Is Ella Fake?

The male voice in the communicator was still speaking.

"Golden Candle Envoy, please do not stop the Return to the Nest."

Bai Zhu raised a hand, stopping Milluki from replying.

Milluki had just reached for another communicator to switch to Illumi's channel when Bai Zhu stopped him.

"Hang up first."

Milluki froze for a moment.

"Hang up what?"

"All external communications."

Milluki nearly thought he had misheard.

The harbor outside was already in complete chaos. Fifteen submarines beneath the water were spewing out Black Boxes, and their communications had been hijacked. At a time like this, the most important thing should have been contacting Illumi and withdrawing the people.

Yet Bai Zhu was telling him to cut the line.

Hisoka leaned nearby, no longer turning his cards, and tilted his head toward Bai Zhu.

Milluki suppressed his anger.

"Do you know what you're saying?"

"I do."

Bai Zhu stared at the silhouettes of the submarines on the main screen.

Beside the side hatch of one submarine, the image relayed by the sonar buoy briefly filled in for a frame.

There was a candle flame emblem on its black hull.

The outer ring of the emblem was edged in gold.

Bai Zhu's fingers paused on his sword hilt.

"Young Master, hang up now."

Milluki gritted his teeth and pressed down.

The screens in the No. 3 Abandoned Shipyard tent went dark row by row.

The channel list was forcibly locked.

The static, fake Illumi's channel, and Ella's intermittent cries for help were all cut off.

The shouting outside continued, but the tent suddenly felt much clearer.

Milluki looked up.

"You'd better give me a reason worth hearing."

Bai Zhu let out a breath.

"Ella might be fake."

Milluki's expression changed.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"I hope I am."

Bai Zhu placed the