurapika saw Ronnel seated once again on the sofa. The seven royal guards, all afflicted by nen curses, stood in a solemn line behind Queen Oito.
The remaining three association guards lingered to the side, looking uneasy and unsure.
"Is that... so?"
The Fourteenth Prince was laid in a small rocking crib. Kurapika's eyes swept the room—nannies standing nervously, Woble lounging nearby, and Ronnel meeting his gaze calmly from the couch.
Queen Oito's expression twitched. She clasped her hands together, trembling slightly as fear overtook her.
"Queen...? Are you alright?"
Kurapika immediately stepped forward when he noticed the change in her demeanor.
"I was... already mentally prepared for everyone to die on this ship," she said in a trembling voice, face pale. "But hearing there's a chance we might live…"
Kurapika remained silent for a moment.
Hope—just the possibility of survival—can change people in unexpected ways.
He glanced at Ronnel again, then called over the remaining three nanny-type guards. Together with the seven curse-bound guards and the master-ranked Hunters, they escorted the Queen and her son out of the room.
She needed time to breathe, and to gather herself again.
...
Now, only Kurapika and Ronnel remained.
"Hello. I'm Kurapika," he said, walking calmly toward the other man. He extended his hand, his gaze unwavering.
(T/N: Morgan -the name Ronnel said to them)
"Morgan," Ronnel replied with a smile, taking the offered handshake.
"I hope we can work well together on this journey."
"Yeah… same here."
As the two men clasped hands—
All personnel had boarded.
The enormous whale-shaped cruise ship, the Black Whale, began to move slowly across the sea. The BW-class vessel shifted with immense force, gradually picking up speed.
On April 3rd, this behemoth of the ocean—carrying tens of thousands—began its two-month voyage.
And with it, the deadly succession war had officially begun.
...
Back on shore, representatives of the V5 and Kakin stood at the harbor, passionately explaining the significance of this historic voyage to onlookers and cameras alike.
The broadcasters gave it their all—not just for Kakin's benefit, but perhaps to carve their own names into history as well.
With a grand salute and roaring applause, the Black Whale pulled away from port.
...
Inside the ship, at the grand theater reserved for nobles, a hostess from Kakin had already begun introducing the itinerary to the VIPs.
"First, we'll spend about three weeks exiting the territorial waters where ordinary marine traffic is conducted by humans~"
------------
Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (799 chapters in total)