"This is bullshit!" Ryuji shouted. The sight of Shido's Palace made him sick. "A country that children can be proud of my ass! It's completely sunken in his head. If a guy like this gets elected and stands over everyone else, we're done for!"

"What kind of man looks at our country like this…" Kasumi held her hand to her chest. It was clear that this was the most outrageous Palace they had been in yet. Cognitions before were relatively small scale, with Kaneshiro's being the largest with Shibuya…but it was completely dwarfed by now.

"This is beyond ridiculous…!" Ann was sick to her stomach at this view.

"Akechi must have known about this." Hifumi lowered her head. "I have no doubt that he's been in here already."

"And yet he still aided Shido…" Yusuke shook his head. He couldn't fathom how anyone could side with such ideology.

"Whether it be for glory, or for simply a reward…my father died because of someone like this!" Haru was right to be angry. Nobody was going to stop her from feeling that way either.

"We're gonna make that Shido pay…" Futaba was also mad. Her mother died for a man's selfish ambition. She couldn't forgive that.

"A Palace with not just the center of the distortion, but the entire country sunken…" Morgana couldn't believe the scope of it all. "Be careful. This will be completely different from past Palaces!"

"We're definitely gonna take his Treasure!" Ryuji rotated his arm.

"Let's do this." Ren told the others.

"I'm prepared for payback." Hifumi said. "This is how we strike back!"

"…But our clothes haven't changed yet." Kasumi pointed out. "Does that mean we aren't seen as a threat?" She raised a good point. They weren't Phantom Thieves just yet.

"We should be ready for anything, just in case." Hifumi stared at the doors leading into the Diet Building. "I wonder what awaits us inside of Masayoshi Shido's Palace…"

"We'll find out soon enough." Ren said while placing his hand on the door. "Let's begin the infiltration." Ren pushed the doors opened and they walked inside. The interior of the ship was large as they stepped into the opening hall. The moment they stepped inside, their Phantom Thief attire appeared in a blue flash.

"…That was fast." Violet said.

Panther was looking at her outfit. "I understand why he might already see us as a threat…" Her gaze then went to the other passengers, who were wearing masks. "But why are even the passengers wearing masks?"

"You think they're tryin' to be phantom thieves, like Noir was with that Beauty Thief stuff?" Skull suggested.

"Beauty Thief…?" This was the first time Violet was hearing of this, and she looked to Noir curiously.

Embarrassed, Noir huffed and turned away. "Th-that's enough…!"

"Whatever the reason, it reflects Shido's mentality." Fox said. "Surely he doesn't view others normally."

"Given the insane nature of his distortion, I'm surprised they even look like people." Queen said.

"So he sees people as people, but only if they're allied with him…" Dragon mumbled to herself. The people around them weren't paying attention to the Thieves at all. They walked up a flight of stairs, and the moment they did, a shadow appeared in front of them. "An enemy…!"

"Looks like we aren't welcome here after all!" Violet said. The Shadow turned into a large white lion.

"What's the deal, attackin' with all these people around!?" It was an exceptionally reckless all things considered.

"Here it comes!" Oracle warned. The Guard Dog of Hades howled and leapt forward towards the group to attack.

Dragon was the first one to act, extending her staff to strike the Guard Dog in the chest and push it into the nearby wall. "It's fast, but not fast enough!"

Violet then jumped forward, landing on Dragon's staff and began running along the extended weapon. She drew her rapier and slashed at the Guard Dog, just as her mask burned away. "Cendrillon!" Her Persona appeared behind her, following suit with numerous beams of light that struck the pinned down dog, causing it to howl in pain before forcing itself from the wall. "It's a tough one!" Violet warned.

With a howl, the Guard Dog summoned a few large fire balls above its head. The dog then roared and let loose these fireballs upon the Phantom Thieves. Panther grinned and jumped forward. "I got this one! Hecate!" Panther's Persona appeared in that moment and she fired off her own array of fireballs, resulting in numerous explosions within the ship.

"Ooooh…" The fighting caught the attention of some of the people within the ship. They weren't panicking at all, only watching the spectacle in front of them.

"What's with them…?" Queen noticed that the people were watching calmly. as if they weren't in danger at all.

"Haaaah!" Noir spun around, slamming her axe into the chest of the Guard Dog. It growled in pain and attempted to strike her down in return, but it was already too late. Noir fired off a rocket from her gun, watching as it exploded against the shadow and killed it instantly. "Hmph."

"That's one way to go about it." Mona rubbed the back of his head with his paw. It worked out, but it wasn't exactly the stealthiest approach. He could feel all eyes on them after that little scuffle.

"They're all looking at us…" Fox said, a little uneasy.

"Ah, is this a show of sorts? Mr. Shido never fails to keep his guest entertained!" A masked guest said.

"Indeed! Those privileged enough to be on this ship are all on the winning team!" A masked woman said. She and the other guests began laughing both loudly and obnoxiously.

"It seems they think no harm will come to them because they're on Shido's ship…" Queen said.

"Does this mean that people Shido works with are aware of what he's doing? Or maybe I'm reading too much into this…" Dragon was mulling it over.

