Joey crept past the huge crowd gathering on the docks. It was night time now, so it was easy for him to hide in the shadows.

The boat to Duelist Kingdom was enormous. Some official- looking guys in suits were giving some kind of speech to the duelists waiting to board the vessel.

"You each have a fair and equal chance to win..." Joey overheard snatches of the speech, but he was mostly concentrating on how to get on without being seen.

As he crept behind the crowd, he looked around for Yugi. He couldn't see him, so Joey made his way to a secluded part of the dock, seeing his way into the boat.

He tiptoed past some tall crates of cargo, noticing that no one seemed to be around.

He turned the corner...and came face-to-face with a couple of guards. They immediately restrained him, taking hold of each of his arms and carried him away. "Hey, you! Get out of here, only official contestants are allowed on board!"

"How do you know I'm not official?" Joey said, struggling against them, but he couldn't shake off two fully-grown men. They had dragged him all the way back to the crowd, which was now forming into a line, ready to board the boat.

"Because the official duelists aren't trying to sneak on board through the lower hatches!" one of the guards growled t him.

"Joey? What the -?" Out of the corner of his eye, Joey saw Yugi making his way towards him. But Joey carried on trying to fight against the two guards.

"Stop your struggling!" one of them snarled. "We're going to have to throw you out!"

"No way!" Joey shouted, seeing the crowd turning their heads to look at the commotion. "I came here to duel, and I'm gonna duel!"

"Leave him alone!" Yugi said, standing defiantly in front of the two guards.

"Hey, Yugi." Joey said, as if he were having a perfectly normal conversation.

"Joey! What are you doing here, Joey?" Yugi asked inquisitively.

"Did you really think I'd let you do this on your own?" Joey laughed unsurely. "Come on, help me out."

"He's with me! You've gotta let him on." Yugi said to the guards.

"Only people with a star chip can get on board. There are no exceptions! Understand?" one of the guards said, still grasping Joey tightly.

"But Joey has a star chip." Yugi said, matter-of-factly. "Didn't he tell you?"

Joey looked surprised at this information. "I do?"

"See?" Yugi held out his closed hand.

Joey looked confused for a moment, then reached out his hand as the two guards let go of him, obviously confused too.

Yugi opened his hand, and a shining gold star dropped into Joey's palm.

"What's this...?" Joey looked at the star in amazement.

"According to this card," Yugi held up a card decorated with a picture of a gauntlet and stars "a star chip's proof that one is a duelist."

"Hmm...that may be, but all participants are given two star chips. You'll be at a disadvantage." One of the guards said.

Joey continued to stare at the star chip in disbelief. Yugi was giving him one of his only two star chips....

"Maybe." Yugi said, still holding the card in his hand. "But I'd rather take that risk than be without my friend when we get to the Duelist Kingdom. I need him."

"Yugi..." Joey stared at Yugi, dumbstruck. He knew his friend was making a huge sacrifice just for him.

One guard turned to the other and said, "What do we do?"

The other pulled out a mobile phone and quickly dialled a number, then lifted it to his ear. "Mr Pegasus? We've got a problem, sir."