"They're not even sensin' the danger…" Skull shook his head. "C'mon, let's make 'em see what this ship really is!"

"They might already be aware." Fox suggested. "Regardless, we have to press onward."

.

.

From the Entrance Hall to the Central Hall, the Phantom Thieves carefully walked through the ship. Only a few seconds into the hall did Mona start to react. "Hmm…I can sense the Treasure!"

"Wait, already?" Joker was surprised to hear this.

"It's this way!" Mona started to run off and the others followed him. Their progress was stopped by several golden doors with four lion heads.

"These huge doors are obviously suspicious." Skull said. "I wonder what's through there."

"There're slots to stick something in like a keycard…" Oracle reported. "Whoa, there's five of them!"

"Five keycards…?" Violet stroked her chin in intrigue. "I wonder what they're supposed to be…"

Everyone's attention was suddenly captured by a voice that came through the intercom. "Four hundred seventy-five people in favor, zero against. Since there is no one against the plan, this bill will be unanimously passed."

"Huh? What the hell's goin' on in there?" Skull asked.

"I think that's Shido's voice." Joker said.

Queen glanced up at the label on top of the door. It read 'Representatives Chamber'. "I understand now. If this is truly the Representatives Chamber as written, beyond here must be the main assembly hall.

"The what now?" Skull turned around, confused.

"…It's that large conference room that's usually seen on the news." Queen sighed.

"Oooh, that thing! Gotcha!" Skull understood now. "So…what're they doin' inside?"

"If I had to guess, a meaningless vote." Dragon crossed her arms. "No matter what Shido proposes, it will always go unopposed. You heard him, didn't you? Over four hundred people in unanimous agreement?"

"It feels like he's stroking his own ego…" Violet remarked.

"He's doing whatever he wants by keeping only his supporters in there." Noir scoffed in disgust. The more they learned about Shido, the more her stomach twisted.

"What do we do to get in, though? Should we find these keycards?" Fox asked.

"Maybe we need some kind of qualification, one that vows to be his follower or swear loyalty." Mona suggested.

"So we have to prove that we're on his side?" Panther tilted her head.

"I'd rather die." Noir shook her head at the thought.

"I agree. The thought of being on his side makes me sick." Joker said. "But unfortunately, we'll just have to grit our teeth and bear it. If we pretend, we should be okay." After he said that, he let out a quiet groan and touched the back of his head.

"…?" Violet noticed this, staring at Joker curiously.

"But what's this qualification stuff?" Skull asked.

"We could try asking the guests on the ship?" Noir suggested. She wasn't happy about going along with this plan, but the mission was important.

"A brilliant idea, Noir." Dragon said. "These guests must know something, after all."

"They're cognitive versions of people Shido know, so they'll know any secrets he's shared." Mona said.

"That said, the ruler here is that evil Shido. It wouldn't be surprising if they did turn hostile." Fox brought up a good point.

Panther slumped over. "…You're right, they'll probably attack us, won't they?"

"We should prepare for the worst." Mona said. "However, this is an ark filled with people that Shido finds trustworthy. It'd explain the luxury cruise ship, and I doubt idiots who can't even hold a conversation would be here."

"So we should at least be able to talk to them, right?" Violet asked. "Actually…considering how they brushed aside our fight earlier, I think we'll be okay."

"It helps that everyone's wearing masks. We fit right in." Queen said.

"He must believe that no one shows their true face to anyone else. Just like him." Mona said.

"That's untrue." Dragon shook her head. "You've all seen my true face…good and bad…"

"Well then, let's split up and ask around." Noir said. Everyone went to do just that.

While the others split off to gather information, Joker and Mona were off on their own. They found a map of the ship, which was invaluable to their infiltration here. After some time, the group gathered together again. "How'd it go?" Joker asked.

"Um…I'm not really sure." Violet scratched her cheek with her index finger. "I think I got some information, but I don't think anyone was willing to talk to Skull-senpai and I…"

"They totally ignored us!" Skull huffed. "Did I look like I didn't have any money or somethin'!? Was it the skull mask?"

"I think it was the skull mask…" Violet laughed nervously.

"I can at least confirm that nobody here is lying." Dragon raised a finger. "In fact, they are all too eager to speak the truth. It's like highschool gossip to them…"

"It's probably because they're all wearing masks." Queen said. "They won't feel guilty for sharing the truth because their identity is hidden."

"Ugh, that was a nightmare…" Oracle grumbled.

"We found a safe room on the map where we can discuss what we've gathered." Mona said. So they all nodded and went to the safe room to take a break and share intel.

.

.

The safe room wasn't too far. It was in the central hallway. Everyone gathered around the table and got comfortable before their meeting began. "Still, this is a surprise. All the cognitive guests in this Palace seem like real humans." Mona said. "The casino earlier looked pretty real too, but talking to these people is a different story."

"You are correct." Dragon leaned back in her seat. "I wasn't expecting the people here to be so attentive and lifelike. In the casino, the people barely paid attention to us. Here, I would've assumed we were talking to real people if I didn't know we were in a Palace. Shido is more observant than I wanted to give him credit for."

"It'll be easier to make a plan since they can talk normally. We can assume that every cognitive person we talk to will be exactly like their real world counterpart." Queen said.

"And we start by getting five letters of introduction, right?" Violet tapped her chin. "From those VIPs?"

"And those letters become the keycards?" Panther asked.

"Exactly." Queen nodded. "Now, let's go over all we've learned. First, according to my intel…one of the VIPs is an influential politician by the name of Ooe. He's supposedly seen a the restaurant at night and sits at a table near the window."

"Um…I'll go next." Panther said. "I heard about a prominent VIP who used to be…nobility?"

"They said he's usually by the pool." Dragon added.

"Next is my intelligence." Fox began. "It seems the president of a television station is also a VIP. He always plays slots at night. It would seem he spends his money quite lavishly."

"…Crap, I'm startin' to forget people already." Skull said with a sweat drop.

"I'm up next!" Oracle grinned. "Supposedly, one VIP is the president of an IT company. He's always in his room and reportedly enters from an exclusive hallway."

"I'll close us out!" Mona said. "Supposedly, one is called a Cleaner."

"A…cleaner?" Violet tilted her head. "I'm afraid I don't follow, Mona-senpai."

"Yeah, I'm not gettin' it either." Skull shook his head.

"That seems a bit out of place, considering the others." Joker had his hand on his temple the whole time. He was listening as best he could, but…

"I think it would be best if we investigated the other VIPs first." Mona said.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't get any information." Noir frowned.

"Neither could I…" Violet sighed.

"Don't sweat it, you two! I couldn't get any either!" Skull said with a wide grin. "We'll just make up for it in battle!"

"Hehe, you're right!" Noir was able to smile, and Violet was too.

"…I think we have a bit of a problem, though." Skull glanced away. "My memory's, uh…not so great. Anyways, who was who…? Uh…ugh! It's no use! I can't keep the profiles of five people straight in my head!"

"I can only remember about two of them…" Panther slumped against the table. "What about you, Joker?"

"…I forgot them all." Joker wasn't proud to admit that.

"Oh dear lord…" Panther had no faith in this operation going forward.

"I remember a few…three, I think?" Dragon rocked her head back and forth slowly.

"…I only remembered one." Violet admitted.

Luckily for them, Oracle was keeping track of the information they gathered. "We're up against five people: The politician Ooe, a former noble, a TV station president, an IT company president, and a cleaner. We get certifications from them which turn into the keycards we need. But we only go after the cleaner after the other four have been dealt with. Right?"

"Whoa! Now that's impressive! You go, genius!" Panther cheered.

"Thank goodness for Oracle-senpai. I would never have been able to keep track of things…" Violet smiled towards Oracle, who puffed her chest out proudly.

"Yeah…" Joker felt a bit dizzy and suddenly just fell onto the table. "Damn…"

Everyone gasped and looked at Joker. "Hey, are you okay?!" Noir asked.

"Joker!?" Queen gasped.

"Senpai!" Violet rushed over to Joker's side. "…Have you been trying to act tough this whole time? It's only been a few days since the police station…"

"I'm okay…" Joker said while lifting himself up.

"You most certainly are not." Dragon crossed her arms and shook her head. "You were acting a little distant during the meeting in Leblanc too. I didn't want to impose…but if you're not feeling up to par, it has to come to our attention."

"Yeah, dude. If you ain't feeling well, let us know." Skull said.

Joker could feel all eyes on him. He just let out a quiet, defeated sigh and sat up. "Sorry. I thought I was up to par today. Truth be told, I still feel the aches of what happened in the police station. It's hard not to think about either."

"Senpai…" Violet frowned. Joker glossed over the police brutality, but it was clearly much more severe than he was letting on. "I noticed something was wrong…but I was hoping that you'd tell us, instead of us having to find out this way."

"You should've told us sooner!" Panther said with a huff. "You really have to stop shouldering things by yourself, Joker! We're a team, aren't we!?"

"Panther's right." Mona agreed.

"Don't push yourself too hard." Fox said. "You are our leader, so we will be relying on you for this mission. Besides, you have as much a stake in this operation as anyone else."

"We can't act as a team if our leader isn't willing to trust us." Queen said.

"I think the best option is to return for the day." Noir suggested. "We already know what we have to do. There doesn't seem to be a point in rushing things now, is there?"

"I agree with Noir." Oracle nodded. "I don't think we need to do anything else today."

"A tactical retreat seems for the best." Dragon said.

Joker looked at everyone and simply nodded. They were all right. He should've said something sooner. "Sorry, guys. You're right…I didn't mean to make you guys worry." He was able to stand up and flashed everyone a slight smile. They were right. He had to be more open to things…they were a team and shared the burden together. He knew that now, he just had a nasty habit of trying to do everything alone. But that wasn't something he could afford to do now. This was everyone's fight. "I'll be better tomorrow. We can't let Shido win. Tomorrow, we begin our operation and strike back against this corrupt politician!"